Teliko Mageia: Curse of the Frozen Flame

by A. J. Carbonell

  Jael was raised and trained by Artemia. She taught Jael how to use magick, inspired by her own background as a summoner. But he did not have the abilities she had; each time Artemia taught him how to summon, Jael would only conjure fire. Every time this happened, she feared that Jael would get burned but, Jael never seemed to be in pain whenever he conjured fire from his hands. Only she ran back from the flames, terrified; he played with them, intoxicated.

  At a very young age, Jael mastered the Blazia spell and Artemia wondered if he could concentrate the flames to any part of his body to amplify its effect. “Jael, try to bring your flames to your feet. Can you do that?” Artemia said and Jael tried to do so.

  “I don’t know how, mother,” Jael sobbed.

  “It’s all right, child. You will soon know. Train for now,” Artemia replied. Young Jael was five years old at the time.

  A few years passed; Jael mastered his Explosion spell with the help of Artemia and she trained him to hunt animals with the use of his newly mastered magick. They lived in peace in her woodland cabin, no threat from the wild for Artemia could control and speak to any creature she encountered. It was a quiet life–hard, simple.

  Artemia was well-known for her summoning skills. She was also considered one of the best Beast mages in Bristal. The rumours spread and eventually they reached the Dark Mage Dio. The Dark Mage ordered his men to search for Artemia and convince her to join the cause of Malevolentiam.

  “If she refuses to join, kill her,” the Dark Mage ordered.

  Finally, the fated day came when Malevolentiam spotted the house of Artemia deep in the woods. Animals in the vicinity tweeted and whistled and barked to her, warning that mages with evil intentions would soon come for her. She hurried to warn the boy. “Jael, people will come here and try to kill me. I want to tell you everything if in any case I might perish from their hands. I am not your real mother.”

  It was too late. While Artemia was still speaking to Jael, ten Malevolentiam mages came and one of them shouted, “Are you Artemia Thorin?”

  “Gerris, bring Jael somewhere safe! I will be right behind you!” Artemia ordered and Gerris brought Jael quickly.

  “Hey, woman! I’m talking to you!” the mage said.

  “I am Artemia, Summoner of Beasts!” Artemia shouted.

  The Malevolentiam mages knelt down to her in a show of respect, and one of them said, “My master wishes you to be one of us. We are Malevolentiam, the ones who will bring order in this land.”

  “I have heard about your schemes. I refuse to join you! All of you are blind to the reality you will never take over this kingdom!” Artemia said.

  “Are you certain you want to refuse?”

  “Summon Auroch!” she shouted and a gigantic ox appeared and raged toward the mages. “Summon Orion! Summon K’un!” A grizzly bear and a monstrous fish with large wings appeared. “Destroy the enemies!” Artemia shouted, and her summons attacked the Malevolentiam mages.

  The battle between humans and beasts intensified. However, one of the mages was strong enough to face Artemia’s beasts, the leader of Quetzalcoatl, one of the Four Titans. He easily defeated all Artemia’s summons using his Tornado magick. Artemia tried to cast her Fate magick, the Treant’s Torment, but she was not given a chance. The tornado hurled her into the ground, dislocating her shoulder. Artemia gasped in pain, and immediately summoned her last resort for escape, Copycat. A summon that could copy the appearance of anything, though not their abilities. Artemia ordered the Copycat to mimic her, standing in her defence as she fled for her life.

  It seemed to work. Artemia ran toward Gerris and Jael.

  Not too long after, Malevolentiam figured the Artemia they faced was a deception. “Quickly, find the real one!” the leader of Quetzalcoatl said, and they noticed the tracks left.

  If Malevolentiam was after her, they would never stop pursuing. This grim thought haunted Artemia, and once she’d reached Gerris, she immediately gave her loyal wolf summon an extremely rare mysto called Ehecat. This mysto contained wind, allowing its bearer to permanently be able to cast wind element magick. The effect would never wear off. Artemia used the mysto on Gerris’ body and it was absorbed by her.

  Artemia then took out another mysto containing the spell Soul Swap, the only one of its kind. It could exchange the spirits of two bodies. “Jael, I will stay with you for eternity,” Artemia said, knowing the boy was too young to truly understand. “Gerris, my loyal summon, will you sacrifice yourself for me?” Artemia asked and Gerris nodded. Artemia wiped tears from her eyes and kissed Jael on the forehead. She gave one last scratch to her most loyal of summons and cast the Soul Swap mysto. Transferring her spirit to the wolf and the wolf’s to her body, Artemia’s body with the spirit of Gerris returned to battle the mages and perished there.

  But Artemia, now forever bound inside Gerris’ body, brought Jael deeper into the woods, searching for safety. “Where is mother?” Jael asked. Gerris was unable to speak, however, and so she just comforted Jael with a sweeping hug. “Will mother ever return?” Jael asked again, and started to sob.

  I wish I could have told you everything before I entered this body, but do not worry, Jael, I will protect you with my life inside this body.

  Jael grew through the years, guided by the wolf in his life in the wild. At the right age, time and thinking, the wolf brought Jael to nearby towns and villages to let him converse with people, learn about things people do, and to train magick. Jael was a talented and a clever lad, a fast learner. He grasped the world around him.

  Jael and wolf went from village to village, eventually meeting a rather talkative and strange old man. “Child, have you heard of the legendary magick?” the old man asked.

  “Tell me more! Tell me more!” Jael had great interest.

  “You see, child, the creator of magick, Maggus the Great, developed a magick called Teliko Mageia. This magickal spell nullified all the other magick all around the world. However!” the old man cried. “Teliko Mageia cannot be handled by a single mage, not even Maggus himself in his time. It consumed Maggus’ strength, killing him gradually. Knowing he had only days to live, he contained the Teliko Mageia in seven mystos. He scattered the seven mystos throughout Raspenheim hoping that they would not fall into the hands of another mage. Creating the legend of the Teliko Mageia,” the old man explained. “If you can gather all the seven parts of Teliko Mageia, I will reward you with this rare mysto.”

  “What is inside that mysto?!”

  “This mysto contains the Fate magick of Fire! This can instantly turn you into the most powerful mage in all of Bristal!” the old man said.

  “Yes! I will search for the Teliko Mageia!” Jael skipped away, cheered and in high spirit.

  “That crazy old geezer… always teasing children… poor child…” the townsfolk murmured.

  One night, sitting around his campfire, Jael pondered the last words of Artemia. “Mother confessed before the evil mages came, that she was not my real mother. I wonder, what does she mean? Who then is my real mother? Did she abandon me? Did she die?” Jael cast these painful thoughts aside and contemplated the wolf that had saved his life, wondering what to call it. “Frekkis… yes, Frekkis is a good name for a wolf,” Jael decided. “Frekkis, will you help me uncover my past? Will you help me find Teliko Mageia?” Jael said and Frekkis nodded. “Very well, starting tomorrow, we shall travel around the world in search for my origin and Teliko Mageia!” Jael yelled, and they retired for the night.

  Fighting off beasts, completing job requests, and collecting some rare mystos for himself, Jael grew to become quite the adventurer. “Frekkis, look! That’s the town of Almodea! Let’s go!” he said and Jael’s greatest adventure began.

  “Jael,” Vaan broke the silence, blurting out of nowhere: “That was a huge revelation.”

  “That is why Sanhera was always in my dreams. It was my past and a child,” Jael answered, still sobbing.

  “Is Artemia the woman who appears in your dream
s?”

  “I don’t really know. Her face is always strikingly blurry, so vague I can’t understand what’s happening. But these clues have been given to me for a reason. I believe my parents still live, and I need to find them,” Jael said with confidence.

  “But didn’t Artemia say everyone in the village died except for you?”

  “That’s right. Nevertheless, I have this feeling my parents are still alive–I can’t explain it. Malevolentiam has Rohan. If we can rescue him, he can unlock my past. Through him, I can learn who my parents are,” Jael said.

  “I hope this Sage really can show you your past…”

  When the valkyrie arrived, Vaan and Jael disembarked to an immediate arrival party of Helena, Alexa and Cassandra. Helena’s joy and relief couldn’t be hidden, her often stony facade cracking for one moment. Though only a second later that turned to concern as she parsed the number of people exiting the ship. “Where have you been? Did you face Zaac? Wait, where is Frekkis?”

  Jael stared into her grey eyes, trying to understand what meaning might have been behind her words. His came out sober, fragmented, and he was only grateful that he didn’t burst into tears again on relating the events. “Zaac wasn’t at Yeska. We ran into someone from Malevolentiam,” Jael said. “Frekkis died in the battle. It’s a long story. I can share it with you later. First, we must see the Queen.”

  “Of course. She is waiting for you.” Helena turned and led them to the throne room.

  Already all the five regiments were present, the Queen having arranged an assembly regarding the ongoing conflict, and Helena separated from them to take her place by the Queen’s side. One of the others he recognised, Mikhal, the wise man who’d advised him in Belthasar. They nodded to each other in recognition. Jael sat to listen, the weight of the loss and conflicting feelings racing through him downright overwhelming.

  “This is Marvel Axelia, my secretary. She is an apprentice of Rohan. And this is Gabriela, Krimmirr’s finest mage scientist. She is an expert in mystos and other variations of magick,” the Queen introduced, and they greeted everyone. “Now, many events have transpired these past few days. Orevlatef was ambushed and Rohan was captured, along with Falakh’s Tablet. Eirinea and Yeska have been utterly destroyed. Many of our people have perished at the hands of these insane mages. With Rohan in their hands, they may be able to unleash the mighty dragon. We cannot let that happen. But we have made our own preparations. We now have information about the whereabouts of Malevolentiam’s headquarters. They are staying in a floating fortress called Excauhalt. My old friend, Mikhal Vigarte, using his Satellite spell, can monitor everything around the world. Also, Gabriela here has researched the cubed mysto retrieved by the Third Regiment from Falakh’s Lair. It seems it was given to us and not to Malevolentiam. Gabriela, please,” the Queen explained.

  “Thank you, my queen. This cubed mysto is called Fafnir. This is one of the seven parts of Teliko Mageia, the legendary spell of Maggus. When Maggus cast the legendary spell, magick in the world vanished and then Maggus had sealed the spell in seven mystos and scattered it around the world. Excalla, Maggus’ apprentice had given the names for the seven parts of Teliko Mageia. Each mysto is composed of a different property which makes it unusual. The reason why this mysto protects itself from everything is that Maggus had incorporated static energy recognition. Whenever a person reaches for it, or nearly touches it, it defends itself. This explains why Cassandra was attacked by the mysto when she tried to reach for it.” Gabriela explained.

  “This is a ground breaking discovery. The Fafnir showed itself to the right people. It is proof that the legend of Maggus is real. As I have researched these so-called ‘hidden mystos’, if you collect all seven of these, the Teliko Mageia spell will be once again activated and shall be given to the one who gathered it. But as Gabriela has told us, the seven parts have been scattered throughout the world. It would nearly be impossible to collect all seven mystos and unleash the legendary magick spell. Maggus really did a good job in sealing his ultimate magick. However, should the Teliko Mageia be gathered by the likes of Malevolentiam, Messogard as we know it, might perish,” Marvel Axelia stated.

  “Now, we shall talk about Rohan,” Queen Jeannah said. “As we all know, Rohan can see the past of anything he touches, whether living or dead. With one touch, Rohan can learn of the history of Falakh’s Tablet. First, we need to save Rohan, and we need to retrieve the tablet. We cannot let them summon the legendary dragon of Nyxe. With that said, I need your opinions.”

  “My queen, I have seen these Malevolentiam mages, and they are not some gang of powerful mages and thugs. They are well-coordinated and take in every command given by their leader. If we are to infiltrate Excauhalt, we will face trouble,” Orevlatef stated.

  “I agree with him. These are wise rebels. They must have someone highly powerful overseeing our actions,” Reighild said. “I suggest that we defend our cities at all costs and wait for the perfect opportunity.”

  “Your Highness, if I may, I suggest a team be dispatched to Excauhalt while there is an ongoing attack on a city. In that event, very few will be there guarding Rohan, increasing our chance of success,” Ace said.

  “We will take that into consideration. Mikhal, can you please use your spell and tell us exactly how many mages are there in Excauhalt. And can you locate Rohan?” Queen Jeannah said.

  Mikhal spent a moment in silence before opening his eyes once more. “Your Highness, my apologies, but there is something blocking my vision of the fortress. All I can see is black, this impenetrable floating boulder. But I am certain that what I am seeing is indeed Excauhalt.”

  Meanwhile, in the severe darkness of Excauhalt, the Dark Mage called upon Rohan and his lackeys dragged the seer from his cell. Once before the Dark Mage, he produced the tablet and showed it, leaning forward imposingly. Still, he tried to remain civil. Rohan stood freely, not in chains, but heavily guarded. “Can you tell me, what is the purpose of this tablet?”

  Rohan held fast, too trying to stay polite and not enrage this potentially powerful entity. “I do not know, I haven’t seen anything like that before.”

  “You can see its past merely by touching it, yes?”

  Rohan grew more and more agitated as he spoke, defiant and growing in anger with every passing word. “I refuse to do it. And even if I learned what it does, I would tell you nothing. I would rather die than help you. You are not mages! You are fiends!”

  “Are you not afraid of death?” the Dark Mage asked, coolly. “No! I have lived my life well enough. I have served Bristal

  in any way I can. I am no longer afraid of death!” His face was brave.

  But there were options for a lord of evil–torture, blackmail, the list went on. It was only a matter of selecting one, and Dio, the Dark Mage, said, “I understand that you are not afraid of death, but perhaps your apprentice is? I have heard rumours you adopted a child, now fully grown into a woman… named Marvel… yes? Now, I ask you, is she afraid of death?”

  The Dark Mage’s voice grew hushed as he whispered these sinister possibilities into the ear of Rohan, who hid his dread well with contempt.

  “Do not bring her into this situation, she hasn’t done anything wrong!”

  The Dark Mage laughed and returned to sit upon his throne, tapping his fingers against the edge. “If you refuse to tell me what this tablet does, then I will ensure your foster daughter meets death before your eyes.”

  “For the sake of the kingdom, I cannot help you, even if you kill everyone I care for. If I help you unleash Falakh, then the entire kingdom will perish, and my efforts will have been in vain,” Rohan replied. “Use anything you want. Kill me if that’s what it takes. But I will not use my magick to help you!”

  “Take him away!” Dio’s voice echoed through the hall, shouting in frustration.

  Rohan was then brought back to his cell, and he cooled down a little, huffing to an unknown woman who drifted into the chamber. She looked at him quizzi
cally, and he gestured to the tablet. “I believe this Tablet is the Door of Falakh. It is rumoured Falakh was never defeated, but simply transferred to another dimension by Excalla. This tablet is that gateway. With Rohan’s magick, we can once unleash this behemoth. With the monster’s thirst for destruction, Bristal will be destroyed and we can build a new kingdom atop the ruins of this sham monarchy, a new generation. We must find a way to make Rohan use his magick,” the Dark Mage stated. He walked with her to the dining hall where his mages feasted in preparation for the coming war.

  “My lord, there was once a tale sung by hermits from the far mountains,” the woman said.

  “What of it?” Dio muttered. She sang:

  Seven cycles of weeping,

  The diabolic summon prowls

  The unknown force unwavering,

  Into the hands of death it sprawls

  Darkness covered the kingdom,

  A mighty stench of decay

  Alas! Falakh has risen from the ashes,

  The kingdom falls prey

  With might and magick,

  The apprentice faces the adversary

  Kings and Queens rejoice!

  The victory of light encompasses misery

  Sealed into a resilient tablet,

  The behemoth dwindles into a void

  The mighty dragon screeches,

  Screaming of noble blood

  Dio smiled and said nothing, but instead stood before his mages and shouted, “Tomorrow, we all strike simultaneously! I, myself will destroy one of the main cities of Bristal, Malina. Now all of you are free to choose which city, town or village. Drink and eat today. Tomorrow we wreak havoc upon Bristal!”