Teliko Mageia: Curse of the Frozen Flame

by A. J. Carbonell

  Nice…” Ace said.

  “Helena Elsworth, I appoint you as the commander of the Second Regiment,” Queen Jeannah announced and everyone applauded.

  Afterwards, inside the infirmary, Jael was resting and stirred, coming awake to see Helena watching over him. “Ugh… what… happened? Where am I?” he whispered hoarsely.

  “Jael! You are awake! You recovered faster than I expected,” Helena said.

  “Are you disappointed?” Jael asked.

  She blushed. “No! It’s a pleasant surprise after so many tragedies.”

  Jael sat bolt upright, shocked he’d forgotten. “Wait! Adriel!

  Vaan! What happened in Zebu?”

  “Jael, you need to rest.” He reluctantly slouched back into the bed. She tried to reassuringly tuck him back in with a weak smile. But the horror of all the events weighed heavy on her mind and she doubted the fear was hidden. “I will give you the details about what happened.” And so she explained everything that happened in Zebu.

  “What about Vaan? Is he alive?”

  “Vaan is… in critical condition. He is being healed by the medic head of Krimmirr. However, his burnt skin is not recuperating. It will still take a lot of time and magick to fully heal,” Helena explained.

  “I need to see him,” Jael said.

  Helena shook her head. “The queen forbids you to leave the infirmary for the next couple of days. She ordered that you should rest to full health. She fears that Malevolentiam will attack soon, and she wants everyone to be ready for another assault.”

  “I see…” Jael sighed.

  “Get some rest, Jael”, Helena advised, and he closed his eyes, drifting off back into the hazy dreams and nightmares. Maybe it was her, or maybe it was the dreams that whispered in his ear: “You are the key to defeating Malevolentiam.”

  Together around the table in the absence of the queen, Diurus and Ace sat and drank together. “I just can’t believe this Kielvine has been chosen by the queen,” Diurus uttered, pounding his fist on the table in contempt and judgement.

  “The queen has her own reasons. We must trust her judgement,” Ace replied.

  “You got a point there. And I do trust the queen’s judgement. I just hope Kielvine does not abuse his power and run rampage,” Diurus said.

  “I think he is a changed man. If the queen believes so, we must too,” Ace said, and he took a drink.

  “Agreed,” Diurus replied.

  In the meantime, Draken ran through the forest towards Excauhalt, following it through towards the flying black fort until he saw two people falling from the fortress. Huh? Who are those two? I’d better investigate, Draken thought. He hurried to where they’d landed. Not too far, he saw Rohan and Marvel both unconscious on the ground. They’d fallen from the fortress of despair, but he sensed no malice from them. When he came in closer, he checked to see–the two both still breathed. The nearest city now was Arthos, and he used his magick to cart them there.

  As soon as Draken arrived in view of the city, a city guard recognised Rohan and they immediately helped him. Krimmirr was also informed about Rohan, Draken and Marvel. Ace was immediately dispatched to bring them back to Krimmirr. The two were brought back to the capital city and hurried into the medical ward of the palace, near Jael and Vaan.

  The next day came, and Queen Jeannah went first to Jael, to see how his healing was coming. “How are you, Jael?”

  Jael was glad to see her and smiled. “I am feeling healthier, my Queen. May I have permission to see Vaan?”

  “Very well, I see you have regained your strength. But I warn you, child, Vaan is still in critical condition, and comatose,” Queen Jeannah warned.

  “I understand, my Queen,” he said.

  “Child, you need to strengthen up. I trust your strength in helping us defeat Malevolentiam,” she stated.

  “I will do the best I can to help put them down, your Majesty,” he replied with a large smile, keeping a note of positivity in his voice. The queen smiled back and he rose from bed and walked across the ward to see Vaan. Queen Jeannah went further in to see how Rohan fared, and was pleasantly surprised to see his eyes were open, and he lay reading in bed.

  “It seems you are also up, my friend,” she said. “Yes, my Queen,” Rohan replied.

  “What happened? Can you tell me everything?” the queen said, and he told her all that happened in Excauhalt.

  “One more thing. Before they kicked us out of the fortress, the Dark Mage called me by my full name. There are only three people aside from me that know my full name. They were all very dear to me,” Rohan said.

  “I see it bothers you, Rohan. However, if we can pinpoint who Dio really is, then we might get a clear look on what his powers are and we can use that advantage to defeat him and his henchmen,” Queen Jeannah said.

  “The three people that knew my full name were my closest friends when we were still young. Ramzelle Leonbarck, Kiel Zao and Deurahl Galanger. But I cannot jump into conclusion on which of them is Dio. Also, the Dark Mage may not be even from my three friends,” Rohan explained.

  “You are correct, of course. Do you have any contact with them?” Queen Jeannah asked.

  “We bid farewell to each other years ago. Since then I haven’t spoken or heard from any of them,” Rohan replied.

  “Very well, we need to take those three of your friends in consideration. What about the Falakh’s Tablet?”

  “The tablet’s seal was still intact when I left, but it seems Dio may know of a way to destroy the seal. I have no idea what is it,” Rohan said.

  “I see. We must prepare for the unknown. I apologise for exhausting you. You need to have your rest, my friend,” Queen Jeannah said and left.

  “Dio, who are you?” Rohan wondered aloud. The book slipped from his fingers and, exhausted, he fell asleep.

  With shock on his face, Jael’s heart skipped a beat. Vaan’s body was still horribly burnt, now covered and swathed in bandages. “Vaan…” Jael murmured. He fell to his knees beside the bed in horror. “I am sorry. I couldn’t save you last time. I was not strong enough,” he whispered and his tears started to fall. “If I was strong enough, I could’ve saved you. I could’ve saved Frekkis as well. I am sorry,” he murmured.

  While Jael sobbed and gasped breathless words, Helena stood silently at the door, watching him. She put a hand on the door to open it further and enter. The queen drifted up behind her and put a gentle hand on her arm. “Not a good idea. Just let him be for a moment.”

  “Oh, my Queen, you were here all this time?” Helena asked, shocked.

  “Yes, I need to keep an eye on Jael. I have an instinct he may be a key player in defeating Malevolentiam,” she replied.

  “It is as you say. I guess it is wise to let him beat this time,” Helena said.

  “How is Cassandra?” the queen asked.

  “Her venomous body is still not returning to normal. But says she feels perfectly fine,” Helena replied.

  “It seems the Schatnil refuses to leave her body. It may be a form of merge magick. I have heard of such things though nothing quite like this. However, should the Schatnil be pierced to another person, I doubt that it will merge to that person. I believe it is tied to her soul in some way. Gabriela must examine Cassandra first before she can return to battle,” Queen Jeannah said.

  “Understood, my queen,” Helena replied.

  Back at Excauhalt, the wails of Zaac suddenly ceased, and there was silence in the fortress of black. “I told you, Lady Aezil can do anything,” Korhil said.

  “Let’s go check on him!” Adriel replied.

  When the two Titans came in the room where Zaac is being treated, a shocking view surprised them. They both reacted with shock and angers simultaneously, charging towards Aezil. “Why did you kill him?!” Adriel asked in a furious tone.

  “It is by the orders of Dio himself. Zaac is weak. Even though he didn’t face any of the Master Knights, he was still defeated. In any case, killing him was a k
indness. Tormentium was only prolonging his suffering,” Aezil explained in a serious tone.

  “You may share my blood, but you have slain one of our own comrades when he couldn’t defend himself!” Korhil exclaimed.

  “Go and ask the master. You will see that I do only and he commands,” Aezil replied.

  The two stormed into the throne room at once, surging up to Dio in a rage. But he only looked down at them without remorse. “I understand that you are upset over the death of Zaac. He was a valuable member allied to our cause. You must use the hate and anger you feel over his downfall to empower your malevolent magick. I trust that you two will be able to carry out our plans. Zaac is gone. Accept it. Blame the kingdom. Blame the knights for the death of Zaac. You need to avenge him!” Dio stated.

  “Y… yes my lord,” Adriel and Korhil stuttered in disbelief. They looked at each other and back to the Dark Mage for orders.

  “Your next target is the City of Mecha. Fulbor!”

  When nightfall came, everyone gathered at Krimmirr’s entrance gate to pay respect for Orevlatef’s death. As they were assembled, the place was enveloped by gloom. Only lights from flickering candles illuminated the quiet, sombre moment. The Master Knight’s body was not there for final respects; this was not uncommon for mages, and an effigy was erected and lit ablaze in honour of the fallen.

  “My dear people of Bristal. One of our Master Knights was slain by Malevolentiam. Orevlatef played a vital role in our ranks. He was a great man, a man that has courage, willpower and dignity. Let us pray. May he rest in peace, laid to eternal rest. He will forever be remembered,” the queen stated, and she gave her final speech for Orevlatef. Reighild then put the broken Blade of Skaldi, the only remains collected, in a transparent container to be displayed in the Hall of Memories, the museum of Krimmirr located in Erradia.

  Everyone departed in silence; only the tolling of the bells of Krimmirr sounded across the shaken city’s night, and the stars looked silently down.

  The woman’s face was ever profoundly blurry. “Shion… Shion…”

  “Who are you?” Jael asked.

  “At last I found you, Shion,” the woman continued. “What? Shion? I remember that name…” Jael murmured.

  “Shion… my son…” the woman said, and she faded, disappeared.

  “Wait! Who are you? What is your name?!” Jael shouted, and he gasped and woke in the middle of the night. For the first time in forever, no one was there–not Vaan, not Frekkis, and he was left alone.

  A week passed, and almost everyone in Krimmirr had recovered. Vaan still slumbered, lost deep within the healing magick. This concerned the queen, who came to the healers to find out what the delay was. “Aya, what is Vaan’s status?” Queen Jeannah asked.

  “My queen, as of now his health is stable but I cannot say when or if he will wake up. To recover from these injuries physically, I would say it would take two months for his body to be able to wake up–but that is no guarantee that it will happen,” Aya replied.

  “All right–we will wait and see. We should let him rest for the time being. What about the burns on his body? Queen Jeannah replied.

  “I’m afraid, his body will never fully recover to its original state. All of his skin cells have deteriorated, and he surely would have perished without the use of healing magick. Fortunately, his vital organs did not suffer the same extensive damage inflicted on his skin. We will continue to monitor him,” Aya explained.

  “I understand. Thank you, Aya.”

  It was later that day that Draken sought the queen’s audience, politely bowing on entry to her study. The room was white and clean; where the rest of the palace was adorned with art and history, flowers in pots served as the decor to this simple space. “My queen, I must tell you. I believe the Titan Zaac is alive.”

  “I had been under the impression you already defeated him?” Queen Jeannah replied.

  “When I was about to end his life, one of his allies, Korhil, interfered before I could deliver my final blow. I shadowed them to Excauhalt and stayed in pursuit until I saw Rohan and Marvel falling from the floating fortress. I went to them immediately and went to the nearest city, Arthos. I would like to help you in your battle against Malevolentiam. I need to avenge my family.”

  “Very well, I heard a lot of good things from Alexa and Cassandra. You are a powerful mage,” Queen Jeannah replied.

  “Thank you my queen,” Draken said.

  When noon came, while everyone else was busy training, Jael went to the queen for one simple request, the thing that had brought him to Krimmirr in the first place. To speak with Rohan and ask for his magick to reveal his past. The queen granted this and accompanied him to Rohan’s quarters. The queen knocked; Rohan immediately opened the door. “My queen, what can I do for you?” Rohan asked, bowing respectfully.

  “Jael would like you to use your magick and investigate his past–he has some questions for you. I shall stay because I am intrigued by this young man,” Queen Jeannah said.

  “Certainly, my queen,” Rohan replied. At long last. Jael sat down where Rohan gestured, resting his hands on his knees as he settled onto the floor. “All right, Jael, I want you to close your eyes and free your mind. It may feel a bit like Draken’s Tormentium Spell but do not fret, it is the side effect of my magick and will cease when I depart your mind. Just stay as calm as you can manage. My visions become distorted if you start to fight off my spell. Tell me, which part of your past do you want me to see?” Rohan asked.

  “I want to know where I came from. If you can, please travel back to when I was born until I was nurtured by Artemia,” Jael said.

  “I shall do my best,” Rohan replied. He held his hands above Jael’s head and spoke his spell: “Ancient Eyes!” The old sage closed his eyes, humming off-key for a moment or two, swaying back and forth. Then his eyes snapped open. Two searing beams of light surged from his blanched eye sockets, striking Jael’s skull, and immediately, Jael blacked out.

  In his mind’s eye, Rohan’s focus lifted. For a while, the metaphysical landscape swirled unclearly, foggy and hazy. Bit by bit, his vision cleared, focusing in onto a house, a humble hut in the midst of a beautiful green village full of flowers. The surrounding village seemed bright and happy, and it was familiar to Rohan.

  Sanhera, he thought. This must be Sanhera. Inside the simple two- room hut a mother held her baby, rocking him back and forth and singing softly. She wore a white cotton shirt, a flowery apron and a blue skirt tied around her waist with a large bow. She dangled a necklace in front of the baby’s fingers, sing-songing to him. “My child, I give this necklace to you. Always wear this with pride. Only the Sanjuro clan can read this language! I love you, Shion, my son.”

  The woman was beautiful, and blissfully happy, a sweet smile on her innocent face. Her silvery-white hair was bound up behind her shoulder in a long braid, and Rohan stared at her with a slowly dawning familiarity.

  “Jeannah.”

  He left the house, staring at the surrounding village. It was, of course, Sanhera, and he knew a thing or two about her Highness’s complicated past. Rohan knew the queen had a son, but she’d told him he died when Tiger Paw razed Sanhera to the ground. Jael was a powerful mage, the rumours said, but not immortal, not all-powerful–he’d been a baby. But Jael, Jael–why had the queen then called her son Shion?

  Rohan wondered if the queen’s powerful magick aura could be leaking into his visions from sheer proximity alone. He re- entered the house to see what he would observe, to see what the answer to the mystery was. Inside, young Jeannah continued to sing-song chirp joyfully to her baby.

  “Shion, my son, I want you to grow strong! I want you to be brave! I love you, my son,” Jeannah said, and she smiled.

  The baby Shion was energetic, always smiling and laughing along with his mother, Rohan observed. This was a playful infant who longed to be in his mother’s arms, sharing in her bliss. So Shion is the name given by Jeannah to Jael. But if this is Jael, who gav
e the name? Rohan thought. I need to see more of this young man’s past.

  He skimmed through memories as effortlessly as the pages of a book and found no trace of the boy’s father. No sketches, no images, and no presence of the man in their life whatsoever– Jeannah and Shion were present in all the images, leading Rohan to conclude the father had died or departed. But by reaching into Jael’s memories, there was no way to travel earlier in time to answer the question of paternal links. That would have to be through Jeannah, and so he moved forward instead. To the defining moment. The moment the village was attacked by the Tiger Paw.

  Inside the same house, Hornhawl, the leader of Tiger Paw, grabbed Jael from Jeannah’s arms. “No! Please do not harm my child!” Jeannah cried.

  “I have no interest in your child.” Hornhawl replied and dropped the baby Jael on the ground. The mother sobbed, screaming and reaching. He grabbed her hair and dragged her onto her back, staring down at her. “Your beauty is exceptional! I might say, you are the most beautiful woman I have laid my eyes upon in my entire existence. I can make a huge amount of money by selling you as a slave!” Hornhawl laughed, then grabbed Jeannah by the arms. She gasped and screamed, struggling.

  “Please! Spare my child! Take me, but please let him live!” she pleaded.

  “Hmph! This child is of no use to me,” Hornhawl replied. Jeannah screamed as she was stripped of her child, Shion and dragged out to the village street.

  In the waking world, Jael gasped and shouted out as Rohan dug deeper into the recesses of his mind. Rohan did not know what the young man was enduring in his own vision, but there were no answers to be gleaned by stopping at the slightest provocation. He had been warned; the mysteries came at a tormentous cost.

  “Stay strong young one. I also would like to know about your past,” Queen Jeannah whispered. His screams intensified as the Tiger Paw incident transgressed.