NINETEEN: TREACHERY (This is the story of the Three: Tylan, Tezzos, and M'Gah. It is also the story of Kenna, Drago, and M'Telda. With the exception of M'Telda, they were some of Eltar's earliest inhabitants, part of the first generation of people born on Eltar. They are also the past lives of some more current characters, which will be revealed toward the end of the chapter. In this story, Zell is introduced at a very young age, so in some ways, this also shows a bit of Zell's origin story. Finally, two beloved members of the Eltarian Guard also make a surprising appearance as children that even I didn't expect, but I hope you enjoy reading it.)
The first Eltarians were peaceful, powerful beings. Some displayed great magic. Two boys born within days of each other grew up as close as brothers. Tylan, the eldest, displayed powerful magic no one had ever seen before on Eltar from an early age. The younger of the two, Tezzos, soon began to display similar magic. They each took the title of Wizard, making them the first of their kind.
In a village on the other side of the planet, a different sort of magical being was born. Kenna, whose name meant born of fire, was exceptionally powerful. The day she was born, a devastating wildfire that had been burning for days went out as she let out her first cry. She was believed to be a great protector of Eltar because of this. Dragons flocked to her, coming out of woods and caves for the first time and revealing themselves just to meet the infant. She would become the first to take the title of Sorceress on Eltar.
The first Wizards would not meet the first Sorceress for quite some time. They each developed their skills. The boys were fifteen when they met a young girl who displayed the magic of a Wizard. That child was M'Gah, and at the time, she lived in the woods. She was only even granted that much because Windzor took pity on her.
Windzor Yizak was the very first Prime Minister of Eltar, the Patriarch of one of four Founding Families on the planet. His magic was the strongest of the Founders, so they selected him to be their leader. It was agreed that only members of their family lines could become Prime Ministers, as they shared common beliefs. Each family had come from one of two planets torn apart and ultimately destroyed by war. They valued peace and did not tolerate violence. The other families were the Farmells, the Treygans, and the Vretiz family. The Vretiz family would later produce Moriarty, and by extension, the woman who would later become the Alchemist, Eva Leigh. It was the combination of the Farmell and Yizak lines, however, that would produce some of the best-known Eltarians in history, including Zell, Elgan, Anise, and Zordon.
Windzor was considered to be a great man. People respected him deeply. As the eldest surviving member of the Yizak family, he led his four brothers in trying to take care of the young planet they'd settled on after their parents died in the war. He vowed to never be powerless to stop such atrocities again. Because of this, he kept an eye on the more powerful members of Eltarian society. He also eliminated those he deemed to be potential threats to his new home, imposing a strict policy of swiftly executing traitors to the peaceful planet.
M'Gah's parents were powerful and were quite vocal about their dislike of many of Windzor's policies. They spoke of overthrowing him and taking control for families like theirs who had come after the Founders. Although he tried speaking with them to resolve the issue peacefully, they attempted to attack him. Windzor was forced to arrest them and order them executed for High Treason against Eltar. Their daughter, however, was far too young to be considered guilty of any crime. Windzor pardoned her, but many Eltarians still wanted her killed or banished at the very least.
M'Gah was ostracized. No one trusted her. Even though she was a child, no one would bring her into their homes. Even Windzor was unwilling to bring her around his young wife, Maira of the Farmell Line, and their children, L'Telgo, Jenzelle, and Treygott. M'Gah was left to fend for herself in the woods. Windzor felt an obligation to keep the powerful child alive and nurture her magic. He visited her often, ensuring the child survived, but this small act of kindness was not enough to keep her safe from threats lurking in the shadows when he was safe at home with his family.
Several Eltarian men had been drinking heavily one night when they decided to head to the woods. They found M'Gah peacefully levitating as she meditated beneath the stars. Knowing she was the daughter of traitors, they told themselves it was acceptable to punish the girl and amuse themselves with her.
M'Gah snapped out of her meditation and fell to the ground as they surrounded her. She quickly got to her feet. "Who are you?" She asked nervously. "What do you want?"
The men moved in closer, trapping the child in a circle. "She's a pretty thing, isn't she?" One asked. He stroked her cheek.
M'Gah swatted his hand away from her and backed up slightly, causing her to bump into another man. He grabbed her arms and restrained her. The apparent leader of the pack of monsters began touching M'Gah inappropriately. She was terrified. Her power burst from her, knocking the men back. She screamed, "Stay away from me!"
The men grew angry. They tried to attack, so once again, M'Gah used her magic to defend herself. Even at nine years of age, her power was undeniable. However, there were too many of them, and she was entirely self-taught. She could only do so much.
One of the men hit her head against a tree before throwing her to the ground. "I'll teach you your place, Traitor!" He cried.
M'Gah lost control. Several of the men were struck dead by magical assaults. The one attacking her grew more enraged. He violently pulled up her skirt and began removing his pants as she screamed and struggled against him. More of the men were struck dead, but she couldn't seem to control who her powers attacked, and he was not being targeted.
She was absolutely certain he would violate and then kill her when the man was ripped away from her with impossible force. M'Gah lay trembling, too frightened to move.
The power flowing through the woods was incredible. It seemed to link into M'Gah's magic as it grew. She'd never felt magic that seemed like hers before.
"How dare you attempt to harm this child?" A man shouted. His outrage was clear.
"She is a traitor and a killer!" The man who'd attacked her cried.
"She is an innocent little girl and you tried to force yourself on her!" A second voice countered. "You deserve to die!" He began attacking M'Gah's monster.
"Tezzos... Do it quickly, and with honor," the first man said as he took down another of the men who'd survived M'Gah's magical misfirings.
As both men used their power to finish what they started, M'Gah was left trembling and uncertain of what might happen next. The first man gently approached her. He cautiously knelt beside her, shifting her skirt so it covered her again before taking off his coat.
"Here," he said soothingly. "You're trembling." As M'Gah sat up, he wrapped the coat around her. It was warm and comforting.
"Thank you, Sir," M'Gah said softly.
"I am called Tylan. What is your name?" He asked softly.
"I am M'Gah..."
"M'Gah... You are safe now. I promise I will not let any harm come to you. This is Tezzos." He motioned toward the other man who joined them.
Tezzos bowed to her. "I am pleased to meet you, Young M'Gah," he said. "You did impressive work defending yourself."
"I lost control... I did not mean to kill them," M'Gah said softly.
"We know, Dear M'Gah," Tylan said soothingly. "And we will be sure the rest of Eltar knows as well."
"How did you find me?" She asked curiously.
"Your magic is like ours... We have not met any other Wizards until today," Tylan explained.
"Wizard... Is that what I am, Sir?" She'd been raised to be formal and respectful, and he seemed to radiate authority, so she continued to address him as Sir despite knowing his name.
"Yes, M'Gah... And we can help you learn to properly use your magic. You are gifted, and with guidance, I believe you shall be extraordinary."
"We'll be happy to help you," Tezzos added.
"Thank you, Sir..." M'Gah replied.
"Tezzos, please. We are only fifteen, M'Gah. You need not be so formal when you address us." He smiled at her warmly. She shyly smiled back. For the first time since her parents had been executed, M'Gah felt truly safe.
The Eltarians tried to demand M'Gah's immediate execution. Pardoning her had been one thing when she was simply the daughter of traitors, but now, she had murdered several men. Tylan and Tezzos faced a trial as well.
"Good Ladies and Gentlemen of Eltar, please," M'Gah said humbly when asked if she had anything to say in defense of herself. "If I must pay for my actions, so be it... However, please show mercy to Tylan and Tezzos. They protected me from the men who were attacking me. They did nothing but defend a child they saw in danger. Do not punish them for being good men."
The people serving on the Justice Committee considered her words. Tylan and Tezzos both had strong records as noble citizens of Eltar who used their extraordinary powers to help the community.
"Yes," The head of the committee, Neim Treygan, said after they deliberated among themselves. "These fine young Sons of Eltar shall be acquitted of any wrongdoing. We believe their actions were based on the need to protect an innocent from harm."
"Does that mean M'Gah is acquitted as well?" Tezzos asked softly.
"No. We find the girl guilty of an unforgivable offense. There is no excuse for using one's powers to strike down those who laid no hand on her."
"Neim, Founder of Eltar, I humbly request that you give the girl another chance," Tylan said respectfully.
"She has had that already, Tylan," Neim objected.
"Please, Neim... She is just a child. She has had no one to guide her and cannot have been expected to have full control of her powers."
"She is a threat to Eltar."
"She needs training... Training which Tezzos and I can provide. I am willing to take full responsibility for M'Gah's actions going forward. I vow to train her to be one of the greatest Wizards Eltar has ever seen. She shall learn to act responsibly and wisely. Please, Neim..."
"Your offer is kind, however, we cannot be certain she can be controlled."
"I stake my life on it," Tylan said firmly. "If you let me train her and she does not grow to become the woman I know she can be, I offer up my own life in repentance for my mistake."
Gasps were heard throughout the room. Tezzos took a deep breath before he added, "I, too, put my life on the line. I have faith in this child and cannot condemn her to an unjust execution."
The people present began speaking rapidly over one another. The trial had turned to chaos.
Windzor suddenly showed himself. A hush fell over the room as he walked to the center of it. "Prime Minister..." Tylan said softly. He and Tezzos bowed their heads and offered up the Eltarian salute as a sign of respect. The rest of the room did the same.
"Greetings, my dear boys," Windzor said with a kind smile. "Your actions this day have touched my heart. As for the rest of you... This child was attacked by her so-called victims who you defend so desperately. They were not innocent men, but she is an innocent child. Her actions were completely understandable given the circumstances. These boys are also innocent, as you determined. The fact that this trial was held at all is despicable." He paused. "My dear girl, it is high time you stopped living in the woods. I shall find a proper family of decent Eltarians to take you in."
"Prime Minister... If I may..." Tylan said humbly.
"Go on, my boy. What is it?" Windzor asked.
"I wish to take M'Gah in as my ward."
"Sir... That is too much to ask of you," M'Gah said in surprise.
"M'Gah, you have not asked. I am offering because it is the right thing to do. Tezzos and I can train you. We are fifteen, yes, but we recently moved into a home of our own. We would be honored and pleased to have a brave young Wizard such as you join us."
Tezzos nodded in agreement. He smiled at M'Gah, who had been silenced by her shock. They wanted her? She might finally have a home again? Did she dare believe it was not simply a cruel dream mocking her with what she could never have again?
"M'Gah, my dear, this is a very kind offer, and I believe it would be for the best. Will you accept?" Windzor asked.
Slowly, M'Gah nodded. "Yes, Sir... I... I would rather like to accept this offer," she said.
"Then it is settled! M'Gah shall live with the Wizard boys and learn to control her magic."
"And if she kills again? Do we accept the offer of ending their lives?" Neim asked.
"We do not," Windzor said firmly. "That is not the Eltarian way. We punish only the guilty. I admire that they were willing to stake their lives on defending M'Gah, however it shall not be necessary." He paused. "Go on, Children. You are free to live your lives."
M'Gah became very attached to Tylan and Tezzos. She continued to call Tylan Sir, viewing him as a surrogate father as he essentially raised her and ran the household. Tezzos was a bit more like an older brother to her. It didn't matter how strange the dynamic was... M'Gah was just thrilled to have a family again.
For the next two years, the three Wizards trained together. While there were other Wizards on Eltar, their magic was distinctly different. They worked exceptionally well together, like their magic had led them to each other. The people of Eltar noticed and began referring to them as the Three, Eltar's most mysterious and powerful Wizards. They lived in seclusion in a large house they built in the woods, only coming out when they were truly needed. After fifty years, they became more legend than known fact. Some people insisted the Three were simply a myth. They liked it that way. It helped them do their jobs, protecting Eltar in secret.
Meanwhile, Kenna was the best-known Sorceress on Eltar. She was beloved by one and all. Eltar had no royalty, but if they ever chose to name a Queen, it would surely have been Kenna. She never refused a request for help, and her power seemed to be infinite. She was kind, funny, and absolutely beautiful. She constantly moved from village to village, wanting to meet and help as many Eltarians as she could. She ventured to the town bordering the woods where the Three resided one day while a horrible storm was threatening to destroy the entire area.
The Three had flown into action as the storm raged out of control. M'Gah was focused on healing the wounded and deflecting some of the worst of the damage threatening to hit them. Tezzos was bravely digging people out of collapsed buildings and searching for survivors in the hardest to reach locations. Tylan searched for the source of the storm, for he knew it was no ordinary event.
The Sorcerer who brought the storm was not native to Eltar. Tylan knew that as soon as he saw him. The man stood over a very frightened woman and three children. The eldest, who could not have been more than ten, bravely tried to shield his mother and the younger boy and girl with his body.
"You are coming home, Lara, or I shall destroy this planet," the man said firmly.
Tylan saw the terror in the eyes of Lara and her children. He saw the bruises and scars on their bodies. He understood then that Lara must have fled to Eltar to escape her abusive husband. She faced him now, trying to be brave for her children, but she was trembling. While it was clear her husband was a powerful Sorcerer, Lara seemed to possess only basic magic. She stood no chance against the sadistic and possibly psychotic man.
Tylan rushed in front of the innocent family. He put a powerful shield around them. "Stay back," Tylan said calmly to the Sorcerer.
"This does not concern you, Eltarian," the Sorcerer said coldly.
"A powerful man attempting to harm an innocent woman and her children concerns me quite a lot, actually," Tylan replied. "They have come here seeking sanctuary, and I shall not allow you to cause them harm. Leave this place, Sorcerer. That is your only warning."
The Sorcerer was enraged. He raised a magical attack and aimed it at Tylan. "Dunst, no! Do not harm him, please!" Lara begged. "The people of Eltar are kind and peaceful. Their only crime was trying to assist me."
"That is crime enough!" Dunst shouted in response. He unleashed the attack. Tylan easily deflected it. "Impossible! No Sorcerer on this planet is stronger than I am!" Dunst cried.
"I am not a Sorcerer. I am a Wizard," Tylan corrected him calmly. "You do not know my magic or how it functions."
Dunst doubled his efforts, sending a stronger attack straight at Tylan's chest. It hurt a bit, but it wasn't enough to do any serious harm to the Wizard.
"Gentle Lara, take your children and leave this place," Tylan said. "Seek out Prime Minister Windzor. He shall protect you and your family." He wanted to spare the children from seeing him harm or possibly kill their father. No matter what a father had done, no child should have to watch that.
Unfortunately, before Lara could take the children and flee, Dunst attacked again, this time with a strong enough spell that it knocked the wind out of Tylan. He stumbled and felt the shield he'd created cracking. The eldest of the children quickly sprang into action, grabbing a sword from a nearby fallen Eltarian who'd died in the storm. He held it surprisingly steady on his father.
"You would challenge me, Boy?" Dunst demanded with a threatening smirk as though he found the idea laughable.
"I shall not allow you to harm Mother, my siblings, or the people of this planet," the boy said bravely.
"Nor shall I," a young girl said as she approached. She held a sword of her own confidently. "Leave my home or suffer the consequences!"
"Hush, Child. Return to your parents before I slaughter you," Dunst replied with a laugh.
"I cannot," the child said coldly. "Your storm murdered them... And for that and all the harm you have done this day, I shall destroy you." She ran at him sword-first, leaping through the air as she reached him. The element of surprise combined with the fact that she had obviously trained with a sword, enabled her to stab Dunst right through his chest. She gracefully landed with both feet on the ground after quickly pulling her sword out.
Tylan was just as surprised as Dunst. Eltar was not a violent land, although some families had passed traditions from their original planets like using a sword down through generations. Most did not teach young girls that sort of skill, however.
Dunst recovered from his shock and continued to fight despite the fact that he was rapidly losing blood. He targeted his son. The girl jumped in front of the boy, ready to fight again. She did not realized Dunst was using his own blood to build a magical attack, but Tylan did.
Tylan blocked the attack from reaching the children and launched one of his own. Dunst stumbled backward from the force of it.
"Take your family and run," Tylan told the boy.
Dunst recovered quickly. Suddenly, a hundred guns manifested out of thin air. They surrounded Tylan and the others. The girl looked determined to fight to the end. Considering she had lost her family, Tylan understood why. She had nothing left to lose. The boy bravely faced the weapons, trying to protect his mother and siblings once more.
Tylan tried to use his magic to banish the guns. He managed to destroy some of the weapons, but others began to fire. Knowing he had no choice, he flung a shield up around Lara and her children. The girl was too far away from them, so Tylan knocked her to the ground and covered her with his body.
Several bullets tore through his flesh. He was powerful, but he wasn't immortal. Three of the bullets managed to pierce his lungs. Another two pierced his heart. He used his own blood to summon a stronger attack, putting an end to Dunst's spell. The weapons vanished in a flash of blinding light.
"No!" Lara cried in horror as she saw how gravely injured Tylan was.
"Stay within the shield, Mother," the boy said bravely. He ran toward Tylan and the girl, standing over them protectively with his sword. "You shall harm no one else, Father!" He declared.
"I am not even your father, Boy," Dunst spat at him. "Your father was a visitor to our planet from this one. He left your mother pregnant and alone when he returned after their evening together. He doesn't even know you exist. She is lucky I accepted her and agreed to raise another man's child. I made an honest woman of her and she repaid me by fleeing to the very planet that man came from!"
The boy looked shaken up, but he held his sword steady. "If that's true, then Eltar is my home... That is more of a reason for me to protect it," he said.
Dunst was clearly furious as he tried launching another attack. He'd nearly fully healed from his wounds. Tylan knew there was nothing more he could do except sacrifice himself to put an end to this monster.
These people are innocent... Four of them are children... I must do this. Forgive me, Tezzos and M'Gah... He thought. He began the spell which would sever his ties to life, knowing he would take the bastard down with him.
To his great surprise, a powerful burst of magic got between him and Dunst before he could cast his spell. "You call that Sorcery?" A woman asked with a laugh.
Suddenly, flames surrounded Dunst. Two dragons circled overhead as the Sorceress began casting the most powerful spell Tylan had ever seen. Dunst seemed startled but determined to prove himself. He fought back hard, but none of his magic touched the Sorceress.
The boy was trying to stop some of Tylan's wounds from bleeding, putting pressure on them the best he could. The girl looked at him with a stoic expression that said she already knew he was dead. Still, she tried to help the boy save Tylan's life.
The Sorceress fired off a final spell, knocking Dunst to his knees. The girl took a moment to cry out, "Use this!" She tossed the Sorceress her sword.
The Sorceress channeled an enormous amount of power into the sword before thrusting it through Dunst's chest. He fell to the ground dead as she pulled it back out. She wiped it off a bit before handing it back to the girl. "Thanks," she said as the storm came to an abrupt stop.
The Sorceress knelt beside Tylan. Her long red hair fell around her shoulders as she examined him.
"Is he going to die?" The boy asked softly.
"Not on my watch," the Sorceress replied. She looked into Tylan's eyes with determination.
Her eyes were stunning. At least I can see something truly beautiful before I die, he thought. Yet, looking into her eyes, he began to feel stronger. Perhaps this did not have to be the end. He wanted desperately to have the chance to get to know this incredible woman. Unfortunately, his eyes began to close as he neared unconsciousness.
"Don't quit on me, my brave warrior," she said soothingly. He felt her magic flowing through his entire body. His lungs had fully collapsed and he couldn't breathe, but slowly, they began to inflate. Just as his heart threatened to stop, she whispered, "Beat for me... Steady and strong..." And, somehow, it did just that.
After a few minutes, Tylan opened his eyes. The beautiful Sorceress smiled at him. "Good, your eyes are open... They are lovely, by the way," she informed him lightly.
"You saved me..." Tylan said softly.
"I did," she agreed, smiling more. She helped him sit up.
"I am Tylan," he informed her. "What do I call you, Sweet and Noble Sorceress?"
She laughed. "I do not know about sweet and noble, however, I am Kenna, my good Wizard and brave warrior." She held his gaze and Tylan felt a connection unlike ever before. It was not the same as his connection to Tezzos and M'Gah, but he understood that somehow, Kenna belonged in his life as much as they did.
Kenna helped him to his feet. A literal spark of magic burst between them. He looked at her as she gasped in surprise. "How interesting..." Kenna commented.
"Thank you for protecting my family, Sir Tylan," the boy said. He bowed his head respectfully.
"You are quite the brave defender yourself, my boy. What is your name?" Tylan asked.
"Matthew, Sir. I am called Matthew."
"Matthew... How old are you?"
"Ten years old, Sir."
Tylan nodded. He looked to the girl. "And you, Young Warrior?" He asked.
"I am Eleanor, of Eltar," she said as fiercely as the bravest of soldiers. She stood straight and met Tylan's eyes as she spoke. "And I have lived for eleven years."
"You fight exceptionally well, Eleanor," Tylan said kindly. "Your courage is impressive."
"That man killed many today," Eleanor said. "Including my parents." Only the slightest bit of emotion entered her tone, betraying the grief the child must be feeling. She hid it well. "It is my duty as a daughter of Eltar to defend my home."
"You have done well, Eleanor. They would be proud," Tylan said firmly. She nodded, not saying anything in response.
"We shall see to it that you find a proper home, Eleanor," Kenna said soothingly.
"I shall not be a burden... I can care for myself," Eleanor replied.
"That is true," Kenna said kindly. "However, you should not have to. You are still young, Eleanor of Eltar. Be young for a while longer and accept help."
Eleanor did not object. She simply nodded and said, "Thank you."
"Are you and the young ones well?" Tylan asked Lara.
"Yes, thanks to you," she replied. "I cannot repay you for your incredible kindness this day."
"No thanks are necessary. I shall always defend the innocent from harm, until my dying breath." He looked at Kenna. "And thanks to you, that breath was not exhaled today."
Kenna smiled as she replied, "Let us hope that breath is not exhaled for a long time, Tylan."
Hearing his name on her lips sent a chill through him. As one of Matthew's younger siblings began to cry, finally seeming to process what had happened, Kenna scooped the child into her arms and began singing a popular Eltarian lullaby.
Her voice was enchanting. Tylan watched her in complete adoration as she comforted the little girl. Her brother snuggled against Kenna, who knelt down and pulled him into her arms as well.
"How old are the younger ones?" Tylan asked Lara curiously.
"Five. They're twins," Lara replied.
Matthew stared at the body of the man he'd believed was his father. He was clearly fighting back tears. Eleanor noticed and put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "He was vile," she said, "but you still have the family that matters. You are brave, Matthew. Continue to embrace that courage."
Tylan was impressed Eleanor could comfort the boy considering the man he grieved was the one responsible for killing her parents. He caught a slight glimpse of the future then and knew that the two children would one day grow to become some of Eltar's fiercest warriors. He smiled to himself as he watched Matthew shyly slip his hand into Eleanor's. He knew that boy would be the only person who could give the traumatized girl just enough humanity to keep her from turning into nothing but a warrior.
"I like your smile, Tylan," Kenna said softly as she snuck up behind him.
Tylan turned to face her, embarrassed. "The children..." He began.
"I know," she said. "I see it, too." Smiling, she added, "And I see you as well."
"Me?" He repeated.
"Yes, you... Beside me... Would you like to accompany me to the tavern? I could use a drink and a bit of food after all that magic. I must recharge before returning to the center of town to assist survivors, and you nearly died. You should eat as well."
He nodded. "I would be honored, Dear Lady Kenna," he replied.
"I shall bring Eleanor back to the village," Lara offered. "I will ensure she finds a safe place to stay and people to care for her. Thank you both once again." She bowed her head respectfully before leading Matthew, Eleanor, and the twins away.
Kenna took Tylan's hand. It soothed his nerves as they headed to the tavern. They spoke over food and Tylan realized he was falling instantly in love with Kenna. She was truly extraordinary and she made him laugh. He listened as she told him her story.
"The people of Eltar decided I was their greatest protector the day I was born," she explained. "I rather enjoy the role. Helping others gives me joy. And, as the first Sorceress, it is my duty to teach others."
"I understand. I was the first Wizard born on Eltar."
"You're one of the Three?" She looked impressed. "You have done much for Eltar. I am honored to meet you."
"The honor is mine, Kenna." As they both stood to leave, he bowed his head and kissed her hand. Kenna smiled warmly. Then, she stunned him by kissing him firmly on his lips.
The connection was undeniable. Tylan never wanted their lips to part. He pulled her closer to him, holding her in his arms as he deepened the kiss. When they finally broke the kiss for air, he cupped her face in his hands and stared into her eyes as she let out a content sigh. Before he could say anything, she kissed him again. This time, she didn't hold back. The rest of the world seemed to vanish.
It wasn't until someone let out a hoot and said jokingly, "I guess you two rather like each other," that Tylan remembered they were in public.
"Oh, hush," Kenna said with a laugh. "And, yes, we do." She looked at Tylan and explained, "This is my dearest and oldest friend."
"Drago, of Eltar," the boy said. "No matter what anyone tells you."
"I am a bit confused..." Tylan said.
"His full name is Draggonnius," Kenna said with a laugh. "He despises it."
"It is a mouthful, and such a hassle to spell," Drago said with a laugh of his own. "What's your name, Friend?"
"I am Tylan," he replied. He noticed something unusual about Drago's energy. "Are you a Sorcerer?" He asked.
"No," Drago replied mysteriously. "I am something else."
Before Tylan's eyes, Drago shifted form into a little orange tabby cat. He let out a soft meow before changing form into a wooden chair. Then, he transformed into a little girl in a dress with two braids in her hair. Finally, he transformed into the man he'd been before. His eyes were different now. They were green with golden spirals in the pupils.
"What is this magic?" Tylan asked. "You uttered no spell. Did you drink a potion?"
"I was born with the ability to shift my form at will," Drago explained with a casual grin.
"Is this your true form? Other than the eyes, of course?"
"Actually, this is my true form, eyes and all. I keep them shifted most of the time because they can trance people if I am not careful."
"There are spirals in your eyes?"
"They represent labyrinths. That is my other power. I can create labyrinths."
"How exceptional... Never have I seen magic such as this."
"I am the first of my kind. In fact, I may very well be the only one of my kind. I've yet to meet any others." He paused. "So, Ty, since Kenna here likes you so much, may I buy you a drink?"
"Another time, perhaps. We have people who require our assistance."
"Ah, yes. We probably should clean up that mess... Later, then." He looked to Kenna. "Shall we?"
"Yes. I am strong enough now." She led the way, with Tylan and Drago following behind her.
The village was devastated, but there were many survivors. Tezzos and M'Gah found Tylan and hurried to him. "You were hurt," Tezzos said flatly. "I felt it. I thought we might lose you..." He hugged Tylan, his relief clear.
"Sir... Are you truly well?" M'Gah asked. It was obvious she had been just as worried as Tezzos.
"All is well, M'Gah," Tylan promised as he hugged her. "The lovely Sorceress, Kenna, saved my life." He motioned toward Kenna and Drago.
"Then we are in her debt," M'Gah said. "You have our gratitude, Kenna of Eltar."
"Indeed," Tezzos agreed. He bowed to her respectfully. "I am Tezzos, and this is M'Gah."
"I take it you are the rest of the Three? It is an honor to meet you both," Kenna replied. "This is Drago."
"Greetings," Drago said cheerfully. He smiled flirtatiously at M'Gah before extending his hand to shake hers.
"Charmed," M'Gah said with a smile of her own.
Tylan raised an eyebrow at that. "He's harmless," Kenna promised. "He flirts, but he would never dare harm a woman's heart. Drago is deeply loyal, so should romance ever truly blossom for him, he would remain by her side always. That woman shall be very lucky... And best not break his heart, or she shall face my wrath," she added the last part with a laugh, but Tylan was certain she meant every word.
Drago extended his hand to Tezzos. "So, the Three, huh? Impressive," Drago said. "We have come to help. Tell us what needs to be done."
"M'Gah set up a shelter there to assist the wounded," Tezzos said, pointing to it. "I have been trying to rescue trapped survivors."
"Allow me to join you, Friend. I'm strong, and my magic can calm those too traumatized to accept our help."
"Thank you," Tezzos replied. "This way. I have yet to reach the East side of the village."
"I shall come as well," Tylan offered.
"Allow me to join you. I can heal those who are too wounded to be moved," Kenna said.
The idea of Kenna remaining by his side pleased Tylan deeply. He nodded. "Of course. Thank you," he said. "M'Gah, take charge here and do what you can without hurting yourself. We shall return as soon as possible. Be safe."
"You as well, Sir." M'Gah gave him a final hug before returning to the wounded.
Their first journey together would be far from their last. The Wizards formed a strong attachment to the Sorcerer and the Shapeshifter. They worked well together and decided to continue teaming up for emergencies. This soon evolved into Kenna and Drago frequently visiting the Three at their home in the woods. They were the only people the Three let into their secret world other than the occasional Wizard they chose to train.
Kenna and Tylan's love grew stronger. It was not long before they became lovers. Within a year, they wed in secret, allowing only Drago, Tezzos, and M'Gah to bear witness to the event. Kenna gave Tylan an enchanted ring that would connect him to her energy and help make them both stronger in battle. The ring possessed incredible magic and channeled his own, helping him tap into extra power when necessary. He never took it off. Although Kenna continued traveling the world with Drago, she returned to the woods nearly every night. She used portals to move back and forth between her home and wherever she had traveled.
After nearly three years together, Kenna and Tylan had a child. Kenna advanced her pregnancy with magic to keep the baby's origins a secret. After all, a baby born to the first Wizard and the first Sorceress would be incredibly powerful. They knew the baby might be targeted for harm.
They named their daughter M'Telda. Tylan delivered her while Drago held Kenna's hand. Tezzos and M'Gah stood by their side to witness the event. As soon as the child was born, Tezzos blended a potion to heal Kenna so no one would detect she had just given birth. M'Gah cast a spell on M'Telda to protect her and keep her healthy and strong.
"She's beautiful, Ken... Like her mother," Drago said with a grin as he stroked Kenna's hair soothingly.
"She is perfect, Tylan," Tezzos said fondly as he looked into M'Telda's eyes while M'Gah held her and finished casting her spell.
"M'Gah shall make an excellent older sister for our girl," Tylan said fondly as he watched her smile and snuggle the newborn to her chest before passing her back to Tylan.
"I shall protect that girl with my life," M'Gah vowed. "Always."
Tylan smiled at her before bringing M'Telda to Kenna and placing her in his wife's arms. He wrapped his own arms around Kenna from behind so he could hold them both.
"You did well, my love," he told her.
"We did well," Kenna corrected him. "My sweet M'Telda... You shall grow up cherished and protected." She kissed their daughter's forehead before looking at Tylan. "I love you, Tylan."
"As I love you, my beautiful Sorceress," Tylan replied.
For a time, all was well. M'Telda began to grow. Her power was evident almost immediately. Magic flowed from her at all times. Like her mother, M'Telda possessed the incredibly rare gift of working with vizu. She was a vizu Queen, immune to the insanity they often caused. She was also a natural Prophetess, so the vizu simply strengthened that gift. From an early age, M'Telda had visions. She told her parents the things she saw, and more than once, her visions enabled them to save a life. They kept her hidden, never allowing her into the line of fire. She was sheltered and very beloved by her unusual family. Her parents doted on her, as did M'Gah, who proudly acted as her older sister. Tezzos and Drago functioned a bit like uncles to the girl, spoiling her rotten whenever they could. Drago went out of his way to make the little girl giggle whenever he visited, which was at least twice a week.
One day, when M'Telda was eight, she saw something that truly terrified her. Sobbing, she ran to her father. "Mother and Drago are in danger!" She cried.
"What did you see, darling?" Tylan asked soothingly, although her words frightened him.
"I saw a man discovering a great power... And using it to harm innocents," M'Telda explained. "The power is not meant to be held by one man alone, but two... And it shall drive him mad."
"Who is this man?"
"I do not know his name... He is not meant to use the power, Father. If he does this... If he accesses the power himself and wields it, it shall become tainted... Cursed, even. The great beings of light who should protect the power may be affected... Evil may taint one or both of them."
"What does this have to do with your mother and Drago, M'Telda?"
"The madness shall make him cause them harm... They trust him. He is a good man. He... He simply cannot handle the power, for it was never meant to be his. But Mother... Mother will try to stop him... And he..." She shook her head and began screaming as another vision overwhelmed her.
"M'Telda, Darling... All is well. Return to me. You are safe here," Tylan said patiently, although he wanted to run to his wife immediately.
"Sir... Shall I put her to sleep and pull her from the vision?" M'Gah asked as she witnessed this.
"Yes... End her nightmare, dear M'Gah. I must go after Kenna and Drago. They are in danger."
"I'm coming with you," Tezzos said firmly.
Tylan nodded. "Take care of M'Telda until we return, M'Gah."
"Of course, Sir." M'Gah took the child and began putting her into a safe sleep where the vision could not reach her.
Meanwhile, Kenna and Drago stood in the middle of a horrible storm. "I cannot calm it," Kenna said in alarm. "It is magical in nature, and is not a magic I am familiar with."
"We should go from here until we understand this, Ken," Drago said. "I can create a labyrinth to protect us."
"We need to find the source of the storm, Drago. There's no time to waste. We must contain it before it spreads."
Drago nodded gravely. "I can buy us some time," he replied. He proceeded to try something he never had before and built a labyrinth around the storm. It took a decent amount of power, but it worked. "It won't spread. Now, let us end this..."
"Nice work," Kenna said with an impressed smile.
They headed toward the center of the storm. To their great shock, Windzor stood with incredible power bursting from him.
"Prime Minister! What are you doing? This storm is out of control!" Kenna said in surprise.
"All is well, Kenna. Return home," Windzor said in a bit of a sing-song voice.
"He has gone mad..." Drago realized. "I can cure him if he looks into my eyes."
"Drago, be careful. He may harm you in this state," Kenna said. She hugged him.
Drago cautiously approached Windzor. "Prime Minister... You are a good man. This is not you. Whatever this is, I can help." He tried to catch Windzor's eyes, but the Prime Minister quickly looked away. He vanished before his eyes, popping up again behind Kenna. He pulled out a sword.
It happened too quickly. As Windzor thrust his sword toward Kenna, Drago did the only thing he could and jumped in front of her. The sword impaled his chest.
"No! Drago!" Kenna screamed. His blood had splattered onto her, but she held onto hope as she pulled him into her arms. "Stay with me," she whispered. She tried in vain to heal him, but he was already too far gone. She had only seconds to save him.
Drago looked into her eyes. "I... I love you..." He managed to say. Blood poured out of his mouth and his eyes became lifeless as he exhaled his last breath. A powerful labyrinth wrapped around Kenna as she held her best friend's corpse, protecting her from all harm.
"Drago... No... Please," Kenna begged. She'd seen people die before. She understood grief. This loss seemed far deeper than any she'd witnessed before. "I should have listened when you wanted to leave... If we had been in a labyrinth, you would still be safe... I am so sorry, Drago... I promise, I'll find you again," she promised softly. "And I won't lose you, no matter what." She vowed with everything she possessed that her beloved best friend would never meet such a horrific end again.
Kenna closed Drago's eyes gently and kissed his forehead before standing up. Keeping the energy of the labyrinth around her, she went straight for the man who'd stolen Drago from her. She would make him pay.
The Prime Minister is a good man, her mind insisted.
"Not anymore," Kenna said aloud. She battled against him, not holding back as her grief turned to rage. Dragons appeared, drawn to her energy and knowing she was in agony. They began to attack Windzor as well. Eventually, he was burned badly enough that the pain seemed to snap him out of his psychotic state. Windzor suddenly fell to his knees and began sobbing.
"What have I done?" He whispered in horror as he stared at Drago's corpse.
Kenna might have doubted him, but his tears were real and so was his pain. She hesitated. Windzor looked at her with desperation in his eyes. "Take it," he said. "Take the power. I cannot make myself release it, but I am not meant to wield it. I believe I was only meant to guard it until its proper vessels could claim it." He shook his head. "Take it and end my life as I have ended his."
Kenna wanted to kill him. She wanted to make him suffer as he made her suffer when he killed Drago. Instead, she found the strength to strip him of the great power flowing throughout his body. It was almost too much for her. The power was beyond what any one person should possess and even to remove it from Windzor when he willingly surrendered it was overwhelming.
Suddenly, she could feel Tylan. He was not with her physically, but he was lending her his strength through the magic of his ring, sensing she needed a power boost. Kenna was finally able to remove the last of the power from Windzor. She released it into the universe, knowing it would find its rightful heirs eventually. Kenna proceeded to do the only thing she could to stop him from ever being tempted to access the power again and fried his mind with magic.
"Windzor of Eltar... You shall never again be able to hold even the slightest bit of magic within yourself. You are completely mortal. I understand madness caused your actions today, so I shall spare your life... You shall have to find a way to live with what you have done. Now, be gone from here!" Kenna declared. With a wave of her hand, she sent him through a portal far away from that place.
Left alone, Kenna walked back to Drago. She pulled him into her arms, rocking his corpse as she cried. "I love you," she whispered. "I hate what you did, but you would not be you if you hadn't... I love you even more for doing it... Thank you for saving me, my dearest friend... The next time we meet, I shall find a way to protect you." She continued to cry, her body shaking violently as she sobbed in impossible grief.
It was there that Tylan and Tezzos found her, staring blankly ahead as she clung to Drago's corpse. She was trembling, but she'd run out of tears.
"My love..." Tylan whispered. He wrapped his coat around her shoulders as he knelt beside her.
"Oh, Drago..." Tezzos said sadly.
"He saved me..." Kenna whispered. Her state of shock was obvious.
"Of course he did," Tylan said soothingly. He was holding back tears of his own. "And I am grateful to him for that."
"I did not know a heart could hurt this way," Kenna continued softly. "It is as though I cannot breathe... My mind knows what happened here, but my heart cannot accept it..."
"I am so sorry, my love..." He held her close as she still refused to release Drago.
"What happened here? Who did this?" Tezzos asked.
"It was the Prime Minister. He accessed a power which drove him mad... I fried him to block all magic. He cannot harm anyone now..." Kenna replied numbly.
"Prime Minister Windzor did this?" Tezzos repeated in shock.
"He unleashed a horrible storm. We tried to reason with him. He tried to kill me, but... Drago... He..." She shook her head.
"It is over now, my love," Tylan said as he continued to hold her. "We must leave this place..."
"I can't leave him... I... I won't abandon him!" Kenna sobbed.
"We would never leave him, Kenna," Tylan said firmly.
"I shall carry him," Tezzos said stoically. "Let me take him, Kenna. He shall be safe."
Somehow, wrapped in Tylan's embrace, Kenna found the strength to release Drago to Tezzos. He gently carried their fallen friend. Kenna tried to stand, but her legs were still shaking and gave out. Tylan scooped her up and carried her. She buried her face in his shoulder.
They buried Drago in a sacred space. For weeks, Kenna barely spoke. She sank into a deep depression as her grief overwhelmed her. Tylan patiently remained by her side, allowing her to mourn and slowly working to restore her smile. His love, and the love of their daughter, eventually gave Kenna the strength to face life without Drago. She began doing what she did best and protecting the people of Eltar again, finding her purpose in helping those who were the most vulnerable. She had to go on, after all. Drago had died to save her life. The least she could do was live it. Eventually, she was back to her old self, but she never stopped missing her best friend.
At about ten years old, M'Telda began having horrible visions of an evil man coming for her. Her terror convinced her parents the threat was very real. With no real information, they knew they must hide their beloved little girl in order to keep her safe. They used magic to age her to fifteen and began increasing her magical training. In under a year, she was a fully trained Wizard and Sorceress. They aged her again so she was twenty-three. They then created a special portal so she could come and go from home as needed, but they knew they had to send her into the outside world alone. M'Telda needed to build a reputation so no one would ever question where she had come from or if she might be the child this evil searched for.
Eventually, M'Telda gained a reputation as an exceptionally powerful but mad Sorceress who was rumored to work with vizu. She was deemed paranoid and delusional, but the people of Eltar still went to her in times of great need. One day, M'Telda knew she would perish if she remained on Eltar. She returned home only to tell her parents goodbye before she fled far into the future, on the planet Earth. She would ultimately make a new life for herself there, waiting for the time to come when she would need to step up and fight.
Much time passed. Then, one day, a great power was born into the world. The child's name was Zell, son of L'Telgo and Matriece, grandson of Windzor. He was named after his aunt, Jenzelle, who L'Telgo was extremely close to. She'd perished in childbirth a year prior, leaving her older brother heartbroken. The day the boy was born, all of Eltar was bathed in a brilliant white light. His birth was deemed a great blessing upon the planet.
Four years after Zell's birth, Windzor was discovered dead in his home. It appeared he had taken his own life. A journal was discovered by his corpse which showed a significant decline in his mental health beginning with his discovery of the great power Kenna had released from him. As he'd lived mostly in seclusion after killing Drago, no one had realized his mind had been cracking more each day until it shattered.
"Something is not right here," Kenna said. "I remain unconvinced this was a suicide."
Tylan frowned as he processed her words. It was Tezzos who spoke. "My visions have been growing chaotic... They have become deeply symbolic and confusing to decipher, however, I now believe they are trying to warn me of a disruption in the natural order of time... Someone has orchestrated Windzor's demise and ensured it looked like suicide," he said firmly. "And I do not believe this was his original fate."
"You think someone changed the time line?" Tylan asked.
"I am certain of it. The future feels... Incorrect."
"Why would someone do such a thing?" M'Gah asked.
Kenna had a horrible feeling that the man M'Telda had predicted so long before might finally be showing himself. "We must be careful, my family," she told them gravely. "A great evil is coming to Eltar."
"We shall defeat it together, my love, as always," Tylan said.
Kenna nodded, but deep down she knew the danger they were about to face was a threat unlike any Eltar had ever seen before. The entity was the first truly pure evil being she had ever sensed and she knew he would stop at nothing to achieve power. The question was, who was this threat, and how could they defeat him?
Two years later, the grieving L'Teldo found a bit of peace as his wife bore a second son, Elgan. Despite being born during a lunar eclipse, Elgan's birth was viewed as a reminder that life went on, even when people were in pain and the world seemed dark and cold. At six years old, Zell welcomed his baby brother with open arms. His attachment to the child was clear. Even as the boys grew a bit, Zell rarely went anywhere without Elgan by his side. He doted on the boy. They were incredibly close, and Elgan idolized his older brother. He tried his best to follow Zell's example and be a good man, although people paid far less attention to him than his brother. Everyone loved Zell, the handsome blond boy who went out of his way to care for the people of Eltar every chance he got.
"The boy has incredible power," Tezzos said one day. "I see a path of great magic... However..." He hesitated.
"What is it, Tezzos?" Tylan asked.
"If his magic is nurtured by the wrong people, I fear he will embrace a dark path. He has the potential to save Eltar... or destroy it."
"Then it is our duty to guide the boy to the light," Tylan decided.
"I think that is the best chance of saving him from the darkness that dwells within," Tezzos agreed.
They already had a promising Wizard student named Maegus. Tylan had seen something in the boy that told him they needed to be the ones to nurture his magic and help him grow. He showed enormous potential and was a kind, good soul. "We need to wait a bit. The boy is still too young to begin our sort of training. For now, we shall watch him, and when he is a little older, we can have Maegus help him adjust," Tylan said.
Meanwhile, Kenna had thrown herself into investigating what happened to Windzor. She was careful about it because she knew drawing the attention of others would prove deadly. She began moving through town, speaking casually to people about the tragic end the former Prime Minister had met. She never let on that she suspected foul play, and people were more than willing to discuss the events with her.
The day the Three decided to train Zell, Kenna felt the sense of a great disturbance again. The same entity that had slipped through time to kill Windzor had returned, and he was very, very close.
As soon as the man appeared in front of her, Kenna understood who he was. "Zell..." She said softly. "You've aged."
"Yet you are as lovely as I remember, Kenna of Eltar," Zell replied. He wasn't ancient. In fact, if she had to guess, he was still less than a century old, but the darkness radiating from him was powerful. He felt nothing like the sweet, seemingly innocent little boy she knew.
"What happened to you, Zell?" She asked.
"I broke free from what held me back... Those who would stop me... My grandfather... My parents... And now, I shall break free from my final hurdle to achieving the great power I am meant to possess."
Kenna suddenly understood what was happening. The magic she knew far too well, the very magic that had cost her Drago, flowed through Zell. He only held half of it... Kenna suspected Elgan held the rest... But Zell's lust for power made him just as deadly as Windzor had become. Great power could corrupt, after all, and it seemed only Elgan had a heart pure enough to have such power without turning evil. The brother born from the light was, ironically, the evil one while the brother born from darkness was pure of heart.
"What holds you back now, Zell?" Kenna asked as she began preparing to defend herself magically.
"You, Kenna. You see, as the first Sorceress of Eltar, your power alone is nearly equal to what Elgan and I possess together. In fact, you would make an excellent Queen, ruling Eltar by my side... Unfortunately, you know too much. You will prevent the mentors I require from training me, and you will warn the people of Eltar not to trust me. I cannot allow that, Kenna. It is a shame. You are so lovely... I hope we can meet once again when you are younger and less set in your ways. I wish for you to be my ally, not my enemy."
"That seems highly unlikely," Kenna replied evenly. "As does the idea of you killing me."
"Unlikely, perhaps... Yet not impossible."
"Nothing is impossible." She attacked him with a spell, knocking him back several feet.
"You are as gifted as they say, Kenna..." He nodded at her respectfully. "Nearly my equal..."
She ignored his comment, choosing to launch another attack. Zell seemed surprised by her hostility. Still, he retaliated. His magic was indeed impressive, but Kenna had held her power longer and she knew things he could not begin to imagine about what it could do. She summoned dragons, launching a fresh assault against him with their help. Twin dragons surrounded him, slashing at him with their talons. He let out a cry of outrage, slipping into the place outside of time to escape from them. Kenna closed her eyes, trying to sense where he would inevitably reappear.
The last thing she expected was to suddenly sense danger at home. How had Zell known how to find their home? No one should be able to do that with the wards they had cast. Then, she understood. The ones who had trained him had not been Sorcerers, as she'd assumed because the boy was a Sorcerer himself, but Wizards... The Three. This future Zell knew exactly where they lived because he had trained there himself.
Kenna rushed home, determined not to lose her family. She'd already lost Drago. This power would not take Tylan, Tezzos, and M'Gah from her as well. The dragons followed her, ready to defend her family from danger.
Unfortunately, Kenna realized too late she had run straight into a trap. Zell waited for her just outside of the house, hidden by shadows as well as magic. He'd masked his energy and wore a cloak so no one would catch a glimpse of his face. He popped up behind Kenna and shoved a sword straight through her heart.
"Ty..." She gasped out, hoping her husband would somehow run in and save her, but she knew he wouldn't make it in time.
"When we meet again, it shall be far more pleasant, I promise," Zell said. He tried to kiss her cheek, but one of the dragons dove in and slashed his chest open. He vanished through time, taking his sword with him. Kenna began to rapidly bleed out. She tried to heal herself, but she was growing weak too quickly.
Tylan, Tezzos, and M'Gah appeared from inside of the house. They raced toward her. "Kenna... Kenna, my love..." Tylan whispered, pulling her into his arms. Kenna looked into his eyes before exhaling her last breath. "Help me heal her!" He cried desperately to Tezzos and M'Gah.
Tezzos looked at Kenna with tears in his eyes. He already knew it was too late to save her. M'Gah knelt by Tylan's side. "Sir..." She began. Then, she seemed to reject what she knew in her heart and she cast the most powerful healing spell she had ever attempted.
Tylan desperately tried to heal her as well, even though he knew she was already gone. He refused to give up. He had to save her.
"Tylan..." Tezzos said gently.
"No... Help us, Tezzos!" Tylan shouted as he refused to give up.
"Tylan... Please listen to me," Tezzos tried again. "She is already gone... There is nothing we can do for her now."
"Do not say such things! There is always hope..."
"Sir..." M'Gah said softly. She put a gentle hand on his arm.
"We must try..." Tylan insisted.
Tezzos knelt beside him. He gently closed Kenna's eyes, which had been staring blankly at Tylan. A single tear that had frozen at the edge of her right eye fell then. That seemed to make Tylan realize what had happened.
He composed himself, taking a deep breath. "I am so sorry, my love... I have failed you..." Tylan whispered. He kissed her forehead, then her lips. Then, he shed tears of his own, silently as he continued to hold her.
"Sir... You did not fail her. We came as soon as we sensed danger... It simply happened too quickly," M'Gah said soothingly. She wrapped her arms around Tylan, trying to comfort him.
Tylan pulled himself together, stroking her hair. "She thought of you as a daughter just as I do, my dearest M'Gah," he told her, keeping his voice steady somehow.
M'Gah nodded, beginning to cry as well. "Give us a moment, M'Gah," Tezzos said gently. She walked away in silence, wiping her tears as she left.
"Tylan..." Tezzos began.
"Who did this to her, Tezzos?" Tylan asked softly.
"I cannot be certain. He cloaked his energy... However, I believe it is the same man who killed Windzor... The great evil M'Telda sensed."
Tylan nodded. "He shall pay for his crimes." He stood up slowly, still holding Kenna in his arms. "We shall bury her with Drago. It is what she would want."
Tylan was never the same after losing Kenna. He threw himself into being a mentor to Maegus and preparing to mentor Zell. Tezzos and M'Gah being by his side was the only thing that kept him going when his grief was at its worst. He had to do the honorable thing and continue to lead and protect them as he always had. He needed to be strong and brave, just as Kenna had always viewed him.
More time passed. At eleven, Zell was finally old enough for his Wizard training to begin. Maegus had nearly completed his own, and at the request of the Three, he helped guide the boy and teach him to focus. Tylan detected Maegus did not exactly like their young student, but he never protested helping. He had too much honor for that. Eventually, Maegus completed his training and moved on, never seeing the Three again. Zell became their primary focus.
The boy had incredible potential. He was highly intelligent and picked things up quickly. His power levels were undeniable and he only continued to grow stronger. For a time, he seemed like the ideal student, and the Three were convinced they had influenced him onto the path of the light. Then, one day, Tezzos turned pale as a vision overwhelmed him.
"The boy..." He said as he slowly came around.
"What is it, Tezzos?" M'Gah asked in concern.
"He is already turning... He hid the signs from us behind that calm smile and the soothing, hypnotic cadence of his voice that is so reassuring... He focused only on light and being a great force of good in our presence... However... His parents..." Tezzos shook his head.
"What about them?" Tylan asked. They had not been to town in quite some time, so they certainly hadn't encountered Zell's parents recently.
"They have perished, Tylan... And the boy did not tell us."
"That is the sort of thing that would break a young boy. Surely he would tell his mentors," M'Gah said. "What happened to them?"
"Officially, they died in their sleep, together."
"That's quite suspicious. Why would no one question such a thing?" M'Gah asked.
"Zell told everyone they were so in love that their hearts beat as one... A nice sentiment, really... However, due to the great power of his voice and his ability to spin words so poetically, no one questioned how unrealistic it was that they should drop dead in the middle of the night from no apparent cause."
"What of the younger son? Elgan?" Tylan asked in concern.
"Zell has been raising him."
"He is just a boy himself... He is barely thirteen."
"Sir... Surely a young boy who is grieving would come to us and ask for advice on what to do for his brother, at the very least..." M'Gah said.
"You are correct, M'Gah... Yet our young student did not." Tylan agreed.
"He does not mourn them... For he is the cause of their demise," Tezzos said. "Tylan... M'Gah... I believe this boy we have been trying to guide to the light is actually evil in its purest form... The very evil which drove M'Telda to flee."
"The same evil which murdered Windzor..." Tylan said softly. "And my beloved..."
"We shall make him pay at once!" M'Gah declared. She stood up, manifesting a sword in one hand and a book of spells in the other.
"M'Gah... Stand down," Tylan said firmly, his voice still soft as he processed what was happening.
"But, Sir-"
"We must proceed with caution. Zell was far too young to have taken Kenna from us, and he was even younger when Windzor perished. As Tezzos said then, he must have used time travel to come for his targets. We do not know what time he comes from, nor do we know how much power he possesses. Remember, the Zell we know has not yet committed these crimes. We cannot simply put the boy down. His future self would stop us before we could accomplish this."
"Yes, Sir... I understand," M'Gah said reluctantly. "How should we handle this?"
"We must cease his training immediately. He is a threat to all of Eltar. And, if possible, we must bind his power."
"The great power he and Elgan possess cannot be bound," Tezzos said. "We cannot remove it, either. They are the rightful vessels... However, perhaps we can find a way to stop him from harming others."
"We must try," Tylan agreed.
"Try to do what?" Zell asked from the doorway. "Hello, Mentors... Can I assist with your mission?"
M'Gah visibly tensed. Tezzos jumped. "I did not detect you there, Zell," he said after a moment. Only Tylan kept his surprise hidden.
"Forgive me, Tezzos," Zell said pleasantly. "I wanted to see if I had truly mastered the ability to cloak myself."
"We did not teach you that," Tylan said.
"I discovered the magic in one of your books... I was curious and decided to try it on my own so I could surprise you by taking the initiative to learn more."
"Zell... We have come to a conclusion today," Tylan began.
"A conclusion, Tylan? What sort of conclusion?" Zell asked curiously.
"We can no longer continue to train you. You have strayed too far from the path we follow."
Zell was good at hiding his emotions, but some anger slipped through then. "Have I done something to upset you, my dear mentors?" he asked.
"You have changed, Zell. You are simply no longer someone we can teach," Tezzos replied.
"Nonsense. I am your loyal student, as I have always been." He paused, turning to M'Gah. "Dearest M'Gah... Have you turned on me as well?"
"I stand by the decision," M'Gah said firmly. "You do not possess the traits we require of our students."
"I possess incredible power! I do everything you ask of me! I have yet to fail! Why do you abandon me?"
"You are meant to be a Sorcerer, Zell," Tezzos said smoothly. He was radiating a calm energy meant to reassure the boy. He seemed to understand what Zell needed to hear, and Tylan allowed him to take charge. "We have taught you the ways of the Wizards, however, you are not meant for this path. Please understand, it was nothing you did wrong during our lessons. You are quite gifted. It would simply be a disservice for us to continue to train you as a Wizard when you are clearly meant to be a Sorcerer."
Zell nodded, taking a deep breath. "I understand. Thank you, dear mentors, for all you have taught me. I shall go on my way now." He bowed to them respectfully before leaving.
"He will return," Tezzos said once he was gone.
"That is obvious," M'Gah said. "And we shall be ready for him when he does."
"We must prepare for battle," Tylan said firmly. "That boy will come looking for blood soon."
They did not have nearly as much time as they needed to try to understand what Zell had become. While Tezzos was in town gathering information, he sensed danger nearby. He hurried back to the sanctuary of the woods. M'Gah and Tylan were both still in town, but he knew he could draw on the power of the woods to better defend himself.
He did not sense another presence until it was far too late. Zell had gotten very good at cloaking his energy. He appeared behind Tezzos and put his hand over his chest. "What are you doing?" Tezzos demanded.
"I found a rather interesting spell in one of your forbidden books, Tezzos... You wrote it yourself, and decided it was too dangerous to exist, but your need to protect knowledge left you unable to destroy it, so you buried it. Do you remember what it does?" Zell asked.
Tezzos could feel his life force being drained from his body. His eyes went wide with horror as he realized he could not stop it. He'd written the spell while in a trance. He certainly hadn't expected that the boy would ever find it.
It was incredibly painful to have not only his life but his powers ripped away from him slowly while he stood, unable to move. Tezzos screamed in agony, but no matter how he tried, he could not struggle. He had never been so terrified before in his life as he looked into Zell's cold eyes and realized the boy felt no remorse for killing his mentor or anyone else.
By the time Zell was finished with the spell, almost nothing of Tezzos remained. The slightest slither of his core still existed, but his energy had such a hole in it he knew he would never survive. Even if he tried to reincarnate, it was very likely he would perish upon birth. Still, he had to try. He knew in his heart he had to help stop this monster who wore the angelic face of a boy before he destroyed everything in his path.
After killing Tezzos, Zell moved on to M'Gah. He had assumed that, because she was a woman and the youngest of the Three, she would be the easiest to defeat. He was wrong. M'Gah hit him with every spell she had, not holding back or allowing him even a moment to catch his breath. She managed to do actual harm to him. He was stunned as he felt himself bleeding. It enraged him and made him attack her harder. It was only when he used a blast of telekinetic energy to knock her head into a wall that she lost control.
Zell barely managed to dodge her misfiring magic. He got close to her, realizing the attacks seemed to head outward and away from her. He proceeded to stab her repeatedly, something incredibly brutal he had never done before. He liked the way it felt as her blood and her magic rushed over him. He didn't steal her powers. For some reason, he couldn't. He continued to stab her, getting a bit of a thrill every time his sword penetrated another point of her flesh.
In a final attempt to stop him, M'Gah managed to use a burst of magic to set his sword on fire. It burned him. He tossed it aside, furious. He tried to strangle her. He realized he liked that even more, feeling her bones crack beneath his hands and her throat tremble as she tried to struggle for breath. He had never experienced anything like that before. The power was incredible. He finally released her throat as her head fell to the side. She'd bled to death before the strangulation could kill her, but it still satisfied him deeply. He left her there, knowing it would be a long time before anyone realized she was missing and came to look for her. The Three lived secluded lives, and that would work to his advantage.
Tylan felt Tezzos perish. He let out a cry of rage before running to try to find M'Gah. When he felt her life end, however, he lost his will to fight. Everyone he'd ever loved except for M'Telda was dead, and even his beloved daughter was lost to him in another time and place. He had failed them, and he had lost them all. He fell to his knees, sobbing for a moment, unable to pull himself together. Then, he thought of Kenna, who he knew would have told him to be her brave warrior and fight.
Somehow, Tylan stood back up. He waited for Zell to arrive, knowing the boy was coming. Zell, however, was smart enough to know that facing Tylan directly would be suicide. Instead, he did something Tylan didn't expect and brought the building he was in down upon him. It happened too quickly for Tylan to try to escape. He was crushed and trapped beneath the rubble.
You must survive, he fought. You must get out of this so you can stop him and protect the people of Eltar. It was no use. His body had been severely crushed beneath the rubble, and more was falling on him every second. He felt incredible pain in the few parts of his body that could still feel anything at all.
Let go, my love, Kenna whispered softly in his mind. You are too injured now. Struggling shall only prolong your suffering, and I cannot bear to see you suffer... We shall find him again, and when we do, we shall put an end to him. I vow this to you, my love... Now, let go. All is well. The time has come. I love you.
I love you, Tylan thought. Suddenly, he felt no pain at all. His mind was at peace as he only felt Kenna's energy surrounding him. He found the strength to let go. As his entire head was crushed beneath the last of the rubble, he felt only his love for his wife and his family.
Having succeeded in killing the Three, Zell dubbed himself a Wizard, mocking the mentors who had dared to refuse him. Eltar would one day come to know him as the Great Wizard, the ultimate insult to the pathetic Three who had tried to stand in his way.
It would take a long time for the others to be reunited. Kenna and Drago would return first, in an attempt to stop Zell without endangering their family. Just as Drago had been Kenna's test subject as she developed her magic, his new life Labyrinth became the same for her life Serafine. It was Kenna's desperate need to never lose Drago again that would fuel Serafine's spells and ultimately make them so strong as they blended together that Laby could never die. Serafine might not remember being Kenna, but her love for her best friend never faded.
Unfortunately, Kenna's new life perished once again at Zell's hands when she was still young and had not fully unlocked her true powers or her memories. She would return again many times, and one of those times, she found her family... For her beloved Tylan had returned as the brave and noble warrior, Captain Smith, of the Rebellion of Eltar. He'd found and rescued M'Gah once more from an unjust fate when her incarnation Kizzie was fourteen and she had become his devoted companion after that. And in charge of all of them was Tezzos, who'd returned shortly after Kenna and Drago had, in the form of a stillborn infant Zell had literally breathed life into named Garron. Although weak and frail as a child, he developed visions, the only one of his powers which had managed to remain after Zell destroyed him. The rest of the powers he acquired would come through sheer determination and a desire to survive and ultimately stop the evils of Eltar.
When she found Tylan, Kenna was incarnated on Earth as a nurse in Cuba named Carolena. After saving Captain Smith's life, his blood "tainted" her and she developed magic and Sorcery, somehow becoming Eltarian. Kenna's spell to connect their energies had apparently carried over into this new life. Although Carolena would ultimately die before Captain Smith could rescue her, Kenna knew she would find him again one day.
Although he never realized who the Three had returned as, Zell knew their new incarnations were a great threat to him. He worked hard to ensure he had control over Garron, and every time the boy strayed from the path Zell wanted him on, he forced him back onto it cruelly, killing people Garron loved and turning his heart colder with each loss. Sometime after Zell returned from the dead, Garron was killed in battle. Zell felt a sense of peace as he realized Garron had been Tezzos. He assumed that would be the end of it because the Three could never find each other again. What Zell didn't realize was that his habit of underestimating his opponents might just bring about his downfall, for he should never count members of the Rebellion of Eltar out simply because things seemed to be hopeless.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: There's more to M'Telda's story, but it didn't belong in here. I'll tell it eventually, I promise.
