As Esteban predicted, a trio of Mages came to the Castella Estate the next morning. What they all didn’t expect was who would come to visit. Lucinda Bell was the first to walk in the dining room where Alena and Francis Castellas along with Gretta, Jasmi and Dante waited. She strode in glancing at the trio of Serist De, a small smirk touching her lips before she sat at the table. The Historian followed her in, grimacing but none of it directed at anyone in particular. The third person to enter was Teron, Alistern’s grandson and the Atahchi family heir. Gretta jumped up, brandishing a throwing dagger aimed at Teron before he was halfway to the table.
Lucinda held up her hand. “Stop!”
Gretta looked towards her and back to Teron. Teron hadn’t made a move. He stood there as if waiting for the attack. His customary sneer wasn’t shown and Dante felt his empathy twinge. Teron was filled with regret and anger. Dante touched Gretta’s arm lightly, shaking his head. She sat back down but hadn’t put away her dagger.
Lucinda nodded and waved Teron over to sit. He sat down and stared down at the table. Dante could only feel shame coming from the boy.
“I ask that you wait judgement.” Lucinda said, looking pointedly at Gretta whose eyes were still locked on Teron. “Teron has come forward with interesting news regarding his Grandfather.”
“Why?” Jasmi asked. Her voice was even and controlled, if just barely.
Teron shifted in his seat. “I don’t know what is happening with the tower and all the rumors going around but if this is betrayal, then my Grandfather is either leading it or a part of it.”
Jasmi narrowed her eyes. “You didn’t answer my question. Why are you here?”
Teron looked up at Jasmi. “He has been hiring several Enchanters and Life Mages for the past few years. Far more than the family would ever need. If he is truly betraying the tower, then he is no family of mine.” He spat the last words, his anger flaring.
Dante watched as Teron’s emotions confirmed what he was saying. “So, why the change of heart? You haven’t been anything but an arrogant brat since I have met you. Why the turn around?”
Teron shook his head. “I honestly don’t know. Every day feels like I’m less than what I was and more of something I have always wanted to be. I-I can’t explain it.”
The Historian put a book on the table. “Dante, do you remember the legends of the past Essence Mages?”
Dante looked at her and then the book. “Yes, you told me they were all trash.”
The Historian smirked. “I might have been a bit hasty.” She opened the old book and flipped through until stopping abruptly. “Do you remember the story, “Madelyn’s Armory”?
Dante nodded. “The Second Essence Mage. She battled the dungeons of several towers, quelling the hordes of monsters so the Towers could gain a foothold. She had a magical armory that followed her around.”
The Historian smiled. “And does that sound familiar to you?”
Dante shook his head but stopped, looking shocked. “My Essence weapons?”
The Historian nodded but didn’t answer, instead she turned to another page. “What about Elis Spellbinder.”
Dante nodded again. “The Seventh Essence Mage. “He faced the Mages of Purity. The descendants of King Mason who tried to reinstate nobility. He turned the spells of an Army against themselves. But I haven’t done anything like that.”
“No.” The Historian said. “But you did transform yourself into Essence. Technically, if you could control Essence, could you not control any spell?”
Dante hesitated. “It’s possible, but-”
The Historian cut him off, flipping through the book. “And King Mason, Tower Heart?”
“He built the towers.” Dante answered simply.
The Historian tsked, turning to a page, reading from the book.
“And he built the towers as well as the hearts of men and women he befriended. Thief and noble alike, worked hand in hand, not for themselves but for all. The sins faded among his followers, casting aside their petty nature for the chance at a new life.”
The room stayed silent and everyone processed what was told.
Dante took a deep breath but was skeptical. “Are you saying Teron here has changed his ways because of me?”
Teron looked away, his anger and embarrassment showing easily.
Jasmi looked at him skeptically. “How can we be sure? Couldn’t he just lie?”
Dante looked at Teron closely. He didn’t any feel deception. His eyes widened as his mind latched onto something.
“He beat you.” Dante almost whispered.
Teron’s head whipped around. “How do you know that!?”
Dante shook his head. “I’m not sure. I can feel it I think.”
Teron looked as if ready to run from the room, his panic and shame ran deep and Dante felt it as if he were shouting. A moment of hesitation passed and Teron slumped down in his chair.
“He whipped me.” Teron said, not bothering to look up. “Since I was a child, he whipped me. He never yelled, never cursed. He would just whip me while talking to me, devoid of any emotion.”
Gretta eased the grip she had on her dagger and Jasmi smiled at her, clasping her hand.
“Do you know where Alistern kept his Life Mages and Enchanters?” Lucinda asked.
Teron looked up. “Yes, the main house has a false wall. It hides a number of rooms where they do his bidding.
“Have you ever seen this?” The Historian asked, pulling out a drawing of the slavery enchantments they found inside the rogue guards.
Teron looked at it but shook his head. “Maybe? It looks familiar but I wasn’t allowed in the hidden rooms.”
Lucinda tapped the table. “There isn’t much to go off of. Most of the Adventures we have are assigned to the dungeons still.”
“Teron keeps a total of twenty guards close to him at all times.” Esteban stated. “He has hired a number of new guards that only secure the outer estate. We have a few guards placed their along with one maid that is inside the house.”
Lucinda raised an eye brow. “That is quiet the coincidence.”
“Not a coincidence.” Francis Castellas spoke. “Simply a fortunate accident.” His smile was genuine and Lucinda laughed.
“Francis, you old trickster!” Lucinda said to him. “Alena, how did you keep him out of trouble for so many years?”
Alena smirked. “Well, I tried the best I could.”
Dante looked at the three of them in confusion. “Wait. You all know each other?”
Francis smiled. “Of course! I was Lucinda’s mentor when she first came to the Guild.”
Jasmi smiled. “So, that’s why were so sure we wouldn’t be stopped.”
“Well I won’t say I was sure but,” Francis looked to Lucinda. “let’s just say I know my pupil better than most.”
Lucinda snorted and the Historian grunted. “That doesn’t tell us how we plan to get Ferris and Kelsi back.”
Francis gave a quick nod to Esteban who pulled out a piece of parchment. It turned out to be a lay out of the Atahchi estate.
“In two days, my five guards will be pulling the night shift.” Esteban stated. “Our maid will slip a sleeping elixir into the evening meal. We will be let into the grounds and tie up all the guards in the barracks, then assault the house.”
Lucinda looked of the map. “What if not everyone inside eats dinner.”
“That’s where I come in.” Francis stated. “My illusions are stronger than most. I can hide our entry into the house. As long as we keep the group small, we can sneak into the hidden rooms and find your friends.”
Esteban pointed to the entryways into the house. “We will post groups of five at every entry. We have the guards to cover it but we could use a few Alchemists and Life Mages that have access to sleep spores.”
Dante looked up. “Why sleep spores specifically?”
Esteban looked to Francis but Lucinda cut in. “There might be others that have the slavery enchantment. They might be ordered to commit suicide just to take out a number of us.”
Dante shuddered at the thought.
“I can lead you in.” Teron said, eyeing Dante. “If they are not in the hidden rooms, they might be tied up in the work rooms where I – where my Grandfather had me whipped.”
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Dante looked at Jasmi and Gretta. They looked skeptical. Dante turned back to Teron. “Okay. You will lead us in.”
“Not with out me you won’t.” The Historian said. “And don’t think I won’t drag you all out of there if there is more trouble than we can handle.”
Dante, Jasmi, Gretta and Teron all nodded.
The Historian looked them over. “Teron, you will be staying here until then. You all are to stay in this house until the mission begins. Understood?”
They nodded again and Lucinda stood. “Well, that settles it. Two days from now, we will assault the Atahchi estate.”
The Historian and Lucinda left shortly after. Francis, Alena and Esteban left to prepare, leaving the four young Mages alone.
Teron fidgeted which looked completely odd to Dante. The normal air of arrogance wasn’t present from the boy. Now he looked as nervous as they all felt.
“Teron.” Dante said. “Thanks for helping us.”
Teron took a breath and sighed. “I’m not doing it for you. My Grandfather is betraying my family, my home. He needs to be stopped. No matter what.”
He left abruptly, leaving the trio alone.
“I’m worried.” Gretta said. “If he betrays us, it could turn out badly.”
Jasmi snorted. “That’s a nice was of saying, we will be screwed.”
Dante shook his head. “His feelings are in line with what he said. I think he really does want to take his Grandfather down.”
“If he betrays us, I’m sticking my daggers in his back.” Jasmi replied.
Dante noticed Gretta nodding her head as well. “Well, no reason to take the chance on it. Keep an eye on him. We need to be ready when we assault the estate.”
Dante noticed the book the Historian had brought was still sitting on the table. As Gretta and Jasmi left, he slid over the book and started reading. If the Historian was right, he might be able to figure out what he was capable of.
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Several hours later, Dante set the book down rubbing his temples. The legends of past Essence Mages were well known to any child dreaming of becoming one, but this book didn’t sound like it was made for children at all. It was filled with fantastical, as well as bloody accomplishments of his predecessors. Elis Spellbinder indeed took control of his enemy’s spells, usually by disrupting the spell being cast causing the Essence built up to explode in the caster’s hands. Tyrion Cyan was accredited for discovering how to fuse large essence crystals. He also used his ability by turning Essence into essence Crystal, mainly the Essence inside the Mages that hunted him down. Large forests of crystal statues were found in his wake. And Elenore Wu, the Fourth Essence Mage was secretly an assassin that took down several factions in the towers that were conspiring to take down the Councils of said towers. She could move through walls unseen, dispatching factions throughout Kahlea. It was a little much for Dante to take.
Was he going to be a mass murder? So many of his predecessors seemed destined to be killers. Even King Mason, the first Essence Mage had fought his own family, killing lords and ladies who worked against the fall of the monarchy. It seemed that history itself was tainted in blood. Dante didn’t want to kill anyone. Monsters and beasts, he could understand, but to kill another human, even if that person was trying to kill him, weighed heavily on his mind. Maybe he was still a naïve boy, no matter what small accomplishments he had accrued.
He left the book in his room, wandering the halls of the Castellas estate. The portraits that lined the staircase were beautiful. The artistry alone was an achievement worthy of praise. Near the top of the staircase, a painting hung with a young husband and wife posing. The man was large, his tan was common of the Castella line and his large frame dwarfed his wife who stood happily next to him, her dark red hair matching her eyes.
“I can’t remember them as clearly.” Jasmi said, startling Dante. She walked down to stand next to him, admiring the painting.
Dante looked at the painting, then back at Jasmi. “Your parents?”
Jasmi nodded, a sad smile on her face. “Yes, this was painted before I was born. I can’t remember them since I was young when they died but this painting helps.”
Dante looked back to the painting. “I wish I knew what my parents looked like. I had a dream of my mother once but nothing was really clear.”
Jasmi turned to Dante, her eyes filled with unshed tears. “We need to get Ferris and Kelsi back. They are our family now. We can’t lose anymore.”
Dante looked lost. He felt her pain as clear as he felt his own. They were his family now. But could he do what he needed to get them back? Would he become another killer?
“We will try.” Dante said weakly. He instantly hated himself for his lack of conviction. Weren’t Ferris and Kelsi worth it? Why was he so scared for himself when his friends were in danger?
Jasmi didn’t nodded. She didn’t seem to notice the conflict he held.
“It’s almost dinner.” Jasmi said, heading down the stairs. “We should go.”
Dante followed Jasmi down the stairs to the dining room. Everyone was already seated and waiting.
Francis’ gold eyes followed Dante as he sat down. The boy intrigued him immensely but he was still a boy, hardly the stuff of legends.
“Let’s eat and discuss a few things.” Francis said, eying his guests. They all looked a little overwhelmed.
“It is important to understand what we will be getting into. Alistern is a calculating man. He doesn’t do things by half measures. If he took your friends, then he plans to use them.” Francis paused to let the hard truth sink in. “The man is devoid of a moral compass. He does what he needs to do to win. That means that the lives of his personal guard mean nothing to him. He will sacrifice them all if he sees fit.
“This mission has one objective. To retrieve your friends, Ferris and Kelsi. We are not there for revenge.” Francis eyed Teron. “If things go smoothly, we will be able to extract Ferris and Kelsi and maybe a few of the Life Mages and Enchanters. Things rarely go smoothly however. Myself, you four and the Historian will move in silence, undercover of my illusion. The other teams will back us up if needed or cause a distraction. You will follow orders given, even if those orders are to retreat. Do you all understand?”
They nodded in silence so Francis continued.
“Tomorrow you may train however you see fit as long as it is within this estate. The grounds are secured and there is a training room next to the barracks. Do you all have proper armor and weapons?”
Again, they nodded. “Good. Dante, meet me in my study. I bid the rest of you good evening.”
Francis and Alena left and Dante followed Francis to his study. He sat in a comfortable chair as Francis closed the door.
“Dante, you seem a little worried.” Francis said. “You have been reading that book the Historian brought all day.”
Dante nodded. “Yes, Sir. I, well it seems that a life of an Essence Mage isn’t filled with much peace. The stories are filled with war and death.”
Francis nodded. “Ahh. And you worry that that is your legacy?”
“Yes, Sir.” Dante confirmed. “I don’t want to be a murder.”
Francis was silent, choosing his words carefully. “Do you know what all of those stories have in common, Dante, besides that they are all about Essence Mages?”
Dante shook his head.
“Each Essence Mage was defending something or someone. Whether it was people or ideals, something was always at risk. What schools and books always fail to tell you is that humans will always be their own worst enemies. The difference between Mage and Monster is very little. Each has a goal they wish to achieve. The monsters of the dungeons want power, as do so many other Mages that I have known. They crave to control and dominate. The only thing standing between those people and those monsters are the few of us who wish for our friends and families to be protected. A person who defends others is not a murderer, Dante.”
Dante understood but he that didn’t change the overwhelming feeling. “I understand, it just feels wrong.”
Francis nodded. “Good. It should always feel wrong. I would worry if you didn’t feel wrong about it. That is the sacrifice we make. Many good Mages are often subjected to nightmares of the things they had to do to protect others, and each of those Mages would do it again because a little sleep lost is a far better price to pay than the loss of innocent lives.”
Dante looked up seeing the old man’s eyes glowing. He felt a trickle of magic moving throughout the room. “You’re using magic on me.”
Francis laughed. “Not on you, no. I have been using magic since we decided to retrieve your friends.”
Dante focused on the magic, trying to find out where it went. After a moment, he realized the magic was covering Francis’ clothes.
“You’re changing your clothes? Why?” Dante asked.
Francis let his magic go and his clothes turned a different color. The thing that shocked Dante though was that it wasn’t just one color but several. The outfit looked horrendous when the illusion lifted. Francis laughed at his look.
“It’s an old training technique for light mages. Making a horrible suit seem the opposite. I am an old man, Dante. Even I need to practice if I am going to be useful to you all.”
Dante smiled. “The suit is quite horrible.”
“Yes, yes, it is.” Francis said, looking down at his clothes. “I still have more to do before the mission. If you have any questions, feel free to ask.”
Dante stood but stopped before leaving. “Sir? Is it possible to find out what my parents looked like? Their last name was Velis.”
Francis thought it over for a moment before nodding. “I will see what I can do.”
Dante bowed. “Thank you, Sir.” He left feeling a little better. He still felt the uncertainty about taking another’s life but he knew what the cost was now. Could he sacrifice his peace of mind to save someone? He realized he might not have a choice.
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The next morning, Teron walked towards the training room, his sword and dagger held in his hands when he heard music coming from a garden. He peeked around the back of the house to see Gretta sitting on a stool in the middle of the garden, playing her violin. Teron couldn’t see anything happening to tell him what spell she was casting.
“What are you doing?” Teron asked. The music stopped as Gretta looked over her shoulder. He noticed the unfriendly glare coming from the bard and decided it was best for him to go and train.
“I’m playing music.” Gretta said, stopping Teron.
He turned around and looked confused. “I understand your playing music, but what spell are you casting?”
Gretta looked him over. He had been a threat to her friend for so long and she couldn’t shake her wariness of the boy. Still, she tried to at least not be confrontational.
“I’m not casting any spell.” Gretta said easily. “I’m just playing.”
Teron looked down at his sheathed weapons and back to her violin. “Does that count as training?”
Gretta shrugged. “I don’t know. I like the music. There doesn’t need to be any magic to enjoy what I do.”
“I see.” Teron said thoughtfully. “I apologize for the disturbance.”
He left quickly and Gretta didn’t bother stopping him. He did seem different to her but it could be an act and she wasn’t going to trust him, no matter what Dante said.
She played again, listening to the strings and bow cast a song throughout the garden. It was a sad song but she loved the way the notes melded together. It sounded like a story without words. The notes dipped low and then high, speaking to her soul of mourning and loss. The flowers around her stayed still and she pretended they were an observant audience, listening to the subtle flow of the music, entranced by its story.
She finished the song to the sound of clapping. She turned to notice that a few of the guards had been drawn to the tune. She jumped up, giving a little bow, which made the men and women laugh.
“Sometimes magic is in the simple things.” She thought as she headed back inside.
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Jasmi fought Dante hand to hand. They weren’t bothering with magic, instead working on their foundation training. They used a relatively empty room where they practiced their holds and footwork.
She weaved through Dante’s arms as he tried to find hold of her. She slapped one arm wide and moved under the other arm. She started to pivot, attempting to grab the closest arm but hadn’t realized Dante had pivoted as well and was close to her back. She ducked, causing Dante to miss again, and swept his feet from under him, causing him to fall. She tried to take advantage but Dante kicked out, hitting her thigh and causing her to fall. His legs wrapped around her and his arm snaked around her throat. She ducked her chin and used her elbow on his ribs while pushing up on his arm. He took the blows with a grunt of pain but wasn’t deterred, keeping his arms locked in place. She tapped a moment later and they were sprawled out on the ground, breathing deep.
“I thought I had you.” Jasmi said between gasps.
Dante nodded. “I couldn’t get a hold of you. I only caught you because to didn’t notice my pivot. Then you jumped from the front where my legs were.”
Jasmi sat up, narrowing her eyes at him. “So, your saying I set my self-up to fail?”
Dante sat up and shrugged. “The pivot, not so much, but trying to jump over my legs, that was a bad move. You should have come in from the side, kept control, then mount.”
Her eyes softened as she thought it over. “I tend to go for frontal attacks when I think I’m winning. It’s a good assessment.” She got up, setting into a fighter’s stance. “It won’t happen again.”
Dante smirked. “Okay. Just remember we don’t have a healer on call.”
Dante winced, remembering that Kelsi wasn’t there. Jasmi lost a little of her energy as well.
“I didn’t mean –”
Jasmi shook him off. “I know. Let’s keep practicing.”
Dante stood up, mirroring her stance. “We are going to get them back.”
Jasmi grinned. “Damn right.”