by B. T. Narro
“The first demigod who Basael gave life to was Valinox, the selfish firstborn son,” she continued. “He created mtalia without giving up much power but would become jealous later when other demigods created magic that was much stronger and therefore gained more love from Basael. After Valinox, Basael gave life to Souriff.”
“Souriff, yes,” Grufaeragar interjected. “Souriff visit Hammashar.”
The topic of mtalia reminded me of Charlie, who was the only one not present in the courtyard. I figured he was either learning how to craft something or actually crafting something right in this moment. After what he had done with the callrings, I was glad he was keeping himself busy.
“Yes,” Kataleya agreed with the krepp. “Souriff was born much stronger than Valinox, but she gave up a large portion of her power to create dvinia. Basael was very pleased with Souriff’s creation and sacrifice, but of course Valinox was jealous. The third demigod was Nijja, another powerful sister to Valinox. She created ordia to keep the incredibly powerful creatures that lived in Fyrren, the fae world, from killing each other. Basael was so pleased with Nijja that he let her rule Fyrren with ordia. It is such a strong magical art that it has seeped into our world over the many centuries that followed.”
“The Cess believe that ordia has come into our world only after Basael died,” Eden explained.
“And Formists believe Basael is still alive,” Kataleya countered fiercely as if ready to argue.
I felt a little embarrassed that I was the focus of this lecture. All of this sounded familiar. I was certain the neighbors of my home in Bhode had told me these tales before, but when my father found out, he had disallowed them from filling my mind with such fantasies. I didn’t know what I believed right now, but it didn’t hurt to listen.
“Failina came after Nijja,” Kataleya went on. “Each demigod who Basael gave life to was stronger than the last, and Failina was no exception. But like the other sisters before her, she gave up much of her power to create another powerful magical art, erto.”
“All right,” Leon said as he walked back to us. “I think I’m finally ready.”
“I’m just about done,” Kataleya pleaded. “Please, one minute?”
“Make it fast.”
She looked at me. “The last demigod, you can probably guess.”
“Dteria.”
“Yes. Airinold came into this world stronger than any demigod before him. He saw how the others had given up much of their power and how pleased Basael was with their sacrifice. However, he decided to trick Basael. He sacrificed nearly all of his strength to create dteria. But he created it in a way that was different than the other magical arts. When anyone used dteria, their soul changed in a very, very small way.” She pinched her fingers together. “But the more they used dteria, the more their soul was changed.” She moved her hands apart and eventually spread her arms.
“The more dteria they used before they died,” she said, “the greater portion of their soul would be returned to Airinold. So as you can see, he created dteria like an investment. Basael was pleased when he first saw dteria, but he changed his mind when he realized what was happening to those who used it. Dteria gives the caster a feeling of euphoric power and confidence. It makes them want to use it more and more, but the more they use it, the more they develop an immunity to its effects. It’s a terrible addiction that can change not only someone’s personality, but their soul as well. It must be stopped.”
She went on, “Basael eventually figured this out. However, by then Airinold had become the most powerful demigod, and dteria was sweeping through Dorrinthal. Basael imprisoned Airinold as punishment and told the other demigods to do everything they could to stop the spread of dteria. While most of the demigods couldn’t do much to help, it was Souriff who found the most success with her control over dvinia. It seemed to be a natural resistance to dteria. But everything changed after The Day of Death. Cess, like Eden and Leon, believe Basael died that day. As a Formist, I believe he ascended to the heavens but did lose much of his power.”
Kataleya glanced at Eden. “I think everyone agrees as to what happened to Airinold afterward.”
“Yes, Airinold broke out of the prison Basael had created for him,” Eden said.
Kataleya continued, “Then, he waged war against all the other demigods. He was too strong by then. All the demigods went into hiding. Most people in Dorrinthal had been killed by the incredible explosion in Curdith Forest, but demigods managed to hide many of the good-natured people who had never accepted dteria.
“For many years, Airinold searched for the demigods. To aid him in his search, he transformed himself into Gourfist, an enormous flying creature. But the other demigods could change their appearances as well. They knew that Airinold would not be able to find them so long as they didn’t use much of their power, because this was the only way he could sense them. Airinold, as Gourfist, would search for weeks straight. He would exhaust himself so greatly that he had to sleep for years to recover, because he could never die. This continued for centuries. He searched longer and slept even longer. Eventually, he lost his mind to the exhaustive search. Now Gourfist, the creature, has consumed Airinold. It continues to search for the demigods, sensing powerful sorcery, but it no longer understands why.”
“I will say that Gourfist is real,” Leon said with a nod of his head. “I have met a man who has seen him, a man I believe.”
“Yes, sightings of Gourfist have been recorded in history,” Kataleya agreed. “He seems to sleep in the center of Curdith Forest.”
“So he’s the cause of dteria in the forest?” I asked.
“There are many theories to that,” Kataleya said. “Some believe he still has a hold over dteria, even though he doesn’t have the mind to know what he’s doing with it anymore. Others say that he’s lost control of dteria but the dark magic still clings to him like a blind dog knows its master. Then there are people who say that one of the other demigods could now have control of dteria. Valinox, the firstborn son of Basael and the most jealous of all the demigods, seems the most likely to have taken control. But it’s also safe to say that Souriff is doing everything she can to combat dteria. That is why there is natural dvinia in the forest, and more of it closer to the center. It’s this natural dvinia that empowers our mana over time.”
“Why don’t the demigods kill Gourfist?” I asked.
“I imagine they separated from each other many years ago and they don’t know where the others are. None of them are strong enough to kill Gourfist alone, and even using a portion of their power will allow Gourfist to sense them and kill them.”
“What about Nijja?” I asked. “If she’s the ruler of Fyrren, don’t the other demigods know exactly where she is and can work with her?”
“Well,” Kataleya said, “I think the entrance to the fae world is closely guarded by Gourfist for that very reason. It’s probably near the center of the forest. Also, Valinox tried to enter Fyrren to escape Airinold when Airinold first transformed into Gourfist and started searching for everyone. But Nijja didn’t allow Valinox to stay.”
“All right,” Leon concluded. “Now we’re moving very far from anything factual. The only thing all of you should take away from that story is the danger of dteria, which is certainly real. A little bit more about dteria that we know is this: The frequency of dteria is near the middle of the spectrum. Some of you with a high natural frequency, like Jon, will feel your mana being pulled to a lower vibration when you’re close to someone who’s powerful with dteria or who has an essence. The others of you with lower natural frequency, like Aliana, are going to feel your vibration of your mana increasing. The spell is this: Lower B, E min, F. It’s a nasty chord that, once you understand mana better, you will realize how unnatural it is.
“The only reason I tell you the spell is so you can figure out for yourself if your mana is lower or higher so you know what to expect. You are never to cast that spell. I want all of you to agree right now. Say, ‘I
f I cast this spell, I agree that Leon can burn me alive.’ ”
We all muttered the agreement tensely. I’m sure I wasn’t the only one visualizing what Leon had described. Only Grufaeragar was quiet. I wasn’t sure he was understanding any of this, but at least he didn’t seem too bored.
“Dteria is strong, unfortunately,” Leon said. “I demonstrated its power earlier with Michael, and I’m not even trained to use it. Now imagine what a powerful sorcerer could do after spending years of his or her life working on that skill.”
I raised my hand.
“Yes?”
“The energy of dteria seems similar to dvinia.”
“Yes, there are many similarities. Both dvinia and dteria can turn the caster’s mana into a physical force. Both can be controlled. The most basic spell of dvinia, Expel, and the most basic spell of dteria, Dislodge, have almost the same effect, except dteria is a hell of a lot easier to use. Dteria is like dvinia with the power of ordia. It has many functions depending on how a spell is cast. Not only can Lower B, E min, and F dislodge someone, but the same chord can create curses. Think of an enchantment gone horribly wrong. It is a terrible, disgusting form of magic.”
“Is it true that dteria and vtalia can be used by warlocks?” I asked, remembering what Reuben had said.
“Dteria can do many things. I’m not about to go through all of them.”
I took that to mean warlocks really did exist.
“You’re here today to learn how to resist dteria,” Leon said. “As with most things, the more you deal with something—depending on your will—the better you will be at resisting it. This is also true of any magical art. Even if I burn your skin with fire, so long as it’s fire created from mana and you have some control over your own mana, your mana will eventually learn to resist it. That’s not to say I’m going to burn any of you. Fire does far too much damage for anyone to have hope of resisting it before it burns all their skin off, but dteria is obviously different.
“The more control you have over your mana, the easier it’s going to be to resist anything. Our mana can act as an invisible shield. But keep in mind that it is very similar to a physical shield. If you’re holding a metal barrier in front of you and I swing a hammer at that barrier, who do you think is going to have an easier time? Me swinging or you blocking?”
“You swinging,” we echoed.
“Exactly, but now imagine I have a little dagger. I’m just going to waste my stamina trying to get through a strong shield, and it won’t take much effort for you to hold it up. What I’m trying to say is that the difficulty in blocking a spell mostly has to do with the spell itself. But where this fails to work as an analogy is that you—through your mana—can become accustomed to blocking specific magical arts so that it’s easier for you to resist them later. The great thing about resistance is that once you learn how to resist dteria, you can resist it in all forms, such as Dislodge, Curse, and even Drain Life, which, yes, Jon, does exist, but you really shouldn’t worry about it. I’ve met one warlock in my life, and it was right before he was hung. They are not as scary as you might think.”
My face must’ve given my thoughts away earlier. I nodded.
“Now the actual act of resisting is going to take some practice,” Leon asserted. “Think of it like absorbing a punch, but instead of flexing your muscles and bending your body, you’re doing the same to your mana. Who wants to try first?”
I raised my hand.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Leon warned me, “Just because you can cast with dvinia doesn’t mean you will resist dteria any easier than anyone else. What we create with our mana is different than what can be found naturally. Don’t ask me how it’s different, because no one knows. It’s just—”
He whipped his hand at me, no doubt trying to catch me off guard. My reflexes kicked in. I steeled my mana, hardening it around my midsection where he seemed to be aiming. The dteria struck me nearly at the same time.
It felt like a large barrier of sorts, bigger than my chest, slamming into my torso. But unlike a punch or a slap, it kept pushing me up and away as it hit.
It all happened almost too fast to think. There was a brief moment of struggle as I pushed back with my own mana in a wrestling match that began and ended less than a breath apart. The momentum from the spell still had me searching for footing as I was pushed backward, even after it was over. I stumbled and waved my arms for balance, but then I came to a rest.
I wasn’t exactly proud that I stayed on my feet because I had been mostly ready for the spell, and Leon had admitted that he wasn’t as strong as a real dark mage. It was no wonder the arrogant ass who’d bumped into my shoulder had so much confidence. He probably could beat me in a fight. It was a disconcerting thought.
Now that I had at least partially resisted a spell, I realized that I had in fact somewhat resisted the wind spell Leon had casted a little while ago. I had tensed my mana when I’d braced for the impact. My reflexes seemed to know what to do, and that part I was proud of.
Leon glared, as if me staying on my feet was an insult. “You’re lucky I’m not trying harder.” Then he shook his head and held up his hand. “Wait, shut up.”
He muttered to himself for a while. Then he let out a little shout and seemed more in control after. “Who’s next?”
I was concerned, but Kataleya had mentioned that the more someone used dteria, the more dteria was required for them to feel euphoria. Hopefully, this would become easier for Leon soon.
“Wait, where’s Spayker?” Leon asked in annoyance.
I found it odd and a little worrisome that he hadn’t noticed Charlie missing until now.
“He’s crafting something,” Eden said.
“What is he making?”
“First he made some callrings. Now he’s making trackers.”
“Then he’s a good lad. We’ll leave him be. Eden, you’re next.”
“Um. All right…” she said nervously with a pinched expression.
Everyone moved away from her. There was no denying that it would be easier to throw a lighter person off her feet. Eden and Remi were the two smallest of the group, but Eden was an inch or two shorter. Not only that, the span of her shoulders was narrow and her arms were quite thin. Remi appeared to have more physical strength. I figured Leon would take it easy on Eden.
I was wrong. Letting out a sharp scream, Eden suddenly flew through the air.
Leon laughed like a madman, but he quickly cut himself short.
He cleared his throat. “Are you all right, Eden?”
“Yeah…” she grumbled as she got herself up, her dark hair a mess.
“You should go again,” Leon said. “I hardly felt any resistance from you.”
“Isn’t it harder for enchanters?”
“Actually.” He pointed at her with a flick of his wrist. “You’re right. This horrible stuff is messing with my head. But you still should go again.”
Why is it harder for enchanters? More importantly, how was Eden able to figure this out? I put my mind to the task as Leon tossed Eden backward a few more times.
The answer started to become clear to me later when I saw who had an easier time resisting and who didn’t. Reuben struggled, like Eden, though he wasn’t lifted off the ground nearly as far. Michael, when he was ready for the spell, managed to keep his feet planted as he slid backward, akin to what happened to me.
Remi was picked up off the ground, but she wasn’t tossed far and didn’t fall over like Reuben had when she landed. Considering she was much lighter than him, this was what really told me the answer I was looking for. Aliana’s attempt at resistance confirmed it for me. She was picked up and thrown quite far, but she had the agility and grace to land on her feet.
It seemed that our ability to resist depended on the strength of our mana. Sorcerers who weren’t required to put so much force behind their spells had more trouble resisting, such as Reuben and Eden, who focused on ordia. Reuben had mentioned a while ago tha
t he would be a harbinger, like Barrett. I took that to mean he would, or perhaps already did, know how to create binding contracts like the ones we’d signed to protect the king. I wondered how exactly he trained. I usually saw him keeping to himself in the courtyard, focused on his thoughts.
The other sorcerers, like Remi and Michael, who used a lot more force with their spells, had an easier time resisting. It seemed that the strength of someone’s mana might be measured by their ability to resist. But there was more to it than that. There was technique, like wrestling. The more Leon cast dteria on me, the easier time I had resisting, even though my mana wasn’t becoming stronger from one attempt to another.
We trained for hours. At one point, I asked Michael, “Are the effects of dteria reversible?”
“I believe so. Leon’s natural mana will always go back to how it was, given time, and the effects of dteria on his mind shouldn’t last more than a day, if he stops using it sooner rather than later.”
“What about his soul?”
“Oh, I’m sure Leon’s soul is doomed already anyway.”
We chuckled without humor.
“No one can really answer that for sure,” Michael said. “It’s pretty clear that he doesn’t believe in it.”
I agreed, though I worried for him as I watched him cast over and over.
Eventually Grufaeragar wanted to start participating. Even with him being as large as he was, he was thrown just as far as Eden was during her first few attempts.
It didn’t take long to see that, unfortunately, the krepp didn’t seem to have a way of improving his resistance. He was thrown the same distance every time. Leon explained to Grufaeragar that he probably didn’t have mana, which was required to resist the spell. That seemed to piss off the krepp, who demanded that Leon continue to use the “human magic” against him until he learned how to defend against it.
For the better part of an hour, Leon tossed Grufaeragar away from him. Grufaeragar got up and walked back to his spot. Then Leon tossed him again. Leon didn’t seem to have a reaction to the dteria anymore, or perhaps he was just growing too tired for it to show. His eyelids hung each time he blinked. He drew breath slow and deep. Nonetheless, he kept on throwing us. Fortunately, Grufaeragar soon stopped demanding to repeat his turn and seemed content to learn from the rest of us.