The Ancients

by Adam-Clay Webb

  Five and a half years went by, and Chaz and Lyla’s juvenile affection had evolved into a deep bond. But while they found solace in each other, the world was growing hotter and more stressed. Until finally. As suddenly as a child wakes from a dreadful nightmare, the world was woken into one. Turmoil spread over land, as the rumours and stories and tensions and fears all culminated into a war that would dwarf almost all others.

  But Kizer and his army weren’t as strong as the rumours told. They were even stronger. Kizer and his sons struck the Ogal Council, while Kizer’s massive army as warriors, many of which used to even slay dragons, began their onslaught on the Ogal army. Military bases were scattered throughout the world evenly, so the fight erupted everywhere at once. The attack was sudden, and Oga and his army could not react quickly enough to start with a clear advantage. Kizer’s objective was simple – annihilate the Ogal Council and the Ogal army. Freeing the word of this tyranny once and for all was the mission.

  Kizer had set out to fight for the people of his world, but the scale of the battle was consuming the very people he wanted to protect. Neither his force nor Oga’s would let up, and the whole world was caught in the crossfire. But even seeing the widespread destruction and vast loss of life, Kizer had no time to feel regret. He made himself believe that if only a handful of people survived to live in the new world, it would have been worth it.

  Earthquakes, tsunamis, waves and beams and spheres of immense destructive power were everywhere. The sages also summoned up giant beasts to tackle the powerful sorcerers of the Council, whose spells shook the earth and pushed past the boundaries of reality.

  The Purple Man and Chaz were two of the close to one billion people who perished in a matter of days. Had it not been for the interference of The Seven, probably no-one would have been left to weep and hate, like Lyla was.

  And the rest was history… until it was rewritten.

  Even four decades of the war Lyla often wished she hadn’t survived. She would, each week, visit the island her father had shown her, and take new Purple Fire to replace the drooping ones at her father’s and Chaz’s graves. How strange it now was, how precious and important trivial things like purple flowers were. The world was now in a different place. There was a global struggle to find even the bare necessities. It would take tens of generations to rebuild what was destroyed in less than a week.

  The empty woman walked through the familiar maze, lost in the memories of a time when things were perfect – only she hadn’t quite realized it until it was forever gone.

  The hairs on her arms stood erect suddenly, as she was dragged out of her thoughts by something she had not heard on this island for forty years – a voice. She quickly hid herself and looked into the distance into a low plane. She couldn’t believe it. There before her were those who had destroyed the world, those who had stolen everything from her…

  ***

  “And so, I was on the island when your father and Kizer raised it to the sky.” As Lyla recounted her story to Wizard, the feeling of fright that hit her when the island ascended came back forcefully. “And so I was trapped on the island in the sky. You cannot begin to imagine how maddening it was to be there in the clouds. Alone. Several times, Kizer and Oga would visit the island however. I remained hidden on those occasions. But in a short time, their visits ended. They had sealed themselves away. And I was left there. Unbeknownst to them. I was left in the sky to live alone and lose my sanity and die… Die among the children of gods… Except I didn’t. Instead, as time passed, my aging reversed, and my body grew stronger.”

  “The energy that Oga and Kizer passed to the island…”

  “Yes. Slowly, I began to absorb it. Over decades, I developed the ability to produce mana. I became a sorcerer.”

  “That is truly unbelievable…” Wizard marvelled.

  “But that wasn’t all. The elemental sages were buried there on the island.”

  “And so you also absorbed residual elemental energy from the sages,” Wizard said.

  She nodded. “For thousands of years, I honed my sorcery and my elemental skills. By then I was living on the island not because I was trapped there, but because it was the only place I knew. The world below had nothing left for me. Like you, Wizard, I set out in search of the city that the gods had hid in the sky. I wanted to enter the city and become even stronger than the gods. Then I could exact my revenge when they awoke.”

  “But the seal on the city was too strong.”

  “It’s not just strong. It’s unbreakable,” Lyla said.

  “What do you plan on doing now that the gods have returned?” Wizard asked.

  “I am not blinded by emotions. I know my limitations. And I know that I cannot defeat the gods just yet. No-one who has not entered the city can challenge either of them alone. But finally, my chance is in reach. This war that is about to begin, I will find within it the opportune time to strike. I will be the one to kill them both,” she said.

  “Quite ambitious,” Wizard said. “An incredible story indeed, of how a goddess was made.”

  “I suppose we are enemies, then,” Lyla said.

  “Why would you assume such a thing?” Wizard countered.

  “Your father and Kizer, I will kill them, and along with them, everyone else who raised a finger in that war will be judged. None will be left.”

  “I’m sure you can make an exception,” Wizard said. “I have but one goal – to enter the city. Nothing else interests me at the moment. Take me to the city. Then you can do whatever you want. This world is ruined. Furthermore, its days are numbered. When we reach the city, only then shall we attain freedom.” He looked to the skies. Lyla realized that his aspirations were far beyond this wretched world.

  Chapter 28: The Orenda Gambit

  Lyla had explained to Wizard that shifting to within a thousand miles of the island was impossible due to Oga’s shield, and so, the next best way of travelling was what she had resorted to. Wizard’s wind dragon struggled to keep up with Lyla’s as it tore through the clouds on a well-rehearsed route. As planned, the two halted as soon as they were a few miles from where the floating island should have been.

  “Well, I did tell you it was gone,” Lyla said, looking out into the empty clouds. But the look on Wizard’s face said something entirely different. He was staring out ahead with a look of wonder and discovery.

  “Oga’s magic is clever,” Wizard said. “But not even his invisibility seal can cloud my vision.”

  “You mean you can see the island?” Lyla asked in disbelief.

  “The most precious sight I have beheld,” he responded, smirking in satisfaction. He stood on his dragon. “The seals that guard the city are incredibly strong,” he said. “There are a total of three layers of the sealing. Tearing down all three will exhaust even my mana. But it can be done.”

  “I said earlier that I know your power,” Lyla said.

  Wizard laughed.

  “But it appears you are even stronger than I thought.”

  “Yes,” Wizard said. “Now listen to how we will proceed. The first layer of seal – the invisibility – is easy to tear down. The second layer of the seal is a lining of eight grade mana. Destroying that seal might be beyond even me, but I can disable it for a moment. I know my father’s power enough to find a way around it. The final layer of the seal will be where you will need to make yourself useful,” he said. “This final layer, upon being breached I suppose, will trigger a trap dimension.”

  “We will be force-teleported to a different world?” Lyla asked.

  “Yes. By your experience, you should know this isn’t anything too difficult to set up. Trap dimensions can be escaped easily, but it does require some time to set up an exit portal.”

  “And where do I come in, then? Sounds like you have it all figured out.”

  “I do,” Wizard said. “Within this trap dimension will no doubt be a line of defence to guard the city.”

  “Do you mean monsters?”

>   “Monsters, demons, we can’t be sure from outside,” Wizard said. “One thing I am certain of though – whatever line of defence Oga has put in place to destroy whoever could possibly break his seals, is anything but weak.”

  “And by then, your mana will be completely exhausted, leaving me to fight the monsters,” Lyla deduced.

  “You will have to at least buy me some time until my mana recovers. After the defenders are defeated, we will exit the dimension and end up just outside of the naked city. And then we simply walk in.”

  “But won’t Oga by then know that we have entered?”

  “Surely, you must imagine I have thought about this. All three layers of Oga’s seals are hyper-sensitive – meaning, if anyone tries to tamper with them, he will immediately sense it. But I will set up a special barrier around the island, one I formulated long ago. This will prevent Oga’s seals from making any kind of alarm when I break them.”

  “I see. A fool proof plan. It’s almost as if you have been plotting this for many years,” Lyla said, giving him a knowing glance.

  Wizard snickered. “Let’s put it to the test,” he said, then held both hands out toward the city. A sudden burst of black mana erupted around him. Then, with lightning speed, black streaks of the highest arcane mana missiled out and wrapped themselves around the expanse of the invisible city in the sky. Lyla watched and marvelled. The streaks tore through the clouds. “Now show yourself, my precious city,” he said. Chills ran through Lyla as indeed the island and the precious city appeared in the distance.

  Wizard finally lowered his arms. “Can you see the film of mana around the city?” Wizard asked.

  “No, but I can feel it,” she answered.

  There was an invisible dome arching over the whole city. “You might not believe it easily, but covering the entire city is a film of mana far thinner than a hair’s breath.”

  “Incredible…” Lyla awed. “And to think that my arcane magic cannot break it… Just how vast is the gap between the seventh and the eighth grades?”

  “Once we enter the city, we will no longer have to worry about things like that,” Wizard said.

  “You speak as if simply setting foot into the city will make one transcend.”

  “While not so, I do plan to shift the entire city to a solitary dimension,” Wizard said. “There, where time has no meaning, we can comb through every detail of knowledge in the city. Who knows what Oga and Kizer overlooked or simply couldn’t understand? Those two might have pushed the art of magic further than they had found it, but that only means that we too can push the limits even further,” he said.

  “How long do you think it will take before we become stronger than them?” Lyla asked.

  “Who knows? Furthermore, it is impossible to predict whether this world or anyone in it will still exist when we decide that we have exhausted the city. The universe will be ours to roam… ours to conquer,” Wizard said, his high ambitions palpable in his voice. “It puzzles me how men who are bound to this tiny, broken world can call themselves gods. Their lack of vision has caused them to waste the chance that the city has afforded them.” Wizard looked over at Lyla as he felt her hand touch her shoulder.

  “Wherever you go, I will follow, Wizard,” she said.

  “I thought I was your enemy,” he said, and snickered a little.

  “Oga’s son is my enemy,” Lyla said. “You, not so much.”

  Wizard almost laughed. “My spell just now has made it that Oga will not sense any activity on the island,” Wizard said. “Now for phase two.” His wind dragon darted off with him toward the Mananka city.

  ***

  “Welcome, my council,” Kizer addressed those gathered before him. They were around a massive table, and before them was a detailed map that covered almost all of it. “I have reached out to you who are here because you are capable of playing an important role in the purge,” Kizer said. “And you are deserving of working alongside gods.” Kizer’s sons, and Oga and his daughter sat closest the leader. Among those gathered were Kaleb and the two remaining Shadow Councillors – Grit and Falcon. Also, there were the kings of Dreed, Hyman, and several other powerful countries. Hilda was also present, and she sat quite close to Oga. Also, there was Rainshine, the Vinebender. Finally, he would hasten the purging of the world.

  Before Kizer could say anything else, there was a sudden emergence of thick, malodorous black mana. It was so pungent, that Oga thought for a moment that it might be his son.

  “Lord Oga, Lord Kizer,” the appearing man greeted, bowing slightly, gripping firmly his historic staff. “I am at your service,” he said.

  Oga smirked. Kizer too was pleased.

  “Welcome, Sage Lukia,” Oga said.

  ***

  “And now for the big one,” Wizard said. Before him and Lyla was the should-be-impregnable seal. “This will surely test the competence of my own magic,” Wizard admitted. He closed his eyes and stretched his arms out and touched the barrier with his open palms. “Now I must simply overwhelm this higher grade of magic,” he said.

  Can it really be done? Lyla wondered.

  “Stand back,” Wizard warned. Lyla shifted a few meters back. In an instant, black mana burst forth about Wizard, as he released a surge of power that instantly wrapped itself around the entire barrier. He pushed against the barrier, and his black mana, with unimaginable force, from all angles, forced itself upon it. Wizard knew that channelling his mana to concentrate on one piece of barrier would not work. Oga’s eighth grade barrier, unlike any other, had its own awareness, and would regroup its strength to defend at a single point if that point were to be threatened particularly.

  Wizard’s only chance was to attack every point of the barrier at once, while minutely creating inconsistencies in the force he applied around the barrier. This would force the barrier to waste some of its own strength in constantly readjusting how it defended itself. Wizard was using the barrier’s own smartness against it.

  But even as Wizard released more energy than any other shield in the world could withstand, Oga’s barrier stood completely unfazed. There was no way this could be done – not with the nonchalance he was approaching with. To Lyla’s fright, Wizard uttered a potent bellow, increasing in an instant his surge of power by three or four times. She shifted back several more meters, as the air around him was burnt up. The ground quaked wildly.

  Lyla stared on in disbelief as she witnessed cracks appear all about the shield.

  “Begone!” Wizard commanded, and with a final surge of mana, the Ogal barrier was overcome. Wizard’s mana subsided quickly. He grabbed on to his head, panting heavily. Even through this feat, he had gained a new appreciation of his father’s power.

  Lyla was already by his side. “You did it, Wizard,” she said. But before they could revel in the achievement, the walls of their reality twisted and warped. But Wizard had already predicted this.

  “Time to shine, Lyla,” Wizard said through his heavy breathing. They had been pulled into a realm created by the god of magic.

  The earth shook beneath their feet. They were surrounded by an endless scape of repeating mountains and plains. Wizard finally got to his feet, but his mana was all eaten up. What they realized to be four coffins emerged from the ground around them, cornering them.

  “Coffins?” Wizard scoffed. “Such an unoriginal prop… Remember, whatever emerges from these, you must handle on your own.”

  Lyla nodded.

  Finally, as the coffins were fully emerged, standing upright, their covers fell before them. Wizard’s face turned pale as he looked about at the guardians of the city.

  “No…” he muttered. “This cannot be…” he struggled to tell himself. Lyla shook. She too easily recognized these four. She couldn’t begin to imagine going up against them alone. Even with Wizard, defeating them seemed to be a longshot.

  ***

  In the middle of Azar’s address, there appeared a black cloud or arcane mana. Out stepped Vis and Shade. Of c
ourse, whispers of who these men could be ensued. Ignoring the gathering, Vis went close to Azar and said something to him in a whisper. Azar, based on his expression, was alarmed by whatever he had said. The young king nodded, and then the two men vanished.

  “A moment, everyone,” the he said, and rushed over to Viknor.

  “Viknor, go to where Lex is. Stay with him until he wakes,” Azar said.

  “What about those two?” Viknor asked, referring to Vis and Shade.

  “Just do it.”

  Viknor nodded and shifted off.

  ***

  “Big brother,” one of the guardians said finally. He was Omichron.

  “Brothers and sister… What has Oga done?” Wizard’s voice was shaky.

  “He has trapped us here eternally to protect his city,” Zazen said.

  “I have longed to see you four… But not like this.”

  Wizard’s siblings bore no emotion on their faces whatsoever. It was like they were mere puppets, soulless dolls.

  “I see you finally have a girlfriend,” Kha-Deva said. She would always laugh giddily after saying things like that – but not this time.

  “Wizard,” Buddah-Ki said. “I haven’t time to explain what our father has done. But know this… He is most cruel, and you must kill him. In only a moment, we will be pit against you without relent. Kill us brother, and rescue us from this eternal limbo… And kill father.”

  “For a man to use his own children like this,” Lyla said under her breath.

  Arcane mana flared up about the four.

  “Do your best, big brother,” Kha-Deva said. Wizard was almost sure he saw a little smile, as if some small portion of her true self was there.

  Lyla looked over at Wizard. He was undoubtedly vexed by this. The look of sadness on his face was the most human side of him Lyla had seen.

  “Lyla, buy me five minutes,” Wizard said.

  “Here we come,” Omichron said.

  “Lyla!” Wizard prompted.