by Wilbur Arron
“Charidemos,” Philocrates called out, “It is the will of this council to take these actions. You will abide by these decisions.”
“No, I will not,” he said defiantly and walked for the front gate. I hoped we were not splitting the Brotherhood again. Two of the older senior mages in the crowd went with him.
Philocrates stood up and erect. “Charidemos, if you side with either the Zilar or Pytheas, I will condemn you myself.”
The receding figure called back with contempt. “Do what you will, I do not care. I will be no part of this perversion of our customs.” We watched the three of them walk through the open gate and into the darkness.
“So much for unity,” I said mostly to myself. I could only hope an empty belly would bring them back.
Over the next two days, we ironed out the other details. We decided to raise the most senior acolytes to junior mages. They would remain here with their studies and act as instructors for our next class. Once we finished the Academy next year, we would send invitations out looking for promising students. Theodoros was reappointed as Arch-Mage of Argina. Carenos was appointed Arch-Mage for Lantia, assuming we even needed one again. The remaining Master Mages and Mage Council members would go back to being teachers. For now, all mages would act as builders. Theodoros told us this winter Pallas would send several builders here to help with the construction. Satisfied that things were as good as they were likely to get, I went back to my forest with Melina.
The winter was not hard, and it did not become bitterly cold, but it was cool. The only problem for me was that I spent a lot of it alone. Melina spent most of her time in Korpolis acting as aunt and taking care of the three babies. I think caring for the children made her feel good since I could not give her the children she wanted. I accepted her absence and said nothing. It was during the time she was away that one evening, I received a strong message in my mind.
“Alex, I must speak with you,” the deep mental tone of the Old Ones called.
I was busy studying the blue crystal. I put it down and called out. “I hear you. Where are you?”
“I will meet you by the edge of the clearing near your home just before the sun rises,” he told me, before adding, “It is important.”
“Call me when you get there,” I said.
The connection ended. It was getting late. I decided to lay out a robe and a flaxen undergarment to keep warm. I washed and trimmed my beard and then went to sleep.
It was cold the next morning, but with the undergarment and an outer coat, I walked away from my hut feeling warm. I felt Keros and Kerina approach.
“We heard the Old One’s call,” Keros said.
I just nodded and walked to the end of the clearing that Malcor and I had cut when we improved the hut that the Zilar later burned down. I let the grass grow there, but not trees.
“I am here,” I called out.
Moments later, I heard a dull crushing noise of huge feet on the ground. Off in the distance, a figure three times the size of a man approached. His headless body appeared to be a thick tree trunk, but a trunk with an outer covering of rock and gravel. In the growing sunlight, I saw something different with this Old One. Standing on its left shoulder, was the still figure of a white owl.
“Greetings,” I called out to both.
The Old One walked up near me and stopped. It bent over as if to look at me with its headless body. “Alex, you must come with me now,” it said.
“What?” I asked. “Why do I need to come?”
“It is necessary,” it replied. “There are those who need to meet you.”
“Alex, it is necessary,” the white owl added.
Neither the Old Ones nor the owl had ever deceived me in the past. This looked serious. “Very well I will go with you. Is it far, will I need supplies?”
“If we leave now, we will be there by night,” the Old One told me. “You should pack warm clothing. It is cold where we are going. We will be gone two days.”
“You must also bring both the Speaking Stone and the blue crystal you took from Pentheus,” the owl added. “This is very important.”
I turned to look at both my unicorn friends. “I think I have to go,” I told them.
“We will go with you if you want,” Keros said.
“NO!” the owl’s mental words blasted into my head. “This is only for Alex and no one else.”
The sudden and powerful manner of the owl’s comment almost pushed me back. Both Keros and Kerina looked startled.
“Very well, I will do what you say,” I told everyone. “I will need a little while to prepare.”
I went to my house. I wrote a short note to Melina telling her I had to go with the Old Ones, and I would be back in two days. I gathered my warmest clothing and put some bread and dried meat for two days in a sack, and then a wineskin of water. The last thing I did was take the two crystals and packed them in with my robe. I was ready to go. By the time I got out there, Kypos, Kapria, Lycos, and Lykina were there. Another Old One was there with the rope hammock I had used before. I put my things in and then climbed in myself. I waved to my friends, and we were gone. I noticed the white owl was no longer there.
The trip this time was not the same as when I traveled to the north shore of Argina. Before, the Old Ones had carried me behind the lower and smaller hills up to the Northern Sea. This time we walked the same way for half a day, and then started to walk straight up one of the mountains. The higher they went, the colder it got. Soon I was bundled up in all my clothes, and I was still cold.
We got so high that I could see far out into the desert. It looked as barren as the mountain. Below me, the Allund River flowed from what looked like a solid green expanse into a green strip that went off into the desert. There was not much plant growth here, and I saw no animal life. The ground was covered in dark gray rock as far as I could see in all directions. I thought I might be the first person to visit this place because there was certainly no reason why any sane man would come here. Everything around me was dead. We were far above any place man could live in. It was late afternoon when we encountered the first snow lying on the peaks.
Toward evening, it was getting harder to breathe. As the sun sank below the desert surface, my two companions stopped climbing. We were very near the top of the mountain. The two Old Ones walked across a flat open plain leading toward a wall of brown rock. We went over a rise and at the base of the wall was a small opening about a third of the size of the cave I stayed in while on the run in Lantia. This time there was no movement around this cave. As far as I could tell, we were the only living things for many milio around us.
The Old Ones walked into the cave. The moment we entered, the temperature rose. We walked on in darkness. I could see nothing. I lost my bearings completely; I had no idea where I was. Things were as dark as pitch until I felt we turned a corner and in front of me was a light. The Old Ones stopped and put down the hammock.
“This is as far as we can take you,” they both said with one voice. “What awaits you there is only for you and not us.”
I picked up my bags and my clothing and walked on toward the light. It came from an object like a small pillar. It was bright, and I could now see the cave around me. It was the same grey rock I saw coming up the hill. As I got closer the light got brighter, until it was blinding. I could not look directly at it. When I got within twenty paces, I stopped and turned my head away.
“Whoever you are, could you please dim the light?” I pleaded. “It is blinding.”
The light immediately dimmed. When I could see again, I looked up and saw a figure bathed in a rich golden glow. It was a woman. As I got closer, I could see she was young and beautiful. On her right shoulder stood the white owl. I swallowed hard and asked hesitantly, “Who are you?”
She looked at me and smiled and then started to giggle. “You may call me Athena,” she said in a mild melodious voice. “Welcome to a part of Olympus, Mage Council Member Alexio Sopholus.”
I dropped my bags on the ground.
CHAPTER NINETEEN: OLYMPIAN
I must have looked like an idiot to anyone standing near me.
I stood there, dumbfounded. I felt utterly bewildered at that moment. I could not think of a single thing to say or do. It was like my tongue would not work, nor my brain even function, nor my limbs move. I stood there as stiff as if I had gazed at the Medusa. I was standing next to an Olympian God of my ancestors.
“You…ou…o are Athena?” I finally managed to stammer out.
“That is correct, mortal,” she said with a beautiful smile. Her whole body glowed with radiant white light. That light came from her body and also radiated from above and below her and along the walls of the cave. It filled the darkened cavern with a warm comforting glow that had the effect of putting me at ease. Although she wore a long flowing gown, I could clearly see she was a perfectly shaped woman. Melina is a beautiful woman, and I have seen few more beautiful than her, but Athena was perfect.
“Forgive me, but I have never seen a goddess before,” I finally managed to say.
She smiled at me. “Nor have you believed in us, Alexio Sopholus, but that does not matter. Most of mankind does not believe in us. It does not matter for them either. Believe in us or not, we exist. We exist to guide man so they can find their great purpose in this universe, and to achieve the wisdom and understanding such a realization gives. We gods guided mankind so they would better themselves and achieve these noble ends. To do this, we have at times intervened directly in human affairs over the eons. However, we prefer to have mortals perform these tasks as examples to their fellow men of the great potential each one of you has. These tasks have a tendency to become at first interesting stories, then, later on, they become legends, and finally myths.”
I was hearing this, but still not quite believing it. And it did not answer my question as to why I was here. “Am I one of those men with such a task?”
“You know you are,” Athena said quickly. “For you, Mage Sopholus, we gave you tasks to accomplish, and you have done all the Olympians have asked of you. In fact, you have done more than we have asked and that is why I have sent for you. We must discuss something with you of great importance. Your previous actions have been of great help to us, but some of your recent actions have placed yourself, your friends, and your world in possible danger.”
“I… I do not understand?” I said.
“It has to do with the crystals you have. For your safety and the safety of the world, we usually only give one crystal to a mage. The only exception was to the Megas Mage who has two. Now you have two. You already know that blue crystal will enhance your Life Magik many times over. By using both your Power Stone and the crystal you took from Pentheus, you have discovered that each crystal reinforces the power of the other. This grants the mage much more power than if he used them individually. These stones also help you project your mind further and speak with your friends over a longer distance than before. Finally, you have found out if you use two crystals together, they can cause a reverse flow of power that can surge back into the mage. That reverse flow is very dangerous.”
She knew of my experiments; I wondered how. She also knew of the results. “Danger?” I asked, “I am not sure I understand.”
“Yes, you do,” she chided me. “The last time you pulled power from both crystals simultaneously, the reverse power flow hit you like Zeus’ thunderbolt. As you pull greater power from the realms to flow into the crystals, you increase the amount that will flow back to you when you cast magik. The reverse power can injure or kill the mage. Using even more power can cause large-scale devastation of those around the magik caster if he is not careful.”
I wish I would have known this before I knocked myself out. I certainly did not want to be a threat to anyone around me. What could I do about it? “Is there a way to use the increased magik power so I am not a danger to myself or anyone around me?” I asked.
The lovely woman smiled at me again and said. “The same way you learned magik from Malcor and the others, you practice. You start with low amounts of power and gradually use more and more until you can cast the magik without the reverse flow. You will find that your power as a mage will increase far beyond what it is now, and that may bring another risk.”
That answer I already knew all too well. “You are afraid I will take this power and do what the Zilar want to do, dominate my world. You think I might become a demigod?”
“You are perceptive as your friends say, Alexio Sopholus,” she said. “Yes, such power tempts men and women to try and bend the world to their ways and that we can never allow. It also inspires jealousy and mistrust among other mortals. You already know what that can result in.”
“Yes,” I told her, and I did. “I felt many times the desire to use my enhanced magik power to do what I wanted. I deluded myself into thinking that my use of that power was to promote life, safety, and freedom for others. Many times I was tempted to use my magik skill to just sweep aside all that opposed me. When you get power similar to the gods, you are tempted to think of yourself as a god. From there, it is a short step to leading yourself and others down the path of destruction.”
The glowing figured nodded in understanding. “As long as you remember that, young mage, you will be fine. We can help you understand what you are doing, but ultimately the decision on when and how to use magik rests with the mage and not the gods.”
I was distracted by the white owl on her shoulder. It was the same owl I had seen from time to time. “The owl,” I said. “Is it you that sends the owl when I need help?”
The smile on her lovely mouth turned into a broad grin. The figure approached me and put her hand on my shoulder as though greeting a friend. “Now you understand,” she said. As she touched me, I felt a small jolt of power flow into me like casting magik. “Of course,” she answered.
“Then, what do the gods want me to do?” I wanted to know.
“You are already doing it,” she said, talking to me like an old friend now. “In the past, life was mostly chaos in the lands of this world. Petty vasileia fought each other for wealth, influence, and power. That conflict dragged you all down until you fought like the beasts to dominate others; all to fall back into chaos. Only recently has this world emerged from that chaos. First the vasíleio formed several hundred years ago. Those vasíleia gave stability to the world that enjoyed mostly peace for three hundred years. Oh, there was still war, but they were less frequent. An example was the last consolidation of Argina under Sysgaos’ grandfather and father. Now new forces are coming forward to challenge this peace with a single dominant unity designed to make men everywhere slaves.”
“The Zilar,” I added.
“Not just the Zilar,” Athena told me. “There is the temptation others now have of dominating this world. Some mortals think that absolute power will give them control over the entire world. They would use that control to give themselves what they think they want. In reality, all that control will do is stifle man and turn him into a beast of burden. That is not what the gods have put man here to do. This wish for total power is the threat, and more than the Zilar seek it.”
“I know,” I said. “I have seen that desire for power myself. All it brings is more death and destruction.”
“Yes, we know of your experiences with your rulers. It is good that you understand this. It is also good that you are beginning to understand the new ideas coming forth that may help bring peace and stability to the world.”
“That would be Zila and the new Mage Brotherhood she proposes,” I realized.
“Correct again, Master Mage,” the figure spoke kindly.
I drew the obvious conclusion. “You gods want me to destroy the Zilar and promote the new Mage Academy?” I asked.
“We want you to defeat the Zilar,” Athena corrected me. “They have their part to play in this new world that we feel is being created before us.”
“That will be difficult considering who
leads them,” I explained. “Zilar has made it known to many he seeks only absolute power over all men.”
“Not all the Zilar,” Athena corrected me again. “Many need your help to free them from this madness.”
That confused me. “I do not understand, Athena. How can I stop the Zilar and yet help them at the same time?”
“I cannot answer that question directly,” she explained, “My suggestion is to remind you what Malcor told you about the best way to kill a dangerous snake?”
That took me back for a moment, and then I remembered what Malcor told me about living in the forest.
“To kill a viper, the best way is to cut off its head,” I repeated what Malcor told me.
“You understand,” she said.
“Yes, cut off the head of the Zilar, and the rest will die,” I said. “Of course, you have to avoid being bitten by the head in the process.”
“Both statements are true, young mage,” she said. “You understand the risk of using your magik and the trap its power may set for you. Now there is one more thing I must show you.”
She turned away from me and walked back to a flat-top boulder that came up to my waist
“Put both of your crystals on the top of the rock,” she instructed me.
I reached into my robe and took out the purple Speaking Stone and the blue crystal and placed them gently on the rock. The glowing figure put her hand on the purple crystal first. As she did it, it started to glow brightly.
“You call this the Speaking Stone,” she said. “That is not correct. In reality, it is the Power Stone. It is a crystal that increases the mage’s Nature Magik by focusing the mage’s mental energy more clearly on these powers. These crystals are found only in this cave. Look above you.”
I looked up and saw a dozen or so crystals growing from the rock of the cave. They all looked like my Speaking Stone, with smaller similar crystals all around, as far as I could see.
“The Old Ones guard the cave and protect it from outsiders. Other guardians look after it in the forest by keeping people away.”