Chapter Four: The Black Esper
Deep in the mountains that covered a third of Dezoris, the winds howled among the cliffs and crags, threatening those who dared to challenge the snowy peaks. No one—Dezorian or Parmanian—dared to climb those mountains for it spelled doom to those foolish enough to tread their domain. Those who did met an untimely and horrible death, the mountains claiming their bodies...and their souls. Yet, there was one who had claimed victory over the winds and had named these mountains home.
White cape flapping wildly against his lean frame, Kane reveled in the howl of the winds as it bit into his flesh. But he felt no pain, no numbness of extremities, only the warmth that his magic offered him.
And that's all it could offer him for he was still weak. He had only awoken two days ago and if he had the necessary energy, he would have teleported home, which was located among these dangerous peaks...
The Dark Fortress.
A fortress that seemed to be carved into the mountains, a sculpture molded by his magic, it was where he had planned his attack on Esper Mansion three centuries ago. Despite the white snow that continuously blew over the region, it remained uncovered, exposing its black and twisted walls, an antithesis of the Esper Mansion.
Esper Mansion...
Just the thought of his birthplace sent his blood boiling with anger.
Weak-minded fools!, he thought angrily as he walked the narrow ridge that wound its way down the mountain face to a valley below.
Kila strode ahead, forging a path through the snow for his Master. He was aware of his Master's anger, could feel it pulsating from him like the beating of a heart. Three-hundred years of slumber did nothing to pacify his anger, only to fuel his hatred for those who had banished him.
The cat shared his anger, having watched his Master sleep for three centuries. Now that he was awake, he was eager for some retribution. But he knew his Master was still weak from his recent awakening, and so would bide his patience. He had waited for three-hundred years. Another day, week, month, or year means nothing to him, as long as it is done. If there was one thing he had learned from his time as guardian, it was patience.
He licked his lips in anticipation, mouth curled into a smile, exposing saber-like fangs. His smile only grew wider when the winds ceased their howling, the sheet of snow that had blinded their way now clearing as the mountains became deathly quiet.
The sudden silence could only mean one thing.
"We're home," Kila announced as he turned back to his Master, his grin unmistakable through the black fur. "Master, we're home!"
Kane laughed in reply, the eerie sound echoing around the mountain walls as if announcing his arrival, for there below them was his home just as he remembered it.
The Dark Fortress awaited the Black Esper's triumphant return…
Night found Kane Magnus and Kila marching towards the Fortress that stood against one side of the snow-covered valley. They could hear the winds howling, but none dared to blow down the vale. The moon lit the whole floor, but the surrounding mountains were as dark as Kane's black heart. The Black Esper was a bit surprised to find that the protective magic around the valley still held after his long absence.
They soon came to a halt before the two doors that marked the entrance to the Fortress. Unlike the wooden doors of Esper Mansion, the portals of his fortress were carved into its surface, blending smoothly with the onyx-like walls that one must take a second glance to know that they were there.
Kane muttered a word and the doors quietly opened, welcoming its Master home. No one else came to greet him as they entered for there was no need for guards. The Fortress was situated in an isolated area of Dezoris where none would dare to traverse.
The dark halls immediately flared to light when he stepped foot into the fort, surrounding him in an eerie blue glow.
Kila stood by his Master's side, glad to be among familiar walls instead of the rugged cave he was forced to live in for three centuries. He looked about, familiarizing himself with the smooth walls and the torches with their blue flames.
A long corridor stretched to either side of the entrance, far into the darkness where not even the blue light could penetrate the shadows, but he knew that each corridor led to rooms—a room where his Master studied the black arts and chronicled his findings in a small library, another where his Master would rest for the night, and another where his Master would keep his "guests" for interrogation in the next room.
Kila grinned, purring softly in fond remembrance of that one room—the Interrogation Room. It was there that he would toy with his Master's "guests", relishing in their fear as they scurried away from him when he approached. Kane would question his victims, and if they provided an unsatisfactory answer…
Kila grinned wider at the thought.
"Very soon," Kane assured the cat as he rubbed his head. "We'll hear the screams soon enough, but first…" He walked forward towards an open doorway across the way.
Kila followed into a vast, high-vaulted chamber that looked to be carved from living rock, which it truly was. The room was built in the middle of the mountain peak where the Dark Fortress was carved. The floor was blue-black stone, smooth and curved upward into the walls, the whole space scooped from the mountain by his Master's magic.
He remembered Kane saying that in Esper Mansion, the huge room was called the Hall of Worship where Espers would gather to pray to the Heroine and to assemble in special occasions. But his Master had no such uses. To him, the Hall of Worship was called the Hall of Meditation where he would gather and perfect his power.
The Hall had no windows, the only illumination coming from long lines of dark sconces set in close-knit ranks along the cavernous abutments, each one containing a thick black candle that burned with a blue flame—the same as those that lined the corridor—that was reflected back from the rock so that cool light filled the place. The upper part of the chamber was lost in shadow, the top of the peak rising high above them.
Kila continued to follow his Master through the candle-lit hall.
It was empty of any furniture save a single massy seat, more throne than chair that bulked from the floor toward the further end. Like the walls, it appeared to be one fabric with the cavernous chamber, raised on three broad steps, seamless, the back high, the arms bulky. Unlike the walls and floor, however, it seemed to reflect no light, for while it was of that same blue-black stone it appeared to sit in a darkness of its own, ominous in its huge solidity.
Kane paused before it, his expression thoughtful. Then, with a sweep of his hand, the chair glided along the floor to one side, revealing a hidden staircase beneath.
Kila stared at it curiously, wondering what lied beneath for this was the first time he had seen those stairs. He looked to Kane, who had summoned a ball of light to appear in his hand, dispelling the shadows as he began to climb down the steps. Kila, ever-so-faithful, followed him, staying at the edge of the circle of light so that he blended well in the darkness of the passage.
If Kane knew about Lutz's Room beneath the inner sanctuary of the Inner Sanctum, he would have found it ironic that he had created a similar room that paralleled that of Lutz's sacred chamber. His own parallel version was not sacred in any way, however, but important nonetheless.
A few moments passed before they finally emerged onto the smallest room of the Dark Fortress, and the only one to possess neither torches nor any visible source of light.
At first Kila did not realize that, for the chamber was filled with a shifting, shimmering blue luminescence, the same kind of light the torches of the fortress shed.
Kane motioned him forward and he stepped onto a floor of the same aquamarine hue as the walls and the low ceiling. There was no furniture, nor any form of decoration, every surface smooth. Or so it seemed until Kane halted, staring down, and he saw that he stood beside a circular pool of translucent water. This seemed to be the source of the chamber's illumination for the light was brighter about its confines and when he looked at it, it seemed to hold his gaze, the flawless surface hypnotic in its liquid purity. It was impossible to judge the depth: there was no bottom visible despite the blue clarity, nor any darkening to suggest the abyss of a well.
Kane grunted wordlessly, as though he saw something there that pleased him, and turned toward Kila.
"What do you see?"
Kila's eyes were fixed on the surface; it was impossible to shift his stare and he did not turn to answer him.
"What do you see?" Kane repeated, his tone a fraction urgent, edged with a humor he did not recognize, so intent was his concentration.
The pool seemed to shift, though he saw no movement on its surface or in its depths, and an image took gradual shape. At first it was unclear, more an alteration in the nature of the light than any distinct form, but then it rippled, though still no movement showed physically, and he gasped as he saw Esper Mansion.
It was whole again, the white walls shimmering in the poor Dezorian light, the scars of the battle three-hundred-years ago gone. He could not hear anything, but he felt that this version of Esper Mansion was centuries after the battle, complacent in its existence, knowing that the Espers were safe. The sight filled him with a loathing, wanting nothing more than to shatter that stillness again, to sink his claws into human flesh, to taste the blood of Espers flowing between his fangs.
"What do you see?" Kane asked again, amused at the cat's expression.
"I see the Esper Mansion," he whispered then blinked as if awakening from a trance. The image faded, the pool becoming once more clear water. He then looked to Kane for the first time ever since coming to the room.
"The Esper Mansion," he said slowly. "It stands whole so that means the Espers have rebuilt."
A question hung on the sentence and Kane nodded, his lips curving in a smile. "That's right. The Esper Mansion has been rebuilt and that means a second chance for revenge. This time we will not fail."
"What is your plan, Master?" Kila asked eagerly, the end of his tail twitching ever so slightly.
"We wait," answered Kane, his voice calm. "This pool," he gestured towards the water, "will show us when the right time to strike is. In the meantime," he turned away, "let us rest. Perhaps tomorrow we shall see more."
Kila began to follow, but paused to look back at the pool, wondering what images it will show when next they visit. Suddenly, he realized that he didn't even know the purpose of the room or the pool. "Master, what exactly is this room?"
Kane paused, and without turning to look at the cat, answered, "The mind can only go so far…" He then turned to look at Kila. "This is the Room of Seeing," he explained. "The pool shows us images of both the past and the present events of Dezoris. It allows me to see what is happening without straining my mind. The most advanced telementals can stretch their minds far beyond the walls of Esper Mansion, but to an extent. The pool, however, has no such restriction, but it also has its limits. Though we can see what is happening, we cannot hear what is being said. It is up to us to interpret the images."
Kila nodded. "I understand now, Master."
"Good." Kane turned to the stairs once more. "No doubt Lutz has sensed my awakening, but until we fully understand what has happened during my absence, we shall remain hidden here in the fortress." He then began to climb the stairs, leaving the cat alone in the Room of Seeing.
Kila glanced once more at the pool before taking his leave as well.
For the next few days, Kane spent most of his time in the Room of Seeing, seeking to know what has happened for the last three-hundred years. Kila would sometimes accompany him, but for the most part, he waited patiently at the Hall of Meditation. He was never the type to study anyway, so Kane left him to his own devices.
There were many interesting images he had seen since the initial vision of the rebuilt Esper Mansion. As far as he could tell, Esper society continued to flourish in much the same way as when he had lived among them. Lutz rarely appeared in these images, however, and Kane began to wonder if Lutz had been able to sense the pool's power of scrying.
The art of scrying, or seeing, originated from a group of Dezorians who called themselves Mystics. Like him, they were outcasts of Dezorian society, those who did not follow the laws set by the Dezorian priests.
He had been forced to live with them—an outcast among outcasts—after being banished from the Mansion, and in so doing, learned many different skills that the green-skinned creatures possessed. They held a different kind of magic, a magic that when used correctly, could overcome even the strongest of seals.
Even the seal of a Lutz.
He smirked at the thought. He would need to thank the Dezorian Mystics for all they have shown him, but first…
He looked down at the pool. "Will you show me an image of Lutz today?" he wondered aloud.
The pool remained translucent, then shimmered as it had done before, seeming to shift within its depths, outlines forming to become slowly clearer until a definite manifestation became visible. Kane stared, scarcely able to believe what he saw, his mind reeling even as his gaze was held, transfixed by the scene.
Lutz stood within a white-walled chamber, a small table covered in white behind him. His white robes were in contrast to the black robes of a middle-aged Esper, who stood next to him. Both seemed to be waiting on something.
Or someone, Kane thought as a young Esper—no older than himself when he had been banished—entered the chamber.
Lutz then spoke to the boy before gesturing to an object that supposedly was on the table. Kane could not see it for Lutz and the boy blocked his view, but when the boy turned towards the table, he caught a glimpse of a round object hovering above the table.
The boy tentatively held out a hand towards the object, his face grim, but his eyes betrayed his fear. Controlling that fear, he finally took hold of the object and his eyes grew wide with shock.
After a few moments, he let go and turned to Lutz, who nodded. He spoke a few words and the boy nodded. Then it was Lutz's turn to touch the object, and when he was done, he turned to the boy and smiled softly.
Kane stared at Lutz curiously as the scene continued to run its course. It seemed that he was sympathetic to the boy; as if he had cursed him instead of gifted him as Kane perceived this little meeting to be.
After a few more words, the Esper in the black robes stepped forward as Lutz unclasped his cloak. He then handed it to the Esper, who reverently took it and draped it over the boy's shoulders. As the Esper stepped back, Lutz stepped forward and pulled the hood of the cloak over the boy's head.
The image began to fade as Lutz laid both hands on the boy's shoulders, his expression solemn as he spoke…
Kane stared at the clear pool, his mind awhirl with questions. After a few days of pointless images, he had stumbled upon one that could bring about his revenge. If only he could interpret its meaning…
What was that meeting…? No, Kane shook his head. It couldn't be a meeting. It must be a ceremony of sorts. It seemed that Lutz was relinquishing his position to that boy. But why? What was his reason in doing so? And what was that ball hovering above the table? What was its purpose in this ceremony?
He sat back, head lowered in thought. Now that he thought about it, he wasn't familiar with the chamber in which the ceremony had taken place. Was it still in Esper Mansion, and if so, where in Esper Mansion?
Questions swirled in a maelstrom of possibilities as Kane sought to master his excitement. Perhaps Lutz wasn't an all-powerful Esper as the others had claimed him to be. Perhaps his power could last for only a limited time, and when that time has passed, he must hand over the power to someone else.
Perhaps this is where Esper Mansion's weakness lied.
Now he must discover who the boy was, follow his journey as he grew into power. But that would be for another day.
Day after day, Kila waited patiently at the hall, lounging at the foot of the throne. More often than not, he would see Kane emerge from the Room of Seeing disgruntled and it was these times that he would keep his mouth shut.
One day, however, he saw his Master emerge, brimming with excitement. He had quickly sat on his haunches, eager to hear what Kane had discovered. But his Master did not divulge any details, only assuring him that he was a step closer into learning Lutz's weakness.
After that day, Kila had accompanied Kane, curious to see what had intrigued his Master. He hoped that he could help him with his predicament by voicing his opinion when interpreting the images.
And there have been quite a bit of fascinating visions.
But not as fascinating as the one they were to witness today…
The vision showed a group of Espers preparing for a journey, which they found odd for Espers have never traveled beyond the safety of their Mansion. There had to be a purpose on why they would leave its four walls. The purpose of their journey soon became apparent when they arrived at a nearby Parmanian town. It seemed the people of that town were stricken with some kind of illness and the Espers were there to relieve them of their pain.
Suddenly, the vision shifted to a group of five, one of which caught Kane's attention immediately.
"It's him!" he exclaimed, which caused Kila to jump slightly in surprise. "It's him! Lutz!"
At the mention of their most hated enemy, Kila looked closely at the group, wondering who of the five Lutz was. It didn't take long for him to guess.
"Why don't the other Espers acknowledge him?" his Master wondered aloud, and again he watched closely to see that he was right.
The Espers greeted the group with grim smiles, but never with reverence to the blue-haired man that accompanied them. They did not seem to realize that he was their leader, that he was Lutz.
This intrigued Kane, just as much as those that accompanied the Lutz. Strange company he's keeping, he thought.
It was a diverse group of people that included a Parmanian boy, a girl with pointed ears, and an android. What really interested him the most was the Dezorian priest. Lutz and the Espers didn't even flinch when he spoke to them. It seemed that they have accepted each other, and by the way that they were acting casually, the Espers have accepted the Dezorians for quite a while.
As he pondered this enigma, the image began to fade, revealing the Dezorian priest collapsing, presumably from the illness that had infected the townspeople.
Kane sat back in thought, absorbing this new piece of information. If the Espers had become friendly with the green-skinned natives, then perhaps he could use that to his advantage. He smiled at that thought as he stood to leave.
Kila followed him, but paused when he saw something shimmer in the pool. It seemed to be a vestige of another vision, which prompted him to call to his Master.
Kane turned, and when Kila pointed a paw towards the pool, he looked down, and was surprised to see another image appear. He sat down next to the pool, intent on the sinister-looking tower that appeared surrounded by trees that were alive.
He wondered why the pool would show him another image so quickly. Was it his eagerness for vengeance? Or was it something else? Was it showing him that there was another way to bring about his enemy's downfall? That to recreate the rift between Dezorian and Esper was not the answer?
The Black Esper watched closely as again, Lutz's group made their appearance, minus the Dezorian priest. They were traveling with such urgency towards the tower and the living forest that surrounded it that it seemed a pack of Snow Moles was chasing them.
But that was not the case.
Upon closer inspection, Kane saw someone trapped within the grasping branches of the trees.
The group began to fight the trees, rescuing the captive in the process. Kane saw that who they had rescued was none other than an Esper girl.
Like the other Espers back at the Parmanian town, this one did not recognize Lutz for who he was.
Just as things seemed to get interesting, the pool shimmered momentarily, the image distorting among the ripples. When it calmed once more, the image in the pool had changed, showing the room where he had witnessed Lutz surrender his power to an Esper boy.
This time, however, that boy was a grown man who was accompanied by that same assortment of people in the Parmanian town. The Esper girl they had rescued from the forest was among them, along with an elder Esper in black robes. Kane had his suspicion that the elder was the same man that had witnessed the ceremony from before.
Lutz was speaking to them, gesturing towards the orb that was suspended above the table behind him. The strange group gazed at him in surprise while the elder nodded his head, seeming to emphasize what Lutz had told them.
The Esper girl shook her head in disappointment, which earned a laugh from the elder as the scene faded.
Kane snorted. If the image was to show him that the man in white was Lutz, then the pool had just wasted his time. "Show me something I don't know," he muttered in irritation, as he began to rise once more.
The pool shimmered once more, as if in answer to the Black Esper's challenge.
Kane paused as he again stared at the pool. "What are you going to show me this time?"
In answer, the pool showed him not just one steady vision, but a collection of smaller visions formed into one. He noticed a pattern forming as each image passed consecutively.
The images did not concentrate on Lutz, as he would have thought. Instead, they focused on the Esper girl that Lutz and his friends had rescued.
There was an image of her and the group entering the dark tower that had been protected by the living forest and defeating the master of the tower, which was a dark monster, the likes of which he had never seen.
The image then shifted to the Parmanian town where she continued to help those people who were ailing from what plagued them. They seemed to be getting better, even the Dezorian priest that had collapsed earlier.
Esper Mansion suddenly appeared where life continued to flourish without Lutz. The Esper girl seemed to have matured a little and have become quite popular among the Espers. They treated her with respect perhaps because of her role in saving that Parmanian town.
"What's the point of these images?" Kane growled, his patience running thin. "How is she related to Lutz?"
The pool shimmered once more, showing an immaculate room with a small table, a couch, and a couple of chairs. The elder Esper was speaking to Lutz before being interrupted by the entrance of the Esper girl. The elder then took his leave, causing the couple to be alone.
And this was where things got interesting.
Kane smirked at the interaction between the two, seeing how Lutz chased after the girl when she was about to leave. His expression was that of a desperate man who almost lost something important.
The Black Esper had always thought of Lutz as a composed leader, one who rarely showed emotion. To him, seeing Lutz express such emotion seemed unusual.
Was it because of the girl?, he thought, watching as the Elder returned with a tray of food. The three sat down, and while the Elder and the Esper girl talked amiably, Lutz seemed preoccupied.
Kane knew then that he found his answer.
This became more evident at a scene where Lutz was standing in a graveyard. The Esper girl approached from behind and Lutz stiffened in response. He did not look at her even as she stood by his side, but his face betrayed the emotions he felt. There was confusion and sadness written there. The two spoke for a while before Lutz turned away, leaving the Esper girl behind, who reached out a hand as if to stop him, but seemed to think better of it.
Kane smiled. "I have found your weakness, Lutz," he whispered as the scene faded away from the pool's surface. He continued to stare at the crystalline waters, a plan already forming in his mind.
He would need to bide his time. He needed to study their relationship more, see how to take advantage of it. "Know that Esper girl well, Kila," he instructed his cat as he rose to leave.
The pool had shown him the answer, but the timing was a different matter. He would continue his observation, knowing that the pool would provide him the opportune time to strike.
Enjoy your freedom now, Lutz, he thought as he turned and walked away. Your power will weaken, but mine will ever grow stronger! She will be your downfall.
He smirked.
Just you wait…