Winding stairs hugged the inside walls of the old mages tower. Spiralling up in a never ending exercise. Shir had grown use to the climb. She would often visit the young mage, especially when they were both kids. She used to watch Tonies lessons that the older mage would school. Teaching him and the joining Princess the importance of using magic and its spells for the good of the people. The old court mage would also tell old fairy tales of mages who used their spells for greed. How they would send an unbalance with the magic around then when they played with dark forces.
The old court mage would explain the devastation that would be sent to the mage and the people around them. A curse was usually the result of the misfortunes when magic is mistreated. He would use these tails to explain the oath that evert court mage would have to take before the trianing even begins. An oath that promises that the skills that they will learn will only ever be used for the good of the innocent. To bind their service to help and guide those who had unfortunate events with magic or her creatures.
Bringing this unfortunate boy to Toney is only a daily task. Eoviet had been a victim of a magical being, said to have no eyes and breath fire. "Toney should be able to help, the poor boy even acts like he's lost some general knowledge. Maybe that beast blocked some of his memories?" Shir thought, waiting patiently for the unfit boy to climb the towering stairs. "Just a little more to go" Shir grinned, trying to encourage him. With a panting breath, Eoviet spoke tiredly.
"I'm not used to this much walking" he admitted, holding onto the hand rail as if it was the only thing keeping him up.
"I know" the Princess giggled with her tone, "I used to be like that whenever I wanted to visit, Toney, you'll get used to it once you've done it like ten times". Eoviet just nodded, sloppily climbing behind her as they eventually made it to the old doors. With a knock, Shir waited for Toney to call them in. Only to hear a grumbling and irritated voice call back.
"I've requested for no interruptions! Someone better be dying-" Toney huffed angrily as he opened the door only for his eyes to light up in greeting. "Ah, Princess, what brings you out of your hunting trip early?" Toney asked, his eyes narrowed in concern when he saw the malnourished boy huffing for air behind her.
"We may need your help" Shir explained, holding a hand out for Eoviet. Helping him up and into Tonies lab.
"You don't say, what happened to you? You poor boy" Toney asked, his tone gentle now. Shir looked over at all of the different ingredients and notes he had scattered on his work bench. That new and old notebook open on a page with only two and very rare ingredients drawn on.
"Depending on what you mean, a lot" Eoviet answered with a nervous grin. Toney nodded as he grabbed a few herbs and began to brew a potion for him.
"You look like you hadn't eaten in days! Are you even from here?" Toney asked with a bit too much of a blunt tone. Eoviet just shifted nervously, fiddling with the hem of his robe. "Alright, alright" Toney shrugged and handed him a potion that was deep green in colour. "Drink this, it will help restore health and encourage your body to build up muscle again" he explained with a happy grin. Eoviet smiled back gratefully. After taking a small sip his winced, his face contorting as if the potion tasted bitter.
"What is in this?" Eoviet asked, now more spectical, "it tastes like algae". With that comment, Toney chuckled before explaining.
"Yes, herbs can be bitter but I've never heard someone compare it to algae before" the mage patted his shoulders. Eoviet shrugged before downing the whole thing with a reluctant gulp. Handing the bottle back as he made a face as the potion was not a desirable tast.
"I've also brought him here because he's seen the monster from last night, heard of it?" Shir mentioned, watching as Toney tried to tidy his desk up. It didn't work, his desk was always in a constant state of messy notes and stray ingredients.
"Have I?" Toney huffed, "only had a guard bang on my door last night. The King had summoned me to see if I knew what it was from a vague discretion alone". The young mage rolled his eyes in a frustration, Shir knew he hated having his sleep interrupted more than she did.
"Well, Eoviet here may know a little more" Shir gestured to the boy, who looked timid already.
"Attacked by it?" Toney guessed, sitting down to listen, "but I am going to be honest, I doubt I know a creature that can breath fire of that size".
"Umm" Eoviet hesitated, Shir saw him take a breath before explaining his experience, "well, you see it was dark so making out its form wasn't easy. Especially in a rush" he shrugged before continuing, "it did resemple a giant bat".
"A glint bat?" Toney narrowed his eyes in thought, reaching to his books before grabbing a large and older one. Flipping through the pages he showed the image of a literal, giant bat. One that was the size of a horse, Shir recognised it as a vampires familiar. She only ever heard stories of them. "This may be it but I've never heard of one that could breath fire" Toney mused but before he could think any further, Eoviet cleared his throat.
"No, not an actual bat" he spoke softly, almost doubting himself. "It looked like one but with scales and a longer tale, it's ears were also horn like" he tried to gesture to the shape he was talking about but it didn't help much.
"Scales?!" Toney echoed, his eyes narrowed in questioning. "So fire breathing, scales, horns and a long tale? If I didn't know any better I would say you and the guards were high of some shrooms! What you're describing is a dragon and dragons do not exist!" Toney seemed almost offended. Shir felt like she could understand, after all dragons were only a myth, the evil entities in child's story books.
"So, then what is it?" Eoviet hesitantly asked, looking at the book again.
"Your guess is as good as mine" Toney sighed, handing him the book, "whatever it is, it breaths fight". Shir thought for a moment, thinking over this bat like beast before a realisation hit.
"Hey, Eoviet" Shir called, to which the smaller boy looked up with a nod. "Didn't you say you saw the thing fly over the valley? Over the tallest wall?" She asked, where he nodded again, his tone slightly hushed.
"Yeah, it flew that way, couldn't see much else, sorry" he apologised but then bussied himself with the book. Eoviet looked amused as he read over the first few beasts he saw.
"Toney" Shir turned her gaze back to the mage, "isn't that where the volcano is? I mean, don't you think it's strange that a beast like that would fly to the volcano that apparently has all of these ruins?". Shir almost, immediately regretted bring that up when Toney grinned wider and his eyes shined with a deep interest.
"Interesting theory! Princess" the young mage pulled out his note book, labeled "The Volcano Ruins". "So what you're saying is that you think this beast is linked to the volcano?" He asked, Shir nodded in thought for a moment. In the corner of her eyes she could see that Eoviet had his head titled in a confusion.
"It's a thought, I mean, we've only just discovered the ruins and now this thing pops up out of nowhere and immediately flies there?" Shir shrugged. Not wanting to go in too deep, knowing that Toney would be writing and studying theory after theory.
"Oh and may I ask" Shir started, wanting to ask about this now rather than leaving it for later and inevitably forgetting about it.
"Yes, Princess?" Toney asked but was still writing down a few ideas.
"Why would you invite me to the expedition when my father had explicitly told the Montes kingdom to not go near. Stating that it was too dangerous?" She asked, her tone full of confusion and curiosity.
Toney raised an eyebrow, his own confusion and curiosity forming into his dusty green eyes. "So the King doesn't want our new allies to find out about our discoveries, ey? Ooo, I do wonder what King Arvin is planning now" an excited grin formed on his face as he went back to noting down his ideas. Shir nodded slowly, he was right if her father didn't want them to know the new discoveries then he is planning something.
"Interesting- also I have another concern for our friend here" Shir shook her head to put her head back on track. No use in wondering about the King's affairs when she's inevitably going to find out once her father gives her the orders.
"More? Form our mysterious friend here?" Toney asked, causing Shir to frown in a confusion. Sure he's malnourished in a kingdom where food can literally be plucked from the ground everywhere but what makes him mysterious? Even Eoviet titled his head, looking up from where he was reading about the Alerion. A hawk or egal that had no beak or talons, Shir always thought they were pitiful animals.
"Well, no offence, Eoviet but you seem to have chucks of missing memories, like I saw you being so mesmerised by the sky" Shir expressed her concerns. Eoviet raising an eyebrow in a confusion but then giving an awkward but agreeing nod.
"Oh, I see" Toney set his notebook down and walked closer to inspect the boy. His lifted his chin to inspect his eyes, "well, you do have some kind of feel. I doubt you would be able to feel it, Princess but he does have some kind of magical influence on him just a very small one maybe" Toney nodded to himself.
"A-a magical influence?" Eoviet had his eyes widened in a bit of fear, "what does that mean?".
"It means you are either under the influence of a spell or you are cursed" Toney explained, unlocking a cupboard that held his crystals. His tone was far too calm and casual to explain something as scary as being cursed to him.
"Cursed!?" Eoviet echoed, looking at Shir then at Toney then back and forth.
"It's only a possibility" Toney hummed, grabbing a larger crystal that was a storm blue. It even had a few blue lightning bolts trapped inside, striking to where Toney touched like a curious creature. "Just hold still, I can have any spell, curse or even potion influence reveal itself" Toney explained as he sat next to the timid boy. Holding the crystal forward, the young mage muttered a hushed chanting under his breath. His eyes closed as he focused. A chant very different than the one Shir heard in her dream, which was a relif for the Princess. At least she knew it couldn't be a spell, maybe?
After opening his eyes, Toney shot his hand forward. The energy of the crystal forming in his hands as it pulsed around the Prince only to immediately zap back into its crystal cave. Toney frowned, a formal concern on his expression. "Good news and bad news" the mage patted the boys shoulder.
"Urr, bad news first?" Eoviet sheepishly smiled, clearly not having a good feeling about this.
"Well, whatever this spell or curse is, I am unable to have it reveal itself. Whoever set this, made it so powerful that it runs within your blood, sorry" Toney tried patting his shoulder again.
Eoviet now looked horrified, many thoughts were clearly racing through this boys mind. "A-and the g-good news?" He chocked on his words as he asked.
"Well... we now know you are under the influence of magic" Toney grinned, "it's good new for me at least! I get to study it!" His grin grew wider, excitment in his eyes.
"Toney!" Shir sighed deeply as she face palmed.
"What?" The mage had a slight pout, looking over at the Princess as he picked up a new notebook.
"What have we said about delivering devastating news?" Shir asked, crossing her arms as she glared up at him.
"Don't talk to me like I'm some child" Toney rolled his eyes, writing down the few things he now knows about Eoviet's condition. "He's alive and I can fix this" the mage promised, keeping his crystal out.
"But I could be cursed!" Eoviet shouted out, his tone wobbled as he thought over the idea. It almost shocked the Princess, for the short hours she had known him, he had always been so quiet and timid. She didn't expect him to snap out loud like that. But he is right, he could be cursed, a curse that runs within his blood.