Chapter 4: The Rings of the Vishanti

The apprenticeship process wasn't particularly noteworthy. Solomon was grateful that Master Yip didn't mind his foreign appearance. Over the next few years, following the Ancient One's educational plan, Solomon's daily routine became a strict cycle: Kamar-Taj—Hong Kong Sanctum—martial arts school—Hong Kong Sanctum—Kamar-Taj. He had to wake up at dawn every day.

Solomon quickly bonded with the guardians of the Hong Kong Sanctum, for a simple reason: food preferences. They assumed that a "foreigner" wouldn't eat offal, but Solomon proved them wrong by happily devouring a large bowl. To them, anyone who could enjoy such a dish couldn't be a bad person.

Solomon was amazed that he had somehow restored his student-era sleep schedule. Ever since he had started working, his routine had been to close his eyes after work and then immediately find it was morning again.

Ah, youth is a wonderful thing.

For a body of such young age, this routine was a bit taxing, but fortunately, the power of the saint was gradually manifesting. Solomon grew taller, stronger, and more agile than other children his age. During this time, the Ancient One didn't neglect his cultural education either. He underwent rigorous language training, learning Hebrew, Sanskrit, Greek, Old English, Celtic, and other languages necessary for reading magical texts. The pressure was immense, far beyond what someone his age should bear.

Solomon had seen the memories brought by his stigmata. In the lives of those great wizards, the apprentice phase was spent copying scrolls and attending classes. None of their towers had ever taught close combat. He wasn't planning to become a magus warrior from Golarion, wielding a sword in one hand and casting spells with the other.

Adding to this, Baron Mordo had arranged citizenship for Solomon. He had to avoid the British Child Welfare Agency, which was trying to place him in a foster family and send him to school. Apparently, they had already contacted an elderly woman to adopt him.

But Solomon wasn't having any of it. He had just entered the magical world—was he really going to be sent back to elementary school?

Thankfully, the Ancient One had a "just enough" philosophy. After five long years of martial arts training, by the time Solomon turned ten and could defeat the older students in the martial arts school, the Ancient One finally arranged for him to start learning the Vishanti magic of Kamar-Taj—a moment Solomon had long awaited. He was tired of being limited to parlor tricks.

"I'm not sure if you're ready to face the trial," the Ancient One said in a quiet chamber. "But you already know how Kamar-Taj gains its magical power... You are different, though—you were born with magic."

The Ancient One did not want Solomon bound by a contract with the Vishanti like she had been. Although the relationship allowed Kamar-Taj's sorcerers to rapidly increase their combat power, it also made them beholden to their otherworldly patron.

It wasn't all bad, though. Even the Vishanti couldn't control human desires. They feared the rise of a sorcerer who could bring catastrophe to Earth, so they limited Kamar-Taj's potential strength. The Ancient One had benefited because she was the first to sign the contract. The Vishanti hadn't imposed overly harsh terms, allowing her greater freedom.

The Ancient One had prepared something for Solomon—she held out a silver ring set with a blue sapphire. The ring immediately caught Solomon's attention, not because of the gem, but because of the magical energy radiating from it. It reminded him of the One Ring from *The Lord of the Rings*.

"The problem is, even though you have your own innate magic, it can't compare to the boundless power of the Vishanti. I can shield you from the first backlash of their power, but besides this ring, there are two more. Together, they'll allow you to fully control the Vishanti's magic." The Ancient One slid the ring toward Solomon. "But after this, you must face the trials on your own."

"I will do my best, Master." Solomon lowered his head and bowed. As he did, a mark briefly appeared on the Ancient One's forehead, but it quickly disappeared.

"Begin by putting on the First Ring of Heaven," the Ancient One said. Solomon nodded and carefully picked up the ring between his thumb and forefinger.

There was no unusual sensation—no burning, no discomfort. Everything felt perfectly normal. He then slid the ring onto his right index finger. Though it wasn't sized for a child, the ring immediately adjusted, tightening around his finger.

The Ancient One didn't relax. She quickly extended her hand and cast a mirror dimension spell, enveloping all of Kamar-Taj within it.

"Thief!" A thunderous voice echoed from the sky. A giant tiger's head manifested in the void, its eyes radiating blinding light. Under the immense pressure of Hoggoth, the mirror dimension began to crack.

"Thief! Where are you?!"

A mark appeared in full on the Ancient One's forehead, though only Solomon could see it. Thanks to her protection, none of the other sorcerers at Kamar-Taj noticed the Vishanti's rage.

"Master..."

Solomon grew anxious. He didn't know what the Ancient One would have to sacrifice to protect him. Though the Ancient One had her own motives for taking him in, she was still his teacher. The Ancient One didn't respond. Solomon saw sweat dripping from her face. He could only sit down and, following Kamar-Taj's basic teachings, cross his legs and begin to meditate.

He imagined ten differently colored rings floating in a dark space. Solomon didn't deliberately arrange the rings but instinctively placed them in a sequence, from low to high.

He focused on the first ring, the lowest one. He imagined it glowing. This was a form of self-hypnosis, an exercise to activate his stigmata.

In his mind, the ring began to emit a light that shifted between shades of amber, olive, russet, and black (though black, being the absence of light, was just an illusion). In the outside world, a surge of magic rose from his body, eventually converging on the ring.

The Ancient One gradually felt the pressure easing, not because the Vishanti had calmed down, but because Solomon was slowly mastering the magic of the ring. The unique magical properties of the stigmata were battling the intense heat of the Vishanti's power. Without the stigmata, Solomon would have been roasted alive.

Hoggoth scanned the area, unable to find the thief who had stolen the Vishanti's power. Growing more agitated, it began to rage. Despite being part of the Vishanti trinity, Hoggoth was, at its core, still a big cat—a magical one at that—with a tremendous amount of patience. When it sensed the power within the ring fading, it gave up the search.

After all, there were still two other rings. Sooner or later, the thief would reveal themselves.

The Ancient One opened her eyes, exhausted, watching as Solomon awoke from his meditation.

"How do you feel?" the Ancient One asked.

"I'm not sure, but... when I unlocked the first stigmata, the power within the ring became manageable," Solomon said, still somewhat confused. He had activated his stigmata to fight the burning sensation from the ring and had braced himself for the expected flood of memories—but it never came. This time, he was able to calmly browse through those memories, slowly digesting them. His own magic had also subdued the power of the Vishanti's ring.

"It seems I was right, Solomon," the Ancient One said. "You truly possess the Ten Rings."

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