Howl's Twisted Castle

21: Heartstone

Howl thrust the blinding light through the air, illuminating the entirety of the cavern before us. The ball of flames struck a brazier in the centre of the chamber, igniting it and in an instant, the cavern came to life with light. The flicker of flames reflected off the crystal-encrusted walls around us, enchanting the room with its glimmering light. I moved closer to inspect one of the thousands of crystals embedded in the wall, wondering what kind of gemstone they were. 

"Those crystals are heartstone," Howl guessed my thoughts. "You should have read about them in your book last night," he commented, pulling out a pocket knife. He pried one of the gemstones loose and showed it to me.

I did remember reading about them; a heartstone was a rare and powerful object sought after by even the most accomplished of wizards. It was a priceless gem that, when used in the right application, amplified a person's magic. Strangely the book also mentioned there only being about a dozen or so of these stones in existence. 

So why then were there so many here?

"These are supposed to be incredibly rare," I remarked, circling the glimmering cavern.

Howl tucked the knife into his boot and watched me as I walked about the room. 

"Have you ever wondered where magic came from? Why it exists in our world?"

I contemplated my answer. "I had never given any real thought to the origins of magic before. To me, it feels the same as asking myself where do trees come from? Why do birds fly and why do fish breathe underwater?"

"Spoken like a true scholar," Howl observed, following in my footsteps. "Magic, like all living things in this world, came from the earth. When we draw upon that power, we are asking the earth to lend us its energy. There are, however, limitations to the earth's power."

"Limitations?" I said, surprised by this admission. I had always thought magic was a limitless source, like the water in the ocean.

"Absolutely," he replied. "Tell me, do you think it's fair for any one person to hold more power over another just because they can wield magic?"

"Not at all!" I blurted out. In fact, one of the reasons I disliked magic so much was because to me it felt like an unfair advantage; anyone with the ability to use magic posed a threat to those who couldn't. 

After all, I was proof of such an instance. 

"I agree. No one should feel subjugated because of magic. It's a tool to better peoples lives, not ruin them," he frowned. It seemed like he shared my feelings on the subject. 

"If that's the case, then why do curses exist?"

He continued his walk about the room, needing the space to think. "Some magicians bend the rules of nature and they abuse power they were given. Magic was never intended to be used on living beings, but curses do just that. If your arm were to be cut off, magic wouldn't bring it back; if someone you loved died, you couldn't resurrect them. Trying to do these things goes against the laws of nature and that is where curses come from."

"So how are witches and wizards able to use curses then?" I challenged.

"With these," he flicked the heartstone in the air and caught it deftly in his hand. "Heartstones can be used for a multitude of applications, one of which is for curses. Magicians can take energy from the earth, from themselves, or even from other people and place it in this stone, twisting it into something unnatural. They then use it for selfish purposes." 

"Such as curses,"

"Or worse." Howls hand clenched around the heartstone. 

"If these stones cause so much sorrow, then why bring me here? Wouldn't it be better if they were all destroyed?" I asked.