The Spell Crafter

Chapter Nineteen - Fire...

Kanick stood in the doorway to the keep's large atrium. The walls were bare stone, supported by wooden beams, like in a mine. A large soiled carpet from the previous garrison remained underfoot.

Soldiers streamed in through the open door, swords in hand as Kanick grabbed a spell from inside his satchel, facing down Edian who was standing in front of a broken door at the end of the hall. He weakly activated the spell, red and orange sparks mixing with the purple, demonstrating a hint of the spell written upon the paper.

"You're under arrest for the murder of Regius Elath," Kanick yelled down the hall as the soldiers advanced, gingerly. "Your sword, and bag. Throw them," he instructed.

The look on the magister's face was one of detached amusement, as he undid his sword and satchel and threw them aside.

"What gave me away?" He asked with an unpleasant sneer.

"Someone remembered you from before the war," Kanick replied as deLan came and stood next to him. "Tell me, Magister, why? You were free, no one would have discovered you for centuries. Why kill Regius?"

"I didn't," Edian replied airily and Kanick's brow furrowed. "I sent one of my acolytes in disguise." Edian laughed haughtily. "You don't think I do my own killings? You've met him a few times, he suggested you stay in the Crown, an establishment he frequents, something about the soup, I think. He'll have to learn how to use his other hand to eat it, of course. I believe he's struck up a good rapport with your apprentice." Edian sneered as horror spread across Kanick's face.

"Bera..." he whispered.

"Enough, put an end to this!" deLan growled, nervously his eyes darting between the two mages.

"Not until I have my answers," Kanick replied. "Why?" He repeated, the paper held in his hand sparking to life, illuminating the halls before rapidly dying back. Kanick barely noticed, keeping his gaze fixed solely on Edian.

"You know of the spell?" Kanick nodded almost imperceptibly. "Truly remarkable, I've not seen it's like in over a thousand years, not since the continents were split using primordial power. Regius came to see me, seeking guidance, fearing the spell was an abomination. Necromancers can raise the dead, of course, but to restore life, now that's something entirely different. I had him killed and took the spell – along with all his research. It will prove useful to me."

"If you wanted to be free of your curse-" Kanick started and was cut off by a harsh bark of a laugh.

"Ha! Free? I am already free. I was chosen for this life by the Priests of Elenchol, back when the Primordials were worshipped as gods, and their denizens treated as prophets!" Edian was truly old, Kanick realised. Before the Union, before the founding of the Order of Mages, the two continents had been one and people lived in city-states worshipping the four primordials. It was an anarchic and violent period of history, with no rules around the use of magic, save that which were enforced by the strong on the weak.

"I was taken, cursed, as you call it, but I had power, wealth; any earthly desire I wished to satisfy was satisfied. I had my own temple, and followers, right here in Woodbend until some stupid Mage summoned the power of Matia and sank the bridge between east and west." There was real anger in Edian's eyes.

"Suddenly, the primordials were objects of fear, not awe, and the Order was founded. I escaped, obviously, and found my way back, biding myself for the time when the Order could be destroyed and the world remade. Palregon had the right idea, but a second Primordial summoning put an end to him, and countless others along the scar. No one cared about Woodbend, of course, and I had always kept outsiders outside of my enclave... so I took a new name and returned to run my enclave once more.