In this world, Magic is Everything. All people, all races, are granted with the power to perform mystical and magical feats via grimories, mystical tomes granted to each and every child on their 15th birthday. Those blessed by the mana can have their names written down in legend.
Shattered Grimoires is the work of the mind(s) of Ardere & Shattered Grimoire's staff. All characters and content are copyright their creators, and may not be replicated without their creators' permission. Black Clover is owned by Yuki Tabata and published by Viz Shonen Jump. All images belong to their original owners. The theme you are currently viewing was made by Eliza of ElizaCodes exclusively for Shattered Grimoires.
[attr="class","ardereescroll"]Babel. The town of knowledge. Not once had the Crimson King set foot in this city, even during the days of travel and adventure with his father. The city of wisdom and stories was not one he had necessarily been interested in. As a child he mostly spent his days running around, hitting things and shooting fire out at practice targets. As an adult, Ardere transformed into someone else. Still bearing that fiery spirit, he had a craving for strength and knowledge. Finally deep within the dusty Mirage Desrrt, he found a power he was seeking. Salamander the Main fire spirit. Some considered this being a deity with incredible power. Whether or not that was true was yet to be seen, but the fire mage would digress. The opportunity he had been given was humbling, and brought great honor unto him. Unfortunately he had not been able to contact the blazing dragon that lay with him. Not once had Salamander emerged from within his body. Was something wrong? He did not know. This was why he made the decision to travel to Babel, perhaps the only place that could contain the information he sought. [break][break] The town was vastly impressive, crafted on a bed of mana. If he didn't know better, this entire city was forged on a Grand Magic Zone. Most Junior ranked mages would fall to their knees on their first day here. The citizens were used to it, but even an Archmage like Ardere noted the weight bearing down on his shoulders. Nonetheless he traveled to one of the primary libraries. As a Magic Knight Captain, he held a type of "clearance level". This meant he had access to places that most mages did not. The High Scribes of Babel were not particularly open to outsiders entering the main library, but as both Captain and now the wielder of Salamander, the curiosity of the scribes got the better of them. He was simply allowed entry to the building and all of its contents. The halls of the Grand Library were titanic, filled with thousands of books and scrolls containing knowledge on every subject known to man. Ardere was almost overwhelmed by the sheer size of it, a bit of anxiety rooting in the pit of his stomach. Biting down on his lower lip, a smirk crossed his maw. This is nothing. The Captain nodded to himself before entering the halls. We're going to learn more about you, my little red dragon friend. Placing a hand over his heart, he still felt the warmth deep inside of him. This spirit was powerful, far more powerful than anything he had ever anticipating being inside of him. He had to learn about him--his new companion. [break][break] Wandering through the books and scrolls, it took some time to find information on spirits. The books were locked away deep in the Grand Library itself, chained up. Fortunately the scribes had given him a key, hinging on his word to return it. He opened an ancient text, encrusted in rusted gold and jade pearled embedded deep in its leather cover. Perusing through the pages, Ardere searched the contents of the book for any information on Salamander. Much to his dismay, it mostly contained information on Sylph. The man who wrote the book had spent some time with her, calling her "childish and bratty" at time, but also "very caring and wise" at others. She was of course the wind spirit who appeared as a sort of fairy. There was no book to be found strictly talking about Salamander, but the Captain did manage to find one with four stones in the cover. Each stone represented a different main spirit. There was a section on each of them. He could not decipher who this book was written by, but they held a vast amount of knowledge on the spirits in general. Once the Kasai found the section on his spirit, he sat down slowly, back against the shelves behind him. He began to read and absorb as much info as he could. [break][break] It says here that you don't talk very much, compared to the other spirits. Looking down at his chest, Ardere chuckled. That much I gathered, but let's keep reading. The book went on to call Salamander "Brash" and "Hot-headed" both words used to describe the fire mage himself, but the difference was that Salamander was not cocky or arrogant. He was a very wise and old spirit, one who had seen wars over the centuries. He did not often choose to bond with anyone, but mostly those with incredible spirits and hearts. Sylph and Undine were known to bond with many mages over the years, whereas Salamander was rarely seen and Gnome even more so. It was not known how Salamander ended up in Tchazzar's Palace, as he only had two partners between the time of the Second Wizard King and today. What was known is that he is a force to be reckoned with. His appearance differs depending on the user. Sometimes he is as small as the lizard he is named after, while with stronger mages he dwarfs a full size war horse. Ardere had not seen his form since he saw the small, dog-sized version in Tchazzar's Palace, but he liked to imagine he was a stronger mage. It seemed Salamander was generally quite picky in his bonds, but nothing seemed to reveal why he had not appeared to him yet. [break][break] Then, Ardere felt it; a heat swelling up inside of him. Flames began to bellow out of his pores. No. Hey bud, what are you doing? We're in a pretty flammable place right now. The flames began to billow out from his eyes and mouth, pouring out into the library. Somehow, the flames managed to miss all of the book shelves and their contents. Nothing was lit aflame, but when the billowing stopped he spotted a word forged in flames. Looking over Ardere saw this word and stood there, speechless. It simply read "Remember."
[attr="class","ardereescroll"]Remember. A minuscule part of the fire mage understood the meaning of this message, but every other fiber of his being was confused. What was Salamander trying to tell him? The flames bellowing out from him were powerful, but not destructive. There was an internal force driving him to remember something, a memory locked in the depths of his mind. The library had given him some insight into the mind of the being now dwelling in his body, but he still was unsure of what the dragon spirit wanted from him. Placing the books back in their locks, he spotted a spark in the corner of his eyes. Stepping out to the window, the Captain peered out into the magnificent city. It was unlike any other city in clover, the sheer beauty and wonder found in abundance here. He wondered why it had taken him so long to find his way here. Regardless, he had to figure out what was going on inside of him. This battle the dragon was raging internally with his emotions. What was he trying to tell him? As the fire mage wandered the seemingly endless steps in the tower of the Grand Library, his fist found its way into the concrete of the tower. Splitting the stone a bit, dozens of cracks and indentations were left in the wall. Retracting his fist, the Kasai stared at it for a moment before wiping the rubble from it. Hopefully none of the scribes noticed or he would be in big trouble. [break][break] Walking along the streets of Babel, Ardere clutched the fabric above his chest. His heart was tightening, almost as if something was wreaking havoc inside his body. Swaying back and forth a bit, he took a deep breath and attempted to stabilize himself. Some of the citizens looked at him oddly, but they noticed who he was for a moment and merely carried on about their business. The people here all wore scholar uniforms, very well made. They were high class scholars, but not all of them were nobles. Many traveled across the kingdom to come learn here, if they could pass the rigorous tests. But they did not noticed much as the Crimson Lion Captain struggled to walk. There was a river running adjacent to the path he was currently traversing. He could hear the flowing of water and crashing against the stone that encased it. Looking over for a moment, he wondered if some water would help. But as he got closer, the fire inside him got hotter. It boiled over to the point of him collapsing and fainting. Ardere had fallen into the water. What had previously appeared as crystal clear running water with tiny fish had now become dark and abyssal. He could see nothing in the depths of the water. That was until the flickering of lights began to pass over him. Deep in the darkness of the water, he saw scenes. Young people using magic and fighting against others. Young Magic Knights and a large hulking red dressed man. Were these his memories? [break][break] Memories washed over him like the water of the river itself, different eras across his life. Deep within the dark waters, he spotted a bright light. Was this a memory? He did not know, but nonetheless the water pulled him closer and closer until he was a part of whatever this was. Standing there in the grass, it was a calm Spring morning in the Common Region. Off in the distance a young boy with brown hair dueled his father with wooden swords. This was his memory alright, one of him and his father. Long since have past the days that he used to spar with his dad, the two of them having a fun time during his travels. Ryoku was a merchant, one of the best. He used to take a young Ardere all across the kingdom conducting trade. This was of course when he was not busy being a Magic Knight Captain, one of the Purple Orcas. The older fire mage could not help but exhale deeply. He felt tears welling up, but they did not flow. It was here so clearly, his father standing maybe thirty meters away from him. Well this isn't what I expected. Looking over next to him was a red form, about a meter taller than himself. A handsome red dragon stood next to him, silently watching his memory. The two exchanged a gaze for a mere moment before the man broke the silence between the two. Is this what you were trying to show me, a memory? Salamander stared for a moment before turning back and pointing at the young Ardere and his father. The young mage had hurt himself getting too aggressive with his attacks, and his father began to console him. Reminding him to control himself when fighting. He told him it was okay to be angry, but you can't let it control you. Rage is a double edged sword. Those words his father once told him pierced his mind like a sharp blade. They rang true even now. [break][break] Looking over to where Salamander had been standing, there was no one. Only a cool breeze remained. The fire mage's memory began to crash, pieces of it floating away like shattered glass. Ardere stood there as the memory shattered around him and he fell back into the dark abyss. He continued to float through the darkness. In the distance he saw Salamander, floating in a blazing aura. The dragon was beckoning him to follow, but the mage couldn't move. His entire body was numb. Was he dead? Did he try so hard and fight his way through all of that just to die here? No. He wasn't dead, but he was stuck for a moment. The only option he had was to follow Salamander, and as he willed himself the man was dragged through the current into another portal--into another memory. What lay in wait in this memory?
[attr="class","ardereescroll"]As Ardere drifted into another memory locked away into the depths of his unconscious, his only thoughts were of home. His home was not in the mansion in Raque, but rather with his family. What this meant to him could be vastly different than what it meant to others, but nonetheless he knew where his home was. His mother and the Crimson Lions. His cherished cousins across the kingdom. This kingdom was not perfect, but it was where he made his home. It all began with one man, a titan of a mage who taught him what it meant to be a man. The Ifrit; Lysander Rouge. The hulk of a man stood in the forests surrounding the Crimson Lion fortress. He was waiting there for the young fire mage. A lean, shorter version of himself came dashing through the woods, attempting to attack the Captain with a blazing kick. Think you can sneak up on me? Lysander chuckled as he caught the young man's leg and tossed him into a tree, the latter squealing as he was tossed. The large man laughed convulsively, as did his protege. Rubbing the top of his head, a young Ardere ran over to his mentor. He was perhaps seventeen or eighteen at the time. With a leaner muscular build and a neatly wrapped red headband around his head, the young boy was fired up. Jumping up and down, yelling and punching into the air he excitedly dance. Lysander placed a massive hand atop his cranium. Calm down, boy. The fire mage laughed and smiled. I'm just excited to learn something new! He shouted, placing hands on his hips. Well perhaps you should calm yourself, so we can get to it eh? Patting the younger mage on the head, The Ifrit inhaled sharply. [break][break] An older Ardere sat on a tree stump, watching his younger self training with the man he called his second father. Lysander was a tough teacher, but he had a vast amount of love for his squad mages, especially the Kasai. The two shared a bond that very few Vice Captains and Captains would ever share. They were very close for a long time. Dwelling on these memories brought up a lot of emotion in himself. What was Salamander trying to show him? Was it just to learn to control his anger? Something he had heard many times over. Perhaps he had forgotten himself, all the lessons he had learned. It was like after Silas died, he had forgotten how to walk. Learning how to walk again was hard, but not impossible. He just had to keep trying. Watching his younger self and old mentor was nice. The two of them bonding and sparring together. The words his late teacher has taught him still rang in his head just like his father's had. Remember was right. Salamander was right. He had come too far to just be the same old Ardere. There was no going back anymore, no pushing himself to be the person he used to be. He was changed forever, and that was okay. Acceptance. This was the most important thing that perhaps he had never been taught. These memories of old lessons were teaching him a new one, but down here he felt lost in this pool of memories. [break][break] Fading into the next memory, Ardere watched himself fighting Damien. Unleashing Hell onto the Daemon user, he managed to win the fight, but at the cost of going unconscious. If his attack had not worked, he would have died from sheer exhaustion. That uncontrollable rage he found deep within himself when Lysander died. That was all he cared about at the time. That rage isn't me anymore. He said, looking over to see the dragon standing beside him. I'm...not him anymore. I've changed. Salamander nodded, snapping his fingers as the memories disappeared. Ardere was back in the water, floating along. What had felt like an eternity had only been a few seconds in reality. In the water staring him in the face was a full size Salamander. The dragon was at least 40 meters in length, sitting there in the water eye to eye with him. The power coming from this being was insurmountable, dwarfing even some of the strongest mages. The fire mage almost pissed himself at the sight of such a large dragon in the water, but the red creature was not aggressive. The once dark water had returned to a crystal clear. Grabbing the mage and bursting forth from the water, crashing waves were sent into the street for a moment. Fortunately no one was hurt, but Salamander had kidnapped the Captain and flown away with him. Flying high through the air in the clutches of a powerful dragon, he did not resist. The fire mage relaxed, letting his companion take him on whatever adventure they were on now. The wind was powerful, but Ardere did not mind the free ride to wherever he was going. To be honest he was impressed at how powerful Salamander actually was. He wondered if the spirit's true powers were limited by him? Perhaps they could forge a bond stronger than those before, and summon each other's true power. He did not know, but he had hope. [break][break] Hope was something that he had forgotten after Silas' death, something long last in the ashes and smoke. Finding hope again was hard, but he managed to do it. His friends had given him that hope, and now so did his new companion. The bonding process was turning out to be harder than he had anticipated, but he was trying his best. If Salamander hadn't been so adamant on showing him something, then he would've left by now. The two had a determination to work together now, and that was something no one could take away from them. Salamander looked down at the small man in his clutches. So much anger and hatred in a tiny body, but also so much power. The power to change the world.
[attr="class","ardereescroll"]Fluttering through the wind, Ardere offered up no resistance to his captor. He merely sat there in the clutches of the monstrously powerful dragon spirit that transported him to an unknown place. The fire mage was unsure of where his newfound partner was dragging him, but he did know that it was somewhere important. I don't suppose you mind telling me where exactly we're going? Salamander flew in silence, only offering some grumbles occasionally as they soared across the sky. Up this high the Captain felt the fluffy clouds against his skin, the brightness of the sun bearing down on him. For a moment nothing mattered, just the two soaring through the skies. He still felt the warmth of his spirit companion blazing inside of him, the two still connected even when he did not dwell in the man's body. As they flew high above the trees surrounding Babel, Salamander slowed to a halt. Dropping his partner down to the ground, he managed to twirl through the air and stick his landing. Tumbling a bit across the ground, the Kasai slammed his hand into the earth, ripping it to pieces as he skid across it. Once finally coming to a halt, he looked up to see Salamander in the smaller size that he was used to. [break][break] Sliding his hands into his pockets, Ardere looked across the dirt and grass to meet eye to eye with his partner. So, you trying to break me of this mood? Then you're going to have to beat it out of me. He remarked, snidely. For a moment, he could've swore that Salamander smirked. Heh. This was progress. Spurting a massive amount of flames across the grass, singing the ground and turning the sand to glass, the dragon took to the air. The fire mage met him in the air, sending a flurry of flame swords at him. Deflecting the swords with his claws, Salamander went in for the grapple. Increasing his strength via physical reinforcement, Ardere grappled the dragon. The two dug into the ground as they landed, breaking apart the earth. They went at it like this for at least an hour, exchanging blows and fighting. The two did this until they collapsed next to one another, covered in bruises. Then for a moment they just sat there, looking up at the bright blue sky. Salamander was obviously drained of energy, but so was the mage. The breeze rolled through and the clouds floated effortlessly across the vast blue above their heads. Two strong willed men sat there, not speaking for some time. Then, much to Ardere's surprise, Salamander broke the silence. A beautiful sky. The Captain chuckled for a moment, nodding. That is is my friend, that is is. [break][break] Much pain buried inside your memories, small one. Ardere grimaced for a moment, twisting his pink lips as the dragon spoke. But immense happiness as well. A strong joy deep in your heart. This is good. Turning to face the dragon, the Kasai smiled. Letting out a heavy sigh, he just sat there looking up at the sky. They rested for some time. You're right. The happiness is what I have to fight for, not the revenge. I guess that's why you were trying to show me back there, but I've been too bull headed to see. I just hope that we can understand each other. Salamander sat up before turning into energy and entering Ardere's body. The Captain could hear a voice deep inside of him. I do understand. We must use our rage together, to fight for the joy in the world. But you must channel your anger, so we can bond appropriately. I will grant you access to my power, but you must be able to wield it. It is like a sword that only you can grasp, but do not fear the heat it gives. The words echoed through the mage's mind like a shout in a dark cavern, bouncing around in his head. He would take them to heart the best he could, but he did not know what to expect. Wielding a spirit was still very new to him, but he reached out his hand. He could see the spirit of Salamander reach his claw out, and the two began to combine energies. It was a tough feeling, but he was managing to channel it. [break][break] Channeling the power of Salamander was intense. Every memory and thought of one another began to meld. The two felt each other's hopes and dreams, their fears and strengths. For a moment they truly became one. Salamander was also a man of intense power and anger at times, but he had hundreds of years of experience on the man. Even so, they began to form a powerful bond. Their magic synergized in a way that man and spirit did not always do. They had only recently become companions, but a mutual trust and understanding was beginning to be formed. They had a lifetime to get to know one another now, and Ardere would master this power the best he could. The crimson flames burst around him like a tornado as energy began to form armor on the right side of his body. A single wing bursting from his right side, this flame was a darker crimson red flame than his. He could feel its power washing over him as they became one. This was Spirit Dive. It was not a Full Dive, but it was Partial. Ardere would spend as much time as he needed mastering it, but for now he just tried to get the hang of the partial dive. Focusing all his power around him, he groaned in pain. Focus. Let the determination flow through your veins and muscles. We must become of one mind. And so they did. The Crimson King entered a controlled Partial Spirit Dive, the flames bursting outwards and scorching the earth. He groaned once more until it finally simmered down. The flames settled and he looked in awe at them. He felt power flowing through him unlike any other. It was magnificent.
[attr="class","ardereescroll"]Bursting through the forest wielding crimson flames and a powerful dragon wing protruding from his back, Ardere yelled out in joy. A smile plastered across his face, the fire mage dashed across. He could feel Salamander's power surging through his veins. In this form the two were one, their powers combined into something vastly more wondrous. Leaping into the air, he could see half the Noble Region from here. Summoning forth his transformation spell, a second wing burst from his back. One side was of Salamander, made of pure flames with a wing and a single claw, while the other was of Ardere and forged of scales with the same. Flying across the forest with intense power and ferocity, he found it hard to control the dive. The energy was wavering, prompting him to sweat profusely. Grinding down on his teeth, he persisted nonetheless. Powering through the pain, he found his focus deep within. Slowly descending, he was losing stamina quickly. The mana was draining from him like a burst pipe, but he was pushing and pushing as hard as he could muster. The Captain twirled through the sky, leaving a trail of crimson mana in his wake. Eventually he slowly skid to a half in the grass, collapsing there for a moment. Drenched in sweat, the Captain laughed to himself. God damn that is something else. Salamander appeared next to him for a moment as the Dive was gone, chuckling a bit before returning to his usual stoic look. You'll get the hang of it. [break][break] Ardere spent the rest of the day training his Spirit Dive. Salamander did not say much at all for the rest of the day, but this was unsurprising. The dragon only seemed to speak when he deemed it necessary, but that was okay. The Captain talked enough for the both of them. Punching and fighting, he spent hours training. For the first time in years, he was motivated to train like a young Lion. Even pushing thirty, he managed to find ways to get stronger and train harder. He wished Lysander was here to see it. But he would make his late mentor proud. To be the pride of the Crimson Lion squad he had to fight harder every single day. The Daemon lurked in the shadows. They had wreaked enough havoc on his kingdom and taken away more than he ever should've allowed. But there would be peace. With his flames he would burn away every inch of darkness in Clover, and restore some semblance of normalcy. It would never be a perfect world, but he could at least make everyone safer than they are now. There was a plan lurking in the abyss--he could feel it. Jagen had warned him that a darkness was coming and he would have to get stronger. Even being one of the legendary Archmage was not enough. He had to master Salamander's power. [break][break] The dragon spirit watched over him, burning hot inside his heart. They had more in common than either expected. Ardere owed this to Tchazzar. That old dragon bastard was right. He supposed that's what a thousand years of wisdom could get you. One day he would return to that temple and challenge that old lord again. That day he would be the winner. A smile began to creep over his face as he was enjoying training. He was happy. This was what Salamander wanted from the beginning, that brightness he saw deep in the Kasai's heart. It was clouded in so much darkness and despair that it needed to be ripped out from inside him. Now the Crimson King owed his partner one too for dragging him completely out of the abyss. Ardere thought he was far enough out of the darkness, but his companion would tolerate none. And he could be that shining beacon of hope for those he loved. He just had to keep moving forward. That was all that mattered. Standing there covered in bruises and sweat, he panted. The man was training just like he did when he was a teenager. Punching and kicking, spurting flames about. The man trained until he collapsed in the dirt. And then, he kept trying some more. Salamander simply picked up his new master and flew away, towards the Crimson Lions base. His partner had trained hard enough today. There would be more days to come that the two could bond, but for now the young one needed rest. Salamander was beginning to like the spunky muscular master he had been offered to. What the fire mage did not know was that Salamander sensed him the moment he entered the temple that day. He was watching how hard he fought and how much he wanted to protect his friends. Even before he knew who Eto was, he was willing to risk his life to save the old man. That was something the dragon spirit respected. He hoped that some day this man would be forged into a blade that was unbreakable. Perhaps he had the potential to be the strongest wielder of the dragon flame, perhaps not. Only time would tell. But the spirit knew of the daemon threat. He had been there when they were sealed away. Their anger and need for justice was shared. They both had quite the bone to pick with the dark race that currently plagued these lands. Soon they would be strong together. They just needed some time. Darkness was lurking just like the Captain said, but Salamander could feel it in his core. It was different than before. Something was different than it was hundreds of years ago. They were plotting and scheming. But he had hope these humans could survive. Hope was what they needed now more than anything. [break][break] -Partial Spirit Dive Training Complete-
