by Luis Robles
After some time passed, Pah finally emerged from his portal, holding something in his paw. “How about this?” Pah asked with a shameful voice as he extended his paw to the lady. In the middle of the paw was a tiny silver coin.
“One moment,” the old lady said as she reached under the counter. She pulled out an old charcoal cloak accompanied by a plain dress. “If the point is for her not to stand out, wearing feathers for a dress, this will surely help. And, I think it’s more than a fair exchange for that old silver coin. Besides, that dress she's holding won’t do her any good. It will call attention and will rip easily. While, something like this will surely cause no attention and will last through any weather.” Old people are always very wise and often times good guessers, too. They have seen it all, and nothing escapes them. Indeed, the old lady was able to guess just what Bliss and Pah needed.
Pah agreed with the old lady and took the oversized dress and cloak. After much complaint from Bliss about her new human dress and cloak, they headed out to the far west mountains. Pah and Bliss hoped to find the answers to all their questions there. They headed out at a normal pace that would take them three days to reach the mountains. As they traveled, Pah spent most of the day answering Bliss’ questions. It seemed Bliss was curious about everything. However, Pah enjoyed answering her questions. It was their special pastime, and he answered them as best as he could.
“Pah, so what was that thing you did back in the shop?”
“Do you mean the portal? I thought you didn’t notice.”
“Yeah, that thing when one of your hands disappeared into thin air and then half of your body.”
“That is called a Safe Gate; some Nulians can use it, but it is very rare. Each time I open my Safe Gate, I can reach back into any place, inside my cave. It’s mainly used for storage purposes and so on. Say, if I find a precious stone, I can simply open the gate and put it in my cave.”
“So, does that mean you can go home whenever you want?” Bliss asked, ever so curious.
“No, if I were to pass my whole body through the gate, the gate would undo itself, and anything that had passed through the gate would gush out,” Pah said as he got lost in thought.
“Someday, when I grow old, I will fix all those rules.”
“You certainly will, I have no doubt about that. I believe you can change the world when you grow up,” Pah said with a smile and warmth in his voice.
“So, we are going to a place that you aren’t sure exists, and we don’t know how to get there?” Bliss asked with a frown on her forehead, almost making fun of Pah.
“That’s pretty much the scope of things. But, see if we go there, and we can’t find it or get lost trying to find it, then we at least tried. And trying, just trying, makes all the difference,” Pah said with a low voice, knowing that it was time for Bliss to go to sleep.
“Yeah…You are right. Well, I guess I’m going to go dream of this place that no one knows of,” Bliss said, as she stretched and yawned while floating on Pah’s back. Little did she know that Bliss was about to unravel the sixth rule of magic: Chant it or scribble it, magic becomes more powerful with a spell. For a spell easily links one’s innermost desires to consciousness, a few words were all it took to stir the fabric of magic, to pull from it and make Bliss’ words a reality.
“Sweet dreams,” Pah said softly.
“You aren’t going to stop tonight?” Bliss asked with a sleepy voice.
“No, I won’t stop until we get there,” Pah answered, trying to be quiet.
“Okay… Sweet dreams,” Bliss said, half asleep.
Pah continued running at a normal pace throughout the night. The landscape continued to change with every hour that passed by. For Pah, it was important to get the answers to the questions he had. For him, it was important to succeed where all his predecessors had failed. He had only one thing in mind—to protect Bliss no matter the cost.
The next morning, as the sun rose, its light illuminated the beautiful landscape that began to turn from desert to rocky and passing rivers. Bliss woke up shouting.
“Pah! Pah!” Blissed yelled.
“What’s wrong?” Pah asked with concern as he made a full stop.
“I had a dream about that place you were talking about, and I think I know how to get there. We’ll get there tomorrow morning if we go that way,” Bliss said with excitement in her tiny voice as she gestured to a nearby river.
“I also saw a place covered with lilies; I think that’s what they are called. Well anyway, inside the cave, there is this very pretty, very old lady that isn’t human, I think. But her job is to know everything,” Bliss said, filled with content.
“That way, it is,” Pah agreed, and smiled. “Want to eat something before we head over there?” Pah asked Bliss as his stomach growled.
“Yeah, I don’t really feel like eating magic today. I’m going to go look for some fruit. I see some trees nearby,” Bliss said as she hopped down from Pah’s back.
“And I’ll be by the river, I hope there is some wild fishes,” Pah said, looking towards the river, almost drooling for the fresh fish.
Unlike everyone else, Bliss could just simply nourish her body with magic. At the time, she wasn’t exactly sure how it happened. But every time she felt hungry and did not wish to feel it anymore, her body would react by getting rid of the hunger. However, she much preferred the taste of real food; simply making her hunger disappear would only leave her craving. Whether it was the sweet taste of fruits or the delicious taste of one of Pah’s fishes, eating was one of the best feelings Bliss had experienced.
After some fruit and much fish on Pah’s behalf, they continued with their small journey. As they passed by familiar things that Bliss saw in her dream, she pointed them out to Pah. Her excitement for the journey made the day easier and before they knew, it was already nightfall. Bliss did not want to go to sleep, as some of the clues to find the place covered with lilies could only be seen at night. Bliss had seen glowing mushrooms in her dreams, fish jumping to catch lightning bugs, and most importantly, Bliss had seen the moon lighting up the mountains in such a way that it revealed a pathway that led directly to their intended destination. Bliss was happy that she was finally able to help Pah. She no longer felt defenseless. She felt that she was growing strong, although at the same time, it felt like she was diving into magic and using it in ways she did not understand.
Dawn broke, and Bliss had successfully navigated Pah to the Place of Lilies. The aroma from all the wildflowers was strong and surrounded them. They could not help but to take a deep breath and rejoice at all the beautiful scents.
“Where do we go from here, Bliss?” Pah asked with a calm demeanor.
Bliss pointed towards the edge of a cliff still covered by the morning’s fog. Pah then headed to the cliff at a normal pace. As they got to the near the edge, they could only see a few meters ahead, and the aroma of the flowers intensified but never overwhelmed them. Before they knew it, they were standing in front of a half-rounded structure.
“Pah, I don’t want to scare you, but don’t look down,” Bliss said as she looked down.
“Don’t worry, I was aware. I don’t sense any kind of danger.”
The structure on the edge of the cliff was almost completely detached from the cliff were it not for the roots of the thousands of flowers holding in place.
“Bliss, help me find the door,” Pah said as he carefully inspected the structure.
“Just come in. A door will open wherever you choose,” a female voice echoed everywhere.
Sensing no threat, Pah proceeded straight ahead, with Bliss floating on his back. When they were less than a meter away, a perfectly round door opened in front of them. Once Pah and Bliss were inside the structure, the door slowly closed behind them.
“Pardon my door. I just don’t want the aroma from the flowers outside to get in here. I am still yet to perfect my latest perfume. Come in, feel right at home, just don’t touch a single flower,” the
lady inside the structure said with a calm voice. “My name is Lili, and how may I be of eternal service to the greatest magic user on earth and to the last of the Watchers?”
“I’ve heard that your job is to know everything there is to know, and we have some questions, if you would be so kind,” Pah said, looking directly at the lady.
“But of course! I can help you with your questions. After all, I can’t exactly say no to the greatest magic user on the planet. However, what you heard about me might not be entirely true. People tend to exaggerate the truth in order to get a better story out of it. I only know what I smell—the scent of someone's immediate future. Anything beyond that, I cannot reach,” Lili said while using many hand gestures more than necessary.
“Okay, first question. Why does it hurt when I use magic?” Bliss readily asked as she got off Pah’s back.
With one swift and silent movement, Lili appeared right in front of Bliss. She smelled Bliss thoroughly as she kept a small distance from her. When Lili was done smelling Bliss, she stood upright and still. She smiled and took a moment before she spoke again.
“Do you want to know everything, child?” Lili asked with a smile on her face.
Bliss nodded her head.
“Well, your entire body is overflowing with magic—the strongest of its kind.” With her right index finger fully extended and a quantity of gestures, Lili continued, “It seems that you have lost the ability to control your magic, as well as the ability to imagine it. What I mean by this is...when you try to move something, everything moves along with it such as the muscles and tendons in your body, causing you pain. Excruciating pain I might add, your body is ripping itself apart trying to control the overwhelming amount of magic you carry.”
“And how can I stop it from hurting?” Bliss asked with a worried face.
“Try to imagine the magic away from your body, and use spells. Your magic is far more powerful than anything in this world. It will take more from you to control it,” Lili said as she took a step towards the thousands of exotic flowers inside the structure. “Don’t mind me, child, I just need to attend to my flowers. Ask some more questions if you have them.”
“Why is Gavril after me?” Bliss asked with a sigh.
“Ah, yes! The blood sucker… the vampire… the demon...Well, child, from what I have smelled, he is only after your magic. He will not rest until he gets it all. He cannot rest, for his soul was lost to a darker kind of magic that demands it from him, that burns within him. The thirst for power has never been greater. Thus, his tumultuous efforts are only going to amplify, and he will stop at nothing until the day you come of age,” Lili explained while she was working on her flowers.
“Until I come of age? What does that mean?” Bliss asked, looking up at Lili with a wrinkled forehead.
“Yes, child. Twelve years from now, when the moon turns orange, Gavril will no longer be able to steal your magic. Until then, you need to stay away from him as much as you can. There are a lot more hanging in the balance than just your life, young child. Although your life is priceless, the balance of everything that is known is in peril.”
Bliss felt dejected and did not want to continue asking questions. Pah noticed this immediately and picked up Bliss with his tail to place her on his back.
“Before you go, allow me tell you a story that if left untold could destroy us all,” Lili said as Pah and Bliss were preparing to leave. “In a remote place where time had no meaning and space was not measured, a battle began between two entities of power—we call them Good and Evil—their actual names far too ancient for me to comprehend; it’s almost as if they have no name, they just are... Good outweighed Evil in every way, but only to balance the nature of things, to balance light and darkness. Good was always triumphant. One fateful day, Evil went against the very thing it existed for; it rebelled against keeping a balance across the known. Evil eventually won after one dreadful battle, causing Good to flee its way here on Earth. Now Evil is chasing the great entity of power here, for the remainders of Good are all inside every living thing on earth; it’s what we call Magic. Make no mistake, for the battle is not over; it is just beginning. The entity entrusted you, Bliss, to not be overwhelmed by the evil coming your way.”
“Wait, are you saying that there is something else coming besides Gavril?” Pah asked, hiding any emotion that he was feeling at the time.
“That I do not know for sure. But be warned, Gavril does carry within him an emissary of that entity.”
“We’ll be leaving now. Thank you for the valuable information,” Pah said as he turned around.
“Protect that child; she is destined for great things. If she goes, so will this world. Goodbye now. It was nice having company,” Lili said as the door opened in front of Pah and Bliss.
Pah turned to Lili and smiled to what she said, for he already knew how important Bliss was to the world. Pah and Bliss walked out of the structure slowly, both lost in thought. As soon as they were outside the structure and the door had closed, they both sighed.
“What do we do now, Pah? Twelve years seem like a long time… And do you think that story she told us was true?”
“Don’t worry, we’ll keep moving. You’ll get to see the world, and Gavril won’t be able to find us. As far as the story goes, well I’m not sure. But one thing I’m certain is that as long as we are together, nothing will defeat us,” Pah said as they walked away from the Place of Lilies.
6
Gavril
Far away from Pah and Bliss, underneath a perpetual dark cloud, Gavril was at work in the biggest room of the castle. The ceiling of the room as well as most of its walls was made entirely of clear crystal. The remainder walls and the floor were of a dark, flat shade of brown. In the center of that room was a pond filled with powerful magic. The pond was round and roughly eight meters across. It was heavily decorated with golden stems and floated half a meter above the ground, with many arteries keeping it in place. The pond sat still and dormant, awaiting its awakening.
As Gavril walked towards the pond with the last of the potions at hand, the workers stopped all movement.
“Well, don’t just stop. Finish the pond,” Gavril said as he kept walking towards the pond. “How much longer do you need, Galio?”
“We are just adding the finishing touches, master. The pond should be ready for you to use tonight,” Galio said, motioning to his workers to carry on.
Galio was Gavril’s right-hand and deviser. He was in charge of developing all of Gavril’s schemes to capture the magical beings. At first glance, Galio seemed as ordinary as any human. He was of average human height, with an average body. However, his mind was far beyond the limits of an ordinary human mind and was well in the zone of magic.
“Great. No matter what they do, we will be able to find them—that last magical being and that pesky Watcher. They cannot hide from power, they cannot hide from destiny, they cannot hide from me,” Gavril said as he crossed his arms.
“All that she has to do is set foot on earth for a short period of time, and we’ll know exactly where they are,” Galio said as he admired his new creation. “Will you be going after them yourself, master? You have grown many times over a Watcher’s power, and certainly there is nothing out there that can defeat you.”
“This Watcher is different. He has been able to escape us for over six years. He is determined not to fail his precious magical being. Which is why we are preparing Gemini, right?” Gavril asked, looking directly at Galio with irritation in his voice.
“Yes, master. But Gemini will not be ready until a few years from now,” Galio said as he kept his distance from Gavril.
“I am growing impatient, Galio,” Gavril said as his body tensed. The atmosphere in the room darkened, and the room began to shake. “Meanwhile, we will give them hell; wear them down until they cannot fight anymore, until they will have nowhere to hide, until everyone around them dies. Show them that they have no chance against me. Show them the power that is
within me, show them the other side of Magic. Send every Rot and every creature that we have at our disposal to find them as soon as she sets foot on earth.”
“We will do as you wish, master. The pond is ready for you to add the potion.”
Gavril walked up to the pond and pulled out a glowing violet flask from a small leather sack he always carried with him. Most of the workers scrambled out of the room, as they knew that what will follow would be a show of Gavril’s strength. He opened the flask and poured it into a small crevice near the pond’s edge. As he did this, the pond shook violently and the arteries lit up as if they were on fire. Then, the water from the pond rose high above Gavril, making screeching sounds as if it were in pain. The water turned into a piercing form, pointing directly at Gavril.
Suddenly, the water propelled towards Gavril with the intention of destroying the one that brought it to life.
“Stop!” Gavril shouted as he extended his right hand, the palm facing directly up. “I am your master, and you will serve me!” Gavril fumed as the aura around the room got darker.
The water split in half at Gavril’s palm and went on to surround him in an almost spherical ball. The water twisted and turned into an angry, violent vortex around Gavril, carving itself into the floor.
“You will yield to me!” Gavril thundered as he stood firm, building up his dark aura. “You are trying to scare me by being a true monster? I will show you a monster.”
Gavril extended his arms to the side in one sudden movement, causing the water to disperse violently throughout the big room, with the magic emanating from his palms. The water shattered most of the crystal windows and managed to carve the floor. Ornaments that decorated the room hit the floor; the big room was nearly destroyed by the water.
“Now that we got that out of the way, perhaps you can return quietly to your pond and serve your master,” Gavril said as he shook pieces of crystal off him.
