5 Magicians are upon horseback, Cor silently looking at them with the rest of the crowd. It was almost a festival, one where people celebrate the generational expedition that brings back knowledge of the future. Apparently only the top wizards are allowed to go, yet everyone must be there to send them off. Cor, only at the age of 11, in all honesty thought it was dumb. He'd rather be training his blade against Sin at this very moment. He was also confused by the magicians use of horses. His father had told him that sometimes this expedition had drained literally all of the magic from magicians past, so from now on, they teleported with horses. Corsar sighed, This is sooo dull, but at least it's almost over. Cor grinned, happy he would soon be doing what he enjoyed best.
King Cecil stood on a podium as he finally announced the names of the magicians who would be leaving on the expedition, "Lord Tigris, Master of Dark Magic. Lord Shino, Master of Light. I proudly knight you as leaders of the 'True Knowledge expedition'" Tigris and Shino smiled at each other. They had a long history together, originally just childhood playmates, they soon grew a rivalry that only at the age of 13, had almost destroyed a city. It only grew their friendship as they both were scolded for being out of pocket. By the age of 22 and 24 respectively, they had been granted right of Masters. They were now in their 40s, their friendship and power only growing over the years
"Apprentice Lilia, Worker of Nature. Apprentice Grodd, Worker of Mind. Apprentice Froarch, Worker of Souls. I proudly knight you as Attendants to the 'True Knowledge Expedition'" The three Apprentice's were proud of themselves as well. Their power matched most master's, but they were only as skilled as their teachers. Lilia, only at the age of 18, was studying under Shino, while Grodd and Froarch trained under Tigris. The two of them were 21 years of age. And though they started as apprentices, this expedition would grant them title's of Master, making Lilia the youngest Master magician in the history of their country.
The relationship between the trio was one of love and rivalry. Froarch had always been interested in Lilia, but Grodd had taken her away before he could make the first move. The steal had angered Froarch intensely, but women were abundant, and he would find one sooner or later. Of course it wasn't the only thing that Froarch was angered by, no, not even the main thing that gave him animosity toward Grodd. It was the fact that no matter how hard he tried, he could never defeat his rival. The last one had scarred his mind severely for weeks on end, the effects still slightly felt now. At this time though, the apprentices were all stone faced, their emotions kept in check as they were sent off as rookies to one of the hardest places to find. At least i'll become a Master after this. Froarch thought happily, secrets unbeknownst to him now would be revealed, and he believed that the next time he and Grodd crossed in battle, he would finally emerge victorious.
"Now Magicians knighted, i send you off with the crowd clapping at your heel. God bless you on your Expedition." And with that, the five magicians disappeared to the roar of applause from at least half a country. Finally. Cor thought smiling to himself.
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The five magicians appeared randomly in an empty desert . Grodd looked around, slightly confused. "Soooo... what exactly are we looking for?" His silky smooth voice matched his elfin like features. His blue eyes gleamed brightly in the sun, as his short blondish orange hair almost matched the desert behind him. Froach slapped him roughly in the back of the head, "I wouldn't expect Grodd, future Master of Mental Magic, being so impatient." Lilia laughed at the two rivals. Froarch, for being a magician, was actually pretty big. His skin, eyes, and hair all stone white, and besides being huge at 6 foot, he actually could live up to the name Master of Soul Magic. Lilia on the other hand, looked like she should be summoning fire djinns. Her bright red hair and lucid green eyes were the reason Froarch had originally fell for her. Unlike Grodd, who had already admitted to both of them that the reason he was interested was because of her massive rack.
Tigris scolded both of them, and the two apprentices straightened on their horses. Just like Froarch, Tigris was a big man, but even the smallest soldier could beat him in a physical fight. His silk dark robes brought out the rest of the dark features that he wore with pride. Raven Black hair and eyes that were essentially just two pools of darkness, contrasted the slim, blonde hair, blue eyes man that was known as the Master of Light. "You apprentices should know how to see beyond what you look at." Shino said as he still looked straight forward, Something feels more ominous than usual. The Master magician frowned, and Tigris felt his concern.
Quick on the draw, Lilia said, "Vera Visus." It didn't take a second for the other two apprentices to replicate the phrase. As soon as the apprentices did, a palace appeared in front of them, grandeur in size. Grodd, amazed by its size and wide eyed asked, "So this is the Library of Eternal Knowledge?"
Shino replied, "Aye, i'll grant us passage to it's secret corridors." With just a wave of his hand, the magical barrier that was invisible before shattered. Or at least what was directly in front of him shattered, the Master of Light knowing not to use his power recklessly. The group got off their horses and walked through the front doors, originally only the shadows surrounding them. Lilia was about to use True Sight once more, but Shino silenced her with a finger, "This magic is not of your nature." He said sternly. "Plus, it's disrespectful to use magic in another's home." He smiled and looked back at Lilia, the apprentice blushing.
"I'm assuming you're here from Tidus's kingdom?" A dark figure appeared from the shadows. Shino turned back around, and the five magicians bowed respectively. "Actually, Tidus died a decade ago. Cecil, his son, now runs the country." Tigris, being the dark magician, spoke to the being who ran the library shrouded darkness.
"Oh how forgetful of me. I forgot that this expedition occurs only once every generation. Ironic isn't it, how i keep track of infinite knowledge, yet forget some of the simplest things." The shadowy figure grinned.
"Aye. I'm assuming you're the one they call the Keeper." Tigris's face was as it almost always was when dealing with authority, blank.
"Yes, yes. That's me. So what do you need here? You can't expect me to let 5 powerful magicians roam my halls?" The Keeper said with a raised eyebrow.
"No, we would never expect that. All we wish for is what we wish for every year, the prosperity and future of our kingdom."
"Oh yes, yes, of course. Please come right this way." As he started moving, a small globe of light surrounded him, he couldn't control the shadows, but he could make request of them. And he requested that they not allow the magicians to roam the halls for fear of false identification and possible destruction of the library.
The group moved deeper and deeper into the library, the Keeper knowing which book they searched for. It was different each time, and this time, their book for told of dark prophecy, though it would be better if the magicians saw that for themselves. As the Keeper approached the book, Froach felt a pulling off to the side. He turned his head to see a book in the darkness, it stood out to him even though all else was shrouded with darkness. Come here... Froarch felt the pull of the book, and knew power resided within its pages, he snuck away in the darkness as the other magicians focused their attention to the book the Keeper had revealed to them. "Behold, the book of Infinite Destruction." All four of the magicians frowned. Tigris frowned in anger, Shino in disappointment, the other two, in fear.
"What do you mean 'Infinite Destruction'?" Tigris asked angrily, his country had survived for many generations, and no prophecy had ever been revealed of it's destruction.
Off to the side, Froarch was having a mental conversation with the book that had called him over. It was an interesting book, one with a cross and skull as the cover, "What do you want from me?" Froarch asked the book. You are confused, i want nothing from you, i only wish to give you power..."What's the catch?" You think so highly of a book, to think it has the ability to betray you. "What are you then? For a book can not truly speak to me." A trapped soul, the only reason i offer you power, is to be freed from here. On a normal basis Froarch would've turned away right there, but the battle with Grodd, plus the book's spell, had him completely trapped.
The Keeper turned to Tigris, "Please, all of you. Come closer, take a look." The four magicians cautiously approached the book, Tigris opening the cover. Vivid images of their countries destruction ran through their minds. Grodd feeling it the hardest , the slaughter, the bloodfest, the rape, the murder of even children. It would haunt them forever.
"How is this... possible?" Lilith asked, tears streaming down here face.
"More importantly, how do we let this happen?" Shino asked, he knows they have the power to stop them, so his only question is, What is it that stops us?
"You know, it's kinda funny, yet kinda sad, but oh so simple. You lose your will to fight, in fact, you lose it right here and now." The Keeper said with a frown
"Wait, what do--" Tigris, eyes widened, he turned around looking for Froarch, finally realizing that his presence had left the globe of light. Just then a beam of darkness shot up to the sky, screaming souls swirling around and through it. "FROARCH! YOU FOOL!"
"NO TIGRIS! YOU ARE THE FOOL! I AM A GOD!" Froarch teleported in front of his old friends, knowledge of dark magic flowing through his veins, his power hadn't honestly increased, but his knowledge of power had. And in magic, that's all that mattered at the end of the day. Grodd striked at his mind, but Froarch just shot back even harder. Grodd fell to the floor, his mind completely erased.
"NOOOOOO!" Lilia screamed out in terror and pain. She knelt down crying at Grodd's side. Tigris shot a blast of pure dark energy at Froarch, instead of striking him, Froarch opened his palm and absorbed not only the blast, but Tigris as well.
Shino analyzed the situation quickly. His best friend murdered right in front of his eyes. His student crying out in pain, already weakened from the prophecy revealed to her, and he himself to weak to take on what Froarch had become. Shino frowned angrily, Fuck it. He teleported to Lilith and Grodd, grabbed a hold of both of them, and teleported back to the King's throne.
The Keeper looked at Froarch, "Why didn't you kill all of them?"
"IT DOESN'T MATTER, THEY LOST THEIR WILL. THEY'LL GO BACK TO THE KING AND WARN HIM OF MY POWER, THEN FLEE AS THE FOOLISH KING DECIDES NOT TO RETREAT." His voice naturally boomed with authority, his mind completely warped by darkness, anger, and hatred, his only wish to kill those who've harmed him, he no longer needed a leader. Though, now that he finished what he needed to finish, he felt empty, misdirected, and lost.
The Keeper picked up on this emptiness and grinned slyly, "Since they knew their future, would you like to know yours?" Froarch the God never missed an opportunity.
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"Why won't you listen to me?! There's no use in fighting it!" Shino yelled at the king, mainly out of fear than anything else.
"What is it that you fear exactly?" Cecil was calm, relaxed. Whatever they had found on their expedition, it was enough to kill almost 2 Master magicians. And then there was the matter of Froarch, they had been talking for hours, he doubted the magician was coming back. So why all this talk of the darkness? In all honesty it sounded like madness, yet that was the thing that scared Cecil more than anything. Nothing should be able to make Shino go mad.
"How are you so calm?! Froarch's gone insane, Tigris has been killed, and we still haven't healed Grodd's mind yet!"
"Yes I understand, but this army you speak of has nothing to do with that."
"This army, as you so mildly put it, is 1000 times more powerful than Froarch, even now. It was like a hoard, a darkness that covered our whole country! So why aren't you taking our people and leaving?" His voice almost dropped down to more of a plea than anything else, he didn't want his people slaughted, but without the two best master magicians, he didn't know how they would win.
"I understand what you're saying, but no matter where we go, we can not outrun this prophecy, we can only prepare for it."
"THAT'S THE FUCKING POINT! THERE IS NO WAY TO PREPARE FOR IT!" Cecil looked at his strongest magician with a blank expression. "You know what, fine." Shino turned around and started walking.
"Where are you going?" Cecil asked, sincerely concerned for his master magician, even if his face and tone didn't reveal it.
Shino stopped with his back to his king, "I'm leaving. I'm taking Lilith and Grodd with me, will you stop me?"
Cecil frowned, "You know i can't. You are a free man after all."
"I'm gonna miss that about you. You're kindness. You're unlike many kings Cecil, even more different than those who came before you. I just wish you weren't so stubborn." The magician exited the throne room. And a tear streamed down Cecil's face, "Goodbye friend."
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"So you wish to join my empire?"
"I HAVE NOTHING BETTER TO DO. NOWHERE ELSE TO GO." Froarch said kneeling on the ground.
Gabriel grinned, "Then i knight you, Froarch, the Dark God Magician. Protector of my land."
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