The Guardian's Apprentice (Beyond the Veil)
Page 22
“You see Keegan, only once before in the history of our world have minions like the one at Talith Nor been seen. They are almost impossible to create – most wizards don’t have the power and the few that do would never dare to create one. You see, Ying found a way to bind a piece of the Shadow with the soul of a wizard and place it in a receptacle specially crafted to receive it. The result was a powerful, unquestioning minion who could wield magic just like a wizard, but that couldn’t feel pain and had no emotions.”
Keegan was horrified; the thought of binding someone’s soul with the pure evil of the Shadow was almost beyond comprehension.
Acamar sat down on the bed next to Keegan.
“I believe the minion was sent to retrieve the jewel from Ducat’s staff because it was the bloodstone – something Master Gu-Dai would protect at all costs.”
“I’m almost afraid to ask…”
Acamar smiled sadly and nodded. “The bloodstone is one of the largest pure rubies ever found. At the height of his power, Gu-Dai Ying imbued the gem with great power and used it in the creation of his minions. The jewel is said to be able to draw out one’s soul and ensnare it, storing it away to be used later.”
“So, only Master Ying could create a minion and send it to retrieve the ruby, which you think was the bloodstone. Great. I thought with Ducat dead we had won, Acamar,” said Keegan sadly, a tone of hopelessness in his voice.
“Unlike the castes, events in life are never truly black and white, Keegan. You stopped Ducat and sealed the only other portal, which was a great victory, Keegan. You should be proud!”
Keegan got up and steadied himself on the side of the bed. He shuffled over to the window, looking down on the valley below. “So, what now?”
Acamar joined Keegan at the window, placing his arm around the younger man’s shoulders. He smiled sadly at the young man who had learned and lost so much in such a short time.
“Gu-Dai Ying must be hunted down and the bloodstone destroyed, before he can create an army of minions. If he has time to build his forces, he will move to seize the Veilstone. If he knows about the oracle stone around your neck, he will almost certainly try to kill you for it. With those two talismans in his possession, he would control our world, the veil and the connection to your world as well.”
Keegan shuddered at the thought of facing another wizard, one far stronger than Ducat. His failure to control his magic had almost resulted in his death and that of Nisha.
“How much time do I have?” he asked, knowing he would not like the answer.
“Not enough,” said Acamar, turning to leave. “You need to rest for now, Keegan. In a few days time, we will begin your training anew – with special attention to your focus and control. Until then, try to rest.”
The older wizard bade Keegan farewell and left the younger man to his thoughts. Keegan returned to the window, gazing back towards the valley again. For the first time in many years, he felt he finally had a purpose; he would prove to Acamar, Nisha and everyone else, that he was the Guardian.
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Appendix – A History Lesson
“There shall come to pass three ages of mankind; the third of which shall be the Age of Reunification – when the practice of Magic shall move out of secret hiding places and back to the forefront of society. It will be the age when practicing the Arts may be done in the open instead of behind closed doors, when the Veil is diminished and the worlds that will have been separated for over two thousand years are to be re-united.
In the not too distant past of human history had been the Age of Enlightenment, when the Ancients passed their knowledge to the Great Druids and first taught humanity the use of the magical arts.
The Druids spread out amongst the lands seeking out those who had the talent, teaching them as they had been taught by the Ancients. The practice of magic flourished at first, until those who sought power began to twist and contort its use. Not all humans were able to use magic and those who did varied greatly in their strength. Over time, those who sought to accumulate power for themselves began to venture into the unknown, into areas that the Ancients had deemed off limits or too dangerous for the likes of man. Their craft became known as the Dark Arts and those who sought power and control were drawn to this order like moths to a flame. So it was that the Dark Ones, those who dwelt in shadow throughout the mists of time and sought to spread evil through the blood of men, were awakened and drawn to our world.
Sensing opportunity the Shadow used the division that had begun to form amongst men; using it to breed hatred and contempt amongst those who could practice magic and those who could not. Soon a caste system developed, pitting those with powers against those without. Thus began the Second Age of mankind; the Age of Division. As hatreds bubbled and fomented, the Shadow gathered their followers and allied themselves with the Great Dragons of the North. They planted the seeds of fear, whispering that if left unchecked the non-magic would destroy all those who practiced the craft and that as superior humans it was their destiny to rule.
The first attack came in the dead of night, with the Great Dragons winging down from their lairs in the North, burning towns and villages as they went. So appalled were many wizards that a rift occurred and the three sects were formed amongst the mages. The order of Black, who believed in the acquisition of power and knowledge at any cost, supported the Dark Ones in their belief that the non-magic peoples should serve those who knew the craft. The order of Grey opposed the death of innocents, but refused to intervene in matters that they believed did not concern them; thus theirs became known as the order of Neutrality. The order of White viewed themselves as the caretakers of the world and protectors of humanity, even at the cost of their own power or lives. The order of White also included the last of the Great Druids, who possessed the knowledge passed down by the Ancients.
Unknown to the three castes of wizards, a fourth group had arisen from the most fervent believers in the Shadow. Theirs was an order of devout believers, of fanatics who vowed to destroy all those who opposed their masters, the Shadow. Theirs was a religion of chaos and anarchy. It was with the blood of innocents, sacrificed to appease their masters, that their robes became stained with red. Those of the red robes are to be feared most of all.
The Great War with the Mortals that followed lasted for over one hundred years, pitting mortal against magic and order against order. As the War continued the old hatreds and suspicions amongst those that could not practice magic against those that could grew stronger, widening the division between castes. The Dark Ones, feeding on the emotions of fear and hatred, grew ever stronger and became ever bolder. They openly fanned the flames of hatred, for as humanity suffered the raw emotional energy helped the Shadow to grow ever stronger. In the end, realizing that the destruction and suppression of all magic was at hand, the order of Grey brought together the other two factions to form the Great Council. With the signing of the Treaty of Arbroath peace was declared amongst the three orders, with those practicing the Dark Arts and those championing humanity agreeing that the preservation of all magic took precedence over all else. The Council would be composed of twelve members; three from each order were elected by their respective caste members, while the three most powerful wizarding families (one from each order) would retain a permanent seat on the Council. The three permanent members and their descendents were each given a Guardian Ring, and it was from these members that the High Council would choose a Guardian of the Veil.
Among the first actions of the Council was to outlaw the Red Caste. Followers of the order were hunted down and tried for their crimes against the magical world. In time, the Red Caste was driven to extinction.
The Oracle has existed since the time of the veil – as far back as anyone could remember it had always been there, hovering silently ten feet off the floor in the center of what would become the Council chambers. The large, greenish-blue crystalline structure never made a sound, but pulsed with a warm glow that seemed to permeate everythin
g nearby. The Oracle served as a peacemaker in the Council chambers on certain occasions and sometimes intervened when feuds broke out amongst the Council members. One knew better than to draw their wand or staff in anger in the Council chambers, for the offending party would often be encased in pure crystal for several days. Though not fatal, it was uncomfortable enough to dissuade most Council members from violence against one another during debates.
After the first Council convened, their first action was to establish the Declaration of Partition, which divided the world into two dimensions; one the dimension of Magic the other the dimension of the non-magic. The Age of Division began in this way when the greatest of each order, along with the ruler of the dragons had defeated the Shadow and with the power of the Ancients, created the black star amulet. This talisman was placed deep in the bowels of Pahret T’pur, a great fortress created before the War, to be protected and overseen by the Guardian. The core of the amulet emanated a field of pure magical force that permeated everyone and every thing, rending the Earth into two equal worlds but in two different dimensions, shielding those in the Realm of Magic from the mortals on the other side (or vice versa). Passage between the two worlds was still possible through the use of portals or gateways, that with time and practice most mages could produce. The portals were strictly regulated by the Guardian, who could sense attempts to open a portal or breach the Veil with the powers bestowed upon him by the amulet. Upon sensing a portal, he could allow it to pass or seal it and its creator in magical limbo forever. It was decided by the Council that the Veil was to be in place until such time as humanity could accept and coexist with the practice of magic and the existence of the other races of magical creatures.
Though the Treaty brought a tentative peace to the orders, a group of the Great Dragons of the North abstained. It was their belief that the race of Dragons was entitled to rule over the world, as theirs was the first among all races. Indeed, they had existed at the time of the Ancients, when humankind served as both fodder and amusement for the dragons. As such, it was their belief that humans were a race of servants and so it should remain. In the end, the majority of dragons followed the mandate of the Alderdrache, the oldest and most powerful of their Elders. He realized the cost of a prolonged war that they could not win and ordered all dragons to return northward to their mountain lairs. Those that remained behind were declared ‘rogue’ by the Alderdrache, and openly fought against the three orders and the Council to destroy the Veil. In the end, most of the rogue dragons were hunted down and all but a few were finally killed. Those dragons that were spared and their few followers who remained were to be indentured to the Council until the Age of Reunification, when the Veil was to be dropped and humanity re-united. They were pressed into serving the Council as couriers and were forced to give three of their scales and a barrel of their blood each year to the Council to be shared amongst the orders as ingredients in potions and spells. Each was bound to his or her servitude by a talisman that clung to their breast. Disobedience brought a severe shock to the beast, while outright defiance usually brought a very painful and violent death.
The exact timing of the Age of Reunification was the focus of serious debate amongst the orders and the Council itself. The order of White was steadfast in its opinion that the time was still far off when magic and mundane could coexist in peace. Furthermore, they argued the advancement in technology and science could be seen as an increased threat. One could only imagine they said, if the world of science was suddenly provided with proof that dragons and goblins and elves existed. The order of Black on the other hand viewed the dropping of the Veil as paramount in its quest for power. The simple minds of the mundane were easily twisted and controlled and as such could be employed to advance the cause of the Dark Arts. Lastly, the order of Grey, as one might imagine, was neutral. They were ambivalent towards the views of the other two orders with one exception: To maintain the status quo was to maintain their power on the Council. They were viewed as the peacekeepers that balanced the sides of Dark and Light, holding the crucial votes on any Council mandate. Though the dissolution of the Veil did not immediately mean the disbanding of the Council, it will certainly be soon to follow as the world of magic melds with that of mundane.”
Excerpt from “A Brief History of the Magical World,” as written by Hefestus Whitestone, Year of the Veil 23.
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