THE KEEPERS RISE

Chapter 4 - Lessons Learned - Part 1

*Remember to click the play button to listen to the soundtrack as you read!*

MepKing Alesteir showed Velda and Cha hundreds of rooms in the castle by going around the perimeter hallway of each floor. Some rooms seemed to have no purpose, and many were empty. He also showed them side doors leading to each of the four outer towers, which held spiral staircases. Each floor seemed to wind around the space where the great hall was, and the view to the ground got more and more impressive. There was no obvious way to get to the center of the castle, which Velda found strange since she had seen a central tower earlier.

As Alesteir seemed to be finishing up the tour, Velda asked, "Could you show me the center tower? It looks like it goes somewhere interesting." Alesteir looked at her warily but did not reply.

While Alesteir pondered, Cha asked Velda, Why are you probing the MepKing like this?

I have a feeling that something's hidden there, Velda replied.

What if that is something you should not see?

Then he'll probably tell me.

Alesteir had been silent all this time, thinking about how to respond. Finally, he asked, "You are aware that Rhea and I are skilled mages?"

"That's nearly the first thing that comes to mind."

"The center tower is for magical work. My workshop is there, and Rhea is often in the upper reaches of the tower studying magic. I'd imagine she is there now, but we shouldn't disturb her."

One word immediately caught Velda's attention. "You have a workshop?"

"I specialize in designing magical items." He paused, then added, "I guess it's more of a hobby than a specialization, my stone hasn't got a hint of white in it, but I like to believe I'm quite good at it."

"Why would it matter if it was white?" Velda asked.

"White stones specialize in creation magic," Alesteir explained.

"So, someone with a white stone could make meps?" Velda giggled.

Alesteir smiled wryly. "No, white only strengthens magic for creating objects. For life summoning, you'd need a yellow stone."

"Oh." Velda was a little disappointed but tried not to show it. "So, could we visit your workshop?"

"I'll take you to see it as long as you promise to not touch anything."

Velda eagerly nodded, and Alesteir went to the closest tower stairwell and headed up. After going past many floors of identical doors, he stopped at one particular landing. This floor didn't look any different than the others at first, but then Velda noticed a door in a position she wasn't used to, directly across from the tower stairs. Alesteir practically skipped to the door and swung it open with no care to the thud it made against the wall. Velda shied away from his eccentric enthusiasm, but quickly changed heart when she saw the room.

It was dark inside until a large sphere attached to the ceiling lit up, at about Cha's height. Velda was used to using the plain, smaller light spheres in the orphanage, but this one outsized them all, not to mention that it had a magical glow around it. Then, she realized then that Alesteir had done nothing to turn on the light! The MepKing saw her staring and said, "That was one of my first creations. It is still imperfect, but I can't bother myself to fix it."

What could possibly be wrong with it, Cha?

I cannot say, it responded with confusion.

Alesteir had gone to the center of the circular room, where a large glassy table hovered without any legs. The table was a perfect disc and had the same slight glow of magic as the light. Alesteir wasn't focused on the magical table though, or Velda. He was examining a staff, one that had been leaning against the table when they walked in. It was made of rather plain wood except for rings of silver at the top and bottom, almost like caps.

Velda wondered if she was supposed to stay where she was, but after waiting for a while in silence, she edged forward to get a better look at the staff. As she moved closer, she began to see all sorts of etched patterns in the wood. Some looked like strange letters and words, others were pictures with mythical characters fighting, talking, or standing together. "This is my current project," he said finally. "It's an enchanted staff I call the Hyretica. The idea for it came to me a long time ago, and I've been working on it for a few decades."

"It's not glowing like the other things," observed Velda.

"Sharp eye," Alesteir smiled. "This is not meant to be magical by itself, but to receive pure magic from a stone and conduct it. Even so, I could never hope to have the magical strength to power the Hyretica myself. Even Rhea can't help me."

Cha came forward in mep form and looked at the Hyretica. "It does not seem very complex," it remarked.

Alesteir scowled. "Each mark on this staff has a meaning. It took time and knowledge to put the etchings together." He twirled the staff a few times before setting it lightly on the table.

Cha nodded in understanding. It had been watching Alesteir's movements closely. "May I examine it?" the vaya asked. The MepKing swallowed and slid the Hyretica off the table again, presenting it to Cha.

Cha reached its spirit strand out from its arm to encircle the staff as a hand would. Of course, its spirit material passed right through the staff. "I nearly forgot," the vaya laughed. "Velda, would you lend me some magic?"

"I can do that?" Velda led some of her magic along the spirit stream to Cha, and the vaya skillfully took control of it from her and extended it out to the table to pick up the staff. Velda and Alesteir exchanged interested looks.

Before setting it down, Cha spun the staff like Alesteir had, though the vaya was far more agile. "The balance is perfect," it said in wonder. "It is light and incredibly sturdy. How did you design this as a mortal?"

Alesteir laughed, almost maniacally. "There have been more than a few prototypes." He gestured to a shelf piled high with different shapes and sizes of sticks.

Velda noticed that nearly the entire wall was covered in shelves of all sorts of magical items. "What other things have you made?" Velda asked the MepKing.

Alesteir was giddy with excitement now. "I've made quite a few other staffs," he said, running over to another section of shelves with some more sticks. Some were glowing like the light and table, and others were normal-looking like the Hyretica. "I also like to craft and enchant Magistones," he continued, going to another shelf full of all sorts of stones. "These are nowhere near as strong as natural ones, of course."

He looked like he was about to keep going around the entire room when a voice came from the far wall. Velda realized that there was a staircase there that went farther up into the center tower. "Alesteir, we talked about this."

Alesteir whipped around and said with false cheerfulness, "Rhea! Are you done for the day?"

"Can't you listen to me when I give you specific instructions?"

"Of course, but she asked to see it."

Rhea looked skeptical about this. "What? You had nothing to do with it?"

Cha could see what was going on now. "Do not worry, MepQueen Rhea, Velda and I asked to see the workshop."

Alesteir nodded and looked at the MepQueen proudly. "We've got a rather curious young mage here," he said.

"I can see that. Why don't you go check on dinner, Alesteir?" Alesteir awkwardly backed out of the room and left Velda with Rhea.