I just wanted to explore the world.
See its beauty, relish the experience of discovery; at least, a discovery new to me. But even that seemed to be a tall order. As soon as I received my apprenticeship honours from the village leader, my dear mother was bewitched as she ventured to the mountains. They told me not a single person has ever awakened from a bewitchment, that after twelve years, the souls of those bewitched will be snuffed as tribute to the gods. They told me this was divine retribution. That this was fate, and if not for her going up to the mountains to pray to her false deities, she would still be alive. But she was alive…
She is alive.
They say that a person has never awakened from a bewitchment, but what does that matter to me? I'll find a way to snap her out of it before the day of tribute!
So much vigour, and for what.
That was three years ago.
I have grown from my meagre adolescent self, graduating from the academy with distinction becoming a caster at the ripe age of 16. They have great hope for me, I was the youngest person in this village to achieve caster status. Some even say I'm the youngest in the whole of Iron Heart country.
Back then, hearing that, I felt that I was unstoppable. With my esteemed knowledge of the occult, I thought I would be able to study the bewitchment phenomenon and quickly bring her back, becoming the first person to cure this bewitchment phenomenon. But now, at 20, I truly see how naive I was.
My optimism, vain and baseless.
My honour and pride, laughable.
Truly a child's fantasy.
The first year out of the academy, I decided to observe my mother in her bewitched state, noting down anything I thought to be important. But after a full year, I recognized the fruitlessness of my efforts. The bewitchment phenomenon was essentially a uniform and eternal sleep. Throughout all my observations, the only constant that remained was that her condition was, in itself, constant. There wasn't a break in her breathing, a change in rhythm of her heartbeat, there wasn't even the slightest of movement. If her warm body and heaving chest were to be ignored, she was akin to a corpse.
I wanted to experiment but due to the rarity of this phenomenon, I couldn't even find a suitable test subject; besides my mother that is.
Observe. Hypothesise. Experiment.
These were the bases of being a caster. As much as it was related to the occult and mysteries of this world, its approach was relatively scholastic. At least that's what they thought us back in the academy. But with these steps being unfulfillable, I was stuck. No way to proceed forward, nor the knowledge necessary to know where to advance to. I haven't felt this helpless in a long time.
When I was assessed and received my apprenticeship honours from the village leader, I thought my life was going to change forever. That I would get to see the world beyond this village. But fate was cruel and my desires insignificant.
If observation was useless, I might as well try becoming an apothecary. Each week I'd go up the mountains, collecting different herbs, some I saw in the apothecary diaries, some I took on a whim. Studying their effects, I mixed and matched effects I thought could bring her back.
Seeing their promising talent going up the mountains, as his mother did back in the day, the villagers started rumours. Some said I went up there to test out high level sequences, others said I was paying tribute to the same deities my mother did. Even the village leader came and tried to dissuade me form going up to the mountains, but I didn't listen. That man was simply a sly old fox who has a knack for politics. Many times, had he tried to send me to the annual caster gathering held in the capital, but I refused Bastard even tried to arrange a marriage between me and his daughter. But I ignored him.
I ignored them all.
At least I tried to. Though at first these rumours didn't get to me, as time passed, I recognised how cruel of a life my mother had been living. Due to her going up to the mountains, the village had subtly ostracized her. Spreading all kinds of rumours, spreading all kinds of lies. Yet, my mother endured it all with a gentle smile. Why? Wouldn't it have been easier to leave this village?
My question remained unanswered, the silence fanning the flames of my frustration and disgust.
Disgust towards the village.
If I weren't such a talented caster, what would they have? That question haunts me sometimes, but at the level I was that was an irrational fear.
Some years passed, and the gods finally showed me their favour. After all, from the mighty cosmic to the smallest ant, we were all their creations.
Five years till the day of tribute, on the very mountains I collected herbs from, I found the answers to my plea. A rugged cave, dark and destitute. The air, cool and breezy. I chanced upon it on one of my ventures looking for herbs. Hidden behind dense shrubs, I saw it by accident. Noticing how the air was moving deeper inside, I decided to explore it with the apothecary diary in hard. After all, it was in places like these rare herbs were found; as told in the diaries.
Using the power of the mysteries, I conjured up a ball of light to illuminate the darkness and moved in deeper.
Marking the walls of the cave with an illumination rune, I went deeper and deeper, eventually picking up the sound of running water. At its end a large cave with a vast stream of running water, dividing it into two came into view.
Thanks to the spark ores naturally found in the cave, there was ample light allowing me to see the cave in all its glamour. Green moss covered the majority of its walls, giving it beauty and much needed colour.
But my eyes had already found a peculiarity, the figure of a person sitting against the wall on the opposite side of the cave.
Using the mysteries to aid me over the turbulent water, I landed next to find a blue cloaked skeleton with moss covering some parts of its body, its hands tightly clutching onto an old, dust layered black hardcover book, the same kind of cover used on research journals.
With little expectation, I pried the book out of the skeleton's hands before flipping through its pages. Its contents centralized around the research of forgotten runes, in particular the time rune.
Time rune?
Wait…
As I flipped through the pages, the more I was left at a loss for words, after all, this journal was one that was related to the time rune!!! With this, couldn't I save mother? How can she be bewitched if she never went into the mountains that day. If I'm actually able to do this, haven't I essentially cured her of her ailment???
A lot of ideas flashed through my mind but before anything I first needed to finish reading the research journal. As it was unfinished, there could be many problems; misinterpretations. Ranging from rune to text misinterpretations, these were the leading dangers associated with ancient text. Given the state of its incompleteness even the journal itself warned of these misinterpretations. Shining light on the dangers of the occult.
That said, if overcome, the reward would astronomically outweigh the dangers.
With renewed hope I studied the texts, fully digested the entirety of the research journal with just three years left till the day of tribute. Not only did it have knowledge on ancient text, natural laws, mysteries, and knowledge of the occult, but it also contained entries from Lord Zachery, the author.
A true genius that achieved caster status at the age of nine… and they say I was a genius. From all his entries though, what really struck me was the reason for his research. As fate would have it, he too wanted to save his daughter that was also afflicted by the bewitchment phenomenon.
Fate really had a sense of humour.
Even till his death, he couldn't find the last piece of the sequence he needed to transverse the river of time and rewrite fate. Then it just so happened that the person who found his life's work was in his exact same predicament. The first time I read that, I laughed till tears fell. Not ones from laughter, but of pain. This cruel, cruel world that treated everyone equal.
Even the great Lord Zachery, a genius seen once in a millennium, died with vain efforts. So, what was I? An ignorant fool? My purpose a wishful joke? That thought still haunts me; but now, it doesn't matter anymore, for I've already made my decision. The country folk of Iron Heart were said to be courageous, their wills strong, and enduring.
I agree.
And so, I shall endure. I shall persevere. I shall remove the shackles of fate that bind me and transvers through the river of time. And if I can't? Then I shall die knowing I did everything that I could for the sake of my family.
. . .
-Present day-(half a year till the day of tribute)
'Another failure, a couple more of those and it makes my fiftieth attempt. But all those weren't without their merits… I'm so close, I just know it. I just can't seem to figure out the last piece of the sequence… that and the mental burden is too much for me to bare but who cares about that.'
The theory works so what could be the problem?
The complex sequence needed my full and undivided attention, yet there were so many components to pay attention to, my mind can't handle the strain.
*Knock*Knock*Knock*
The door rang.
I went to the window to see who it was.
'Melonie? What does she want?'
She, the daughter of the village leader, has been trying to get close to me under the push of her father. That man surely has no apprehensions, using his own daughter as a tool for politics to tie me to this village, all so that the it can attract the attention of the capital. The village that I thoroughly despise. If I had gone mad, not a single person would have been spared from my wrath. The wages of their sin were greater than what simple death could pay off.
'I need to quickly finish my research before I go mad…', I let out a laugh. I was being completely serious and that scared me.
Opening the door, unlike the usual benign chit chat, Melonie notified me that I had to appear by her father's side at once as the first Prince of the Iron Heart country would be arriving shortly.
'What?'
This was too sudden. Activating a concealment charm on my abode I unwillingly arrived by the leader's side; his home, shortly after, visited by the expected first Prince. Even before he and his entourage entered, I could feel the thick presence of the occult that emanated from a casters body.
'Fools.'
Those that displayed their strength so blatantly were sure to meet misfortune. I myself had to concoct a particular sequence that dispersed the presence of the occult around me, making it seem as though my connection to the mysteries was faint. This decision was made due to the village leader persistently asking me to go the annual caster gathering. Not that I ever planned on going there, but if someone sufficiently strong enough and had sufficient influence over the country was to come here, wouldn't they force me to come under the kingdom's rule?
*Creak*
The old door was slowly opened, the first Prince and his high guards coming into full view. Their appearance dark and secretive, their presence lofty and domineering; an undertone of unknown danger lurking within.
To regular people, they must look like gods.
To me?
Equals… No, it might just be the arrogance talking but I was stronger.
How twisted, my impossible pursuit had landed me at the upper echelon of casters in the whole of Iron Heart country.
"Caster Prince Adam, it's my honour to accommodate you on this fortuitous day." The village leader bowed; his flattery as obvious as the black in the night sky.
"Village leader Ronel, I hope you've made the preparations we've requested." Caster Prince Adam asked, seemingly uninterested by the flattery.
"Yes, sire. I have prepared everything as per your specifications." The village leader said, his bowed in servitude.
"Good..." replied the Caster Prince, his eyes drifting away from the village leader towards Melonie and me. Noticing this, the village leader urged his daughter forward. "This is my daughter Melonie." He said with a big smile, presenting her like a trophy.
"It's an honour to meet you Caster Prince Adam." Her voice, soft and pleasing; so too was her appearance.
Yet in the face of such beauty, Caster Prince Adam remained unmoved, simply nodding his head before turning towards me. Sensing the faint presence of the occult, his eyes narrowed, but soon after relaxed.
"Is he the one you spoke of?" he asked calmly.
Elated, the village leader answered, "Yes, your highness. The pearl of our village, achieving caster status at the age of thirteen."
The Caster Prince's eye brows rose in intrigue.
"I heard your mother was bewitched and that you've been looking for a cure. Have you made any progress?", his tone, calm yet demanding an answer.
"I haven't."
He sighed; it was apparent he was quite interested in it. That was odd as only those who had a reason to be concerned were. Could it be that someone from the royal family was afflicted by the bewitchment phenomena?
"Stay strong young caster, you may be our only hope…"
Saying that, he turned to the village leader and ordered him to show them the way.
Once everyone left, I was finally back at my home, my mind wondering over the current matter. From what the village leader told us, the Caster Prince was on a manhunt for a dangerous criminal. That in and of itself rose so many questions, like was the criminal a Caster or not? A man or a woman? How strong were they? If their crime is theft, what did they steal? Knowledge? Power? Artifacts?
If in the off chance the criminal has something useful, shouldn't I go after them?
Going of that train of thought, it wouldn't hurt to investigate a little now, would it? Thankfully I've already laid out a large-scale surveillance formation on and around this village, if the criminal is anywhere within it, then it's a done deal.
Activating the formation, I gain an almost omnipresent view of the village and its surrounding.
'Would you look at that…', I thought seeing three things at once. The first image was that of two members of the Caster Prince's party heading deep into the mountains. The second image was that of a third-party member, hidden in a vail of darkness observing a house in our village.
My house.
And the third was that of the Caster Prince discussing with his party the importance of the mission; feeding me important context of the situation.
. . .
"But we can't be sure that the seed will bring him out of the bewitchment." Said the caster, looking at the Caster Prince with concern.
"The oracle said that the seed will be used to accomplish the impossible. We simply have to try, or else father will face the day of tribute. You know as much as I do, he is the only reason the Gold Horn and Bronze gate countries haven't attacked, if he falls, then so does Iron Heart. We simply have to get the seed. No matter the cost, we must take it under out possession!"
. . .
The conversation between Caster Prince Adam and his subordinates continued, but I was still reeling from the shock of what I just heard.
'The seed can accomplish the impossible?'
My mind repeated those words over and again. This was what I've been waiting for. My whole life has led up to this moment, to this decision. Do I take the seed, or do I not?
I tried to rationalize my way out of it. The day of tribute for mother was only a six months away, could another seed appear in that span of time? Could they make a cure using the seed's power in that span of time? If they did, would they share it with me?
A lot of thoughts flashed through my mind, but they were all over shadowed.
'If I can get the sequence to work, then that solves everything. Mother, the governor, it solves everything!'
But I was conflicted. If the sequence failed, then not only am I dooming mother but the Iron Heart country as well. In my desperation, I tried to think back to mother. Her smile, her gentle tone. Her warm demeanour. Yet, they ostracized her! Cursed her name!
How foolish of me to even debate this. Like they've ever done anything for me! From the beginning, we had always been alone! So why should I concern my self with them? For all I care, Iron Heart country can be wiped off the face of this earth!
With a heart that rang loud, I hurried over to the coat rack where a familiar blue cape hung. The cape I had taken from Lord Zackery, now one of my most prized artifacts.
Activating the sequence that had been imbued into the cape, my body gained the familiar ghastly visage, the light from the lanterns passing through me as if I was never there.
Using the power of the cape, I made it out without alerting the hidden caster that monitored my abode.
I had decided, I would do whatever it takes to get the seed.
Whatever it takes, after all, the river of time is where sins are washed away.
. . .
Following the two caster that were in the mountains with the use of the large formation, I closed in the distance, carful as to not alert the two.
"Is this it?" said one of the men, staring at the dead tree in front of them.
"The coordinates given by the oracle match so it must be…" said the other, preparing the necessary materials to bring about mysteries hidden behind the vail.
Once their preparation was finished, the ritual of lifting the vail commenced. Spells were cast, and even a sequence was formed. By the end, a ghastly vail slowly appeared over the dead tree, one that was promptly destroyed by one of the casters, revealing within vibrant and crimson leaves that radiated with the aura of the mysteries. On one of the branches a crimson fruit hung, the aura of the occult concentrating around it almost becoming tangible, enough that even I who was a fair distance away felt its depth.
"The seed!", the three thought in unison
One of the Casters brought out a black sack made of animal skin and slowly enclosed the fruit within it, making sure to contain the aura of the mysteries completely before plucking it out of the branch it hung on.
Sensing the seed be plucked away, the previously vibrant colour of the leaves slowly faded as they fell onto the ground one by one.
"Let's go back, time is of the essence."
They two turned back and making their way back to the village.
'It's now or never!'
I activated the sequences that floated around my arm causing them to spin. Since their sequence weren't active, this was the best chance to get the seed. I rushed forth, but just then something unexpected happened.
From within the ground, thick black veins sprouted out, latching onto the limbs of the caster carrying the seed before other veins came piercing and wrapping around his body.
A high-level caster, nurtured by the kingdom to protect the kingdom, couldn't even let out a cry before the light in his eyes vanished.
What a tragic fate.
Seeing his comrade die in such a way, the second caster gasped in the cold mountain air activating the sequence around his arm. Suddenly, a wave of heat spread through the area, scorching the surrounding fauna to ash, forcing away the veins that tried to take back the seed.
Three contenders, one prize.
Grabbing hold of the bag, the caster quickly escaped, his speed now astronomically faster than before. But so were we!
I followed from a distance keeping up with his pace while the veins kept shooting out of the ground creating obstacles as well as attacks towards the caster.
Yet under all that pressure, he maneuvered himself out of harm's way, prioritizing the seed above all else.
'What a capable man…', If this kept on, he was sure to make it out of the mountain range. I can't have that now, can I?
Pushing my hands in his direction, a sharp force was released, cutting apart everything in its way and appearing in front of the man in a single breath's time.
Instinctively, the man raised his arm in defence but it wasn't enough!
The force sliced through his arm and landed on his chest, leaving behind a gruelling gnash!
The man screamed in anguish, but he couldn't stop! Dodging the veins that continuously attacked him, he sent out a wave of heat that scorched the surrounding. This time not even the veins were spared from damage!
Ash and smoke filled the air.
Creating a force field to protect myself, I inadvertently revealed my location from the interaction of my force field and his heat wave.
Locating my position, the man blitzed towards me, punching my force field with his flaming fist, his mouth gripping the bag containing the seed!
Crack!
From just one attack, my defence had weakened, cracks webbing its surface! One more and I done for. Sending another slash, I backed away, deactivating the sequence imbued into my cloak in a bid to conserve my power.
The second slash landed, leaving an even deeper gnash than the one before. As he yelled out in pain, the bag that carried the seed fell as veins wrapped around both the man's body and the seed.
Screaming even more violently than before, the man readied himself to detonate another violent heat wave.
Reacting fast, I encased both the man and the seed in a force field; pulling the seed towards me. The veins that had latched onto it were instantly cut upon the formation of the field, but more followed.
The man on the other hand, pulsed with power before a loud explosion rang out. A sonic blast was created, pushing and disorienting me! But I had defeated him, encased in the force field, the man's body had turned a black charred colour, blood seeping out the countless cracks in his skin.
'His dead?' Just as I thought that, a penetrative force pierced my side. The severed arm of the man had delivered one last attack. On top of that, a searing sensation spread across my body!
'Poison!'
I need to get back quickly!
Pulling out the harm from my side, I used a force field to null the blood loss. Using a combination of a force field and force slashes, I escaped the ceaseless chase of the veins, quickly returning to my abode. With my current condition, I didn't have much time left!
As soon as I entered my research area, I was shocked to see the Caster Prince holding my papers. His eyes wide in shock! Just as he sensed my presence, his eyes lifting from the paper towards me, I detonated a force wave from my body. The whole of the second floor was obliterated. My years of research, gone within seconds.
Breaking the protection charm I had made years ago; a large protection field was created around my house!
*Boom*
A collision sounded outside.
Looking outside, the Caster Price as well as his party were seen, unleashing countless mystical attacks, shaking the foundation of the protection field. Yet, the field sustained!
As the seconds passed, Panic could be seen latching onto Caster Prince Adam's face.
'Ten.. No, six minutes! I only have six minutes before the protection field is breeched!'
Working quickly, I sat down cross legged, the seed in my hand, scorching pain in my body, but I must forge on!
Seeing this, Caster Prince Adam yelled out, "Stop! You don't know what you're doing! You plan on going back right? It won't work! The runes! You've m-"
His lips moved ominously but I had already stablished an auditory isolation sphere around me, blocking out all the noise of this world. I wasn't willing to let anyone convince me out of what I had to do. Not him, not the village leader, not anyone!
Bringing the seed up to my mouth, it turned into red streams of light, entering into my body and releasing the immense power it held within; consequently purging the poison out of my body. As the immense power of the seed spread across my body, my consciousness slipped, entering into a realm different from dreams yet not quite fully real. One that was in between worlds.
In that dark world, a shadow of crimson dyed all in blood red; a massive tree at its centre. Grand and all-encompassing. The seed.
'What is it you desire?' a cold voice sounded, catching me off guard.
"I wish for the power to accomplish the impossible!" I said, my mind reaffirming my beliefs. Strengthening my convictions. Steeling my resolve.
'As you wish.' The seed said, its words revealing an almost vivid smile, one that sent shivers down my spine. Dread, spread its roots across my heart.
But I must persevere!
Slowly everything went dark as a searing pain assaulted my head, an unorthodox force ravaged my head, defying the very laws of nature and splitting my consciousness two, then four, then eight…
By then I wasn't simply one, but many inhabiting a single body.
Of course!
The major issue with the sequence was our mind not being able to handle the load, but if it could keep splitting into two identical parts every time the load passed the threshold, then that problem was solved.
Finally breaking the protection field, the Caster Prince party were about to invade when they suddenly felt the suffocating presence of the mysteries descend onto our body. The natural laws that governed the universe broke down as the space around us fluctuated, tearing apart our home, leaving behind only rubble and a crimson bathed caster standing float in the sky.
Around my arm, a new sequence; active and read for use.
"You mustn't do this! It won't work! There is another way!" screamed the Caster Prince, kneeling as blood oozing out of his orifices.
"This is the way!"
Those were our last words as we invoked the time sequence, the noise of disturbance drowning out the pleas of the Caster Prince. A bright light washed over the surrounding, and when its faded, the disturbance was gone and we had vanished with it.
. . .
Opening our eyes, heaviness assaulted out body. The pain of reversing the river of time was not to be taken lightly. Slowly the world came into full view. Giant structures, a sea of people, and metal chariots packing the foreign roads.
'What's going on?'
Amidst the confusion, Caster Prince Adam's face appeared in our mind. Before establishing the auditory isolation sphere he was saying something, the reason for why the sequence wouldn't work. As our mind cleared up more, the realisation slowly dawned on us as we read the Caster Prince's lips.
The source of our dread.
From the beginning, due to our desperation we had assumed the nature of the time rune. Subjecting our self to the foremost dangers of ancient text; of being a caster: rune misinterpretation.
The time rune, we had used wasn't simply a time rune, but a conjoined rune consisting of both time and space. How did we not see this?!
Those two aspects were always interlinked!
That meant, we hadn't only moved time, but space as well. Landing us both in the past of a foreign world!
Before we knew it, tears had already gone down our face. The remnants of the once enormous power gifted by the seed slowly dispersing away. Was this fate?
We had once said we wanted to discover the world.
And now?
Hah, how laughable.
We have failed.
I HAVE FAILED!