Crimson Twilight: Midnight
Chapter 37: Trenzein Zaisen
Part V: High Wizard
'I'm still a long way off but it's some headway…'
Trenzein Zaisen looked at the spell seeds and then at the theories he had written in front of him. Three days had past since his journey to the Nine Hells. He had made some progress on the spell during that time but there were still some missing aspects. All his previous notes were in a trash can by the corner of his room. His new notes, on the other hand, made more sense. Carefully, he reviewed them looking for a clue in the previous steps he had done that would tell him the next step. He only had three days left until the week ended.
"Raven did not tell me that the Antithesis I had cast was only one version of the spell. As I understand more of spell development, I realize that Antithesis could take any form. It may as well be a ray as it is a pillar. Nonetheless, I have to set these parameters first before I adjust the seeds. The greater the parameter, the more difficult the spell is to cast. I have to compensate by applying some "mitigating factors" such as allowing the spell to backlash at me or increasing the amount of time needed to cast it. At worst, casting Antithesis could take several days and involve a cadre of wizards to provide assistance. Since I am limited to myself as a caster and a few minutes for a casting time, I have to limit my version of Antithesis to a cylinder, twenty feet in radius and fifty feet in height. As of now, I can cast a very limited version of Antithesis with only three seeds. The destroy seed can combine with two other non-opposing seeds such as the axiomatic seed and the holy seed or the unholy seed and the anarchic seed."
Trenzein's eyes narrowed as he dipped his quill into the ink bottle. He knew the eventual structure and how to adjust to spell to his specifications but he still did not understand how to combine all five seeds into a single spell. The sharp, pointed letters of his handwriting looked confused to him. As if they were rambling about whatever thoughts he had. His own understanding of Antithesis was guesswork at first but he was able to build on a more logical theory about it.
"Antithesis is a spell designed to be effective against any opponent. It's based on the idea that most living things are aligned in some way according to the four alignments; good, evil, law and chaos. The destroy seed aims at this alignments and destroys them by being modified by the reverse of the said alignment. An evil and lawful being, for example, would be blasted by destructive impulse, holy energy and chaotic energy. The result would be complete destruction of course, provided that Antithesis could always match the said alignment. Against the Dark Lord, I can probably limit myself to just the holy seed and the anarchic seed as the Dark Lord seems like a lawful being but the complete form is necessary just in case I have to fight against other aligned immortals.
Trenzein's brow furrowed. He already knew that. Raven probably took that to consideration when deciding which spell to teach him. He also knew that it was simply impossible to merge the energy within the holy seed with the energy within the unholy seed. Two completely opposite alignments would naturally oppose each other in the same way a good person would oppose an evil one. The only solution he could think of was a different way of merging them. Something that would ignore their opposition…
"I must be merging them incorrectly…there must be something about the seeds that I haven't understood yet."
Trenzein didn't realize that he was speaking out his thoughts until someone suddenly replied to them from behind.
"Don't bother trying to understand, Trenzein Zaisen. You won't be completing any spell anymore."
Trenzein whirled about, his hands ready to complete the first available spell that came to mind. It was too late though, two bolts struck him on the chest so hard that they flung him several feet back and knocked him on his back. Blood spurted from the wounds, staining his notes crimson. The bolts were imbedded deeply near his left shoulder, burying them more than halfway. The wizard crashed to the floor, hitting his desk and causing it to collapse as well.
"Eldrid…"
The name left Trenzein's lips with all the hate he could muster. The bolts that were stuck to his chest could only come from an arbalest; the voice he heard was only slightly deep, almost feminine in nature except for that trace of huskiness. Those two things belonged to one hunter only.
"You remember. Not that it matters, you'll be dead soon."
Eldrid Xalascent stood over Trenzein's supine form. He had a triumphant grin on his face as he reloaded his arbalest.
"You freakish Xalascent-bastard…how did you get in here?"
The hunter pointed his arbalest at Trenzein's forehead. The next bolt would pierce the wizard's brain. A fitting end if he had anything to say about it. To his surprise though, his target had enough strength to stand up, even after taking two bolts to the chest. Magical energy crackled in his palms and surged up his arms. Once more, Eldrid felt the hair in his neck rise from the danger that this wizard represented. He had the element of surprise with him but it didn't mean that he had already won this fight.
"I have my ways to break into barely secure homes like yours, wizard."
Eldrid fired again but Trenzein had managed to complete a spell before his attack struck. A translucent coat of blue energy surrounded Trenzein. By the time the bolt struck him, the coat of force dispersed the impact of the attack, lessening the damage a lot. Before Eldrid could reload again Trenzein had a sphere of lightning in his right hand. The hunter jumped to the side and tumbled the floor, his hand reaching for another bolt. Trenzein hurled the sphere, the lightning igniting the wooden chair that was in the way. The spell exploded behind the hunter, knocking him forward because of the blast but missing him by a foot. Trenzein winced slightly. It was hard to cast spells with three bolts stuck to your body. Eldrid, on the other hand, managed to load his arbalest once more. Before he could take his shot, there was a wall of ice between him and his target.
"Running away, wizard?"
Trenzein looked around him, ignoring the hunter's baiting words. The fire from the chair had spread to the nearby wooden table, reducing his notes to mere ashes. It wasn't a big loss though; he knew his notes by heart already. Soon his house would burn down. Acting quickly, he pulled the bolts from his chest and concentrated on healing them. Like most wizards, he dabbled with a little healing magic for emergencies. It involved a simple magical ceremony of infusing a minor accessory like a clip with the essence of a vitata's nurturing instincts; a difficult task, considering that only one out of thousands of vitatas possessed enough of the necessary essence. The wounds closed although the pain was still there.
'At least I won't worry about bleeding to death.'
Trenzein concentrated on the street outside his window. He also knew something of teleportation magic, yet another priestly expertise. In a flash he was already there. Eldrid made his way around the wall of ice and leapt from a window, the shattered glass shards rained down on the street. The hunter fired another bolt at Trenzein, who managed to duck it this time. The oridecon-tipped shaft whistled as it barely missed the wizard's scalp. Trenzein hurled another lightning sphere. The spell exploded near Eldrid's leg, a spark managing to sear the hunter's left leg. Eldrid fell back, his next shot going wide because of the movement.
"I don't get it…"
Trenzein was readying his next spell even as he spoke. There was something he had to find out first before he devoted all his energy to the destruction of this bastard hunter; something that had always bothered him ever since he met the hunter by the southern walls of Prontera. Eldrid Xalascent reloaded his arbalest once more.
"Don't bother understanding anything, wizard. It's over for you."
Trenzein looked at his opponent. He had to ask the question…
"You're her cousin…but your lust for her is so obvious…how could you ever feel that way?"
Eldrid Xalascent's eyes narrowed.
"Why is it that "cousin" seems such a big deal to you? What is a cousin anyway? The child of a parent's brother? What is in that link that forbids what I feel anyway? I'm a man aren't I? What makes what I feel so much different than what you feel, wizard? You're one to drool over Seihanine yourself! What makes me so hateful to you?"
Trenzein kept his guard up but didn't attack. Not yet, there were things he still had to know. Something about what Eldrid had said before seemed so important to him but he couldn't quite place it.
"I don't "drool" you lust-crazed animal. Don't lay your habits on me! You're a sick bastard lusting over your cousin. Kreizen told me he killed you once and I can see why."
Eldrid lowered his voice dangerously.
"You have no idea what Kreizen does or who he is. You call me "sick" but you don't know what that blacksmith is capable of."
It was Trenzein's eyes that narrowed this time.
"Don't compare yourself to Kreizen…"
Eldrid raised his voice much to Trenzein's annoyance. The hunter's voice was high-pitched and sounded like a screech now.
"Why shouldn't I? Do you know what he's capable of? Do you know the rules of clan Xalascent, wizard? Let me enlighten you then."
Trenzein waited for the hunter to continue. He wanted to find out for himself what the rules of clan Xalascent were.
"It's true that clan Xalascent forbids incest as a norm but under circumstances when the clan's continuity is threatened, the surviving members are expected to make sure that children of their clan's name are born."
The hunter raised an eyebrow at Trenzein's disbelief.
"Do you really think those two are just siblings? No…not for someone as hot-blooded as Kreizen. He can take her in an instant. It wouldn't matter if she wanted it and I can tell that she'll gladly want to, his position alone is irresistible. What's a cousin compared to a brother?"
Trenzein was silent. The answer had come to him. He understood it now. Eldrid continued to speak, believing that he had the wizard.
"Besides me, those two are the last two Xalascents in the world. As it's stated in clan rules, it's Kreizen's duty to take Seihanine as a concubine and sire children to ensure clan continuity. You think she's so submissive to him because he intimidates her? That's because she's been trained for that since childhood! If Kreizen can do it, what makes a "cousin" any less worthy?"
Trenzein still did not answer. He was too busy thinking and putting the pieces together. Raven Huer's earlier words made a lot of sense now. The principles were there, all he had to do was apply it to the seeds. The hunter continued to ramble but he barely heeded him now. He remembered the words Eldrid used earlier…
"Seihanine has tried hinting it to you but you apparently never picked up…"
The green-haired wizard focused on those words and then on how he thought before.
'I never picked up because…I never picked up because I was focused on myself.'
More thoughts flowed to Trenzein's mind. Something else came after what he thought.
"It will be part of your path to understanding the way to dealing with magic, people and yourself when you understand what I mean when I say you're thinking too loudly."
Eldrid's eyebrow rose again. He had thought that he had succeeded in baiting the wizard but Trenzein Zaisen did not appear interested. The street around them had long cleared ever since Trenzein appeared. The people had heard the explosions inside Trenzein's home for the past few days. They did not want to be near when he was fighting with a hunter. The authorities seemed preoccupied by something as well. The hunter snorted in impatience and fired another bolt. In response, the wizard raised another wall of ice so quickly that it seemed as natural to him as breathing. The arrow stuck to the thick ice, leaving only a crack from the impact. Eldrid immediately went around the wall for a clearer shot…
'He wasn't reading my mind…he was…picking up. I wasn't thinking loudly in a mental sense. I was allowing my thoughts to lace every word I said. The emotions I feel creep into what I say and he picks up…'
Trenzein's eyes widened. Again it was making even more sense. His hands moved effortlessly as he cast another spell. The ground suddenly softened around Eldrid, slowing his movements as it became difficult to lift his feet from the morass. Before he could look ahead of him, a sphere of lightning suddenly shot forth, immediately followed by several shards of light; the hunter could only twist his body slightly so the sphere merely grazed him. He felt his skin sizzle and char as electricity from the graze entered his body, causing him to convulse. The shards of light found their target, striking him with the force of blows. Trenzein didn't seem to notice that he was casting spells faster than an average knight could swing a sword.
'Dealing with people means focusing on them, not myself…casting a spell in the same way…dealing with a person…The Source!'
Trenzein grinned. He was getting it. Slowly but surely he was going to unlock the last part of developing He frowned slightly as he started to expand on his thoughts though. Eldrid had been flung for a few feet from his assault of spells. He raised another ice wall just to stop the annoying hunter from disturbing him.
'Not the Source directly…she's given me her gifts, the spell seeds. Something about dealing with them…
"She tried to hint…"
"You think she'd cry for a useless pile of dung you paint yourself as? You'd value the words of a talking corpse over her blood and tears?"
Trenzein increased the thickness of the ice walls he summoned, conjuring them so fast that by the time Eldrid stood up, he was surrounded by thick layers of ice. The barrier wasn't permanent though, it would soon disappear as any spell always had a set duration. Already, the ground he had softened with a Quagmire spell had returned to normal.
'Hints…hints lie beneath words. Not the words themselves. Blood and tears are objects…things that just dry up anyway. It's shedding them that…'
The last piece fell and Trenzein understood…
"Eldrid!"
The hunter slammed his shoulder against the ice wall when the wizard called his name. He was going to kill this Trenzein Zaisen. With him dead, that would leave only Kreizen. Maiha would take care of that and he would have what he always wanted. What was strange was the way the green-haired wizard looked at him.
"You were the one who never picked up!"
Trenzein grinned as another bolt flew towards him. He dodged it easily this time. He saw the distraction in the hunter's eyes. Eldrid was scared…scared of him. Perhaps he had been impressed by the rapid succession of spells he had cast. Perhaps he was wary of the grin he was showing. Trenzein nodded in understanding. The hunter was…thinking too loudly and, as a result, predictable.
"You kept looking at yourself, looked at your own lust and projected it to Kreizen. You tried using him for a reason when in truth you were just crazed and jealous. You hide behind "clan rules" and "being like any man" but I see you're just justifying your sick desires!"
Eldrid clenched his teeth in fury before shouting in return.
"You know nothing! You see nothing, you fool!"
Trenzein's grin widened. The hunter was wrong. He saw things far more clearly than he had ever had.
"Arrogant bastard…"
"Thank you…"
"What I saw was Kalyx having to distract that orc so you can pull your 'teleport to the same location where I was before' trick."
"Please be careful…"
"What gives you the right to interfere with clan business anyway?"
"You'd help me?"
"Leave me alone, Trenzein Zaisen…"
"Don't go…"
Trenzein blinked several times. He had no wish to let this fool hunter see that he was on the verge of tears.
'Not the words but what's beneath them. To deal with people is to look beyond yourself and beyond what they show. To see what they feel and think, what lies beneath the surface of words, expressions and actions, to listen to their thoughts until they think loud enough for you. As for the seeds…the magic! They're called seeds because they're sources of a certain energy coated in magic. It's the magic that I should look at, no the energy. The same magic that lies beneath every seed…the same magic that can be fused with itself!'
Eldrid loaded his arbalest and stepped closer. This time he was going to skewer that miserable wizard! That was when a small pillar of brilliant white light appeared in front of him. The hunter looked behind to find a pillar of blackness. To his right was a pillar of constant blue light and to the left, a pillar of crackling brilliance. The wizard gestured swiftly; his fingers traced unknown, intricate symbols in the air so fast that they were barely visible. He was chanting something, powerful arcane energies flowing out of him like water.
'The holy seed is holy energy coated in magic. The unholy seed is unholy energy coated in magic. I can't merge the two energies but I can merge the magic that surrounds them!'
Trenzein gestured again and the four pillars merged on the same spot the hunter was standing. There was a piercing scream that lasted barely a second as Eldrid was plunged into the merging pillars. The four pillars crackled unstably and for a moment, Trenzein thought his deductions were incorrect once more. Then the melded into each other while a translucent pillar of pure destructive impulse, resembling a cylinder of shimmering air, descended on the merging lights. All the small pillars vanished, transforming into a massive blast of light with all four colors. A few more seconds and the blast was gone. Trenzein slumped to the ground. The spell drained every ounce of energy inside him…he had completed it but adjustments had to be made…
Eldrid Xalascent had completely disappeared…
Trenzein's house had completely burned down, still he staggered down the street with a grin that showed his complete triumph. Abraxil Sovivor was going to rue the day he toyed with Trenzein Zaisen…
······
"Well, it's not surprising that you've done it, Mister Zaisen. It's a bit smaller than I expected and a little shabby with the merging but an overall good job."
It was the morning of the seventh day of the week. Trenzein Zaisen nodded to acknowledge what seemed to be a compliment from his "judge", Raven Huer. Normally, he would bristle at the belittling remarks but he saw the praise beneath the words and besides, he got to keep his soul and serve the Source. That was good enough…he was good enough. The white-haired wizard's crimson eyes suddenly narrowed.
"You've got the skills, Trenzein Zaisen, I'll grant you that much. It's not an overstatement to say that you and Abraxil are the best wizards in this entire world. The both of you having trained under me are no coincidences for that matter. But skills and The Source have had their differences in the past."
Raven tilted his head to see if his "student" caught a grasp of what he was saying.
"You've seen things beyond the dreams of lesser beings, Mister Zaisen. You've discovered that reality is a fragile thing in the hands of a truly powerful spell caster. When you unlocked Antithesis's mystery in your mind you've discovered how to use the seeds. I'm sure you have thousands of ideas for spells in your mind and yes, they're all possible. I don't need to teach you spells as you can create your own. What I'll teach you is common sense."
Raven took a seat inside the house that Trenzein was staying in. It was actually Kreizen's house but the blacksmith or his sister wasn't around. Trenzein had discovered that the blacksmith had traveled to Payon for the week while Seihanine was simply missing. Makaelthos was also gone along with Eliarainne. Silmeia was in the Church somehow but the church members kept her location and business secret.
"You should know by now that magic is personified as woman. It has a woman's personality, appearance and tendencies. The Source isn't abstract; she's a living being, one you could have met in the street. She is magic and magic is her, to be proficient in magic is to rely on her. Casting a spell is the same as asking for her help to do something. She's not some tool to be used and set aside, a spell, especially one derived from a seed, depends on her mood, what she likes or doesn't like."
Trenzein raised an eyebrow.
"I know that already…"
Raven didn't even pause. His words were deadly serious now.
"Then know how to treat her, Mister Zaisen. The seeds are not yours, they're gifts. Acknowledge their sender each time you use them. Keep the belief in her in your world intact or she'll disappear and magic will be gone. Already I can see wild magic and dead magic zones in your world, Mister Zaisen. If they increase then magic just died a little more. If the Source vanishes then all the magic will become wild or dead and then it will simply be dead. One last thing…"
The white-haired wizard stepped closer, his eyes staring down on Trenzein with intensity.
"Never use your magic frivolously. Never ask the Source to do something you could do on your own. Don't make her clean your house and fetch your slippers like a maid. You don't use spells for that; it's simply disrespectful and the Source punishes disrespect. She can shut the door on your talents and you'll be magic-less forever. Notice that I conjure minor things like wine bottles and glasses. That's because I keep a minor source of magic I've created myself. A very minor source that allows me to cast insignificant spells without calling on the Source. Unless you can do the same, treat your magic with respect."
Trenzein nodded in understanding.
"I'll do just that, Master Raven."
Raven Huer stared at Trenzein a little longer.
"One last thing…show a little fashion sense, Mister Zaisen. You're a High Wizard now."
Trenzein looked at his robes and realized that its edges were tattered from all his recent traveling. The Nine Hells was a harsher environment than he thought. It was also torn from his fight with Eldrid. He concentrated for a while and began to weave a spell from the Conjure seed. It seemed frivolous, asking the Source for clothes but somehow he felt as if she approved. His robes began to change as the spell did its work. His simple gray cloak was now red from his shoulders and dark gray downwards, the edges were trimmed with gold and the hem at the bottom was jagged. The shirt he wore beneath looked more formal now and was nearly pure white, as was the leather shoes he had on. Raven nodded in approval and opened a gate once more.
"I'm done with direct meddling, Mister Zaisen; you will handle the Source's mission."
Trenzein nodded as Raven Huer finally disappeared. He was ready now, Abraxil Sovivor or Lord of Death, he was ready.
"Consider it done…"
