As the king's persecution of magicians intensified, many began to flee the kingdom, seeking refuge in distant lands. But one magician, Helen, remained, hidden in plain sight among the king's maid servants. She was a powerful sorceress, with magic that rivaled that of the ancient Eldrid. And she had a secret: she had been searching for a way to cure the land, to restore the life force that had been drained from it.
Every night, Helen will sneak into the ancient temple, seeking a clue, a hint, a spell that could reverse the curse. And every night, she performed incantations, using her magic to try and heal the land.
But it was a dangerous game she played. If the king were to discover her true identity, her life would be forfeit. And yet, she could not give up. She was driven by a fierce determination to save the land, to restore the beauty and vitality that had once been Valtor's pride.
One night, as she delved deeper into the temple, Helen stumbled upon an ancient text, hidden away in a secret chamber. It was a spell, a powerful incantation that spoke of banishing the darkness, of restoring the light. And at its heart, was a single word: Eldrid.
Helen's heart raced as she realized the truth. The Tome of Eldrid, the source of the curse, was also the key to its undoing. And she, with her magic, was the only one who could wield it.
Helen stood in the sacred chamber, her eyes fixed on the pedestal where the Tome of Eldrid once lay. The pedestal was adorned with intricate carvings, symbols of protection and preservation, designed to keep the Tome's power contained. She raised her hands, and her voice echoed through the chamber:
"Επιστρέψον εις την θέσιν σου, Τόμος του Ελδρίδ, παύσων απο την καταστροφή, παύσων απο τον θάνατον."
(Transliteration: Epistrepsón eis tin thesin sou, Tomos tou Eldrid, pauson apo tin katastrophin, pauson apo ton thanaton.)
Translation: "Return to your place, Tome of Eldrid, cease from destruction, cease from death."
As she spoke the words, her magic surged forward, attempting to summon the Tome back to its rightful place. The air seemed to vibrate with energy, and the symbols on the pedestal glowed with a faint light. But despite her efforts, the Tome did not appear. It was as if Gaius's dark magic had created a barrier, preventing the Tome from returning to its sacred home.
Helen's eyes narrowed, her determination growing. She would not be deterred. She tried again, her voice rising in intensity:
"Επιστρέψον εις την θέσιν σου, Τόμος του Ελδρίδ, ακούσων την φωνήν μου, παύσων απο την καταστροφή!"
(Transliteration: Epistrepsón eis tin thesin sou, Tomos tou Eldrid, akouson tin foni mou, pauson apo tin katastrophin!)
Translation: "Return to your place, Tome of Eldrid, hear my voice, cease from destruction!"
Again, her magic surged forward, but the Tome remained elusive, its power still in the grasp of the dark sorcerer Gaius.
Helen's face set in a fierce determination, she vowed to continue her quest to reclaim the Tome and restore balance to the land.
Helen would sneak out of the King's maids quarters every night, when everyone had fallen into deep sleep. But this fateful night , instead of sneaking into the ancient temple, she made her way to the mountain, rumored to be the dwelling place of the spirit of Eldrid. The mountain was shrouded in darkness, but Helen pressed on, her heart pounding in her chest.
"Eldrid, oh Eldrid," she whispered, using the ancient Greek spell and incantations she had learned from her mother. "Appear before me, I beseech thee."
As she turned to leave, a great wind swept through the mountain, almost throwing her off balance. And then, an old man with a walking stick appeared before her. He was the spirit of Eldrid, and his eyes gleamed with an otherworldly light.
"Eldrid?" Helen asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
But the spirit forbade her, "I forbid you to call me by my name, I made a promise to Maudie."
And Helen was more surprised to hear her mother's name mentioned, "you know my mother?"
"I know her, young one, she, amongst all magicians knows where her loyalty lies," replied the spirit, at the foot of the mountain
The dark mountain because it was night, now glow with light all around it.
"What promise?" Helen asked with confusion
"I promised her that the ancient power of the old will never depart from her household, in return you shall be faithful to me," replied the unearthly voice of the spirit of Eldrid
"Faithful to you? My mother never mentioned you to me except that she told me to go to the mountain of Eldrid if I face difficult situation," Helen explained as she recall her mother's words.
"Why have you come to see me, young one, Helen?" The spirit asked
Helen was shocked to hear him call her by her name, "you know my name?"
"I do, speak at once!" He commanded
"The land is cursed, the tome of Eldrid is stolen, people are dying, please save the land of valtor," Helen pleaded
"Your king is ignorant, he crossed boundaries, how can he destroy what formed the foundations of Valtor?" The spirit asked
"I understand that the king might have acted in ignorance, please great one, help us, Gaius..." The spirit cut her in, knowing what she wants to say, her fears
"I know what Gaius did, but Gaius can be tamed, your king's ignorance cannot be tamed," he replied
"What do I do? I can't watch many lives be destroyed because of what Gaius in his greed has done," Helen pleaded further
"You shall make me a promise, Helen, a great child will come into this land, promise me that you will protect her even with your life," the spirit said, his voice commanding.
"A child? Will I give birth to a child?" Helen asked with greater confusion as the maid servants of the king do not marry unless the king's approves which doesn't happen all the time.
"You will not give birth to her, she will come to you, but until the times are fulfilled, you must give me your word," he demanded
"I do not know the child you speak of, but I will protect her, I promise, what about our land?" Helen asked further
"Come back in two days, and I shall give you the book," he nodded, his eyes gleaming with approval.
"But how? Gaius has it.."Helen inquired
"Leave the great things for me, you made me a promise and one day I shall keep you to it," the spirit said, with his voice low and mysterious and disappeared.
And Helen saw the light no more as everywhere became dark again and putting on her covers, she ran back to the palace and upon entering the maids quarters, she lay down in her bed, her mind racing with questions and doubts. But she knew that she had to trust the spirit of Eldrid, for the sake of the people she love and the king she serve.