The Sorcerer

It was a typical morning. Tom woke up as he always did on a work day. 7:10 AM. Alarm blared the usual "wake up, you got stuff to do today" in the voice of an angry woman. It was the best alarm to shake him back into reality. He went to work, working 8-16h as a graphics designer for a small firm. It was going to be a boring day, just like most days in his boring, ordinary life. Or so he thought.  He felt strange today. He felt.. anxious. Like something was off. Like he was being watched. Studied. He thought to himself, "if I don't get abducted by aliens today, I don't know what". He laughed at the thought.  Yet, he felt uneasy. All the way through work, he struggled to focus. Taking multiple breaks, he tried to bury the feeling in his work, but it just wasn't happening. Making it to quitting time, he felt mentally exhausted, ready to go home and crash straight into bed.  On his way back home though, he walked by a strange man on the sidewalk. This was a tall man, wearing black pants, a long black leather coat, black leather boots, and a black hood over it, which he though was extremely weird, since it was a sunny summer day. "That guy must be cooking under all that" he thought.. and then he felt it. The man's stare on him. He looked straight at him, meeting his gaze, and the mysterious man's green eyes stared right back. He stopped dead in his tracks. For an awkward moment, he stared at the man, and then managed to squeeze out a "do I know you?". The man simply answered - Not yet. But you will.  The man than clutched a black stone hanging from a chain around his neck and whispered something unintelligible. It sounded like gibberish, mixed with Latin, and sprinkled with some form of tongue-twisting. Then, in one swift motion, the man approached him, and placed his right hand on his forehead. He tried to back away, but reacted to slowly.  The world started to swirl, twist, and fade away. He felt sick to his stomach. He felt like he was dying. He felt like he was being turned inside-out. And then, it all went black.  Seconds later, he woke up. He was on his back, lying on charred dirt, looking up at the sky. The smell of burned wood filled his nostrils. He felt like he was gonna loose his lunch. Struggling to move, pained by every muscle movement, he turned his head. The black-clad man was lying right next to him, his hand still inches away from his forehead. Then he looked beyond him. And saw trees. And mountains in the distance. And most shockingly - no buildings of any kind. Since he was standing in a city center what felt like moments ago, this was very disconcerting. The black-clad man began to rise to a sitting position. "Well, I can't believe that worked" he said in a half-surprised, half-happy tone, while removing a smoking black stone from the chain around his neck.  Dude, what the hell?! What did you do? asked a very startled Tom.  I'm sorry for scaring you. I will explain.  Well you better! The black-clad man rose to his feet, and then extended a friendly arm to Tom to do the same, which he excepted. Then he began to introduce himself.  My name is Aravel Black. I am a member of a cult called "The circle of Nine". We are tasked with searching for the one called "The Sorcerer" and bringing him back to the world as per an ancient prophecy. A prophecy I have now fulfilled. Welcome to the world of Sundrya. Your true home. Wait.. what? Sun-what? Sorcerers? You're not making any sense.  Let me explain said Aravel.  Roughly 12.000 years ago, give or take a few years, this world was a very different place. It was ruled by Mages. People who have acquired, through skill, practice, and years of training, mastery over the world's natural magical forces. They could bend reality, shape it to their will, and use this power to various means. But, like most men of power, they went to far. They became oppressive, tyrannical, and power-hungry, fighting among themselves, and laying waste to entire regions in magical duels. The common people had had enough. And then came the church of Rull, the Sun-god. They began pursuing and taking down one by one of the Mage lords, leading to a century of war that ruined the land and shattered the old kingdom of Rivenlath. In the end, the mages were forced to an uneasy truce, many of their practices were banned, and they were driven to live in conclaves and isolated towers, strictly regulated by the church of Rull. Only one kingdom - Enduria, remains Mage-governed.  But, importantly to you, and me as well, during the war, a great thing occurred. The 9 most powerful mages of the time came together, in order to create a powerful weapon that would win them the war. They iniciated a powerful magical ritual that would combine much of their power into a single focus - a child. This child would be magic-born. It would have magic in it's very blood. It would posses more power than any mage that ever lived, and be free of the limitations of spellcasting focuses normally used by mages. The plan was to raise this child as a mage, train it in using it's power responsibly, and by doing this, making sure the mages would win the war.  Sadly, they failed. The Paladins of Rull got wind of their plan, and interceded. They stormed the Silverbrand Tower where the ritual was taking place by the thousands, and attempted to kill the Nine, as well as the chosen child. A great battle took place, in which the Nine were defeated. But the child was never found.  This story then passed into legend, and a prophecy was given that in a time of great need, the Sorcerer would come forth and protect the world from a great calamity.  I have dedicated my life to that prophecy. I have searched far and wide for clues, resources, and lost knowledge. It has taken me a lifetime to piece together what happened during the battle of Silverbrand Tower. And here's what I found: They succeeded. They completed the ritual. The Nine actually did it. They transferred their power to the Child. But the Child was still weak, being only an infant. And the ritual weakened the Nine in turn. This is why they lost the battle. But not before opening a portal to another world, and sending the Child there for safety. It would grow and mature, never knowing it's power and importance, until the time to return was right. They left behind a keystone that would reopen the portal and locate the child once the portal was open. I have just used it. It led me straight to you. You are that child.  You are The Sorcerer. Tom looked at Aravel in disbelief. The story sounded fantastical. It sounded like a bad Hollywood flick. It sounded like something his Dungeons & Dragons dungeon master would think-up. It sounded like utter BS. And yet again, he could not deny he was in a strange place, devoid of buildings, when he had been standing on a public street in a big city just moments ago.  I must be dreaming.. or crazy. Yup.. I'm going crazy.. he said.  You're not crazy Sorcerer. I know it feels that way now, but you're not. I know this is all overwhelming, but don't worry.. Take all the time you need to process this.  Tom though to tell Aravel - no, to force him - to take him back. Back to his world. Back to his boring life. Back to being just a regular graphics designer. None of this "chosen one" bullshit. None of this "save the world" crap. But then a thought stopped him.. his life has been quite boring.. and yet he would meet with his group of friends every week to escape to a fantasy world just like this one. At least one represented by a character on a sheet, a plastic miniature, and a set of dice.  Now, he was being given the chance to live the adventure of a lifetime. To matter. To make something more of himself. He pondered this prospect - but then Aravel interrupted him:  In case you were wondering, the stone only worked one-way. There is no way back. At least none that is in my power.  This snapped Tom right back. Right into a reality that seemed surreal. He fell silent, looking wide-eyed at Aravel. A fury rose in him - You had no right! Who are you to take me from my life? My world? Steal me from my family and friends? How dare you do this? I didn't do it for me Sorcerer. I did it for the millions and millions of people who inhabit THIS world. And their children. And their children's children. I did it because a darkness is coming. And you are the one force that can stop it. There is no other way, and given the same choice, I would do it again. And again.  I'm sorry for your loss. But I'm not sorry you are here. If anything, your presence is a sigh of relief that this land has been waiting for a millennia. Come now, we must leave this place. It is not safe. And we must get you out of those strange clothes. And we must begin your training.  He walked to a nearby bush. From it's underbrush, he pulled a roll of cloth, and a backpack. He unrolled the cloth and pulled out a sword in a scabbard. He tossed the backpack to Tom, and told him to put on the clothes found inside. Tom looked at Aravel in disbelief, and then simply decided to comply. He opened the backpack, and inside found a leather robe similar to the one Aravel himself was wearing. It was black, ankle long, and with a wide hood. Pants, boots, a shirt, gloves and a mouth covering was also there. And underneath it all, a steel dagger. He put on the clothes, and fastened the dagger to his belt. He felt comical. He felt like he was live-action roleplaying on a gaming convention. He felt silly, but kinda cool, all at the same time. And scared of it all.  Are you ready? asked Aravel.  As ready as I'll ever be. Where are we going now?  I will lead you to the head of my order, the mage Kharaban. There, you will begin your magical training. Until then, be careful. You grew up without magic in your life, because in your world, magic is suppressed. It is not so here. Here, even your very thoughts can have dire consequences, because of what you are. You must first learn to control your power before you can use it.  And what about this? Tom asked, pointing to the steel dagger at his belt. Am I to be trained in using this too? Yes. All in good time. Pray you don't need to use it soon. Right now, no one knows you are here. Once word gets out.. this will change. The agents of darkness will likely want you dead before you can complete your training. I will protect you until then. I swear this oath to you Sorcerer. With my sword and my life, I will protect you, until you no longer need my protection. Well, that's comforting. And you HAVE TO stop calling me "Sorcerer"! It's gonna get old fast. What then do you wish me to call you? What is your name?  Tom's thoughts rushed to one of his favorite Dungeons & Dragons characters - and he instantly decided that if he was to live this adventure, he would at least make it "a proper one".  Va'Renn. You may call me Va'Renn.  Well then Va'Renn, I guess its time to go. There is a road not far from here, just beyond that forest. It will take us to Earenstar. A city ruled by mages. One of the last bastions of free spellcasting. And also the home of the Cult of the Nine. The journey will take us three days by foot. I could not risk bringing horses on this one, as they would have potentially interfered with the keystone. We have a long trek ahead of us, so let's not waste any time. Nightfall will be upon us sooner than you think.  And so they walked.  Minutes soon turned into hours. The road they walked on was cobbled, and well traveled. They passed many other travelers. Many were on horses, many on foot, and some even on stranger beasts of burden, ranging from elephants to large cat-like beings. They were dressed in medievil looking clothes, carried medievil weapons, and generally looked like they fell out of a gaming convention. A great majority seemed to be commoners, merchants and a few nobles. None wielded any magic or technology. And this made Va'Renn wonder: How common was magic in this world? A question he asked Aravel. Depends where in the world you are, I guess. Most common folk have no skill in the Art, but there are still many that do. Earenstar is considered one of the most magic-centric places in the world. Yet, even there, most mages are of low to average skill. The truly great mages are rare. And they usually rule over many. In Earenstar, there are Nine such mages. They each specialize in one aspect of magic. You will learn more about this during your training. Let me guess? Evocation, Divination, Illusion, Necromancy, Abjuration, Conjuration, Transmutation, Enchantment and Universal? Aravel seemed impressed. So you know of magic already? I though your world was void of it.  It is. But there are games that we play, that greatly resemble this world. I guess someone from here must have invented them. There is no other explanation.  Games? Truly? Well I guess then it is fortunate you are proficient in these games. This may make your training easier.  I hope so - said Va'Renn. I hope it all goes smoothly. I'm not exactly big on the whole swordplay thing.  Just as he said it, a thunderous roar was heard in the sky above their heads. And then a huge shadow passed over them. Va'Renn looked up, only to see a monster of legend. A Dragon. An actual, larger than life Dragon. It was of a metallic nature, the color of bronze, and about the size of an apartment building. It's wing span reminded Va'Renn of a commercial jet, and it was by far, the largest living thing Va'Renn had ever seen. He immediately fell prone. Aravel began to laugh.  Ah, I see Gorwing impresses you - he jested. Be not afraid. He is a friend and protector of the city. And the head of the Bronze Tower. He will not hurt you unless it has good reason to. Or if he's hungry! Hahahah! I was.. not ready for that - Va'Renn stated, picking himself up and dusting himself off from falling prone. At least you have good reflexes - Aravel jested again.  Any other surprises I should know about? Asked Va'Renn. Far too many to count my friend. far, far too many.  They traveled on, and soon reached a large open plain, before which a tall sheer cliff stood. Carved from the cliff stood a magnificent city. It was ringed by a thick high wall with three gates flanked with tall guard towers. The houses were made of stone, most of them were at least several stories tall. There were also towers much taller than that. Some as tall as modern buildings of New York or Dubai. And adorned with many crystals, decorations and glowing with all sorts of colors. They reminded Va'Renn of a modern, or even a scify city, but transferred into a true fantasy world - and he laughed to himself, because that was exactly where he seemed to be. In a fantasy world. It was straight from a Hollywood blockbuster. A Disney fairy tale. A Marvel cinematic. And he was walking right towards it. He felt wonder for the first time in a long time. He felt like he was truly in another world. And he felt like he might actually belong here.   They passed the gates guarded by sentries clad in full plate armor. They bore the sigil of the city on their breastplates - a 12 sided star. Va'Renn felt it looked appropriate.  They moved through the wide streets and were heading toward one of the tall towers in the inner cloister of the city. It must have been over 300 feet tall, made of white marble, and capped by a car-sized purple gem on it's top that glowed and had a purplish mist swirling around it. Aravel said it was named Varhalla Academy of Magical Arts, and represented the last remaining vestige of the Varhalla magical traditions, passed down from Su'Nar Varhalla - one of the original Nine, who supposedly created "The Sorcerer".  He then went on to briefly explain how the whole story of The Sorcerer is considered just a myth by all but the most learned scholars, and that the Mage who the academy was named for was a legendary Mage who specialized in Evocation - which is the art of shaping magical energy into useful, and often devastating effects, such as lighting bolts, bursts of fire, or sharp shards of ice.  A few minutes later, they reached the base of the tower, where an exquisite metal door stood. It was 10 feet wide, double sided, made of a dark metal, and adorned with the symbol of the house - A large stylized V. As Aravel approached, he whispered a password, and the door began to open on it's own. Once inside, the tower was truly a marvel to behold. The large room was completely circular, with a magnificent marble staircase in the center going both up and down. Several doors were on either side, but to Va'Renn, they seemed like either they were fake, or the structure was somehow bigger on the inside than on the outside. Flanking the staircases stood two large metallic humanoids - they looked like 9 feet tall armored warriors, but the facial slits were missing. They looked ominous, and Va'Renn was sure that if he made a single wrong move, they would animate and begin to move. "Iron Golems" -  protectors of the Academy. First of many. They obey only the Master, down to the letter - Aravel pointed. They will not harm you, unless provoked.  You know.. somehow I figured that - Va'Renn responded. They climbed the stairs to the top floor. It seemed much taller than it should have been, but somehow, Va'Renn had already came to terms with that. Things were not as they seemed in this place. This was a school of magic after all..  Finally, they reached their destination. A large wooden door covered with glowing runes. And the word "Planarium" writtien in stylized red letters above the door. Va'Renn seemed amused at the fact that a whole other world would be using the same English script and language. He was too excited to linger on the thought though. Aravel opened the door, and inside, there stood a strange site. A large stone circle adorned with what looked like astronomical runes and symbols, flanked by two exquisitely carved spiral stone pedestals. Beside the circle stood a tall man dressed in red robes. He was bald, and sported a goatee. He couldn't have been older than mid thirties, but looked much more experienced than that. His bearing was that of a much older man, much wiser man. And the color of his eyes was an unnerving purple.  Kharaban - greeted Aravel, bowing slightly.  Aaaah, Aravel, finally. You have returned. I see you're not alone. I trust it went well then? The stone worked? Indeed. It led me straight to this man here. Let me introduce you to Va'Renn.  Kharaban walked over gracefully, with a most noble bearing, and extended a greeting hand. Va'Renn accepted and shook it.  I trust Aravel explained the nature of your presence here? I do apologize for the inconvenience. Please trust that we would not have been taking this measure if the circumstances were not dire as they are.  Aravel did explain some things.. but failed to mention others. Like the nature of these...dire circumstances you mention. Care to elaborate? In time. All will be explained in time. For now, trust that we mean you no harm. We are here to help. And we are here to teach. And that you are here, be it not of your own will, but out of a cosmic need. That, for now, will have to be enough.  For now - answered Va'Renn. But I am not a patient man. Be aware of this.  Of course. I promise we will not test your patience any more than is needed.  Now, if you would please allow us to proceed with the test.  Test? Yes. We must ascertain weather Aravel here brought back the right man. Please, stand in the center of the circle, and place your hands on the pedestals.  Va'Renn obliged. Walking into the circle, already he felt it's power. It pulsed with an energy he had never felt before.He then places his hands on the pedestals. As he did, the runes on the stone circle beneath him began to softly glow a blue-white light.  I now ask you to focus Va'Renn. Focus on what you feel. On how you feel. Close your eyes, and reach within yourself with your mind. Let everything else melt away.  Va'Renn tried to do as Kharaban said. He tried to focus on the energy he felt coming off of the circle and the pedestals. His hands were warm. He began to feel warm as well. And then, he began to feel increasingly disconnected from himself. He felt as if he were floating. The darkness deepened around him, and in a flash, he saw himself transported..somewhere else. he could see the stars. He was moving ever faster among them. Whizzing past planets, nebulae, entire galaxies. He felt as if outside of space, outside of time, and out of his mind. He could not tell how long he was like this, but then, it suddenly all came crashing down.  He heard a loud c***k. When he woke up, he was lying on the floor of the stone circle, which was split in two. A blue mist was rising from the c***k. Kharaban lay several feet away, slumped on the wall. Aravel lay on the opposite side, crumpled in a heap and moaning.  Dread creeped into Va'Renn's mind. What. The. f**k?!  He slowly began to rise to his feet, and went to Kharaban. As he came close, he seemed to be waking up. Va'Renn stopped and turned to inspect Aravel. He looked injured, and was moaning. Va'Renn came to him, and tried to pick him up off the floor. Aravel said "I'm fine, I'm fine", and then he spat blood.  You're not fine, you need healing - Kharaban interceeded. He quickly produced a small vial filled with a red liquid from a pocket on his robes. It looked like a vile of sherry Va'Renn used to drink at beach parties when he was a bit younger. He gave it to Aravel, who promptly unstoppered it and downed it in a single gulp. It seemed to help, as he quickly found his feet, and steadied his breathing.  What happened? - Asked Va'Renn. What did I do? I'm... I'm sorry.  Well.. The stone of souls is broken. Since this has not happened ever in the history of Magic as we know it, nor was it ever though possible, I'd say you truly are the Sorcerer. THAT is what has happened. And what a sight it was!  Do not blame yourself for these bruises and scrapes my friend. It was well beyond your control. Since we have not yet taught you how to maintain that control. But we will. We must. Lest you blow us all up! Haha!  Not funny - commented Va'Renn. I could have killed you all. I hope that is not why you brought me here.  Most certainly not my friend, I do not wish to leave this world just yet.. come.. your lessons must begin as soon as possible! - cheered Kharaban.  Tell me, what know you of magic, if anything?  I know it seems to be similar to a game we play in my world. Other than that - nothing.  Have you ever tried to perform magic in your world?  When I was a boy perhaps. I mean, we all grew up watching movies and playing video games. Who hasn't tried to force-choke someone after watching Star Wars? But I never actually did anything with it.. Movies? Video games? Star Wars? I know not of such things. But this force-choke sounds interesting! Please, demonstrate it! - Kharaban demanded gleefully. Va'Renn looked at the still-smoking c***k on the stone circle and said - maybe I better not?  Oh come on now - don't be shy! Carry on, please, at your leisure! Fine - Va'Renn said flatly. Suit yourself. He stretched out his hand and did the classic force-choke move. Darth Vader himself would have been proud. And to his amazement.. Kharaban seemed to be in distress. His throat was moving awkwardly, as if actual choking was taking place. Va'Renn stopped immediately, equally shocked as Kharaban was.  Sorry! I'm sorry! Are you hurt? - he yelled. Kharaban coughed, and as he did, the cough turned into a hearty laugh. I'm fine my friend! That was glorious! No magic implement in hand! No training of any kind! And such power! What a marvelous thing you are! And then it hit Va'Renn. He truly was a marvelous, magical thing. He just force choked somebody. And that was, apparently, a thing in this world.  He thought of the implications of that. Of the significance of that. He thought he was going crazy. He must have been dreaming. Or died. Or.. something.  Well then Sorcerer, I think you've had enough excitement for one day. It is time to find you some accommodations. You must be starving after your travels. And I know you mind must quiet in order to process all that has happened. Come now. Lets get you fed and rested.  Tomorrow is the first day of the rest of your life as a spellcaster.