Magic: the Gathering
Chronicles, Volume 3
By Louis Kemner 2008
The magic portal quickly transported Viktor and the others back to Vitu-Ghazi's training arena, and it closed behind them, fading into nothing. The Izzet force had launched hundreds of units to the front, and everywhere he looked, Viktor saw Dragonauts and Sagittars trading fire, loxodons clashing with Weirds, and armies of saprolings going against waves of Izzet goblins and mages. The battle was massive, noisy, and dangerous.
"Holy Sky Swallowers," Gerbie exclaimed.
"Quickly, gather your power and defend our home," Herik said, materializing a wooden staff. "Your powers are great; that's why you all were promoted to High Clerics so quickly. Summon your creatures and give your life for the Conclave!" with that, he ran off to join the other mages.
Viktor fished his deck out of his pocket, and held it out. "I guess were better," he said, then summoned Fighting Drake and Thorn Elemental. As the creatures materialized, a squad of Dragonauts whined overhead, throwing a volley of red and blue energy bombs at them. The projectiles exploded on the ground, leaving large craters. One of them hit the Thorn Elemental, scorching its wooden body. It rumbled in protest, then swept one of its massive, thorny hands, catching one of the Dragonauts. The two faerie wizards cried in protest as the Elemental crushed their flying apparatus and sent them crashing to the ground.
"Yeah! That's the way to do it!" Viktor cheered. "Fighting Drake, help the Sagittars! They need help!" the drake screeched an acknowledgement, and flew off to the Sagittar-Dragonaut front. Despite the small victory, Izzet forces were closing in, pushing the Selesnya troops back. Several red-and-blue Djinn Illuminatuses were floating along, replicating everyone's spells. When a Dragonaut would throw an energy ball, the Djinns would replicate one ball into four, multiplying the Dragonauts' effectiveness. In addition, Izzet mages cast fire of their own, as well as sprays of green acid that corroded saprolings.
"Let's get this on the road," Makoto said, and summoned Takeno and Nagao, Bound By Honor. "We gladly answer battle's call, and will give our lives for the Bushido code!" Takeno roared, drawing his massive katana and flourishing it. Makoto also cast Battle-Mad Ronin, who at once bound after the nearest Izzet mage and sliced him in half. Nagao and Takeno ran off, swords raised. They were excellent warriors; the Izzet mages were helpless against them. The samurais' swords flashed silver, leaving trails of dead mages, goblins, and downed Dragonauts. Even a Petrahydrox was no match for them. It bashed Nagao with its bulky arms, but the samurai was strengthened by the match. He swept his sword, renting the Weird into pieces.
The others summoned their creatures as well. Devin had a Llanowar Behemoth rolling into battle, aided by Lunk Errant from Lorwyn. Kelly sent Sengir Vampire after a stranded Djinn, and the Sengir Vampire killed the surprised Djinn and leeched the blood out of its body. Sengir Vampire licked his bloodied lips, grinning with pleasure. Ashley had sent Sky Hussar into battle, who clashed with Dragonauts. It successfully downed two, but it was overcome by the others. Quickly, Kelly cast Plumes of Peace, and the white doves flocked the Dragonauts. The Dragonauts looked puzzled, then went limp, simply hovering where they were. Sky Hussar had little difficulty dispatching them.
As they fought, Viktor noted that Ashley's fighting style was not offense, and her creatures had difficulty fighting without her casting support spells. At the others' requests, Ashley was able to protect the other summoned creatures with Plumes of Peace, Minister of Impediments, Mending Hands, and other spells. The five made an excellent fighting team, tearing apart whatever Izzet forces got in their way.
Unfortunately, the tide of battle steered in favor of the Izzet invaders. The Selesnya were still being pushed back, and they suffered heavier casualties than the Izzet. Worse, Niv-Mizzet himself appeared. The massive dragon was well over a hundred feet long, with legs and talons that could crush buildings. Fleshy frills on Niv-Mizzet's head made him look like a hooded lizard, but a hooded lizard couldn't breathe fire. Every time a Dragonaut or Izzet mage cast fire, a particle of that energy flew into Niv-Mizzet's open mouth, focusing into a concentrated ball of fire and plasma.
He fired fire streams from that collected energy, never tiring due to his constant input of energy. His great purple wings flapped to keep him circling the City-Tree, making loud thumps whenever they flapped down.
"We must stop Niv-Mizzet from attacking!" an archer told Viktor. "If we can make it too dangerous for him to attack, he'll retreat to save his life."
"We've already started doing that," another archer told the first, pointing. In the center of the training arena, twenty mages were assembled in a massive circle, with a ring of green energy binding them together. The ground under them was beginning to crack, as though some beast was trying to escape. But the stationary mages made easy targets, and the Dragonauts threw energy balls at them, suppressing their magic.
The Sagittars fired arrows at the Dragonauts, who retreated to safety from the deadly arrows. However, a group of Gelectodes advanced, firing jolts of red lightning from their bodies and zapping the Selesnya mages, who began to fall. The Gelectodes were too late, though, to stop the communal spell from completing. The ground burst away like volcano, and an unthinkably massive Wurm erupted like a monster from legend. Viktor recognized it as the Autochthon Wurm! The great beast sported silver metal-like carapace on its head, a beak-like mouth, a body of incomparable size, and an appetite to match. Though its summoners were dead, the Autochthon Wurm gave a screeching bellow that made the Izzets' blood run dead cold. It snapped its massive jaws, then head-butted a platoon of Izzet mages and Weirds, obliterating them all. Dragonauts buzzed around it like flies, throwing energy balls. But those balls left only scorch marks on the Wurm's carapace, and it ignored them.
Perhaps the Dragonaut air threat was mute, but not Niv-Mizzet himself. The wise and ferocious dragon gave snarl and bore down on the Autochthon Wurm, loosing a stream of fire that made the Wurm howl in protest. The two giants clashed, and grappled at each other with their jaws. Niv-Mizzet crunched the Wurm's armor with his jaws, but the Wurm had a grip on Niv-Mizzet's left front arm, and with a crunch, severed it.
Viktor expected blood to pour from the wound, but he was in for a surprise. Rather than blood, electric blue glop cascaded from the wound, and the decapitated leg started to dissolve as it fell. By the time it hit the ground, it had reduced itself to a blue-red ooze mass that burned at the stone underneath it. Then, Niv-Mizzet began to inflate like a giant balloon. He swelled and puffed, and his red scales groaned with the strain. All of a sudden, Niv-Mizzet exploded, sending a shock wave of bright blue plasma everywhere. The explosion injured the Wurm, and the acidic glop covered it and dissolved it in seconds. Nothing was left of it except pieces of its shiny carapace.
Apparently, it was some Izzet replica of the dragon wizard, and not the real one.
The remaining Izzet forces suddenly regrouped, then retreated. They abandoned the battle completely, leaving a suddenly silent carnage field behind.
After some minutes, Makoto whispered, "Is it over?"
The Selesnya survivors clustered in a group, gathering the wounded. More Selesnya forces poured out of Vitu-Ghazi's buildings, to find the field of death stretched before them. Viktor, Devin, Makoto, Ashley, and Kelly dumbfoundedly joined the other Selesnya, sharing the grief for the dead. Devin turned to the ring of mages that had summoned the Wurm, and gave a gasp.
"Wait, where are you going?" Viktor asked him. Devin ignored him and tore after the dead mages, then crouched by one of them. It was a female elf, with beautiful features ruined by the Dragonauts' energy balls. Devin saw that Alana, the maiden who had cared for him when he arrived at Vitu-Ghazi, was dead. She had been company for him, and they had shared a home in the city tree. Feeling terrible, he shakily walked back to the guild mages and said, "Alana is dead."
"Is she?" one mage said. "I regret the news. She was one of our finest healers and warriors. No one told her to help summon the Wurm, but her efforts are appreciated. She gave her life for the good of the Conclave, like the others."
"What will happen to her? Will she be buried?" Devin asked anxiously.
"No, a communal grave will do," the mage said. "Though she had talent, the Selesnya do not make distinct individuals. Nature herself makes no champions. We are not the Golgari, who prefer personal success by nature's natural selection. We are a swarm, and will mourn the dead and create members anew."
"What?" Devin snapped angrily. Viktor and the others noticed his outburst, but said nothing. "How can you say that? She… she was special. She healed me, and taught me magic. You said she was a great mage. How can she not be honored?"
"I, too, acknowledge that she was noteworthy," the mage said, clearly not wanting to continue the discussion. "She will have a place in a mass grave, and may her body nourish a new generation of the Conclave's defenders."
"Aaaargh! You can't do this!" Devin roared. "She fought heroically, she ought to be respected! You can't treat her like a… ordinary cannon fodder or anything! Don't disrespect her!"
"We mean no disrespect!" the mage snapped. "This is our way. Accept it, or live in grief!"
"To Hell with you all!" Devin cried, and swung his closed fist. The mage's head was knocked to the side from the blow. Anger quickly crossed his face, and the other shocked mages moved to suppress Devin. However, Devin summoned a dragon creature, and the beast drove the Selesnya mages back. Devin himself ran toward the ramp connecting Vitu-Ghazi to the rest of Ravnica.
"Devin! Stop!" Kelly cried, chasing after him. "Where are you going?!"
"Shut up!" Devin yelled over his shoulder. He descended the ramp, using its magic to propel him to higher speeds. He was soon out of sight.
"Damn it!" Kelly cursed, watching him leave. "What's going on?"
"He had a relationship with that elf woman," Makoto said in slight disgust. "They were pretty close, too. He's angry that the Conclave is treating her like any other mage, and not as someone special. I can see how that would upset him, but leaving us and attacking? This doesn't add up."
"He's stupid, that's why," Viktor said angrily. "He's over-reacting. I know him; he's usually cool, but this is different, somehow. I think there's some other factor at work here."
"Like what?" Makoto asked.
"I dunno," Viktor said. "But I think we better find out soon."
Ashley had been staring where Devin had left. "I'm going after him," she said abruptly. "We can't just let him run off like that. I'll find him and bring him back here. I won't take long."
"How are you going to do that?" Kelly asked. In answer, Ashley summoned her Sky Hussar creature, and mounted the bird's back with the human knight already there. "I'll fly with Hussar," Ashley said. "I'll be safe, Kelly."
"Make sure of that," Kelly said. Ashley nodded, then with a verbal command, the Sky Hussar took off from the ground and flapped off.
Devin wandered quickly through Ravnica's endless streets, through the multi-race crowds and past vendors and restaurants. What exactly was he looking for? Devin could feel the pull of some destination, but couldn't tell what it was, or why he was after it. He felt the iron need within him to take a certain course of action, like he had some destiny to fulfill. The foul Selesnya had sacrificed Alana, his Alana, and dismissed her as some commoner to be tossed into a mass grave. This couldn't be! No guild that had a mindset like that could deserve to exist. He had to find a way to bring it back to them!
Walking through a thinly crowded avenue, Devin saw that taller and darker buildings lined the street. The area had a strange aura to it, as though some huge spiritual presence were there. Devin walked a little further, and found the doors to a massive church. The building was made of light gray stone and stretched ups several levels. Dark, narrow windows lined the walls, and intricate pillars held the walls in place. In engraved letters above the wooden double doors were the words: Orzhova Church. Below that was The Church of Deals.
Church of deals? That certainly sounded enticing to Devin's ears. Perhaps this Orzhov guild could make some agreement with him to get back at the Selesnya! Without another thought, he pushed open the heavy doors and stepped inside.
The air abruptly grew chillier, and felt heavier. His footsteps echoed loudly off the polished marble floor. He was in a small entrance hall, with paintings of weird people lining the walls, and statues in between them. He heard a sudden moan, and turned. An archway led to rough stone steps to a lower level, which was lit by torches on the walls. More moans and wails reverberated from the space beyond, begging for release and crying out in distress. The sound was haunting and chilling, and made Devin's skin crawl. It was a dungeon.
"So, listening to our prisoners wail their lungs out?" a voice asked, and Devin jumped. He whipped around, and an older man stood right there. He had malicious eyes, a hooked beak nose, pale skin from lack of sun, and long, dark fingernails. He wore an expensive outfit, of royal-looking clothes, with a medallion that depicted the Orzhov guild symbol. He wore a cloak over his other clothes, which was mainly darkish white, with black patches. It also had a high collar, making the man look like a vampire.
"W-who are you?" Devin asked, taking in the fearsome older man.
"That's what I ought to be asking you," the man responded. "Do you have business with us, lad? Or are you sightseeing for fun? If you are, I can show you the dungeons." He motioned toward the wail-filled lower level with his clawed hand.
"N… no, I'm not sightseeing," Devin said, gathering his courage and will. He was here for a reason. "I came here to make a deal with your church. This is the guild of deals, isn't it?"
"Of course, of course," the man said, with empty warmth. "That is the Orzhov Church; we make deals, and agreements. Both sides always benefit. What do you propose?"
"Power," Devin answered. "I want vengeance at the Selesnya."
"Is that so?" the man said thoughtfully, stroking his chin with his long nails. "Well, then. Follow me, lad, to my office."
Devin accompanied the man through the church's hall, and they passed by the open doors to the cathedral room, where rows of plum-colored pews faced the priest's podium. Pearl gargoyles parched on ledges on the walls, gazing down at the pews with their ugly and menacing faces. The windows were tall and pointed at the top, tinted gray and yellow. A massive organ rested at the back wall, its imposing pipes silent. A chorus of priests stood in a group, dressed in white robes with dark gray trimming. They sang a haunting and chilling song that included the lines:
Oh, wise men, wealthy men, men of Ravnica,
Come to the Orzhov Church, find your life renewed.
Young ones, without knowledge of the world,
We shall grant you power and knowledge,
And you trade us your wealth and allegiance.
Old men, wise men, of many years
We can make you young again.
We shall grant your flesh the joys of youth,
And you shall trade us your wealth and might.
"Come along, don't dawdle," the main said, tugging on Devin's arm. Devin wrenched his attention from the haunting chorus and creepy gargoyles, and followed the man. They went along a hallway lined with doors, and the man pushed one open and led Devin inside, closing the door behind him. The wood door thumped closed, its metal parts rattling.
"Now, be seated," the man said, sitting behind a desk. Devin sat in the sturdy wood chair facing the desk, unable to keep his eyes away from the man's own black ones.
"Ah, of course, you should know my name," he said, snapping his fingers. "I am Felden, the top Orzhov recruiter. Some know me as Felden the Whipper, but I still haven't figured out why. What's wrong with a servant who needs better obedience? I'll call the drinks."
He gripped his Orzhov medallion with his left hand and clicked the fingers with his right, holding the hand high in the air. In a few seconds, the door opened and a girl around Devin's age came in. She wore ragged brown clothes, was somewhat unclean, had the Orzhov emblem tattooed to her arm in black ink, and had a nervous expression. She carried a tray with two wine glasses and a bottle of wine, and set the contents down on the table, but nearly knocked the wine bottle to the floor. Felden narrowly caught the bottle.
"Be careful, you pathetic wurm!" he snarled at her, setting the bottle onto his desk beside a stack of unrolled scrolls. "I'm trying to recruit here! Fewer people are signing up; we can't afford to displease those who do. Take your coin and leave." He rummaged in his clothes for a single gold coin, and pressed it into her hand. She accepted it and stood there, looking like she was about to say something. She indeed started to mutter an apology, but Felden snapped, "I said get out, you little bit of filth! What, do you expect another gold coin for apologizing? Leave before you're tossed to the prisons!"
The girl squeaked and rushed out of the room, not closing the door behind her. Muttering to himself, Felden got up and closed it, then sat back down.
"I apologize for that," he said as he poured wine into one glass, then the other. "I keep several servants, like the other officials. Those who can't pay off their debts become our maids and butlers, paid one gold coin at a time until they pay off their debts and go free. Elani there is only halfway there; she's been trying to get more gold. But that's not how the systems works." He chuckled took a sip of wine. "Now, fill me in. What deal do you have in mind?"
"I want revenge," Devin hissed, not touching his wine. "The Selesnya have wronged me and my woman."
"Your woman, eh?" Felden mused, swilling his deep red wine. His Orzhov medallion shone in the overhead lantern's light. "You got close to one of their Evangels?"
"That's right. She was Alana, one of the higher members," Devin answered. "She was sacrificed! She died just to summon a Wurm that fought a Niv-Mizzet replica, and it was killed. Then, a guildmage told me that Alana would be tossed into a mass grave and not get respect! Something about nature not having heroes or something."
"Hmmm, yes, that's correct," Felden said, taking another sip of wine. "The Selesnya guild is known for its reverence of nature, and nature's ways. The trees and vines of the wild will hardly form a shrine for an especially deadly fox's death. They de-emphasize the individual. I can understand your stance, Devin. I see that you felt cheated by not having your loved one being honored in death. That is why the Orzhov guild is more than happy to help you in your time of need."
"I must have vengeance," Devin said, gripping the desk before him. "I can't explain it, Felden, but I feel a burning need to strike back. Some force in me compels me to do this. I know it is what I must do."
"Well then, it's easy to say that you must gain power, and lots of it," Felden said. "Certainly we can grant that to you."
"Will I have Orzhov soldiers fighting with me?" Devin asked.
"We have no need for military might," Felden answered. "We wield two of the sharpest swords ever forged: Faith in our left hand, Wealth in our right. What magic power do you have right now, if any?"
"I have this," Devin answered, pulling out his deck. He showed the cards to an intrigued Felden, who looked over the green and red creatures.
"I can summon any creature I want out of those cards, at any time," Devin explained as Felden rifled through them. "I can cast non-creature spells, too."
"I like it," Felden praised, setting the deck down on the desk. "Where did you come across this power and these cards? I simply must know."
"It's difficult to explain, but it was from a mysterious old wizard in a remote district," Devin invented. He was sure that Felden would raise eyebrows at the explanation that Devin warped through a mysterious portal and had instant power out of nowhere. "He gave them to me as a parting gift."
"My, my," Felden said to himself, finishing his wine in a large gulp. "If you sign your name to our register, Devin, you will be given immediate high standing in our guild, as well as new creatures and spells to command, and will certainly assist Your vengeance is one signature away. Do what you must."
Without hesitation, Devin picked up a griffin-feather quill and scribbled his name onto a list of recruits. He felt sudden chilling warmth in his chest as he did so, as though some magic activated within him. Felden collected the scroll and quill, and led Devin out of the room for training.
The Ghost Council of Orzhova, a collection of several bishop spirits, lurked in the Ghost Hall section of the Orzhov Church. There were nine members in it, all of whom resembled humans draped in sheets, with glowing red eyes and knobby, spidery fingers and hands. The ninth and main ghost Eranthor, looked different from the others. He had a distinct face, with a bald head, brighter eyes, and large hands. Fog-like magic vapors drifted all about the room, the essence of the ghosts' energies. The hall was intricate, with pillars lining the sides and a curving roof. A single stone door separated the Ghost Hall from the rest of the church. It opened, and Felden the head recruiter came in.
"Well, well. Felden," Eranthor said in greeting. His voice was deep, slow, and echoed throughout the room. It reminded many people of a sleepy dragon waking from slumber. "What news do you bring the Ghost Council?"
Felden bowed, then straightened. "I've met an interesting young man, Your Reverence," Felden said. "He is Devin, from unknown origins. He shows incredible promise and power. He has arranged for us to give him command of some of our own magics and creatures, and to assault Vitu-Ghazi in vengeance for a slight the Selesnya caused him."
"Taking on the Selesnya?" a second ghost noted. His voice was higher pitched than Eranthor's, but had the same other chilling qualities. "This is most opportune. We have had a chip on our shoulder for those nature-loving fools. Most opportune." A few other ghosts muttered their agreement.
"The boy has unique powers I have never seen," Felden went on. "He showed me a deck of playing cards. These cards—"
"Do you play games with us, recruiter?" Eranthor interrupted. He brought a hand up, and extended the pointing finger so it was crossing his moth horizontally. It was a sign that he was impatient and was demanding something. "Men do not fight with playing cards."
"Your Reverence, I assure you that these cards are anything but ordinary," Felden hastened to explain. "Through some unknown means, he can summon creatures at will from the cards. The creatures are adept fighters. Many dragons and treefolk there, and sorcery power, too. Few of our own creatures could compete with them."
"Is this so?" Eranthor said. "Well, then. We may have a powerful ally by our side. As soon as this Devin is ready, have him assault the Selesnya City-Tree. No time may be wasted. The Selesnya are weakened by the Izzet League's attacks, but the Selesnya recover faster than any other guild. Is there anyone else with these cards?" His voice suddenly changed; it cracked, then sounded higher pitched for a few seconds, almost female. Felden noticed the change, but it vanished before he could say anything.
Eranthor's bass voice went on, "Answer me, recruiter. Find if any others bear these summoning cards. If you do, make sure they swear allegiance to us, or else destroy them."
"Of course, Your Reverence," Felden said, bowing again. "All your orders will be carried out. You will be most pleased, I'm sure." He left the room, and closed the heavy doors behind him with a thump. Eranthor allowed himself a chuckle.