The Chronicles of Bael

The Chronicles of Bael Part 19

Fireday, Fertility Week, Fire Season, 1600

Despite his promise to see me three days ago, my Master has been completely ensconced in the Library since we last spoke. Only today did he emerge to reveal to me his purpose with the Melmarrow. When we returned to his rooms, he removed the Melmarrow from the coffer in which he had locked it and placed it in one of the larger copper pots he keeps for his alchemy. Building a small fire in the hearth, he poured water into the copper pot, placed it over the fire and began to boil the Melmarrow down.

My Master is a fine Alchemist, but I had believed his skills were limited to the healing salves and potions that he had taught me to make in my youth. And yet there was little to the process that he undertook with the Melmarrow. After several hours, in which my Master questioned me about my adventure, the Melmarrow was reduced to a fine paste. My Master carefully scraped this paste from the bottom of the copper pot and placed it into a small glass bottle and sealed the bottle with a cork. Then he handed me the bottle.

Even before my Master spoke the realisation of his intent struck me. The contents of the bottle contained the power to transform me into a thing of Chaos. Until this moment I questioned whether I was in truth tainted by Chaos, for if a Storm Bull could not sense it upon me, how could I be? I knew that my Master possessed a Chaos taint, but he had been fortunate, his taint was both beneficial and easily hidden. So many Chaos features were readily apparent to all, and not all were beneficial. Should I to be transformed with a visible feature of Chaos I would be quickly slain by my fellow cultists. I had no doubt that I would be taking an enormous risk.

My Master has rarely spoken of his past, but today he shared with me the story of his Illumination and the journey that followed. He spoke of how his study of Chaos had taken him to the heart of the Lunar Empire in his youth. Still only an initiate, and to a Lightbringer God, he had nevertheless been allowed to travel to the metropolis of Elz Ast on the shores of the White Sea. Here he had found illumination from the mouth of the great teacher Ameras of Elz Ast. My Master never believed that Ameras had illuminated him for any other purpose than to secure his services as a messenger. For shortly after his illumination Ameras gave him the task of delivering a gift to one of the Lords of Chaos, Ralzakark the Broo King of Dorastor.

My Master bore Ameras' gift, contained in an iron bound chest, through the Chaos lands of Dorastor to Ralzakark's stronghold of Fort Wrath. My master related this journey in only a few words, but I sensed that there was a lifetime of travail left unspoken, for his path took him through some of the most dangerous lands in all of Genertela. At Fort Wrath he met Ralzakark and gave him Ameras' chest, the contents of which were never revealed to him. For two seasons my Master remained at Fort Wrath as Ralzakark's guest. Throughout his tale my Master always spoke admiringly of Ralzakark, and I feel he was in some way seduced by this ill-reputed Sovereign of Dorastor, for in the final days of his stay at Fort Wrath he willingly accepted a Chaos feature from Ralzakark himself. In finishing his tale my Master said to me,

"The greatest of all the powers derived from your Illumination is the ability to hide the taint of Chaos. But until you have been empowered by Chaos you will possess nothing of value. And without power you will not long survive in this world, you would be but one more sheep for the slaughter. Be not afraid my boy, the power bestowed by Chaos may be as easily ignored as the prescriptions of the Gods. Sip upon the extract of the Melmarrow".

But I could not do it. My Master was wrong; I had felt power through the sword that I wield, I did not need the powers that the Melmarrow might provide. I had destroyed any number of Chaos twisted creatures. And my illumination provided me with one more power that made me more than a sheep, for I no longer feared Chaos.

My opposition was derived in no small part from the inspiration I had found in the ancient Esrolian manuscript I had recovered in the Hollow. I had spent the last two days deep in study of its secrets and I believe that within just a few weeks I could master its teachings. The scroll had taught me much more than the mastery of the sword, it had taught me that power can be derived from research, endeavour and discovery. It is not Chaos that interests me, like it does my Master, but rather what secrets and powers I may learn to build my talents.