“Y… yes my lord,” Diurus replied and grabbed the queen, tossing her over his shoulder and hurrying in the direction of the door. “My queen, forgive me but we need to go as quick…” he said. Suddenly a powerful spell struck him.
“Dragon’s Shout!” Dio bawled. Thick flames from his palm shot through Diurus.
Dirius’ eyes opened wide. He saw the fire shoot toward him, and could do nothing but drop the queen. He turned to look at Ace, in shock as it hit, their eyes meeting as the flames engulfed him, burning the flesh from his bones. Within seconds the man was gone. “Diurus!” Ace screamed.
“Ace! Hide!” Jael shouted and he quickly hid. All the Dark Mage’s magick now mimicked his father’s magick. Had he truly sucked the magick out of his father, desecrating his corpse and soul? If that was true, Jael knew, just as his friends had been driven to crazed lengths in the name of revenge, that he had to defeat the Dark Mage. “Cherufe!” he shouted furiously, and suddenly flames emitted from his eyes. “I ask of you… please teach me the hidden spell!”
Jael’s mark glowed and the voice of Cherufe was heard. “I do not know how you did this. But you managed to wake me up once more. What is it that you need, child?” Cherufe asked.
“Teach me how to access the Frozen Flame…”
“I already told you… I am but a reminder that you have the potential, but I do not know how it works… however, with you, successfully summoning me once again, your hidden spell might just be imminent,” Cherufe answered.
“Guide me, Cherufe,” Jael said.
“Jael, search deep into your thoughts. Unlocking the Frozen Flame might be a daunting task but I know that you can do it. I can feel that you will be gaining your hidden magick, very, very soon,” Cherufe uttered. “I shall take my leave, child. May the flames guide you…” It vanished.
“Damn it! How do I access the Frozen Flame?!” Jael uttered in frustration.
The mark on the kid’s body was interesting to the Dark Mage. “I need to end this now… this kid might have the potential to challenge me. Infierga!” Dio shouted. “This will vaporise you… I suggest you give it your all.”
“Blazierga!” Jael answered. The two fire mages stood across from each other in the Great Hall, charging their spells and gathering all of their might.
It was in this moment that Queen Jeannah woke up, seized with horror. She grabbed Ace’s collar, staring at him with wide eyes. “My queen!” Ace gasped and her eyes narrowed in recognition and then she sank back in relief.
“Where is my son?” Jeannah asked.
“There!” Ace replied, and he pointed at Jael,
“I have no strength left in me… please help Jael…”
“The Dark Mage, he killed Diurus with just one fatal spell! That spell he will use against Jael… that is the spell that killed Diurus! How will I be able to help Jael?” Ace asked, shaking with great fear. He sank to the ground before her, consumed and humbled by dread.
“I… I do not know… I cannot let my son die!”
“I have no energy left to fight, my queen, I’m terribly sorry…”
“So be it,” Jeannah said.
“Dragon’s Breath!” Jael cast; Dio cast Dragon’s Shout as well. The massive spells collided and enormous licking tendrils of flames fought one another, pushing and straining against each other. Jael screamed. Flames emitted from his eyes and mouth. His Dragon’s Breath slowly weakened as the flames of Dio battered it, devouring it.
“And now you shall die!” Dio shouted; he pushed his right arm forward and intensified his Dragon’s Shout. A few moments later, Jael’s Dragon’s Breath was defeated, and he stood bare, without anything left that could possibly absorb a heat so deep as the black and purple flame of the Dark Mage. The Dragon’s Shout was about to kill Jael when a shout was heard from the very back of the hall.
His mother.
“Draconia magick! Angelus!” Jeannah shouted and covered Jael with the protective barrier, dissipating Dragon’s Breath, leaving Dio’s spell crashing upon the barrier.
“What?! No! Mother!” Jael shouted.
“Please, live… Jael,” Jeannah replied. Tears gushed through her eyes, pouring down her cheeks.
“I can defeat him! Please let me…” Jael said, and he too began to tear up.
“So, the queen is awake. Very well, I shall kill both of you!” Dio teleported beside the queen and grabbed her skull.
Jeannah grabbed Dio’s arms as she was lifted, kicking and screaming. “Damn you! You evil mage! If I could only use my body to seal you off I would not hesitate to do it!”
Dio laughed. “Too bad you will not witness the death of your child and the destruction of your beloved kingdom! Any last words?”
“Yes… Apocalyptic Strike!” Ace shouted and he gave his final attack to the Dark Mage. As the blade of the Apocalypse was about to cut Dio’s head off, in a fraction of a second Dio dodged. Ace was aiming for the neck but the Apocalypse slashed its blade through the mask instead, rupturing it. The mask fell from his exposed face.
Jeannah’s eyes grew large, left her speechless. Dio hurled Jeannah away and grabbed Ace by his neck. “Outburst!” Dio shouted and at once Ace’s head was blown away, instantly killing him. The word seemed to be summoned from some place deep within the man but his mouth did not even move. Only the noise was heard. Jael stared on in utter confusion.
“H… How can this be?!” Jeannah said in total shock. Dio laughed maniacally. “No! This can’t be real!”
“No, Jeannah, this is real…” Dio murmured.
“He would never do this! I barely know him but I know deep in my heart that he would never turn into this kind of monster!– what have you done to him? Dio?! What have you done?!” Jeannah screamed.
“Mother! What are you talking about?!” Jael asked, misunderstanding.
“This man is Arcthrel! Your father!”
“What?! He told me that he killed Arcthrel!”
A scream of laughter burst from the charade of the man beneath the mask. “Don’t you understand?! Arcthrel’s body belongs to me now!”
“What?! How can that be?” Jael demanded.
“With my spell Absolute Possession, I can control and possess a host for my amusement. Arcthrel’s body and magickal capabilities exceeded my expectations and with that I have decided to stay in this body until I destroy the whole kingdom…” Dio explained.
Suddenly, Queen Jeannah laughed hysterically. “You are overestimating yourself, demon!”
“You have shown me the brink of light by being so loquacious.” Dio immediately grabbed hold of Jeannah’s jaw and raised her up. “Now I shall kill you…”
“Nooooooo!” Jael shouted atop his lungs. Jeannah floundered and grasped onto the Dark Mage’s head with her fingers, and uttered the spell, “Exohorkos!”
“What?! What is this?!” Dio’s chest and face pulsed, skin rippling and contorting as if something within him was struggling to come out. “No! This isn’t possible!” he shouted.
“Have you forgotten? I am a light mage! I can exorcise evil spirits from bodies, demon!” Jeannah shouted furiously.
Dio, suddenly fell to his knees and reddish black smoke steamed up from his mouth. Was this it? The spirit excised? Jeannah quickly cancelled the Angelus spell, freeing Jael. “Mother, what is happening? Have we defeated Dio?”
“I don’t know. We have to be ready…” Jeannah replied.
Dio wailed in excruciating pain. Thick smoke continued to come out of his body, a reddish haze billowing up behind him into the shape of a blackish red entity. “I applaud you for exorcising me…” the demon said.
“What are you?” Jeannah asked.
“I am Malevolentia. Everything that I have led my followers to do, I embody–death, destruction, despair… malevolence,” the demon replied.
Without hesitance, Jael swept up the body of Dio, the body of Arcthrel, his father. He grabbed the hand of the queen and fled outside of Excauhalt. “We need to escape! This is no lo
nger a mage we are dealing with! This is a monster!” he exclaimed, and they dashed towards the exit of Excauhalt.
“Run and escape, for I shall pour my wrath upon Bristal! All of you will be exterminated!” Malevolentia uttered eerily, and laughed with its mouthless mockery.
As soon as they reached the exit, Anthony spotted them and he brought the valkyrie back in. It hovered just below them. “We need to jump!” Jael said. He held onto her hand as they jumped into the hatch.
The queen scrambled into the front of the valkyrie. “No time to explain! We need to get back to Krimmirr in the fastest way possible!” Queen Jeannah ordered.
“Yes, my queen,” Anthony replied, and boosted the valkyrie speed, en route to Krimmirr.
“We need to prepare for that monster…” Jeannah said, exhausted. She looked down at the body of the man who now lay on the floor of the valkyrie.
“Mother, please tell me, how did this man become my father?” Jael asked.
“I knew it was him the moment I laid eyes upon him. This man is your father, Arcthrel,” Jeannah replied and Mikhal was shocked.
“My queen, how did this happen?” Mikhal asked.
“I do not know. I am certain that this man is Arcthrel… apparently he was possessed by the fiend Malevolentia, the embodiment of evil and malevolence. We need to reach Krimmirr before Malevolentia makes his next move. Please,” Jeannah stated.
“Yes, my queen,” Anthony replied.
“How can we be certain he won’t harm us?” Jael asked.
“I barely know him. We had a limited time together. I am confident he would not cause any further conflict. Your father was a noble and powerful man. He left not knowing that I bore a child, in search for the ultimate magick of Maggus, Teliko Mageia,” Jeannah explained. “I never heard from him again… and now here he is, being used by the enemy…”
“Mother, please take care of him. I have many questions. Please heal him,” Jael said.
“Of course I will. For now let us focus on preparing against Malevolentia,” Jeannah replied.
Born Arcthrel Diogenis Leonbarck, Arcthrel was known as the Flame Maven due to his excellence in flame magick. His parents were Diodeus and Ramzelle. Diodeus was the great grandson of Agnus, the elemental father of flame magick, while his mother Ramzelle was part of Tesseris Ippotes, a mercenary group led by Deurahl Galanger.
The knights of Tesseris Ippotes accepted only strikingly challenging job requests; jobs well beyond the skill level of the average mage. They were composed of four mages: Deurahl Galanger, Kiel Zao, Ramzelle Leonbarck and Rohan Selegnia. Deurahl was both leader and muscle of the group. Easily the strongest in the group, he had obtained the Fate magick of the Beast. Kiel was their military strategist, an excommunicated knight from the kingdom of Linganheim. His skill with the sword was unmatched. Ramzelle was in charge of all information regarding both missions and clients, the only one permitted to speak directly with clients, preserving the anonymity of both parties. Her magick was rather unusual, as she was able to persuade people with her words. The fourth mage was Rohan. With his unique ability to see into the past, his magick came in useful in tracking down marks.
Diodeus had hired the mercenary group. Upon completing the mission, Diodeus realised he had fallen in love with Ramzelle. Deeply fond of her, he had no desire to leave her side. When he decided to join Tesseris Ippotes, Deurahl gladly accepted, and he joined every subsequent mission.
After some time, an unfortunate mission befell the team. A massive army struck while they were protecting the armaments of a client. While they won the battle, managing to protect the transported armaments, Deurahl and Kiel both received injuries that, even with magick, would take a long time to heal. They all took it as a sign. Ramzelle and Rohan called it off and parted ways. Rohan went on to Krimmirr to serve the king, while Ramzelle and Diodeus set off to the city of Fariveth to settle down.
Years passed. Ramzelle bore a son, Arcthrel. Diodeus taught Arcthrel all he knew about flame magick, and he in time became to be known as Flame Maven due to his skill. A few years later, Diodeus was taken by plague for which healers could find no cure. The plague ravaged the area, and Ramzelle raised Arcthrel alone.
Arcthrel was intensively obsessed with magick. He trained every day. As a child, he wanted to be the best mage that ever lived and he researched everything he could find about magick. This led him to the legend of Maggus. He asked his mother about it, and discovered that Maggus was the creator of magick, and had six apprentices. One of them was his great-great grandfather, Agnus.
“I heard there was a magick spell called Teliko Mageia that could create or destroy anything. This spell was so powerful it killed Maggus himself!” Arcthrel exclaimed. “I want to discover it!”
“If that were true, I don’t think you should go hunting for this dreadful curse, Arcthrel,” Ramzelle answered.
“But I want to be the best mage ever to walk in the entire of Messogard!”
“To me you are the best mage there was, son,” Ramzelle replied with a smile. But still Arcthrel pursued it.
Years passed by, and Ramzelle was struck by the same tragic fate as Diodeus. With plague striking the same family twice, the young Arcthrel suffered the intense guilt of the survivor. Powerless to save his parents as they wasted away in front of him, internally, he blamed himself for his parents’ death and left the city.
Arcthrel vowed to search for the legendary spell of Maggus, Teliko Mageia. And that same day when his mother died, he began his journey to find the legendary spell. He crossed seas, hiked mountains and trekked vast drylands in search of mere clues about Teliko Mageia.
Eventually, he came across an old hermit inside a cave on top of a mountain called Atlas Rock who claimed to know about the legendary spell. “Why are you searching for Teliko Mageia?” the hermit asked.
“I want to be the greatest mage ever to walk on Messogard. And by controlling the legendary spell, will mean exceeding Maggus himself,” Arcthrel replied.
“Indeed, because he himself, wasn’t able to control its power. That power took his own life. My name is Arej Rokko. I will tell you everything I know,” the hermit said.
“Please tell me more about this legendary spell,” Arcthrel prompted.
“When Maggus learned that Teliko Mageia’s immense power would eventually kill him, he sealed it away by breaking it into seven pieces. He contained it into powerful mystos and scattered them around Raspenheim, one in each kingdom. The seven parts of Teliko Mageia are as follows: Fafnir, Hepalith, Metalurm, Excedia, Chimera, Cerberus and Sphinx. I believe that Fafnir is somewhere hidden here in Bristal. But I must warn you. Each of the seven parts of Teliko Mageia is powerful enough to take down a whole army,” Arej explained. “They are not to be trifled with.”
“This is fascinating! How did you know all of this?” “Let’s just say I am a wise hermit, yes?” Arej replied. “Do you have any idea where the Fafnir is hidden?”
“All I know is that Maggus gave the Fafnir to Excalla, his greatest apprentice, to protect it,” Arej replied.
“So where is this Excalla?” Arcthrel asked.
“He had been dead for more than two hundred years, young one,” Arej answered.
“I see… so the Fafnir hasn’t been found ever since?”
“That I do not know. Treasure hunters and mages have searched for this ancient artefact for centuries,” Arej explained.
“Thank you, old man. I shall see you again,” Arcthrel said and he left the old hermit’s cave at Atlas Rock with enthusiasm. With burning passion, Arcthrel carried on his quest to gather the seven parts of Teliko Mageia.
Along his journey, Arcthrel made quite name for himself because of his magickal talent. Many came to know him as Flame Maven, mainly because none could contest his prowess as a flame mage. Many dared to challenge him to duels but they failed. At one point, he attended the Maggus Stadium in Fulbor. Without any losses, he made it to the 31st stage and simply got disinterested with this casual fig
hting. Afterwards, he focused on his main purpose. To hunt the legendary spell. A few years passed, and he eventually came to Sanhera. After he was saved by Jeannah, he continued on with his journey, not knowing the nightmare he was about to engage.
After the events in Sanhera, Arcthrel’s next destination was the City of Belthasar in search for clues about Excalla. On the way to Belthasar, he came across the Withered Greenwood, a strange forest stained with death. It was once called the Gleaming Forest due to its lush woodland with prolific foliage. But unseen forces tainted its boughs with death and decay. Now the stench of death reached his nostrils, uncanny voices clouding his mind as he stood at the entrance of the Withered Greenwood. A shiver ran up and down his spine, but that didn’t stop him. The man had travelled through dangers unheard of by most with no companion but his flame. He mustered up courage and entered the eerie forest.
Arcthrel treaded the dark soil of the woodland. The voices in his head intensified, cackling, whispering and soon the laughter was so much he thought it might become reality. He went to turn back, but the trees moved in on themselves. Evil laughter was heard. “Who’s there?!” he demanded.
“I have been watching you… Flame Maven.” A deep voice was heard. “I have been following you… you have grown stronger and stronger, Arcthrel…”
“Show yourself!” Arcthrel said and he started to panic.
“Fear not. If you go along with me peacefully, you will not be harmed,” the voice said.
“What do you want from me?!” Arcthrel furiously asked.
“I want your magick!” A hideous, twisted black and red apparition emerged in front of Arcthrel. “I am Malevolentia… I have been sent to gain control over Bristal!”
“What does that have to do with me?” he asked.
“I will be needing your abilities… you have the potential to be the strongest mage in Bristal, even in the whole of Raspenheim… I cannot take my eyes off you, Flame Maven,” Malevolentia replied. “You have been chosen, Arcthrel, to bear my name, to wield my power into the destruction of Bristal.”
Teliko Mageia: Curse of the Frozen Flame Page 38
