Chapter 2: The Others

SLESTER: MAGE TERRITORY

Charles fought his very apparent exhaustion as he walked down a lengthy blood red carpeted hallway, he was in desperate need of sleep having been awake two days straight. The hall's was were white and this was emphasised by the bright ceiling lights that shone down.

This particular corridor lead to a solitary door at the end of it, the door to the office of the current Arch Mage, Madam Annetta Vain, a woman known for governing the Mages with a strong iron fist.

Charles came to a halt before the elegant looking, dark wood door with a ruby encrusted handle.

He knew there is no reason to bother knocking because the door swung open the moment the stopped in front of it, this revealed an elegantly large office, every wooden surface inside was rich dark wood, everything from the half circle desk that sat on a red rug in the middle of the room with a fire crackling behind it, to the bookshelves embedded in the walls all around the room that touched the roof filled with books of boundless knowledge. A coffee table sat on the right side of the room surrounded by three red couches.

Charles always found the room to be quite pleasant.

A portrait of Madam Annetta Vain looking regal in an elegant blue dress hung above the fire place. The real Annetta Vain was seated in a tall chair behind the half circle desk, looking down at the book in her hands. Charles found her to be a strikingly beautiful woman of thirty five. That night she was dressed in a dark grey pants suit, had her brown hair running down her left side neatly, she wore ruby rings on all her slender fingers, each ring a different shape.

Without looking up from her book she gestured for Charles to enter. As Charles approached she flicked her pinkie and the door closed behind him. He took off his hat to reveal a shaven head before taking a seat and waiting quietly, the sound of the crackling fire was the only thing cutting through the silence between the two Mages.

Madam Annetta flipped a page of the book titled ilishumi devlosnu egam seiretsym (Ten Unsolved Mage Mysteries).

She looked up from her book, stern brown eyes meeting Charles' calm green eyes. Without breaking eye contact, the pinkie ring on her left hand which is held the book lit up as Madam Annetta snapped the book shut and tossed into the air, the book floated around the room for a moment as if trying to find its way, then it floated up the shelf directly above the door to squeeze itself into the bit of space between two other books.

Unlike witches Mages had magical tethers that helped channel their power, ranging from rings, to watches, neck pieces, ear rings and in some cases clothing.

Madam Annetta leaned forward intertwining her fingers, "You look tired Vincent," she said, Madam Annetta had always preferred to use Charles' second name.

"It's been a long day Madam, but an interesting one as well." Replied Charles, flashing a smile

"So tell me, what is this new presence that's got everyone's attention?" Asked Madam Annetta, her poker face-stern expression not showing any sign of cracking.

"For one, it's unlike anything anyone's ever seen for the last few hundred years, not since The Forces or the war. And it doesn't really fall under any particular group's jurisdiction so it'll be really interesting who takes responsibility for it." He said

"Is it a monster? A woman or a man?" She asked

"It could be anything, very powerful though."

"Something in your eyes tells me you have a working theory on what it is." Said Madam Annetta with the raising of a curious eyebrow

Charles turned in his chair to take a look around at the collection of books on Madam Annetta's shelves, his eyes eventually resting on a battered looking book with a yellow spine.

"Do you mind if I grab a book? It'll help rationalise things somewhat." Asked Charles

"By all means."

"Thank you."

Charles wore a pair of clear watches on his wrists, his magic tethers. He lazily reached in the direction of the book and beckoned it, his watch turned red for a moment and the book floated towards him, landing softly on the desk in front of him. With a flick of his right hand, the book flipped through the pages, coming to a stop at page 113, the chapter read elat fo eht cigam ogdt (Tale of The Magic Deity), beneath the title was the silhouette of a man standing in the shadows, only his eyes were truly visible.

Charles floated the book over to Madam Annetta. Annetta took a look down but didn't bother to flip through the chapter.

"I know this tale, a story meant to keep us in line when we were children." She said having taken one look at the page.

"It's not just a tale, at least that's my theory." Said Charles

"Vincent what you are suggesting may not be possible, and if it is, that is a fearsome prospect."

"It is said that he never allowed anyone he didn't want to see him to see him, all there was on that pier was a shadow, and all you could see was those eyes, the amount of residue of power that was left there is astounding, it had been two days and the only person to have seen him is a young local, when I tried to peer into the boy's mind I saw nothing, just a black endless space." He said leaning forward, his usual charm replaced with the wide eyed look of a desperate man that's sure of what he says but had no way to prove it.

Madam Annetta watched him, her stern expression remaining as is as she processed what Charles was proposing.

"What else did you gather?" She asked finally.

Charles closed his eyes, taking a breath, then opened his eyes to calm himself. Perhaps if I weren't exhausted I could put a better argument together, he thought.

"There's something out there, I don't know why it has chosen to come now but it is a possible threat to everyone, to all the Magics, even the normals. I suggest you call a council meeting, all the other Magics have already sent their people to investigate, they know what we know if not more." He asked

"Do you think they will reach the same conclusion you have about what it is?" She asked

"I doubt it."

Madam Annetta Vain nodded, her expression switching to that of someone sifting through their thoughts.

"Thank you Vincent, go get yourself some rest now, you're in desperate need of it."

"Thank you Madam Vain."

Charles stood to leave the office, manually opening the door that time around, he shut the door behind him leaving Madam Annetta Vain alone in her office to the sound of the crackling fire.

Annetta Vain stood from her chair, briefly staring down at the image in the book in front of her in silent wonder.

"I hope it isn't as you say Vincent, because if it is who knows what it might be capable of," she whispered to herself.

With the slight flick of her hand the book closed itself and floats back into the shelf where Charles had taken it.

Seeing Vincent had been the last order of the day for the Arch Mage, she turned to the fire behind her, the rings on her right hand glowed as she balled a fist extinguishing the fire instantly, as she reached the door a ruby red coat glided its way over to her, draping itself over her shoulders as she left her office, the lights went off as the door shut behind her.

CRAVENSHORE: NECROMANCER TERRITORY

In a brightly lit, large circular room there sat seven men around an obsidian black table, all of them dressed in grey robes meant to allow any sort of movement, and for the wearer of the robe to be able to move quietly.

Six of these seven men were the six most powerful Necromancers, the Claric Priests of the Necromancy and the seventh man in this room with a black streak that ran across his robe was the High Priest, leader of the Necromancers Valerium Grean. He wasn't a tall man although masculine for a man of 80 years old, he had a puffy grey and brown beard which covered most of his face and short grey hair.

He stared around the table with his icy blue eyes at the other men around the table, listening as they discussed in quiet tones about what had unearthed itself on Skelligrier based on the information given to them by the person they had sent there.

Everyone in the room turned their eyes to Claric Ohalo Maho who began to speak. In contrast to Valerium Grean Ohalo Maho was a tall imposing man with a strong jaw, he had short hair so blonde it resembled the colour of ash, his massive beard gave the impression that he is older than he actually was. He was viewed by many as the most powerful Claric. He spoke calmly with his hands tucked within his robe sleeves.

"--If the legend is true and our fore mother or father helped to create such a menacing force, should we not gather the other Magics and discuss with them what is to be done and not discuss it simply amongst ourselves? It would not only be our creation but all Magics." Said Claric Ohalo, his eyes observing those in the room to see how the words he spoke impacted them, eventually his eyes came to rest on High Priest Grean. He could not never truly read that man.

"As you have said Claric Maho if it is true then it has been three hundred years since he was ever seen, surely he cannot know of how our magic has advanced, let alone the magic of the other Cigam. I propose we ourselves find him wherever he might be and capture him, we hold him in Everlast and discover his intentions, convert him if possible." Pipped up Claric Jaro, a man of small stature, greasy hair and eyes encircled by dark rings of fatigue, a wise and tricky man who wasn't a fan of sleeping much..

At the mention of Everlast the room went quiet, the Everlast was a powerful and ruthless form of imprisonment created by the first generation if Necromancers reserved for the most terrible of crimes.

The only sound that came was that of Valerium Grean's chair screeching as it was pushed back as he stood, this small action changed the mood into that of a somewhat nervous energy, he took a deliberately long breath making it feel as the though he'd sucked all the air in the room within him before he released it even slower, he then stared around the table, purposefully taking his time before he spoke.

"I will reach out to the other leaders of the Magics and broker a council meeting. The prospect that you propose Claric Jaro is a possibility but an irrational one, opening Everlast is running the risk of Fora and Taigul escaping, I am in no mood for losing lives and fighting battles, especially against those two." He said in a deep booming voice

A low groan came from the left far end of the table.

"You disapprove Claric Katchi?" Asked High Priest Valerium with a stare down the table to Claric Katchi.

Claric Katchi's long dark hair hung about covering most of his face like a curtain, his soft green eyes pierced through however, he was a reformed Necromancer who was in league with Fora 25 years ago when they had tried to bring an era of chaotic change to the Necromancer rule, he had been a Claric Priest for 13 years since that time.

However he despised any mention that reminded him of Fora and Taigul.

"Not at all High Priest, your wisdom knows no bounds." Katchi said slowly

"You would rather have Everlast be opened and your comrades escape so you can finish what you started wouldn't you Katchi?" Spat Claric Grae, a ginger headed man seated across from Katchi

Katchi's said nothing, he simply glared at Grae from the other side of the table, after 13 years of being a Claric, Katchi has learned to get used to the insults and snide remarks that came his way every now and then especially when he spoke, which is why he didn't speak much when the Clarics gathered.

"Do you not get tired of casting shadows of doubt on Claric Katchi, Jameson Grae?" Asked Claric Ohalo, opting to now show Grae the respect of using the title of 'Claric' before his name.

Upon realising he would get no support from anyone else Grae stood in a huff and immediately exited the room, slamming the door behind him.

"Let us disperse, I will call upon you all soon." Said Valerium Grean ignoring the exchange amongst his three Claric Priests.

Grean closed his eyes as if to say a prayer.

After having his eyes closed for a moment, he opened them and the lights flickered for a moment before going off and when they came back on a moment later the room is empty, the Clarics and High Priest having faded into the shadows.

CAY ISLES: WARLOCK TERRITORY

A castle loomed in the darkness hanging from the sole mountain in the Ressor Islands. It's walls the colour of the mountain rock making it seem as though it were chameleon in the night.

The Castle's banquet hall was massive, the tables and benches used for the merry making were stacked up on either sides of walls, an emerald carpet lined the floor stopping a meter away from the massive fireplace thats crackled giving both brilliant light and heat. Three men stood around the fireplace, all of them dressed in dark emerald suits, each with a staff half the length of their body in hand, these three men were the Protectors of Phillipa, the authority and most powerful Warlocks with the exception of the Warlock leader Phillipa herself.

The man in the middle was the oldest, one Bacleen who had lived to see the transition of leaders from the 5th Phillipa to the 6th Phillipa, he is an old man of nearly 115 years of age, most of the time he spent using his magic to elude his body and mind into looking and feeling in his 30s, in this form he was tall towering above the two men next to him, he had lazy deep set eyes and a droopy face.

To his right was Murian a young brash man in his early twenties who earned the right to be a Protector of Phillipa through transition from his father only a year before, his brown eyes reflected the flames dancing before him.

The third man that stood on the other side of Bacleen was Dama an intellectual man who knew more about warlock magic than most people including Bacleen despite being 70 years younger, he wore glasses pushed up as close to his eyes as possible.

As a strict rule all three men were bald and clean shaven at all times until they either died or relinquished their duty.

"She's not coming is she." Asked Bacleen, saying it as more of a statement than a question.

"Well the 6th has never exactly made it easy for us to do our jobs and actually Protect Phillipa." Replied Murian

"Normally that wouldn't concern me but with the recent development she might actually need us to start doing our work," Said Dama

Silence fell between the three men once again.

"Does she know what our investigator found?" Asked Dama directing the question at Bacleen

"I sent word." Replied Bacleen

"Like you shot her a text?" Asked Murian

"Telepathic spell, much faster and it doesn't cost anything." Replied Bacleen,

"There really isn't much to argue about is there? The other Magics are thinking and probably waiting to see who calls everyone else first for a council meeting." Said Dama. Bacleen and Murian nodded in agreement.

"Well there is one thing to argue, and that is who's gonna go out and try to find Phillipa before the meeting happens?" Asked Murian, finally taking his eyes off the flames to stare across at his elder colleagues.

Bacleen and Dama turned to both stare right back at him, neither of saying a word, but both in agreement.

"Aww come on, I know I'm the youngest but I'm the one who's stuck running this bullshit errand every time." Pleaded Murian

"That settles it, I suggest you try the Polar South I suspect she's training there. I enjoy how brief we keep these meetings of ours." Said Dama flashing a grin

Bacleen and Dama simultaneously turned and began making their exit out of the banquet hall, leaving the young Murian to stare at the flames whilst furiously trying to come with a plan as to how and where to find Phillipa.