Caius looked straight at the council of wizards; the passionate light in his eyes never wavered as he spoke. The chamber where they met was grand and lofty, a perfect fitting place for the most powerful magic-wielders of Westeria. He began to speak,
"Magic is not merely a gift with which we are born to merely maintain the status quo, it is a force of infinite potential and a path towards deeper understanding of the universe. We have the power to break completely free from the confines of our limits!" "
You are standing on the edge of pride today." said the Elder Magus, a man of great wisdom and importance known only to the inner circle. His voice was deep and resonant.
"Magic has a role; and that role is in serving the balance of our world. To move beyond those Frontiers is to unleash chaos."Caius's look became even stronger; the determination on his face did not give way to anything.
"Nay! All I mean is that Different Balance, Mage, but But can you that this high altar at which we worship simply does not exist? What if the full extent of our powers could create a world free from pain, free from the limitations we now endure?"
At this, the other mages in the council exchanged uneasy glances; murmurs began to spread among them.
One of them, a younger mage with bright eyes, leaned forward.
"And what does your ideal vision for the future even mean, Caius? Are we to abandon the principles that have held us together for a thousand years? Would we pull out all stops just to see your dream fulfilled?"
The glance Caius gave the younger mage was steady;
"Yes," he said simply.
"To realize the true potential of magic, I would step the whole world on end."
The council sprawled back into silence, and the words Caius had said weighed heavy in the air.
The Elder Mage sighed, the sadness plain in his voice. "You are a brilliant mage, Caius, but you let your ambition blind you. There are some forces in our world-dark forces-that should be left undisturbed. I fear for you; it looks as though you may be taking a very dangerous road."
Deep within the stronghold of the Cult of Hestonia, the High Priestess gave an address to her followers in the heart of the hidden chamber. Enchanted flames provided faint and eerie light, While shadows shivered around the room. The cultists, draped in robes of deep crimson, continued to listen intently as she spoke.
"The time has come to rid Westeria of this blight. It will destroy Caius and his supporters unless that is accomplished." The High Priestess now spoke in a frigid and firm tone. "They are delving into supernatural forces that they do not understand, and with that, they must be oppressed."
One of the cultists came forward, his face hidden beneath the hood of his robe. "As for Your Holiness, Caius is strong. His magic is powerful, and his influence continues to grow by the day. How can we possibly hope to defeat him?"
The High Priestess, a dark smile trickling across her lips, met the cultist's eyes: "We have a magic that Caius fears above all. It will not only drain his power, but it will also abolish him. We form the last defensive line for the natural order of Westeria. We must purify this wicked world of his brand."
The cultists nodded in agreement, and there was a growing fire in their voices. The High Priestess raised her arms, and her voice became louder as she called out, "For Hestonia! For the Health of the World!"
On a desolate battlefield, the forces of Caius and the Cult of Hestonia clashed in a violent storm of magic and darkness. The sky above was torn asunder, lightning crackling through the air as spells collided with the demonic energy wielded by the cultists.
With a tussock ripped away from them by an iron wind, Caius squared in his robes with grim determination. A mighty spell was concentrated by his raised staff: "We will not be broken! "he cried, his voice piercing through the din of battle.
On the other side of the battlefield, the High Priestess laughed coldly. She raised her hand, and from the shadows surged forward a dark tendril of demonic power aimed directly at Caius. "You're nothing but a fool, Caius," she hissed. "Your ambition will destroy you."
When the two forces collided, the ground beneath them shook and the very fabric of reality seemed to twist and warp. But still the battle raged on with cries of the dying mingling together with the roaring magic.
In the end, the destruction was unimaginable. Once flourishing Westeria now lay in ruins, its lands scarred and shattered. The balance of magic which had been life and wonder itself became a curse. One man's ambition and the other's zealotry had destroyed it.
After the dust had settled, the land was re-named Hedonia, a striking reminder of that lost paradise. And in the aftermath of the Battle of the Broken Veil the world was never to be the same again.