The Law of Uncertainty

Mark had come a long way from the dumb beast he had been. He was weaker than the average human, but nature seemed to have balanced out this injustice by granting him abnormally high intelligence. Nergal was surprised. That hadn't been part of the spell.

Magic works so, he thought. New and ancient spells yield unpredictable side effects.

Nergal was especially pleased by the fact Mark was an excellent advisor and assistant in any project which necessitated the use of ancient or developed magic, be it by rune or mathematical language. Mark couldn't use the spells himself, but his understanding of the laws and theories of magic ran broad and deep. Six years after Mark's conception and birth, Nergal found himself spending more time with the Morph of Free Will than any of his other creations.

This was not lost upon Ephidel and Limstella, his chief lieutenants. "Why do you favor him more than us?" Ephidel asked.

Limstella looked serenely on as her contemporary beseeched their master to answer his question. Her posture bespoke of one who didn't care either way, but Nergal knew she was hanging on to every word.

Nergal snorted. "Because he is less expendable. I could create great Sages too take both your places in an instant. All I would need to do is snap my fingers." This was a great exaggeration. Nergal had been forced to put a great deal of effort into Ephidel and Limstella's creation, and would probably need to do so again if either one of them perished.

Even so, Mark ... I shall never make his like again, if only because I fear too... I may not even be able too. The magic which I used was too complex ... too ... uncertain.

Magic wasn't always like a science. The same actions didn't always bring about the same reactions. Magic evolved. True, a spell caster could count on most of their spells working out in a predictable way, but when magic became older, or truly advanced ... that was when things became chaotic. That was when the Laws of Magic (with the exception of one) broke down and ceased to have any meaning.
Nergal mused over the law which caused this effect. The Law of Uncertainty. No matter how often a spell brought about the same effect, the truth was that the evolving nature of magic made all spells fundamentally uncertain. That was why it was best not to dabble with ancient magic. When a spell remained unused in a book for a thousand years, it didn't always remain what the accompanying instructions said it was. A spell designed to light an enemy on fire might turn on its user.

Thankfully, with Mark's help, Nergal had been able to develop counter measures against this sort of thing. Mark had become, among other things, a master of runes and numbers. No spell was beyond his ability to entrap or discern. No evolved spell couldn't, when master and creation set their minds to it, be reverted back to its original state.

To return to the present matter – Ephidel was taken aback by his master's forthrightness. He was also angered by Nergal's sentiment. The Dark Necromancer, his mind connected to his creation's, caught a glimpse of what Ephidel would like to do to Mark.

Nergal refused to will away Ephidel's aggression, but he warned, "Harm him in anyway, or drag him into your politics, and I shall see to it that you beg for the Abyss ere death takes you."
Ephidel swallowed. "As you wish, master."
Limstella chuckled. It was the first time she had given any sign that she was paying attention to the discussion at hand.

Nergal knew he needn't worry about Limstella harming Mark. She craved her master's affection as much as any other Morph (he had designed them that way), but she was smart enough to know jeopardizing her master's current favorite would actually lower he chances to gain that position for herself. Limstella tried to keep herself distant from the politics of her fellow Morphs.

At least, she did most of the time. But even the grandest of queens couldn't resist consorting with her ladies in waiting every once in awhile.

Mark once remarked to Nergal that things at Dragon's Gate would be much more efficient if Nergal would will his Morphs to stop disagreeing with one another. Nergal laughed and said, "Keeping up the effort would prove tiresome, not to mention distracting from my experiments. Besides, there is an old saying, and I see you are reading books of a military nature, so you should appreciate this – the best way for a general to keep himself in power is to keep his lieutenants in competition with one another. That way, they will be less concerned with taking their master's throne."
Mark was skeptical. "If any of them rebelled against you, you could just will their disobediance away."
Nergal became surprisingly aloof and whimsical when he heard this. Feeling distant from Mark, he said, "The gods could have done that to the devils at the Beginning, but instead they sent them to Hell."

Nergal smiled as his mind came back to earth. "Besides, I like watching them scheme. It's more interesting that way."

Mark sighed. Inefficiency troubled him.

A/N: Like most writers, I like sounding professional and competent. So I'm going to treat you to a lecture.

The story has almost no plot. That isn't because I'm not aware of it, but rather because I'm too busy developing the characters. Mark betraying Nergal (not a spoiler – you all know it is coming) would have very little literary value if he wasn't close and important to him. Since I can't win you over with shock value, I must resort to literay value. When things get into pace (assuming I don't get bored with the story) I'll work more on the plot.

I'm doing my best to work within the framework set by the video games, and I think I'm remaing mostly true to it. In the game, it seemed like the Morphs were always at each other's throats. This interests me, and I really want to carry it into my fiction.

I hope you get the fact that the Law of Uncertainty stipulates only old spells written in books and highly advanced magic are subject. For example, if Erk uses his "hot off the presses" Fire Tome, then it will more or less universally inflict fire damage on the enemy cast (or miss, or have no damage effect because magic resistance is too high – you know how it is). Mark's talent comes from his ability to carve runes (or numbers) which 'soak up' magic. Mark himself cannot gather the magic into himself, but his hand guided by his mind can craw the runes which can (this is a very difficult and precise art – it took Mark three years to be competent and five to be a master).

I might start answering reviews personally in my A/N, as some writers do – but not this time. Anyway, there isn't much to respond to. My three reviewers are just phrasing in different ways that they like my story and want me to continue with it. All I can say to that is 'thanks' and 'we'll see'. Thought provoking responses require thought provoking comments or questions.

Anyway, my advice to any fellow aspiring writer is:

Write what you know. Mark Twain said this. There is no shame in reflecting your thoughts, feelings, and best of all, your experiences in what you write. Some might say that is the point of writing – even fiction, and even pulp stuff like fantasy.