99 AC / 54 HA
Octavian
My eyes fluttered open as I struggled to orient myself. The same warm, golden light danced around the chamber in a soothing rhythm. As my senses returned, I found myself seated upon a high-backed wooden chair—likely conjured by Father, considering the austere surroundings. The oppressive darkness of the antechamber waged a war against the pulsing green runes and the last remnants of the divine essence settling into the stone. My sisters were in a similar predicament, slumped in their own conjured seats. While my eyes were wide, theirs remained shut.
"Good morning to you as well, Octavian. It has been three days."
Father's familiar, calm voice rang in my ears. I turned to see him standing beside the wall, his bare hand resting lightly against the largest emerald crystal. It was a stark contrast to the bleeding, agonizing state he had been in when the darkness took me. He had already restored his pristine attire. The midnight-black tunic with its intricate emerald cuffs sat perfectly beneath his heavy velvet coat, a silver chain clasping it all together at his collar.
"I see that you have successfully refined the essence, Father," I said, a faint smile touching my lips. Though the passage of time was news to me.
"That I have. And so have you," he replied. "I used the ritual's tether to focus the residual energy directly into your bodies. Your magical core is now vastly denser than before. Though I must admit, the magical yield within you was not as optimal as I had hoped. Your native physiology remains frustratingly resistant to magic. Setting that aside, how do you feel?"
I took a moment to familiarise myself with the changes wrought within my blood. I stood up and paced the black stone floor, feeling remarkably lighter than I ever had. A coiled, undeniable strength packed my muscles. I summoned my ashwood wand to my palm, noting instantly that the familiar tug on my magical core felt significantly reduced.
"I feel stronger," I admitted, clenching and unclenching my fist. "It feels as though my very limits have been elevated." I pointed my wand toward the wooden chair I had just vacated, smoothly transfiguring it into a polished mahogany table. "Even the casting feels effortless."
As we spoke, Hermione and Lily finally began to stir. They pushed themselves up, realisation dawning on their features as they felt the residual euphoria of the god's essence. They hurried over to join us.
"Your assumptions are correct, Octavian," Father confirmed. "The refined essence has allowed me to vastly expand the Imperial Array, greatly increasing my dominion and control over the Imperium. The residual energy has refined your bodies, granting you a far deeper connection to the ambient mana of this world. However, the distribution of this gift did not manifest equally among the three of you."
"Octavian gained the least magical enhancement due to his innate resistance." He shifted his green gaze to my sister. "Lily, however, has reaped the greatest physical benefits. You can now magically reinforce your physique to the exact same degree a Paladin achieves when consuming the Strengthening Solution." Lily positively beamed with pride at the prospect of such martial prowess.
"Be careful not to overexert yourself, daughter," Father cautioned. "Even having slain the Black Goat, we are still far from understanding everything that occurred during the Dawn Age. It is imperative we keep our true strengths concealed while we evaluate the remaining pantheons and threats scattered across Essos."
Lily nodded firmly. I believed she would attempt to be cautious, but at her core, she was still a warrior who relished the brutal dance of combat. It would be exceedingly difficult for her to hide her newfound might indefinitely. Still, it was a risk we could manage.
Father finally turned his attention to our youngest sibling. "Hermione now possesses the most potent magical core among the three of you. Based on my initial observations, her magical connection is now equal to that of Caraxes."
My face blanched at the horrifying comparison. Hermione merely shot me a wildly cheeky smirk.
"You cannot be serious, Father," I groaned. "She already possessed more raw power than any of us save yourself, and now her magical core is as bloated as a Valyrian beast?" I could not resist throwing a bit of mud at her triumphant parade.
"I am not bloated!" Hermione quipped back, her eyes narrowing. "It is hardly my fault you are magically stunted, brother."
A faint, amused smile touched Father's lips. "First of all, Octavian, I am not Sirius. I am Harry."
I hid a wince. It was an ancient, baffling jest he insisted on making every time the word 'serious' was uttered. Lily let out an audible groan at the pun.
"Secondly," Father continued, "we always knew Hermione would be a magical anomaly. This ritual simply accelerated the manifestation of her potential. Even so, Hermione, I highly recommend you begin improving your physical stamina before our upcoming excursions. Your magic and your flesh must remain in perfect balance if one is to safely sustain the other."
Hermione had the rare humility to accept the critique of her lacklustre physical training without a retort.
"Father, how far does the Imperial Array stretch now?" she asked, swiftly changing the subject. I found myself highly intrigued by the question as well.
"The atmospheric wards can now reach as far west as the Rhoyne, and eastward beyond the Silver Sea into the Dothraki steppes," Father explained. "But until we carve the runic pathways the array's functionality will be severely limited. The coming years will be of the utmost importance. Octavian, you will oversee the expansion of the runic network. Lily, you will officially begin your command within the Legions, securing the frontier. The Imperium can only expand beneath the safety of the Array, and the Array is facilitated by the blood of our people. We may be comfortable within the borders we have conquered thus far, but if the Free Cities and the Ghiscari were to unite against us today, they would pose a dire threat. We must relentlessly expand our borders and our magic until their combined unity means nothing against our might."
"The whispers from our spies suggest the Triarchy may soon end their war with Volantis," I noted, shifting to matters of state. "The Volantenes have proven woefully inept at holding the Disputed Lands. Your upcoming excursion may benefit from this shift in power. Even better, our assets confirm that Prince-Admiral Craghas Drahar is putting forth a proposal for a full-scale invasion of the Stepstones."
Father, who had maintained a stoic countenance, allowed a sharp, cunning smile to blossom on his face. "That is excellent news, considering the identity of our current house guest and his soon-to-arrive father. We can wield that knowledge like a blade during our negotiations with Prince Baelon."