XXII (10.1)
The world materialized around him. Like a game loading the texture too late, breaking the immersion of the illusion. Todor couldn't feel his legs or arms. As a matter of fact, he had no body to feel at all. The first thought that came to him was: This is a nightmare, should I be scared? He could see the nature, smell the flowers and somehow feel the warmth of the sun. Which triggered his second thought: Shouldn't I have a body to feel all these things? What is going on?
The view in front of him was of a valley that spread around him. The slow-moving river snaked through the fields of unknown crops, sunlight glittering on its surface. The gentle wind moved the foliage with a slight rustling sound. Todor finally remembered that he had a similar experience of out of body travel when he used Mind Space through the mind link stone. Am I in Mind Space now? He thought to imagine himself having a body which would conjure the form he wished. Nothing happened. Guess not ... but something very similar.
The man appeared next to him. Or at least next to his immaterial senses. The newcomer was tall and with broad shoulders, standing confidently with his arms behind his back. The stranger turned and looked at him. Todor noticed that he had thick long hair gathered in a heavy braid. The man's eyebrows were bushy and as thick as his hair. Under his eyes, large dark bags sagged as if he hadn't slept in a week. Somehow his eyes pierced the nothingness where Todor's awareness floated.
The man shook his head and looked back at the valley below them. Heavy braid swinging on his back like a pendulum for a second.
"They came and brought magic with them. Two nations at war with each other. Long before my birth, long before we learned to record time," the stranger said in a deep, scratchy voice.
Todor listened not wanting to interrupt. He wanted to shout questions at the man. Things like: Where am I? Who are you? How did I get here? But he had no mouth, so he just listened.
"We don't know what happened. They told us they created us. We didn't believe them. I didn't believe them. But their power was unquestionable. They had the knowledge and powerful magic, and they used it brutally. Against each other, against us, if we didn't listen, against anything that didn't follow their image of what should be," the man stopped for a second then waved his hand over the valley.
The two large armies appeared as if created from nothing. One was made of large, tusked people with red, green and gray skins, wielding huge axes and swords made out of stone. The other army was made of willowy people with long ears, encased in golden armor which made them look far more imposing. In both armies, Todor could see people in robes or people almost naked that held arms in the air. The talking man lowered his arm suddenly and the armies clashed.
The sound of battle came bringing the cries, roars, and snarls mixed with metal hitting metal, arrows flying through the air, and lighting and fire exploding among them.
"They said that something evil forced them to come here. Both blamed the other one for the evils creation. We were simple people. Some believed them and worshiped them as gods, even fought alongside them," as soon as the man said that, armies of two clashing people got filled with groups of humans in furs, carrying stone spears and hide shields. They fought on both sides, bleeding and dying as fast as any other fighter in the melee. Sometimes even fighting each other, carrying banners of opposite factions.
"But we learned their tricks. And we created our own tricks," the man said moving his arm again and the battle bellow vanished, replaced by a crude stone tower. The man and Todor somehow moved to the location of the tower as soon as it appeared. At the giant door of the building stood twelve people, six men, and six women. They wore different clothing, some carrying pieces of the gear worn by competing factions Todor saw earlier. Some being almost naked. They had different skin tones, different eye shapes, and different body builds. What made them the same was they were definitely all human.
"Magic flowed into our world and through us, so we made use of it. Like we made use of fire and stone before. It was just another tool to shape and form," the man said pointing at the tower. "This is the house of Merlioth. This is the moment when we decided we had enough."
House of Merlioth? The writer of Ezezu was part of that! Todor realized that one of the twelve was a younger version of the talking man. Is that him when he was young or his ancestor? Todor wondered. The twelve humans gathered in front of the tower talking in an unknown language, debating something. Then they all rose their arms into the air and stream of multicolored dust started swirling around them.
"We sealed our pact that day. We swore to give humanity time to advance and stand on their own. We are not golems made to fight their wars. We are humans! And no matter what evil comes in the future, we swore to survive and carry the torch of humanity!"
The swirling vortex of dust made the entire scene disappear.
"Each of us was only a human. So we were afraid that our knowledge will be lost. Our personal legacy. So we undertook a personal quest, an Onodori as the slavers called it, to ensure that our personal brand of magic will endure and survive. Four of our number died before they managed to do so. Some of us created many maharoons and seeded the world with them before dying or disappearing. Some made only one. And some ... engraved the very soul of their loved one into the creation of their legacy."
The scene appeared in front of them. A village in the forest, gathering of people in furs around the fire. The unknown talking man carrying a body of a girl.
"She got poisoned by an enchanted arrow. I don't know who fired it, she was dying either way. And me, with all the power under my fingertips, I couldn't save her. My only daughter, my only blood."
The image of a man fell on his knees in front of the gathered crowd and roared into the sky.
"I used her soul to make sure no one loses their daughter ever again. She would have wanted that. My dear Ezezu."
The scene disappeared and the man stood on the stone slab looking into the endless salt flats that spread around them into infinity. The sky was dark with countless stars lighting the unreal scene.
"Ezezu?" Todor said. He jumped realizing he had a body and that he spoke out loud. The man turned around and looked at Todor, right into his eyes.
"No, I am not, I am just a memory of No Terror," the man who showed him this forgotten history said.
"Where am I?" Todor asked, jubilant that he can finally speak.
"You are where you always were. In your own mind," the memory of No Terror said flatly.
"What does that mean?" Todor spattered in frustration.
"How long was it?" No Terror's shade asked in return. "Since the last someone saw this memory, I wonder? A year, a century? Does humanity still stands?"
"I am human, as you can see. We still stand," Todor said taking a long breath. I am talking to the ghost of a mage from the dawn of time. I must be patient if I want any answers, he decided after a moment of thought.
"Good, good," No Terror said, weariness evident in his voice. "I am glad the spirit of my daughter survived. But you still have much to go, by the looks of it. Ask your questions, but be swift. You can be trapped in your own mind while your body withers in the outside world. Time here is strange, we can talk for years and a heartbeat could pass by in the real world. But it could be that you are already dead and centuries have passed as we exchanged these words."
Todor swallowed hard at that warning. Well if I am dead, it's already done. And if not I want to know as much as I can.
"The world got Knitted again, Morgs and Anadori are back, and magic doesn't work for us humans anymore," Todor said as he tried to gather his thoughts. "How can we cast magic again?"
"I see that you already know that you can speed up the gain of your powers. But you are unwilling to try it. Either you haven't experienced emotions strong enough or you are not sure the sacrifice is worth it. Tell me is there anyone you want to protect, or it's just you?"
Todor didn't know what to say. He stayed silent looking at the memory of long-dead mage.
"Silence tells me everything, but don't worry. You bonded Ezezu. As your bond grows your grasp with magic will grow as well. Even if you are not able to refine mana from the world, you can use magic as a tool," the man chuckled. "What are we humans if not marvelous tool users?"
"When I leave this place, will I be able to talk to you again?" Todor said, his mind getting fuzzy.
"I am just a memory. A page in the book. But this page is far too deep to be plucked and read as you wish. Maybe, from time to time, when you fall deep enough we might talk again."
"Is No Terror really dead?" Todor asked on a whim. The awareness that came from this memory was similar to the one he felt at home once. And at the coffee shop and in the park when he saved Cassandra from a sniper. Was that tug from this memory? No, it was far more ... human than this.
"I know only things that No Terror knew at the moment he made the book. So his fate is unknown to me. What I know is that he had a lot of plans to ensure humanity stayed on track," the memory nodded. "Yes, it's possible."
"Ezezu was a girl. Will I be able to talk to her as I talk to you?" Todor asked.
"What I am is just but a memory, a footprint in the send. Ezezu, on the other hand, is the essence, a soul. No Terror couldn't cheat death to save her. She needs a brain to be aware, for now, she only feels. If your bond grows strong enough, and if you can survive it, she might be a person again. But we warned. The allure of life is strong, she might try to overtake your mind and body. Stay strong, if you are lost and she gets reborn in your body, it will kill you both in the end and all No Terror's knowledge inscribed in the book will be lost forever."
"Morgs and Anadori say we humans don't have souls anymore, after the Knitting we lost it," Todor said pondering on the words he just heard.
"Those people see mana furnace in the chest and call it a soul. Soul magic is far more complex and far more powerful."
"So, the only way for me to refine mana is to use a fetish?" Todor said disappointedly.
"I didn't say that. I said to nurture your bond with Ezezu, to not let her take over. And what I left out is ... learn your own name," No Terror's memory said.
"I know my name. I am Todor Corpus," he responded flatly.
"No, no, no," the shade said amused. "That is your mortal designation. I am talking about your True Name. The one that was imprinted upon you in the first months of your life."
"How can I learn it?" Todor asked, suddenly giddy and full of energy.
"Do as I told you. You will know how when you are ready."
"Gee thanks, master Yoda. That wasn't very helpful," he said flatly.
"I feel you are waking up. Do you have any more questions?" memory of No Terror asked, becoming slightly transparent.
"If I meet No Terror in the real world, the real him, do you want me to tell him anything?" Todor asked. No reason to prod on what that real name thing means. So might as well do a good deed of the day.
"I have no wants, I am just a memory. But ... tell him not to forget the pact," No Terror shade said as the darkness took him.
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