“I want to use that stone on myself,” Xenos said.
“The stone is forbidden for personal use Xenos; I made myself clear.”
“You know me well Aegues, please grant me your blessing. I need the stone’s power.”
“You can find power from meditation; from the help of your fellow mages.”
“That won't do.”
“Then what is it you need it so badly for?”
Xenos avoided eye contact with the Archmage.
“That, I cannot reveal at this time. However, I need that stone and I am going to use it no matter what you say.”
“Excuse me?!” The Archmage said, baffled. “If I have made a decree, it holds power over this entire sanctuary. You are not exempted from it.”
The muscles in Xenos's face tensed and he bore a wicked frown.
“I'm afraid I do not care, Aegeus. I tried to ask you nicely, so if you try to stop me, you'll pay a lofty price.”
The Archmage didn't move.
“What has happened to you? It feels as if the Xenos I know is dead and gone! The hatred in your eyes I do not understand, however, there is one thing you need to know for sure; there is no way you're getting your hands on that stone, not while I'm around!”
Xenos let out an evil smirk at the Archmage.
“Well I suppose I'll have to get rid of you then.”
The Archmage curved his brow and gaped by the jaw.
Xenos's eyes glowed the same red that Zupher had seen. Within a flash, before the Archmage could react in anyway, Xenos grabbed him by the neck with his right hand, and lifted him off the ground. The very life force of the Archmage then gradually began to dissipate, and his skin began to lose all its colour.
Muriel gasped at the horrific sight that she had just witnessed. Xenos then rapidly dropped the Archmage's body and looked in the direction of where Muriel was hiding. Having only just ducked, with micro-seconds to spare, Muriel sat dead still against the piano, shaking, and trying her best to restrain her breathing. Xenos scanned the rest of the room for a few seconds and then used telekinesis to pick the stone out from the statue.
“I know there is someone out there. But guess what, I actually don't care. With the stone in my hands I’m unstoppable. Consider me your new Archmage!”
Xenos then picked up Archmage Aegeus's corpse and retired into his quarters.
Five minutes after Xenos had left the foyer, Muriel rushed toward her living quarters and pressed the jewel on her ring.
“Zupher it’s me. Are you there?”
Zupher, who was sitting by the Aurea Elderwood tree in meditation, responded.
“Yeah, what's up?”
“It's Xenos, he has murdered the Archmage!”
“What?! Have you informed the other mages?”
“No not yet; letting you know was the first thing that crossed my mind. You should get hold of Lucius as soon as you can. We’ll need his help if we’re going to stand a chance at defeating Xenos. He has the Stone.”
“I'll be sure to see him, and you can be sure to expect us. Please just try to keep safe from that wretched vampire until I get back. I love you Muriel.”
Muriel released her grip from the ring and contemplated her next move.
'When should I let the others know? Tonight may not work because getting the word to everyone will be difficult. Tomorrow at breakfast sounds perfect. I'll bring the word out that Xenos murdered the Archmage and everyone will be there to hear. But maybe it would be better to wait for Zupher and Lucius to arrive. Surely by then the other mages will be aware that the Archmage is indeed missing and there will be as much fire-power as possible to take that fiend down!'
Muriel then lay down on her bed and drank a calming potion to help her sleep.
The following morning, Muriel woke up at the crack of dawn and sat at the dining table alone. Gradually over the next few hours the other mages joined. The last mages that got to the table were Xenos and Freya.
“A new dawn has risen in the Arcane Society!” Xenos said, with his chin thrusted out.
“Archmage Aegeus has fallen. His ways were weak. He was leading us into a bottomless abyss. He did not realise the extent of potential each and every one of you has.”
Xenos then shot a supercilious gaze at the rest of the mages. Upon reaching Muriel's eyes, he smirked. Muriel stood up, infuriated.
She pointed at Xenos. “It was him; he is the person responsible for the Archmage's death!”
Xenos laughed bitterly.
“Indeed it was; he is a lot weaker than he put himself out to be.”
“You bastard, I'll kill you!” Racer shouted.
“I am afraid, you hold a fatal delusion Racer, no one here has what it takes to defeat me.”
Xenos took out his left hand, which had been concealed the entire time in his pocket, and revealed the Stone of Elsira.
“Behold, the power of light!”
Xenos then lifted the ebony magical stone high above his head and wave after wave of pure white light radiated out of it.
The rest of the mages all fell to the ground.
Muriel strained to keep her eyes open but the light from the stone eventually rendered her unconscious.
Chapter 32
Light-Piercing Dark
Earlier that morning, Zupher knocked on Elsje's door, much louder than he usually would.
A few minutes later, Zupher heard footsteps approaching the door. It was Elsje.
“Who is it?”
“It's Zupher, do you know where I can find Lucius at this moment?”
“He is at his home. Is everything all right?”
“Thank you. Things are pretty bad; no time to explain, I'll let you know when I can.”
Without giving Elsje a chance to reply, Zupher dashed off toward Lucius's home.
Upon arrival Zupher knocked and shouted, “Lucius, it’s Zupher. I need to speak with you now.”
Lucius who had been asleep, woke up and opened the door.
“What on Earth is going on?”
“It’s the Arcane Society. One of the mages, who turned out to be a vampire, has got his hands on a magical stone. Muriel and the rest of the mages are in danger. They will need our help to defeat this vampire.”
“I have made it clear that I want nothing to do with that order. But if Muriel is in danger though, I will do anything it takes to save her.”
“We best get going as soon as we can.”
Lucius retired back inside to prepare, and emerged a few minutes later.
They then headed off toward the Arcane Society to face Xenos.
“What about this stone that he has?” Lucius asked.
“It is an ancient artefact that we recently retrieved from a ruined temple. It is extremely powerful.”
“The Stone of Elsira?”
“You've heard about it?” Zupher asked.
“Yeah, my father used to speak of a race of astral beings that were venerated in the past long ago by an archaic and mysterious group of druids that lived in islands, north of Adlok. Legend has it that the astral beings gave them an object of divine power, which they kept in their temple as most sacred. They harnessed its power for millennia and made themselves immortal, until one day, they all mysteriously disappeared.”
Zupher and Lucius reached the outer boundary of the sanctuary and made their way in.
At first glance after entering the foyer, they saw each mage sitting around the statue of Archmage Sheridan in a circle. All of them had their eyes closed.
“Muriel!” Zupher called. “I am here with Lucius. Where is Xenos?”
Muriel remained silent, so did the rest of the mages.
“This just doesn't look right,” Lucius said.
Each mage then opened their eyes, one by one. They all had eyeballs of pure white light.
They got up and slowly began to walk toward Zupher and Lucius.
“What do you suppose we do Zupher? They are clearly under some sort of enchantment. Regardless though,
I don't want to be taken in so easily like last time. We don't have to hurt them badly; what we do to them will be for the greater good of themselves.”
“We shall stay put and not resist.”
“What?! Do you want to end up like them! I don't think so.”
Lucius took a deep breath and raised his right arm in the air. He then pushed his left arm out and pointed it to the ground. Before him three ghouls appeared. Lucius pointed at Falion and directed his ghoul to possess him. The ghoul faded toward Falion in a matter of seconds and submerged into him, only to be shot out instantaneously and destroyed in a burst of light.
Lucius looked over to Zupher, who was sitting down in a meditative posture.
“What are you doing?! Don't just sit there, they're getting closer.”
“Give up, your efforts will be in vain,” a voice echoed from the far end of the foyer.
In a flash of light, Xenos suddenly appeared before the mages with the Stone of Elsira in his hand.
“Only through me and the power of the stone can things be at peace. Let me show you the glory of the light.”
Lucius in a desperate attempt to stop Xenos, unleashed a colossal spell of destructive energy at him.
“Your talents will be of use to me.”
Xenos raised the Stone of Elsira in the air. Beams of light poured out that nullified Lucius’s attack. Lucius then fell to the ground and screamed in agony, rubbing his eyes.
“Best you give in to the light, or it will literally tear you to pieces,” Xenos said, laughing.
Xenos then looked up to Zupher, who was still sitting down in silence.
“Unaffected, are you?”
Xenos pointed the Stone of Elsira directly at Zupher. A massive blinding current of light rushed toward him.
Zupher remained seated with his eyes closed.
“Fool, you cannot resist this power forever!”
Zupher then opened his eyes, and a dark bullet of energy shot out between his eyes at Xenos. It pierced the light coming out of the stone and hit Xenos, right on the heart.
Xenos dropped the stone and stumbled onto his knees. The light on the rest of the mages’ eyes faded and they all fainted.
“I know what you are and what you want,” Zupher whispered, now in Xenos's psyche.
Zupher looked around and saw pools of blood, pits of fire and hordes of distorted, malicious creatures.
“You sold your life away and thought you could get it back at the cost of others. But now you're so consumed by pride and lust, blinded from external light and tormented by internal darkness. Your fear has consumed you from the inside out.”
Xenos started to weep.
“You don't know anything about me!”
“Oh yes I do. I know everything. Your deepest, darkest secrets. I have full access to your mind. You're like an open book to me. How pitiful what I have learnt. You ought to redeem yourself.”
“How?!” Xenos asked, dreaded with emotion.
“Use the stone for what you originally intended.”
Zupher pointed to Xenos's memory of the stone in his psyche.
“Step into the light.”
Xenos reached over to the stone and picked it up.
“I can't do it!” He shouted, tears pouring down his face.
Xenos then dropped the stone with all his might. Upon impact on the ground, the stone emanated a flash of light that surrounded Xenos. His body then disappeared with the light, back into the stone.
The rest of the mages, after a few minutes, gradually started to come back to consciousness. Muriel and Racer were the first mages to come by.
“What happened?” Muriel asked, while approaching Zupher.
“It was Xenos, he used the power from the stone to put an evil enchantment on all of you. I was able to stop him with the help of Lucius.”
“What happened to him?” Racer asked.
“He was absorbed into the stone.”
Zupher, Muriel and Racer then headed to the lounge area. The rest of the mages soon followed.
“How did you manage to stop him?” Freya asked.
“Once I heard that he was in possession of the stone, I immediately knew that he could not be stopped by ordinary means. I meditated with the Aurea Elderwood tree and focused on building up the necessary energy I’d need to breach his subconscious. I kept my emotions fixed on my love for the Arcane Society, my respect for its mages and the immaculate desire I have for the society's continuation. I then built a solid thought on the disposition that Xenos holds. The other day, I saw him conducting a blood ritual and ever since I suspected that he is a vampire. The power of the Aurea Elderwood tree confirmed it to me in my meditation that it was the case. I then imagined and rehearsed how I would go about breaching his psyche and defeating him. In essence with the help of the mighty Aurea Elderwood and my burning will, I mustered up the necessary energy and confidence to stop him.”
The rest of the mages applauded.
“What shall we do with the stone?” Falion asked.
“It ought to be destroyed, if you ask me,” said Bellona.
“I don't think that’s a good idea or even possible. The thing is as hard as a diamond and the energy within it is tremendous. We ought to seal it away,” Earl said.
The rest of the mages nodded their heads.
”I know of a spell that can seal it away in a strongbox, and only through the same source of this spell will it be possible to unseal it.”
Earl retired into his quarters and soon reappeared with a large tome and silver strongbox. He walked into the general training hall, and the rest of the mages followed.
He then opened the book in the middle of the hall, between the two pillars and placed the Stone of Elsira on the floor inside the strongbox and closed it.
“I suggest you guys back away a little. This is going to be an immense sealing.”
Zupher and the rest of the mages retreated near the edge of the room and watched Earl begin the incantation. A wave of energy expanded from the tome and caused the entire room to vibrate. Earl raised his hands and tone of voice with each word that he spoke. A sigil appeared in mid-air above the strongbox as Earl progressed. At the climax of the incantation, Earl slammed both his hands on the ground and the sigil imprinted itself on the strongbox.
Later on that day, Zupher and Muriel headed outside the sanctuary to sit by the woodlands.
It was a cool Autumn day, with leaves brown and crisp blowing about. Zupher and Muriel sat side by side and looked at the giant dead trees before them.
“What a crazy adventure this has been,” Muriel said, looking over at Zupher smiling.
“At least I got to experience it with you. Something tells me though, that this is only the beginning.”
“Something tells me that you are right.”
Chapter 33
Revelation
Lord Auberon, who rarely sleeps, awoke after only two hours of sleep from pungent fumes seeping into his room. After getting dressed into his usual red and black robes, he proceeded to the main chamber of the longhouse. Upon his very shadow appearing into the chamber, the Royal Council members who were seated at the table, immediately stood up.
Lord Auberon slowly walked towards the head of the table, shooting a piercing glance at each of the nine Council Members. Once he reached his seat, all nine Council Members said in unison, “My lord”.
Lord Auberon then sat down. The Council members proceeded to take their seats soon after. There was silence for a few minutes. The Council members watched Lord Auberon in apprehension as he skimmed through a report.
“It appears we have a rather pressing issue here. If I read correctly, the rebels have penetrated the walls of the inner district?”
One of the Council members nervously replied: “Yes, my lord, our guards are doing the best they can to delay them for as long as possible in reaching us.”
“Oh and what a tragedy that might be, if they confront us,” Lord Auberon said, with an air of sarcasm in h
is voice.
“What shall we do, my lord?” Magnus asked, with sweat gleaming down his face.
Lord Auberon smirked.
“Yes, a good question indeed. With their great numbers and burning passion for blood, oh my dear brothers. What shall we do?”
The rest of the Council members started to whisper among one another.
A few moments passed.
“My oh my men, how disappointed I am, that none of you picked it up.”
The expression of all the Council members changed.
Last night there was a massive pulse in the aether, so strong, so direct. It was clear and precise, coming from a certain place. The nature of this pulse, like none other, revealed exactly what caused it.”
The Council members were glued onto the words of Lord Auberon.
“It is the stone of Elsira, long concealed by legend, oh but my brothers it’s real, very real.”
“Where was its energy coming from?” Magnus asked.
“From a cave in a swamp, south of the canyon. None other than the sanctuary of the Arcane Society. I am adamant that this is the case.”
Lord Auberon stood up.
“So we ought to prepare ourselves now. For all ten of us are going to go there. Lay a siege, murder them all and take the Stone.”
“But what about Adlok my Lord,” a Council member asked.
“Let them storm in here to find us all gone. They'll assume we ran off, but when we return they'll be in for the surprise of their lives.”
Chapter 34
Racer's Amulet
Zupher stood beside Falion and Muriel among the rest of the apprentice mages by the statue of Archmage Sheridan in the centre of the foyer. He had been standing for about ten minutes and throughout the time, Zupher and the apprentices were silent. The door to the general training hall then slowly opened and Freya, Racer, Bellona, Earl and Fae came forth. There were no words spoken by any mage until the Master Mages stood parallel to the apprentices.
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