Epilogue
Novus had grown a lot in ten years.
Faolan slowly rode through the town, looking at everything as though he wasn't planning to live here for the next few years, at least. His memory of the place might have been a little fuzzy, but he was able to pick out more recent additions to the village. Those fruit stands hadn't been there before, and neither had that library or that fountain gushing crystalline water into the air, creating small rainbows in the pool below. While the village was still bustling with humans, there was now also a healthy mix of elves. They were mingling, humans and elves, in a way he had never seen before. He seemed to remember a lingering unease, if that was the right word. Elves and humans had been civil with each other and cooperated, but it seemed to him at the ripe age of six that it wasn't quite as relaxed as a town should be. That was no longer the case. Friends were bantering, couples were being cute, children chased each other around in games of tag and war games.
War. The war between the humans and Xadia. As Faolan passed what seemed to be a school that was currently out for the summer, he wondered how they taught it to their children. If the story in Xadia was the same as the Four Kingdoms. He had been very small when the fifth kingdom, Katolis, had been destroyed, but had soaked up stories of the following years like a sponge. The White Mage, the great human archmage, had battled and defeated Aaravos, a creature of darkness who had fooled the humans into believing he was a friend centuries ago.
The children of Del Bar, and he imagined the other three kingdoms as well, all knew about and were fascinated by the White Mage. Faolan had always been proud to have seen him in person, even if the mage probably didn't remember him now. He had learned not to brag, though; whenever he brought it up to anyone else, many of the kids who even believed him were jealous, with only a small handful reacting the way he wanted. Ever since he had witnessed that wing spell, he had dreamed of becoming an archmage himself, that the day he would take flight after this great man. That was why he had come to Novus. It was just him, his horse, and the provisions his mother had insisted on for the trip.
He made it to the square and recognized the house, but just barely. It was almost as big as the council building now, where he remembered a hut that had been smaller than this. He dismounted his horse and approached the door. This was it. This would make or break his dreams. All he had to do was knock and –
"Hello?" Faolan gave a startled yelp and practically jumped around. Looking at him was a sturdy-looking man with wild brown hair and bright blue eyes that stood out strikingly from his dark skin.
"Oh! Uh…Excuse me, my – my name is Faolan. Soren's brother." Faolan stammered, figuring his older half-brother had spent the last few years of his life as a guard for the village, and thus was his best chance at…honestly, what was Faolan trying to do here? Impress? Explain himself?
"Soren?" came a woman's voice from, of all places, above them. Faolan followed the older man's gaze upward and was surprised to see a pair of descending Skywing elves. More specifically, an adult woman and a young child of maybe eight or nine years. Faolan was immediately enraptured to see the wings – huge, gray wings – as they melted away back into a pair of arms. He couldn't help but be nervous, he'd never interacted with an elf before, at least not that he remembered. The elf woman looked at him with interest. "Soren was your brother?" she asked. The elf child's eyebrows raised; she was interested but kept quiet. "Than you must have come from the human kingdom of Del Bar?"
"Yes." Faolan nodded and shook her hand when she offered it to him. "My mother was married to a man in Katolis for a while and had two kids with him, but she left, came home, married my father and had my sister and I."
"I see. My name is Zephyr, his…widow, I suppose. Your mother came to see us after…after it all happened." she said as she let go of his hand, her eyes becoming downcast and her expression melancholy. She forced herself to perk up. "How are your family?"
"They're doing fine. My sister, Gwyneth, was upset with me for leaving, though. Wants me to write every day." Faolan chuckled at this and the two adults smiled. "You should come to Del Bar to see them. I promised I'd take you both over to see everyone from time to time."
"That sounds lovely. I'm sure Claudia would love to meet her father's side of the family." Zephyr said and turned playfully to her young companion. Now that Faolan looked at the smaller one, was she even an elf? She had the lower horns and pointy ears of a Skywing elf, but five fingers and a human complexion. On her back were folded blond wings. Beyond that, there was a definite resemblance to Faolan's brother, with hair the same blond as her wings and the same bright blue eyes.
"Claudia?" Faolan asked and looked at the little half-elf. He couldn't help the smile that came to his face as he remembered his mother weeping for joy the day a letter had arrived for them about a granddaughter being born. Not only that, but named for her aunt, his half-sister. It was surly what Soren would have wanted.
"That's me." the halfling said, giving him a friendly smile tinged with just a hint of awkwardness, and this seemed to increase her resemblance to Soren. "So…you're my uncle?"
"Half-uncle, I guess." Faolan said, shaking her hand as he had with her mother. "My name is Faolan." With the introductions out of the way, he turned back to the adults. "Uh, this is still the White Mage's home, isn't it?"
"It is." the man gave him a slight nod. He also extended his hand in greeting and Faolan took it. "I don't suppose you remember me. My name is Ezran, the White Mage's equally amazing little brother and new father of one."
"We know, Ez, you've been telling everyone all week." Zephyr put in, trying to stifle a small laugh.
"But little Ava is so perfect." Ezran half-argued, half-gushed, and Zephyr rolled her eyes fondly.
"Our resident animal doctor slash whisperer." she gave a sarcastic production to their guest, holding up one hand as if to introduce a performer at a show. He didn't seem bothered and she straightened up. "You have business with the, uh, White Mage? By the way, around here, we just call him Callum."
"I want to train under him to become an archmage." Faolan stated proudly, expecting words of encouragement and pats on the back. Not the concerned looks the two gave each other. "Well?"
Ezran was the first to speak. "Why don't we show you inside? I'll get Callum for you, you three can just relax in the sitting room."
And so, Faolan followed Ezran, Zephyr and Claudia inside. He remembered this place a little from when he was a child. The same open doorway leading to the kitchen, the same furniture in the sitting room, but with a few added effects. There was now a closed door on the wall opposite the kitchen, another new doorway in the back, leading to what looked like a den, a large bookshelf against the wall beside the way, displaying books and trinkets too diverse to come from a single place. Finally, there was evidence everywhere of small children such as scattered toys or misplaced shoes.
"I'll see if he's in his study. Be right back." Ezran said as he opened and went through the previously closed door, after which the three guests took their seats on a couch. After just seconds, Ezran emerged from the room, taking care to shut the door behind him, looking sheepish. "Can't find him." The man admitted. "Sorry, Faolan."
"Ezran! Is that you?" came a voice from the kitchen. "I-I've totally got this, don't get me wrong, but…can you come in here for a minute?"
Ezran disappeared into the kitchen and the three watched before he reemerged with an infant in arm. Trailing behind him was, to Faolan's surprise, a Moonshadow elf child, no older than Claudia. It struck him that he hadn't yet seen a Moonshadow elf since entering the village, before remembering that they weren't typically ones for mingling with other creatures. He had fair skin, orange eyes and the blue marks on his cheeks were sharp arches beneath his eyes. The baby seemed to be a year old and had a shock of white hair as well. For a moment, Faolan thought it was another Moonshadow elf, but he then noticed that it had no horns or markings.
"Well, I guess this is as good an introduction as any." Ezran shrugged. "Faolan, this is Asriel, my brother-in-law, and this is our niece, Kiara. Asriel, this is Claudia's uncle, Faolan."
Asriel didn't greet Faolan, he just turned away with crossed arms an embarrassed, sulky look. "It wasn't my fault, Callum and Rayla said she'd sleep until they were back!"
"Oh, yeah, I forgot they were going out for a while today." Ezran sighed, the sheepish look returning to his face as he looked at Faolan. "When did they say they'd be back?"
"Noon. Look, this doesn't prove anything." Asriel persisted. "I was caught off guard, it doesn't mean I'm not responsible. I really thought I'd just be dealing with…" He trailed off, a look of horror coming over his face. "Oh no, no, no, no, no! Not good, not good, not good!" Without any further explanation, he bolted up the stairs and from the balcony upstairs they could see him opening doors franticly. "Sarai? Ibis? Where are you? Harrow, if you can hear me, say something! Come out, come out, wherever you are!"
A small boy looking no older than six came charging into the room from the den, looking fearful. Along with the green eyes and lack of markings, the boy also sported four-fingered hands, a head of white hair with a pair of stubby horns just poking out and pointed ears. He looked at Asriel and called up to him. "What's going on?"
The older boy paused is his search and looked down to the sitting room, his eyes zeroing in on the child. "Harrow!" He quickly descended the stairs, looking aggravated at the child. "Where are your brother and sister?"
"Well, Kiara's with Uncle Ezran, they're right there, Mira's out with friends like you told her –" Harrow started, his expression trying to remain innocent, but inside he was clearly enjoying this as Asriel got more and more riled up.
"No!" Asriel shouted, startling not only Harrow, but the visitors as well. "Ibis and Sarai!"
"Oh. If I knew that, it wouldn't be hide-and-seek." Harrow said, his innocent façade now broken by a mischievous grin. Asriel let out a long, exasperated groan.
"Alright, you two, game's over!" Asriel called into the den. "Come on out." Out of the den came the sound of shuffling, along with a pair of small voices.
"Ibis!" squeaked a little girl's unhappy voice. "I told you not to hide in the fireplace!"
"Hey, Uncle Asriel was supposed to be watching us!" a little boy's voice defended. "It's his fault if Mom and Dad get mad."
"Throwing me under the carriage, huh?" Asriel asked and went marching into the den looking fed up. A yelp got everyone's attention before Asriel came back out with a pair of children, both clearly younger than Harrow, being dragged by their arms. Apart from one child having paler skin and the other having shorter, messier hair, they looked very much alike. Same brown hair, pointy ears, small horns and violet eyes. The scruffier looking one was eyeing Asriel with irritation to match the older boy's own, not to mention covered from head to toe in soot and now tracking the stuff everywhere.
"Ibis, Sarai." Claudia greeted the two. "This is Faolan, my uncle. Uncle Faolan, the twins." Sarai, suddenly looking fearful, made a dash for where Ezran now sat, climbing onto his lap and hugging him fiercely, burying her face into his torso. She was now silent, despite the fact that it had clearly been her arguing with her brother in the den. Ezran chuckled and hugged the child to him.
"She's just shy. Don't worry, she's like this with every new face." he said. Sarai turned her head to peek back at Faolan, snapping her face back to her uncle when she realized the stranger was watching her. Ibis had turned away from his younger uncle to give Faolan a suspicious stare, the effect of which was harshly mitigated by how dirty the kid was. "And Ibis here definitely has that Moonshadow elf distrust in him."
All eyes turned to the door when it started opening, Asriel going pale. Faolan watched as a trio entered the house, and he just recognized the White Mage. He was older now. He didn't have a scar on his face before, nor that red mark on his neck that ran under his shirt, but it was absolutely him. His companions were a Moonshadow elf woman who's face he had committed to memory as a real live elf, the first one he'd truly been able to take in, even if she had been unconscious at the time. The third was an Earthblood elf girl he didn't recognize.
"Asriel, we're back." the woman announced. Faolan deduced that this one with her white hair, horns and facial markings, was another full-blooded elf, this one sporting decorative silver rings at the bases of her horns. The pair's eyes swept over the room, taking in the soot tracks, their unhappy sitter, and the stranger who was under their very dirty son's suspicious glare. The woman raised an eyebrow at Asriel. "So, responsible, huh?"
"Sis, you told me the baby would sleep until you got home!" Asriel accused. "I couldn't handle all four of them!"
"You know, As," the older elf said to him, "you don't have to babysit. I know Mira offered."
"I've got this, Mira, I promise, you go find your friends." the Earthblood elf said in a voice that sounded like she was repeating something mockingly. Faolan found himself intrigued by this one. She looked to be his own age, pale-skinned with green markings. Her horns were like a pair of smooth sticks that forked into two branches each at the tips. Around her neck was a loosely draped red scarf that Foalan could have sworn the White Mage had once worn. She took a moment to look at him with startlingly pretty green eyes before she turned to the couple. "Mom, Dad, for future reference, I'm okay with watching the kids. Asriel included." Asriel sputtered as the White Mage and his wife exchanged an amused look. His embarrassment seemed to grow when Claudia began laughing along with Mira.
Before this conversation could go on, Zephyr interjected. "Callum, you've met Soren's half-brother, Faolan?" When the White Mage looked at Faolan, the younger boy's heart began to race with anticipation and he so desperately wanted to make a good impression. Unfortunately, all he could do was raise a hand in greeting.
"Hello, Faolan." the man said in a friendly way. "It's been a long time. Is your family here with you?"
"N-no, sir, it's just me." Faolan found it humiliating how shaky his voice was, complete with a crack on the word 'me'. Still, he stood up to properly face the older man and forced his voice to steady. "White Mage, I-I have come seeking your tutelage. When I saw you perform that wing spell as a child, I knew what I was born for. Becoming an archmage is my destiny."
His heart sank when the White Mage, like his brother and Zephyr, did not seem thrilled at this prospect, just watched him for a moment. He then turned back to the others. "Rayla, I'm going to talk to Faolan, can you get Ibis into the tub? Ez, Claudia and Asriel can clean up around here and Mira, can you make good on your word and keep the kids under control for now?"
Receiving the desired affirmations from each of them and a quick kiss from his wife, Faolan watched as Rayla lifted Ibis up by the back of his shirt and carried him upstairs to what was presumably a washroom. Ezran and Claudia dragged an unhappy, whining Asriel to a small broom closet and Mira was given the baby and set to work rounding up her remaining siblings on the couch, saying something about reading a book of ancient tales.
Following the White Mage into his study, Faolan beheld wall-to-wall shelves filled with books, a desk covered in large notebooks and flawlessly detailed sketches, and cupboards no doubt filled with more magical things. Next to the desk was a tall, pointed window that ran from about a foot off the floor to just below the ceiling, letting daylight into the room. On the desk was a cluster of small portraits of him with his brother, his wife, and their children.
"First of all," the mage began, as he opened one of the cupboards and pulled out a fancy-looking box. He brought the box over to the desk and set it down. "you can relax with that White Mage stuff. Just Callum is fine."
"O-okay." Faolan said, trying not to sound too honored. "Uh, Callum."
Callum smirked at this before he motioned for the boy to come closer. As he did, Callum opened the box and pulled out what looked like a toy; a little wooden cube with the symbols of the six primal sources. Faolan was about to list them off to impress his future mentor before Callum brought the cube to his chest and Faolan stopped in amazement. Each rune lit up with a different color in a dazzling display.
"What is it?" Faolan asked, his eyes wide.
"Not important right now is what it is." Callum said and the glowing stopped as he drew the cube away from him. He studied it for a moment. He saw no point in beating around the bush and he looked Faolan in the eyes. He found himself repeating the words that his old mentors had told him all those years ago. "Faolan, being an archmage is dangerous. That much power makes it difficult to draw the line between right and wrong. Are you sure you want to do this?"
"Yes." Faolan stood tall. Though this was hardly reassuring to Callum, he never had been one for arguments. Surely the kid would see in time whether it was really worth it or not. Perhaps the mage might even be able to talk him down to just the standard one or two arcanums rather than all six. He seemed especially set on the sky arcanum, so that was one already picked.
"Okay." Callum relented. "We start tomorrow morning. Ezran can show you to a nearby inn in the meantime. I'd offer you a room here, but as you can probably see, we don't exactly have the space. Be here at dawn for your first lesson."
Faolan grinned wildly at this quick acceptance, his heart nearly bursting with joy. "I won't let you down, Whi – uh, Callum! You'll see, I'll be soaring with dragons in no time!"
Callum took it as a warning about this when, like an energetic little shot, the kid took off, bursting through the door to talk to Ezran. Maybe he was still too young to be thinking it, but Callum could still remember when it seemed he had boundless energy like that. He walked over to the window when he heard a small commotion outside. When he saw Faolan already dragging a bewildered-looking Ezran out of the house, Callum thought that the kid must already have some magic of his own to be able to move that fast.
A pair of shadows – familiar to the brothers but new to Foalan – caused everything to stop and Foalan gawked in amazement as he looked up. Callum followed his gaze to see Zym and Kimaare, both having grown quite a bit in the last decade, flying overhead, doing loops, sharp turns and other simple tricks in the air. Zym was taking the charge in their play as always, but it was still difficult to believe that Kimaare had once been so reserved and timid. A pair of joyous cries rang out, and suddenly, Callum could hardly wait himself for that first flying lesson.
Author's Notes: And, in the immortal words of Walt Disney himself, that's your story. People have been saying 2020 has been, to put it nicely, a bad year, especially to open a new decade. Well, hopefully this story has made this year a little bit more bearable for everyone, and that the holidays will be able to carry us through these last weeks. I certainly hope you all enjoyed The White Mage, just as much as I enjoyed writing it for you. I must confess that despite the sequel hooks, I have no plans for a sequel at the moment, but if anyone wants to take up the mantle, I'd love to see what any of you could create. One last time, Review!