Different Worlds

Jarvis' History

I looked up at Jarvis as his eyes carefully surveyed the sea of faces that were crowding around, eager to hear what he had to say. In the short time I had known Jarvis, I had come to realize that he was a serious man who worked hard and expected the same amount of dedication and hard work in return from his apprentices. Even though I had not gotten along with him in the beginning, I had the utmost respect for him now. That's why I firmly believed that nothing he said could sway me from how I viewed him. He seemed to sense this as he looked at me, and he granted me the barest outline of a smile.

Clearing his throat, he returned his attention to the waiting crowd.

"I know that everyone here knows Netiri as an evil sorceress who bewitched our king in order to take over our land." There were muted murmurs of agreement to his words. "But she was not always like that." A faraway look came into Jarvis' eyes as he began sifting through his memories. "There was a time when she was a good person. I first met Netiri a little over a thousand years ago."

I stifled a gasp of shock as I realized Jarvis was much, much older than I had thought.

"We were both young, ambitious and wanting to see what the world had to offer us. I can still remember the first time I saw her. Her long, black hair silkily falling over her shoulders like a waterfall, beautiful blue eyes that seemed to see straight into my soul. She was unlike anyone I had ever met.

"When it was discovered that we both had magic in our blood, an old sorcerer - Hadlin - took both of us on as his apprentices. It was clear from the beginning that we both had a strong calling to the magic, and we were eager to learn as much as we could. Hadlin was a very strict master and he required our utmost devotion - which we gladly gave.

"Years passed and we continued our studies, becoming stronger and stronger in the art. Hadlin was pleased with us both, and happy for us when Netiri and I fell in love. For a long time we were content. We had each other and I thought we would be together forever." The faraway look in his eyes disappeared and they grew hard. "I didn't notice it at first, but looking back I should have. Just little things. Netiri began to get restless. We had reached the end of what Hadlin could teach us - there was nothing more we could learn from him. We were no longer his apprentices, we were masters in our own right. At the time - apart from Hadlin - we were the most powerful sorcerers in Nardema. But Netiri began to feel that this wasn't enough. She slowly began to crave more power. I was so in love with her that I refused to see the signs, but Hadlin didn't. He began to see a darkness grow in her soul that I didn't want to believe was there. I was happy to remain ignorant." His voice grew bitter with the memories. "I was a fool.

"Hadlin warned me - many times - but I wouldn't listen. It wasn't until I saw her kill some innocent people with her magic did I realize what she had become." He hung his head in shame as he spoke, and my heart went out to him. "I was too far away to do anything. I can still remember the cries of the child she had orphaned as he sobbed next to his dead parents. She showed no remorse. She couldn't understand that what she had just done was atrocious - or she didn't want to. I knew that if I couldn't get through to her I would have to destroy her, and that thought nearly killed me. Despite what she had done - what she was becoming - I still loved her.

"I remember the day everything changed forever. I was returning to see Hadlin after visiting one of the neighbouring villages when I heard screaming coming from within Hadlin's home. Rushing inside, I saw Netiri attacking Hadlin with her magic. Hadlin was blocking her, but by this time he was getting very old. His magic may have been powerful, but his body wasn't. I stepped in front of Hadlin and blocked Netiri's magic myself, shielding our old master. He was so weak that he fell to the ground. I can remember yelling for Netiri to stop, that it was me, but she was too far gone. I watched in horror as her beautiful blue eyes turned blood red. I closed my eyes and mustered up as much courage as I could, and threw a spell back at her. It was strong enough to push her back and knock her unconscious. As she lay there unmoving, her face began to change in appearance. Her beauty began to fade and left behind an ugly, soulless creature." He looked directly at me. "When a sorcerer turns evil, the magic takes away all beauty to show what the sorcerer really is." I nodded.

"I turned to Hadlin. He was only just hanging onto life, and I still remember his last words. He told me that I needed to do what I had been unable to do then. I needed to destroy her. Then he took my hand and what he did shocked me. He let all of the magic and power he possessed flow into me, making me so much stronger. When it was finished, Hadlin was dead." I could see unshed tears glistening in his eyes as he spoke of his old master, and I really felt for him. So much so that I wasn't surprised when I felt tears running down my own cheeks in response. I looked over at Devon as I felt his hand gently wiping them away, and he smiled tenderly at me.

"As much as I loved Hadlin," Jarvis continued. "I couldn't bring myself to fulfill his last wish. I couldn't kill her. Despite all she had done, I still loved her so much. Instead, I left her lying there and went to my own hut. I sat there for the rest of the day trying togather the courage to do what was required of me." He lifted his eyes to the listening crowd, almost like he was pleading with them to understand. "I knew that if I didn't end it, a lot of other people were going to get hurt. With that in mind, I left my silent contemplation to try and make Hadlin's last wish reality. It would kill me too, but I owed it to Hadlin." He let his eyes drop again. "But I was too late. I found her in the village I had just visited. She had destroyed it all. I cannot describe the horror I felt when I saw what she had done. She was standing in the middle of the ruined village, a smile on her lips. She had killled everyone. Men, women and children. Even the babies. All because she had wanted to take her rage out on something. That village just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

"I fought her." He slowly looked around again as he spoke. "I swear to god I tried - so hard. Despite the fact that I knew I was now so much more powerful than she, I still couldn't do it. I just couldn't bring myself to destroy the one person I had given my heart to. She sensed this and took advantage of it. She struck me and I didn't do anything to stop her. But as she struck, she could sense Hadlin's power within me, and she wanted it. She took it. She drained it out of my body and into hers, thus creating the monster she is now." He took an unsteady breath before continuing. "Once she had Hadlin's power, she created a spell to change her appearance back to how it used to be, except for the eyes. Her eyes changed back to blue, but then seemed to glow red. I had lost my chance to destroy her. I hadn't been able to fulfill Hadlin's last wish. Instead, I had allowed Hadlin's power get into the hands of a purely evil being, and for that, I can only beg everyone's forgiveness. I am more sorry that you could ever imagine." He dropped his head into his hands in defeat. "I'm so sorry," he whispered. "Hadlin, please forgive me."

I slowly got to my feet and went and stood in front of Jarvis. Reaching out, I took one of his hands in my own and he slowly looked up.

"What you've told us," I said quietly. "It doesn't change anything. I can imagine how you must have felt and if I had been in your position, I don't think I would have been able to do it either."

Devon stood up and came to stand beside me. "Sienna's right," he said softly. "What's done is done. While I wish that you could have done it when you had the chance, it's in the past. Nothing can be changed by dwelling on past events."

Jarvis nodded slowly. "Your parents ..." he trailed off, not taking his eyes off Devon, and Devon visibly flinched.

"Yes," he finally said. "I won't disagree that if you had killed her back then, my parents would still be alive. But then again, so would a lot of people. Everything would be different. But like Sienna said, we can only imagine how you must have felt at the time. If I had been in your position and it was Sienna I had to destroy," his blue eyes flicked to me and then back to Jarvis, "I daresay that I would have done the same." Holding Jarvis' gaze, he held out his hand, and Jarvis took it without hesitation.

"Thank you," Jarvis said with conviction. "You have no idea how much your words mean to me."

There were more murmurs of agreement from the crowd.

"I think it's safe to say that no-one blames you." Jacek's voice sounded from the crowd, and I turned to see a smile on his face.

Jarvis nodded, but I could still see a sadness in his eyes. Despite the fact that no-one blamed him, I could tell that he still held himself responsible. And I doubted that there was anything anyone could say that would make him believe otherwise.