It had been a week of learning the histories of magic for Kyjus, he sat as he always did in the Magus' study. Currently he was reading a book on a long-ago magician from the outer rim of Cirius. The great mage was a Plutarian that lived on Pluto long before the planet was in mortal danger. The book spoke of many feats that this made had accomplished, but none held Kyjus' fascination more than the creation and perfection of the Ice Golem.
He studied every facet of this summoning, about the crystal used as the reagent, about the incantation and most importantly about how this mage always felt he had not gotten the spell quite right. Something was missing the book said.
Now don't get me wrong the Golem is devastating in every way as his arms can smash through steel and its permeating aura of frost was paralyzing to nearly all but the master of the mind. There just seemed to be some ability that I am unable to fathom or master.
Kyjus perused this paragraph until he could have recited it without hesitation. An Ice Golem he said in awe, the mightiest of the mages pets. To master one was believed impossible and for some it was believed these creatures didn't even exist in true form.
This of course was a popular widespread belief, up until this particular mage proved both their existence and the mages ability to hold master over them, fact and not fiction. Or did he? Little was written or more to the point verified by anyone other than the caster of the creature. Is it lore then? Kyjus believed it to have been something real as another book written by a separate witness of the ice golem took on a special meaning for the young mage making it oh so and without a doubt real for him. It a different book written by Merlin.
Kyjus pondered, it was interesting to see that the original caster of the Ice Golem believed there to be something missing from this behemoth, some part in this equation that had not yet been tapped. He would definitely file this away as something important to come back to, of course this was all contingent upon him even being able to cast a spell or create a pet as he was still stuck in this library reading books.
He could not deny the knowledge that he was gaining but he couldn't help but feel that his time would be somewhat better served should he actually get to work with some spells and components.
The Magus must have read his mind as he exited his office and made his way over to the table, "you are reading about the Ice Golem now I see. A powerful mage indeed is needed to summon that creature. Luckily for us this particular mage was formidable in his own right. He was one of the most destructive of any of the Mages, now I don't mean in any helter skelter kind of way. He wasn't rampant or anything. He was true to the Mage code but when it came time to be destructive well it was said that none were more formidable then he."
Kyjus had questions about his readings though and he wasn't about to let them go unanswered. So, he questioned the time frame to which this was written since from what he read this legendary Frost Mage died two hundred years before Merlin was born so this made little sense. Magus Sheplin confirmed this to be true and yet he went on to say that Merlin did write it from a point of fact because he actually witnessed the entirety of the event."
Kyjus puzzled look said it all. The Magus grinned from ear to ear, with his big nose nearly being engulfed by the smile, "Well let's make that your homework for today shall we. The book you are needing is in section Q # 147. It is entitled (I Merlin, Bequeath the Universe)."
The young mage went to the shelf and retrieved the book. It was a rather large book, but the Magus shifted through it to the proper page that was needed. "Here you are young sir, here is the page. You figure out how it happened and if you do so with time left in the day, we can talk about getting in some practical application, how does that sound?
The young mage smiled and nodded his head enthusiastically. He then dove into reading this newfound lore with vim and vigor.
The image shifted to and fro as the fog filled my vision, the world came into focus more, a lone figure like a champion stood upon the hilltop as a large contingent of Orcs were lay waste to a village of Briar Elves. The elves were fighting valiantly but this was a small village, and their army was vastly outnumbered.
Something needed done about this but who or what would help the Elves to rewrite their history. I then studied the figure high up on the mountainside; he was human of normal height and build but with a confidence that would humble all but the mightiest of heroes.
I looked closer at him; I remembered this man he was the mage that came to me all those years ago in the time after the time of turmoil's that I wrote of earlier. He brought me through the dimensional portal.
I saw him briefly talk to a young female Plutarian and then he disappeared I never saw him again, I guess I now know why. I also know why newly appointed Council Leader Czelak wanted me to see this event.
I thought to materialize although I knew it would be taxing but my orders were to witness and NOT TO INTERFERE. I have learned from others that trifling with this new council leader is not wise for she is as firm and tough as she is wise.
Kyjus smiled as he read this part for although he had only met the council leader once he had very quickly come to that conclusion just from the way she carried herself in the council chambers. The young mage returned to his pages.
I watched the upcoming events with anticipation. The hands of this experienced caster began to weave in a pattern, it was a spell of course. I could not know which one as the words were lost upon the winds of the mountainside as they whipped to and fro.
Moments later I saw the boundary of Frost that wrapped around the lone figure. It was an Armor of Frost spell. From the looks of it from an accomplished Wizard or possibly a very powerful mage. I almost dismissed the later as the Armor of Frost was typically a Wizard spell especially when cast to this degree, but I did not dismiss it not it its entirety.
In fact, I embraced it for there was something about the man that stood before me that gave me extreme pause, something almost unexpected about him and the events I was sent to watch.
He was casting another spell and the depth of this new incantation increased ten-fold as did his volume. I thought to myself quiet you fool your attracting attention you do not want. For which he was definitely was as a group of orcs broke away from the main pact, at least a score strong. They were crossing toward the stranger and were now mere fifty feet from his position.
Then I looked more closely at the casting he was certainly a mage I could tell by the Lapis Lazuli that he held tightly in his hand. I knew then this was a powerful foe these Orcs were about to face, and I was pretty sure that even though I believed an increase in intensity of casting may have been necessary for the spell, this display was well past the needed norm and was mostly meant to capture the attention of the invaders.
In what seemed like hours but in reality, was but a few scant seconds the spell finally reached its crescendo. The mage, Copernicus, for that was indeed his name, I realized this completely now had finished his spell and stood stoically. Seconds went by, had the spell failed was he to meet his doom. I dismissed the thought as soon as it came into my mind. This mage was powerful he did not fizzle spells.
It was then, with his foe just twenty feet away, the ground beneath his feet exploded upward. It was an elemental, a water one I thought at first from the color and then I looked again something was off about this newly summoned creature.
Then I came to realize my error, it was a water golem in theory but in practice it was clear this water was frozen. Our friend had just summoned an ICE GOLEM.
It couldn't be I thought to myself these were myth, naught but fantasy that a Magus tells his pupil to propel them into greatness, but here this creature stood some twelve feet tall, its arms as big a gnome. It roared and the Orcs gave pause.
The beast then turned towards it master, did the orcs get a break perhaps? The creature kneeled down in front of Copernicus. He mumbled a few words I could not hope to here and then placed the tiny blue jewel in the forehead of the creature.
The mage then pointed behind the Golem to the Orcs who, thinking that perhaps their spellcasting friends cast this creature as help to them, now renewed their attack with all vigor. Their relief was short lived however as the Ice Golem took its right arm and in a forward motion across his body swatted the nearest five orcs as if they were gnats.
The two that were struck directly by the creature, froze as the flew the fifteen or so feet shattering into hundreds of pieces as they struck the mountains side.
With a quickness that defied his size the golem brought his left arm in a sweeping motion across its body in the other direction. The result was similar to the first strike as now four Orcs were sent flying and again two shattered as they struck the ground.
I chuckled as I stood there watching this creature. This was enough for the orcs as they now quickly sought to get out of the creatures way. Not an easy feat we were both finding out as the creature followed with relative ease smashing them into the ground crippling or killing several with each strike.
The mage laughed as he too waged into the throng of battle casting spell after spell. There was ray of frost, ice missiles, ice bolts, an ice storm or perhaps even two it was tough to tell as they all were blending together and to be honest much of my time was spent watching the breathtaking creature that was created moments earlier from virtual nothingness.
Things were getting intense now as the orcs, totally out of character, were coming in waves and counterattacks that belayed their intelligence. The mage in the fray saw it too but as quick as it started the plan was foiled as he through up a semi-circular wall of ice.
This wall was impenetrable, ten foot in radius from its caster and perfectly protected one hundred and eighty degrees of the mages posterior position.
His foe only had one way to reach him and that was from his front or front sides. The flanking position was no longer accessible and although there were still near one hundred orcs left, I knew the outcome of this battle.
The Elven contingent that was left rallied to the mage and within minutes the orcs either lay dead or were fleeing.
It was then that a large shadow caught my eye. Sitting high upon the mountain top in the distance a large red dragon roared and took flight but in a surprising turn of events the foe flew away from the village and not toward it.
The image shifted to and fro as the fog filled my vision, the world came into focus once more I sat back within my study, smoking my pipe I smiled knowing the value of what I learned this day.
The young mage read this section of Merlin's book numerous times and he finally believed that he he knew what was going on in this story. It was definitely a bizarre theory he was weaving, however bizarre seemed to be the norm of late.
Right on queue the magus came out and took a chair by his student. "Well, what have you come up with", he asked of his young student.
"Well sir, and I know this is going to sound crazy, but it sounds to me like Merlin was time scrying."
Magus laughed. "That is crazy and bizarre young master, however that is exactly what Merlin was doing. For you see any decent caster can scry on their subject but every now and then a good Wizard or an exceptional mage can do a little more. With the proper reagents, knowledge, and concentration on their subjects, a spellcaster may literally travel to a specific period in time and observe a person, event, or both. Excellent work young master, well a deal is a deal, what so you, shall we get to some practical application"?
Kyjus of course readily agreed.