Arcana: A recollection

by Liberty of the Aether Project

Through this chronicle, there’s been one man who has been absent from most of my tales, the now-Councilman Brahm. It was sometime after I had set off from the mysterious wizard’s wasteland. I had wandered across many places in Arcana, and decided that I had to see more of Harkon. Knowing how dangerous it could be for Arcanians, I rarely spoke to anyone. I merely offered gold and they traded me whatever goods I had wanted at the time. For all of their failings, the people of Harkon are good hearted. Well, at least when they aren’t around Arcanians. Up until this point, I had spent so much of my life blinded by my anger at Harkon, making presumptions about them much in the same manner they made presumptions about Arcanians. Through my wanderings in Harkon, I came to understand them better. Their hate towards magic wasn’t wholly unjustified. One of the more common points I heard in conversations around taverns was that they feared what a powerful magician could do. Magic can manipulate just about anything in this world, including the minds of men. This was what made them afraid, the thought that someone could control their thoughts and turn them into slaves, with little hope of breaking that hold. I had noticed it before with the daughter of that Harkonian general. Even the weakest mages were capable of subtle manipulation on the minds of others. Some of their fears and worries about magic, however, were completely absurd, and I couldn’t help but shake my head at them. For example, one person was worried that if she learned magic, just having it there might make her cooking worse. Considering that most people in Harkon disguise spoiling meat with herbs and sell them as fresh produce, I’d say magic would be more of a boon than a hindrance. However, I am getting off track, aren’t I? I seem to have made a terrible habit of doing that. I first met Brahm along the borderlands, where he was patrolling along with a group of soldiers. As I’m sure you know, Harkonian men have mandatory military duty, even the greatest nobles have to rise their way through military ranks in order to prove their worthiness of their positions. Brahm was the first one to notice me, and quickly notified his men. Apparently, it’s a crime to be in the borderlands if you’re not of the military, and any suspicious people were to be brought to the closest outpost in order to examine if they’re a threat or not.

  ‘Hold it there!’ He cried out, drawing his sword. Knowing that being captured by a group of Harkonian soldiers would not end well for me, I chose to run instead. Unfortunately, I had no idea just how good Brahm was with his weapons. Before I could even put a good amount of distance between us, he managed to snare me with a well thrown bolas. What made it worse was that he made me land face first into a puddle of mud, and held my face down in it for a couple of seconds.

  ‘Running from a patrol can be a grave offence, you know? If your guilt wasn’t confirmed beforehand, it definitely is now. Men, let’s get this prisoner to the closest outpost.’ Nodding quickly, they dragged me by my feet across the sodden ground. Just thinking about the countless things my face came into contact with that day, it makes me shudder still.

 

  When they finally dragged me to the outpost, they left me inside a crudely made wooden cage in the tower’s lower dungeons. It was a particularly quiet part of the borderlands they were patrolling. Despite the ongoing war, the Arcanians and Harkonians there had come to some sort of mutual agreement to live and let live, which I must admit is quite a rare occurrence. As such, the outposts did not take much due process in security, since they only dealt with peasants and drunken upstarts, rather than actual threats or dangerous people. Brahm had spent some time there, and the general attitude of the people there seemed to have rubbed off on him. I do not know what he thought of Arcanians before arriving there, but upon learning my nationality he treated me with cold indifference, as opposed to violent hatred.

  ‘So, an Arcanian? You must not be a local. Anyone who was would know that they shouldn’t be anywhere near the Borderlands. I’m afraid you’ll have to pay a fine, my good friend.’ Holding out his hand expectedly, he waited for a good five minutes. Since I needed that gold for my… travelling expenses, I gave him nothing. A bit irritated, he turned around and walked away.

  ‘Fine then. A couple of nights in that cage should change your mind.’ Little did he know at that moment that his words would ring true, but it did not change my mind in that I would become willing to pay for my apparent intrusion, but rather, how I viewed life after death.

 

  Since the guards were fairly lax, they had not taken the time to remove any weapons from my person. I guessed that they were not used to people wielding weapons in these parts. I waited until the shadows of the night covered the land, and that was when I made my move. I took the blade the wizard had left me, and began sawing away at the lock which was between me and my freedom. The guard they had left to watch over me had too much ale, and was snoring away. It’s like the classic situation I had read out of various storybooks in the Wizard’s library. The guard’s asleep, and that’s when the thief makes his move on the locks. Though, what made this so much less glamorous is that they didn’t give me water to clean my face of all the squashed bugs, random mushrooms and mud. I fumbled a fair bit in the darkness too, since any lights had long gone out. I could’ve created a magical light while I was there, as I did in that dungeon we escaped earlier, but I did not want to risk waking the guard. Bit by bit, the aged lock began to give way to my sword. With a loud clunk, it fell on the floor, and the wooden cage creaked open. The guard shifted slightly, but returned to his sleep. Sneaking as quietly as I could, I slipped out of the gate and attempted to find the exit. I noticed a soft light coming from underneath a doorway. At the time, I thought it was the moonlight, and that it must’ve meant that the exit was just within reach. However, I was too quick to leap at the opportunity. As I burst out through the door, thinking freedom was in reach, instead I was face-to-face with a ghastly looking wraith. Glowing like the light of the moon, its face was like that of a skeleton, with rotting shreds of flesh hanging off parts of it. Its two sullen eye sockets somehow gazed deep into me. It moaned gibberish, and through its bitter wails and cries, I could not even remotely understand what it was trying to communicate to me. After I stood there petrified for a few minutes, I slowly began to understand what it was trying to say.

  ‘Men here... do not see or hear.’ Raising one bony finger, it points at the snoring guard.

  ‘Other men... see and hear. You... see and hear...’ Each word seemed to be a great struggle with it. My fear slowly dissipated and slowly turned to pity, as I watched the wretched soul try its best to speak to me.

  ‘All... men who could see us... screamed and fled. Did... not help.’ Great... tragedy here. We... want rest. Please... help... ussss.’ Hissing the last word, it lost any control and began muttering its gibberish again. It flailed its limbs around wildly, and actually hit me, even though its arms passed right through any other object they touched. Scrambling out of the way, I began running from the apparition. After escaping, I finally began to notice my surroundings. Coffins lined neat square shaped nodes in the walls, stretching on into the deep and dark catacombs. The Harkonians had built their tower right on top of an old burial ground. More spirits were lurking in there, sobbing, cackling like madmen, slipping through the walls as if they were made of water. Lacking any knowledge about the catacombs, I did not know whether to go on the word of an insane and undead entity, or simply take the other door out of the dungeon and escape from the wretched place. However, remembering the great sadness that I saw in the voice of the entity, I found that I could not ignore it. Its words were cryptic, but I must be the only one there that can see them. The Harkonians, not having any training in the art of magic, would never even notice the ghosts. It was interesting because I realised that ghosts were inherently linked to magic in our world. If objects are magical, or if people have training with magic, then ghosts can interact with them. If they are not, however, then they simply could just wail and be nothing more than spectators to the events around them. This is why I told you not to worry about your father becoming a ghost.
You live in Harkon, and you know nothing of magic. Even if he stops being lazy and decides to haunt you after he leaves this world, he will not be able to do anything. So, in the end, I decided to return to the cage, so that I might learn more of this place. Seeing that pitiful spirit beg me for help, I could not deny that calling.

 

  When I woke up in the morning, Brahm had returned. The drunken guardsman was put through his paces when Brahm found the lock had been destroyed on the cage.

  ‘Why weren’t you awake? If the prisoner had been awake, he could’ve escaped!’ Stopping for a moment, he picked up the lock. Inspecting it carefully, he realised what had happened.

  ‘Sawn through. You wouldn’t happen to be hiding something on you, would you prisoner? Something capable of breaking a lock?’ my guilt was plainly obvious, but what really threw him off was why I had not left the cage. This was the piece of the puzzle he could not place. Naturally, they searched me and found the finely crafted blade that the wizard had left me. After confiscating it, they quickly moved me to a more secure cage forged of Harkonian steel. The lock was still brittle, but nearly as much as the previous one. Just as Brahm left, I called out to him from my new prison.

  ‘Excuse me, Harkonian. Where does that door over there lead to?’ As I point at the door which lead to the catacombs, Brahm stopped dead in his tracks. His suspicion of me was painfully obvious.

  ‘Why do you wish to know?’

  ‘I like to learn about the places I visit when I am travelling around.’

  ‘You think this to be a holiday, Arcanian? I swear, your people are so strange.’

  ‘I like to think of everywhere I visit to be an opportunity to learn new things.’ Turning back, he took slow and deliberate steps towards my cage.

  ‘I know that you left your cage last night. The fact that you point at that door in particular confirms your guilt.’

  ‘I think it matters little if I actually left that cage or not. What is important is what is behind that door.’

  ‘And is there a good reason that I should indulge you on your curiosity?’ Brahm made no effort to hide his irritation, and he had strode right up to make. We were staring at each other face to face.

  ‘I’ll pay my fine.’ Pulling out my hidden bag of gold, I shake it for a bit to let the coins make a jingling noise through the dank dungeon. Enticed by the noise, Brahm quickly assessed the situation.

  ‘So, you’ll pay me what you should’ve paid me in the first place? I could just have my men pin you down and we take your gold by force...’

  ‘But that is not the sort of man you are. You’re the first Harkonian I have met who has actually spoken to me, as opposed to despising me just because of where I come from.’ Thrown off by my words, he backed off from the cage. He seemed thoughtful for some time, obviously deciding what to do with me.

  ‘Don’t make any attempt to leave this cage. When you want to pay your fine, please speak with the guardsman.’ With that, he slips through the dungeon’s exit, leaving me with a new guard to watch over me for the night. This fellow seemed a bit brighter than the last one, and had not brought in ale with him. This would be the start of a most difficult situation that I had to spend several days to find a way out of.

  It was a bit harder the next time around to find my way out of the cage. Brahm had started rotating men around the clock to keep an eye on me. I heard many wails from behind the door leading to the catacombs across the many nights and days that I had been trapped there, and my pity for them grew and grew. Eventually, right before the night shift, the guard nodded off for a moment. Attempting to not disturb him, I quietly focused my magic on the keys which he had on his person. Slowly, they drifted from his side into my hands. Slipped under my robes, he was none the wiser as the next guard came on duty. He was fresh from a good rest, and completely attentive. Part of me was tempted to use my magic to manipulate his mind, maybe make him lock the door behind him. However, another part of me remembered how the Wizard took control of my body against my will. I did not like the idea of doing such a thing to another person. But, Brahm had been rotating them regularly, and this was the only opportunity I had to escape cleanly. So, I decided to do it. His eyes glazed over. Since I was unfamiliar with mind manipulation, he moved stiffly and very suddenly. Inside his head, he was screaming and thrashing with every bit of willpower he could muster. Countless lessons with the wizard enabled me to overwhelm his thoughts, and so he exited out the dungeon door. With a final effort, I erase recent memories from his mind. I quickly unlocked the thick padlock placed on my cage and locked the door behind him before releasing my control over him. I could understand their fears now. Even for me, forcing someone to do things against their will felt completely violating. However, I did not have time to sit around and ponder upon the choice I had just made. I could hear him fumbling at the door.

  ‘How bizarre. How did I end up out here?’

  Wasting no time, I open the ancient door leading below. Dread filled me as I entered the tombs again, and it seemed that even more spirits were crawling out of the walls. Unlike last time, they saw me and started swarming around me. Many ghastly voices spoke at once, and I was lost in a whirlwind of noise. All of them were trying to talk to me at the same time, and I could not make any sense of their words even when I tried to concentrate on listening to one ghost in particular. A stronger voice shouted above all of them, and they fell silent. Quickly backing away from me, they made way for a spirit dressed in ghostly plated armour. He bowed before me and introduced himself.

  ‘I am Kaduri, soldier of Harkon. Please forgive my comrades. It has been some time that they’ve been able to speak with someone who still walks the mortal earth. Who might you be?’

  ‘Jacques of Arcana, ex-merchant and soldier.’

  ‘Oh, that makes sense. You know a bit about magic.’

  ‘More than just a bit.’

  ‘Well, alright, you’re experienced with magic. Anyway, they’ve brought a few Arcanians to this tower. All of them merely screamed in terror and weren’t very helpful at all when we attempted to discuss our problem with them. So, in time we just stopped leaving.’

  ‘So, what exactly is this “problem” of yours?’

  ‘Well, you see, these borderlands have been constantly shifting for the last couple of hundred years. We were, how can I put it... unfortunate victims of a sorcerer with a nasty disposition by the name of Gustave, roughly two centuries ago.’

  ‘A sorcerer?’

  ‘Yes, and quite a powerful one at that. Certain magical disciplines among your people involve the manipulation of life and death. He has achieved a form of immortality inside this tower, and he gains the energy necessary to sustain this immortality by using the souls he trapped here as a wellspring.’

  ‘You mean, he’s undead?’

  ‘No. He’s alive. He may be withered and ancient, but he’s alive. We are undead, he is not. Okay?’ After some hesitation, he quickly resumed talking.

  ‘I’m sorry, but it’s been quite frustrating being trapped here. He can’t leave this place since we are what sustains him, so he simply sits under this tower tormenting us endlessly. He has not bothered with the affairs of mortal men for sometime, hence no one in this tower is aware of him.’

  ‘I think I’ll pass on fighting an immortal wizard. I have problems of my own right now to deal with.’ After stating this, all of ghosts’ faces twisted with rage and contempt.

  ‘Well, none of the spirits here aren’t particularly happy with your choice. You seem like a decent man, and I wouldn’t like to see another hapless soul be torn apart. I’m not going to pressure you to make a decision, however. If you think you can escape these spirits, then feel free to try it.’ He made an excellent point, plus I did not have anywhere to flee to. Reluctantly, I accepted his offer.

  ‘Fine. I will go deal with this wizard for you and free all of these condemned spirits.’ For the first time during our whole conversation, the spirit’s face lit up with a sm
ile.

  ‘I knew you would make the right decision. We will try to help you when we can. I can be your guide through these catacombs. The paths here twist and turn, and I would advise that you stay close.’ With no delay, he set off, beckoning me to follow him. I could hear the angry voices of the guards outside the crypt. I had no way to go but down.

 

  Eerie lights illuminated the gloom of the catacombs as I followed my guide. To describe the crypts as a maze would be a severe understatement. They twisted and turned like the thoughts of a madman, with no clear path nor any way of knowing where you were. I feared that the spirit was conning me into these tombs, hoping to trap me here like the other souls who were unfortunately bound to this place. I did not sense any malice in his personality, however, so I felt content to keep following him.

  ‘Watch your step. This is where his control is greatest. He kept several spirits to serve as his personal guard should anyone come this deep into his macabre kingdom.’ Kaduri then disappeared around one of the many corners, and as I came around it he was nowhere to be seen. Frozen on the spot, I did not dare move. One wrong turn in these tombs could leave me trapped in there forever, so I waited for him to return and continue guiding me. After some time had passed, there was no sign that he was returning. Nervously, I began slowly stepping forward, carefully considering each movement I made. Without a guide, I was helpless in the darkness. I kept wandering around, looking for any sign of Kaduri. Then I heard the clanging of metal, as though two warriors were clashing against one another. I made the best attempts I could to move towards the noise, but I found myself wandering hopelessly for some time. With some luck, however, I was able to find the source of the noise. Two ghosts were facing off against each other, both wielding steel blades. They seemed to be locked in an everlasting duel, constantly fighting non-stop. Neither of them seemed to be able to best one another, so they just kept fighting endlessly. There was great hatred in both of their eyes as they duelled, each swing of their blades imbued with a vicious amity for one another. As I stepped into their chamber, they stopped. Slowly turning to me, they lowered their weapons and simply stared at me.

  ‘Flesh… Warm, familiar…’

  ‘He still lives. No, it’s not possible. Only the cold dead walk these halls.’ Afraid yet curious, I attempt to talk with them.

  ‘Excuse me. I know you two are busy, but I am lost in these halls. Can either of you guide me towards the sorcerer who has set up his residence in this place?’

  ‘We will not. We must fight until the end of days. We cannot escape our hatred.’

  ‘Too much evil has occurred. Farewell, flesh.’ With that, they went straight back to the duel, attempting to slay one another fruitlessly. A faint tap on my shoulder caused me to turn around, and I found that Kaduri had returned. He seemed agitated.

  ‘I see you’ve met those two. It’s a terrible shame. They both loved the same woman and she died in a raid along the borderlands. They both blamed each other for not being there to protect her, so when their remains were laid here, they continued fighting. Their match has not ended for two hundred years. They long realised the futility of their battle, but the ruler of these parts will not release them.’ While the spirit began walking away, I took a moment or two to watch the two continue their battle. Impatient, Kaduri called out at me.

  ‘Don’t linger here. They can’t hear you now. The only thing you can do to help them is kill Gustave.’

  ‘So, where exactly did you disappear to?’

  ‘Gustave knows that there is something living walking these halls. He holds dominion over me too, so I must not appear to be associated with you when his eyes sweep through the tombs. I apologise, but I may have to disappear several times yet to avoid his gaze. He’s capable of detecting ghosts, but not the living.’ Once again, he set off into the catacombs, and beckoned me to follow him. What I did not know, however, was what he done with that spare time he was away.

  Eventually, we came to a particularly dark area of the tomb. He began to speak in whispers, urging me to remain silent.

  ‘He is just beyond this archway. I wish you luck, Arcanian.’

  ‘Surely you can help me fight him?’

  ‘No. I would not be able to do anything.’ Without so much as offering advice, his ghostly form dissipated into the air, leaving behind no trace of himself at all. Greatly cautious, I began taking small steps inside the chamber. Wandering spirits illuminated the chamber with their pale light, and a single figure stood in the middle of a room. A great nexus of spirits flowed around him, as though he were sitting at the eye of a great storm. Step by step, I approached him as quietly as I could manage, attempting to size up my enemy before I attacked. He either failed to notice me or simply did not care. When I thought that I would be able to strike him down, I raised my blade high, ready to deliver a killing stroke. That was when his eyes opened. Two shrivelled balls of jelly inside narrow sockets, squirming all over the place. After a few seconds, they glared at me accusingly. Before I could react, he unleashed a barrage of attacks on my mind. My extensive training with the wizard had given me great mental resistance, which I was truly thankful for. We battled each other through willpower and determination, until eventually I triumphed, sending his wither formed reeling from me. I attempted to slay him there and then, but despite his age, he managed to avoid my blade completely, twisting his body in a way I thought impossible. His ancient throat croaked out a few dry words.

  ‘These souls are mine. I am eternal. My thralls shall tear you apart.’ With that, I saw spirits begin to pour out of the walls, wailing and speeding towards me. Surrounded on all sides by the most ghastly of the spirits, I began using my magic to ward them back. Though I shielded myself, it put enormous strain on me. It was my willpower versus the willpower of countless hapless souls. While I struggled against them, Gustave analysed me, attempting to discern who I was.

  ‘I wonder who could’ve wandered this far without being killed or becoming lost. I suspect that one of my minions managed to escape the grip of my will just long enough in order to do this. I have grown lazy in the last century or so. Thank you for reminding me that I should keep a firm grip over my subjects.’ Once again, he attempted to assault my mind. With my willpower split between holding back the spirits and his mental attack, I had to take a desperate move. Grabbing my blade, I flung it at him, hoping that it would strike home while he was distracted. It ripped through the spirits like a thick veil of fog, and embedded itself into the chest of the withered sorcerer. He gasped for a moment, but he still did not die. However, the spirits quicked reformed themselves, but no longer did they attack me. Instead, they turned to him, and I could hear their howls of triumph. My ghostly companion Kaduri reappeared, and he let out a triumphant cry.

  ‘His magic is severed for a moment! Strike now, before it is too late!’ I have seen many horrors in my time, but watching so many vengeful spirits descend upon that man... I do not doubt that he deserved it, but it was still one of the most horrific sights I have seen during my times. They torn him apart eagerly, dismembering him, mutilating him in whatever fashion they could. It was over just as quickly as it had began, and nothing even remained of him. Rumbles began to echo through the catacombs, and the ghosts began to disappear, their pain-filled faces finally gaining smiles. Kaduri turned to me, his face glowing with joy..

  ‘Thank you, Arcanian. I will give my regards to your ancestors in the afterlife. I feel that I also owe you another guide through the catacombs.’

  The spirit was good to his word, and led me back out to the tower. Brahm was waiting there, and had been expecting me to emerge from the door.

  ‘There you are, you weasel. We all heard the rumbles below. Just what did you do?’ I ignored him, instead focusing on another topic completely.

  ‘I would like to pay my fine now.’ Brahm looked at me with awe as I jiggled the bag of coins in front of him.

  ‘You are one of the strangest men I’ve ever seen. You will pay
a fine for one crime, only when you’re caught in the act of another crime?’ It may not seem like it, but this was the beginning of our mutual respect for one another.

  ‘Whatever works, right?’

  ‘No, I think in light of your most recent crimes, we will require a different punishment. You are to act in my service as a means to pay for your crimes.’ At the time, I thought it would be a good way of traveling, so I agreed. It turned out the man I met was actually the brother of the King of Harkon. Before he could attain a higher political position, he had to have some military experience, and thus was assigned to the borderlands. As I have told you before, I’m officially Brahm’s prisoner, though we do not really see it that way anymore. In time, we became friends. Though we often did just mundane things around Harkon, such as policing provinces and as such, we came to be quite the pair. He watched my back, I watched his. We began to discuss ideas with each other, and I had come to fully realise that my enemies were never the monsters I pictured them to be. Soon, the idea of forming peace came to mind. I guess my whimsical mother had a part to play in that. We discussed it at length, and Brahm found himself agreeing. After some time, we decided it would be best if we parted ways for a while in order to achieve our goals. I returned to Arcana, and with Nadine’s family name, I used it to attain the position as a diplomat, and argued for the idea of peace constantly. Poor Nadine had since passed away, and now her children had taken up her empire. They could do nothing to stop me from using their influence, since I was also family. However, they knew of me through Nadine, and respected me all the same. In time, Stromfor’s council agreed after I endlessly hammered the idea of peace into them, and Brahm obtained the rank of Councilman. It took both of us over a decade to achieve this, and we decided that we would meet back in Harkon in order to travel to the King’s castle. We had been on the road for some time before we had reached your village. The final piece of this puzzle is the king. Brahm has done his best to help convince the king, and I can only hope we are successful.

  ‘And that, Isaac, is my life up until this point. You’ve seen what else has happened, you no longer need me to recall any more memories for you.’ Just as he finishes speaking, the caravan passes over a large hill. With delight, Brahm shouts to his troops.

  ‘We have made it to the castle, men! Though we have lost comrades along the way, we have made it. Each of them will have an honourable burial. I am sure my brother will welcome us with open arms.’’ Little does Brahm realise what is waiting for their caravan inside the castle.