11 years ago

“Gandon, I need you to be your best behaviour now, when we are meeting with the order. There are a total of five members on the council, the grand mage and a master from every element. An uneven number so the grand mage would be the deciding vote if the other master’s wouldn’t be able to decide on their own. To be summoned to them is a great honour, you must be humble in front of them,” said Yvan.

Gandon tried to keep up with his master. Why was there such a large distance between each of the stairs. Were all the mages tall? He breathed quite heavily but tried to do it as discreetly as possible.

“Anything else I should know?” he asked between breaths.

“Well, they are going to want to test you, so have your berries ready and speak only when they have a question for you.”

“Why do they want to meet me?”

“Well, I have told them about you, and it caught their interest. I have never heard about anything like this before either, but then again, I never sat on the council.”

“Father said you could have been on the council if you wanted too, but you had other ambitions.”

“Definitely don’t bring that up when we meet them, and the truth is definitely more complicated than that. I am an enigma when I use two elements, but any wizard on the council would sweep the floor with me easily. I’m happy with my position in life, I could never help the king as I do, if I was on the council.”

“What do you mean?”

“Nothing. Don’t think about that, and just behave,” said his master.

The room was at the top of the tower, it was circle shaped and he could tell immediately that he liked the room. The walls were stacked with bookshelves with books almost bursting out of them. There were paintings with mages performing their arts and from the ceilings he could see stars, Elna and the moon shaped from metal hanging from copper threads. The glass windows were big and even though no candle was lit, it wasn’t dark.

At the end of the room sat the four mages with large back support with beautiful black leather, there were also jewels carved into the wood. The fire mage sat to the right and the ice mage to the left. The fire mages and ice mages never sat next to each other. There was too much bad blood between them. The last magic war had almost wiped out the fire mages from its history. He had learned that it was unusual for fire mages and ice mages to get along, but Ilmur was his brother and best friend. Nothing would change that. This had only spurred their master to want to train them even more. Their master thought it was time that the mages put old grievances aside.

The mistress of fire, the one who represented the fire mages was never a man. It was so to honor the fire goddess Ferna who had created fire and gave birth to the dragons. Behind the masters hanged paintings of the gods that had created their elements. Ferna had burning hair and her body was wrapped in a tight silver robe. Behind grand master were Gothmor, the god of light and creation. No one knew how he looked like; he was encapsulated in a godly light. No one was his equal, not even Nagrom his brother, no matter how hard he tried. Gandon didn’t care much for religion, but some of the stories were enjoyable.

Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

The knowledge that no man could become the master of fire irked him. The rank of master should be given on merit alone, he could never achieve it, no matter how hard he studied or strong he became.

“So, this is the boy?” asked the grand master.

The mistress of fire leaned forward. “We have always need for more skilled fire mages. I hope the passion burns hot in you.”

Gandon didn’t know if it was superstition or not, but it was said that fire mages had a shorter temperament. Comparing himself to Ilmur he supposed it could be true.

The master of ice scoffed. “Traitor,” said he while he looked at Yvan. “I’ve heard that you have another apprentice as well, one who learns the art of ice. Why haven’t you brought him forth?”

Yvan looked troubled. “There is nothing special with Ilmur, he is not bad, but nothing remarkable. I would have wasted your time.”

The master of ice persisted. “He is still a prince, that makes him remarkable in his own right. It’s very seldom that the royal family learns magic, bring him to me.”

“It could be the teacher’s fault,” said the master of earth. “You shouldn’t have dabbed in arts you do not understand, Yvan.”

They truly don’t like him. Thought Gandon. What Yvan did, learning two elements was considered an abomination. Why must people be so afraid of change? Yvan had shown that it was possible.

“Ice was the first thing I learned, so why have I succeeded so well with Gandon then?”

Mistress of fire bite her nail. “Who could say? Maybe he is just a natural? If he ais so good as you say, I can take him under my wings.”

No, never. “I will remain with my master,” said Gandon.

Yvan smacked him in the back of his head. He was surprised how much it hurt, Yvan was always gentle with him.

“That’s a fire mage for you. You know nothing about rules and structures like us and the earth mages do. You just burn everything away,” said the master of ice.

“Ice is fragile, you need passion in life. The phoenixes burn their own bodies to ash when they need to restart their own life. They know the deeper truths of the world.”

“I’ve had it,” said the master of ice and left his chair. He walked towards Yvan. “You were my greatest failure; I should never have trained you myself. You are from Oban, what was I thinking? Your lot have never cared about the rules in the first place.”

“If it makes you any happier, Ferguson, I wasn’t only studying fire. I walked with the blue mages as well. I learned a lot from them. They are not educated like you and me, but their philosophy of life is vast and deep.”

“You have been with the frog eaters? You shame me with every breath you take.” Ferguson left the room in a brisk phase.

“I can already feel the cold evaporating from my heart,” said the mistress of fire.

“Enough Wanda,” said the grand master.

She looked like she had been slapped but she held her tongue.

“We are even now. How should we proceed?” said the master of air.

“I think with leaving the room, he has already cast his vote,” said the grand master. “How long have you been training the boy?”

“Four months now, grand master,” said Yvan.

“Four months? That’s nothing!” said the master of earth.

“He can already light a candle.”

Wanda almost fell from her chair. “That’s not possible, not even I could do that in such a short time…”

“Perhaps a demonstration is in order? Gandon, would you be so kind?”

He didn’t like how they treated Yvan, he saw no need for impressing them. “No, I won’t do it.”

Wanda pointed at him. “Insolent boy! I think the word you are looking for can’t! Come back in a year or two and then we can talk!”

Suddenly he would like nothing more than to shame this Walda in front of her peers. He ate one of his berries that he had in his pockets. He walked up to Wanda and lit one of the candles. “Perhaps, but for now, we have talked enough.”

He left the room while the master of ice and master of earth were laughing hysterically. Yvan was giving his deepest apologies while the grand master tried to silence the room.

Gandon grumbled while he walked down the stairs. He had looked forward to meeting the council, but they had shamed his master and therefore they had shamed him as well.