The Conflict of Magics

The Refter

“Passage to Oraenil, Prodicia commences in five minutes! All who are bound to the passage, please display your bronze coin to the guards! If you do not have a bronze coin, please purchase it from the old man wearing the white robe standing by the entrance!” A young man bellowed at the entrance of the building to a crowd of travellers waiting impatiently for the door to open. Standing together behind the crowd were Niles, Amelia and Celia with the former accompanying the latter two until their passage concludes. He was still feeling the bliss from being accepted as a recruit for the Warrs. When Amelia learned of it, she gave a small scream and hugged him. “Congratulations, Niles! Maybe one day you can meet my husband, he is a member of the moonknights of Vularia!” Celia on the other hand did not say anything, she had merely nodded in acknowledgement.

“This has been an… special day for me.” Amelia said, feeling the wind blow against her dress and Niles observed for a moment the shape of her body.

“Special? We were almost killed today.” Niles stated plainly, sometimes he had trouble believing at Amelia’s optimism.

“Yes, but we ahre alive.” She simply replied and Niles decided not to proceed further but instead waited for the door to open. He held Celia’s hand while they waited and he could only wish that in the future, he could see her again. Celia tugged at Niles’ hand with a worried expression. “Will we see each other again?” She asked and at that moment, Niles wished he could bring her with him to the Rhylands. Instead, he knelt down facing her and asked, “Do you still have the pebble of your father?” Celia nodded and took it out from her small pack, its’ shape was still of her father. “One thing you must know about the pebble is that it connects you to anybody that you want, in the end we will see each other again. So, if you miss me, do not worry, the pebble will make sure I find you again.”

Her eyes lit up with hope as she listened and just then, the young man bellowed again from the building. “The door will open soon, all who are bound for Oraenil, Prodicia please be prepared!” The crowd soon gathered by the door, most were dressed in Vularian silk with the skins and furs of gorgeous animals hung around their necks.

“Celia, let’s go.” Amelia called as she extended her hand. For a brief moment, Niles could see how reluctant Celia was at leaving Niles as her grip tightened for a bit before finally letting go. Niles waved goodbye at them both as they returned in kind. “I wish you all the best, Niles! Let us know if you visit Oraenil!” Amelia cried before they entered the building. The door soon closed behind them, leaving Niles alone. A sensation soon came over him the moment the door closed, it was similar to what he felt when he left his home and his parents. His mind wandered on the possibility of seeing them again in the future and it made his heart feel lighter but the thought of the opposite only made his heart heavy with longing. Strange, he thought. It was the first time he had such a feeling towards people he had only met a few hours ago.

He did not have time to entertain the meanings of such thought. The passage to Bilange was next and he had yet to purchase his bronze coin. He felt the pouch of money that his parents had given to him at his side, he absentmindedly bounced the coins in the pouch as he waited for the crowd to clear out. Soon there was only him and a handful of others. He walked towards the old man beside the building and gave a small nod to him when he looked up. The old man’s face was haggard from the sun but he nevertheless managed to raise a tiny smile in return.

“Hail, one bronze coin to Bilange.” He said while untying the string holding the pouch to his hip. The old man shook his head, “I am sorry, boy. The last coin has been sold. Niles’ heart jumped to his throat. If he could not be in the Rhylands today, the next passage would be tomorrow but by then he had been ordered to be in the Warrs’ training camp in the next morning.

“None at all, good sir?” He asked, the sound of desperation leaking from his voice. “I have to be in the Rhylands by today, what about other passages in Rhylands?”

The man shook his head again, “As so far there is only one passage in the Rhylands and that is to Bilange. Forgive me but it seems you will have to come back tomorrow.” Niles was beginning to feel the frustration, he had survived an attack by a madman, and he had just been accepted by the Warrs. All of which would be made insignificant because of the old man’s refusal to sell him a passage coin.

“Please, good sir. I need to be in the Rhylands by the next morning. I have just been recruited by the Warrs.” Niles begged. “Boy, even if the Jaloqian Commander himself appointed you, there still wouldn’t be a place for you in the Refter. Come back tomorrow.” The old man growled, further enraging Niles and he would have attacked him if the voice had not appeared from behind him.

“Altean, this young man here is a new recruit to the Warrs personally chosen by both the High Constable and Sergeant of the Forces, it is rather obvious that he has potential. Wouldn’t you consider slipping just one more person into the Refter?” It was the Sergeant of the Forces but this time she had changed her dressing from the light blue blouse to a pair of buttoned shirt with black pants, instantly making her far more familiar with he title. Niles’ first instinct was to move away to allow her more space.

“Ah my lady,” His voice suddenly increased in pitch. “I was not aware that this young man is a new recruit.” The old man said rather hastily. Niles then countered, “Yes, you did. I told you from the start.” Altean then shot an angry look at Niles. “Well, yes he did but I erm, I thought that he was jesting. Of course, I would give him a bronze coin.”

The Sergeant merely nodded, “I am certain you will. Your kindness for the plight of young army recruits is well-known here.” Niles could not help but smile at her stab at the old man. The latter trying his best not to allow his true emotions to show. Silently, he reached into his front pocket and fished out a bronze coin with an engravement of an ‘R’ on the surface. Niles in turn took out three golden coins and placed them in his hand and took the bronze coin. The sergeant then gestured for Niles to follow her.

“My gratitude, Sergeant.” Niles earnestly said as they walked towards the building. She waved him off, “It would be a shame for my new recruit to miss his first training because of logistics. But why did you not purchase the coin earlier?”

“I did not have the money for it. This.” He patted his money pouch. “was only given to me this morning.” His mind then went back to his parents, his mother’s tears and his father’s unspoken longing for a hug. He told himself again he would come back to them whenever he can.

The sergeant nodded. “You have good parents then. Well, we have some time. Tell me about yourself.” She said as they reached back to the camp and sat down on a chair placed beside the tent. She sat down with a small grunt which indicated to Niles that she may have a back problem. She gestured on the dry ground beside her and he sat down. The ground felt warm to the touch, he then remembered that Frajian’s contained a pool of lava that made a fantastic location for hot springs.

The question that the Sergeant asked dreaded him but he had to smile, had to retell the same story he had said so many times before. “My family moved to the Newlands from the Rhylands when I was only a child but I already see myself as a native Newlander.” The Sergeant’s eyes bore into Niles, her brown eyes seemed to scan his entire mind. “A moment ago, you told the High Constable and myself that you wish to join the Warrs because of your sister’s dream.” She began, her voice turned from a kind wise woman into someone interrogating a suspect. Her eyes fixed on Niles which made him uncomfortable. “There is more than that, I think.” She then said, but he had the inner feeling that she was not speculating.

“There is no other reason, Sergeant.” Niles defended, shamefully aware of his own body’s reaction to his lack of comfort.

“There is no need to keep your wall around me, I have trained many other young people like yourself. Some said their ambitions to join was to serve their country but in truth all they wanted was to run away from their family. Some gave me the reason that they wanted a chance to be something more than say, a farm boy enslaved to their parents’ wills. They in turn were actually from a wealthy family living high on the shores of Versairn in the Cracked Province, they were just tired of their routine life. We are not dense, Niles Farthern. We did not climb to our titles because we prayed more or we were bestowed with immense luck as your religion would suggest. I doubt your reason for joining but I do not doubt your spirit, pay me the respect and tell me the truth.”

He felt sweat beginning to gather on his forehead and his own hands were slightly shaking. He knew at this moment, there was no point in continuing to hold the lie. Not even his parents had ever suspected that the reason he gave was faulty. His anxious look was evident. He then felt the Sergeant patting him on the shoulder. It was then he felt that he could trust her.

“When I was young boy, my sister and I wandered into the forest from across the Yellow Lake.”

“The Veiled Woods?”

He nodded, “Yes, it wasn’t called that when we were young, we only called it Jiqare, Rhylandien for dark forest. The forest did something to my sister. She was always calm, collected and graceful but the moment we stepped into the forest, she became easily angered. She was frustrated with me and then she went ahead, leaving me alone.”

Just then, the ground began to rumble with the collective footsteps of the people as they gathered outside the building. The young man outside the building looked on ahead, took a deep breath and bellowed, “Passage to Bilange, Rhylands commences in five minutes! All who are bound to the passage, please display your bronze coin to the guards! If you do not have a bronze coin, please purchase it from the old man wearing the white robe standing by the entrance!” The old man’s face was still sour from the altercation a moment before. “Do not worry, you shall have time, continue please.” The Sergeant urged Niles.

“I followed her into the woods but I was afraid she would be furious at me so I kept my distance. I was very much far behind but I could still see her. Eventually she stopped before a small hill and climbed over it. She halted at the top and was still for a moment, all the while I was hidden behind a tree, yet too afraid to approach her. Then right before my eyes I saw a man appear from the air in front of her, she saw it too. The man raised his hand and flicked his wrist. Soon my sister was writhing in pain. I could not do anything, my feet were bound to the earth, my hands firmly attached to the tree but my eyes watched as the life drains from my sister. The man disappeared soon after and only then could I gather the courage to run to my sister. She looked at me with regretful eyes as she whispered her last words to me: Sorcerers… Traitors…”

He did not say anything after that and the Sergeant only waited. Soon he continued, “It was not wrong of me to say that my sister’s ambition indeed made the decision for me but it is only a part of the true reason. What I saw, and what my sister said to me convinced me that sorcerers will one day aim to betray us, and when they do I will be there to defend us all.”

He had expected the Sergeant to be stunned, maybe even laugh in absurdity and decided that it was wrong of her to allow Niles to join the Warrs. He was deathly fearful of it and did not look at her but no laughter came from her, neither was there any hint of disapproval. In fact, her face did not betray any of her thoughts.

“So you believe that the sorcerers who have stood by us for a thousand years, chose to impart on us the correct application of Efversia have an intention to betray us?” “Yes, I know it sounds preposterous. I’ve tried to convince myself that I was wrong, I have prayed to Calliath to show me that I was wrong but it makes so much sense. Sorcerers have always seen us non-magic users as inferior to their species, and they bear a hatred for us since our skills in Efversia surpassed their own natural abilities. Pathetic creatures.” He had not intended to utter the last words. Yet, he felt there was nothing wrong, he felt a relief came over him.

Murderers, jealous pathetic murderers, all of them.

For an extremely brief moment he had forgotten about the Sergeant listening to him. When he turned back to her, her face was still the same calm and stoic expression. She did not seem to be judging him, she only wanted to listen. “Do you feel better?” She asked while shifting her position.

“Oddly, yes. Would this affect my position in the Warrs?”

“No, because you are not yet a member. You are only a recruit, remember? It is not the Warrs’ purpose to evaluate every members’ intention. We only want to know if your intention aligns with serving the emperor and the country.”

“Yes, I want to serve the emperor and defend my country and family.”

She smiled, “Then you will fit well in the Warrs.”

“The door will open soon, all who are bound for Bilange, Rhylands please be prepared!” The man bellowed again. Niles stood up and dusted the dirt off himself. “Thank you for listening, Sergeant. No one else has ever heard it from me.”

“It was quite obvious. The next time you want to be more convincing,” She said as she raised a finger and pointed it at her eyes, “Look into their eyes when you speak and raise your voice above a whisper. I shall see you again if you are a Wul.” With a dismissive tone, Niles was sure he was supposed to leave her be. He gave the salute to which she returned and he headed toward the building.

The structure itself was built over the edge of the peak with half of the building suspended beyond the edge. This was made possible with the quality of the structure which was a testament to co-operation between men and sorcerers: The material itself was ensured by Efversian masters by applying an Efversian byproduct of Blaster bricks which defend itself against corrosion and deprivation but what held the building from collapsing down the mountain were two pure Efversian crystals being imbued with magic which created a force field between the base of the building and the side of the cliff. This allowed them to be suspended and prevent the building from collapsing under its weight. All of these were aware to Niles as he stood outside the building with many others with him. Some were groups of families awaiting to begin their holidays, the sounds of children laughing excitedly as their elder siblings tried to display their growing maturity with their parents beaming with love. This scene made Niles feel slightly outcasted. Since his sister’s death, there was never a time when he had fond memories of spending time with his parents, there were only moments of semblance whenever they had meals together. The young man stood by the door and looked annoyingly exhausted from the screaming before but Niles still respected him for his diligence. On both his sides stood two fully clad saved for their heads men carrying rifles with a hanging sword in a scabbard by their hips. These were not members of the Warrs but rather part of the local Newlandian guards trained by appointed senior members of the Warrs. The guards were young men of around Niles’ age, their hairs were shaved and their eyes remained still as stone as the young men announced again, “The door will open soon, all who are bound for Bilange, Rhylands please be prepared!”

The crowd remained silent in anticipation as the guards moved towards the handles, latched their arms on it and began pulling the massive twin doors open. From beyond the slid, there was only darkness. Niles strained his eyes to see better before two more guards appeared from behind them and urged the people to begin moving into the building. Both the young and old man stood at each side of the door and held out their hands. People soon begin pressing their coins into their hands before entering the building.

Niles took out his coin and tried to head towards the young man but the guard nudged him to the old man who was already dismayed at having to see him again. Niles played with the thought of apologizing but soon realised that he did not fault the old man and instead pressed the coin into his hand without a look and headed into the building. Niles had heard of the Refter since he was a child and its amazing capability but had never seen it in person. When it was first unveiled, it sent shockwaves across not only the Lacrain Empire but also to the neighbouring empires, the Kingdom of Vularia and the United Tribes of Omal. It was revolutionary in that it allowed instantaneous transportation from one end to another and as of such a paramount secrecy with its method of synthesizing the Efversia required declared a national secret. The windows on top side of the building allowed the sunlight to illuminate the Refter and as he stared he could not help but feel a sense of pride at the marvellous structure in front of him. A gigantic arch encompassing blocks of black limestone supporting a large mirror which was form the conduit between destinations. At the top of the arch laid the keystone bearing the engraving of a tiger’s head staring down at those who approach: The symbol of the Lacrans This was an innovation to ancient magic that no other nations could replicate. There was no source of light except for the sunlight. When the last of the group entered the building, the guards began to close the door with the young man entering. Niles felt a tinge beneath his skin as he listened to the creaks of the door, as if the closing of them symbolised a chapter of his life closed. The doors connected in a bang that was amplified by the inner structure of the building. The crowd dispersed slightly to allow the man to go to the front. “The Refter will activate in 15 seconds, when I give the announcement please shield your eyes.” He was not shouting. The crowd soon began to murmur in excitement. For most of them this might be the first time they will travel with the Refter. “Shield your eyes now.” He announced and Niles shut his eyes as he heard a small rumble sound emitted from the Refter. Then a bright light burst in the room, causing some people to gasp. When the light stabilised, the young man then said, “Behold” and only then Niles opened his eye. Right before his eyes, the edges of the mirror were glowing and pulsing. Within the mirror was a woman standing at the side and from her posture, she seemed to be waiting for them. Where the young man was not accustomed to smiling, the woman’s face beamed with hospitality. “Nashki! Welcome to the Rhylands, please step through the Refter and be careful with your steps.” She said as the crowd slowly but warily stepped through. Niles first cautiously brought his hand through the mirror and at that instance felt a change in temperature. The air through it was warm. Then with a breath, he stepped through.