Chapter Two: Warriors of Light
They'd met back at the clinic the next morning. Thol invited Keza to stay in the room he had purchased for him and Tor as the thief hadn't yet had the time to arrange one for himself. Goro had slept back at his place he rented while he was working on the construction crew for the library.
Tor was awake when they arrived with a fresh bandage around his head and chatting with Melira.
"Good to see you're alright, Tor," Thol said as he entered with the other two. He motioned behind him to Goro. "This is Goro Ronin. He saved our asses after you got taken out."
Tor stood and shook the man's hand. "Tor Zakon. I thank you for your help. Melira tells me that the two of you will also be coming with us."
"Indeed. I'm honor-bound as a friend to do so."
"Yeah, that's great. We heard this yesterday already," Thol interjected. He turned to Melira. "Is he good to go?" he asked, shoving a thumb in Tor's direction.
"He will be, but he has to keep the bandage on for the rest of the day for the herbs to finish healing," she replied.
"Good. I'm afraid you'll be wearing it to the throne room then, Tor," Thol said to him.
"It's no bother," he replied. Thol noticed that he had shaven and cleaned up his hair, making him look presentable again. The days rest also removed the dark circles under his eyes. Thol nodded to himself mentally, glad his friend was able to get proper rest, even if it was forced upon him.
"Right. Are we all ready then? We may have to do some fast talking to get the guards to let us see the king," Thol said.
"I can take care of that," Keza said. "I'm sure with a little help from Melira, we'll be inside in no time at all," he finished with his trademark grin, telling them he was up to no good.
"We'll see. If she can get us in on her own then we won't have to fall back on whatever mischief you've got in mind," replied Thol.
Their trip to the castle gates was uneventful, though many people stopped and stared at them as they passed, wondering what such an assortment of people were doing headed for the castle.
As was expected, the guards were a little weary of a group of armed people approaching the gates. One of the guards stepped forward to stop them.
"Halt! State your purpose," he said, obviously an officer from the tone of his voice.
"We wish to see the king regarding the incident two nights ago," Thol said to him.
"Only authorized personnel are allowed into the castle until such time as the incident has been cleared up," the officer said. His eyes narrowed suddenly. "Just what is it you know of the incident? It's supposed to be closed to the public."
Melira stepped up beside Thol at this point. "I told them, sir. I am Mr. Fedal's daughter so I am privy to the details of the incident. These men came to the clinic seeking work and knowing that the kingdom is in dire need of aid, I couldn't let them just walk out. These men are excellent fighters and wish to aid in the resolution of the incident, with the king's permission, of course."
"Smooth," Keza whispered admirably over to Tor who nodded in agreement. Thol for his part just gave her a questioning look, which she chose to ignore for now.
The officer seemed to think it over for a moment then nodded. "Very well. I will accompany you to the infirmary where General Cid will make the final decision as to whether you will see the king or not." He leaned back slightly and called to the guards at the top of the wall. "Open the gate!" he cried.
With a tremendous amount of noise, the massive bars of the gate slowly swung inward, opening the way for them. The officer turned toward the opening.
"Follow me," he said as he began walking. The five of them immediately followed.
After a few steps, Thol leaned closer to Melira, who replicated the gesture, aware that he wanted to say something the guard wasn't supposed to hear. He noted absently that she now wore matching bracelets on her wrists.
"Good work back there. It might have been a slight stretch of the truth, but it's infinitely better then anything Keza would have concocted."
"Thank you," she said with slight smile. "Sometimes it pays to have a father in politics," she commented.
Thol frowned. "Sometimes it doesn't," he mumbled, more to himself, then to her.
She was going to ask about it, but the officer motioned for them to stop.
"General Cid is in here. Please try and be courteous and polite. I'll explain to him why you've come and he'll most likely question you about your abilities or backgrounds, so make sure you answer him truthfully and without delay."
The officer then led them through the infirmary which was filled with people with varying degrees of injury. They paused before a bed housing the middle aged man they seen the day before returning to the castle.
"General Cid, sir," the officer said to gain his attention. He saluted as the man fixed his eyes upon him.
"Yes, lieutenant?"
The officer explained to him the purpose to the visit and the general moved his gaze from his man to that of the group, sizing each one up. His eyes widened suddenly as if realizing something.
"Lieutenant, I want you to present these people to the king right away, and make haste. It's a matter of grave importance," The general exclaimed.
The officer looked confused, as did the five people standing behind him, but the officer wasted no time, only pausing to once again salute and give a crisp, "Yes, sir!"
As they were whisked to the throne room, they were at a loss to explain the general's reaction, as was the officer, who explained to them he had no idea what was going on any more then they did. They had to pause a moment before the doors to the throne room where the officer relayed the generals instructions to the guards. They opened the doors immediately, not even bothering to disarm them as they entered.
The king wearily sat in his throne, obviously upset over the kidnapping of his eldest daughter, and the queen's throne was vacant, no doubt for the same reason. The thing that caught Thol's attention was the elven girl who stood before the king. She appeared to be no older then 16, though by elven standards, it was tough to tell. At a distance, Thol guessed she was the same height as Melira, maybe a bit taller, her long, white hair reaching down to her lower back. She was clad in a standard elven robe, modified to be red instead of the usual green for reasons he had no idea of. He wasn't able to make out anything else as she still facing the king.
The king, seeing them, gave a start and rose to his feet.
"Praise the Gods!" he said, waving his arms almost frantically. "Just as you have said, the Light Warriors have arrived!"
"What?" Thol said aloud, almost halting his forward movement. The others were similarly confounded.
"Please! Come closer! All will be explained!" the king announced excitedly. The elf girl had turned to face them as well, but unlike the king, she had an almost sad look on her face, as if she'd seen something she didn't want to.
The five of them stopped in front of the king and bowed with varying degrees of skill, Keza's being the worst. Thol noted that he was looking a little intimidated, this probably being the first time he was in the presence of someone with such authority.
"Excuse me, your majesty," Tor began, still with a look of confusion on his face. "But what are these Light Warriors you mentioned?"
"Why, you are all the Light Warriors!" he exclaimed happily, as if that alone explained it.
"I don't quite understand," Goro voiced for them all.
"The Light Warriors," the elf girl said, finally speaking, causing them all to look in her direction. She began to move forward as she spoke. "A long time ago, a great sage had a vision, a vision of the future. That vision told of a time when darkness would blanket the world, a time when the elements would be dying and monsters terrorized the world. He saw the rise of a group of people who would combat these monsters and save the world, restoring the elements, the Light Warriors. This man's name is Lukahn and his vision is known as Lukahn's Prophecy."
"Wait, how long ago are we talking about," Thol asked suddenly.
"Several hundred years, Mana-Weaver," the girl replied, the name she chose to call him confusing them further.
"There's a man named Lukahn at Crescent Lake, a sage no less. Surely he isn't the same? That would be impossible," Thol asked.
"No," the girl said, stopping right in front of him to stare him directly in the eyes. Thol absently noted that her eyes were a dark blue, like that of the sea. "The man you speak of is the very same Lukahn whom I spoke of."
"But... How?" Thol stuttered.
"There are some things in this world more powerful then time. Destiny is one of them. There are others that have traversed through time, waiting for the Light Warriors to come. You'll be meeting them all soon."
"Who are you?" Keza asked suddenly, actually frightened by the girl.
"The girl took a step away from Thol and bowed her head apologetically. "I'm sorry. How rude of me not to introduce myself first when I already know who all of you are. I am Valamaria Ituliril, the Guide. I've been chosen by the gods to bear the vision of the prophecy. I'm to instruct you all as to what your fate will be."
"Wait a moment," Keza said, interrupting her. "How do you know that we're these so called Light Warriors? There's probably a thousand other people out there more suited for this then us."
"No, Shadowman. I've seen you all in the vision. There's no mistaking you're the ones. You were destined to all arrive in this throne room at the exact moment you did."
"Why do you keep calling us by these odd names?" Goro asked, perplexed.
"I said I know who you are, not by the names given to you by your parents, but by the names given to you by the gods," the girl said. She stopped then, looking very tired. "I'd like to know your real names though," she said in a quiet voice.
"Thollatos Zescalland," Thol offered first. "Evidently I'm the Mana-Weaver, which makes sense in light of my profession."
"Torsteid Kurwin, now Tor Zakon."
"The Swordsman," the girl replied, causing them all to nod.
"Melira Fedal."
"The Lightbearer."
"Keza Kran... The Shadowman?" he asked, somewhat questioningly.
The girl nodded. "Named so for your unique abilities most frown upon, but will become an indispensable asset during your quest."
"Goro Ronin."
"The Guardian," the girl finished. "I, as I said earlier, am the Guide, but please, call me Vala, as Valamaria is quite a lung full."
"I'm still not entirely convinced about this whole Light Warrior thing," Thol said. "Everything you've told us so far can be chalked up to coincidence and a good deal of research."
Vala smiled at him. "The prophecy told me you'd say that, and it has this for you," she said, stepping beside him to whisper in his ear.
Thol started and dropped his staff, taking a step away from the girl. "Wh-wh... H-how?" was all he managed to say before collapsing on the ground, staring up at her in awe.
"Thol! What's wrong?" Tor said, kneeling down beside him. Melira did the same on his other side.
For his part he could only shake his head.
"Thol?" Melira inquired quietly.
He looked at her, and though they were nothing more then a silvery glow, she could clearly see fear in his eyes. "She's absolutely right. There's no one else," he said in a weak voice.
"I don't understand," she said.
He shook his head again. Tor helped him up and he retrieved his staff. Again facing the girl, though keeping his distance from her, he sighed. "What is it we're to do?" he asked quietly.
Vala smiled, glad she wouldn't have to convince him further as he would have to discover the true nature of his self imposed curse on his own. "Your first task, mine as well, is to rescue Princess Sara, thus proving, not only to yourselves, but to everyone else, that you are truly the Light Warriors."
"Interesting coincidence," Tor said. "That's the very reason we requested an audience to begin with."
"It's no coincidence, Torsteid. Fate," Vala replied. "There is one thing that has to be done first, however."
"What is it?" Melira asked.
"You must all choose to follow the path of the Light Warriors. Myself and Thollatos have already decided. The rest of you must now also choose."
"Wait, if we're gathered here by destiny, aren't we destined to choose the path as well?" Keza asked.
"No, dear Keza. Remember I said there are things more powerful then time, destiny being one of them. Well there's something even more powerful even then destiny, and that's free will."
Keza shook his head and began to pace, his mind racing as he tried to grasp a concept he should never have had to.
"I choose now," Tor said. "I will follow destiny to wherever it leads me. I embrace fate and become a Light Warrior willingly, in honor of my master, Sir Zakon." His piece said, he went over to stand by Thol and Vala.
"If this is what fate has chosen for me, so be it," Melira added. "I too choose to follow destiny," she said, joining the others.
"As do I. My duty is clear to me. I am the Guardian and I will guard you all during battle or die trying," Goro announced, also going over.
This left Keza, alone on the other side of the carpet that divided the room, pacing frantically. They looked to him and waited.
"I don't know. I don't know about this at all. I'm no hero. Gods damn it, I'm a fucking street rat, a thief. How can I help save the world when I can barely fend for myself? There has to be some sort of mistake..." he said, rambling on.
Vala walked over to him, causing him to stop pacing and face her. She put her hands on either side of his face and forced him to look at her.
"Dear Keza, you've had a long and hard life. Everything you've ever done that you think you should be punished for wasn't your fault, it was your fate, so stop blaming yourself for your past."
"Who am I to blame then? You said it yourself, free will doesn't answer to destiny. Who, if not myself, it at fault?"
"Blame the gods if you have to, for they are the ones who took your parents from you at such a young age, though they all mourned having to do so." She leaned closer to him and whispered so only he could hear her. "The redemption you believe you must have is coming, I promise you. Now choose and join your companions." With that she walked back over to the others who all wore expressions of sympathy, all except Thol, who face was hidden in shadow as always.
"What do you choose, Keza Kran?" Vala said with a note of finality.
He sighed deeply, running a hand through his hair. Finally, he looked up from the floor where he had been staring, sorting through his thoughts, and looked at them. "I choose to follow destiny, even if I am to be damned," he announced with a note of sadness, then he joined the others, who welcomed him warmly.
"Excellent, excellent!" the king said, finally speaking after being silent for so long. They all turned to him. "I don't mean to rush, but please, Light Warriors, go now and save my daughter, I beg of you. You may arm yourselves with whatever you see fit from the armory before you go."
"Of course, your majesty," Thol said, bowing again, causing the others to follow suit. "We will try our best to defeat Garland and rescue Princess Sara."
"This, I guarantee on my honor," Tor added.
"As do we all," Goro said.
The king stepped down and laid a hand on Tor's shoulder. "Thank you," he said in a grateful voice. "All of you. I have faith in you and the prophecy. Good luck."
They nodded and rose in unison, turning to head for the door where they would leave to follow their destiny. . . .
X X X X
A few hours later they found themselves riding on fine horses lent to them by the king on their way to the dreaded Temple of Fiends, all of them armed now with the exception of Goro, who in himself, was a weapon. Melira now carried a staff much like Thol's, but newer and of finer materials. Vala had armed herself with a lightweight saber, though she willingly admitted she had no skill with any sort of weapon or magic.
"We'll have to teach you something," Thol was saying. "It's too dangerous being out here with no training what so ever." He dropped back to where she was riding and pulled up beside her. "Face me," he instructed. She did. Taking his hands off the reigns for a moment, he placed his hands on either side of her head and concentrated for a moment.
"What is it?" she asked, slightly concerned.
"I'm checking your magical potential, now hold still and don't speak," Thol said, closing his eyes to deepen his concentration. Tor rode ahead to the side of Thol's horse and caught the reigns so that it stayed on course as he was concentrating. Melira looked on with interest, curious as to what he was doing. "I see," he said finally, removing his hands and opening his eyes again. "That explains the color of your dress."
"What is it, Thol?" Melira asked.
"She's a red mage, capable of both white and black magic. Unfortunately, the higher threads of magic will be out of her grasp," Thol explained.
"Is that good?" Vala asked. "Being a red mage I mean."
"It's definitely an asset. I myself would like to be able to wield certain white magics, but it's far out of my reach," Thol said. "We'll stop a little earlier then normal when we make camp. Melira and I can teach you the basics as we go."
"Perhaps I could also instruct her on using her weapon if time permits," Tor offered from beside Thol.
"We'll see how well she picks up magic first," Thol said. "We have a few days before we get to the temple if I remember correctly. Goro?"
The large man thought for a moment, looking a little out of place on a horse due to his size. "We'll have about two nights, three if we wait to head into the temple itself."
"Make it three then," Thol finished. He dropped back so they weren't too clustered in case of an attack by the monsters that roamed around Coneria. He ended up riding beside Melira.
"What exactly was that you did just now?" she asked.
"With my hands?" he asked. She nodded. "Anyone who can use magic has the innate ability to detect magic in any form. It takes practice to learn what the different sensations mean though."
Melira nodded and became silent for a moment. "Could you teach me?" she asked eventually.
He looked over at her, considering it. "Alright, but we'll get Vala on her feet first. How are you with that staff?"
She hung her head, as if in shame. "My father taught me a little bit, but I'm not very good."
"Okay, I'll instruct you on that too when we have time. For now, if we run into trouble, try to stay out of trouble and let the rest of us take care of things." He thought for a moment. "Better yet, keep an eye on Vala, that way Goro will have you both covered."
"Okay... Thank you, Thol. I'm sorry if I wasn't very nice to you before."
"Don't worry about it," he said with a shake of his head. "I probably deserved it anyway."
They rode for a little while longer in silence, all of them thinking different things. Tor was riding beside Vala when a thought occurred to him.
"So, Vala. How did the vision of the prophecy come to you?"
"I'm not entirely sure to be honest. I was at home sleeping. It started as a dream, but it got worse from there. I remember waking up screaming as the entire vision suddenly burned itself into my mind."
"That must have been terrible," Tor said, a sympathetic frown on his face.
"You have no idea... It was like suddenly gaining a third eye, but no matter what I look at, it always sees the same thing. It's hard to remember things now. The vision is always there, as clear as if it was happening right now. I haven't really slept since it happened."
"When was that?"
"The same night Garland kidnapped the princess," she stated.
"What? How did you get here all the way from Elfland in two days?" Thol asked from behind her, having been listening the entire time.
"After the dream, or the vision rather, I immediately went to the chancellor, because the prince is still under a curse. He listened to what happened and called for the royal wizards, one white, one black. They combined their power to send me immediately to Coneria after they clad me in this red robe." She looked back at Thol then. "I guess they knew I was to be a red mage same as you."
Thol nodded. "That must have put quite a drain on them. Teleportation spells by themselves are exhausting and limited."
"From what they said, neither of them will be able to wield magic for several days."
The conversation would likely have continued had they not been attacked at that moment. Tor's horse reared back as a rather large pack of wolves, lead by a pair of grey wolves, leapt from the woods nearby.
"Heads up!" Tor yelled as he tried to calm his mount and draw his sword at the same time.
"Get Vala to the back, quickly!" Thol yelled, hoping her horse wouldn't try what Tor's was doing.
Goro reacted quickly, jumping off his horse and rushing toward Vala's, grabbing the reigns and leading it away from the pack where Tor and Thol had already engaged the beasts, Keza only a stride away. Thol had opted to dismount as Goro had giving him more room to use his staff and a clearer shot if he decided to cast any magic, though the choice left him surrounded.
Tor on the other hand was able to remain mounted, making short work of the large beasts, killing two with a single swipe as he rode into the center of the pack. Keza, using a similar tactic, rode by on his horse and dove into the middle of the pack, knives flashing. Melira and Vala also remained on their horses, Melira doing her best to keep Vala away from the few wolves that managed to get by Goro, who seemed to be in constant motion fending off the remaining ones.
Thol in the mean time was hard pressed, being surrounded by four, one being a grey, Tor having killed the other one just moments before. He was beginning to regret his decision to leave his horse as he was too busy keeping the wolves back to ready a spell. As he was fending off an attack by one, which was aimed at his throat, another of the beasts attacked him from behind. His staff caught in the jaws of the other wolf, he would have been in trouble if it wasn't for the timely aid of a thrown dagger to the skull courtesy of Keza. As it was though, the beast's momentum still sent it crashing into his back, send both him and the two wolves to the ground. His staff was free now though, the force wrenching it from the jaws of the still living wolf. Shrugging off the corpse of the one Keza killed, he stepped back and managed to get them all to one side.
"Finally," he said aloud, gathering his will. He thrust the palm of his free hand toward the wolves, directing his will at them. A sudden violent fire erupted beneath the three wolves, two of them fleeing, near dead. All that reminded now was the grey wolf, seriously injured. This, I can handle. Bring it on, he thought as the final wolf approached him.
Keza, smack in the middle of a group of about five wolves, wasn't fairing so well since he aided Thol. He had since lost one of his knives, the blade getting stuck in the ribs of one of the fallen monsters. He was inevitably taken down when one of them leapt at him as he was engaged with another, similar to what they'd done to Thol. He had only enough time to get his arm up to prevent the thing from digging his teeth into his neck. Unfortunately, the other wolves were on him in a second, tearing at his from all angles.
They didn't have long though as Tor rode in out of nowhere, practically lifting the one on top of him off the ground with a powerful swing of his broadsword. This gave Keza time enough to leap back to his feet, kicking out at one as he moved. It hit the ground, luckily landing on its feet and leapt back at him. It met its death as another thrown dagger found its mark at the base of the thing's throat. Keza rolled to the side, the dead beast landing on two if it's kin. They had just enough time to get up only to be trampled and cleaved in half by a returning Tor.
Melira and Vala were stuck having to deal with a single wolf that had snuck around on Goro, their horses long since fleeing in fright after they were forced to dismount. Melira kept it back with her staff, nearly getting caught several times. Vala hid behind her, saber drawn just in case, not sure what to do. She was forced to react though when the wolf knocked Melira right over and leapt at her. With a cry of alarm, she brought the sword up and the wolf impaled itself on it, taking them both to the ground. Melira wasted no time getting up and shoving the beast off of her, hoping she was alright. She was relieved to find that other then being a little shaken and drenched in blood, Vala was fine.
Goro was down to two wolves when Thol finally finished off the grey wolf with a sickening blow to the skull. Seeing the large man was beginning to tire, he sent a low leveled lightning spell at the two of them, causing them to help and flee from the battle. Tor and Keza finished off the last they were fighting seconds later.
The battle over, they all grouped around in a circle.
"Well, that went fairly well for our first battle as a unit," Thol commented, leaning on his staff to catch his breath. "Who's hurt?"
"Keza's got some nicks here and there in addition to his arm being nearly mangled," Tor commented.
"Nice of you to notice," the blue haired man replied, wincing in pain as he pulled a tooth out of his arm.
"I also sustained a few wounds, though all minor," Goro announced, his breathing having returned to normal already.
"I'll take a look at them," Melira announced, going first to Keza who was by far the worse off.
"I've never killed anything before," Vala said in a weak voice after a few moments. Thol looked over. The poor girl was almost in tears. Thol looked over to the others for help, himself being woefully inadequate at such things. Surprisingly, it was Keza, just finished getting patched up, who moved to comfort her.
"Hey there kid, cheer up. It was either him or you, you know. Just be glad it was a monster and not something else," he said, casually slinging an arm, coincidently the one that had been mauled by the wolf, over her shoulder. "I still remember my first kill. I'll probably never forget it. Heck, I was younger then you were and it wasn't a monster, or even an animal."
"What was it?" Vala asked, listening so closely to Keza's story that she had forgotten she was upset.
Keza put on a dark look. "It was a man," he said, somewhat sadly.
Vala's face took on a look of shock. "What happened?"
Guess her little vision didn't tell her that one. Thol thought as he listened on, also curious.
"Well, I'd been on the streets for awhile by then, stealing mostly to keep on living. I guess I must have wandered into some gangs turf 'cause they stopped me and started to beat me around about taking things from their street. I was young and still full of pride back then so I started shoving back, eventually knocking their leader to the ground. Well, that was enough for them. He was pissed and drew a knife along with a few of the others. As he came closer, I did the only thing I could. I waited until he was close enough and wrestled the knife away from him, biting his hand to get him to let go. To cut a long story short, we tussled around a bit, but because there was more of them then me, the only thing I could do to get out of it alive was stab one of them. I suppose if I would've had a few more seconds to think it over, I could have hit him somewhere else, but I hit him right where it counts, through the ribs and into the heart. He fell to the ground and I already knew he was dead, his body just didn't realize it yet. His gang suddenly forgot about me, shoving me aside to see if he was alright. I took that opportunity to run. I ran for hours it seemed, but it wasn't until I was able to stop that I realized what I'd done. Because I was alone and hungry, I broke down and cried. For a long time I just cried. I knew I'd saved my life by doing it, but I still killed him. He probably wasn't any different then me, orphaned or runaway, just trying to make as best a living as possible, but still... He wasn't even that old either, no more then twenty I'd guess. Thinking back on it now, it's a miracle I still escaped with my life. Most gangs would have killed now and worried about their fallen later."
"Destiny has a funny way of working sometimes," Vala commented, totally wrapped up in his story now.
"So you see, getting upset over the loss of something horrible like that," he said, motioning toward a wolf corpse, "is a little silly don't you think?"
"But, they just wanted to eat, didn't they? Isn't that why animals hunt?" she asked, innocently.
"That," Keza pointed again to the corpse, "was no animal. It's a monster. It hunts for the pleasure of killing. That's the main difference between monsters and animals. Nothing on this planet mourns the loss of these creatures. They're a menace even to themselves, mutated from animals to serve evil. Understand?"
She nodded. "I guess I never really though about it like that. No one ever explained the difference to me before. I-I was nobody before the vision came to me, just a common village girl." She sighed and a single tear fell from her eye. "I never asked for any of this... I never wanted it. I just wanted to be normal like everyone else."
Keza drew her into a full embrace. "None of use are normal, Vala. There's no such thing as normal. If we were all normal, the world would be a boring place, don't you think? We'd all be mulling about with silly little grins on our faces going 'look at me! I'm normal!'."
Vala laughed at the ridiculous voice he used to mimic the 'normal' people. She carried on for sometime.
"Better now?" he asked after she regained her composure.
"Yes. Thank you, Keza. You're wise beyond your years."
"Nah," he said, still embracing her. "Thol is wise. I've just been around a few times. Now come on. It looks like the others have gathered up the horses. We shouldn't keep them waiting."
"You're right," she said. He broke the embrace and they both stood up, Vala walking over to where Melira had their horses. Keza was about to follow when Thol stopped him.
"Well done. Perhaps there's some hope for you after all," he said to him.
Keza simply shrugged. "It wasn't much."
"Perhaps not, but she'll trust you now. Keep an eye out for her from now on. Goro can only do so much as that last battle proved."
"If you think that's best."
Thol nodded and moved to the recently recovered horses, remounting and waiting for the others. Melira was just finishing taking care of Goro's wounds and as soon as they were all set, they were off again. . . .
X X X X
Later at camp after they had all eaten and rested for about an hour, Thol motioned for Melira to join him and they went to up to Vala.
"Are you ready to begin training in magic?" Thol asked.
"Yes, I think so," she replied.
Thol nodded and sat opposite to her, prompting Melira to sit beside him. Thol cleared his throat and rubbed his chin in though for a moment, trying to decide how to begin. He'd never really trained anyone before.
"Alright, first off, how much exactly do you know about magic?"
"Not very much. I know that it takes energy to use and that there's two school, but beyond that, I haven't a clue."
"Perhaps it's best to start with theory then," Thol said. He turned briefly to the others. "If the rest of you are curious as to what magic is, feel free to listen in."
The other three also gathered around on either side of the little triangle formed by the three mages.
"Okay, back in the castle, you stated that the prophecy refers to me as the Mana-Weaver. Do you know why?" he asked.
"I assumed it is because you're a magician," Vala replied.
"True, but magician is really a little inaccurate, more of a slang word. Mana-Weaver is more correct. Magic, in essence, is the manipulation of the world's mana, an energy latent in all things, living or non-living, though it's generally stronger in the living. This is the reason why some monsters are immune to certain elements, because their mana is more in tune with that element. Understand so far?"
She nodded.
"That it also the reason why almost everyone has the potential to use magic, though some are born with the ability, others have to work for it. There are those few people, however, who are blind to the mana-flow. No one has ever figured out why, though there are some theories about it."
"So, you're saying even I could use magic?" Keza asked from where he was sitting beside Vala.
"If you were to work at it, yes, I'd say you could, though I wouldn't be able to teach you. It would take someone of far greater skill then I to coax your magic to the surface."
Keza nodded and looked down in thought as Thol continued.
"Anyway, that covers half of what mana is. The weaver part comes into play next. Now, mana isn't just a single power that flows throughout the planet. It's basically divided up into two strings, each string having eight threads of power, hence the term 'Mana-Weaver'. When you cast a spell, you're literally weaving threads mana into the spell you with to use. The two strings I mentioned earlier are the reason why we have both White and Black magic. The eight threads that comprise these strings are why we have eight levels of magic, one more powerful then the next. Fairly simple so far, yes?"
Vala and the others nodded again.
"But why is it that you can only cast Black magic and Melira only White while Vala can use both?" Tor asked.
"Primarily it has to do with one's affinity to either string, but everyone in theory is born a Red Mage. You remain a Red Mage up until the first time you ever cast a second level spell of either string without first having cast a spell of the other string, though there's consequences of doing either. If you stay within the same thread and there for become either a White or Black Mage, you become blind to the other string, only being able to sense it from then on. On the other hand, if you remain a Red Mage by drawing from both strings, it becomes impossible to reach the higher threads of both strings because they are opposite and incompatible. There have been many attempts by all types of magicians to combine the strings, but none have ever succeeded."
"But what about the two mages that sent me to Coneria? They were of different orders and they combined their power to get me there," Vala asked.
"Yes, it may seem like they combined their powers, but really they just times it so that their spells targeted you at the same time, thus enhancing their effect. The sheer distance they had to send you still caused them both to be drained for several days no doubt however. Neither would have been able to do it alone."
"So how does the affinity you mentioned work into it?" Goro asked.
"Well, as I said, we're all born Red Mages, but each of us are tuned differently to each string. The stronger your affinity to the string, the stronger the magic you wield of the string will be. When there is a noticeable difference in the strength of one string over the next, you're considered to be a mage of that string. When you affinity to both strings is about equal, you're considered to be a true Red Mage as choosing to be an exclusive mage would be less of an advantage then remaining Red. Most Red Mages make up for the loss of the higher threads with their versatility. For some one like me to have chosen to be a Red Mage would have been a waste as my affinity to the Black magic thread was very high. I could have been a White Mage if I had chosen, but my magic would be so weak, it wouldn't have been worth the effort of learning."
"So that is what magic is?" Tor asked.
"That about covers most of it, yes," Thol replied.
"I suppose you already knew all that?" Keza asked Melira.
She nodded. "Most of it. Thol explained it a little better then the book I learned from though and he also explained why it was like it is."
"So, how come you can only use so much magic at once then?" Tor asked.
"Well, when you cast magic, you're taking mana from your surrounding to power the spell, but it also takes from your own mana. Not only will extended spell casting tire you out, but there's a limit to how much magic you can cast from each thread. Each time you cast a spell from a specific thread, the thread inside you becomes weaker until it collapses all together and you can't cast from that thread anymore. Over time, the thread will recover, usually when you sleep, though it takes a little longer for the thread to repair itself if it collapses, so using up all your magic for a particular thread usually isn't a good idea unless you have no choice. Now the mana threads inside you work kind of like a muscle. The more you use it, the stronger it becomes. Eventually, if you use a thread enough times, you'll be able to use the thread above it, though it will be weak at first, usually collapsing after a single spell. Obviously, it takes more energy to cast a spell of a higher thread, as first you have to unravel the string to get to the inner threads, but that too becomes easier over time."
"So not only do you have to worry about your own energy level, but you also have to worry about the strength of your mana string?" Vala asked.
"Correct. You'll find in the beginning that you'll probably only be able to cast one or two spells a day and that you'll be exhausted each time. Everyone goes through it though, and if you keep in practice, it usually goes away in a week or two."
"I'm curious," Keza began. "As Vala is a Red Mage and can cast from both strings, won't she be able to cast twice as many spells as either a Black or White Mage?"
"No. Oddly enough, though they are for the majority opposite and unrelated, they share strength across threads. No one's ever figured that one out either, but they figure that it's because they're still part of the same power, that's why people continue to try and mix the strings, figuring that they are connected in some way. I personally don't think it's possible. If they are connected, they'd be connected only in the inner most threads, but since one can't access both strings at the same time, we'll never know. That's another thing you'll have to worry about," Thol said to Vala, just being reminded of something. "You'll have to practice with both strings equally or the other string will weaken. That's the reason why Red Mages can't access the higher threads. Each time you cast a spell from one string, it weakens the strength of the other string, further proof to some that the strings are connected somehow. Over time, if you only use one string, you'll become blind to the other and you'll become an exclusive mage whether you wanted to or not."
"It sounds like being a Red Mage is a lot of work," Vala commented.
"It is, but those who've decided after being a Red Mage for some time to switch over to being an exclusive mage regret it, saying that the versatility made up for the extra work. You should be alright. Being an elf gives you an advantage as they are more in tune with mana then us humans."
"So why, after you become an exclusive mage, can you not see the other string?" Goro asked.
"No one is really sure on that one, but they think that if you weaken the opposing string enough, it goes through a sort of 'crash' and can no longer repair itself. You know when it happens as it's a little stressful. I was quite young when it happened to me and I was bedridden for a few days after."
"I remember having to sleep for twice as long as I normally do when it happened to me. It wasn't that long ago really. Last year I think," Melira added. "It is something you'll likely not forget."
"I think that's enough for now," Thol said. "We can either leave the next step for another day, or we can try a spell right now."
Vala thought it over for a bit. "I... Think I'd like to try it."
"Alright, come. Let's move off a ways. We'll need a bit of room," Thol said.
The three of them stood up and walked a short distance away from the camp, far enough away that no one would get hurt, but close enough so the light from the fire still fell upon them.
"Alright. The hardest part about magic is learning to sense the flow of mana. Once you know what it feels like, things get easier from there. Melira, I'm going to cast a mid level spell on you and you'll find you won't be able to move, but don't panic. I'll release the spell quickly, okay?"
"Alright," she replied, a little concerned.
"Vala, I want you to close your eyes and concentrate on the world around you. Be aware of anything you feel that is unusual."
"Okay," she said closing her eyes and concentrating.
Thol took a deep breath and looked at Melira nodding to ask if she was ready. She nodded back and Thol began to gather his will, releasing it in the form of a hold spell.
Melira was a little startled not to be able to move, even though she had been prepared for it, it was still a little disarming to say the least. The sensation was gone after a brief moment though, Thol being true to his word about releasing it quickly, and she was quite relieved.
"Sorry," he apologized.
"It's alright," she said. She turned to Vala. "Did you feel it?"
"I think so," she said. "It felt almost like a stiff breeze, but not real, you know?"
"That would be it," Thol said. "I'll cast a second spell, this time a little weaker and not on Melira. See if you can feel it again." Vala nodded. Thol again clenched his will, not needing to hold it virtually at all before lighting a nearby bush on fire.
"I felt it again!" Vala cried out elatedly.
"Good. Now you have to try and feel it when there is no spell being cast. Close your eyes again and concentrate on trying to find that feeling."
Vala wordlessly complied, her face taking on a look of intense concentration. For a long time she felt nothing and began to worry. Then she took a deep breath and calmed herself down, concentrating further. Slowly, like your eyes adjusting to the sudden dark, she began to feel it again. At first, it was just inside her, but then, it expanded out, starting with the ground beneath her, then she was able to sense her teachers, both almost blotting everything else out with their radiance, especially Thol, who shone like the sun. She gave a noise of delight and opened her eyes, still able to feel the flow of mana and wondering how she could have missed it all this time.
"I see you've got it," Thol replied, seeing her smile as she looked at them.
"Yes. It's amazing, but what do I do with it now that I can feel it?"
"Now we have to teach you how to manipulate it into a spell. Concentrate on the mana inside you and try to picture it as a string or a rope. If you have to, close your eyes again."
She did. After a moment she said, "Okay. Now what?"
"Melira," he said, getting her attention, "explain to her how to cast a cure spell. It's supposed to be the easiest spell of all of them to cast, though I myself find fire to be easier."
"You've done it before?" she asked, a little surprised.
He nodded. "Once, when I was very small and before I had decided to be a Black Mage. I cast both cure and fire the same day and nearly passed out because of it. Two weeks later I was a Black Mage."
"Wow. That was fast," Melira replied. "It took me almost two months to work my way up to the second thread."
Thol nodded. "We'll talk about it later. We have other things to do right now."
Melira spent the next five minutes going over the details of the cure spell. In the meantime, Thol had returned to camp to borrow a dagger from Keza. Thol ignored him when he asked why he needed it and returned to where the girls were.
"Almost done?" he asked when he returned.
"Just about," Melira said. She finished explaining it to Vala and said, "Okay. I think we can give it a try."
Thol nodded and brought the dagger up to his left hand, which was ungloved for once. He made a superficial cut across the palm causing Vala to inhale in surprise.
"Thol!" Melira cried in alarm. "Why did you do that?"
"It's best for her to be able to see the results. I'll be fine," he replied, wincing slightly from the pain. He'd cut it a little deeper then he'd planned. "Go whenever you're ready," he said to Vala.
She stepped forward and took Thol's wounded hand in hers, her other hand hovering over the wound. She closed her eyes and concentrated, trying her best to do what Melira had instructed her to do. After a while, a faint green glow appeared, surrounding the wound and closing it up. It wasn't perfect, as it left behind an ugly bruise, but it worked nonetheless. She opened her eyes to see what had happened.
"Congratulations," Thol said as she opened her eyes.
She let out a squeal of joy and spontaneously embraced Thol, almost throwing him off balance.
"Thank you so much!" she said, releasing him suddenly and attacking Melira as well, who was a little more prepared then Thol had been. "Both of you!"
"It was no problem, Vala," Melira said, smiling warmly and returning her embrace.
"You're probably a little tired after that. We should return to camp now so you can rest," Thol suggested.
"Okay," Vala replied. She rushed back to camp, excited to tell everyone that she'd done it, leaving Thol and Melira by themselves.
"She seems happy," Melira commented, stepping beside Thol as they both watched her leave.
"It'll take her mind off the vision for awhile at least," he replied, flexing the hand which was still partially wounded.
"Want me to take a look at that?" she asked.
"If you don't mind. I cut a little deeper then I planned, so it still hurts."
She took Thol's hand in hers just as Vala had and Thol found himself thinking how soft and pleasantly warm her touch was. Enough of that, he berated himself. She finished healing it with an almost negligent wave of her hand, the green colored magic removing any trace of the cut. He was a little disappointed when she let go of his hand, but he didn't dwell on it.
"Tomorrow we'll try her out with a fire spell and maybe let Tor give her a few pointers with that saber she has," he said.
Melira nodded. "You're a really good teacher, Thol. I wish you could have taught me. I would have learned a lot faster."
"I doubt it. I'm not that good," he replied.
"Sure you are."
Thol let it drop, not particularly in the mood for arguing. "We should return to camp now too. We still have a long way to go before we get to the temple and we'll need all the rest we can get."
Melira nodded and they returned to camp where a still excited Vala was sitting next to Keza telling him all about her first magic spell. . . .
X X X X
The next day was rather uneventful. They had a skirmish with a troop of imps which was resolved with minimal injury. They set up camp that night just before the marsh about a day away from the temple. Thol and Melira managed to get Vala to cast a fire spell that night and she was equally delighted as she had been with her first spell. Tor had also managed to get her using a few simple sword strikes and parries she could defend herself with.
Thol woke up the morning after in a sour mood. Sleeping that close to the marsh forced them all to have to listen to all sorts of noisy insects all night, so he was a little less rested then he would have preferred.
"Morning, Thol," Tor said to him as he passed by. He grunted in response. "Bad night?" he asked mildly.
Thol sent him a nasty look, knowing full well that Tor could sleep through anything. His ire calmed a bit when Keza stumbled, bleary eyed out of his tent as well.
"We're never camping beside a marsh again," the blue haired man whined, rubbing his eyes in an effort to clear his vision.
"I agree," Thol replied.
Grumpy as he was, he might have overdone it when a pair of mad ponies stormed the campsite with a small pack of wolves at their heels. All ready getting irritated because the tent he was trying to pack up was causing him problems, upon sight of the monsters, he threw the tent down on the ground and faced them.
"Move!" he yelled at Tor, who had rushed to the attack.
Tor, knowing better then to second guess Thol when he used that tone, dived out of the way leaving a clear path between the mage and the monsters.
Even out in the open, the concussive blast from the spell he cast was brutal, knocking the remainder of the tents down and scattering anything loose all over the camp site. The monsters, engulfed in the highest level fire spell known to man, were burnt to ash in seconds.
When the noise had gone down, everyone looked of from whatever they were hiding behind to see a blackened patch of earth with a few minor fires still burning, the only trace of the monsters being a few bits of ash blowing in the wind.
Thol went back to packing the tent, the others looking at him in awe. After a few moments of utter silence, Thol looked over to the others, who were still looking at him.
"What?" he asked in an angry tone.
Tor was the first to regain his composure. "That... was..."
"Amazing," Keza finished for him.
"Truly astounding," Goro added. "I had no idea magic could be so powerful."
"Isn't that spell a little... Dangerous?" Keza asked, noting how the camp site was in shambles.
"It can be in a confined space. The spell caster will be unharmed, but an inexperienced mage with this kind of power can easily harm his comrades," Thol mumbled, still grumpy and tired.
Back on the road, Melira rode up beside Thol, who was slouched in his saddle in a half doze.
"Thol," she said quietly, not wanting to wake him if he was really asleep.
He grunted and opened his eyes to face her. "Yes?"
"Where did you learn how to do that? That spell I mean?"
"Home. Crescent Lake. I don't use it very often because it is dangerous and also tiring. Why?"
"I just... I've never seen or heard of anything like that before. What happened when you first tried it?"
Thol paused for a moment, thinking back. "It was out of anger actually. I'd been running from my 'peers'," Thol began, the last word pronounced with heavy sarcasm, "and I had gotten lost. I must have wandered around for hours in the mountains north of home. Eventually I stumbled upon a frost dragon."
"How old were you?" Melira asked, gasping.
"Hmm... I must have been about twelve at the time, so as you could imagine, staring an irate dragon down the throat at that age, I thought I was dead. Had I gotten lost on my own, I probably would have broke down and cried and would have been killed, but I became angry at the bastards who chased me in the mountain, blaming them for my imminent death, and it just kind of came out of me. Lucky for me it was a young dragon and the spell killed it, because I passed out immediately after." Thol snorted then. "My father, for once in his life, actually became worried about me after I didn't return home. They eventually found me there. I'd suffered a few minor burns from the fires resulting from the spell and I was sick for a week afterwards from smoke inhalation. No one's ever broken the fifth thread at that age before. My father, instead of being proud of me like anyone else would have, only became angry, saying I was irresponsible and needed more training, so because he's on the Mage's Council at the academy, I was forced to go through training with everyone else, even though I was years ahead of them."
"I'm sorry to hear that. What happened after that?"
"I put up with it for a few years, until I was about sixteen I think. I'd since then learned a second fifth level spell and completed my training in all the lower levels on my own time. I was taken to see Lukahn at that time, like every one is at that age. He and I had a long talk. He told me I was the best mage the academy had ever seen and that one day I'd be the most powerful mage ever. I was a little rude with him at that point as I was still forced by my father to move through training at the same pace as everyone else. He agreed that it shouldn't be that way, but that there was nothing anyone could do about it, also that it would be necessary for reason's I would understand until later."
"I suppose you know why now?" Melira asked, referring to how they were on this quest.
"Yes. It was a year later I got into a rather serious argument with my father and I struck out at him with magic, a low level spell, just enough to get him away from me, but my father threatened to use his position on the council to force me to repeat a large part of my training. I left Crescent Lake the next day telling only my mother I was leaving. I purchased some supplies and in the middle of the night, started a long and dangerous trip through the mountains, eventually ending up in Provoka. That's when I met Tor for the first time. Ever since then, we've been traveling around the continent, doing odd jobs here and there, up until about two years ago. We were passing through Coneria actually when we found out that Tor's brother was killed by a band of pirates. Tor went home to investigate and I've been by myself until I ran into him again the other day. You know the rest."
"And when did you start hiding in shadows, Thol?" Melira dared to ask.
Thol glared at her, about to yell at her for asking, but he instead sighed and bowed his head.
"After I left home, but before I met Tor. The people of Provoka weren't very receptive to me when I first arrived," he said quietly. Melira looked as if she was about to say something, but he cut her off. "I'm not going to tell you, so don't bother asking."
"Why do you keep saying that?" she asked, a little hurt by his refusal.
"Look, I've already told you not to ask. It's a simple concept. I don't even know why we're having this conversation," Thol replied, becoming irritated.
"I just want to help you, Thol! Why can't you understand that?" she said, her voice going up a notch in volume.
"I don't want your help! You can't help me, so just let it go!" Thol yelled back.
"Fine! If you're such a coward that you won't risk opening up to someone for help, then you can suffer for the rest of your life for all I care!" she yelled, turning away from him.
Thol stopped. "Coward?" he yelled incredulously. "How dare you!"
"Enough!" Tor yelled sternly, causing them all to look at him. "We have a job to do right now and we can't have you two screaming at each other all the way to the temple. Settle this after we've taken care of Garland."
Thol narrowed his eyes at him momentary and snorted irritably, tuning his horse back around and continuing on. The other's followed him, riding in silence, none of them really knowing what to say after that.
It was late in the afternoon, in the forest near the temple, when they came to a clearing with a small pond and a rundown cottage. Goro rode forward at this point and dismounted, walking up to the little stone wall that provided a barrier around the house. He sighed as he ran his fingers along the wall.
"What is it?" Tor asked.
"This was my master's cottage. I grew up here and trained with him for many years, having never known my parents. He died a few years back shortly after I'd finished my training. I haven't had the time to come back here," he said. He went through the gate and stopped in front of a crude grave, the others followed him. "I found him in his bed one day after returning from the temple where I'd taken to training as the monsters in the forest no longer provided a challenge for me. He passed on peacefully in his sleep. I buried him right here. Soon after I made my way to the city and I've been there ever since."
"You master must have been a wise man. I'm sorry to hear of his passing," Tor said solemnly.
Goro shook his head, kneeling to touch the tombstone. "No. Master knew his time was coming. He told me when it did come not to mourn. He'd lived a long and full life and wasn't afraid of death."
They were silent for a moment, each paying their respects to Goro's master. After a while, Thol began to get restless.
"I think we've wasted enough time here, let's get moving. As Tor said, we have a job to do," he said, his tone clearly showing he was still angry.
"You don't have to be rude to everyone just because you're throwing a fit," Melira said to him, also still angry.
Thol gritted his teeth in an attempt to keep back any number of blistering retaliations that threatened to spill out of him from that comment.
"No, Thol's right. Master wouldn't have wanted us to remain here when we have a job to do," Goro said, remounting his horse.
"Goro, you said you used to train at the temple, so you know the way from here, correct?" Thol said, redirecting his anger to something constructive.
"That's correct. I used to go there everyday."
"Good. You'll take point for now. You'll be able to lead us there I the shortest time," Thol said, flicking the reigns to pull in beside him. Melira threw him a dirty look as he passed and he did his best to just ignore her.
It was less then an hour later when the forest suddenly thinned out to reveal a large crumbling ruin that was their destination.
"Welcome to the Temple of Fiends," Goro said in a subdued tone.
"We'd better hang back and camp here," Tor said. "We don't want to be too close to that thing when night falls."
They set up camp at the edge of the forest and Tor took the opportunity to use the rest of the day to continue training Vala with her sword. Thol spent the rest of the day on the edge of camp, moodily reading a book and snapping at anyone who tried to come near him. It was just after dark when Vala came to him.
"You don't have to hide it, Thollatos. Everyone here will accept you for who you are, especially Melira," she said as she walked up to him.
"What the Hell are you talking about?" he asked.
She sat down across from him. "You know. You shouldn't be ashamed of it. It's an honor, not a curse," she said. She raised her hand up to touch his face. For once he didn't pull away or yell at her not to. There was no point because she knew. Her fingers fell on his face and traced its outline perfectly, even though she couldn't see it.
"It is a curse. You didn't have to grow up with it and be ridiculed every day. I was almost killed because of it more then once."
"I know, Thollatos. I know. You've also had a hard life. All of us have in one way or another, but that's why we're all together." She let her hand drop from his face, the rest of it dropping below his neckline.
Thol shook his head and sighed wearily. "You should go practice your magic with Melira," he said after awhile.
"You're not coming?" she asked.
He looked at her. "You know full well that she and I aren't on speaking terms anymore."
"I can assure you that it won't last very long, but it's up to the two of you to solve it. It won't go away by itself," she told him. She stood back up then. "Sleep well, Thollatos."
Thol watched her go and wondered absently why she insisted on calling everyone by their full name. He sighed again and decided to go to sleep early, still tired from the night before. As he drifted off to sleep, he thought about what had happened that day. Maybe she was right, he thought with another sigh. Maybe I am a coward. . . .
X X X X