Familiar's Ancient Throne (Book 2 of the Death Incarnate Saga)

by H. Lee Morgan, Jr

  “I do not know how or why warlocks are different from other mages since we are all the same physically, but it cannot be disputed. The fact is, you, Cage, are a true warlock who has returned home, to your ancestral world.” Megdline smiled.

  “It is good to be back where for the first time, I feel accepted.” He wrapped an arm around Brooke’s lower back and it put a shy smile on her face.

  “There is just one other thing you need to know.” Megdline interrupted. “And I need you to remove the truth spell so I can focus wholly on a spell I need to send into you and see for myself.”

  “And what will you be looking for?”

  “In my research, I came across an ancient text that said warlocks were naturally immortal. I told you about how mages need to learn how to sense their every cell and complete a spell that greatly slows or even seems to stop the aging process. I need to see if that is true, because if it is then I will not need to worry about you dying of old age because I withheld the secret to everlasting youth.”

  Cage canceled the spell and watched as Megdline raised her staff and made the gem glow slightly. He felt her magic soak into his being and saw her flinch and knew the problem and let go of Brooke. He had the same problem when Meeka, Rena and Brooke touched when he went to heal the tribe and Megdline gave him a smile of thanks. The spell flowed into him and he could feel her mana and understood how he could sense her when she was close. She had power he never experienced before. He couldn’t feel her till after she pushed her magic fully inside his being. She closed her grey eyes and remained that way for a few short minutes. The sensation began to fade and he asked “What’s the verdict, Granny?”

  “It is true, the text I mean. Unless there is a sickness or accident, you will likely live forever, like dragons. Your mana is pure.”

  Brooke grumbled as the words sunk in. “Not fair.”

  Those words struck deeply inside Cage. Both the realization of Megdline’s and Brooke’s. If he wouldn’t die then he would have to watch them get old, all those he’s come to love. He didn’t want to stand alone forever and be there for the birth and death of all things. Then a thought went directly to his mouth “The Great Prophet… was there more…” Everyone looked to him. “Granny, check Brooke and see how long she will potentially live. I think that sly old prophet left the women I love a secret blessing. If he knew I was coming…” he left the rest unsaid.

  Brooke’s eyes widened as she was slower to catch on, but when she did she looked to the sorceress and asked “Can it be… I might stay young for a long time and not grow old and die while my man lives on alone?”

  Megdline tapped her bottom lip. “The only way to be sure is for me to try. Do I have your consent?” Brooke nodded eagerly and hoped for good news. She truly did not want to ever be parted from the man and woman she loves so much. Megdline used her magic and closed her eyes and after a few anxious minutes she opened them and said “Interesting. The blessing is structured as I know only the Great Prophet did. It seems he took away more than your scent. He also took away your natural death. Your mark gorges on your mana so much you will never be able to ever use spells the way Cage and I do. I cannot tell why it’s taking so much, but there must be a reason… May I taste your saliva?” The test was simple and got an easy answer. “A light sweetness like a magicians… It is less potent because your mana is mainly being sucked to prolong your life and for something else. If the Great Prophet hadn’t put that blessing on you, you would have become a powerful sorceress, I believe. Now that I think back, when I had Meeka kiss Cage I sensed something similar in her. Priestess, I do not see you dying, just like Cage.”

  Brooke squealed in delight and wrapped her arms around Cage. Before he got excited, he asked to use the truth spell again, Megdline consented and said it again. He grinned with relief that it might be possible he wouldn’t be alone. What he didn’t say was he needed to learn this skill and what to look for and make sure it was true. He wanted to prove it to himself to take out all doubts. For now though he was happy enough and got a kiss from Brooke.

  Brooke then pulled away as her thoughts changed. “But our daughter, my people… they will age while I do not. Our laws do not permit immortals to rule for more than fifty years…”

  “Love,” Megdline interrupted intentionally because so many were likely watching. “We’ve seen his calm reaction and acceptance to being a warlock and he knows he is being observed by the council. My story ends as I have explained the history of his kind. If I have missed anything, give us a sign. I will give you five minutes to speak with the council. If you do not send word within the five minutes I’ll assume that you find nothing wrong with this meeting and I’ll begin the first lesson we agreed upon. Time starts now.” She looked away from the ceiling. “Brooke, say no more about your laws until I say the word. If there are any young mages watching and listening it would not be best to tell tribal secrets. Am I right?”

  “Oh, my thoughts got the better of me. You are correct. Outsiders are not allowed Utala secrets.” Brooke informed. She then looked into the fire and felt glad she would live with her lovers for much time to come, but thinking of her little one growing old and dying before herself weighed heavily. Cage knew this and rubbed her back slowly so that she knew he is there. It felt so good she let out a small moan and put a hand on his leg.

  Megdline stood and reached in a pocket of her yellow robe. Cage raised an eyebrow as nearly her entire arm disappeared down the pocket. He watched her lips move and she then pulled out a large padded blanket. The problem is, the fabric was far too much for her to keep in so small a pocket. Not even his pack could have contained such a blanket. Megdline sat her staff aside and used two hands to pull it out like one would a rope from a bag. She spread it out where she had sat the whole time by the fire. Again she stuck her hand down the same pocket and magically extracted out two fluffy white pillows. Frill claimed one for himself and it was large enough to contain his bulk. In another pocket, Megdline withdrew a thick skillet, a metal stand, a wooden spatula, a small slab of prime cut steak, one potato and a glazed tart. Megdline put the frame over the fire and sat the skillet on it to heat up. As it did she noticed their dumbfounded reactions and commented “You didn’t think Granny would go anywhere without her comforts did you?”

  Cage chuckled and said “Where did everything come from?”

  “It will be one of the lessons I have planned. Now be quiet while we wait. Besides, I’m too hungry to explain.” Frill then meowed to express his hunger. He stayed on the soft pillow though.

  For the next five minutes, none of the four so much as made a peep as they all had to digest all that had been revealed. Cage loved the idea of only really dying at the hands of a better opponent and not by old age. He would have Brooke and Meeka forever, barring any accidents. He liked such knowledge and would get to see the future. He also knew his women would have it more difficult because of their families. While Megdline started cooking he thought of everything he had been told. The threat of death at the hands of the Magical Council wasn’t even near the top of his list of thoughts. A lot of what Megdline said made sense and with the truth spell he canceled as she cooked, he felt it was all true. Some seemed farfetched, but he was new to magic and didn’t know if there is a limit to what can and cannot be done.

  Eventually Megdline looked up and announced “That is time. I will work to the best of my abilities and, Husband, I love you. Take care.” She then spoke the word “Qintitielix!” There came a faint buzz sound that lasted for a half second after she said such a word and then nothing.

  “Ken-tit-el-ex?” Brooke asked.

  Megdline smiled as she flipped the meat. “It is a made up word that is key to triggering the spell that will hide us from being seen or heard by magic. Only the members of the Magical Council will be permitted to watch us until they come to a decision. It will be lifted at such time. Go ahead and talk freely for a few minutes till I make our dinner.”

  Brooke looked into Cage’
s calm black eyes and found comfort in them where others felt insecure. “Cage Love, there is something you must know.”

  “And what might that be?” He rubbed her lower back.

  “If we do not die by accident or killed in combat, you and I will only have fifty years to be Chieftain and Priestess. At such time the village will have to make a tough choice… there will only be two options given to us. We can be chosen to stay among our people as protectors or, as has happened before or we’ll be exiled and never allowed to be among our people again.”

  “Then we will still be Utala in our hearts, if it comes to that. I will protect them as I always have, even if it must be done in the shadows. They will likely keep us, but that won’t be for a very long time yet. I love the Utala and their way of life, especially how they don’t see people wearing clothes any differently than being naked.”

  She smirked and her coppery skin reddened slightly. “You just like it because you can take me without clothes getting in the way.”

  Cage grinned. “And what is wrong with that?”

  “Did I suggest I didn’t like it?” Brooke made him chuckle. Her spirits dwindled. “But as much as I love you and Meeka, it will be so hard to watch Rena grow old and die and see my descendants go through it again and again.”

  He draped an arm around her sagging shoulders. “That might be harder, but I for one would find it easier to know she had a full life and died an old lady than see her die in a year or two. We would know she wouldn’t have any regrets if she lived that long. I will do everything to make sure she dies happy, with her many grandchildren and our great grandchildren.”

  Brooke wiped a tear away. “Her future mate better give her many babies. I want dozens of them to dote on.”

  “I would be happy with that.” He kissed her cheek and held her close to his chest to stare at the fire.

  “Here you go.” Megdline said to Frill as she pulled out two beautifully crafted wooden plates and gave him a portion of what she cooked. They ate together in silence, watching Brooke and Cage settle to the information she delivered. When she and Frill finished Megdline took the plates and skillet outside the cave to notice the wintery wind kicked up. She used snow to clean everything and stored them back in her pocket. She then did the same for the utensils and the frame that she cooked on.

  By that time she returned to sit down and crossed her legs. “Well I feel better with a full stomach.” Her words broke the duos inner reflection as they stared at the flames. “Cage, ready for the first lesson I know you need most.”

  “And what is it I need?” He inquired.

  “To not grow tired and collapse by solely relying on your inner strength when it runs low.” Megdline grabbed the gem of her staff and disengaged a spell that holds it to the staff. It popped off and she held the fist size pyramid in the palm of her flat hand. “I believe you know it is practically impossible to pull magic back into yourself after you create a spell. Like when you explained making a ball of light and charging it to last longer without constantly pulling from you or focusing on it. You managed to retrieve very little of what you originally inserted. Also, I told you I would explain why the sticks and arrows don’t retain magic for long.

  “The reason for both these problems is how magic degrades on lifeless targets. We have found out a way around this decay factor when applying our skills. I’m sure you’ve noticed by now that gems can be used to store magic.”

  “Yes, but I do not know how or why it is done.” He answered while focusing to learn.

  “It is because gems have a crystalline structure that is special and needed for when our inner strength weakens. Crystals are the most common ways young mages learn to store their strength when practicing, but the size and kind of gems store different amounts of mana. For beginners, the children charge their crystal and learn control, but that common gem is weak and won’t stand up to greater magics. The harder the gem, the better.”

  “Since diamonds are the hardest natural substance known, then the ones on my hands can store large amounts?” He asked.

  “One thing at a time, but ultimately yes.” She held up her gem again. “By now, you realize this is topaz and far too large to be naturally occurring and the shape is quite simple and perfectly proportioned. It was artificially grown and sized for my specific needs.”

  “A topaz seed and graphite?” She nodded, less surprised now that he knew so much and just went with it. “But how? How can you create the immense pressure and heat needed to melt the graphite and have it build without a pressure chamber? It would take weeks to create a gem of that size back on Earth, with our level of current technology. How could you have enough inner strength to do this?”

  Megdline smiled. “It wasn’t easy for me. What all mages do to make their own personal gem is to store their excess mana using hundreds of crystals. For me to create my gem, it took two years of my stored mana to have enough to do it. It went from inner to outer strength when I gave up my excess mana. There is a special room that is only two feet tall and twenty deep in Twilight where personal gems are created. I took all the crystals that I painstakingly charged and placed them within the room where I got my tiny topaz seed and the precise quantity of graphite and chemicals to put in the center of the surrounding gems. I then had to link each crystal to all the others so the energy could be properly distributed. It took nearly five hours before I applied the main crystal that I had spelled which would create, heat and shape what I am showing you. What took me two years to store, took three weeks to empty. When it was done, I got this.” She then put the gem back on the staff and secured it. “I know you want to know why we make gems when we can use what is already naturally made and the answer is simple. It was my magic that created it and it will only respond to me, unless someone somehow breaks or cracks it. It won’t happen easily with the protective spells in place.” Megdline pointed to Cage’s gauntlets. “Then there are your gems. Diamonds are rare to begin with and would take twenty years of stored mana to make a small one even half that size. Black diamonds though are impossible to artificially grow. What is more amazing about diamonds is they can store an almost limitless amount of mana. And you have four. If you somehow were able to saturate each one completely and had enough raw material to turn a seed, like the one I got, you could potentially make a solid mountain made completely of topaz.”

  “They can hold that much power?” He asked breathlessly.

  “That is the actual reason I told you to not tell anyone that those are black diamonds. If someone managed to barely chip one it wouldn’t be keyed for you. When I used magic on them, when you allowed me and felt they were empty and no longer had spells, but what I didn’t say was I tried charging one with my own magic, but it repelled me.

  “Now, we are going to do a few easy exercises that I know will be a breeze for you. First, choose a diamond and send it magic like you normally would when you want to feel everything without actually touching anything.”

  Cage looked at his right hand and chose an eye. He focused on it and let the magic go. The moment he felt the diamond he sensed his magic get sucked in like a bottomless void. The diamond in question sparkled slightly. He added what he would give for an hour’s worth of bright light.

  “That should be plenty for now.” Megdline commented easily. The twinkle aspect stopped and became normal. “When gems are used, you can see an inner light because it is your energy. Cage, I want you to connect with the gem, only this time instead of giving, take it into yourself.”

  “Whoa!” He exclaimed as he felt everything he put in, return to his body and felt much stronger because of it. He knew though he simply regained the strength and returned to his previous energy level.

  Megdline smiled. “I remember my first time and found it just as thrilling. But now you must understand a warning.” He stopped marveling to look at her. “Because our gems can store so much of our mana and turn it to outer strength, we must be vigilant that when we have our strength returned, it is
n’t more than our bodies can handle. It is the primary reason mages are categorized. The amount of mana I can withstand by pulling my outer strength and returning it to inner would kill the lower classes, just like a first class sorcerer’s would kill me. Inundating ourselves is dangerous and different for everyone. When you feel a headache, as you do this task, you must stop.” The seriousness in her eyes remained absolute. “Absorbing too much of your own mana has killed more mages than a failed experiment. You will have stroke like when blood pressure gets too high. When you killed the mage in Lord Doyle’s castle, he knew he would likely die even if he did strengthen his barrier. He could only take in so much or he would have died on his own gem’s storage. He chose the lesser of two pains in death. You will have to learn your limits through trial and error. You will undoubtedly be able to one day withstand more than any mage alive and will have access to more power to unleash at any given time.

  “For the next lesson, I want you to think and focus as I tell you. This will be the last you’ll need to use magic till morning. You are going to use siphoning magic on yourself and apply a structure to your gems exactly as I say, so there will be less risk or complications. First, select a single diamond and give it some mana, just to get it started.” He did and the gem twinkled for a second. “Do the same for the next three… Alright, with that completed, think on this. Imagine a thread of magic coming from the diamond and have it pull a constant, but sustainable amount of magic from you. Make it so that it won’t pull faster than you make mana. We’ll set up another spell after.” He felt the tiny pull that he could sustain easily since he could recover faster than it absorbed. The twinkle was almost unnoticeable so that you’d have to put your eye close and focus on it in total darkness. “I’m going to see if you can sustain it.” She sent her magic. “Good, that is adequate for now. Later you will increase the amount to take just a fraction less than you produce, to build up your defenses more appropriately… This time, link the next gem to the first to pull seventy five percent of what the first is taking from you and storing. Do half for the next one and twenty five for the last gem. This way, your diamonds will fill evenly.” It took a little work to get it designed like that. Fifteen minutes passed before he felt each diamond filling evenly. Megdline checked and nodded. “I told you it would be easy. The average child could do it in a day. Now there are two spells you need to apply to every single one, so that when you start varying spells, that these remain permanent. This part must be spoken so repeat after me. ‘For the gems that are containing my mana, limit only to absorb what it can withstand. When saturated, cut the absorption until such time as the mana depletes and then reestablish absorption until saturation, repeat indefinitely. Do not absorb mana from me when it feels a dangerous reduction from the pull of my body or if my heart rate drops below thirty beats per minute.’”