Idan
“Ok, I know, I messed up big time,” I said, sitting at the table, my head in my hands. “but everyone has pretended to do magic at one time or another. Me and my friends were just minding our own business, when Geoffroy, the Count’s nephew came by, and as usual made comments about how I was a filthy lowlife scum. I really don’t know why he has it out for me. It’s been like this from the first time we met.
“When he finally turned to leave, I pretended to cast a spell on him as a joke and then all of a sudden a gust of wind picks him up and throws him into the side of the school house. I don’t have any idea how I did it, honestly. I was as surprised as he was. Unfortunately, Geoffroy has connections in the magician’s guild. I apologized and explained that it was an accident, but he won’t be satisfied with anything less than my head.
"There’s no getting around this, it’s bad" my father said when I finished. “This isn’t the first time something like this has happened. I remember another time when someone accidentally injured a person close to the guild. He was charged with practicing magic with malicious intent and was put to death shortly thereafter.” I saw my father’s hands tremble, at the memory.
“The punishment can vary, but the local guild is particularly severe on this. In most towns this would not be any worse than the punishment for punching someone, but here your most likely to get death or maybe just as bad, magic castration; but basically that amounts to the same thing. Most who have their magic blocked take their own lives within the year, and of those that don't, very few remain sane for very long. They could invite you to join the guild, but I think the chances of that happening are slim. Only very wealthy or influential people get invited to join the guild; at least here in Insborro. But, seeing as the one you injured is a noble you can forget that option.” My father stood up and went to his desk and grabbed writing materials and returned to the table.
“I will see what I can do from here” my father said, already sketching something on the piece of vellum. “but you must leave immediately. You will most likely be safe for a while if you stay with your uncle Martin in the Durbin mountains. I will sketch you a map to his place while you prepare. Grab your clothes, take all the money from the tin under the floor boards, and the dried meat, some bread and fill your water skin. Take my horse and a bag of oats and ride as long and as hard as you can without stopping until you are far from here. I will write your uncle Martin when things have died down.
”What will happen to you?”
“Hopefully, nothing, as I am not the one who attacked a noble with magic. But don't worry about me, I know some people who owe me a favor or two, I will be fine.”
When I had all my things, I said goodbye to my father, I took my father’s horse, “Silver Moon” and left. I avoided the main roads until I felt I was far from the town to not be followed. Silver Moon was strong and fast and I rode him till I felt that I was far enough away that they wouldn’t catch up to me anytime soon. I left the main road and headed into the woods looking for a place to setup a camp for the night. The nights were cold and already a cool mist was rising from the forest floor. I gathered old dry branches and created a small fire, the dry wood creating very little smoke.
As I sat by the fire eating my dried meat that tasted like salty leather, I thought about how quickly my life had been thrown up in the air and I worried for my father. More than once I considered going back to check on him. He said he would be fine, but he may have said that only so I would agree to leave.
Magic with malicious intent, how can you do that if you don’t even know how to do magic? It seemed very unfair to me. Before this morning, I had no idea that I even had any magical ability. I still had no idea how I even did what I did. I probably couldn’t even do it again if I tried. Fourteen years old and my life was already over. I missed my dad, I missed my friends whom I had grown up with; would I ever see them again? As I lay there thinking, the exhaustion from the days events crept up on me and sleep came without a warning.
When I woke the next morning, I saw that there were only ashes left in the fire pit, and I was chilled to the bone. It was still early morning as the sun was barely more than an orange glow on the horizon, but I had to get started and distance myself from my hometown as quickly as possible.
After preparing the horse and eating, I started heading back towards the main road. I hadn’t gotten very far when I heard mens voices, and one of those voices was clearly Geoffroy’s. It surprised me that they had gone to so much trouble to find me. They must have ridden a good part of the night. I retreated back into the woods, well past the point where I had camped the night before. I did my best to hide any signs of my passage, covering my tracks where possible. I tied my horse behind an outcropping of rocks and I continued further on foot, searching for a place where I could hide yet still keep an eye on the area.
After scouting the area, I found a small cave-like opening on the backside of a rocky overhang. It was large enough for me to hide in, and dark enough so I wouldn’t be seen. When some hours had passed, and there was no sign of anyone, I decided that it would be safe to leave my hiding place, but I had gone no further than three steps from the cave entrance when I heard the distant sound of a dry branch breaking followed by the sound of a man’s voice. I looked to where the sound came from, and I saw four persons standing at the top of the hill, where I had passed just hours before. Slowly I retreated back into my hiding place.
From what I saw, there were two mages, Geoffroy, and the last man looked to be a woodsman, most likely a tracker. I knew that between mages and a tracker, there was little chance that they wouldn’t find me. I retreated further into the cave, praying that I could find another way out.
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It was very dark, and I hadn’t gone very far, when ì slipped, and then slid down a rocky slope before crashing head-first through a wall and landing in a cavern. I was pretty scratched up and would probably have a few bruises but at least I didn’t break anything. I now found myself in a cavern which was brightly lit from crystals that were growing from the floor and the walls. Each crystal was glowing with an intense white light.
As my eyes adjusted and I inspected the cavern further, I noticed a man seated on the far wall, and upon closer examination, I noticed that he was chained to the wall, with metal bracelets attached to his wrists, ankles and his neck. The chains and the bracelets were also glowing, but with a soft blue light. I assumed they were magical restraints.
”Don’t be afraid”, the man said, “I can’t harm you. And even if I could, I wouldn’t. Please, come closer, it has been ages since I have last seen or spoken with someone.”
I walked over to where he was seated on the floor. As I got closer, I realized that he was also glowing with the same light as the crystals.
“What has brought you here?” He asked, his voice deep and strong, yet smooth as silk. “No one has entered this place since it was sealed over a millennium ago.”
”A millennium?” I asked, in disbelief. “Not even mages can live that long. And with no food and water?”
”No mortal can live that long, that is true. But I am no mortal. I am what you mortals refer to as a god. I do not require food and water to survive, although I do love eating and drinking. Now tell me how you came here.”
”I accidentally used magic and hurt a noble in my town, nothing serious mind you, just some bruises, and more importantly, his pride. He reported me to the magician’s guild and, to save my life, I have been forced to run and hide.” I explained my situation in a very matter of fact manner, without emotion. “Two magicians from the guild have tracked me here, and are not far from the cave. I was hoping to find another way out when I slipped and broke the wall into this place. I am afraid that the magicians will be here soon, and my life will effectively be over.”
”That is not a very happy tale that you tell, but I do no believe that it is a coincidence that you found me here today. You are probably not aware of this, but fate and destiny are forces that even the gods don’t fully understand, but they influence our lives more than we imagine. I believe that everything that happened led you to me.” He said, with a gaze that almost seemed to be looking through me, to see to my soul.
“I think that we may be able to help each other, my young friend.” He said. “I was trapped here by magicians working together with another god, long ago. I cannot release these chains on my own, but you have magical abilities and I can tell you how to release me. Once I am free, I can help you with the magicians. How does that sound to you?”
”It sounds fair to me, but I just ask that you don’t kill them. They may not be very nice, but I don’t think that they deserve to die.”
”If you don’t want me to kill them, I will do as you ask.” He said.
He seemed very amicable for someone who has been locked up for over a thousand years. I don’t think I would be capable of that after being alone for so long. There was a lot about this that wasn’t very clear to me, but there was also something about him that inspired trust, and I decided to go with my instinct.
”May I ask your name?” I asked. “My name is Idan of Insborro”.
”I am happy to meet you, Idan, my name is Deofrin, I don’t know if you have ever heard of me. A thousand years ago I was quite well known but I imagine that with me being trapped here for so long, no one will remember my name.”
“No, there are still temples of Deofrin in most cities, and many still worship you. I don’t belong to any church or follow any god.” I confessed, a little ashamed. In actuality, I didn’t even believe in the gods.
”That is wise of you, Idan. The gods who wish to be worshipped are most often the ones that deserve it the least. I have never asked anyone to worship me, but there was no preventing them from building temples and choosing priests to serve in them.” he said. “I must admit that I am happy to hear that my name has not completely disappeared after so many centuries, and I guess I have them to thank for that.
“Now, to free me of these things.” He said, lifting his chained arms. “I need you to imagine the metal bracelets opening as if on their own, and repeat these words exactly as I say them. Ichi spartu rathni firum.”
I imagined the five bracelets opening and I repeated the words he had given me. I felt the same flow of magic as I had just the day before and the bracelets all sprung open at once.
”Thank you” he said as he stood up, a large smile on his face. He was taller than I thought, and when he stood, he seemed much more god-like.
“For your trust in me, and because I like you young Idane, I would like to give you a gift.” he said moving towards me and placing his hands on my head.
Suddenly, I felt like my head would burst as words and sounds and images rushed through my brain. I struggled to not succumb to the pressure exerted on my spirit but apparently I failed. When I was again conscious and opened my eyes, I was laying on the ground in the cavern and Deofrin was standing over me.
”I am sorry if that was a bit too much for you, but I think that you will thank me later.” He said, holding out a hand to help me stand up. “At the moment you probably have no idea what I have given you, but over time it will become clear.”
”As you say, I have no idea what you did to me, but I feel that something has changed.” I rubbed my shoulder which was aching slightly.
”Ah, yes.” He said as an after thought. “I have also given you a dimensional storage. It has been tattooed on your shoulder in runes. I recommend that before leaving, you take as many crystals from the cave as you can. These crystals are filled with mana from being in this cave with me for a millennium. You can keep them in the storage space.”
”Thanks, but I am not sure that I know how to do that, I never learned any magic.” I said, still a little lost in all that happened since I entered the cavern.
”Don’t worry, you know much more than you think. Don’t think about doing it, just do it. Follow your instincts.”
I walked over to a patch of crystals and I “thought” them into my storage and I saw they had just disappeared.
“This is amazing!” I said. “Thank you!”
As I placed more of the crystals into my space, we heard the sound of voices coming closer. I knew it would be a matter of moments before they found the cavern.
”Before you do anything to them, there is something that I need to know learn from them first.” I said, stepping in front of him.
A second later, the magicians, and Geoffroy appeared in the opening that I had created in the wall. The tracker must have remained outside of the cave.