by C. G. Garcia
The Seer looked to be middle-aged, mid-forties maybe, though his entire manner seemed to suggest that he was far older in experience. Raven hair so far untouched by gray hung long and full to fall down in swirls around his knees.
He was dressed in a simple, unadorned silver robe that gave no indication of his high status among the order. The flickering of the flames played off eerily with the sheen of the sholkie material, causing the garment to appear to be slightly glowing.
About his neck hung the same medallion Allison had seen the other priests wearing. She couldn’t help but think that compared to this man, Seer Etain was about as intimidating as a newborn baby. Even sitting down, he seemed to loom over her menacingly.
With a graceful wave of his hand, the Seer motioned for them to be seated onto the two sholkie cushions before him. Allison sank down onto hers gratefully, certain her wobbling knees would have given out on her soon.
“I have long awaited your coming,” Master Kiryl began, his voice heavy with a strange accent that made it difficult for her to understand his words. His eyes flitted between Aidric and her so that she was not sure if he meant her or both of them. “Even as a child, when I was but a novice here, did I Foresee this meeting. I know the questions you have brought to us, as well you know why it is I who must give answer to them.”
“Yes,” Aidric said simply.
“Her arrival in our world was felt by all here,” he said, fixing his eyes onto her so intensely that Allison did not dare look away. “As I, myself, felt the tremendous increase in magical energy by her arrival, Seni blessed me with many visions of the near future. It is of those visions that we must speak of in order for your questions to be answered.”
Aidric stiffened. “Then my fears are true,” he ventured. “The Prophecy of the Six is to be fulfilled in this generation.”
“Yes, the Prophecy of the Six,” Kiryl replied calmly. “The coming of the Golden Mage was but one of two of the last stones cast into the lake of fate, and now the ripples it has caused have triggered that which Seni has forewarned. The cataclysm has indeed begun, and how it will end depends upon the path she is to follow now. Of that path, Seni has chosen not to reveal to me. It is for her, alone, to choose.”
“As fate would have it, I have charged myself with her guidance,” Aidric said. “Yet, of the special abilities she possesses, I know so little that it might as well be nothing at all. You, the foremost authority on the Golden Mage, I seek to know more of these abilities in order to properly instruct her. Nowhere in the Prophecy of the Golden Mage did it mention that she was to possess the ability to Soulwalk—the power which only the Natian Six are said to wield. The prophecy merely hints towards unknown abilities, thus we were unprepared for its manifestation. Tell me, Master Kiryl, do you have knowledge of the power of Soulwalking that exceeds what I know?”
Master Kiryl was silent for a long while before he answered, so long that Allison had begun to fear he wouldn’t.
“Long ago,” he began slowly, staring off into the darkness beyond them as though he was seeing those ages past, “when Seni’s World was but one great, united kingdom, the kingdom of Natia, Seni entrusted a book to a young Seer named Aesir, the same Seer who is the originator of the Prophecy of the Golden Mage.”
Allison turned to Aidric and saw surprise in his eyes. Had he not known this? It seemed strange to Allison that he didn’t, since it was a prophecy that everyone in Lamia seemed to truly fear.
Master Kiryl also noted Aidric’s expression with a nod and continued, “Yes, I trust you have always believed that the origin of that particular prophecy was lost in time or never revealed. It is what we of the Order of the Providence have led you to believe through the ages for reasons only our ancestors know.
“Now, this book contained all the special spells and their instruction of a legendary mage whom was yet to be named. It is written that this revelation drove Aesir mad. It is not clear all that Seni chose to reveal to him, but some say that he also held the knowledge of the war that ultimately destroyed the peace in Natia and the Prophecy of the Six, though it was never proven. Apparently, he had not been strong enough to bear the burden of knowing all mankind’s future calamities, and thus, had failed in his duty as Seni’s vessel.
“It is said that Aesir raved for days, ultimately lost in his madness. Fearing that he would harm others as well as himself, his brother Seers confined him within a mage barrier. Yet, he somehow broke free and disappeared, the book along with him, never to be seen again. He did, however, leave behind a scroll containing the verse we now know of as the Prophecy of the Golden Mage. He had written it before his visions drove his sanity away.
“There in that book lies the answer to all the questions you have of the power she wields. In all the millennia that have passed, the book has never been found, yet visions I have had have shown that the book still exists—where, I cannot even begin to guess.”
“So it’s hopeless to know exactly what she is capable of doing?” Aidric asked flatly.
“Not entirely,” Kiryl replied. “In our archives, our ancestors left documents which recount some of the ravings of Seer Aesir. One such document speaks of his ravings concerning the book, which he had allowed none to see. He spoke of offensive spells of such great destructiveness that it drove fear into the hearts of the Natians, who had yet to experience war or the sight of great magicks. It speaks of spells that had the power to break open the earth and to draw flaming boulders from the Thrones. It also speaks of an amazing ability which allows a mage to move freely throughout the world in spirit form. This ability, of course, is Soulwalking. Alas, the spellbook is lost, else the spell could have been a most powerful weapon in your struggle against the Mihran king, Roderick.”
“Wait a mi-depth!” Allison burst out. “Are you saying that I have the power to make my spirit to travel outside my body? We actually do have souls?”
Her question seemed to disturb Aidric, though he only raised an eyebrow to show his displeasure. If Master Kiryl was also bothered, his expression gave no indication.
“Have you no spiritual beliefs, child?” the Seer asked, fixing her with those eyes that mirrored the flames around him.
“Of course I do,” Allison said in a small voice. “It’s just that I—I’m not as—sure about the existence of my god as you people seem to be about yours. I believe, but sometimes I do have my doubts.”
Although he accepted her answer with a nod, his eyes were openly disapproving. “Indeed, we do have souls, child,” Master Kiryl said firmly. “I know not of your deity, but I assure you that Seni does exist as surely as we now sit in this room.”
Allison stared down at her hands, feeling somewhat ashamed by her words. She felt that she had offended him, but what really bothered her was that Aidric looked even more upset by her words. “I didn’t mean to be—if I offended you, then I’m really sorry. I have a bad habit of saying things I shouldn’t.”
“You are not of our world and could not possibly share our beliefs,” the Seer reasoned. “Thus, I took no offense of your words. Tell me, why is it that you find it so difficult to accept the ability to Soulwalk when you have already used it once before?”
Allison’s head shot up, and she stared at him in sudden fear. The thought of having that kind of freaky ability frightened her, and she had hoped to keep what she had done earlier from him lest he suggest that she try to do it again. Apparently Kiryl had other plans.
“H-How do you know I’ve u-used it before?” she stammered.
“That is of no importance,” he replied offhandedly. “What is important is that you have used this ability, and you must continue to use it.”
“But—but—I don’t know how I did it!” Allison cried. “I was sleeping, and I thought that it was a dream. When I called out to Aidric with my warning, I had no idea that he actually heard me!”
“Then you must learn,” Kiryl said sternly, ignoring the hysteria in her voice. “It is prudent that you discover the power yo
u hold within—this I have Foreseen, for you are indeed the third sign Seni has sent us in warning that the melding of the two worlds is near. It is our duty to protect all Seni has wrought, and our failure means the destruction of all mankind.”
“Please,” Allison pleaded, her eyes beginning to swell with tears, “I don’t understand any of this.”
Aidric took ahold of her right hand and squeezed it reassuringly, but even that seemed to comfort her little after hearing Kiryl speak of her “duty” in matters that she didn’t understand. This is madness, she thought frantically. The end of the world—prophecies—magic—it’s all madness!
“Child, know you not of the Prophecy of the Six?” she heard Kiryl ask, distant as if he had spoken from a memory.
Her mouth was suddenly dry, and when she answered him, it was all Allison could do just to get the words past the huge lump in her throat. “I know some, Master Kiryl, but only the little that Aidric tried to explain to me. I didn’t understand any of it then, either.”
“Then we shall ease your confusion,” he said. “Know you any of the history of the kingdom of Natia and what befell it?”
“No.”
“Then we shall begin there.”
The Seer folded his hands and laid them onto his lap as if the story he was about to tell was a long one. He stared deeply into her eyes for a long while, maybe trying to read what lay hidden within, until Allison cast them down nervously.
“You flee from the truth,” he commented after a few seconds of uncomfortable silence. Her hands suddenly became very fascinating. “However, truth is what you seek, thus the chaos that I sense within your soul. Listen well, Allison McNeal, for within the words I shall speak, you will find the answers your soul hungers for.”
Allison raised her eyes and blinked at him stupidly, more confused now than ever. Truths—what truths? And, did I even tell him my name…
“When Natia was the sole kingdom under the Thrones,” Kiryl began, “mankind lived peacefully, and war was a word which had never crossed their lips. This kingdom stretched far across the lands, its populous numbering greater than anything you could imagine. However peace, as we all know, cannot last among mortals, especially in a kingdom so great.
“As it happened, twin sons, Reznik and Rhan, were born to the king, possessing unusually powerful mage abilities. Both brothers were ambitious and held greed for power within their hearts. They grew up rivals, and when their father was killed while on the hunt under suspicious circumstances, though it was never proven that his sons were responsible, the battle began for the throne.
“Understand that this was a time before the existence of Mage-fields. Now, you may ask where then did mages draw their power from? Every living thing consists of energy, thus constantly expelling energy. It is from this residual energy in the air that a mage drew from. Mind you, none were more powerful than the weakest of present-day mages, so you may well imagine the stir the birth of the twins caused. Power such as they were capable of wielding was simply not seen, thus they were greatly feared, more so when their father died.
“Factions quickly developed within the kingdom, those who sided with Reznik and those with his brother, eventually dragging Natia into a civil war. Thus, the kingdom split into three nations—Marzina, Masia, and Jadwiga. Reznik held power over Marzina and Rhan over Masia, driving their personal forces against each other, a savage slaughter of men who knew nothing of fighting for a throne which each thought was rightfully his and his alone.
“Then there were those of Jadwiga, who chose to side with none, horrified by what had become of their peaceful kingdom and wanting nothing of war. For a year, they hid in their homes in fear as the swords clanged and the very world seemed to rock on its foundation as the twins cast spell after spell against each other. Many innocent lives were lost in the chaos, in battles, or from starvation, for many feared to leave their homes. This war threatened to destroy all of civilization.”
Kiryl paused in his tale and looked pointedly at Aidric. Aidric stared back, unmoving, unblinking, and for the life of her, Allison could not figure out how he could maintain such a steady composure in the presence of this priest.
“This,” Kiryl continued, “which I am to speak of henceforth, not even you, Mage-general, have knowledge of.”
“Why does that not surprise me,” Aidric replied dryly. “Today I’m learning that there is indeed much your order has chosen to keep hidden from the whole of mankind.”
“All for good purpose, young one, I assure you,” Kiryl said undauntedly, choosing to ignore Aidric’s accusative tone. “Now, to my tale—finally, in desperation, those who sought peace sent six men into the wilderness far beyond the borders of the three nations, away from the madness that was spreading like a plague hungry for flesh to devour, to meditate and plead to Seni to deliver them from their torment. When the six men returned after a half-moon, the Jadwigans were shocked to discover that they had undergone a tremendous change. Seni had answered their prayers, but not as they had expected.
“This world, Seni created solely for mankind to dwell upon alone beyond the celestial thrones of His divine kingdom with very little intervention from Him. Why? It is simply beyond a mortal’s comprehension. Our ancient ancestors simply did not know that Seni left the fate and affairs of mankind completely to mankind. They had thought Seni to strike the twins dead. Instead, these men became His weapon, returning no longer mortal and wielding the powers of Seni, Himself.
“Together, they confronted the twins and gave them an ultimatum—either they cease their fighting and rule peacefully together, or by the will of Seni, they would be destroyed. The brothers laughed at their warning, for they did not know that the hand of Seni had touched their confronters’ souls, and refused to yield. Hate and greed had been a resident in their hearts for far too long for them to forget their differences and make right their wrongs. Instead, they turned their power onto the six men to rid themselves of what they believed to be merely a nuisance so that they may return to their power struggle.
“As you may well imagine, Reznik and Rhan were shocked to discover that their magic had no effect on the men. In a panic, they attempted to flee, but they were easily caught and imprisoned within a circle of magic so powerful it could not be penetrated. This circle drained them of their life-force and created the first Mage-field of their life energy.
“The Jadwigans, having witnessed this unnatural battle, cowered in terror in the presence of these men who had been their brothers, husbands, fathers, and sons only a few days earlier. They were like gods, themselves. The people fell to their knees in worship, but this dismayed the six. They explained to the people that they had not been made gods by Seni, but protectors of mankind. Seni had given them immortality and god-like powers—but at a price. They must live apart from all mankind, watching over them throughout the ages, and never would mortal eyes behold them again until mankind once again threatened to destroy itself.
“Before they departed, a prophecy was revealed to the people, one that told of the possible ending of mankind, triggered by the actions of a mage who harbored no love in his soul, only darkness much as the twins had. However, before this was to come to pass, Seni offered to give mankind a chance to save itself by uniting as one as Natia had once been to battle the evil this mage would set free in the world. His only aid would be the sending of five signs to warn that the time is at hand when the worlds of light and darkness are aligned on the same plane and demons from all six hells of Ter-ob may be Summoned simultaneously to walk our lands, demons with the power to Summon the ultimate dark god, Arioch, onto our plane whose goal is to destroy Seni, Himself.
“Now, four of these signs are first, the coming of mages which possess powers beyond those of any mage living under the Thrones, the other, the deciding factor of which fate will most likely befall us. The first three have already transpired. The first was the birth of twins who wielded the power of the bardic-mage. The second was the birth of a mage more powerful th
an had been seen in ages. The third was the coming of a mage of legends. As for the fourth sign,” he looked pointedly at Allison, “the downfall of a great kingdom, it depends solely upon the Golden Mage. As I have said, I cannot Foresee the path she will take. Whichever kingdom falls, be it Lamia or Mihr, the success of preventing the destruction of mankind depends upon that fall. I need not voice which fate will bring mankind the more hope.”
Don’t put any pressure on me or anything, Allison thought bitterly.
“And the fifth sign?” Aidric whispered, so softly that Allison almost didn’t hear him.
Master Kiryl smiled and answered, “Ah yes, the fourth warrior, a name unknown beyond the boundaries of our abode, and also the fifth sign. Have you not guessed by all I have revealed within my tale?” Before Aidric could nod or shake his head, Kiryl plowed on as if he had never asked the question. “The last sign is, of course, the return of the Natian Six, Seni’s immortal weapons.”
Aidric whistled softly. “It’s no wonder your order has kept the last sign a secret. The Natian Six are beings that we know little about and through the ages have been taught to greatly fear because of what they represent. But tell me, Master Kiryl, why didn’t you reveal this last sign to Keldan, Aren, or me sooner? Was it not necessary for us to know?”
“It was not the right time until now, impatient one,” Kiryl answered matter-of-factly. “I do as Seni commands, and it was by His will that I should not reveal the knowledge of the fifth sign until he deemed it to be the proper time.”
Allison barely heard the conversation between the two men. Her mind was instead on the names of the three nations that Natia had become, names that seemed vaguely familiar to her but couldn’t imagine where she had heard of them before this. A sense of foreboding washed through her as she thought of the names, trying to put her finger on where she knew them from. The feeling screamed out to her that these were dangerous thoughts and a path that was best left unsought.