Spirit of Mages (Rift of Chaos Book 2)

by A. J. Martinez

  Caim smiled and descended to give Nehushine a hug. "Thank you, old man."

  "So when do we start?" the old Effeelion asked.

  "Right now," the demigod answered with enthusiasm. "We need to open the dome and I need all seven of you to surround me in a circle. Let's make this a pentacle meditation. Raise your maju as high as you can and make sure no one enters this chamber while we perform the ritual. This is going to take a lot of cosmo and maju. Put all scrolls away for there will be wind, wild wind that is."

  "Keep in mind that you will be held responsible for any damages done to the fortress," Kazemee reminded.

  "Yes, I know that and, for the sake of this ritual, I need you to shut it for once," Caim snarled. "Your mouth could make me lose focus."

  Kazemee winced and stuck her tongue out at Caim.

  The council of seven commenced their preparations. Kazemee and Areira flew down to the first and second levels of the city to inform the people of what was going to happen. Tortori and Tweng opened the dome of the third level by pulling a mechanical lever high on the wall. The dome opened like the petals of a lotus flower revealing the sun blazing above, and the wind came howling in. Nehushine returned all scrolls and books laying around back to their shelves and placed glossy oval-shaped stones to prevent them from being blown away.

  In the center of the tiled floor, just before the crescent moon platform, there was a mandarak. A magic circle with a gilded sun ten feet in diameter. Caim pulled a lever that was between the crescent platform and the magic circle. He felt the floor thudding beneath his feet and the circle began to descend gradually to the chamber where the Aero Cosmo Jewel was kept. Could this be it, Caim pondered, no, let's not get too excited, not yet. The grimoire could have indicated in the right way but there could be more to this. Perhaps the other grimoires could have more clues but, for now, let's follow this and see where it takes us. I can't believe I had trouble understanding those verses. So complicated, yet it turned out to be much simpler than I thought.

  The floor finally reached the chamber of the aero jewel. Caim walked through an archway until he reached the chamber. The last time he had entered was ten years ago when that Specter, Jairo, attempted to steal the jewel. Caim remembered how he had given up his god-like powers temporarily in pursuit of fleshly desires. But now I have completely surrendered the mortal life so that one day I will become a full fleshed god and create my own world.

  The chamber floor was covered with rose quartz and jade gemstones. The walls had diamonds and gold aligned throughout its perimeter. The ceiling glittered with gold-shaped stars. Most mesmerizing of all was the Aero Cosmo Jewel that spun in the center of the chamber. Nothing held it above the ground, only its cosmo and maju combined. Three nude female spirits danced around the jewel singing an ancient hymn, it had no lyrics only their voices echoing heavenward. Caim felt as if he had heard this hymn in another life, perhaps a recent reincarnation. Not many Effeelions entered this room except Nehushine. The Effeelions were afraid of being seduced by the jewel so they stayed away from it and dared not risk putting the city in danger.

  "As gorgeous as ever," Caim said. "It's been ten years since I held it in my hands."

  He stepped closer, feeling the jade and rose quartz underneath his feet and reached for the jewel. As soon as he touched it, the three nude spirits ceased their dance and disappeared. He held it in his hands and looked at it. It was shaped like an oval with a feather-like protrusion. It shone like a diamond and the inside looked like a sky frozen in time. Caim could feel its immense maju and cosmo. It was ten-fold greater than his own power. It was twelve inches long and he could not wrap his fingers around it.

  Caim opened a portal back to the third level. Already the council of seven waited. They hovered over the tiled floor around the platform, forming a circle.

  Caim positioned himself in the center of their circle. The twins cast a mandarak. The magic circle spread below them and Caim stood on it. The circle glowed with illustrations of stars and the sun in the middle. The council meditated and raised their maju. Wind blew as they called upon it. Each Effeelion began to glow white with the energy of their attributes.

  Caim raised his cosmo and was enhanced by the aero jewel. Power flowed through him and his body released purple steam. Caim raised a hand with his palm wide open. He gazed up at the sky and began to open a portal. "Go further, beyond the stars," he whispered.

  A portal began opening, like a ripple on a river, and he could see the stars. It opened wider and wider and Caim could see boulders of fire flying through the darkness and emptiness. He could see clouds painted in red and blue with showers of stars shining in eternal darkness. I have seen this before, he thought, there has to be more. There has to be a world out there. Caim saw a star exploding near the world the humans called Odealeous. When he looked at the world it was a sphere spinning in eternal darkness.

  "Caim, we have seen this before." Nehushine's voice echoed in his mind. "Use the jewel, let it guide you."

  "But I am using it," he replied mentally. "Or am I?"

  He brought the aero jewel to his forehead and began to pray, hoping that it would show him another realm like a dream in his sleep. Please, lend me your eternity; take me to another realm, another reality. I know it's out there, I can feel it. There is a world untouched by men, a sacred world where the dragon gods linger. A world farther than Elysious, the realm of light, and deeper than Necrovania.

  Caim received a pulse of cosmo and his body shuddered. He felt power swelling within as if a star was about to explode. His body began to shake uncontrollably and his eyes glowed purple. His body released more purple steam.

  "I can't control it!" Caim rasped as he held the aero jewel. He was unable to release it.

  The Effeelions were frightened so they ceased their meditation and broke the magic circle. Still Caim remained in the air with the jewel bound to his hand. The demigod now glowed purple. His entire body became a beacon of cosmo energy until finally, he let out a roar and all the energy within him burst like a volcano. Waves of purple energy jetted from the third level of Kazenolumos spreading far through the sky. The city began to fall gradually.

  "Caim!" Nehushine yelled. "You must stop this now. The city is beginning to fall."

  But the demigod did not respond. He was experiencing power beyond what he already possessed. Caim began to take control of his body and it slowly returned to normal. His eyes still glowed and he trembled as he gained back control. It was painful, the most pain he had ever felt in sixty years. Demigods didn't feel physical pain unless inflicted with their own attribute.

  Caim gazed up at the portal and this time it was bigger. There was something different about it. What he saw within the portal had changed. It was no longer an eternal darkness filled with stars. It was now an endless sky with hundreds of floating isles.

  Steaming with cosmo he ascended slowly into the portal, mesmerized by what he saw. It was indeed another realm.

  An endless sky. No land below, only tiny islands with oak trees. Feathered creatures flew all around him shrieking, cawing and cooing. Clouds billowed and hundreds of birds flew through it. Water fell from one island and down to another, and to another below that, but there was no land and no ocean at the end. A giant bird with arms and legs like a human flapped its wings near him. It spotted Caim then shied away. Many more flew over him. Some were transparent, like ghosts, and others seemed to fly without wings. Some robed figures flew with long scarves and other entities flew on boards.

  "This is the realm that the Aero Cosmo Jewel is trying to show me," Caim whispered. "It is beautiful. It's...it's...a world of nothing but skies."

  He continued to gaze around and zoomed in with his eye of the hawk vision. He tried to find land, people or some civilization, but he found nothing. Only clouds, winged creatures and other entities flying.

  Caim's heart was pierced by a powerful cosmo that he sensed. "A god approaches," he whispered and surveyed his surroundings. It was someth
ing so immense, it felt as if it were coming from everywhere. Then Caim saw a giant silhouette in the clouds, bigger than any other creature in the realm and, for the first time in sixty years, he felt fear.

  "Aeramus! Is that you!" he yelled and his voice echoed.

  The was no reply.

  He gazed down at the portal from which he came and saw that it was shrinking. He tried to use his power to keep it open, but it was futile. The aero jewel was not responding. He looked at the silhouette one more time then a powerful wind, like none he had ever felt, pushed him down and he fell through the portal.

  Caim fell, the portal closed and he landed on the platform, breaking it in half. The council of seven came to his aid but he did not need help to stand.

  "What happened?" Nehushine asked eagerly. "What did you see?"

  Caim did not answer. He remained silent trying to let his mind take in all that he had seen on the other side of that portal. Then he started laughing, a joyous laugh, a victorious laugh. As he lay on the broken platform he raised the Aero Cosmo Jewel, looked at it and said, "It worked, it really worked. I can't believe it. I saw into the world of a dragon god."

  "What?" Kazemee said in disbelief.

  "Hurry boy. Put the jewel back in its place. Our city is falling from the sky," Nehushine warned, clutching Caim's shoulder.

  Caim continued laughing, still in awe of what he had seen. "I wonder what would happen if we collect all four?" he asked, gazing at the sky as he felt the city falling through the clouds.

  Auron

  He teleported from Akielas's sanctum to Burnahdujf, his home country. He wanted to meet up with his band of swordsmen before he went to Amaranth Island. The pentacle portal took him to Barinos city in the grass field right next to the Sainos castle. When the blue lights vanished he appeared between a cluster of maple trees.

  Auron hastened to the castle, to see King Darmang. Last time he was here, just four days ago, Ember invaded the crowning celebration. She cursed the king with rare dark magic, forcing him into a deep slumber. Auron feared that there would be chaos without a king to lead the people of Burnahdujf.

  He arrived at the entrance of the castle and the knights opened the door for him. When he entered the lavish castle he stumbled upon two of his band members, Oseth and Edd. They strolled the marble tiled halls between ivory pillars chatting and bantering as usual. Auron looked at them and wished they would dress more appropriately as new noblemen who represented the country. They still wore their old rusty armor from their mercenary days.

  "Where have you been?" Oseth asked with a toothy grin. He was in his mid twenties and was hotheaded. Oseth had short dark curly hair and hazel eyes. He was talented with twin swords and was an equal to Auron on the battlefield.

  "It's a long story. Let's get everyone together and I will explain," Auron answered and mussed Oseth's hair as he walked toward the stairs. You both should change into appropriate attire, you are noblemen now. Remember we are no longer the Band of the Fox. We must change our ways if we are to change this country."

  "How can you worry about our looks at a time like this, Sir Auron? The king won't wake and the people here are going crazy," Edd said. He was six feet tall and had a block shaped head and eyes so small that Auron usually thought he was squinting. Edd was a powerhouse and always carried an axe.

  "Is Genie with the king?" Auron asked.

  "For the last four days she would not take her eyes off him," Oseth answered. "I think she is in love with the king."

  "Why is it that something always goes wrong when we are just one step away from accomplishing something great," Auron complained. "First our village, now this, and both times have been caused by Ember."

  "I only saw this Ember villain once but wasn't she half fiend," Oseth added. "Were you able to find her after you left?"

  "Yes, but unfortunately she is not easily defeated," Auron answered. "There are three more just like her."

  "What?!" Oseth and Edd snarled, both stopping in their tracks and looking at him.

  "Three more as strong as her?" Edd questioned, scratching his head as they resumed walking. "Why don't you take us with you Sir Auron? We should all get a chance to kick her arse after all she has done."

  "I feel your need for revenge but this is no ordinary opponent," Auron said as they went up the stairs to the king's chamber. "Akielas and a few other mage warriors have been working together to fight Ember."

  "Sir Akielas is with you? Is he well? I have not seen him in ages," Oseth said.

  "My father is very stressed but he will be fine. Akielas always finds a way," Auron responded.

  When they reached the second floor, five maids curtsied and pointed in the direction of the king's chamber. The three men took a right turn and went up another set of stairs to the third floor.

  "I guess we won't be going back home for a while longer," Edd commented and sighed.

  "There is too much happening for us to go back home," Auron said. "It's not just Burnahdujf, but there are other countries experiencing much destruction. We are lucky compared to what I have seen."

  When they reached the third floor they turned left and hurried down the hall till they arrived at the king's chamber. Saron, another one of Auron's friends, exited the room with an elderly man. The old man was dressed in white and carried a bundle of bottles in his hands filled with syrups and other strange liquids.

  "Sir Auron, we haven't seen you in four days, where have you been?" Saron asked. He was about nine inches shorter than everyone else. Saron was a sharpshooter, master of the bow and arrow.

  "I was chasing Ember and three other masked ghouls," Auron explained. "I would have returned much sooner but one thing led to another and it turned out to be more serious than what is happening here."

  "Well, I am helping this sage to find some possible remedies. I will see you later," Saron said and walked passed Auron and his friends.

  The three men entered the king's bedroom. It was lavish with royal blue silks. The bed in which the king lay was large enough to fit three people. The table by the balcony was polished and its gloss glinted. There were paintings of previous kings of Burnahdujf on the wall.

  Genie, a short black haired woman with tan skin and red lips, watched over the king. She sat next to him on the bed and had a hand on his forehead. "He has been feverish for a long time now," she said, lowly. "I think that this is more than just a sleep curse."

  Auron walked around the bed and embraced Genie. He looked at Darmang and frowned. "He is still the king of Burnahdujf and no one will take his place."

  "I sure hope so," Oseth said. "I don't think that anyone from the Sainos Dynasty would follow in his footsteps. They are all selfish and greedy and the people despise them."

  "There has to be a way to reverse this curse," Genie said.

  "Perhaps once I defeat Ember the curse will break," Auron assumed. "At least with most spells that have long term effects, if you destroy the mage then the curse is removed."

  "But this is no elemental magic we are talking about," Genie stated. "This is dark magic. It is rare and not many people know how to defend against it."

  "That is why I am here," an unknown voice echoed in the room. They all looked at the balcony and there was an old man dressed in green robes. His beard was long over his chest and his eyebrows were so bushy that his eyes were barely noticeable.

  "Who are you?" Auron asked.

  "Pardon me, my name is Ogsmorr," the old man said. "I am a scholar and a graduate mage from the northern Sainos School. My expertise is in illumancy and hydromancy for the purpose of healing. I am here today studying this curse to find out how it can be reversed."

  "Oh, I am sorry, I have not told you that Sir Ogsmorr was here," Genie apologized.

  "No worries my dear," Ogsmorr said and approached Auron.

  The old man was a foot shorter than Auron and had a hunchback with a lump like a camel. The old man held a wooden staff with what appeared to be a piece of mythium attached to the apex.
Auron's intuition told him that this elder was trustworthy.

  "You mastered two mystical arts, that is rare in this country," Auron complimented.

  "Why, thank you," the old man said.

  "So, do you know anything of this curse?" Auron asked.

  "Yes, thankfully I had traveled overseas to Alexandria in the west continent," Ogsmorr said. "Dark mages seem to be more common in that country for some reason. What Darmang is experiencing is more than just a curse. The spell is slowly devouring his mind. The longer he sleeps the more memory he loses. If he does not wake in time then he will be mentally disabled and would be no different than an empty shell.

  Auron shuddered. He rubbed his ruby mustache nervously and pondered. Everyone else in the room looked just as stunned as he was. "So it is worse than we thought. "But, is there a cure?" he asked.

  "Of course," Ogsmorr answered. "Now, commonly the obvious cure would be illumancy, but not in this case. To awaken the king there are two options: we must either find a way to get inside his mind, a dream-like spell perhaps, or the second option is to kill the mage that cast the spell."

  "But I don't understand," Genie said worriedly. "How can this be so serious? The mage that cursed the king only waved her hand and shot a blast of darkness. It happened too fast. I assume that a spell of this caliber would take much longer to cast."

  "You seem to know the mystic arts well," Ogsmorr responded. "However, it also depends on how powerful the mage is. This mage must have had years of experience with shadomancy to perform so quickly."

  "So then there really is just one option," Auron said and everyone looked at him, heeding his words. "Putting an end to Ember seems like the easier solution. Finding a mage that can use dream-like spells to awaken the king is out of the question, and learning such a spell would take much longer. I must act quickly. The Specters are becoming more powerful as we speak."