The Covenant's Triad:
The Flare's Emergence
Aaron Lerma
Prologue
The Quantization
The night was calm. The stars were out, the moon was shining with full force, and there was a small breeze blowing. Kingdom Forest had always been known for its peaceful nights. Storms rarely reached the forest, and when they did, it was mostly rain showers. It was located next to Residual Desert in Mirado. Westward winds tended to fuel the cool nights that the forest had.
The forest appeared to be vacant from miles around, but that proved to be untrue. It was occupied by two living souls, however they would not have been noticed by the average person. An invisibility charm was always Gemini's favorite. Gemini, the present king of the Mirado Kingdom waited with his brother, London, for their third, and youngest brother Peter, who's self pronounced name now was Sankur Dâr. Each brother, a ruler of the three different kingdoms of Krater, rulers of the three kingdoms established by their great grandfather, Marcus Grant, the last great Kreschen leader before the brothers inherited the thrones of; Mirado, ruled by Gemini; Tyrias, ruled by London and; Germandane, ruled by the darkest of the brothers, Dâr.
"Dâr is always late," said London in a whisper to his older brother Gemini.
"Well, let's hope that he comes willingly, if not, we'll have to force him," said Gemini.
The two waited in the forest keeping a close watch to the south of them. Dâr's kingdom was the smallest of the three. He only had domain over part of the Kreschen continent, and on a few small islands south of Krater in the Lennox Sea.
"Are you sure that he'll even use magic to defend himself if we have to force him?" asked London.
"There are ways to draw it out of him," said Gemini. "If you just press the right buttons, he'll fire." Gemini's glaze hadn't left the south end of the forest as he continually watched for any sign of Dâr that might appear.
"Will we be safe if he does attack?" asked London.
"The entire purpose of meeting in my kingdom was so Dâr's power would be weakened," said Gemini. "When Dâr isn't in his realm, his power fades. Darkness is what has fueled his success and breakthroughs in magic lately. He has formed new spells that don't help our kind, but only hurt it. There is another power that he is feeding off of, a power that isn't out of our own reach, but it's obviously dark and dangerous and doesn't like the light."
"What if he brings the darkness with him?"
"The Imps will hopefully help us if they haven't lost their nerve," said Gemini. "Sealing off the portal between the material world and him, is the only way we are going to be able to keep him at bay. If he corrupts that realm, there will be no hope in migrating our people into it. The only way we are going to be able to protect that realm from their own universe is to station ourselves there, that was what the Superiors had explained when they established the Eternal Laws."
"But didn't a few of them turn...renegade?" asked London.
"Five of the Twenty-Four disagreed with the establishment of the Law," said Gemini. "The Five that did not sign the parchment have done everything in their power to corrupt what we are trying to preserve." Gemini sighed. "The Five that were opposed had a different opinion of what our purpose was to be. I think that one of the Five is where Dâr is gaining his power from. If that's true, then we have a bigger mess on our hands then what we thought." Something loud cracked in the distance and a red light illuminated the peaceful forest turning it into a screeching frenzy as many of the animals stirred. Gemini mumbled a small incantation releasing the invisibility charm.
A dark figure, cloaked and hooded, made its way toward the two visible brothers. Dâr was clothed in crimson robes and had a black cloak around himself with the hood up. He stopped short of his brothers and looked at their magnificently studded robes. Gemini's robe was white, studded with emerald diamonds along the side and bottom. London's robe sparkled a beautiful blue with white diamonds scattered across the robe. Both wore white cloaks.
"Well, looks like you made the most of your kingdoms' finest weavers since you two have taken power?" said Dâr with his hood still pulled over his head.
"Peter we are not here to chat about the latest kingly fashion," said Gemini. A small growl came from underneath Dâr's hood, giving Gemini the satisfaction that he had struck a nerve by calling Dâr by his birth name. London stayed silent.
"Why have you called me?" asked Dâr.
"We need your magic Peter," said Gemini. A malignant laugh erupted from underneath Dâr's hood.
"I don't just so easily allow someone to use part of my Superior given magic," said Dâr.
"It's not yours to murder innocent people with either," said Gemini sternly.
"You really are like father aren't you?" said Dâr. "That is why the kingdom wasn't passed to him in Grandfather Grant's will."
"The Kreschen Kingdom was divided among us because father's health would not have held up enough for him to rule the entire continent and the islands," said Gemini. "Grandfather also wanted each of us to be left with part of the kingdom instead of me ruling the entire mass by myself, leaving you and London with nothing."
"Lies!" barked Dâr.
"Believe it or not Peter, but it's the truth," said Gemini firmly. London stayed silent watching both of his brothers argue back and forth. He had not said a word since his younger brother arrived.
"Well, let's not change the subject of the matter that we are facing," said Dâr. "Why do you need my magic?"
"We are sealing off the material world," said Gemini. "Isn't that what you have been wanting? Us, not having to watch over mortals that have no concept of magic or power?" Dâr watched Gemini mysteriously as if it were a trap.
"What are you up to Gemini?" said Dâr skeptically.
"We are going to quarantine you Peter," said Gemini, "whether you accept it willingly or not." Dâr let out a malicious laugh.
"Accept?" said Dâr. "Accept! I think not! Regardless of whether you try to force me or not, there will be no submission."
"Peter your actions have began an almost irreversible corruption of that realm and our own," said Gemini. "We are sealing you off from that realm. You will have no business there since you are not abiding by what the Superiors have laid down in the Law."
"The Superiors do not understand what they are doing!"
"The Superiors have sworn to protect that realm!" shouted Gemini. "As their ambassadors, we are to sworn also. We have been given gifts for a reason Peter. Of course magic is used for fun and easier work, the Superiors do not mind that at all, they do mind the fact that you have abused the power given to you."
"And what of it!" shouted Dâr. "The Eternal Law also states '...that the power of the Ambassadors shall not be removed by the Superiors at any given moment...'."
"The Law also says that during the spiritual crossover following death, those who have abused the powers given will face judgment by the Superiors' Counsel," said London. Both Gemini and Dâr fell silent at London's words.
"So naive," said Dâr.
"He's right," said Gemini glaring at Dâr.
"The spiritual plane will soon be in the hands of the Five," said Dâr, "once the Counsel is overtaken. Then, the Superiors will have no jurisdiction in this plane, or any other plane."
"Peter," said Gemini, "why are you helping them?" Dâr did not respond. "Peter, your hand please." Dâr looked up at Gemini.
"No," said Dâr frankly. "I will not be quarantined by my own brothers."
"Looks like we're going to have to do this the hard way then," said Gemini looking at London.
A great emerald staff appeared in Gemini's hand. Dâr's eyes fell on glass staff that Gemini raised in the air.
"Imps have no power over me, brother," said Dâr. A great flash of green light spread across the forest then quickly subsided. A crowd of thirty or more, elvish in appearance creatures, had vaporized in thin air. Dâr laughed.
"Please Peter, your hand," said Gemini one last time.
"I said no," said Dâr darkly.
The Imps in their green robes and cloaks, surrounded Dâr in a circle. The Imps grabbed each other's hands in the circle and bowed their heads as they began to chant an incantation that no one else could understand but themselves. Dâr was still laughing malignantly as a green forcefield surrounded the ring of Imps and himself. To the side, Gemini and London held hands as they muttered their own incantation, as they attempted to open the portal they had been meaning to seal Dâr from.
"You're not going to force magic out of me," said Dâr. "I am experienced in sealing meditation Gemini." The Imps continued in their chant. Dâr laughed again. The green shield grew brighter in the moonlight with Dâr in the center of the Imps' ritual. His other two brothers continued to chant their silent incantation also. Then, something happened that set Dâr on the edge.
As the portal began to open up, Dâr noticed a small tingling sensation in his limbs. He tried to contain the magic that he was fixing to lose but it was becoming more and more complicated as he took on the thirty Imps, each one fixed in concentration on drawing out Dâr's power.
"No!" shouted Dâr. There was a loud bang and a flash of red light as a spell was cast by Dâr trying to breakthrough the circle of Imps. The shield sparked as the spell came in contact with it at a high speed, but the Imps hadn't lost concentration. Another red jet of light flew from Dâr's outstretched hands as he tried once again to break open the circle. Gemini and London's attention had been caught this time.
The circle was broken and several of the Imps had been blown back off of their feet as Dâr cast one of the most menacing spells he had invented himself. There was a cackle that erupted from underneath his hood.
"Prolesto!" shouted Dâr throwing out his hands at his brothers. Gemini quickly muttered a few incantations as the red jet made its way toward the pair. The spell began to slow in speed drastically and then came to a halt right in front of Gemini's outstretched hand.
"Thank you for coming willingly," said Gemini smiling. Gemini pulled out what looked like a crystal ball from his robes.
"Halta Magica," whispered Dâr in amazement. Gemini muttered a few words and the frozen spell slowly entered the crystal.
"You've been quarantined Dâr," said London watching Gemini extract Dâr's magic from the spell. "We have your magic to finish the job." A look of hatred spread across Dâr's face as Gemini and London began the ritual to seal Dâr from using the portal to the material world ever again.
The brothers ended the incantation and watched as the portal slowly closed.
"This is the longest part of closing this thing," said Gemini to London, "waiting for it to self close."
"No," said Dâr, "this is." Dâr turned on Gemini and threw his hands up at him in mid-spell. Gemini was pushed into the portal, and barely made it through before the portal closed, almost severing his foot. Dâr smiled at his success and turned to London. "My reign has begun."