Here's an explanation for the shadow men, or at least the start of
one. Of course the location and some of the characters belong to Tamora
Pierce. Although at this point I should probably give Tolkien, Garth Nix
and Meredith Ann Pierce ( don't know if she's related to Tammy or not but
she writes great books) some credit for stirring my subconscious.
"Well, once upon a time," the girls' father began in the same fashion as hundreds of other parents telling hundreds of other bedtime stories that night, but this story was no ordinary tale, the very first words sent shivers of destiny down Stella's spine. "In the ancient days, this village was a great city, filled with mages and philosophers. It was packed with palaces and universities, and scholars came from far and wide." The girls put down their cleaning rags and settled on the bench next to their father, their eyes taking on a dream-like quality.
"Now it happened that seven brilliant young mages, brothers, journeyed to the city to study. They studied well and within a few years they were the most powerful mages in the world. Not one of them was more powerful than any of the others, but all of them could top every other mage in the world, and when they combined their power, which they often did, they were an incredible force.
"They built themselves a magical house around ten miles north of the town. The brothers wanted to live their lives out their teaching magic and working new spells. From the very beginning they brought more young mages to the city for training. The Seven used their powers wisely and well; they wrought spells to keep pestilence and plague from the city. Their magic made the city flourish; it built bathhouses, temples, and gardens overnight.
"The wizards had many magical interests and created many new spells, all of which are still used today, but they were most absorbed with finding a spell which could provide its caster with eternal youth (for while the wizards were not very old in years, their great power-workings had been costly to their bodies, graying their bright hair, and wrinkling their brows; and like all mages they were vain.) They began searching far and wide for a magical way to prevent old age, even as they continued to throw themselves into their power, going for days without food or sleep in pursuit of it.
"And slowly, very slowly their power began to corrupt them. They were addicted to it. The Seven would perform magical working merely for the sake of feeling their own power. Some of their more advanced students began to join them in these magical workings, while others left before completing their training out of fear for what the wizards had become. Meanwhile, they neglected the city they had once protected so well, disease began to spread and thieves became abundant; the city began to collapse.
"The people begged the wizards for aid but either they were so far gone in their own powers that they could not hear or they no longer cared for the people's welfare. Soon the Seven turned on the very city that they had nurtured for so long. They began to drain the life-force of the city, pulling it towards themselves. Everyone grew weak and sickly, and they tired easily. Children no longer ran about the streets, but sat still and played quietly. Flowers seemed to wilt before they had fully bloomed, and the trees began to die. The city fell into a dark snow-less winter, the world around the city seemed drained of color, it fell into shades of grey; and the power of the mages grew ever stronger.
"As they drained the lives of others, their own lifeblood was failing them. It slowly leeched away from them, leaving them grey, gaunt, and skeletal. The wizards became brittle and hollow shells; mere shadows of life. The people of the city quickly learned to fear their power and many tried to flee the city. But the evil mages bared the gates and the people had no strength to resist them. Their flames of life were dwindling and the land was falling into a dark sleep.
"There were a few; however, with the strength to resist the Night Wizards, for so they had come to be called, these were apprentice mages and journeymen. They processed little power, but what they had they devoted to fighting the Night Wizards. They joined together, channeling their power for strength; they called themselves the Stars for they sought to bring light into the darkness, and just as one star alone cannot light the light, no one of them alone could have fought the Seven.
"Somehow they channeled all their power together, bringing all their strengths and weaknesses into one power. They used this force of vibrancy and life the overcome the Seven, though the mystery of how they did this has long been forgotten. The Seven fought and resisted, and their few followers as well, but in the end all they could do was to destroy the city they had created before they were destroyed. And slowly people began to forget, and color seeped back into the land. The Stars spread themselves across the world, and almost all magic today is descended from them."
He stopped speaking and looked down at his daughters; they were curled up in identical positions on each side of him as though they were bookends. Stella thought they were asleep, but then they twitched and asked, "Da, were the Night Wizards killed?"
Their father was silent along time before he answered. Stella's body went tense as she stared at the dying flames and waited to hear. "No," he said finally, "they are not dead, merely overcome. They are shadows of what they once were, and it is said that they are buried deep and bond back and can do no more harm. But, sometimes I wonder."He looked at his daughters again. "Their followers are said to be fanged demons who wait for them to rise, but I do not believe such nonsense."
I do, thought Stella, it's just as real as shadows that smell of rot and leave dead ponies in their tracks. It's just as real as destiny, echoed a voice in her head, a voice that sounded like Old Heather.
Quote: "She is one with the upholstery," agreed Miss Bunchberry."-GREEN RIDER, Kristen Britain.
Thank you for reading and please review.
"Well, once upon a time," the girls' father began in the same fashion as hundreds of other parents telling hundreds of other bedtime stories that night, but this story was no ordinary tale, the very first words sent shivers of destiny down Stella's spine. "In the ancient days, this village was a great city, filled with mages and philosophers. It was packed with palaces and universities, and scholars came from far and wide." The girls put down their cleaning rags and settled on the bench next to their father, their eyes taking on a dream-like quality.
"Now it happened that seven brilliant young mages, brothers, journeyed to the city to study. They studied well and within a few years they were the most powerful mages in the world. Not one of them was more powerful than any of the others, but all of them could top every other mage in the world, and when they combined their power, which they often did, they were an incredible force.
"They built themselves a magical house around ten miles north of the town. The brothers wanted to live their lives out their teaching magic and working new spells. From the very beginning they brought more young mages to the city for training. The Seven used their powers wisely and well; they wrought spells to keep pestilence and plague from the city. Their magic made the city flourish; it built bathhouses, temples, and gardens overnight.
"The wizards had many magical interests and created many new spells, all of which are still used today, but they were most absorbed with finding a spell which could provide its caster with eternal youth (for while the wizards were not very old in years, their great power-workings had been costly to their bodies, graying their bright hair, and wrinkling their brows; and like all mages they were vain.) They began searching far and wide for a magical way to prevent old age, even as they continued to throw themselves into their power, going for days without food or sleep in pursuit of it.
"And slowly, very slowly their power began to corrupt them. They were addicted to it. The Seven would perform magical working merely for the sake of feeling their own power. Some of their more advanced students began to join them in these magical workings, while others left before completing their training out of fear for what the wizards had become. Meanwhile, they neglected the city they had once protected so well, disease began to spread and thieves became abundant; the city began to collapse.
"The people begged the wizards for aid but either they were so far gone in their own powers that they could not hear or they no longer cared for the people's welfare. Soon the Seven turned on the very city that they had nurtured for so long. They began to drain the life-force of the city, pulling it towards themselves. Everyone grew weak and sickly, and they tired easily. Children no longer ran about the streets, but sat still and played quietly. Flowers seemed to wilt before they had fully bloomed, and the trees began to die. The city fell into a dark snow-less winter, the world around the city seemed drained of color, it fell into shades of grey; and the power of the mages grew ever stronger.
"As they drained the lives of others, their own lifeblood was failing them. It slowly leeched away from them, leaving them grey, gaunt, and skeletal. The wizards became brittle and hollow shells; mere shadows of life. The people of the city quickly learned to fear their power and many tried to flee the city. But the evil mages bared the gates and the people had no strength to resist them. Their flames of life were dwindling and the land was falling into a dark sleep.
"There were a few; however, with the strength to resist the Night Wizards, for so they had come to be called, these were apprentice mages and journeymen. They processed little power, but what they had they devoted to fighting the Night Wizards. They joined together, channeling their power for strength; they called themselves the Stars for they sought to bring light into the darkness, and just as one star alone cannot light the light, no one of them alone could have fought the Seven.
"Somehow they channeled all their power together, bringing all their strengths and weaknesses into one power. They used this force of vibrancy and life the overcome the Seven, though the mystery of how they did this has long been forgotten. The Seven fought and resisted, and their few followers as well, but in the end all they could do was to destroy the city they had created before they were destroyed. And slowly people began to forget, and color seeped back into the land. The Stars spread themselves across the world, and almost all magic today is descended from them."
He stopped speaking and looked down at his daughters; they were curled up in identical positions on each side of him as though they were bookends. Stella thought they were asleep, but then they twitched and asked, "Da, were the Night Wizards killed?"
Their father was silent along time before he answered. Stella's body went tense as she stared at the dying flames and waited to hear. "No," he said finally, "they are not dead, merely overcome. They are shadows of what they once were, and it is said that they are buried deep and bond back and can do no more harm. But, sometimes I wonder."He looked at his daughters again. "Their followers are said to be fanged demons who wait for them to rise, but I do not believe such nonsense."
I do, thought Stella, it's just as real as shadows that smell of rot and leave dead ponies in their tracks. It's just as real as destiny, echoed a voice in her head, a voice that sounded like Old Heather.
Quote: "She is one with the upholstery," agreed Miss Bunchberry."-GREEN RIDER, Kristen Britain.
Thank you for reading and please review.