“My men are always prepared for a fight! At the very worst, we will hold them off until you can reach this Razios, or Razzius, or whatever the hell his name is. We will ride with you to Haile and cover you while you make your way into the castle by way of the sewers and free the prisoners.”
“How the hell do you know about the secret entrance to the castle?” Benni interjected, completely caught off guard by the bandit’s knowledge.
“I didn’t live here my entire life, son. I was training to be a Knight for a little over a year before I decided to quit and come here. I couldn’t handle the politics in Haile; I was never really that good at getting people to like me. At least here it’s all about strength. But, I know all the secrets of your city. How do you think I sneak in and out so easily? Your old man ain’t so stupid ya know!”
“It appears I underestimated you, Cranos; I am sorry.”
Benni extended his hand for a shake, but the burly man gripped him in a tight bear hug instead. “My boy, you will make a fine leader someday, you just have to keep that temper under control. It will be the death of you if you don’t.”
“I will try,” Benni said. They made their way back to the group and rejoined the festivities.
Benni watched as a group of younger bandits engaged in activities much like he and Lawrence had, attempting to drink more than the other. He knew they wouldn’t be going into battle tomorrow. The thought of their camaraderie calmed him as he sat next to Fairen again. He listened in as Fairen laughed and giggled with children his own age. His little brother couldn’t comprehend the horrors that the people of Haile were going through. The rest of the night went by without incident, and that night, as Benni lie next to Fairen, he knew that he may never see his little brother again. He had told Fairen to stay at the bandit camp, away from the main battle. He didn’t want his little brother to see the death and destruction that Haile had suffered. He knew that what would happen tomorrow would alter his life forever. At first sun, he and the strongest warriors from the Clan of the Unyielding Flame would ride to save Haile.
Chapter 41:
I did it! Somehow I did it! I can’t believe my eyes, but I lit a fire. I stared and stared and concentrated so hard and the wood just burst into flames. At first I didn’t believe it to be true, so I stuck my hand into the fire. My hand is blistered and now wrapped in a piece of my shirt. Haha, I’m alive, and I’ve got the burns to prove it! I don’t know how this happened, but it is something I will be exploring further in the morning. For now, I have found my salvation. I need more wood.
- Journal of Mason Hex, Undated
The water from the pond in the Everglen rushed and flowed into an underground cavern. It raced around bends and curves as it tore its way deeper into a remote chamber. Galvan’s corpse floated freely with the current as it came up to an open area. His body floated down the shallow stream and into a massive cavern. Tall grasses and flower buds bloomed on each shoreline. Small yellow and white butterflies frolicked about. A few young trout swam by Galvan’s body as it meandered through the stream. Red, yellow, and gold leaves fluttered slowly through the air and softly landed on the top of the water. A couple of leaves even hovered as though they were suspended in place in the air. The grass swayed like it was hit by a light breeze, even though no discernible wind was present. Several small buds bloomed in unison, producing beautiful white, yellow, and blue flowers along the banks of the stream. There was no sunlight here, only the light of one hundred torches on each side of the stream making it look as though the sun was shining brightly. Galvan floated over the top of a giant leaf that was at least twice the size of his body. As he did, the leaf began to levitate. Galvan’s body lie nestled in the center of the leaf, which now hovered about a meter out of the water. It began to move ashore toward a large throne made of brambles, pine boughs, large pine cones, and sturdy branches and golden maple leaves. Atop the wooden throne was an old, bearded, silent man.
He sat, legs crossed, staring intently at the cargo on the massive leaf as it hovered closer and closer toward him. The man was motionless except for his wrinkled right hand, which he stroked through his thick gray beard. The leaf unloaded its cargo at the base of the throne. The man uncrossed his legs and leaned forward to gaze upon Galvan. A small, palm-sized hedgehog ran up from the brush and onto the throne where it found refuge on the man’s arm. The man broke his concentration and looked over to the small creature; he brought his arm close to his mouth and whispered to the hedgehog. The small hedgehog twitched its nose rapidly in response. Finally, the man looked back down at Galvan and waved his hand across his body.
Galvan began to breathe.
“Open your eyes, boy!” the man commanded.
Galvan’s eyes remained shut; his body struggled to respond.
“I said open your eyes, boy!” The man stomped his foot, causing the ground to shake, ripping Galvan from his unconscious state.
Galvan opened his eyes, and bolted upright as he took a huge, deep breath. He looked around, dumbfounded by his surroundings. Finally, he noticed the man sitting on the large, wooden throne.
Galvan was about to open his mouth to speak, but the man spoke first. “You want to know where you are. You’re struggling because the last thing you remember is being dead; your mind is fumbling about, unable to grasp what has happened.”
Galvan was in disbelief, the man had read his mind to the letter, but how?
“You are neither here nor there and before you ask, no, you are no longer dead; but you were.”
Galvan tried to process this glut of information. He opened his mouth again to speak and the man cut him off. “Don’t bother asking how to get back home, I will send you when I deem you worthy.”
Galvan continued to prepare to speak, and again before he could the mysterious man cut him off. “Do not fret, my little ferret; time here does not function as it does where you come from. Here a hundred years is but a blink in your world. Your friends that you seek to save, your battles that you still need to fight, they will be waiting for you upon your return. Oh, and do not worry, your beloved, she is still safe.” A faint smile came across the man’s face.
Once more Galvan tried to speak, but the results were the same as the man interrupted, “I am Mason Hex, I am known as ‘The First.’ I know what you are wondering, so don’t bother asking me. ‘The First’ does in fact imply that I was the first sorcerer in the lands of Veronicia. I have been practicing sorcery since before the history books told of it, since before all those sorcerers flocked to the Everglen in the hopes of mastering its potential. Yes, my little lamb, I am Mason Hex and as far as you are concerned, I am the best sorcerer in the history of the world.”
His statements hung in the air for a long while as Galvan took a moment to process what he had just been told. This man was the legendary Mason Hex, the man his father had told him about when he was a small child. Mason Hex was thought to be long dead, but there were rumors that he had…
“What!? Rumors that I had discovered immortality? Yes, it’s true; I did in fact discover the secret. But I will tell you this right now, I wish I never had. Just remember this, my little turkey vulture; I am the only omniscient one here.”
Galvan never dreamed that he would get a chance to meet the man behind the legends, the man who was said to have single handedly defeated…
“The legendary Four Masters of Veronicia. Yes, that was me who defeated them. I know, I know, I shouldn’t sit here all day and blabber on about myself. Please, tell me about yourself. Who are you that you would come here in such a state? You have interrupted my meditations.”
Galvan, still awe-struck by everything he had just been told, was finally able to stutter, “I am Galvan Gabrielle; I come from the Everglen. The last thing I remember is I was running toward this pond and I was hit by a powerful dark sorcery. That man-”
Hex cut him off. “That man, Kastor Char, attacked the Everglen, killed your friends and your family, and then he killed you, am I right? Of cours
e I am. I am always right! He seeks to destroy the Everglen and turn it into a dark utopia of his own, one which he will rule as its king. I knew it! I knew this would happen. After all, it was only a matter of time before Deminion struck again. It would appear he has chosen an afflicted Knight to carry out his dark biddings this time, and unfortunately your home, the Everglen, just happened to be collateral damage. But you aren’t going to stand for that nonsense, now are you? Of course you aren’t, you are a man of integrity and honor. A man who fights for what’s right, and defends against evil…aren’t you?”
The question floated overhead as Galvan took a moment to think about his situation. His entire life had come and gone and Galvan had never met anyone even close to as powerful as the old man who now sat before him. If Galvan lived for ten thousand years, he knew he could never hope to possess the wealth of knowledge that this man had.
“I am!” Galvan finally resounded, his voice full of determination. He hoped that he could learn something from this man, something that could help him defeat Kastor Char and save his lands.
“Very good, my little snow leopard! I was hoping you would say that. After all, if you ever wish to save Catherine from his dark clutches, you had better be.”
Mason’s words reminded Galvan of his true plight; the people of Haile had been overrun by those creatures. Catherine was no doubt among them.
“Yes,” was all Galvan said as he looked to the ground, ashamed that he was unable to do more to help them.
“Galvan! Do not ever doubt yourself. As soon as you doubt yourself, you fail. You must always believe in yourself! Can you do that for me?” Mason asked, his eyes staring straight into Galvan’s, straight into his very soul.
“I will try, Master,” Galvan responded.
“Do not try! Trying involves the possibility of failure! You either succeed, or you fail! And, you failed to protect them once! The reason you failed is because you tried to help them. You must succeed! Failure is not an option! I will teach you how to do what few others can do; I will teach you how to harness the energies hidden throughout the lands of Veronicia, not just those in the Everglen. I will bestow upon you a power so great that I chose to exile myself for fear that it would become corrupted and tainted by evil. I will show you how to move mountains, how to read minds, how to cast sorcery when a normal sorcerer could not. I will teach you how to predict your opponents’ sorceries, how to counter them, how to take a life, how to save a life, and most important out of all of these, I will teach you how to be a true sorcerer. Sorcerers these days all think that runes and incantations are a necessity, hah! When I was your age, I used to have to focus on each sorcery for hours before I could even attempt to cast it. Oh how the times have changed, eh my little porcupine?”
Galvan smiled lightly, Mason’s words reminded him of his father’s lectures when he was young. He reminisced how his father always told him of the troubles he had gone through before he became a great master. This man was no doubt on a different level, but how different? Would Galvan be able to…
“I know, you are wondering if you will be able to keep up with me and become stronger. The details of your future are up to you to decide. Where you go, what you do, who you save, these are all things that you have to decide on your own. I cannot write your path for you, but I will tell you that Haile, the Everglen, and soon all of Veronicia are in grave danger if you do not stop Kastor Char.”
Mason’s words were clear to Galvan. “Will you help me, Master Hex?” Galvan asked.
“No, you must help yourself. I will simply watch, and when you are ready I will teach you more sorceries for you to master. Trust me, your road will be a long one, but should you complete this training, you will possess more knowledge, more sorceries, and more skills than anyone else in the lands of Veronicia. I only need you to do one thing for me.”
“What is it, Master? I will do anything!” Galvan proclaimed strongly, eager to begin immediately.
“When you have defeated Kastor Char and the evil that plagues the lands of Forme, I wish you to return to the Everglen and use your powers to restore it to its former glory. It won’t be an easy task; you will have to give up much of your powers to physically regenerate the lands. It will most likely take its toll on your mind as well, limiting the amount of sorceries you will remember. I don’t think I could even do it without losing some of my abilities. You will need to perform a sorcery known as Heaven’s Soulgate: Door to Eternal Grace. It is a very powerful sorcery said to be able to connect you to Sora herself. However, like all powerful sorceries, this one comes at a price. The user must offer up an unknown amount of knowledge in exchange for their wish to be granted, something that most people can’t afford in the first place. I heard of a man who performed it once, but he went insane soon after. No one truly knows the price for this spell, but I hope you are prepared to pay it.” He gave Galvan a very serious look.
“Yes, Master, I will do what I must to save hope for future generations!”
“Hahahahahaha!” Mason’s laugh roared through the cavernous dwelling. He whisked his hand through his beard. He was motivated to instruct the young sorcerer by Galvan’s willingness to protect those he loved. “Then you will begin your training at once! I will watch as you repeatedly cast one thousand simple flame spells.”
“One…thousand…Master?”
“Yes, one thousand, what did you expect? Ten?”
“Master, in my best condition, on my best day, I have never cast more than forty sorceries. How can I ever hope to cast one thousand?”
“One thousand, hah! That is just a warm up, young Galvan. Once you finish those you will cast even more still.”
“More?! Master, I do not think…”
Mason shot him a dark look, one that immediately silenced Galvan. “Silence! You must find a deeper unity between your body, mind, and spirit. Victory requires unity and mastery of all of these aspects of your being. Do you understand, my little cardinal?”
Galvan immediately turned away from Hex and began tracing runes to call about a simple flame spell. “I travel the longest road from-”
“What is that!? Are you honestly speaking while you cast spells? Never, and I mean never, let me hear you utter a word while you cast a sorcery, ever again!”
“I have never cast a spell without some form of rune or incantation, Master.”
“Well, there’s no better time to start than the present now is there! One thousand simple flame sorceries, no incantations, no runes. And you better get it right!”
“Yes, Master!”
Galvan had never in all of his life felt a pressure to impress someone as greatly as he did the man that sat before him. He had no idea what he was doing, and Mason Hex could tell. He watched as Mason slowly arose from the throne and approached him.
Mason looked at him sternly. “Well, what’s the holdup, boy? I’m waiting to see those sorceries. Come on, hurry up!”
“I…”
“You don’t know what to do, do you?”
“No, Master, I have no idea what I am doing!”
“You dare call yourself a sorcerer in my presence; you are nothing more than a trickster, a fake! A real sorcerer would have lit a pipe a thousand times already; a true sorcerer would have singed my beard before I even had a chance to respond! You dare call yourself my student!”
“I am sorry, Master!” Galvan dropped to his knees, pleading with Master Hex for some form of help. “Please help me, I know I am not worthy, but please help me!”
Mason stared at Galvan for a long while as he ruffled his beard and looked at the hedgehog who sat on his shoulder. He said suddenly, “Galvan, I want you to visualize a roaring bonfire.”
Galvan closed his eyes. “Yes, Master, I can see it now.”
“Good, now I want you to visualize a small ball of flame.”
Galvan again did as the man asked, thinking of a simple fireball and nodded. “I have done as you have asked, Master.”
“Good, now keep that ima
ge in your mind and stare at the palm of my hand,” Mason instructed. He held out his right palm facing upward.
Galvan stared for a long while, wondering when this would end and when he could move on with his training. He focused for a long time on the man’s hand and on the fireball in his mind. Finally, the faintest of lights began to appear in the palm of Mason’s hand. He continued focusing, and the light gradually grew larger and larger until it was about three inches in diameter. Suddenly, it began to rotate and hover about. A fireball. Galvan had done it. Galvan couldn’t believe it; he had cast a sorcery without any runes, incantations, or other assistance. The energy responded to his will, and Galvan had never in his life felt more alive than he did right at that moment.
“Mmmmmmm,” was Mason’s only response as he ran his left hand through his beard and nodded in approval to Galvan. “Again!”
Galvan continued his training at his master’s order. Galvan started to concentrate just as he did before and another fireball burst forth in the palm of Mason’s hand. Galvan looked up and could see approval in the wise sorcerer’s eyes as he continued his training. He kept right on producing small fireballs, eventually losing count and continuing without reservation. His casting was becoming faster and faster now, with each fireball taking less time to produce and their size becoming larger and larger. Galvan could feel his confidence rising. Time blurred. Hours passed. Days, maybe.
Mason finally spoke, “Now, let’s see you really control your sorceries. I want you to conjure a fireball on the top of each of those falling leaves. I know what you’re going to ask…” He started waving his hands back and forth in front of him. “No, I don’t want you to do it individually; I want you to do each of the leaves in unison. Make it rain fire from the sky, and do it without incinerating the leaves.”
The Trinity of Heroes (I Will Protect You Book 1) Page 31