Adamagika: The Spirit Within - 40. Ch 40: Survivors

CHAPTER 40: Survivors

An entire human army.

Over five thousand mages.

Over a hundred and fifty gryphons.

One demon-possessed chicken.

Phillip.

Jacob.

These were the casualties of war, a war that has only just begun yet has already cost us so much. It will be written down in history as a victory by magic. But we who lived the fight knew it was far from a true victory. Hundreds of homes were left in ruins across the city. Thousands were dead or missing. Business had virtually ceased across all professions.

People did not despair like I expected though. There was no chaos that ensued after the attack on Arantiva. I suppose it’s true that the worse situations bring out the best in people. I discovered that those who normally would have charged for their services or wares were offering them for free. Those who accepted always took that which they needed and never abused it. It was amazing what an organized society loyal to the idea of one city could do in periods of crisis. With time, Arantiva would once again be on its feet and its people prosperous.

But not all things could be fixed.

I tried calling out to him. I’ve been whispering to him straight everyday asking him where he was and if he was alright. I begged him to speak to me, to say anything at all. I even yelled at him, hated him for lying to me and telling me to trust him, making me think everything would be fine. Everything was not fine. Everything was definitely not fine.

The other mages tried looking for him. When the council found out what Jacob had done, they exerted every possible means to find him. Every able mage was asked to search the desolated land that now littered the northern face of our city to search for any sign of Jacob and any other mages. But it’s been almost a week and the hopes of finding him and others had been extinguished. He was gone.

The only one that refused to believe was me. I didn’t want to believe, no matter how many times they told me that they’ve done everything they could. It wasn’t supposed to be that way. It just wasn’t. Something strange had happened. I felt it.

I’ve been confining myself in my room whenever I wasn’t out looking for him. Healer Cotier insisted on having me brought to the infirmary for at least an examination but I decided I would have nothing of it. I felt that I had already spent too much time in there anyway and more people could benefit from the attention of Healers. Besides, I didn’t really have any wounds, at least not the kind she could heal. The most noticeable thing on my body was the new added scar in my right hand. It was light but noticeable. There was a large circle in the middle of my palm probably from when the blade seared into my hand. It made me a little nervous to be honest. I could see the faint outline of what looked like an animal or some other creature in the middle but I couldn’t distinguish what it was.

For awhile my right hand did give me discomfort. There were unexpected spikes of pain when it would brush against a solid object. In other times, the hand was numb and my ability to move my fingers was limited. I wondered if it was because of the magic I had performed as the tornadoes spun towards Arantiva. By the second or third day though, it was gone so I brushed it off.

I couldn’t bring myself to cry. It was as though all my tears had been used up. I felt horribly sad over everyone that had died especially those that I loved dearly. However, even when I tried forcing myself to cry, my tears wouldn’t come.

All my friends came by. Brian and Rye came to my room. Brian didn’t say much. He looked terribly sad but I had a distinct feeling he was more worried about my state than mourning over the loss of Jacob or anyone else. For some reason, I couldn’t look at him. I knew he was genuinely offering his support but somehow looking at him at the time felt like betraying Jacob.

They were accompanied by everyone in our squad who had managed to live and were not seriously injured. My apprentice Stanley was even with them and he kept offering me his condolences and how sad he was over what had happened. I wondered if that was really true or if he was just being nice. I started wondering about a lot of things lately.

Rick and two other members had been severely wounded and were unable to visit. Bruce said that Rick constantly complained that he was being detained against his will by Healer Cotier (who according to him could very well be in line as the next High Mage Lord given her strict, domineering, no-nonsense attitude towards her patients). Despite his efforts though, she wouldn’t let him leave her ward.

Noel passed away as did two other people from our squad named Jared and Lucinda. I didn’t get to know the other two very well but I always saw them in training and they were always friendly enough. From what I’ve been told, Noel tried attacking the tanks while on his gryphon. He was shot down and wasn’t seen again. Like Jacob, his body was never found because whatever Jacob did devastated the entire area north of the city, leaving nothing but ugly jagged patches of earth and metal that could probably stay there for decades. Jared and Lucinda died while defending from the city walls.

Phillip was buried a few days after the battle. He didn’t have a long service because everything was still so busy and most people had other loved ones to mourn over.

“He didn’t have many friends,” Phillip’s mom told me when I came by to pay my respects. His parents were an elderly couple that could easily have passed as his grandparents. It made me sad to realize that I never really took the time to know more about his background. I always thought there would be plenty of time for it later in the years to come. I resolved not to make the same mistake again with my other friends. From my brief conversation with his mom, I found out he was an only child and he was a miracle baby, one they did not expect and had already given up the hope of having. “He always spoke highly of you, Adam. I’m glad you two were friends and that he was with you in the end.”

“He died saving the city, ma’am,” I said. “He was a hero. He will be remembered and honored as such.” She broke into tears at this point and I was afraid I had said the wrong thing.

Phillip’s dad came to her side and placed a comforting arm around her. For a moment, I had to do a double take. Although Phillip looked nothing like his mother, his father was almost an exact duplicate of him, except of course much, much older. I could even see the faint outlines on his cheeks where his smiles likely creased often enough. He looked at me and gave a small smile. “Thank you,” he said. “It has always been a dream of his to do something great for the city and we’re glad he got to live it even for a short while.”

I left soon after that. As much as I loved Phillip as a friend, there was an even deeper and more painful ache within me. I felt bad feeling that way. I should be mourning the loss of Phillip as much as the loss of Jacob but somehow I couldn’t bring myself to do that. I knew that no matter how much I tried, Jacob would mean more to me than Phillip or anyone ever could.

Marcus had passed by one time to my room. I had just gotten back from searching with the other mages for survivors. He stood by the window watching the sky as I sat on my bed removing my shoes.

“Nice weather we’re having.” he said almost absently. Leave it to Marcus to talk about the most mundane things. Through all this, Marcus seemed the most unaffected. Looking at him then, I had the distinct impression that he had undergone a lot of growing up the last few months. He was certainly a lot more mature than the Marcus I remembered from my younger years in Arantiva.

“I suppose.”

Marcus continued looking out the window as though he hadn’t heard me. “We all have to live with what’s happened. He did a noble thing. They both did, Phillip and Jacob. I must confess. I now regret having fought with Jacob before.”

“You didn’t like him? Or you didn’t trust him?” I asked.

Marcus looked over at me and seemingly without emotion replied, “no, I didn’t. To both questions. But that wasn’t why I treated him the way I did. I was only worried for you.”

“Worried for me? You used to hate me. You made my life a living hell ever since I got here. I haven’t forgotten that you know.” I forced a smiled at him so he would know I wasn’t mad or anything.

Marcus smiled back at me, albeit faintly. “I know. You know, I never did have a lot of friends.”

Now that surprised me. “What are you talking about? You used to be the most popular kid in our year. Every guy wanted to be you and every girl or guy that didn’t want to be you wanted to be with you. That was until you changed and started avoiding everyone and being alone.”

Marcus looked out the window as though waiting for some answer to come flying through it. “The Seer made me realize some things.”

The Seer again. By then, I absolutely hated her. Somehow, all this felt like her fault. As far as I was concerned she knew what was going to happen but chose to be cryptic about it. If she really was here to help us, she would have just said outright what we were supposed to do. For that, I hated her and I certainly did not want to talk about her. However, my curiosity got the better of me. “Mind if I ask what they were?”

He looked down and seemed to study his hands. “She made me realize that I didn’t know at all most of the things I thought I knew in my life. The certainties that existed before became uncertain. I had classmates sure but I never really had many friends – you know, people that were with me and treated me as equals. Most of them put me up on some pedestal like I’m supposed to be something out of reach, something to aspire for.”

I thought to myself that that was probably true but I decided not to point it out. “So what does that have to do with worrying about me?”

Marcus once again looked out the window. I had the distinct impression that he was avoiding my eyes. “For some reason, I always had the impression that you treated me as an equal. I know I made your life difficult back then. And although I may have bullied you a bit… okay, a lot… and you took most of it, you never cowered before me even if I had others with me and we easily outnumbered you. You always spoke up against me.”

“That was probably because I was more stubborn than scared.”

“See that’s the thing. You fought back, well spoke back which is more than what anyone else ever did. Whether I was being nice or arrogant towards someone, they just always followed whatever I said or told them to do like they didn’t know how to think.” He laughed momentarily as something came to mind. “You know I once bullied this kid and told him he needed to enjoy being bullied by me and I actually think he did end up enjoying it. It was a bit weird having that kind of influence over people. You were different.” He finally looked at me. “And you were always there. You were, I guess you can say, constant in my life.”

“Wow,” I said with a fake look of shock. “Maybe I should have enjoyed your bullying more. That way you might have left me alone.”

Marcus smiled. “That’s not you,” he said. It took me a few moments to realize how much those words meant. Those moments lasted long enough to make an awkward silence fall over us. “I should get going,” he said at last. “I just wanted to see if you were alright. I know you’re not but I also know it’s not me you need to make yourself feel better.” He chuckled and then got all serious. He looked at me as though he was trying to commit my face to his memory one last time. “I’ll see you around, Adam.”

“See you, Marcus,” I said. He nodded and left the room.

My most frequent visitor of all though was Magister Aenhol. He passed by my room every day. Each time I came back from the battlefield looking for Jacob, he would knock on my door after fifteen minutes almost like clockwork regardless of the actual time I got back. He would ask me a lot of things sometimes having absolutely no connection to what we were discussing just moments earlier. I figured he was trying to test my attentiveness or perhaps even my sanity.

I began thinking that he was acting like an overprotective parent. I honestly had no idea how an overprotective parent acted since I never had one. But, I was quite certain that he would fit in that category quite easily.

He explained to me what had happened on the day of the attack. Apparently, someone (and they highly suspected Madame Rooste) had sabotaged the crystals in the Administrative Building and the lower towers spread around the city. Whoever it was had done something to the crystals such that they would release large amounts of energy violently if any mage were to tap into their energies. The released magic would strike anything within the area reducing it to cinders.

The mages at the top of the Administrative Building suffered the highest casualties to this trap. High Mage Lord Khael, Magister Aenhol, and several other mages who immediately sensed what was happening managed to create powerful shields around them that blocked most of the energy being released by the crystal. Everyone else on the platforms around the central crystal atop the tower was killed instantly.

High Mage Lord Khael, showing his aptitude in his magic, blew apart an entire section of the tower’s roof. Several floors collapsed on top of each other until the supporting beams could no longer hold the giant crystal. It severed from its foundations and plummeted to the Trade District, smashing right on top of the statue of Mage Arantius and the eight other mages who had given their lives to defeat the last Demon Lord. Fortunately, no one had died from the debris and the rifts in magic generated by the trap were later on sealed by skilled mages under the command of the High Mage Lord. The other crystals around the city were sealed away before they could do harm.

It was probably that more than anything that had saved Arantiva from the obelisks. Apparently, the culprit had not expected anyone who used the crystals to survive them, much less reverse the exorcism of magic. When we realized that we couldn’t use those stores of magic, the energy stored in them were not released as spells. The black obelisks, though powerful, did not or could not drain the crystals unless the magic within was released as shields or some other spell. I suppose the same was true with mages. If we didn’t use magic, we couldn’t be drained. However, severing the crystals from powering the shields left Arantiva more vulnerable sooner than it would have otherwise.

Most people took my word when I told them that Madame Rooste was actually a demon. I gave High Mage Lord Khael, Magister Aenhol, and Lady Helena an account of everything that had happened in the cavern of the Crystal Prison. I had a feeling that they believed every word I said. Perhaps it was helped by the fact that she attacked a group of mages assigned to guard her and the Mage Academy. Apparently, some of them lived and gave their accounts of her treachery. I think it was more likely though that Magister Aenhol had always suspected her for something and the others didn’t believe him until it was too late. Now though, they seemed to take his advice a lot more seriously than before.

I could certainly see in their eyes the anxiety in having a single demon’s efforts destroy almost the entire city. Apparently, it was also the first recorded instance of a demon manifesting itself in human form. This news was highly disturbing as it meant that there could easily have been more demons roaming around Arantiva and we had no way of knowing who they were.

I think it was on the sixth day after the attack that Magister Aenhol came to my room before I had returned from the battlefield. He was waiting for me by the door and told me that I would need to accompany him to the Mage Council immediately. I was instructed to bring the “item” as they had called the Demon Blade. I initially thought of calling it the Demon Blade but I figured I needed to change it to something else. It just didn’t seem right carrying it around and calling it such a menacing name. “Item” though was certainly not appropriate for me either.

“Adam, we need to discuss what we will be doing with the item in your possession,” High Mage Lord Khael said from his high seat. Once more I was in the interrogation room of the Gathering Hall. Magister Aenhol was standing near me. All the seats of the Mage Council were occupied except Madame Rooste’s.

So far, I’ve been keeping the weapon in my room. Whenever I had to leave, I would wrap it in a purple cloth I found in my dresser. There was also a strap in there I could use to tie the sword behind my back. It almost felt like the dresser was telling me not to leave the sword in the room. No one tried getting the sword from me although many seemed to look at it curiously as it rested on my back. Even at that moment as I stood before the council, it was strapped to my back while being wrapped in that rich purple cloth. My appreciation grew somewhat for that dresser which almost seemed to have a mind of its own. It constantly provided me with what I needed when I needed them.

One thing I did not like about it though was that the dresser seemed built only for me now. The entire space within was occupied by clothes that were clearly made for me. It made me sad because it somehow indicated that Jacob would not be back. I always shook my head at it knowing for sure that the dresser was just confused.

“As I’ve told you before,” I began, “I made a deal with the blade. In order to save the city, I would have to hold onto it. I agreed that in exchange for its help, I would not allow it to return to its prison.”

“That was not a deal for you to make,” said an unfamiliar Mage Lord. Looking at him, I had a distinct feeling that this Mage Lord was one used to getting things his way. As I studied his face, I realized with a jolt that I was likely looking up at Marcus’ father, the Mage Lord of Economy and Trade. I imagine the recent battles have put quite a bit of work into his plate, making him irritable.

“Be that as it may,” I said with more confidence than I felt, “I have given it my word. If you refuse to let me have this weapon, then I will leave this city with it. I implore you to remember though that without the aid of this weapon, it is likely none of us would even be here. If I must fight you for it, I will.”

“Are you threatening us, boy?” he asked with a scowl. Somehow, this man seemed nothing like his son. I was quite certain then that Marcus’ personality came from his mother.

“I do not intend to use the weapon for personal gain,” I said. “I don’t even know yet what I will do with it or what the blade’s intentions are. I know though that for the time being, I plan to be this blade’s guardian, keeping my promise to it until the time comes that I have a valid reason not to.”

“How can you trust something born from evil?” he asked. “That weapon was used by a Demon Lord. Thousands of mages have died by its edge. It is dangerous and letting you keep it would be foolish.”

“Marius, please,” said Lady Helena as she looked over at the other Mage Lord. With a name like Marius I had no doubt that he was indeed Marcus’ father. “We have to consider the circumstances.”

“There are no circumstances to consider,” Mage Lord Marius said. “Let’s not forget what this whole city was first built for. It has been to keep that weapon away from the rest of the world. Why are we even discussing letting it be carried by anyone, especially this boy. Besides, where have you ever heard of weapons talking to their wielders. Does that not seem unnatural if not absurd to you?”

“Let’s not forget,” Magister Aenhol interrupted from my side, “that it was not too long ago that magic itself was considered unnatural by many.”

Mage Lord Marius looked annoyed at Magister Aenhol’s interruption. “That is an entirely different issue and you know it.”

“I don’t see how,” Magister Aenhol said. “Just because we have not learned it yet or done further studies in it, does not mean it does not exist or is impossible. Isn’t that right, Magister Corvius?”

Magister Corvius looked rather surprised that his name was suddenly mentioned. He looked warily at Mage Lord Marius before answering. “To some extent, that is true. Our knowledge of both magic and the sciences are not all-encompassing. It is possible for the things described by Adam regarding the item to be true.”

“But is it likely?” Mage Lord Marius scowled.

“Yes, it is,” High Mage Lord Khael said before Magister Corvius could reply. The High Mage Lord was seated in his middle chair and leaning against the back rest. Both his hands were in front of his mouth and were touching from finger to finger as though he was in deep thought. Every eye turned towards him – all except for Magister Aenhol’s whose face was lit up by a small smile and whose eyes were boring into Mage Lord Marius.

“What do you mean Horus?” Mage Lord Marius asked in a way that sounded remarkably like have you gone insane?!

“I have spoken to it,” High Mage Lord Khael said without taking his eyes off mine. “I have as has every High Mage Lord before me. The blade is alive. Although last I was told, it was a massive axe at least six feet tall.” He took a deep breath as he looked around at all the faces now watching him intently. He seemed to have grown several years older in the last few days. “As each High Mage Lord comes into office, he is brought by the previous High Mage Lord to... talk with the spirit in the blade.”

“So spirits do exist?” Magister Corvius asked, sounding very dubious about it.

“I do not know,” the High Mage Lord said. “It is the term the previous High Mage Lord used and one used by the High Mage Lord before him.”

“What did it want?” Lady Helena asked in the silence that followed. Magister Aenhol was looking around the room as though he found other things more interesting than what was being discussed.

“Freedom,” High Mage Lord Khael said and then remained completely still as he looked at me.

Mage Lord Marius stared impatiently. “And?”

“That is the gist of it,” High Mage Lord Khael said. “You do not need to know the further details of the conversation. All you need to know was that the item was bargaining for its freedom.”

“And you’re not considering giving it what it wants, are you?” Mage Lord Marius asked.

It was then that I noticed the warmth that had spread behind my back. I could feel heat emanating from the cloth that wrapped the sword. I wondered if it could hear the conversation being held around it then. A movement at my side caught my attention. I glanced at Magister Aenhol and noticed that he was eyeing the wrapped sword behind me. I wondered if he could also somehow feel the heat coming from it. He shouldn’t have given the distance between us.

The High Mage Lord looked around at each of the faces in the council, maintaining eye contact for no more than a second each. I was sure that he was choosing his next words carefully. “This is the Mage Council of Arantiva. Our word is the highest law of this city. Whether or not Adam gets to keep the item or not is a decision for all of us to make, not merely mine.” He then turned his attention to me. “All in favor of having the blade returned to us, make it known now.”

Mage Lord Marius raised his hand as did two other Mage Lords on his side of the room. Madame Rooste’s empty seat was on his side.

“Three,” an unfamiliar Mage Lord on the other side said with a smile. Mage Lord Marius glared at him.

“All in favor of letting Adam keep the blade,” he paused and then added, “in the meantime… make it known now.”

Lady Helena and two Mage Lords on her side including the one who said “three” earlier raised their hands. Magister Corvius was fidgeting in his seat and looking quite uncomfortable as everyone turned to look at him.

“Perhaps,” Magister Corvius said, “we can spend some time studying the weapon.”

“No,” High Mage Lord Khael said. “I do not think it will be agreeable to that, and frankly, neither am I. Either we let Adam be the weapon’s guardian or we construct a new prison to keep it in. There are no in-betweens,” he said with some finality. I had the distinct impression that although he just said that this was a council that involved votes, the High Mage Lord’s decision counted for a lot more than everyone else’s.

Magister Corvius looked defeated. “Then I say we let Adam keep the blade... in the meantime.”

“Four, without intervention,” the unfamiliar Mage Lord who seemed to gloat earlier said as he looked over at Marius’ side of the room.

I had no idea what “without intervention” meant but I had a distinct impression that whatever it was just insulted Mage Lord Marius because Mage Lord Marius was now glaring at the other Mage Lord.

“Then Adam will keep the blade for now,” High Mage Lord Khael said. “Know though that if this resolution was to be changed in the future that you would have to hand over that weapon to us. Also understand that moving forward, you are not under any circumstances permitted to leave this city without the council’s expressed permission lest you have already handed over the item to us. That is non-negotiable.” The tone of his voice made it clear that there would be repercussions if I were to violate that particular rule.

“It is unlikely that my decision will remain unchanged even then,” I said to the High Mage Lord while maintaining eye contact. “However, I agree to stay within the city… at least without informing the proper authorities of my destination in case I do decide to leave.”

High Mage Lord Khael looked like he was about to say something but Magister Aenhol interrupted. “Let’s worry about that when we have to. You have other pressing concerns, don’t you agree?” The latter question seemed directed only to the High Mage Lord.

High Mage Lord Khael paused and after a few seconds nodded. “Yes, this meeting is adjourned. You may go.”

Magister Aenhol and I turned around and left the room. As the doors closed behind me, I looked back at the council who were still in their seats. All the Mage Lords were discussing heatedly but I couldn’t hear any of them. I knew that that silencing spell was working its magic. High Mage Lord Khael though was not discussing with the others. Instead he was watching me intently, his eyes never leaving mine. I had a feeling we could have stared each other to death if the doors hadn’t closed and blocked our sights from one another.

“Do you think I did the right thing?” I asked Magister Aenhol.

“I think you did what you had to,” he said.

“Not going to take a stand on it?” I asked with a half-smile, half-frown.

“I don’t know enough about it yet to make an informed decision,” he said. “I always do my research first.”

“That certainly sounds like something you would say,” I intoned dryly. We were making our way out of the Administrative Building. Certain sections of it were still off-limits as some of the areas were completely ravaged by the attacks. The Council felt it necessary to work on the civilian section of the city before working on the government buildings.

Magister Aenhol chuckled. “Getting tired of my humor already?”

I sighed and then looked at him. I tried keeping my voice as steady as possible but I knew they carried my nervousness with each syllable. “You still owe me a few explanations. I think it’s time I get some answers.”

Magister Aenhol looked over at me with a somewhat uneasy look. “Yes, I suppose it is time for some answers.”

We didn’t speak much more until we got back to my room. We didn’t say we would go there but somehow our feet just knew where to go. When we got into the room, Magister Aenhol walked towards the window as though to admire the view like Marcus did days earlier. There wasn’t much of a view left though as the entire area was now ravaged by Jacob’s magic. The damage stretched several miles in all directions.

I removed the Demon Blade from its purple cloth and set it down on the table with the blade facing away from me. I had more opportunities to look at it the last few days. With time, I began to see some beauty with the blade despite its somewhat menacing appearance. It looked very expensive too, having an ornamental quality about it as though it was not meant to see actual combat.

“The view from here used to be beautiful,” I said as I joined my teacher by the window.

“Yes, I know,” he said. “I happen to have the same view from my quarters.” He reached into his robes. “I have something to give you. I’m not sure if it’s too late but I suppose you own it now more than me.” He pulled his hand out of his robe as he found the object he was looking for. He handed it over to me.

“Jacob’s dagger,” I whispered. I took it almost reverently into my hands and gently pulled the blade out of its ordinary looking sheath. It still looked the same as I had last seen it. Somehow the carvings and symbols on them looked even more beautiful while I was holding it that close. It brought sad memories to me. I remembered how sad and defeated Jacob looked when my teacher took it away.

“I’m afraid the right time for me to return it to Jacob never came. I think now it is just right that I give it to you. I… I hope you don’t resent me for it.”

I looked at my teacher and for the first time noticed him looking almost unsettled. It certainly was out of character. Magister Aenhol was always calm and in control. Sure he could get angry when the situation called for it but he was never unsettled. Hearing him hope that I wouldn’t resent him was unnecessary as the thought never really crossed my mind. I offered him a comforting smile which I didn’t really feel. I brought the dagger over to where I set the sword. I set them side by side. As I did, I imagined how much easier it would be to carry around the Demon Blade if it was a smaller size instead. It took me a few seconds to realize that as I stood there, the longer weapon was slowly shrinking in size.

“Interesting,” Magister Aenhol said as he peered at what was happening.

The Demon Blade shrank to the exact same size and design as Jacob’s dagger, with the exception that the blade looked brand new and it was still encrusted with rubies. It was also made of a more expensive looking metal than Jacob’s copper and brass. I took the weapon in my hand and imagined it again as a sword. As I did, it grew in length, once again returning to the beautiful and menacing looking sword. I imagined it as a dagger and once more it shrank to the same size and design as Jacob’s dagger. I repeated this a few times on each hand.

DON’T PUSH IT, came the cold and humorless voice of the blade in my head. I smiled to myself but it was an empty smile. I shrank the blade again to the size of Jacob’s dagger. I tried inserting it into the sheath Jacob used for his own blade and it fit perfectly. I decided for the meantime to keep it like that. I placed the sheath next to my belt and little metal wires expanded out from it like it usually did for my mace. I placed the sheath into the wires on my belt and they fit perfectly.

“Interesting,” Magister Aenhol said again. “Is it alright if I ask you to place that thing inside the dresser while we talk?” The way he said it gave me the impression that it was the only way we would talk.

“Are you afraid of being overheard by the spirit of the blade?”

“Afraid?” he asked with a chuckle. “No. But I am concerned that it will hear us. And some of the things we will discuss may not be appropriate for its ears, figuratively speaking of course.”

“You think a thin wooden door will block out the sound?”

“Adam,” he said in a way that made me sound nine years old, “in case you haven’t noticed by now, that is no ordinary dresser. It does more than just give you clothes. It keeps things safe for you. Anything you keep in there will be reasonably safe and concealed both from the outside world and to it.”

“Really?” I asked surprised by his revelation. As fascinating as I found the dresser to be, I never really thought of it like a truly safe place to hide something.

“Oh yes,” he said almost laughing. “Frankly you’d be quite surprised what that little wooden furniture can do and perhaps, will do for you in the future.”

I wanted to ask him what he meant by that but it wasn’t the main reason we were there. So I figured I would set it aside for another day. I went over to the dresser to place the dagger in it. On the back of the door was a strap that could easily fit the dagger and its sheath, another new addition since that morning. Shaking my head, I placed the weapon inside and closed it.

“Why don’t you have a seat?” he asked then raised his hand indicating one of the seats facing the window.

I haven’t taken a seat on that chair for quite awhile. I only ever sat there when I was with Jacob and ever since he... well ever since that day, I just never felt like sitting there again. I was afraid of what would happen if I did. “Sir, I can’t.”

“Please,” Magister Aenhol said. There was a pleading quality in his voice that made me look at him. “It will help.”

After awhile, I did as he asked. Surprisingly, it wasn’t as bad as I had imagined. I didn’t feel any sudden emotional outburst come over me as I took my usual seat by the window. It did however magnify the fact that I was by then the lone occupant of that room. I guess I already knew that but had not really come to terms with it yet.

Magister Aenhol took the other seat by the window, the one Jacob always sat at. I didn’t feel any resentment towards him for doing that. I guess I sort of just felt numb. I was waiting for him to speak up but he didn’t so I decided to ask him first. Something had been bothering me for quite awhile and while trying to put two and two together, only one explanation made any sense in my head.

“It’s your prophecy, isn’t it?” I asked.

Magister Aenhol looked at me with tired eyes. He seemed to grow older before me as we looked at each other. “Yes, Adam, it is my prophecy.”

I creased my brows in confusion. “Why would you do that?” I asked as the implications of his answer confirmed my doubts. Somehow, I felt betrayed. “You’ve been telling everyone that I’m some hero that would save the city?”

“No, I haven’t,” he said as he straightened his back on his chair. “The last time I had willingly revealed the details of my prophecy to anyone was many decades ago – when I was your age in fact.”

“What do you mean?”

He released a heavy sigh as though he had been waiting for this for the longest time. “When I was seventeen, I went to the Seer just like you did all those months ago. I got my prophecy from her like everyone else who ever attended the Academy. Unlike most people though, she gave me two prophecies a decade apart, one of which I made the mistake of sharing with the wrong person. I trusted him back then and I didn’t think any harm would come from sharing my concerns with him.”

“Your teacher, Victor Cross? The one who became Lord Raezhul?”

Magister Aenhol nodded. “The Seer warned me of an attack that would come decades from that time. She said if it succeeded, it would spell the doom for all mages everywhere.”

“This was that attack?”

“I believe so,” he said. “Although I’m sure you’ve already heard of this before, know that it wasn’t quite as poetic when it was told to me. Somehow though, it became literature with time and it became the accepted prophecy although it wasn’t actually said this way,” he paused as though remembering, “a mage with powers unlike any other, from faraway lands he comes, he alone has the power, to give his life to save your lands.”

“Jacob,” I said as my breath was caught in my throat.

Magister Aenhol nodded. “I didn’t know it would be him. For the longest time, I thought it would be you especially when you began manifesting your powers and I kept hearing about all these amazing things you’ve done. I was so afraid for you.”

I could tell that he really meant it. I could almost feel the pain he had been feeling, having to make the hard decisions he did. “It’s okay, sir.”

“No, it’s not,” he said. “No matter how I look at it, it all came down to one thing. I was willing to sacrifice your life to save the city and all magic. It was a price I did not have any right to pay.”

“You didn’t pay for it, sir. Nor did you ask me to pay for it. I’ve been making all my decisions on my own. I would have given my life for everyone here without you even asking.”

Magister Aenhol frowned and I had a feeling my words weren’t offering him any comfort. I decided to bring him back to retelling his story. “You said you shared this with your teacher? What does all this have to do with Victor Cross?”

Magister Aenhol looked like he was trying to recall. “I didn’t know it then but Victor was already on his way to becoming one of the more powerful undead of our time. Being a skilled mage in life made him an equally skilled and dangerous undead mage. I told you before how he became withdrawn after he lost his family. Thinking on it now, I think that was around the time he began losing himself to whatever had possessed him. When I shared my prophecy with him, something seemed to spark. He seemed almost more alive again. I thought I was doing the right thing in sharing my prophecy with him so I shared every detail with him, even giving the answers to other more personal questions I had asked the Seer. Three days later he disappeared.”

“That’s when you went searching for him,” I said. Magister Aenhol looked at me sadly and a realization dawned on me. “You loved him.”

“I did,” he said with a pause. “I did very much.” He then shook his head as though refusing to accept whatever thought had entered his mind. “But he was different when I saw him again a decade later. I knew then without a doubt that he had turned. He told me how he was searching for the one prophesied to save Arantiva. He also told me how he would corrupt the mage’s soul and twist it to follow him obediently.”

“Why would he tell you that?”

“I don’t know. I think... I think he was trying to warn me. I think for the briefest moment, the teacher I once knew and once loved was able to shine through and he came to me to warn me of what was to come. By revealing to him then what had been involved in my prophecy, I had inadvertently turned Arantiva’s one hope into a weapon sought after by the undead. After that meeting, I went back to the Seer. I needed more answers and a solution to stopping my old teacher. So, I met her again a decade later. This time, I went by myself to enter the Hallean Mountains. However, rather than getting the answers I needed, I left with more questions to answer. She gave me another prophecy. One I am sharing with you today.”

I felt somewhat flattered hearing that although I was nervous at the same time. “Does it involve me?”

“Yes, it involves you and Jacob. She said that the future had become clearer, if only in the slightest. Arantiva was still destined to be attacked yet instead of one powerful mage, there would be two. She said there were two boys I must find, no, those weren’t quite her words. She spoke of two boys who must be raised in the village. One I would bring back and the other can only be found by the first. These two boys will share a bond unlike any other mages in the history of our kind.” Magister Aenhol paused as he probably noticed the sudden creases that appeared on my face. “What is it?”

“I just remembered something. Lord Raezhul used those exact words. He said Jacob and I would share a bond unlike any other or something like that.”

Magister Aenhol frowned and then his eyes bulged slightly. His mouth was half open as though he just realized something. That or he was about to sneeze at my face.

“What is it, sir?” I asked, carefully adjusting myself so I could dodge just in case.

“It’s nothing,” he said. “I just remembered something I had to do. Anyway, as I was saying,” as he said all that, I had the impression that he was quickly trying to change the topic, “she also said that death follows these boys and that one must die to save the other,” He stopped peering intently at me. I would have thought that was the end of the prophecy if I didn’t see the reluctance in his eyes.

“Sir?”

“Adam, please understand that the rest of the prophecy may no longer be true now but at least it was true insofar as the Seer had foreseen it then. Know also that the words are not binding nor are they precise. They are open to interpretation so do not take them at face value for they can mean any number of things.”

The way he was explaining it made me feel nervous. But if he was going to delay any further, I would burst. I nodded at him.

He took a deep breath. “She said that the savior will need a savior, to wield the darkness and yield to evil in order to kill the other. Only he can break the blade.”

I frowned. “What?”

He laughed. “That was the exact same thing I said when she told me those words. I imagine I looked as confused as you do now also. Unfortunately, I am not much wiser now about that part of the prophecy than I was then.”

I looked discretely at the dresser where I knew the Demon Blade was being kept. I mean I can call it whatever I wanted but it wouldn’t change what it was. How can you trust something born from evil, Mage Lord Marius had said. That weapon was used by a Demon Lord. Thousands of mages have died by its edge. There was no doubt in my mind that it was evil. And since I was wielding it, did that mean I was the one referred to in the prophecy? Was I the savior who will wield darkness and yield to evil? And by doing that had I… had I killed Jacob? I blinked a few times and for a moment I thought I would actually start crying after so many days of not doing so. But no, my eyes remained dry.

Magister Aenhol was looking at me curiously as though he was seeing me for the first time. It made me rather uncomfortable. “What’s going on in that head of yours, Adam?”

I stared at him unable to speak the thoughts that were running in my mind.

“You think that you are the one spoken of in my prophecy? The one who will succumb to evil?” Magister Aenhol said correctly guessing my thoughts.

I stared at him and for the first time I could feel fear course through me in his presence. Again, I looked nervously at the dresser. “I don’t know.”

He placed a hand on my shoulder and made me look away from the dresser to face him. “Adam, listen to me. Hear my words.”

I looked into his eyes and I could see love in them and a sincere need for me to understand.

“I have a gift,” he said. “Something that I believe you also have to some capacity. I can peer into the soul of another individual and know what they are all about, what they are feeling, and sometimes even what they are thinking. Do you know what I see when I look at you?”

I shook my head no.

“I see a good man,” he said proudly, “not a scared vulnerable little boy much less an evil one. I see someone who does not hate or discriminate. I see someone who would give his life for his friends and for strangers. Does that sound like someone evil? That sounds more like the embodiment of good to me.” He then smiled at me and I could see that he meant it. “Besides, I’m certain you don’t have the slightest drop off evil blood in you. I never did say how the Seer told me I’d find the first boy in my prophecy, did I? She said I would find him from my blood.”

My face must have looked really surprised because he chuckled. “From your blood?” I asked.

“Yes,” he said and I had the impression he has been itching to tell me that for the longest time.

“My mother?” I asked.

“My sister,” he replied.

I stared at him as he looked back at me. His eyes were almost twinkling. “You’re my uncle.”

“I’m afraid so,” he said with false exasperation. Well, at least I hoped it was false.

“You’re my uncle,” I said again.

“Don’t wear it out.”

“I don’t have to call you Uncle Aenhol, do I?”

He laughed and somehow it sounded different after his revelation, almost less retrained. “You don’t have to if you don’t want to.”

“Why didn’t you ever tell me?”

He frowned a little. “I suppose I thought it was for the best. I didn’t want to distract you from what you needed to do.”

“You didn’t want me to run away and look for my mother? To not be here to save Arantiva?”

He frowned at me fully but before he could say anything I spoke up again.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean anything by it.”

“I know,” he whispered softly. “I’m sorry too.”

We sat there for awhile watching the world outside. The sun was setting in the west. “Are you going to tell me about her now, sir?”

“It’s getting late,” he said. “Tomorrow, I promise. Come meet me at my quarters and I will tell you everything you need to know about your mom, my sister.”

I raised an eyebrow at him. “Only what I need to know?””

He looked over at me with a smile. “You were always a smart one.” I frowned at him because I realized that that was his way of telling me that he indeed would only say what I needed to know. I sighed heavily and shook my head knowing I would take what I could get.

“I should get going. I’m sure you’ve had a tiring day and you need to rest. Good night, Adam.” He stood up and headed for the door.

“Good night, sir,” I said as he started walking away. “Uncle?” I called out as a thought came to my mind.

He looked back at me as he placed a hand on the doorknob. He was smiling. “Yes, Adam?”

“I guess the Seer doesn’t get everything right, huh?” I said.

“What do you mean?” he asked. I could tell he was quite curious.

I figured it was safe to tell him then something that had been bothering me about my prophecy. After all, the battle was over so what harm could come from sharing it with him. He was Magister Aenhol after all, Uncle Aenhol even. “She told me that one person I cared about would die in this attack. And now, both Phillip and... and Jacob are both dead. I loved both of them so that means she got it wrong, right? Two died instead of one. And you said that the savior would have to wield the darkness… and that I… I mean he would have to use it to kill the other. That can’t happen now that Jacob’s gone. Not that it would have happened anyway even if he didn’t die. I would never ever want to kill Jacob and I know he would never want to do the same to me. So she was wrong, right? On both accounts?”

Magister Aenhol looked uncertainly at me. “That,” he said and almost seemed to lament his next words, “or my prophecy isn’t finished yet. Sweet dreams, Adam.” He left through the door before I could even say huh. I was speechless as he disappeared from my sight.

What did he mean by that? How could the prophecy not be finished when one of the two referred to in the prophecy is already dead? It was referring to Jacob and me, wasn’t it? I’m sure of it and I’m sure Magister Aenhol knew it as well. He said so himself that it involved us. If so, that could only mean...

I stood up quickly as I remembered. I unbuttoned the front of my shirt and pulled out the amulet Jacob gave me. I had been wearing it every day even in my sleep. I took it off me and looked at it. I started mentally scolding myself for not thinking of it before. Jacob had once said that as long as he was alive, his blood would protect the amulet from most harm like bludgeoning, cutting, or even natural wearing out.

I placed the amulet on our table and took Jacob’s old dagger in one hand. I hesitated. This was a gift from Jacob, the only gift I had from him. And, this was the last thing I would ever get from him. And if I was to destroy it, I would have nothing. But then, was it anything? Did it mean anything to have this amulet with me to keep Jacob alive within me? Something told me no. Something told me that he was still within me and will always be within me as long as I wanted him to be. No, this dagger was just a gift. An important, sentimental gift, yes. But, I did not need it to keep Jacob alive in my heart.

I raised Jacob’s dagger and smashed the hilt against the thin stone of the amulet. I lifted the dagger and looked down at the result of my experiment. I felt myself stop breathing. The hand I had on the hilt went limp and the dagger clattered to the floor. Tears finally poured from my eyes as the first real smile since that day broke through my lips. I could almost feel the rays of the sun shining through my window.

The amulet was whole.