Espex The Demon Mage. (1)

Chapter 23: One Month Passed.

In a large stone hall a great metal statue stood at the very end. Its height greater than four meters high easily. The statue was of the god Aeolus, a great deity of Hyarod. The great god was figured to be looking down at whoever worshipped it. In terms of appearance it was godly. Great large wings sprouting from its back more than six in total. The clothes the god wore were displayed as silk on the statue covering its entire body. Its hands up towards the sky as it looked intensely at who ever looked below. The face neither man nor woman but a strange hybrid of both, long hair like silk swayed down to its back. Below the statue a man was on his knees holding his hands together. He was praying. Behind him on the rows of seats a pair sat with an odd creature. They wore large baggy clothes. The female of the pair had hair blonde messy hair just touching her shoulders. Her big blue eyes shown in the darkness as did her large red lips. The attire they wore was made from a thick hide most likely a cow. It was stitched finely all over. Making up the entire outfit from boots to top. She wore a large backpack that was off many colours, blue, red and green. A necklace of pure white wrapped around her thin white neck sparkled in the dim light.

"So this is Aeolus, She is big." Whispered Samth.

Espex didn't look at her; he just continued to stare at the statue. "Indeed. Aeolus is the god of wind. They say Aeolus is the reason we are able to summon the wind, which Aeolus came down from the heavens to teach the first mage to do it. Or so the tales go. I however have my own suspicions." His whisper low with his odd accent.

"They are?"

"Look at Grix, don't you find it strange that a god from this realm is also being worshipped by a being off another?"

Samth looked down to the wooden floor. At her feet was a small creature no bigger than a cat. It had long rabbit like ears, blue fur and wore pink trousers. Grix was on his knees doing the same as the priest in black. Praying to Aeolus the wind god.

"You are saying that Aeolus isn't from this realm?"

"Maybe I don't know. I suppose I should tell you. The origins of magic.

Thousands of years ago the world wasn't as calm as it is now. Crusades ran left, right and centre. Clans would kill other clans on the basis that they worshipped the wrong god or no god at all. It was a time when it was not safe to be anyone. No kings ruled then only clan leaders. The biggest most powerful clan at the time was the Asura. A tribe of warriors that crushed anyone that was in their path. They had no objective they would only seek a truly powerful foe. Perfect warriors in every way all but one. This flaw was their very downfall. They fought through the land and came to a small town. There they did what they always did, slaughtered in the name of their god. This is where the world changed. During the fight a teenager no older than sixteen watched his family die. This snapped the child. They say that this is how magic came into this world. The child wrapped in magic twisted and angry killed all Asura he could find. Calling forth the very elements, Earth to protect and trap, wind to push back and deflect, water to heal and restore, fire to burn and destroy. The four basic elements in magic. Each of these basic elements also summoned a great god to help the child in the fight. Aeolus was of wind, Agni of fire, Dhara of the earth and finally Sedna god of water. These four came from the heavens to give the gift of magic to the small child. They were angry that our world was in chaos. The boy and gods defeated the Asura and they retreated. The boy was then tasked to spread the words of the gods and of magic. Teaching the world to defend itself from people like Asura and bring order to our world."

"Wow... What was the boy's name?"

"You know it already Samth. You just never heard the story of it." Samth looked at Espex and his big purple glowing eyes. "His name was Skov. This land is the most magical because this land was where he was born. Thus it was named after him."

"What about the Asura what was the flaw of the people? Did they all get wiped out?"

"Skov did wipe out a great many he was not a complete saint. He wanted vengeance. They say a small band managed to hide from him. The flaw that brought them down. It was one thing that made them recognizable to everyone who was near one."

"And that was?"

"I can't remember." Samth looked at him with disappointment. "Now we have been here far too long. We must go. Still a good two months to get to where we need to go."

Samth just nodded and picked up Grix and placed him on her shoulder. She bowed before the statue and the priest and made her way towards the back. Espex sat for a moment looking at the statue of Aeolus.

"You know very well what the downfall of the Asura was." Whispered the praying priest, his voice old and dull.

"Being a little nosy are we priest?" responded Espex.

"Indeed it was a great tale all accurate apart from the Asura weakness."

"Do you know it priest."

"Of course I do. It is your accent, child of Asura. It was your greatest flaw."

Espex smiled and stood up and started walking towards Samth.

"She doesn't know. She will find out. Your people are chaos."

"Good day priest."

"And to you my child."