Convergence (The Dragon Within Saga Book 1)

by Roberto Vecchi

  He was taken by complete surprise and bounced back a couple feet finding himself with a sore head and bottom as he ended up on his seat from the impact. After being momentarily dazed, he regained his footing and walked toward the opening, being careful not to impact it again. Reaching out tentatively, he confirmed what his head had discovered moments ago. There was indeed a very solid and completely clear impediment preventing his continuance. Inspecting it for several minutes, he discovered that it was as solid at its edges, which spanned the full opening from top to bottom and left to right, as it was in its center. He placed his hands upon his hips and considered.

  What was this barrier? Was it another test he had not realized he had taken and failed resulting in his prevention from obtaining the scrolls within? The first two had been presented in a manner leaving him with no question regarding he was at a metaphorical cross-roads. But this one, this unseen test, had been presented to him without his knowledge. How could he be held responsible for his performance without being given the knowledge that he had embarked upon an endeavor requiring his performance? Was he to have learned enough from the previous two to ensure his success now? He mentally reviewed his entire journey from standing before the great chasm until now and concluded there was no presented third obstacle.

  What unjust plan had been hatched at his expense to prevent him from fulfilling his excitement and renewed vigor toward more knowledge? Was this all just an elaborate plan to show him what he would never have, that which he valued above all as standing outside of his reach? Had his entire mission, first revealed to him by the angel, or what he thought was an angel, then perpetuated by The Book of All, and then solidified by his visit to the ancient Elven Library been set as a ruse to his purpose? What could it be if not for the assimilation of that which occupied his thoughts and value? Why would God show him this, dangle it within his reach, tantalize his appetite, reinvigorate his purpose only to prevent his success in the end?

  He closed his eyes and inclined his head with his fingers clenched into fists. The muscles of his arms tightened as his anger elevated. Growing within him was a deep and low growl. When his mind could no longer house its voice, he expelled it as a guttural howl aimed at the combined effects of his inadequacy and fatigue. He had come so far. He had followed His leading so well. And yet, in the end, he was halted. Where is the justice, where is the faith, and where is the love he had felt in the presence of Lacorion now?

  As he opened his eyes, teary from his outburst of anger, he saw materialize yet another set of words in the familiar language:

  Dra’utro repi dua mooso ambine esparto een swo boostreth creto dua Dra’Gokin

  "Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to go into the kingdom of heaven"

  Why a rich man? There was as specific reference to humanity, but if it was just meant to point out the duality and hypocrisy of all men in the most general terms, the reference in this statement would have reflected as much. However, as the reference contained a monetary inclusion, there was more being put on trial than man's failing nature as a preventative variable in his attainment of a divine eternity.

  He referenced all of his dealings with men of wealth and status searching for a commonality between them all, yet as many similarities as he explored, he was left with an equal amount that shared no common traits with others. And then he remembered his first recruitment mission as part of the Committee of Magical Discovery. The committee was not charged with the discovery of new magics or new knowledge as the name might imply; rather it was charged with recruiting the individuals who had recently discovered, usually through an emotionally charged event, they contained the potential for magical talent. It was the committee's task to convince them to further develop their magical training in the formal halls of the University.

  Not everyone who possessed the reservoir of talent had the opportunity to access it because two other variables beyond the talent were required to produce the manifestation of the physical presence of magic. Firstly, the individual needed to possess sufficient knowledge within a specific situation to magically influence the situation; and secondly, just as vital, this situation needed to produce an emotional response from the individual possessing the talent to catalyze its initial activation. If any one of these conditions were lacking, the talent, knowledge, or sufficient emotion, the individual might progress through their entire life never being able to utilize magic and quite possibly never realizing they even possessed the potential.

  Such was the case with Trenis Bornne. Most of the individuals manifest their initial usage of magic during adolescence because of the natural volatility of their emotional states; but for Trenis, it was much later in life. He had witnessed his daughter's husband strike her. Understandably so, this produced a great emotional response, and because of his early life spent as a blacksmith's apprentice, he had learned much knowledge regarding the crafting and manipulation of metal. In his anger, Trenis was able to strike at the young man with a sword, though not in the traditional sense. He reached out with his talent and gripped his daughter's husband's own sword hanging at his hip. Lifting it in the air, he slashed, but his control was so rudimentary that he was thankfully unsuccessful in his attempt for vengeance.

  When he was approached by Intellos, a few months later, it was discovered that Trenis was a very wealthy merchant having been in the material trade business for most of his adult life. He had status and was quite influential with the local lords of his land, and even some lands beyond. He often dined with them and was included on several trade committees. He had even been charged with the merchant ambassadorship to the High King's Merchant council for a short time. As a result from all of his social graces and status, he naturally accumulated a great amount of financial worth beyond what even his success as a merchant could provide.

  Meeting with Trenis in his rather grand receiving room, Intellos presented his case to recruit the man into the Initiates of the University. After quietly and patiently listening to the Wizard present his arguments, Trenis asked a question of his own, one that Intellos would not soon forget: "Tell me Wizard, after all that you have said can you state with certainty that you would give up what I have obtained to wear the simple red robes of uncertainty? Would you give up all that you value most dear, your wife and children, your status and influence, the good you can do through it to follow me down a path of searching for that which you do not need? Tell me Intellos, would you give up not just being a wizard, but your knowledge and talent to follow me?"

  We place our trust in that which we value and that which we value we will hold on to above all else when faced with the decision to lose it. Trenis, while possessing a huge potential for talent, could not see the value in pursuing magic because he derived his own value from his accumulated wealth. He need not magic to elevate himself to social status or financial security. He had everything he needed, everything his family needed, and because he could not see the benefit of giving everything up to gain so much less in return, he made the decision against attending the university. His eyes were too rooted in his own life to see the great benefit the development of his magic could potentially bring to the realm. Because he could not give up what he valued, he would never enter the halls of the university.

  Then, as if looking straight into the mirror of his soul, Intellos saw that he was the reflection of everything he saw in Trenis. Everything the Wizard had become was because of his ability in magic. His identity, his importance, his value, his success, all that he was had begun, continued and would end because of his pursuit of knowledge. Thudding upon him directly to his acutely enhanced awareness of self, he saw that in spite of the phenomenal presence of the Divine Dragon King, the revelation of the man Jesus, and the understanding he gained from the trials, he still deeply placed his value upon knowledge. It was his dependency upon it, in his heart, in his soul, in his intent that prevented his entrance into what he knew to be the final cav
ern and the completion of this phase of his task. He now faced the same decision Trenis had faced: can he give up everything to follow this God?

  He felt more than heard the words to turn around, though later he would recall an audible warning. As he did, he instinctively reached to his reservoir and called into existence a magic barrier just in time to deflect the blow of a hideously shaped sword as it descended toward him. He was surprised his magic again lept to his command, but now was not the time to express gratitude. There was a presence here, in the halls of his hallowed task, a presence seeking to prevent the propagation of the entire splendor he had encountered. Something wanted to keep it hidden and him quiet.

  Quicker than any mortal foe he had faced before, the black misted beast again struck at the Wizard with a force strong enough to crumble lesser shields. But his was not lesser. His was the Greater Magic, his was the Illuminated Light built upon lifetimes of study and internal reflection. Again the beast's strike bounced harmlessly off the energy shield maintained by Intellos. The beast loosed an unholy howl at his failure to dispatch the mortal man and raged again. In response, Intellos constructed four walls of energy and linked them together to surround the beast. But the horrifying monster blasted through the front wall and sought to grasp the smaller combatant. Invoking the power contained within his staff, the wizard swung it around and struck the beast in its shoulder causing another unholy howl, but this time from pain instead of anger. Gathering itself, the beast seemed to concentrate for the briefest second and any indication of an injury to its shoulder was now unnoticeable.

  As it stood to its full height, Intellos saw its shape. It had the hind legs of a very large and muscular animal similar to a bull's, its chest was a darkened and disproportionally large man shaped animal, though it lacked the same muscular definitions of mortality. Its head was entirely masked in a dark mist. It appeared headless, though the more deeply the wizard looked, he could see three darker orbs floating within the mist. These were unmistakably functioning as the beast's eyes and mouth. He thought he saw its mouth break into a small grin, but because of the shrouded effect of the surrounding mist, he could not be sure.

  Seeing the beast grin angered Intellos on a very primal level. His study of knowledge had developed within him a temperate quality rendering him very slow to anger, and when he did, it was in response to more frustration than true anger. But this beast, which stood in direct opposition to the God the wizard had discovered, displayed an evil arrogance that struck him deeply. Fueled by this anger, he gathered his considerable magic and focused it. Sensing this, the beast also gathered all of its unholy presence and grew to encompass the entire cavern's size. Undeterred by his foe's growth, Intellos seized his amassed talent and formed it into a ball of pure energy. The beast lunged, throwing its dark mist directly at the wizard. When the beast's attack was inches from him, Intellos let loose the ball of white energy directly at the beast's chest. Not only was it powerful enough to repel its attack, but it continued to burn a hole right through its chest collapsing it to the floor.

  Over his long years of life, Intellos had faced many foes and knew the extent of mortal evil, but this beast emitted something greater and more solid than the evil he had witnessed in the hearts of men. While their evil seemed to be contained within them as a derivative of a necessity to fill and unfillable hole, there was no hole within this terror. While most mortal monsters and men portrayed evil, they were not evil themselves. They were simply following a path they decided to follow that led them to evil. But this beast conveyed none of that. Rather, the wizard felt it was an extension of a greater evil. Whereas men committed evil acts as a result of a faulty logical progression, this beast committed evil because it was evil, a reflection of the source of all evil.

  He was indeed faced with a growing danger in Avendia, a danger he was unsure he was prepared to face alone. He would need to enlist the assistance of the University and its High Council. It would not be an easy task convincing them of a greater aspect to life than the pursuit of knowledge. And it would be equally difficult to convince them of the existence of a singular God who is responsible for the creation of all things. He did not even want to consider the impossibility of speaking to them about his vision of The Christ, the one sent to restore Avendia to the perfection of its intended creator. But together with his longtime friend, Bengrako, he was confident he could influence them to at least consider the option. As he turned his attention back to the cavern containing the endless scrolls, he saw three additional words shimmer into substance.

  "Unduno Dra’sek”

  “Bring The Scribe”

  Majund (Branded).

  Something within him disengaged. Through his continual practice of The Way of Expression, he had become aware of two distinctly different aspects to his existence. While deeply familiar with both the physical and mental, he had, as of yet, no concrete experience with the bond linking them. Yet today of all days would see his first experience cemented in the absolution of his death. As a warrior, death was his life. It was the reason for his existence and the motivation for his success and continued assertion above those who were of similar ilk. It was the very inspiration and creative muse behind his creation, or rather discovery, of The Way of Expression. And it was that which lead him to The Convergence.

  Unlike the Elves, who were singularly devoted to the stars for their aloof and pure beauty, he maintained a deep connection with everything that was within himself. Yes, he practiced The Star Rituals, even believed in them, to an extent, but he was never able to fully assimilate the worship of a stagnant, exterior entity from the perspective of the kinetically dynamic nature of life. Things moved. All around him, every day, everything moved. From the flutter of leaves by an unseen breeze, to the ripples in a pond from an unseen fish beneath the surface, and back again to even the rising and setting of the sun by a miraculous unseen force, all things always moved. And while the Stars did represent the virtues of being stagnant in their stoicism, there was too much life to place all of his devotion into that which was disengaged from the dynamic workings of the world. Furthermore, the stars, because of their immobility, were unable to give, let alone preserve, the nuances of activity and life; for there was no greater dynamic alteration than the gift of life itself.

  Life. Living. What was the purpose of this world that seemed to be dominated by our physical and mental powers, yet still teased us with a greater dynamic to our intent and existence? What was this world's intent, why is it here? Why are we here? Who are we? Desperately seeking an answer to this in the stars, he found a progressively unfilled lack building within the further he progressed in his practice and devotion to the Star Rituals. However, it was not without a modicum of sustenance, but it was in no way complete. He felt his physicality fed, even his mind, but there was something still hungry inside his essence. From the very source of himself, he felt the need to feed upon a singular causation, a singular intention upon which he could continuously draw to answer his questions. He knew he existed as a physical presence with a separate mental awareness, but there was another aspect suggesting a third and final circle to the condition of existence.

  In his youth, he believed, as he was instructed, that all answers could and would be found in the depths of the regimented sequencing of the Star Rituals. And because they were the only way he was exposed to, he dove into them, giving himself completely to their perfected practice. Built upon ancient physical patterns, each corresponding to a mental devotional and focus, he would spend hours in the morning and in the evening in the solitude of the patterns seeking refuge and instruction from The Stars. Like the Elders, he found peace and solace within the movements and concentrations, but unlike them, he did not find all of himself. Nagging, tugging, unrelentingly drawing, a deeper truth was pulling upon his understanding of intent, identity, and purpose.

  In the early hours of the morning, before the sun broke the oppressive silence of the horizon to shed its glory and drive away t
he shadows of night, Eriboth was deep in the strenuous physical expenditures and mental concentrations of The Star Rituals. Because of his progress and devotion, he had been instructed in their final sequencing. The sequence named The Continuance was always taught as the final pattern because its physical demands were the most rigorous and the mental focus was, unlike all the other sequences, focused not upon a solidified completion, but an open ended, endless understanding of life.

  Perhaps the fatigue of his body resulting from the newly added physical sequence allowed the interruption to his mental concentrations, or perhaps it was the beauty of this particular moment, or perhaps his mind itself was fatigued; however, regardless of the cause, his meditation was momentarily disjointed allowing him the consideration of a foreign thought. Though not enough to break from the physical sequencing, nor was it a significant enough interruption to allow anyone other than himself to observe it, he was nonetheless unfocused for the briefest of moments. As quickly and as quietly as a single blade of grass being blown by the faintest of breezes, he heard a request.

  But the ears with which he heard were not of either the physical or mental circles to his existence. It did not come from without, but from within. Focusing, he attempted to push this interruption away from his centered mind, yet in spite of his efforts, he was unsuccessful. Continuing its resonance like a pond bubbling over at its edges, the request, having captured his mind was now seeking to dislodge his body from physically completing the final sequence.

  A momentary and almost imperceptible waiver in his balance as he shifted his weight far over his extended leg caused him to pause for the briefest of moments. Yet determined to complete his regimented practice, he persisted with The Continuance. While bringing his lead foot swinging around, a physical movement that was not particularly taxing, he visibly wobbled. Stunned, he collected himself and continued from the previous pattern. Yet in spite of his redoubled effort to fully immerse himself within the final Star Ritual, he again visibly wobbled at the exact same moment.