I cannot say how deeply the connection runs, Alex.” Baelin turned, leaning against the window ledge and facing the young wizard. “Though I imagine it must be fairly deep if the Ravener’s mana is present throughout the entire island. Why? What are you thinking?”
Alex gripped the armrests of his chair. “Professor Jules explained how certain creatures, like liches, are able to regenerate themselves. She said one way was by having part of their essence in another vessel. What if the Ravener’s ‘vessel’ was all of Thameland? Could it be that every time it's defeated, it just spreads its essence through the entire island then reforms its body a hundred years later?”
“That is unlike—” Baelin paused. “Huh...”
“What is it?” Alex asked.
The ancient archwizard ran a hand through his beard-braids. “A thought occurs to me. Perhaps what you say might be possible since Uldar is, or technically was, the god of Thameland. Through an interdiction, he could have permanently tied the Ravener to the land. A declaration stating something like, ‘As long as my kingdom exists, so shall the Ravener’, would be simple for a deity of his power to command. I know of gods and goddesses who have granted a form of immortality and invincibility to guardians of their treasures, or to their champions, using such declarations. I also know of others who have cursed their enemies with a form of immortality.”
“Wait, how would immortality be a curse?” Alex asked.
Baelin raised an eyebrow. “Think of it this way, my young friend. What good is living forever if one does not have power or certain protections available to them? Being immortal grants no immunity against being captured, trapped, or even tortured. An immortal archwizard, for example, has the ability to defend themselves against such dangers. The mightiest of immortal warriors, deities, and powerful extraplanar entities and spirits would as well. But an ordinary mortal? They cannot break shackles, dig themselves out of a cave-in, break out of a prison, or free themselves from the bottom of the sea. In addition, there is the added unpleasantness of watching all who they’ve known and loved age and die. Immortality can be a terrible curse, depending on one’s circumstances.”
“Huh…” Alex paused. “Never thought of it like that. Makes me glad I have power and friends to walk through the centuries with.”
“Indeed, you do not know how fortunate you are,” Baelin said. “But I digress: the point is that it is possible that the Ravener is innately connected to Thameland, and will be reborn as long as the kingdom exists. Of course, that is only conjecture…”
“…but we should consider it as a possibility, just in case,” Alex finished. “I agree that we don’t know for sure and the last thing we need is to try to shut it down and then find out it had some other way of coming back…and if you think that it being spiritually linked to Thameland is a strong possibility, then we should plan for that. I think it’s better if we’re prepared, even if we’re wrong. If a connection is how it keeps coming back…we’d need to break that connection with the land. Do you know of any spells that could do that?”
“Nothing comes to mind, but perhaps you could attempt something with the Traveller’s power?” Baelin suggested. “It—at its fundamental level—involves teleportation and control over space. If it can make gates, then perhaps it can destroy the connections between things.”
Alex snapped his fingers. “Hey! You could be right! I teleported the First Apostle’s arm off at Uldar’s Rise! I might be able to do something similar and break the connection between the Ravener and Thameland, if it has one…or maybe at the very least, break the connection between it and the dungeon cores.”
“Entirely possible,” Baelin nodded.
“That’s something to work on…and you’re going to be with us, to help?” Alex asked.
“Both in the laboratory and on the battlefield, I will be at your disposal,” Baelin said. “Whatever you, and Vernia ask of me, I will do.”
“Wait… You'll be at our disposal?” Alex asked. “Don't you mean we'll be at yours?”
Baelin looked at him as though he'd suddenly grown three heads. “Why would that be?”
“Well, you're so much more experienced than we are,” Alex said.
The ancient wizard gave a deep, wry laugh. “Oh dear, I seem to be losing my touch as a teacher. Maybe Vernia is right and I am a senile old monster who should be looking at retirement.”
“What do you mean?” Alex asked.
“Have I taught you nothing about being a Proper Wizard?” Baelin fixed his gaze on Alex. “How exactly am I more experienced than you and Vernia?”
“Well, you’re millennia old,” Alex continued. “You've been an archwizard longer than the university has been around.”
“Indeed, that is true,” Baelin said. “And what have I been for the last year?”
“...an archwizard?” Alex pushed, though he knew Baelin was building to a specific point.
“A very absent archwizard,” the chancellor said. “I no longer know the ins and outs of the current situation. Further, I am going to have to split my attention between my duties here at the university, and the war in Thameland. My information on the current struggle is out of date, and it is no good for a leader’s attention to be divided. Perhaps if I had been present this entire time, I could juggle both situations… but I am well behind now. I will need to focus on catching up with both the situation here in Generasi, and the one in Thameland, which could lead to me making mistakes should I try to assume the position of primary leadership. And that will never do.”
Baelin drew himself up to his full height. “A Proper Wizard has enough knowledge and power to overcome nearly any situation. Emphasis on nearly. A Proper Wizard must recognise their own limits should they have any hope of surviving and accomplishing their myriad of goals. An incompetent can do nothing. A fool thinks they can do anything, and that they are the only one qualified for a task.”
Stolen story; please report.
“And, you're no fool,” Alex said. “So you're saying that because you don't know what's been happening lately, you're going to stay back and let me and Professor Jules keep being in charge of things?”
“Absolutely.” Baelin smiled. “You have both performed admirably while I was away, and rather than you trying to inform me of every minute detail of everything that has transpired, and then yielding leadership, it’s better that I yield to you, and serve as your advisor and defender.”
“I…” Alex stopped as Uldar came to mind. The god had assumed that he was the only one who could lead and control Thameland, because he considered himself wise and powerful. But he was arrogant. Baelin was wise and powerful, but he knew when to defer to others; perhaps, that's what true wisdom was. Alex lowered his head. “I'm glad you're back with us.”
“And I am glad to be back!” Baelin said, stretching his shoulders. “I can tell you with all sincerity that while being among the stars is a truly wondrous thing, it is good to be back here. You know that feeling of comfort that one gets when they’ve come back to their home? That is precisely what I've been feeling since my return.”
Alex started laughing. “That’s exactly the same way I've been feeling, Baelin…” He paused then. “Can I ask you a question?”
“Certainly,” the chancellor said.
“How did you know? How did you know what you wanted to do with your life? How did you decide to do what you’re doing?” Alex asked. “I've been thinking about my future for the past few weeks, and it's been…it’s been something, alright. Everyone I talked to gave me all sorts of different answers. Some people said they just fell into the path they’re on. Some always knew what they wanted to do. Some have a future that’s tied to duty. I don't really know how much their answers really helped me…the whole thing’s just left me confused.”
One archwizard looked at the other.
One young.
One ancient.
“Baelin,” Alex continued. “You've always given me advice that’s worked for my life; honestly, I didn't realise how much I relied on it until you were gone. So, please help me out here.”
Baelin’s eyes twinkled. “A Proper Wizard—”
“No.” Alex shook his head. “No Proper Wizard business; I'm talking to you adult to adult. I don't want to know what might help some random Proper Wizard or what they're supposed to do. I want to know what made you decide.”
The chancellor silently considered the young man before him for a while. The General of Thameland wondered if he’d struck a nerve in his mentor as Baelin turned away, the silence stretching on.
For a time, Alex thought that he might not answer at all.
But, he finally spoke.
“I have never decided,” Baelin said.
More silence.
“What do you mean, you never decided?” Alex asked.
“I mean just that, I have never decided.” The chancellor turned back to face him. There was a change in the ancient wizard’s demeanour. A calmness. A…tranquillity. In that moment, through Alex’s eyes, he bore no resemblance to the powerful wielder of cosmic magic that he knew.
He looked like an ordinary man who’d lived a very long life.
“The world was different when I was born, Alex,” Baelin said. “When I was growing up, there was one path in life for me to take: that of a hunter and crafter for my tribe. I did not decide to be a hunter and crafter, that is simply what I was and what I would be. My life changed utterly when I awoke to magic and for the first time, I could do something different. So that’s what I did.”
“So you decided to be a wizard,” Alex said, sighing. “You knew this is what you wanted.”
“This is what I wanted?” Baelin looked bewildered.
“Who you are, I mean. You knew that right from the beginning, as soon as you discovered magic,” Alex said.
“Is that what you think?” Baelin burst out laughing, joy filling his office. “You think that—tens of thousands of years ago—I envisioned myself as an archwizard, teaching hundreds of students and leading a university? That I saw myself in this magnificent chamber—one of my many homes—having a delightful conversation with a most favoured student—one whom I have had the pleasure to teach—after I had just returned from the stars? Alex, I did not know you had such a high opinion of my apparent powers of foresight!”
“Well, I didn't literally mean this. I mean, when you were born, there were no universities back then, I know that much.” The General of Thameland defended himself. “I just meant that you saw yourself as an archwizard.”
Baelin laughed even harder. “You must think me a greater prophet than the god that ruled your realm! Alex, there were no archwizards back then. Not in this world at least. And it is not only universities that did not exist; magic as it is now was in its infancy. I have told you of some of those dark days. Even the stars were nothing more than twinkling lights above us that many worshipped. I could not begin to fathom that I would be here now.”
“Well, then you must've decided at some point—” Alex started.
Baelin shook his head. “You still fail to understand. I never made an explicit decision to lead my life in such a way to end up at this point. Here, what do you see before you?”
“A contented older gentleman?” Alex grinned.
“I…oh. I thought you were going to say, ‘Chancellor of the University’ and then I would have corrected you and said ‘a contented old man’.” Baelin frowned. “My, you have grown astute. So, tell me, what makes an old person content?”
“Accomplishments in their life,” Alex said.
Baelin shook his head. “You have accomplished many things in your life. Are you content?”
“I…” Alex paused. “No.”
“Try again.”
“Well, I'd say having a loving family—that’s what we learned in Alric—but I have a loving family, and I’m still not completely content. I feel like I have more to do in life,” Alex said. “Maybe seeing different places? Exploring the world and yourself? I haven't seen much of the world.”
“An excellent suggestion,” Baelin said. “From your tale, Uldar explored much of the world. Was he content? The Traveller explored much of the universe. Was she content?”
“No, and no,” Alex said. “Hannah sounded content when she found Alric, but, when she was Marked as a Hero…her contentment went away.”
“Of course it would,” Baelin said. “Would you care to keep trying?”
“Um…maybe contentment comes from within?” Alex suggested. “You have to know yourself to find contentment.”
“Very good, but do you know yourself?” the chancellor countered. “You know yourself very well, do you not? And are you content?”
The young archwizard felt growing frustration. “Not really…not yet…I think the Ravener’s what's preventing me from being content.”
“To crush your enemies and see them driven before you.” Baelin spoke the words with a resonance to his voice. He looked at his trophies fondly. “Many conquerors and warriors have uttered such sentiments across many worlds. I have known many, yet, I could count those who are content on a single hand.”
“What about immortality?” Alex asked. “Does that make you content?”
Baelin snorted. “If anything, there are very few things I have encountered that guarantee discontent as much as immortality. But you're getting warmer. Perhaps, you wish to think about it and leave this for later—”
“No,” Alex said. “I think we're getting somewhere, and I know how things work. If I don't figure this out, I’ll end up dead as soon as I leave your office. Or I'll find myself lying on the ground bleeding to death somewhere, then a revelation will suddenly hit me and I’ll start thinking something philosophical about contentment, while butterflies and flower petals fly by my dying body on the tail of a gentle breeze.”
“You do have a delightful imagination,” Baelin chuckled. “Fine, then let us finish this. I have dearly missed these discussions with you.”