My body was heating up rapidly. It had been years upon years since my body has felt this way. I can feel my head about to burst but I will finish this. I can feel the heat from every inch of my body gathering in my shoulders, in order to start traveling through my arm, and into the center between my palms. I can start to faintly see the orb forming, it has only been a few seconds, but it has felt like an eternity trying to cast this spell. The orb at last had finally started to gain color, slowly transitioning from a pure white orb into a dark dull monotone gray with little white flashes every so often.
"I've done it!", I couldn't help but exclaim. I frantically glanced around my office, but Alfred wasn't in there to witness this spectacle. As I did this my arms began to burn even more to the point where they were starting to experience pain. Oh, it has been far too long since I've experienced pain from merely casting a spell! I thought. I needed to wrap this up before it became something out of my control, so I rushed to the balcony and used my shoulder to slam open the glass door. The hot arid air welcomed me as I ran to the edge of the balcony in a rush. I got to the edge and looked up into the cloudy sky. I threw my arms together and opened my palms towards the sky.
The orb escaped my grasp at such a speed that it blasted me back while it flew steadily into the sky. As I got up and dusted myself off, I looked up squinting, using my elderly eyes, just in time to see it vanish. It did not go too far as to escape my eyesight, as I could just see it just fine, but instead, it just vanished. I was dumbfounded, but as I stood there the few clouds darkened from white fluffy clouds to a dark gray and expanded rapidly. The once clear sky was rapidly being covered up with a dark blanket until there was no more sky visible as far as one could see. And then it began to rain heavily.
I started to dance around and sing gibberish. The glass doors burst open, and he came running out. A short, probably five foot or so, pudgy man with a dark brown mustache that covers up his whole mouth sticks out, as the rest of the hair on his almost bald head is white. He came running over to me and held me firm by my shoulders and looked into my eyes. "Alfred, look! I made it rain! It's the desert, they've likely never even experienced rain before in their lives, I wanted to—" I got cut off because I began to cough profusely. The coughing kept going for almost a minute and it brought me to my knees, it would've brought me to the floor if Alfred wasn't supporting me. When I removed my hand, it was covered in blood.
"Rufus, you are far too injured", he began "to be performing this level of magic. Just look at this blood. It has been almost a year since you've coughed up this much blood. Last time you were bedridden for days. This was reckless! You have a meeting tomorrow with the other elders." "I know I know. I wanted to see their reactions just look." I replied. We walked over to the balcony and just watched the people of Sunhaven. Some were bewildered and just stared at the sky, some were dancing, some dropped to their knees and began a prayer, and a very select few stared right at my tower as if they knew I was the one who did it.
After probably ten minutes we collectively stopped watching as if we both grew bored at the same time. "Dinner will be ready in a couple of minutes sir," Alfred said. "What is for dinner?" I replied. "Well, it was going to be Steak and some carrots, however, I will be instructing the chefs to make some Potato soup instead due to your idiotic overexertion." He smarmily said. "Come on Alfred, this is a joyous occasion! I'm on a similar level as a dragon now. Do you not feel these raindrops hitting your suit?" I pleaded. "No talking back." Alfred sternly replied as we were making our way back into the office.
The next morning, I was throwing on my silver and orange robe in preparation for the meeting I had scheduled to begin in a few minutes. I combed my beard, used some magic to clean my teeth, and took a final swig of water before going into the hallway. "Are you ready Sir? Are you feeling, okay?" Alfred greeted me. "Yes, I am fine," I answered.
We started walking down the hall, then down the stairs, and finally took an exit off the stairs into a short opening before a large bronze door with an orb in the middle of it. "Well, I'll be off now Alfred." I said as I saluted and started walking. "Let me get that for you, you shouldn't be spending Myst casually," Alfred exclaimed as he rushed ahead to me to the orb. He placed his hand on it and it began to glow. The doors began to open as the orb glowed a baby blue hue. I went into the dark room as they stopped moving. I walked to a seat at the end of a U-shaped table and took my seat right in the middle of the curve, the eldest's position.
I poured my Myst into the chair I sat on and saw the table light up and other chairs brighten. The other eight elders of the Mage Association blinked into existence one by one. Their blue crystal-like images looked around as if expecting someone else to say the first words.
Finally, the youngest elder, a lean man in his early thirties, Evan spoke up, "Gentlemen today me and Cryon have summoned you all here for a singular reason and a singular reason alone." Then the huge hulking figure at the end of the table, Cryon, spoke up, "Lately there has been report after report about people with peculiar abilities around the continent. When I had received around three dozen, I reached out to Elder Evan and Elder Jacob in order to help me find the source of these reports. After thorough investigations, we have concluded these irregularities to be the result of a drug that has begun circulation. This drug is a dust that people will inhale through their nose, the peculiarity about this however is that it glows a vibrant dark blue, therefore we are adequately naming it simply Blue Dust."
Evan jumped in with his silky deep voice that undoubtedly seduces the ladies, "The issue with this Blue Dust my fellow esteemed Elders, is that it is granting irregular powers. Powers that are like magic but have no streams, the users can just 'feel' how to use their abilities. Many mages are dying one after another to these irregularities. Additionally, many innocents are finding themselves victims of the addicted."
It was then that the fat old hag, Elder Evelyne, decided to speak up, "Boys, we are M-A-G-E-S Mages. There is no real reason for us to do a government job for these countries. Our whole goal as Mages is to advance our own magic and as Elders, it is simply our duty to clear a path for talented mages." She glared around the room, and I could tell Evan was getting nervous by how shifty he was getting. Luckily Cryon was the one with a retort, "See Evelyne that is the problem these irregularities are massacring young mages one after another. We need to track the source of this drug down and get rid of it in order to fulfill our roles as Elders." Then there was silence.
The silence dragged long enough for me to begin dozing off, and right as I was about to be blessed with some sleep, they all erupted into borderline shouting and arguing. I let this continue, not saying anything for a few minutes. Then these few minutes turned into thirty minutes, and then suddenly an hour. There were good points on both sides of the argument, but I have no interest in this matter. My bones are old, and I just want to live in peace inside of my tower, maybe even take in a successor. But I am tired of this argument.
I clapped my hands, and the room immediately grew quiet. Everyone looked to me as I cleared my throat. "This argument has gone on long enough. We will put this to a vote. On one side we will have those for investigating and solving this matter, while the other side will be against this. There will be no abstaining. Those for investigating raise your hands while those against keep your hands down." It passed, I raised my hand, and so did Cryon, Evan, Richard, Ethermos, and Jill. Those against were Evelyne, Jasmine, and oh that's surprising Jacob as well.
"Well, everyone it has been settled, we will solve this issue after a vote ending with six yays and three nays. Now which three elders will oversee this endeavor?" I announced as I looked around the room. Everyone then started spouting off reason after reason why they couldn't:
- Evelyne is simply refusing to.
- Cryon is going to be busy attending his daughter's wedding in the far north.
- Jasmine said she was too busy; she gave no specifics. Probably just doesn't want to.
- Ethermos is too busy managing his merchant group.
- Jill is busy dealing with the aftermath of the recent war in the northeast.
- And Richard is too busy as the Court Magician of the Arclight Empire.
Evan and Jacob volunteered to do it, and that leaves me....... Fuck.
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After that, the meeting was adjourned. I was beginning to feel fatigued; I believe it was because of changing the weather last evening. I left the room and filled in Alfred on the content of today's meeting.
I met Alfred at the stairs after I left the room. As we were ascending the stairs we summarized our available options such as: simply not doing it, recovering then personally going after the source, or what we will likely do is reach out to some acclaimed private investigators and have them look into it. I bid farewell to Alfred when I got to my office. I went through the room to the balcony and lay down in a reclined chair. Thinking about the events since last night I fell asleep.
I woke up that evening from sensing an abnormally large gathering of Myst in the vicinity of my tower. Alarmed, I jumped up and ran to the edge of the balcony to see what it was. But I was stopped in my tracks as I saw it before I even got to the edge of the balcony. In the distance, not right upon the tower like I was expecting, I could see an overabundance of pure Myst. Not like the impure Myst from mages who specialized in certain elements, nor the manufactured Red Myst in a Bottle that is unique to the southern empire, but a pure sparkling white with a blue hue. The Myst reigned higher than most buildings along the road trailing behind one person. How in the world can this much pure Myst be in one place? The only things that could generate this much are Spirit Kings or Dragons... Fuck. Alarmed, I ran to the edge of the balcony and leaned over as I enhanced my eyesight to get a clear picture of what it was. Contrary to my expectations it was not a Dragon, but just a young man. The Myst was trailing him perfectly, so it had to be him.
He was slightly over average height probably right under six feet, he was pale, possessed green eyes, and he was lanky. He had short cut ragged hair that looked to be as black as midnight if it weren't for the desert sand buried within the individual hairs. But how does he have so much Myst trailing him?
So, I scrutinized him harder and then I saw it. The Myst was coming from his skin, little sparkles would slowly start to form and then would float off into the air behind him. Thankfully only the Mages that stand atop the highest peaks of the high peaks can see pure Myst, otherwise, this boy would be a walking calamity. I sat there mesmerized by this young specimen and then I saw something interesting about him. Poking right over the top of the back of his shirt he had a tattoo poking out, a tattoo belonging only to the thieves of the thief's guild. Additionally, on his right pointer finger, he had a ring that belonged to an even more secluded group, a black ring with a fist.
Right as I noticed these important, but minute details Alfred burst from my office, "Rufus do you see this shit!?" "You're a little late to the party, I already know how to track the source of it down. I need you to put in a request with the Thief's Guild tomorrow while I'm mingling with the other mages." I smugly said raising my chin and putting my hands on my hips in order to emphasize my awesomeness.
"Why the hell do we need to have something stolen? One we need to go to the source of that Myst. And two you're the strongest human alive you don't need to steal anything." Alfred bewilderedly questioned. "Well, my old friend," I started as I slung my arm around his shoulder, "the source of the Myst is simply a boy. He seems to be unknowingly producing it from his skin. And I also happened to notice he has a Thief's Guild tattoo, so rather than going to him we just need to put in a stern request for them and they'll make him come here." Alfred's eyes widened and he laughed almost maniacally as we headed back inside for the night.
The next day wasn't a particularly important day for me, but it was for the aspiring mages among the townspeople. Every month I will generally make an appearance to the many mages that have gathered in Sunhaven and give advice to mage after mage all day. It is almost hard to focus on this event as my thoughts keep wandering off to that boy and pondering how I haven't seen him before. But anyway, I am standing nervously here in front of my stylish golden arch doors. Because I don't know if I have the heart to tell these helpless fools I can only help two of them today. Thankfully I felt a familiar pudgy hand on my shoulder, "Don't worry Rufus, I the weaker and lesser humble being will take care of your dilemma." Alfred sarcastically said. Completely ignoring the sarcasm, I earnestly replied, "You're the best" Alfred responded kindly and flipped his imaginary locks from his patchy bald head back and gave me a thumbs-up before opening the doors.
We walked out into the blazing sun on the sandstone slabs at the top of the steps leading up to the entrance. The steps numbered exactly five hundred and fifty-one because I wanted them that way for no real reason. But it was very entertaining hearing the hypothesized rumors of why I wanted them to number exactly that many. Below us at the bottom of the steps, my private overpaid guardsmen had their halberds interlocked to keep the swarm of Mages away. And Man was this a swarm, hundreds maybe even thousands of mages and civilians alike had gathered. I cupped my mouth and looked at Alfred with the best puppy dog eyes an old man can muster. He sighed while starting forward and I have never felt more grateful to be his boss. He made the announcement and pointed at two people in the front to come forward. There were roars of discontent. Uh oh. "Alfred", I started, but it was too late. Like I was watching it in slow motion because I made the active decision not to stop him, I witnessed his fatty left leg raise up and slam down. When it touched the concrete a deafening screeching sound rang out which silenced the roars. Alfred turned around to me, bowed, and then vanished into a puff of smoke. He is probably on his way to fulfilling that request.
The two people came up to me. The first looked to be a youthful mage who had a drawing of some very unique Myst Streams through an arm. "Hello sir," he began in a chipper tone, "My name is Harriwise and I specialize in lightning. I drew here the current Myst Streams I use to imbue my spells on my arm. However, it is too taxing on my body overall and I was wondering if you could enlighten me through what you would improve with my arm?" He stopped and looked at me expectantly. Normally I would say to work on your physique as most Mages ignore that, however looking this boy up and down I can clearly see he has a toned body that was practically popping out of the shirt underneath his white rope. Why do mages insist on wearing robes in this blazing heat?
Looking back at the drawings I could see each stream has a purpose, one going from the top of the shoulder to over the triceps and to the biceps clearly is there to support the muscles, then that same one branches off into three more. However, one of them goes over the elbow and just wraps around the elbow. It's probably there to support the elbow but the elbow isn't doing any work it's the muscles that do the work. I point at and trace the Stream, "Remove this one boy, now my reasoning I will not tell you, but I will say that you need to go train in some martial arts and then think about what each stream accomplishes.." He looked up at me and back down at the drawing a couple of times, then his eyes grew wide and he bowed, "Thank you, Sir! I will never forget this lesson." He scampered away excitedly just like a true mage having learned something new. I just spouted off some bull shit though? His Streams looked all right to me.
I laughed and looked toward the second person that was summoned. It was an old lady with a fluffy red cushion donned with a purple orb in the middle of it, a Common tool for fortune tellers. I raised my hand and sharply said, "I do not do any fortune telling lady, if you want your fortune read go somewhere else."
"But Sir Rufus," She began with her high-pitched old lady tone, "I came here to tell you your fortune. Well, it wouldn't be me but my orb. Surely, you've heard of Babba from Fools Hope in the north?" She countered. Well, I have heard of her, they say that everything she prophesized has come true, I also have heard you would have to spend a fortune to get your fortune read from her. But I get it for free. I genuinely laughed and exclaimed, "Of course I have, I would be honored if you could read my future." "Well, I wouldn't be able to tell you your fortune, the way this works is simple. First, you shall put your hand on the orb in order to pour as much Myst as you can into it, then you think of someone with your eyes closed. That someone will be whose future you will see a glimpse of." Interesting, but who to think of?
My thoughts wander off and I think of that boy again, I smile and decide on him. I set my hand on the orb and pour my Myst into it. And close my eyes.
I'm in a dark room. I started to smell smoke and turn around. As I'm turning around, I see it's a room with stone bricks, not sandstone like this desert my lavish abode resides within, while flaming wood stacks are scattered around the room haphazardly. Additionally, there look to be scorch marks and scratches on the walls and even noticeably deep indentions in the wall. I finish turning around and I see a very familiar woman in front of me. Shiny Green hair with scaly arms and pitch-black eyes and she was laughing hard. She pointed and her lips moved like she was saying something, but I couldn't hear anything. I follow where she is pointing and I see him, I see that same young man I've been thinking of since last night. Except he was significantly more well-built and had much more muscle on him, additionally he was bloody. His left eye was closed in order to keep the blood running down his face out of his eye, and his clothes were scratched up as well. There was also a fine blonde taller young man right next to him, in similar condition however his arm was completely flaccid with enormous amounts of blood running down it from within his clothes somewhere. On top of the blonde man, there looked to be a body hunched against the wall behind them probably fifteen feet away. However, it was completely unrecognizable due to extreme burns, most likely due to one of this witch's curses. Then out of the corner of my eye, I saw the pale boy grab hold of a pendant, my pendant.
Then I was back to the present. I saw Babba looking at me and she said, "I don't know who that boy is, but I will pray for him." She bowed and took her leave. I took that cue to head back inside. Each step I took made me feel more and more dizzy. Questions kept blitzing through my head such as: Why did he have my Pendant? Why is that witch alive when I killed her? Who was the blonde Man? How soon will those events take place? Will they even take place? Then I finally reached the top, and the dizziness seemed to fade away. As the doors opened Alfred appeared behind me. Still shaken I couldn't control the tone of my voice and I coldly asked, "Can I expect him tonight?" Alfred simply nodded.