“What makes you say that?” Ganicus asked, holding the medallion in his hands, staring at it, still puzzled by its power.
“I went back to the village of my origin. My people, the Amaranth tribe, were the guardians of the crimson jewel. It is said that only fire, light, and the power of the stars can awaken the jewel. By the looks of it, I think the Golden Sun has such a potential. I would like to study your medallion further.”
Ganicus smiled at Auron, for once. He felt as though Auron was being authentic, instead of his usual bluntness.
“We will study it together. Maybe, you can help me unveil its secrets.” Ganicus playfully jabbed Auron.
“Oh hail Terramus,” a deep voice boomed in the cave. They all looked ahead and noticed the king of Dwarves walking towards them. “Oh hail Terramus,” said the Dwarf king, once more. “I saw what you did, young man with dreadlocks. I, Heranore, thank you on behalf of all Dwarfs.”
“It was my pleasure ridding this beautiful village of evil,” Ganicus said and bowed.
Akielas approached the Dwarf king, carrying Willow in his arms. “We shall help your people find solace,” he said.
“You have done more than enough.” Heranore stood proudly, despite the chaos his people had gone through. “We will take care of the rest. We are in debt to you and your allies, Akielas, and for you, brave warrior with the dreadlocks. Accept this gift from the Dwarfs.” Heranore extended his bulky arms. There was an object wrapped in white silk. Ganicus took it and unwrapped it eagerly. It was a dagger, its blade forged of zeustoss steel, and it brought a smile to his face. The prince grabbed the king’s forearm and shook it.
“That is how we salute in my country. Thank you so much,” said the prince.
“We are grateful. Farewell, good friend. May the dragon gods be on your side.” Heranore spun and walked away. His people waited for him to lead them.
“Come now. Let us return to the sanctum. There is something very important I need to tell you all,” Akielas said.
Auron lifted Eckxio and carried the Elf on his shoulder. Ganicus took one last look at the village of Dwarves. Traveling with Akielas has shown me how much in common people have, regardless of our cultural differences. Why has my country been at war with the north for so long? Helping these Dwarves has opened my eyes to something much greater. I am glad Akielas asked me to join him on his mission. Had I refused, I would still be in the palace doing nothing. Perhaps, the desert god sent me out on this journey, so that I can become a better king than my father.
Ember
Back in the solitary island, the Specters rested in their tower. Their fiends gathered inside a chamber, where Ember melted all the rare metals together. Fiends tossed mythium and zeustoss into a pool of lava. Ember watched as her black creatures threw the supply of steel into the pool. From her hands hung the relic of Odiamus, the dragon god of the underworld. She had promised the god more souls in exchange for an army of fiends.
Only Ember had control over the fiends. Naunet, Jairo, and Hertha were but commanders to the black creatures. With the relic of Odiamus, Ember summoned fiends upon cities and conquered. They were able to detect cosmo naturally and helped her find hundreds of ores with mythium, kaminyte, and zeustoss. Such rare steel that any treasure hunter would give a limb for.
Although her fiends had collected large amounts of zeustoss in the cave of Dwarves, she was angry. Angry at herself for nearly dying by the terramancy of Auron Fox. She had been near death in many battles, even five years ago, when she first fought the Amaranth, but this time, he had humiliated her greatly. Auron had trapped Ember inside a sphere of stone. She could not breathe or move and felt her life slipping away gradually. There was no escape for her trapped in that rock prison. Unable to cast spells or even call upon her allies to assist her, she had never felt so weak and helpless. By a fluke, Jairo had saved her from Auron’s earth spell. If Jairo had not broken Auron’s focus, she would have never escaped.
The four Specters had their masks off as they watched the fiends at work. Ember grunted as she replayed that image in her mind. She saw herself dying again and again by Auron’s terramancy. It was a nightmare that chased her, even after slumber.
“What is wrong with you?” Naunet asked. He gazed at her and held her hand.
“She is furious that she nearly died by the hands of that Amaranth man,” Jairo said and chuckled.
Ember jerked her head and glared at Jairo. She paced towards him; the relic hung, colliding against her thigh. Jairo winced at her, white hair falling over his narrow eyes.
“You find that humorous?” Ember asked. She grabbed his chin and forced him to look at her. Jairo shoved her away and took a step back. She found his smirk annoying and hostile.
“Get your hands off me, Ember. You would have died if I had not rescued you,” Jairo replied, sneering. The chamber was dark, and only the pool of melted metals illuminated. The light painted their faces red, while everything else was black and shadows.
“You think you would have lived?” Ember challenged him.
“I would have been fast enough not to fall for such an obvious spell,” Jairo answered. “I expected so much more of you.”
Naunet came between the two and pushed them both aside. “Now, now. We didn’t lose today. We went to the cave of Dwarves to collect zeustoss and returned with plenty of it. Why argue about our enemy? There will be many more opportunities to face them again.”
“Don’t interfere, Naunet.” Ember pushed him away. “I am just tired of his smart mouth and attitude towards me. Jairo, if you think you can defeat Auron, then why don’t you fight him next time. You are the first to flee in every battle and spend most of your time running away and evading your opponent, just like your element. That is all you air mages do, evade and strike from afar.”
“I am an analyst. I am not foolish enough to run into my own death, like you did.” Jairo laughed at Ember.
“I remember when we were back in El Nido training with Akielas,” Ember reminded him. “You were the one who was always behind. Akielas would discipline you the most. I remember I had to cover many of your troubles and sometimes I would even take the blame. Don’t forget who helped you awaken the sixth sense. Don’t forget who showed you how to cast your first spell.”
“I am not the same weak boy you once nurtured, Ember,” Jairo snarled. “Don’t forget who gave you the idea of using the three metals to forge our ultimate weapon.”
“That’s enough!” Naunet yelled, pushing them apart again. “Drop this childish bicker. The last thing we want is problems among each other. We must focus on our goal.”
Ember and Jairo ceased their bickering, yet Jairo kept sneering at her. It was not hate, but they annoyed each other like brother and sister, who loved to bring misery upon each other. Ember still saw Jairo as that child she corrected and protected whenever he stole something or caused trouble. She would educate him whenever he struggled to perform a spell, and Akielas would force him to repeat the exercise; sometimes he went without food until he got it right.
“If you two are done, I have something important to say,” Hertha said. “I think I know how we can awaken the power of the Emerald Cosmo Jewel.”
“Is that so,” Ember said, eager to know. “This we must hear.”
“That blonde forest girl slipped a few words and accidentally gave me a clue,” Hertha continued. “I believe her name is Willow. That warrior Elf, Eckxio, is her lover. She told me that the emerald jewel blessed her at birth. She was touched by the jewel. She also revealed that only a pure soul can unleash the power of the jewel.”
“Rubbish,” Ember said, turning her back on Hertha. “If it takes a pure soul to unleash the power of the jewel, it would not be that forest girl.”
“What makes you say that?” Naunet asked.
“That Elf, Eckxio, has been pecking her,” Ember answered. “She is no longer a flower with all her petals.”
“And how do you know of this?” Jairo asked crossing his a
rms.
“It does not matter how I know,” Ember snarled at Jairo.
“By ‘pure’, I never meant that she had to be a virgin,” Hertha explained. All heads turned to her. “You never let me finish. According to my research, since I stole the Emerald Cosmo Jewel, it takes a pure soul to awaken the jewel’s power. The key word here is ‘soul.’ A soul with maju that resonates with that of the emerald jewel.”
There was silence for a moment, and only the grunt of fiends tossing metal and the crackling of fire was heard.
“It makes sense,” Jairo said. “A soul touched by the emerald jewel can awaken it… but…then that means that the Greamos are also pure, since their existence depends on the jewel.”
Hertha chuckled then replied, “You are the smartest, Jairo, but I already looked into that. You see, the Greamos no longer carry that purity. They no longer live off the maju of the jewel like their ancestors. The insects became independent from the jewel that helped them evolve from being human. They no longer have its pure energy, yet their existence somehow depends on it. There is a reason the Greamos chose that blonde forest girl. I say we extract her soul and use it to awaken the power of the emerald jewel.”
Their lips widened into a smirk. They looked at Hertha and nodded, realizing the possibility.
“I am impressed. This could work,” Jairo said.
“Incredible. But I have never heard of any magic that can extract a soul.” Ember searched her memory for an answer.
“Leave that to me,” Jairo said, confidently, without much thought. “We can use the three metals to create a tool that can trap a single soul into the jewel.”
“How is that possible?” Naunet questioned, raising an eyebrow.
“According to the knowledge I collected in Ironside, Hettakus Kollos used the three metals of the gods to forge magical armors that we call the Valiarmos,” Jairo educated.
“Valiarmos? Like the Golden Sun that the desert boy uses?” Naunet asked.
“That is correct,” Jairo answered.
“Then what are we waiting for?” Ember added. “Show me how to create this tool, and we shall strip this forest girl of her life force.”
“Gladly,” Jairo replied.
Ember clutched Jairo’s shoulder and smiled as she felt closer to her goal. Oh my goddess, Arkana, all events are linking to the future you showed me.
Akielas
Back at the sanctum in Halo island of El Nido, Akielas and his allies sat around his crystal ball. Their minds resting from the trauma of battle, their maju restoring, and their bodies healing. Willow and Eckxio covered themselves with animal fur, warming their bodies after being frozen by Naunet’s cryomancy. They didn’t talk much, only the sound of Akielas sipping tea. Willow and Eckxio ate hot and sour soup that Akielas had made for them. Auron and Ganicus drank strong alcohol that dried their throats. Auron always drank in stressful times and claimed that it helped him think.
Ganicus stared at the Golden Sun on the palm of his hand as he drank from his gourd, and sometimes whispered, talking to himself about his ancestors and his god, Majithus. Akielas no longer desired the Valiarmos, seeing how Ganicus used it, and the boy was on his side, willingly fighting for his cause.
Akielas looked at their faces. He saw great warriors and mages. The best he had ever met in the world. Was it fate for me to stumble upon these souls? he asked himself. Their paths crossed my own, and now, here we are fighting to stop the Specters. That is what they call themselves, the Specters. Ghosts to the world.
“What are you thinking about, Sir Akielas?” Eckxio asked, voice shivering.
Akielas hesitated to answer and looked at each of their faces. “I am thinking about how our paths crossed each other and about the man I was twenty years ago.”
“Yes, I would like to hear more about that,” Auron said and gulped down his liquor. He grunted, clearing his throat, and stared at Akielas unpleasantly.
“I will tell you everything. All four of you need to know the truth,” Akielas said.
They gazed at him, faces solemn. Night had fallen, and the light of the crystal ball painted their faces white. A chilly breeze came in from the round window. Akielas looked outside the sanctum, recalling memories of his wife and son. He saw the houses turning on their lamps for the night. His mind drifted into the old days, when he had an army of mages ready to put his plan into action. His plan of forever ridding the outside world of magic. The world outside El Nido. He contemplated the old days when he was training his apprentices. How he treated them and forged their minds to live for his purpose. All his sins were haunting him, and for so long, he wanted to atone and do the right thing.
“On this very island, I decided to hide from the world. Halo island, it was named after its founder. A powerful mage who only focused on divine magic,” Akielas commenced. “This is the island where I gained clarity after I traveled the world. It is where I changed.”
“You were born on this island?” Ganicus asked.
“No. I was born on Danteh Island, known as the island of the dark dragon god, Odiamus,” Akielas replied. He placed down his cup of tea and took a deep breath. It was not easy for him to talk about his past and all his sins. He was letting his heart out in front of them. He trusted them, and they depended on him. “I grew up without parents. I had many father figures and was trained and raised by great swordsmen and mages in the islands of El Nido. Since childhood, I was always good in the mystic arts. I had no family or friends. I only knew power and talent. My only companions were my masters. By the age of sixteen, I was considered a prodigy by many mages in the islands. I had already learned two elements and countless spells. What puzzled me the most was the rumor of me being the…reincarnation of Prodigus Kollos.”
As soon as Akielas said the name Prodigus Kollos, all eyes widened. He fell silent, waiting for his friends to break words, but naught was said. The sound of children and people laughing was heard from outside the sanctum. Shadows danced on alcoves, crickets began to play their song of the night, and Akielas filled his cup of tea again and sipped.
“The reincarnation of who?” Ganicus asked. The boy seemed to be the only one who had not heard the name.
“I am sure you have heard of Prodigus Kollos,” Auron said, “the sage who gave birth to magic itself. It is but a fairy tale, but after reading so many scrolls in Ironside and fighting the Specters, it is hard not to believe it.”
“I know of Hettakus Kollos,” Ganicus added for his lack of knowledge on the topic.
“That is his brother,” Akielas said, putting down his cup of tea. “Hettakus was Prodigus’s brother, according to the book of Kollos in the dragon bible. He was powerful, but his skills were nowhere near Prodigus. According to legend, it is said that Hettakus specialized in magical items.”
“Ah yes! My father told me that Hettakus was the creator of the Golden Sun,” Ganicus said.
“History is confusing. Who knows what actually happened? Who is to say that those who write history books actually know what truly happened?” Auron argued.
“Let’s not get off subject here,” Eckxio spoke; his voice no longer shivered. The Elf stretched his muscles, and his bones popped. He finished his soup and wiped his lips. He seemed to be back to normal. “What Ember said back in the cave of Dwarves shocked me. She said that her plans originated from you. I dislike the thought of you as someone who once attempted to destroy the world. So, tell us about your old self. Who was this Akielas who once tried to rid the world of magic? If the idea came from you, then why are you now against it? It seems to me like you are the root of all this. You are the one that brought us together, and you are the reason the Specters are causing so much chaos. These are your monsters, Akielas. You are the catalyst. Then… you must be the key to ending all of this.”
Akielas frowned and could not make eye contact. Eckxio was right. Everyone was here because of Akielas. He had somehow connected their paths.
“I expected such questions.” Akielas smiled.
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“How are you the reincarnation of Prodigus Kollos?” Willow asked. She had not spoken the entire time. “How can you be so sure of that?”
“At first, it was only a theory. My mentors kept their eyes on me. They watched me grow and learn more magic. I did not believe it, but for some reason, they were convinced I was the reincarnation of the great sage. I was compared with other young mages and challenged them to a duel of magic. I always won. I never lost a battle.” Akielas raised a fist as he spoke with pride. “Then, at the age of twenty, when I learned all four elements, my mentors, teachers, and all who knew me, were absolutely sure that I was the reincarnated Prodigus Kollos. They believed it because, for two thousand years, no one had ever mastered the four primary elements. It was too difficult and required a spread of focus. There were mages that mastered two elements, and some, like Auron, mastered three. However, it came easy to me. While so many struggled, I simply saw magic as a game, something fun, since I never had siblings or friends. Magic was my life. I awakened the sixth sense at the age of ten and connecting with the elements, for me, was like petting an innocent animal. I didn’t understand why so many mages made it so difficult. Even at a young age, I understood that we are nature itself. Nature is part of us. I understood that we are water, we are fire, we are earth, and we are air. That is why it was so easy for me to learn all four elements, simply because I believed.”
“Fascinating,” Eckxio whispered, gazing into the crystal ball.
“But, you taught me three elements,” Auron stated. “My weakness is fire. Had I learned the element, would that made me any different than I am, today?”
Akielas sighed and answered, “I doubt it, but you must understand, Auron. You chose not to learn to use fire. You refuse to believe. That is why.”
Auron did not respond. He crossed his arms and remained silent. Akielas was right. Auron was prideful and stubborn. Only in his youth, while he was still green, he was able to learn the three elements. He disliked fire, and his body always had some allergic reactions to any fire maju.
Sin of Mages: An Epic Fantasy Series (Rift of Chaos Book 1) Page 22
