Child of Spellcasters

The Light of Childhood

"Col!" Aquila called out to the eight-year-old, "You can't wander out too far in the woods! Stay within the boundaries!"

"I am within the boundaries." Cobadra sighed. His hair is long enough to be braided, Aquila noticed, not that she wanted to bother. The boy hates having his hair braided, and announces it each time. Aquila was a good Sorceress, but Cobadra is even better a Sorcerer, despite only learning with her for one year. He was very intelligent, very cunning, and very serious at times, but very loving and warm. He was what Aquila always wanted.

Being a Sorceress, Aquila was infertile and often despaired of ever having children. When the famed Blue Oracle brought Cobadra in, Aquila felt it was the best day of her life. Cobadra was so small then though, almost sickly, and very shy. He had taken a long time to adjust to her, Aquila was patient and affectionate and Cobadra quickly warmed up to her. Right now, Cobadra was a vision of wildness, his silky-brown and shoulder-length hair curling all over the place and covered with leaves and flower pollen. He was tall for his age, and slender, but she knew Cobadra would be stunning once he nears his majority.

He's not stunning now though.

"Mom!" Cobadra whined. "I promise I won't get into trouble."

"You said that last time when I had to heal your scraped knee." Aquila folded her arms. "Besides, it's going to rain soon—no, you may not interfere with the weather. The last time you did that you nearly killed yourself—you're not that good a Sorcerer yet. Get inside the house."

Cobadra frowned. He liked the wilderness. The trees, the wind, the waters, they speak to him, and tell him stories. Unlike Mom's old house.

"Col," Aquila began warningly. "If you don't come now, I'll do the ritual."

Col immediately hurried over to the house near his mother's side.

"I know you like the wilderness, Col." Aquila shut the door behind them. "It's too dangerous these days. How about this, you can go to the library for now, and tomorrow I'll take you to the Fort."

"Really?" Col cried. "Promise?"

"Unless you are naughty." Aquila smiled as Col whooped and ran upstairs to the library—his second favorite place.

The Fort, as it was called, was not really as much of a fort as it is a center or a mall. There is a fence around it, but no wall. Col never went there much, because it is a place where Mages visit each other or rest if they are traveling. The Blue Oracle had warned Aquila that for the sake of Cobadra's safety, she best not allow him to meet too many children. Nevertheless, it is impossible to completely confine such a wonderful lad, and Col made many close friends, several of which he went to their homes or brought to Aquila's dwelling. Aquila never rested well when Col was out, but everything appeared to be fine, and it's good for the child to associate with others of his own age.

Aquila smiled, shaking her head, and followed Col up to the library. Col really was amazing. He could read and write in ten different languages, even Elvish, though he can't speak it. Aquila had more books than any other spellcaster, besides Elves who keep to themselves, in the county, but Col zoomed through the library like a breeze through branches and had almost read every book she had, other than books on Wizardry and Divination.

Col was curled up on the couch with a book on Wizardry—he curiously avoided Divination books, and Aquila sat down beside him. Col immediately snuggled up against her.

Aquila ran her hand through Col's brown locks and smoothed it out, picking out the leaves that Col had missed before coming to the library. "You are a miracle." She said to him.

Col smiled and looked at her. Aquila never understood that look. Col gave it to her every time she said that, and it looked something like ' You are my miracle too.' But it was always linked to something dark, something fearful, something Col did not want to mention. Perhaps something about his past? Aquila couldn't tell.

"Mom, why are wizards so old all the time?" Col asked.

Aquila laughed. " They age slowly, and the live a long time. But wizards aren't always old; there are a couple of young ones from time to time, even children. Who knows, maybe you will meet a few tomorrow."

Col beamed. "Can I ask them why they always look so old?"

"No."

"Oh." Col pouted.

"It's rude." Aquila pointed out. "You think they appreciate looking old all the time? They're not like us, they don't die very early, and they don't keep their youth like us either. Would you be happy if someone asked you why you never live long?"

Cobadra pondered and grunted in agreement. "I guess."

Aquila smoothed out his hair. "Come on. How about I make some tea, and we can sit here and read."

"Yeah!" Cobadra laughed.

The Fort was alive and blooming that day, with the flower trees being tended by the enchanters. Col laughed beside his mother as he took in the scene. Little has changed; the shops and the inns were all the same.

Far into the distance, near one of the shops, Col spotted a boy with black hair and blue eyes, tall and dark and big.

"Goth!" Col cried.

Goth, whose real name was Gothran, turned at the sound of the call and beamed when he saw Cobadra.

"Col!" He shouted. "I had a feeling that you would come today! How come your mom never lets you come more often?"

Col frowned. "She's mean."

Goth laughed. "I was hoping you would come today. There's a festival in the afternoon, and people are preparing the food. Maybe we can steal some before it begins!"

Aquila shuddered. " No, Col. You may not steal food."

Col, who had beamed at the thought of mischief, immediately sobered in disappointment. " Mom, it's just a little fun! Besides, we take them anyway during the festival. We are staying for the festival, right?"

"Yes, all the more reason why it's pointless for you to steal the food before it's ready. What if it's not cooked enough yet?"

Col and Goth winced at the thought of the possibility of eating raw meat or eggs.

"Can we go to the smithy?" Goth asked. "Dad said I could try out a new sword since I'm growing out of my old one."

Aquila blinked. " Why not. I have the mind to refurnish my sword, which I brought with me. Perhaps Col here would find something he's interested in."

"Yeah!" Col cried happily. "Come on!" The children went.

The shop was open, and smelled of metals. Col rushed with Aquila immediately to the swords.

"When can I get that one?" Col whined, looking down at his small size. Aquila cocked an eyebrow.

"You're still growing." She told Col. "Maybe when you're fifteen or so."

"That long?" Col sighed. Aquila smiled. "Did it seem very long between when we first met to today?"

Col frowned. "Not really."

"Just imagine about three of those." Aquila smiled again. "Besides, maybe by the time you're fifteen, Darion will have better ones."

Darion, the enchanter who owned the shop, laughed. Col looked at the sword. "But that's so mine. It's blue, and it has a dragon on the blade and hilt. Cobalt Dragon."

"It is a rather unique sword." Darion nodded. He was a young man, about thirty years of age, with brown hair and brown eyes. He wore an amulet around his neck, a rather small one, since the Fort is a good enough environment to cast spells without an item. "It will never break, and never need to be sharpened either, since it is so sharp already. The dragon is engraved with a real dragon's scale, so some of its invincibility is infused into the sword. Alas, it has sat here for quite a while."

"Why is that?" Aquila asked.

"This sword has the mind of a dragon." The blacksmith answered. "It will harm all but the worthy. The master of the master of my master created this, and it has been bought many times. Luckily, it never went as far as to kill someone, but it has wounded many of its purchasers. It would be wise if you do not buy this, if for your own sake."

"Mind of a dragon?" Col was not impressed. "I have seen many with a mind of a dragon." The words confused Aquila a little, since Col was never really out very much, and the few children he did see were not quite as robust as a dragon. "I want to try it out."

"That won't do." Aquila snapped immediately. "Especially not when you aren't fully trained, young as you are. I'll see a Necromancer wield that before you lay your hands on it."

"But Mom, they called me the—"Something made the child snap his mouth closed before he revealed what they, whoever they were, called him. Aquila frowned.

Goth was getting impatient, and he was not obsessed over swords like Col.

"Let's go see the knives and daggers, at least we're strong enough for those."

Col relented, although Aquila noted, with her motherly instinct, that the child was not extremely happy with leaving the sword. It must have something to do with the boy's past. She made a note to herself to ask the Blue Oracle later on.

Goth's father came along, and at the sight of Aquila, beamed.

" Water Star!" He called to her. "I haven't seen you here for quite a while, the hermit that you are! And there is Col; he's growing to be a fine young lad. How have things been?"

"The usual. Although there are always adventures when a young one is around." Aquila smiled adoringly at her boy. Her boy.

"Aye, that is for sure." Goth's father laughed in agreement. "Have you consulted the Oracle this month?" It was a tradition for Mages to consult the Oracle once every three or four months, but because Aquila was still in the dark about her little one, she usually consulted the Oracle about once a month. No one thought any of it; it was agreed that Col, sweet as he is, can be quite strange at times.

"Yes. All seems to be well. For Col at least."

"Not well for you then," Mirwak frowned,

"No, it's not that." Aquila answered. "The Oracle said that times are darkening. Col is not in danger yet, but others may be."

Mirwak frowned again. Such things are not talked of lightly, but all Mages and Clerics sensed that something was amiss. Who knows what the Elves were doing, but times were indeed darkening. There are disagreements starting between the Clerics and the Mages, mostly with the Druids and the Wizards. Tension between Necromancers and Sorcerers was natural, so no one thought anything of it, but Druids and Wizards have always been at peace, if not friendly. Some Enchanters say that Elves are becoming restless as well, appearing outside their borders to challenge travelers who "trespassed". The Fort and the dwellings around it are fairly sheltered, with only one Cleric who all the Mages respected and protected. The Blue Oracle was the most powerful Oracle in the realm, other than the Red and Gold Oracles. If she said times are darkening, one can be sure danger is on its way.

"Well, as long as Col is fine, eh?" Mirwak smiled good-naturedly. "That boy of yours has always been good luck." It was true. Ever since Cobadra came, the village has been thriving. Aquila smiled.

The boys had suddenly gone quiet—or rather, Col suddenly went quiet. Aquila turned in worry. Goth was calling to Col.

"Col? Is everything okay? Col? It's just a dagger, nothing more. You've seen daggers before Col! Why are you so scared?"

Col didn't answer. Instead, he threw the dagger away from him, sheath and all, as if it were poison, and with a heave and sob ran whimpering towards his mother, clinging on to her as if he had just been burned. Goth picked up the dagger, making sure it wasn't damaged, and held it out to Darion, who was frowning not in anger, but in confusion.

Aquila studied the dagger as she crooned to her boy and tried to soothe him. It was an odd looking dagger, the hilt was gold and had something that looked like a crudely made Eye on it. In fact, it wasn't as much of a dagger as it was a knife, used for cutting meat. It was not particularly sharp, and it looked quite harmless. But whatever it brought up in Col's young mind frightened the child terribly, for the little body was trembling madly and tears were flowing down his cheeks in streams.

The Blue Oracle studied the drawing of both the sword and the strange dagger as Aquila waited nervously. Col had gone to Goth's dwelling and Mirwak's care, leaving her the freedom to come to the Oracle once again. The child had recovered quickly and had been his cheerful and inquisitive self once again. But he refused to touch the dagger.

"It is time that you know more about the nature of where Cobadra came from and his past." The Blue Oracle began, with some weariness.

Aquila waited nervously.

"Cobadra is not a normal sorcerer, this you know. What you do not know is, he was not a sorcerer. Cobadra came from the mortal realm, where creatures are chained to the earth and eyes are blind. His homeland was the Land of Golden Reeds, a kingdom where all is rich and all revere the Sun. His past name, we need not know, for his name was what doomed him. But he last his family at the age of eight, and wandered before coming to the palace of the King—the Pharaoh."

"Pharaoh." Aquila blinked. "The King that manipulates the Shadow Realm?"

"It is he." The oracle nodded. "The child learned the arts of what they called Shadow Magic, becoming the High Priest, and reigned supreme over all the Dragons of the realm, hence giving him the name ' Dragon Tamer'."

The Oracle slid the picture of the blue sword to Aquila.

"The blacksmith was correct." She continued. "The sword is called Dracor; Dragon Core. It, like any powerful and mighty sword, has a heart of its own, and its heart is that of a dragon. Carved out of a dragon's scale, carved with a dragon's scale, it is pure dragon, and very rare. Only one with the will that reigns supreme over dragons can wield it."

"He thinks he is the Dragon Tamer then." Aquila said quietly.

"No." The Oracle shook her head. "He knows he is the Dragon Tamer. Dragons of the Shadow Realm are no different from the dragons here. He is a dragon himself; some called him Dragon's Eye for his blue eyes, others call him Dragon's Song for the will he puts behind his voice. It would do well for him to have this sword, my child, and all its relative blades."

Aquila nodded. " Then what is he doing here, if he came from the mortal realm?"

"That is the explanation for this." The Blue Oracle laid her hand on the scroll with the dagger. "Cobadra was an orphan, and thought like one. The Pharaoh presented to the boy a magic item, called the Millennium Rod, as a token as well as a symbol of Cobadra's loyalty to the royal family, when the child was sixteen years old. The rod was a small dagger fit into a tunneled sheath, with an Eye of a god not unlike the Eye you see on this dagger. To a dragon like your son, loyalty meant slavery, especially loyalty that is sealed and expected. Dragons can be loyal, but only to those they deem deserving of it. The Pharaoh demanded unconditional loyalty, which Cobadra gave up till that point, and as both a dragon and an orphan, Cobadra was afraid. This fear grew to terror, and terror to madness, as the Pharaoh disregarded the boy's thoughts for the sake of his country—the right thing to do as a Pharaoh, but not the right thing to do as a friend. In the end, Cobadra betrayed the Pharaoh, and was met with death. But his soul is too powerful, and instead of departing into either the Shadow Realm or that of the dead, Cobadra came here seeking sanctuary and love."

The Oracle stood up, sighing. "Cobadra does not remember everything. But even now, the memory of the Rod is strong within him. To him, to the High Priest, the rod was a symbol of defeat, of his orphaned state, of his loneliness, enslavement, alienation. It represented all his fears and doubts, all his failed hopes and longings, all the hatred towards him in the end and eventually, his death. The sight of the dagger reminded him of a distant past where he was alone and no one cared to give him a second chance. As a soul who suffered such wounds, he immediately remembered you, and his first and most powerful fear was of losing you, either by death or by alienation."

"I would never do that to him!" Aquila cried, standing up angrily. "How could he think such a thing?"

"That is why he recovered so quickly." The Oracle smiled at her. "He knows you would never hurt him. He knows you are powerful. He trusts you. He loves you. But the wounds of his past leave deep scars, and they will reveal themselves."

Aquila sighed.

"The Pharaoh was not a bad man." The Oracle answered her thoughts. "Nor was he a bad king. He simply did not understand the High Priest as a real friend should, and indeed, how can a king be like a normal friend? It is not the Pharaoh's cruelty that hurt Cobadra so deeply. It is the Pharaoh's lack of trust, willingness to suspect, willingness to believe that the boy has ill intentions that injured the boy. The rod was not given to the Priest in the name of friendship and trust. It was given in suspicion. The Pharaoh wanted to test the boy, make sure he is loyal, and that was what made Cobadra feel so cornered."

"Well," Aquila began after a pause, with a determined air, "I promised Col he can start over with me. A clean slate. A fresh start. That he will have. I won't bother with this Pharaoh King or his poor Rod. He is Col, he is my son, he is a Sorcerer, and that is that."

"He is not a sorcerer." The Blue Oracle interrupted. Aquila gaped at the woman, not understanding.

"But...he...he could cast spells just like—"

"That is because he is a Sorcerer."

"But you said—"

"He is more than a Sorcerer."

Aquila blinked. " You mean...he's a mix?"

The Oracle smiled. It was not a happy smile, more serious and thoughtful.

"Of what? How can a soul from the mortal realm be a mix?"

"Fate has great plans for him." The Oracle answered. "And for once, Fate's will rules stronger than the Druids. Your son is a mix of all living spellcasters, Water Star."

"All living spell—" Aquila choked in surprise, "I don't understand—"

"He has the powers of all the spellcasters, which is why he is not just a Sorcerer."

"But how is that possible?" Aquila felt bewildered. "The most one can have is three races, and more would have been suppressed!"

"Fate planned great things for him." The woman answered. "He has the full powers of every spellcaster. Including Necromancers."

Aquila froze, stunned. Her son, a Necromancer?

"Do not abandon him, Water Star."

"Who said I was going to?" Aquila snapped unhappily. She was not worried about her son being a Necromancer so much as her son being accepted by other Necromancers, Enchanters, Wizards, Druids...

"Oh my..." she breathed. She could not believe that her little boy was all of these.

Cobadra was blissfully unaware of his identity, content to believe he is simply a talented sorcerer, and also content to mourn the loss of his sword. He had no idea where the name ' Dragon Tamer' came from, only that it was his name and was rightfully given to him. That someone should suggest he did not have enough will to tame a dragon, even one carved into a sword, is enough to ruffle his feathers a great deal, and Cobadra was always a competitive child, quick to rise to selective challenges when it comes to the competing intelligence and skill.

That was his sword, and he'll get it someday.

"On the bright side," Goth tried to comfort his friend, "No one will buy it since it's so dangerous, so you won't run the risk of someone else buying it before you."

Col nodded. That was the only bright side, as Goth put it.

Col dressed after he washed and went over to his mother's room. Aquila was undoing her hair when he entered, and turned around as he came in.

"Want some chocolate tea?" She asked.

"Sure." Col shrugged. Aquila waved her hand, murmuring a brief command. "Tea, chocolate, two, biscuits." The top of the table shimmered.

"Mom," Col sat down on the bed, "When I grow up, do you think I can get that sword?"

"Maybe." Aquila said without much hesitation. "You are a tough dragon yourself. I won't be surprised if you can charm the sword to follow you."

"You visited the Blue Oracle again?" Col pouted.

"Did you really want to go?" His mother pointed out. "You were having so much fun with Goth. Besides, the Oracle didn't exactly tell me anything happy."

"Bad news?"

"Not really."

"Then how is it not happy?"

"Just because it's not happy doesn't mean it has to be bad news. It's just not interesting for a kid like you, sweetheart." Aquila began braiding her hair.

"She told you about my past."

"How did you—" As Aquila turned, she noticed Col had a terrified expression." Col?"

"Mom?!" Col's voice was high and shaky. Aquila hurried to him.

"Col, what's wrong?"

"Mom, there's..."

"What is it, Col?" Aquila was confused.

"There's a...there's an old man..." Col held up a hand and pointed over his mother's shoulder.

Aquila turned around, ready to defend her son, but there was nothing there. The frightened look on her son's face was unmistakable though, and she turned back to him.

"Col, darling, tell me what's wrong, what do you see? What old man?"

"He's right there!" Col shrieked. "He's right there, and he's—Mom, don't let him get me! Don't let him get me!!" The child clung onto Aquila tightly and buried his face in her bosom. Aquila paused as a strange chill passed through her body. Sorcerers cannot sense the dead, but Aquila was certain this was nothing but. She patted her son's back soothingly, rocking him back and forth.

"It's nothing dear. It's just a ghost. It won't hurt you." Because you are a Necromancer. "Besides, Mommy's here to protect you." Against any Necromancer who dares to use any ghost, old or young, to hurt my baby!

She sighed. Col has a great destiny. Aquila can train him in the arts of Sorcery, but what about Necromancy? Druidism? Wizardry? Enchantment?

He'll have to be trained. Aquila realized for the first time that her son must leave her, if only for a few years, but Sorcerers don't live long, and who knows if she'll ever see him again once he leaves? She won't let him go out alone. No, she won't. Not when he has a past of that nature. Most children wait until they're twelve before they start training. Col knows Sorcery, so he can wait for the others. Or, she can ask someone from the Fort, to teach him Magus Arts.

Sooner or later though, little Col will have to leave. Aquila shut her eyes. Col had calmed down against her, though he was still breathing heavily.

"It's okay, Mommy's here..."