Chapter 1 - The Golden Age of Lithuin
It was a sunny autumn day as Aden strolled through the city square. He wore a smile and walked with a spring his his step. His was a cheerful disposition that only such a day could produce. Solacia was a swirling vortex of color this time of year. The light chill of early fall had arrived, filling his lungs with sharp, clean air as his boots clomped down the street.
Contrasting with the prominent browns and grays of Solacia's buildings, monuments and cobblestone streets, the fall foliage was at its most potent. The pink and white of cherry blossoms, the deep purple of flowering plum trees and the red, orange and yellow of sugar maples coexisted in this place. They lined the streets, providing a canopy to shade the city during the summer and became a kaleidoscope of rainbow tones as their leaves glided to the ground later in the year. Each stiff breeze became a feast for the eyes as the varied fallen petals mingled in the wind.
Aden was dressed for the weather with a brown overcoat providing a second layer over his tunic and tan pants. A blue cape, wrapped around his shoulders and flowing in his wake, was the only true splash of color in his outfit. A young man from a poor farming village couldn't afford more than that; not to mention a student with no income but what he received from the occasional odd job.
What his attire lacked, his natural features more than made up for. Aden sported a thick head of short, golden hair. His blonde locks, combined with the sparkle of deep green eyes, drew many longing gazes. So did his athletic form, sculpted from many years in the fields and surrounding forests where he'd learned to hunt. Even multiple layers of cloth, silk and leather couldn't hide the well-toned limbs of a young, medium-build man in his prime.
He wasn't the tallest at 5'10, but he was a looker. Aden would've done well for female companionship even before
the Cataclysm
, when the world was still called
Noctem
and the population was evenly split between men and women. Now, in the new world of Aurora, he was a rare specimen, doubly prized for his charms.
The streets, walkways and shops around him bustled and buzzed with activity. Virtually all of it was the sight and sound of women. The Cataclysm, which ended the
The Great War of the Magi
hundreds of years ago, killed off the vast majority of the male population in one mighty, catastrophic wave of magical energy. It ended the war quickly, but at great cost. Since that time, not only had birth rates plummeted, but only one in five births resulted in a male child. The consequences of this were worldwide, affecting every race that walked Aurora.
Aurora
was the new name for the world, chosen after the Cataclysm. It was widely adopted once the last vestiges of male authority slipped away and the women of each race, society and kingdom took total social, political and economic control. This was done more out of necessity than malice or ambition, though there were undoubtedly no shortage of women who were eager to reshape a world that had treated them as second class citizens and brood mares for most of its history.
Now the shoe was on the other foot. Though, for Aden and most other men, it wasn't all bad. Sure, many of the age-old prejudices had been reversed. Men were often talked over, minimized, treated like children and viewed as property. Some women only valued them for what they could offer sexually, irrespective of their personality, desires and feelings. Female chauvinism wasn't yet the standard, at least not in Lithuin, but it was an attitude and set of behaviors that were becoming more common the older and more powerful the matriarchies of Aurora grew.
The crucial difference between the circumstances of modern men and the plight of women in the old world is that men were now in high demand. To the extent they were property, they were rarely personal property, because their low numbers necessitated an abandonment of monogamy. Instead, men were seen as a kind of collective property of their respective societies. Every male was expected to perform prodigious sexual service in order to keep their populations from crashing.
The irony wasn't lost on him that in a world fully dominated by women, a man's value had never been higher. And yet, the irony only existed out of historical perspective. To the young student and aspiring mage, none of this was unusual. Aden had grown up in the
Golden Age
and, for the most part, he was happy to play his expected role.
"
AAAAADDDEEENNNN
!"
He stopped in his tracks and turned to find a familiar trio of girls. It was Evanore, Rhini and Thevira, three students he'd shared classes with during his first two years at the academy. They wore robes and matching outfits of blue, red and green, respectively, signaling the schools of magic they were specializing in. Enchantment for Evanore, battle magic for Rhini and healing for Thevira.
Thevira stood out the most for multiple reasons. She was the tallest of the three, carried an intimidating spear and the loincloth hanging from her waist couldn't fully hide the massive dong Aden was only too familiar with. He'd enjoyed trysts with each of them from time to time, but it was never enough for any of the libidinous vixens. As of late, their pursuit of him had become even more dogged.
They raced to meet him in the center of the courtyard. Aden swept his cloak aside and placed his hand on the pommel of his sword, striking a pose as he waited for the inevitable.
"Hey! Where ya headed?" Rhini initiated.
"And can we tag along?" Evanore added with a giggle.
"Hello, ladies. I'm on my way to the institute."
"We just got out for the day" Thevira replied. "Why don't you ditch and we can have some fun?"
"Yeah, come shopping with us!" Rhini exclaimed. "Let's get rid of those boring hide pants and get you some
quality
leather. Don't you think he'd look better in something shiny?"
"Definitely" Evanore answered with a nod. "C'mon, Aden. It'll be fun."
"Sorry, girls. Love to, but if I'm late for class again, Mistress Spellsong might discipline me in a way I
don't
like."
Thevira snickered. "Awww, how sad for you! Take your licks, Aden. We'll make it worth your while. What's our favorite blonde doing later tonight?"
"Not sure yet. The professor said I might be staying late, so I can't make any promises."
Rhini grimaced. "
Ugghhh
! The archmages get to have all the fun. It's so unfair!"
Aden smiled and shrugged.
"Oh yeah! Been meaning to ask. Why aren't you in any of our classes anymore?"
"The administrative council decided to put me on a personalized program. I meet with the professors one on one, now."