“There it is,” he said, pointing to an unusual set of structures about a half mile in front of them.
Maebus and Normandy stared in disbelief. There before them, the word KOWAN had been spelled out in the ancient stone structures along the horizon. The structures were massive and had been aligned to form the individual letters.
“What the…,” Normandy exclaimed, rubbing his eyes.
“I … I can’t believe it,” Maebus said.
“Didn’t I tell you? Didn’t I tell you!” Kelm cheered.
“Kelm, it’s just as you described to me,” Maebus said.
“And look there, right between the O,” Maebus followed the direction of his pointed finger. “Do you see the temple?” Kelm asked.
“I do!” It had only taken Maebus a moment to spot it.
“That’s where we need to go,” Kelm said. “And I have a feeling Fable will already be waiting for us.”
Chapter Thirty-Four
The sacred temple lay shrouded in a dense mist. Its appearance reminded Maebus very much of the Realmsic Castle, with its worn exterior and pointed steeple. Dust rose briskly into the air as Kelm pushed open the temple’s doors. They entered cautiously, staying close and scanning their surroundings. Aside from the multiple rows of pillars that supported the temple’s high ceilings, the stone interior was dark, faded, and empty.
A light appeared in the darkness before them. They halted, watching. The illuminated form of a woman suddenly appeared. Standing about average height, Maebus could tell she was older than he, and extremely thin. She wore a long green-colored dress that flowed elegantly to her feet. Around her neck, she wore a golden medallion that displayed the Archival Symbol of Order. Her face was old, but not wrinkled, and her curly, gray hair reached down just beneath her shoulders. The woman’s green eyes appeared wide and deep with wisdom.
Kelm took a step forward. “Held, Archivist Fable,” he said, bowing slightly with his hands clasped in front of him.
“Held, Grand Wizard Kelm,” Fable replied, also returning the gesture. Her speech was deliberately slow, and her tone was soft yet commanding. “It has been quite some time since your last visit, yet I sensed your return. It’s good to see you! I’ve missed you, my friend.” Fable hugged Kelm, rubbing him on the back. Kelm beamed boyishly.
“I wish my visit could be under better circumstances, but I’m afraid that’s not the case,” he said.
“Yes, these are dark times … dark times indeed,” Fable affirmed, rubbing her forearm in contemplation.
“With me, I have King Maebus,” Kelm presented him with an uplifted hand, “And this is the woodsman Normandy. It was his skill and guidance that brought us here this day.”
“Held, woodsman Normandy,” Fable bowed. “Your guidance is most appreciated, and I believe your skill will continue to bless us during the struggles of our Realm.”
Fable turned to face Maebus. “And held, Realmsic King! I have followed your life very closely, and have documented your rise to the throne. It has been … a most fascinating tale.” Fable bowed.
“Thank you,” Maebus said with a bow.
“As you may already know, I am Fable, and this is the Temple of Learning, the origin of the sacred Archival Order.”
Maebus looked around. Although the floor illuminated directly beneath where they currently stood, the rest of the room was darkened.
“Are you sure?” he asked, assuming there would at least be a few books lying around, instead of just empty space.
“Heh, heh, heh, heh,” Fable’s gaze pointed downward. “Beneath this temple is the largest collection of knowledge ever gathered. Its contents date back thousands of years to the ancient Wizard Holdings, which was the first collection of books established by the primordial First Wizards! But it was from here that the Annals of other towns originated.”
Fable gestured for the group to follow her. The floor’s magical illumination followed Fable’s steps as she began leading them through the darkness of the temple. Normandy, however, refused to move.
“Are you okay, Normandy?” Kelm asked.
The woodsman stood stiff as a tree, as if his own feet were paralyzed. “Just give me a moment,” he exclaimed. “I wasn’t prepared for the floor to light up our every step. Certain types of magic make me nervous.”
“Please don’t be alarmed,” Fable said. “The lighted walkway is symbolic. An Archivist’s duty is to illuminate the path of knowledge for those needing guidance. Only the feet of those truly seeking enlightenment will illuminate. Those with ill intentions, however, remain shrouded in darkness.”
The Archivist watched as Normandy took his first shaky step. Each foot brightened, one after the other. “Excellent!” Fable exclaimed. “Now come. Follow me down the path of knowledge.”
Normandy stepped quickly to keep pace with the group.
Fable’s long dress dragged behind her as she led them. “Established during the beginning of our kingdom, the mission of the Archival Order has always been twofold: To preserve, and to teach Realmsic history and culture.” She held two fingers up and pointed to herself. “Throughout my entire life, I have been trained to uphold the duties of the sacred Order. Myself and those who were like me have been tasked with the responsibility of memorizing the entire collection of knowledge.”
“The entire collection? Are you serious?” Normandy asked.
“Completely,” Fable said with a bright smile across her thin lips. “In the primordial times, much like today, survival was uncertain. After the original Wizard Holdings were nearly destroyed by fire, it was agreed that all knowledge would become oral in addition to written. That way, even if every single book burnt to a cinder, our history would never be lost.”
Fable stopped suddenly. With a wave of her hand, the floor parted before them, revealing a spiral staircase.
“This way,” she said softly, leading them downward.
With no support rail built into the staircase, they each had to slide their hands along the wall to keep from falling forward. Maebus chuckled to himself as Normandy crouched awkwardly to fit into the cramped walking space.
“You said there were others who memorized the archive?” Normandy asked, trying not to bump his head on the stone steps above him.
“There were, once upon a time. But now, I’m the only one.”
“That’s not good,” Maebus interjected.
Fable slowly nodded. “As I said before, these are dark times. I am the sole surviving member of my Order and, over the years, even this temple has been forgotten by most. Unfortunately, I’ve yet to find others willing to dedicate their lives to our ancient tradition. In time, I know I will. But until that day, I must bear its burden alone.”
As they reached the bottom floor, the entirety of the lower level illuminated completely in white. Before their eyes, stretching from the ceiling to the floor, were shelves filled with artifacts, books, parchments and scrolls. The collection seemed to expand for miles.
“Incredible!” Maebus exclaimed.
“With respect to the burden which you bear, it is your wisdom that we’ve come seeking,” Kelm said to Fable.
“Do tell,” she replied.
Kelm updated her on everything: the conquest of Damian, the escape from the Realmsic Castle, their journey through the Northern Lands. Kelm’s voice cracked with what Maebus thought was anger.
“The Realmsic Council is still hiding near the Hellish South Plains, and the Realmsic Army is disbanded,” he said. His eyes watered as if he were releasing all of the emotion he’d been carrying since the fall of the kingdom—all the hurt he’d been hiding, buried deep within his soul. “Fable, our situation is abysmal. We’ve lost it all. We have nothing. Our only hope is to utilize history as a shield, just as our enemy uses it as a weapon.”
Fable nodded, placing a gentle hand over her heart. “I admit that the Warlord Damian is unlike any other conqueror in history. But I must ask, do you still possess the Realmsic Crystal?”
“We do,” Kelm replied.
Fable smiled big and bright. “Then all is not lost, man! All is not so … abysmal as you think.”
“The intricacy of our plan was solely for the protection of the crystal,” Maebus explained. “Above all, we could not allow the Warlord to obtain the sole power of the Realm.”
Fable’s head jerked alarmingly. “What do you mean?” she asked.
“Simply that, with the crystal being the source of all magic, it had to be protected at all costs,” Maebus clarified.
Fable threw up her hands. “No! No! No!” she exclaimed.
Maebus’ forehead creased with annoyance. “Do you not agree with the method we used to secure the crystal?” he asked.
“What? No. That’s not what I meant,” Fable said reassuringly. “What I’m saying is that your knowledge of the Realmsic Crystal is not accurate.”
Kelm raised a sharp eyebrow. “How so?” he inquired, taking a step closer to her.
“Well, it’s true that with the Realmsic Crystal, Damian would possess unlimited magic. But the crystal is certainly not the source of all magic.”
Maebus and Kelm glanced at each other. Confusion showed in both their befuddled expressions and slow shaking heads.
“Excuse me?” Maebus asked, trying to make sense of what he’d been hearing.
Fable paused, seeming to consider her next words before speaking again. “Truth sometimes is more fleeting than life itself. The discoveries of the world resonate for only a moment, and then fade away as echoes in time. Meaning and understanding become lost, and all that remains are myth and legend. What I’m about to share with you is one of those truths lost within millennia. I never considered it, but I may be the only person living who still knows the truth.”
“What truth?” Kelm asked.
Fable looked deep into Kelm’s eyes. “The secret of the Realmsic Crystal, and how magic began in the Realm.”
Chapter Thirty-Five
To memorize the entire collection of knowledge took part discipline, part patience, and part magic. Deep below the Temple of Learning, Fable stood before Kelm, Maebus, and Normandy. Her gray hair stood on end and her green eyes glowed the same shade of white matching the surrounding walls, furniture, and shelves. She searched the holdings of the ancient archive buried within her own mind.
Closing her eyes, she slipped into semi-consciousness, allowing the magical trance to control her mind. It took only a moment to find exactly what she was looking for. Her eyes suddenly shot open. Taking deep, rhythmic breaths, which lowered the tone of her voice, Fable began to tell the tale of the Realmsic Crystal.
“Two thousand years ago, during the era of human history known as the Darkest Age, there existed a geographical region filled with great hopelessness and despair. Within this region, men existed as merciless scavengers. The weak were preyed upon by the strong, who in turn were preyed upon by the wicked. As the innocent were slain daily, this region became known as the Realm of Terror—an abhorred place where survival became the only form of living.” Her eyes grew brighter as she slipped deeper into memory.
“Throughout the years, the emotional distress of the region’s inhabitants grew exponentially. It saturated the atmosphere, creating an energy force so powerful, it became as physical a presence as the land itself. Both horrifying yet intriguing, the energy was unlike any other place on earth. It lured unsuspecting travelers into the region and, with the deception of a skilled predator, ensnared them in its grasp. It fed upon raw emotions like an organic creature, and grew stronger from its hosts. But despite the loathsome and treacherous conditions of the Realm of Terror, none chose to leave it. For the people became as dependent upon the energy as it had become dependent on them.
“Hearing rumors of this mysterious energy, a young couple traveled to the region to experience it for themselves. Upon their arrival, they were immediately overpowered by the invisible presence that tingled their senses…” Fable briefly raised both her hands towards the ceiling, taking a deep breath. “Even the air they breathed seemed thicker than any place they’d previously traveled. The environment felt electrified.”
Flicking her fingers rapidly, she slowly lowered her hands as she continued. “An unsettling force penetrated the couple’s bodies and nestled within their cores. There was no doubt in their minds that something indeed existed among the people of this region, and they decided to stay permanently until it could be explained.
“For two years, the couple studied the energy and its effects. Surprisingly, no harm befell them during their stay. It was as if the very energy they hoped to understand, shielded them from evil. Through meticulous observation, they noticed that the energy permeated everything and, through it, all things were connected. They only needed to close their eyes to feel the oneness of all that surrounded them. Within this connection, the couple meditated daily. As their bond to the energy strengthened, so did their understanding of its true nature. Gradually, as if conscious of its own being, the energy revealed its origin.”
“How?” Kelm asked, moving from Normandy closer to Fable. Still in trance, she saw the light shining from her own eyes illuminating the deep features of his face. He seemed drawn to her like a moth to a flame, only the flame she possessed was knowledge. Fable searched deeper into her mind and continued.
“It revealed itself to them through mental visions,” she replied. “The energy created scenes within the couple’s minds, forcing them to relive the violence of the region’s earliest days. The emotions of those who were victimized poured onto the land as fluidly as did their own blood. It left a concentrated metaphysical stain upon the region so deep that it subsequently evolved into the energy force experienced by all during that time.
“Despite the energy’s terrible origin, the couple found beauty within it. They were seduced by the strength of its bond, yet the fragility of its essence. Its surface form was quite simple to understand, yet the depth of its presence revealed endless levels of complexity. They began to understand that the entire world was not a separate entity from themselves, and the objects around them were not merely inanimate. They were, in fact, physical extensions of their own selves. Greater still was the revelation that through the energy, they could outwardly affect their environment. In other words, they could physically move objects with only their minds.
“Within this knowledge, the couple surrendered themselves and experienced a spiritual shift in consciousness unlike anything they’d ever felt. Instinctively, they disassociated from their former identities and were spiritually reborn as Sun and Moon.
“Controlling the energy within their bodies soon became second nature. As their confidence increased, so did their metaphysical abilities. While Sun focused his efforts on manipulating physical objects, Moon spent her time strengthening her mental abilities. She fell in love with its elegant and majestic nature and began referring to the art of energy manipulation as magic.”
Maebus’ sudden gasp startled both Kelm and Normandy. “So that’s how magic began in the Realm?” he asked. His eyes lowered and he anxiously raked his fingers through his hair as if contemplating all that he’d heard so far.
“Correct,” Fable nodded.
Kelm pressed his arm against a bookshelf to support the weight of his body. “I think what you’re saying is that before the Realmsic Crystal, magic had already existed?”
“Correct again,” Fable said.
Kelm rubbed the back of his stiff neck. “I don’t understand. If magic was already established, then why did they need the crystal?” His gaze locked with Fable’s.
“Sun and Moon discovered that the energy and the region’s history of violence were intimately related. Since mass emotion had created the energy, it came as no surprise that mass emotion continued to fuel it. But with no natural outlet, the energy pressurized, which occasionally exploded within their community in the form of violence. After careful consideration, Sun and Moon decided the time had come to share magic with others. The practice of
magic, they hoped, would help alleviate the energetic pressure, which over time could quell the violence in the region altogether.
“Cautiously, the couple began teaching the use of magic to those they trusted, and then later to all those who wanted to learn for the betterment of themselves and their communities. These students were referred to as Disciples of Magic, which is a term still used today. Upon achieving a satisfactory level of utilization, they were then referred to as Wizards. Sun and Moon, being the creators of magic, were identified as…”
“The First Wizards,” Maebus stated before Fable could finish.
She confirmed his deduction with two slow nods. “As magic continued spreading across the region, Sun and Moon unearthed a tragic discovery. The practice of magic was not actually alleviating the energetic pressure as they’d hoped. In fact, it was achieving the opposite. Magic’s exponential growth was more than their region could handle. Because magic was fueled specifically by the energy, its presence could not exist beyond the physical boundaries of the area, which again provided no outlets for the increased energetic activity. Therefore, the region was slowly becoming unstable.
“The First Wizards feared the inevitability of a critical overload. Such an event would be catastrophic. The imbalance would spiral the natural elements of the region into chaos, which could upset the equilibrium of the entire planet. If uncorrected, the entire world would potentially be rendered unsustainable.”
“Meaning they would have to somehow stabilize the region’s energy,” Kelm fired the thought at Fable. He shifted off the bookshelf and stepped closer towards her.
“Yes,” she replied.
“But how?” he asked.
Fable grabbed both of Kelm’s hands. “Sun and Moon commenced a spiritual embrace. Their power, their wisdom, their life force was intertwined into one sacred entity. Through them, the imperfect energy flowed, intermingling with their spirit of oneness. They guided it into a single solitary point, which materialized into a physical manifestation—a crystal. Ordinary in appearance, it was directly connected to the region’s unyielding energy and contained unlimited magical power. By itself, the crystal was only a conduit for the Realm’s magic, or Realmsic as some later came to call magic. But it served as the balancing pendulum for their environment. However still, in the wrong hands, the crystal would bestow its possessor with inconceivable power and ability. Therefore, it now needed to be protected at all costs.”
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