Chapter 6, part 1

 

Chapter Six-p

            That night at the table was a silent one. Nobody had a wish to speak: Mom because she never does, Dad because he was cautious about how I might react, and I because I was trying not to impolitely explode.

            I thankfully lived through the dinner without any outbursts. Instead I just sent myself to bed. I picked up my stone-like pillow and began punching it. Hey, I had to vent my anger somehow; might as well destroy my indestructible pillow.

            Even though I’d had a terrible day, I still slept peacefully.

 

            “Let’s begin; I am going to tell you the history of how magic came to be in this land. You will not write any notes. You will not do any homework. You will just listen. Do I make myself clear?” Ezuil had been having a field day with me since I walked in the door. I appreciated the no homework and notes though.

            “Yes sir.”

            “No, don’t say sir, call me Ezuil. Sir is too formal. I’m but a teacher, not some extreme master of a craft.”

            “Okay Ezuil.”

            “That’s better” he seemed to look relieved that I wasn’t being formal. This one was a weirdo.

            “Now let’s go back to the ancient days of old, back past the war, past the kingdoms, past humanity. Now we are in the beginning, the moment of creation. It is the night before the dawn of creation. Three pillars surround us, each reaching to the sky. Between the each pillar is a smaller one forming a straight line to the next pillar. The pillars form a triangle.”

            “Tell me, do you recognize the beginning of this story? You should, it’s the beginning of yours. The pillars are starting to glow. The one on the bottom left a great emerald green, the bottom right a bright ruby red, and the triangle’s tip, the tip has turned a magnificent sapphire blue. The smaller pillars are a dim gold. In the center of the triangle lie two orbs, one green and the other red.”

            “Tell me, why is there not a blue orb?”

            “Because there isn’t such a thing as perfect balance in this world, yes I’ve heard this story before. No I can’t read your mind” Ezuil laughed at my sarcastic comment.

            “Ah, you are learning quite fast. Any who, the pillars as you know are the representation of mental and physical balance, blue; power, red; and knowledge and magic, green. Now, most people are under the impression that red is evil and green is good. Why might they think this?”

            “They believe that having power is evil, but Ezuil, power is evil isn’t it?”

            “That isn’t necessarily true. Look at the palace, unchallenged by all. Seems like they got themselves some power, I’m not saying they’re evil, just that people aren’t banging down they’re doors.”

            “Anyway, as you know, the green orb was the birthplace of magic. Everything exists with a touch of magic. The orb can reverse any deathly injury or cause the injury. The Red orb, however, can grant any regular human ability. For example, your strength could be multiplied by a hundred. The most extraordinary feature is that it…”

            “Increases your life force by a hundred. I’ve already told you, I have heard the story before.”

            “Anyway, now let’s talk about the blue orb.”

            “But there isn’t one.”

            “Aye, there isn’t a blue pillar for nothing is there.”

            “But the blue pillar is just a tribute to the blue orb, as the red pillar is to the red orb.”

            “You obviously haven’t heard the entire story. Each of the three pillars was made by the orb of its color. That’s why the red radiates energy, the green hides magic secrets, and the blue keeps balance between the two. The orb of balance is said to reside in a single spirit, allowing it the power and time to influence the balance of all things. This spirit is said to be marked as an angel. Angels have wings.”

 

            “Commander, I need to see the Commander at once!”

            “What importance is your mission, if its rats in the dungeons again, you will be sorry.”

            “No sir, it’s not the rats, it’s the professor.”

            “What business is it of yours with the two professors?”

            “Not the living ones, the dead one!”

            “You’ve found the orb then?”

            “No, it’s much worse, he has hidden it.”

            “The Commander is inside. He won’t like this one bit.”