by Jaci Miller
“Hell,” she whispered, referencing the Christian belief system again.
Sebastian nodded silently. “With the Guardians powers depleted and many of our warriors’ dead, we were no longer able to protect the realm’s people. Our time was over. The realms fell into stasis, their magic dormant. The guardian forbad the realms surviving inhabitants from using their powers in the new world, for fear their magical presence would unleash the ancient dark entombed far below it. Confident that the remaining survivors were once again safe in their new surroundings, the Guardian of Deities remaining essence disappeared into the ether. With his winged protectors, he watches over the earth, mankind, and the ancient dark to this day.”
“I still don’t see how any of this relates to me.” She said, confused as to her role.
“During the Great War, a powerful seer foretold of the Second Rising; a time in a distant future when the ancient dark would break free from his confines and rise once again. He spoke of the Arcanists, blood descendants from each of the six ancient magical races. Mortals who would claim immortality and control the power of the elements, emerging to battle the ancient dark for the souls of mankind. One of these descendants would be from the Warlician bloodline, a powerful witch that would lead the others in their quest to once again defeat evil. That descendant was to be a first-born female, born to the eldest son of the oldest of all the clans—The Callathian Clan. You see Dane, your destiny was written long before the time of man and it is now coming to pass.”
“And you are sure I am one of these Arcanists?” She asked her mind struggling to wrap itself around everything Sebastian was saying.
“Your second awakening gave you an ancient gift. Only Warlician warriors can communicate telepathically with one another through this power. Once your gift was granted I recognized your energy immediately and therefore had the ability to communicate with you. There is no mistaking who you are Dane for you carry the blood of a great family and your acceptance of that birthright must be unyielding. The prophecy, as it pertains to the Arcanists must be realized or all will be lost, and it begins with you.”
Chapter 15
Sebastian waited patiently for Dane to respond, his green eyes boring into her own. She stood motionless, her mind processing what he had said while trying to comprehend the magnitude of the information he had just provided.
This was much more than being a descendant of the bloodlines of an ancient race or gaining telepathic powers. The prophecy expected her to claim a birthright which would send her on a path to possible death and destruction. If an entire universe of magical beings could not defeat an ancient predator, then why would anyone believe that she and five others could?
Her mind reeled, and her palms began to sweat. Taking a deep breath, she looked around the clearing unsure if she should stay or walk away. She needed to think, to digest the information, it was all too surreal. She was beginning to wonder if any of it was true or all a bad dream.
Sebastian could sense her hesitation and the uncertainty surrounding her. “Maybe it is better if you see the past for yourself, to feel the weight of its memory.”
Holding out his hand he gestured for hers. “The past you are about to see will be repeated if the prophecy does not hold true. If the Arcanists do not rise the earth will suffer an equal fate. Your destiny is unquestioned, it is both salvation for my world and survival for yours.”
Closing his eyes, he began to murmur under his breath, his hands tightening around hers as the air stilled. She could feel an unseen presence in the air, a strange energy swirling around them. Suddenly, Sebastian’s memories slammed into her mind and she was catapulted into another time.
She was immersed in a vast galaxy, billions of stars littering the infinite darkness. She could feel its life force, the invisible magical essence that weaved itself through every layer, breathing life into all it surrounded.
Images began to flow through her mind; a powerful waterfall, its spray pounding noiselessly under the sparkling light of two moons, rivers of red lava snaked through black rock canyons, ice towers protruded from crystal blue waters, a mist hovering just above their surfaces. Enormous white mountains surfaced in her mind, their tips sparkling against a stunning purple sky, a thick majestic forest lit up by a thousand twinkling lights, a golden-hued cloud bank hovering low over a sparkling city in the distance. As the images passed through her mind, she felt a heavy sadness and a longing for these long-lost worlds. Their individual beauty marred only by their stark emptiness.
Suddenly, she was overwhelmed by a sense of fear, a chorus of whispers erupted in her mind as a dark shadow crept over the tranquil lands. She could feel a multitude of emotions rush through her, flooding her senses with pain and fear, an unfathomable anguish that suffocated her from the inside. She watched as the beautiful lands, their colors so vivid and pure, turned to ash. Fires raged through the countryside, buildings crumbled, and thick grey smoke floated like a canopy above the land. She could smell the stench of decay, taste the coppery acidity of blood, and feel the fading life force as the world died around her.
She stood on a hill overlooking a muddy field, bodies of the dead scattered across its surface, a feeling of helplessness and failure slicing through her. It began to rain, torrents of water poured from the sky turning the surrounding ground into red rivers, cutting a desolate path through the wasted land. The rain’s wake washed away the life that had once animated the faces of the dead, their bodies now lay broken before her, vacant eyes staring into the distance, begging for vengeance.
“Breath,” Sebastian said holding Dane by her shoulders so that she could catch her breath and regain her strength. “You are not versed in our ways yet, and the powers you now possess can sap your energy if you do not know how to deflect.”
She gazed into the eyes of this stranger, her empathy for him growing as her mind now fully realizing the horrors he had seen. Those images were his, memories forever burned into his tortured mind, a universe lost in an unforgiving past. She had been looking through his eyes, as his home, his people were decimated by evil. She felt his sorrow, his helplessness as his inability to stop the carnage became apparent, but most of all she experienced his thirst for a vengeance not yet quenched.
“The past will be repeated if you do not accept your true destiny, only this time, those dead eyes staring up at you will be of those you know, those that you love, and the world ignited in hell will be this one.”
Releasing her hands, he took a step back, his voice softening.
“I am sorry, but I needed you to feel the anguish that stains our lands, know the veracity about your ancestral home and its fate so that you can understand the magnitude of what is coming and what it means for mankind. You and the other Arcanists are the only hope for the future, of this world and ours.”
“Who are the other Arcanists?” She asked curiously.
“That I cannot tell you, as only you can reveal their true identities.”
Her eyes shot up to look directly into his. “Me. How am I supposed to do that? I have no idea who they are or where to even begin to find out.”
“Destiny will unfold as it is supposed to,” he said calmly. “It is the one constant in any universe.”
Shifting her weight back and forth in frustration she seized on another question. “Well then tell me more about them, about their ancestry, the other five bloodlines.”
“The Arcanists carry the blood of the six races that inhabited the Five Realms. You and I belong to the realm of witches; the other realms were home to elves, fae, mermaids, dragon gypsies, and celestials.”
“Celestials?”
“I believe mortals refer to their kind as angels.”
“Of course,” she nodded. That made perfect sense considering the Guardian was surrounded by winged protectors. “So, the Guardian of Deities was a celestial?”
“Yes, but unlike all the others. Much more powerful. The celestials are a unique race.” Sebastian said, his voice softening as he remembered the powerful entities sacrifice.
“How so?”
“The Thanissia races are governed by the elements, they are the foundation of our powers and our life force. Each race is ruled by one specific element, which provides us with the magic our powers need, and a balance within our world. The celestials are not ruled by an element, they are born from one—spirit. The ether is their life force, they are innately linked to its essence and cannot exist without its power. While it provides them with unlimited power and links them to all the other elements, it is also their greatest weakness. Unlike the rest of the races, they cannot exist outside our universe.”
“Why only five realms if there are six races?”
“The elves and fae have always existed on one realm. Their magic is similar, both ruled by the element Air, but it was not a peaceful existence. They were once very different, and those differences made them mortal enemies for many millennia. Originally, the fae lived on a different plane of existence among the ether that surrounded the world of the elves. The magic of their individual planes was connected, which often caused malcontent between the races as each claimed supremacy over the element that ruled their shared world. They were also very different entities. Fae could be mischievous and spiteful while the elves more gracious and disciplined, differences that kept them constantly in turmoil. Eventually, a war broke out between the two races. Many lives were lost, and their realm was badly damaged as the magic essence infusing both their powers was abused. The Warlicians managed the situation as best they could but our honor code does not allow us to use warrior magic on like-kind.”
“Like-kind?”
“Others in our universe, other magical entities,” he explained. “The Guardian eventually intervened, after the war damaged the fairy plane leaving the entire race of fae homeless. He made them see reason, showed them they could live in one world in peace and solidarity while retaining their magical differences. The fae and elves signed a peace doctrine, allowing them to cohabit their realm within the same plane. Over time their races became strong allies, which in turn made both their peoples more powerful.”
“In union, the magic they fought over became stronger.”
“Precisely,” Sebastian stated. “The air realm is one of the most beautiful realms of our universe. The races used the magic of the same element differently, but their opposing essences eventually bonded, creating a unique essence that both races had the ability to manipulate. That essence not only enhanced their magical abilities and all the energy that existed in their realm but infused in every part of their world—it is definitely something to see.”
She noticed the sadness in his eyes when he spoke of the worlds that lay in a distant universe, forgotten.
“Do the ancient realms have anything to do with the prophecy?”
“They have everything to do with it, the prophecy cannot be realized without the essence of the ether. The magic of the Thanissia Universe is powerful and must be harnessed if the ancient dark is to be defeated in this world. The ether can only be restored if the magic of all five realms is re-energized.”
“How?” She snapped.
Sebastian ignored her tone, motioning for Dane to follow as he headed back toward the old contorted tree from which he had emerged.
“This is the entrance to the other realms,” he said, patting the massive trunk affectionately. “The portals to each are contained within. It is the only connection between this world and the Five Realms.”
“An old tree is a portal to another universe.” Her voice was tight with sarcasm and she winced when she heard it echo back at her.
“This is not just an old tree Dane, this is an Elder Oak, a species that resides only in the realm of the fae and elves, and it is not the portals themselves, but a vessel that holds them. It has magical properties where time and space do not exist, which provides a sacred place where the volatile magic required to make portals finds stability. This Elder Oak holds the gateway to our past and unlocks the knowledge required for the future. It is essentially the giver of destiny.”
“Why is it here if the realms are dead? Why keep a portal open to the other worlds?”
“The realms are not dead my dear, they are in a magical stasis, a form of unconsciousness, a deep unending sleep. The Thanissia Universe cannot die, it is a magical entity, a creation of the ether from which all things are connected. Like its inhabitants, it is in its own way immortal. Its essence is still there but exists inconspicuously. Once we discovered that the magic contained within the realms was feeding the ancient dark and enhancing its power, it became imperative to deactivate the realms. Culling the magic was the only way to defeat it, unfortunately, it also meant the end for our kind.”
A haunting sadness crossed his face and when he spoke again, his voice was thick with longing.
“The portals were created so that only an Arcanist can invoke its power to return to their ancestral worlds, awaken the magic, and claim their birthright. It is the only way to defend against the Second Rising.”
“So, then I can return to the realms and awaken the ancient magic.”
Sebastian shook his head, “It is not that simple. Only the one that carries the blood of their ancestors can unlock that specific realm’s portal. All those whose destinies intertwine must be found.”
“But how? I have no idea who these others are, how am I going to find them?” She asked, the scope of her task becoming larger by the minute.
“Patience, you must first unlock your own powers by accepting your birthright, then the others born of the prophecy will be revealed.”
She looked hard at Sebastian, irritated that he spoke in riddles and revealed very little of any help.
“Will the portals open for us? Mortals I mean.” The magic in her veins began to pulse at the idea of her presence in an ancient and magical realm.
“A mortal yes, but the blood of your ancestors flows through you. The portals contain magic that will only come forth from the tree when summoned by one who is born from the ancients.”
“And when I get to our realm, what then? Are you coming or is there another like you waiting to guide me on the other side?”
“Unfortunately, I am not able to pass through the portal yet. I was given the power of light transfer; the ability to alter my physical form and become light, so that I may exist on this world indefinitely, but it has left me tethered to the Elder Oak. I am unable to leave its protection until I am released by the celestial. I too need an Arcanists help.”
“So, there is no one to help.”
Sebastian shook his head sadly, “There were only a few of us that survived the Great War but there was one tasked with staying on our world, to guard the Book of Realms, but I am not sure he will be of much help.”
“The Book of Realms?” Dane asked.
“It is a sacred and ancient tome, a combined grimoire representing all the magical races. It contains a record of our history, the lineages of each race, detailed information about the Thanissia Universe, the races, and the individual realms. It is a doctrine of our magic; spells, incantations, enchantments, and curses from every race are contained within its pages. It holds the secrets of elemental magic and the power of the ether. It is a vital part of our birthright and our survival for it connects the entire universe, the races, and the magical properties. It will be imperative that this is retrieved from where it was hidden.”
“And where is that?”
“I do not know, only the Warlician tasked with keeping it safe is trusted with that knowledge.”
Dane signed, her frustration obvious to Sebastian.
“We each have our own destiny Dane, some are linked to one another for a greater purpose, and othe
rs traverse their path alone, but all have meaning and direction and require patience. I realize it is difficult, what is being asked of you, even more so when much of your destiny still lies unanswered. There will be a time when all is revealed that I can promise you.”
Chapter 16
Dane walked around the circumference of the tree, her fingers sliding over the rough bark as she went. “How do they open, the portals?”
“The portals only respond to a magical key known as a portal stone and the stones will only respond to those who are born from the specific bloodline of its realms inhabitants. Only those that possess the ancient blood can evoke the power of the corresponding portal stone and use it to open the portal to their ancestor’s homeland.”
“And I suppose you are going to tell me where to find these portal stones,” she said, assuming this was going to be another task she would have to figure out on her own.
“I do not need to, you already know where they are,” he responded motioning to the ground at the base of the tree where the Irish Guardian moss still flourished.
She walked over to the spot where she had found the buried stone the other day, bending down she brushed off the dirt and leaves. The stone with the strange double pentacle symbol was still there, waiting. Looking back up at Sebastian she asked. “This is a portal stone?”
“No, it is a vessel. The stones are contained within.” He answered. “You must open it to access them.”
Turning her attention back to the stone, she slowly removed the soil from around the edges, digging down until she could just get her fingers underneath. The stone box was heavy and embedded in the dirt. Wiggling it back and forth she managed to get more fingers underneath until she had the grip to pull the box from its hiding spot. Dusting off the remaining soil she searched the surfaces for a way to open the box. There was no definite lid, no hinges, no cracks or crevices just a small keyhole on the left side.