A Mission Revealed

I awoke to the smell of apple cinnamon. It wasn’t my all-time favorite smell, but it was right up there with them. It was a heartwarming scent and reminded me of days past when as orphans we had been invited to rich people's homes to enjoy Christmas morning with them. Apple cinnamon Danish Pastries were often the main course for breakfast. Sometimes we were invited to join them for lunch too if we had not burned out their enthusiasm for orphans by that time. Good memories mostly and good times.

As I suspected there were a few pastries that had been placed on a platter at the foot of the pallet, awaiting my attention. I ate them with relish and wondered what was in store for me today. It was still dark outside my window, with a faint glow where the rising sun was about to make its appearance. I had to remind myself that I was an avatar here in this real world. A strange reversal of recent times.

Before I could dwell on that, Horatio arrived, and he ushered me out my room, along a passage and back across a bridge high in the tree to the library. I hadn’t realized it, but I had spent the night in the palace.

“Those were very plain rooms for a palace.” I mentioned offhandedly.

“Plain and unadorned is what you mean Petros, and please don’t take it the wrong way, but those were the servant’s quarters. In fact, the guest rooms for our servant’s guests. We are keeping you at a relatively low profile. There will be a time when you can come and go in the palace proper, but until then, we must play these games as my father dictates.”

I realized that while the king had shown me a modicum of respect and thrown all his hopes at my feet, he still did not believe in, nor trust me. A sentiment I could well understand. Especially as the man had lost his daughter and the cause of her loss was being attributed to a human. Specifically, a human prodigy.

“Can you tell me about this Prodigy who caused your sister to be captured?” We were walking upstairs now, seeming to go higher and higher up the tree. I guessed instinctively that I wouldn’t be learning from books today. Instead, we would put what I had learned to use.

“His name is Alfred Malabourne. He has been fighting for our cause for many years. His skills are legendary and a lot of them thanks to my people, and especially thanks to my sister, who took him on as a personal project.”

“Like you have taken me on?”

“No. Not the same. Mala, as he has come to be known is from the United Kingdom, an Englishman who like you and all the others who fight with us, is an ex-Special Forces serviceman. He was not well liked initially by many, and according to my sister, was completely misunderstood. He became somewhat of an icon in the ASS. Excelling at infiltration. His missions caused untold damage to the Reaper FOP’s (forward observation post) and gave them severe headaches in their incessant process of searching out new sapient life to subdue and subsume.”

“When he went missing on a solo reconnaissance mission a few months back, my sister led another team to retrieve him. I guess she reasoned that as the last living prodigy, it was important that we recovered him. Sadly, the Reapers predicted a rescue mission would come and so captured my sister and her team. They went dark barely 10 days ago. We have lost track of them and my father is at a loss. Her rescue mission it turned out was unsanctioned, and it broke my father's heart because she went against his wishes. He did not take into account my sisters’ resolve and dedication to her Prodigy pupil. Nor her stupidity. Youthfulness brings brashness as I am sure you are aware.”

I took a moment to consider what Horatio had just said. Firstly that his sister, the Princess of the Elves was MIA (Missing in action) and secondly, the only other living Prodigy was also MIA. I was still the new guy on the block, so I kept quiet, waiting for Horatio to continue, smiling ruefully because I really didn’t like the idea that as a member of ASS, I had to excel at infiltration. The ASS acronym had to go. If we were to be taken seriously, we had to take ourselves seriously too and with statements like that we were (for want of a better word) “invading” Monty Python and Mr. Bean territory.

Horatio was brooding again, and I tried to lighten the mood by getting back on topic. “How are you different?”

“Eh?”

“I mean, how is it different you taking me on, versus your sister taking on Malabourne?”

“Oh. Well, firstly she didn’t give him VIP treatment, although she warmed to him after some time, and he has yet to see the sacred city as you have. His cruel streak kept us from revealing too much beyond what was necessary to further his abilities.”

He had revealed far more than he intended with his comments. I could surmise that Mala was probably a tough SOB like most of us military types. Second, he was one of those lone wolf types who preferred to trust themselves rather than others. Not ideal at leading teams, but good enough to keep the job, and great at getting the job done no matter the cost to life or limb. I had a phase like that during my Afghanistan deployment. The job had been all I was about. I had subsequently learned to rely on others, but just barely. What helped was my innate empathy. If I ever lost that, I would have become a monster. I hoped Mala was not at monster stage yet. I was beginning to get a picture of Mala and wished he were around to help my transition into this crazy lifestyle. It would be great to get ahead for a change rather than continually running to catch up.

We had reached the top of the tree; by far the tallest two trees in the entire world and as far as my eyes could see the massive forest stretched out far below and into the distance. Beyond it, I could see the large open plains of grasslands surrounding the forest, which became hills and then mountains tipped with snow. There were several more forest clumps out to the east amongst some hills with one at the very edge of the land as it appeared to meet a wide body of water, probably an ocean.

To the north, west, and south the plains stretched to the massive mountain range creating a horseshoe shape around this existing landscape. So reminiscent of Earth and yet so different. The white clouds tussled and toyed in the sky like fluffy candy-floss. The cool refreshing breeze brushing the leaves as it moved them across the sky. The sun shone down with a pleasant golden glow, warming my chilled exposed skin.

“Right! What are we doing up here?” I enquired, unable to hold back my excitement. I wanted to start using some of these spells I had learned.

Horatio beckoned me to the edge of a platform and indicated a large branch that extended out. There appeared to be a translucent barrier around the far end of the branch. Some manikins were mounted and some flat panels with targets painted on them. This was definitely the shooting range.

“Your offensive spells should be targeted towards those manikins. The barrier beyond will protect the rest of our world should you miss. You may begin after you have conducted the calming exercises and you have your focus finely honed.”

While we were talking, some soldiers had moved up behind us and the lead sergeant appeared to be waiting to speak to Horatio. I settled down and began the breathing mantra as he went about his business.

No sooner had I settled into the quiet of my mind and moved the flow of magic through my body when I felt a gentle hand on my shoulder. It was Horatio. He quickly excused himself saying he had to attend to something but that one of the soldier’s would accompany me until his return. He introduced a thin-faced man in a brown robe, with a small sunburst insignia on his lapels. Introducing himself as Journeyman Robert, he stepped back, and I continued my prep.

The next few hours were extremely frustrating as I tried to channel consistently into my fire flare spell, fireball spell, and lesser lightning. The lightning spell being the most difficult to control as I just couldn’t seem to aim it.

Every time I shot it off, it would arc to anything within three meters of its forward flight. Journeyman Robert patiently explained that lightning by its nature, is unstable and that I should focus less energy into the spell, reducing its voltage and thus allow it to be more accurate over longer distances.

Eventually, I began to get the hang of it and after my third mana potion had run dry along with my internal mana, J.B. took me aside and we began recovery drills. The slow drills were similar to Tai Chi Chuan mixed with Yoga. Tai Chi Chuan is a ancient martial art I had practiced only fleetingly but when applied with the breathing and focus drills, it seemed to increase my mana regeneration prodigiously.

It was all coming along smoothly when Horatio returned and asked me to resume firing at the targets. He then called up a wind, which caused both the platform we were on to sway and the branch with the targets to vibrate annoyingly, making it even harder for my spells to strike home. Once I had depleted all my mana again, we began on the movement drills. He had been distant since his return and I guessed he had something on his mind.

“My father is not well Petros,” he eventually spoke out. “He collapsed in the main throne room this morning, which is why the guards fetched me.”

“Oh no, is he okay?” I enquired concerned. The King had been abrupt to me, but as the leader of the Elves and Horatio’s father no less, I could lend a sympathetic ear.

“This business of Adrianna is eating him from within. He just hasn’t been the same since she was taken.”

“I can imagine, it’s an awful situation to be in. Is there no way to recover her?”

Horatio stopped mid-movement and turned to face me, bringing the exercises to an end. “You are the only one Petros. Us Elves, we cannot go near those blighted lands. Our aura is too bright, too alive. We are almost always discovered, and it never goes well for us away from our homeland. Our source of power stems from here.” He indicated the tree below us. “I just don’t know what she was thinking of by going after Mala.”

I kept quiet, watching his inner frustrations build.

Eventually I said, “Show me how a real mage can shoot.” This seemed to perk him up and moving to the end of the platform, he made a flourish and a flick with an utterance and suddenly ten sizzling lesser lightning bolts crackled, one from each of his ten fingers. Each targeted a separate manikin. He did this several times, the cooldown between simultaneous casts spanning only half a minute. Then he conjured a large fireball he judged to perfection, arcing it to land squarely in the center of the targeted platform with a whomp and an echoing crack as the whole platform ignited and then whatever counterspells were in place seemed to suck the air out of the burning platform to leave it smoking and yet ready for the next attack. This time the cooldown was longer, spanning a full two minutes before he shot the next. It was truly a spectacular display of mastery in something I was only at the very edge of understanding.

Clapping my hands in applause I said, “Now doesn’t that feel better?” Like guys anywhere, wanton destruction always makes us feel better. We both grinned at each other and practiced even more intensively. It was a day of giddy heights for me and equally frustrating lows.

As the day passed and turned to evening, I was at last satisfied with my offensive spells. I could hit what I was aiming at and control the strength and duration of their effect. Fireball being the most destructive of the spells I could caste but having the least control on direct damage within an area.

Horatio then took us to an inner chamber which at the very highest level of the tree had a magnificent view of the stadium shaped library far below, within the hollowed-out tree. We moved onto a platform where an enormous emerald crystal was mounted like a chandelier above us. A magical boundary seemed to originate from the green jewel surrounding the edges of the platform. I had the impression that the platform hung from the crystal. There were several barrier bridges linking the outer shell of the tree to the inner platform, allowing us to walk towards it.

“Within this place is our research laboratory and training platform. It is controlled within the sphere of the lodestone itself. Before you ask, the lodestone is a crystal structure that embodies this world’s Druid magic. It is the Emerald crystal you can see suspended above us. It is the source of our greatest power and is treasured by our people above and beyond anything you could possibly imagine. If we had a God, then it/He/She would be the Lodestone. Each living world has one or many, depending on the richness of that world.”

I looked up at the crystal structure embedded within the top of the tree. It glowed dully, but it thrummed with power. I felt a little uneasy staring at it. It gave me the feeling I was looking at something radioactive and I wanted to get a lead wall between myself and it.

“It is one of five such crystals within our realm. The other races each control one and together we hold dominion over this land. These are things of little interest to you though. The point I want to make is that magic doesn’t just come from nowhere; It has a source and a connection to the land itself. The more healthy and productive a land is, the better the quality of magic that can be found. Within our realm, all five have caretakers and ensure that the source crystals are unpolluted and maintained. All five races have pledged such and continue to uphold the Covenant of Illuminous.”

“Who or what are the other races?” I asked, wondering if I had guessed right.

“Why, they are the Dwarves, the Orcs, the Plains Elves and the Merfolk. We are, as you know, the Elder Elves. It is our duty to embrace Druid Magic and the Emerald crystal and keep them safe.”

“The Dwarves are metal workers and miners of great renown, and they guard the Mercurial crystal deep in their labyrinths within the earth. They can be found in the mountain ranges to the south, which are said to be rich in ore. Unlike the other crystals, the metal crystal is made of living molten metal.”

“The Orcs are a cantankerous race, but extremely fierce. They have the Ruby Fire crystal and live high in the mountains where earth and sky combine to form fire. The crystal resides in one of the volcanoes out to the west.”

“The Plains Elves are our closest distant cousins. More bulky in girth, stronger appearing and resilient, they are the wardens of the Air Crystal and cherish the wide-open plains to be found throughout the realm.

They are nomadic and the whereabouts of the Saffron crystal are not easy to discern.”

“Lastly, the Merfolk who can take on any living shape when upon land, are a vicious and cruel people. These fish people keep the blue Sapphire crystal hidden within the depths of the ocean.”

“We all share a common ancestor called the Aevish, our contact with the various crystals has changed us over the eons. Our close link to the various magic has altered our shape, form, and function. With each passing age, we evolve further apart but our goal is united. We keep the crystals safe, we study the magic and we share the knowledge amongst each other, despite our differences or grievances. We are bound by the Covenant of Illuminous.”

Horatio turned to face me and pressed his hand upon my shoulder. “But I digress, the reason I bring you here to our laboratory is to give you a safe place to practice your other magic skills. Within the laboratory, we will expose you to different scenarios to allow you to develop those skills. I regret I cannot accompany you as I have pressing duties. Journeyman Robert will assist you with whatever you need.”

We had reached the platform and as we passed through the barrier surrounding it. I saw Journeyman Bob waiting for us within. It was a large area, not dissimilar to a sports field, with a walking track seeming to extend all the way around the platform allowing one to look out over the edge of the platform down to the library far below. Upon the platform were rooms separated by barriers of various colors and translucency, which obscured my view of what to expect.

I looked back to Horatio as he continued, “I will not see you for a while, it has been a pleasure to get to know you and I wish you good luck in your training. You will return to your Sim early tomorrow. The spells I have given you will more than assist you through the various Sims that Grant has in store for you. All I ask is that you be true to yourself and honor your values. The rewards will be great, and perhaps we will have a chance to rescue my sister and her wayward pupil in the not too distant future.” He reached out his hand awkwardly, and I grasped it in earnestness.

“If it is within my power, I will help you all that I can.” I stated simply, giving a sincere look of gratitude to Horatio. With that, we parted, and I turned to Bob.

“Hey J.B. what’s next?” Internally, I was cataloging all the information Horatio had told me. This was only brushing the surface of his peoples’ history and origins, something inside me felt compelled to know more. It was startling that so many human legends were in fact real. That humans might have Elvish blood, myself included, was enlightening, and I thought about all the conspiracy theories I knew of about Atlantis, the Pyramids, the Aztecs, Bigfoot and the Holy Grail. How much ‘seeding’ had the Absinthe done to our world?

Bob was looking at me quizzically and I realized that he probably didn’t know that on Earth his shortened name was Bob. Before he could ask, I explained, and we moved off to a vacant room on the platform. There he showed me how to use all the level 5 spells I had learned. From healing spells to cure poison, to sterilize water. Each required an incantation and a modicum of mana. The most essential ingredient of all making everything work was focus and will. I endeavored to temper mine and improve my focus every chance I got.

It was late when eventually J.B. showed me back to my pallet.

“In the morning I will escort you to the waypoint. Please be ready at sunrise.”

Despite my overtures at friendship towards the thin elf, he had maintained a steady stoicism and distance from my banter. I felt I liked the grim-faced man; He was all business and professional. Despite that, I couldn’t help but push his buttons.

“Thanks J.Bob, catch you in the morning” my smile was genuine but I couldn’t decide if I was smiling at his brief flinch for my blatant familiarity or if I was simply smiling in pleasantries.

The morning came and shortly after dawn I found myself on the field where I had first appeared in this land. I saw a golden orb floating exactly where I had originally materialized. J.B. explained that all I had to do was to grasp the orb and I would be back in the chilly Frigid Zone. I took one last look around.

Noticing that the calf I had brought with me was nowhere to be seen, I wondered what had happened to it. Maybe it too had been sent back, or maybe it had dissolved into the ether. Sure, it was a construct, but even so, I was a construct here. I still felt and cared about what happened to me. I hoped the Elves had taken care of it.

With that thought, I took a deep breath of the fresh tropical air and grasped the orb.