Alphande'

I was still uncertain—nervous even, about how I was going to deal with my brother when we met again. My growing disdain festered like a purulent sore when I thought about what he did to Curly and to me. Yet I couldn’t obliterate him on meeting as he had become too integrated into the cause of the Nuwanhe. I noticed that his actions were purely selfish in the beginning, but I also acknowledge the fact—rather grudgingly—that he had changed—somewhat. He was not the same person I left weeks before. Time and more importantly love seemed to have altered him.

Noräin had changed him. I bit this knowledge down and swallowed it as I would bitter medicine. I did like Noräin and almost to the point where I thought that I was in love with her. That I was not certain about anymore. It didn’t even matter anymore. She was never meant to be mine and unfortunately for Gareth she will never be his either.

I had summoned Lucorian’s presence here with me. I would have preferred his physical form, but as a part of the Guardians he served in another role of protecting Talithá.

This is ancient magic Evander. You have to think this through carefully. He warned.

“I have and this is the only way I could come up with.”

It is madness. You will not survive this.

“I have considered that, besides some of the most brilliant schemes were hatched from the minds of raving lunatics.”

Evander, he warned again.

“I have to do this.” I said. The reaper, as so I had named it had grown over quarter mile in diameter and had left nothing but black dust behind. I pulled to stop as I couldn’t believe what I had just witnessed. “By Avandor.” I whispered. All my musing about my brother seemed for naught as he seemed to have willingly stepped into the twister himself.

The reaper belched in satisfaction as it relished the energy he supplied and the magic that lived in his blood seemed to satiate its desire as for a moment it stopped, digesting every morsel.

“You see that,” I said to Lucorian.

Yes, it as if the tornado recognised him.

“Not him, his blood. The gems are the channel and it was made specifically for our ancestors. I need only to release the warping that Rammon has done to destroy it.”

With greater resolve I strode over to the reaper. I delved into the memory of those made thousands of years ago. Old magic had to be fought with old magic. I found the words and the knowledge I needed. A spell of release would undo this. I began to chant as I stepped closer. Alphandé shifted from its wooden form and was again a staff full of silver light. Tendrils of the light became entwined with the dark clouds faster and faster until a complex lattice started to form around the twirling clouds.

The force of the reaper battled against my own magic sucking it inward. This meant that I was on the wrong side of the wall. What I needed was an outward force to dispel the magic.

Lucorian had remained silent, but I could sense from him that I was right. I needed to be inside the twister.

I released the flow of magic and as the lattice work disappeared the reaper expand outwards.

I cloaked myself within a shield of energy just as the wrapping winds pulled me in.

It was hard to stand and I felt the magic striking at my shield repeatedly as it longed to tear me open. I stabbed Alphandé into the ground to steady my footing and I tried to focus on what exactly it was that I wanted.

The lattice work had begun to form once more, lacing its way up to the zenith of the reaper. The air around me became stiller and clearer as I stretched thin the walls of the twister.

You need to continue, it is working. Encouraged Lucorian who had stuck with me throughout the ordeal.

Bolstered by this I pushed even harder against the tight walls. My head thrummed with pain and sweat poured into my eyes. I could see a sudden lightening coming from above me as the sky had become visible.

Just a little longer, said the wolf spirit.

“I don’t know how much longer I can hold it. I said as one of my hands slid from the staff.

Push Evander, if you give in now, it will recoil and will be a hundred times worse from all the magic that is being fed into it.

“I am trying,” I said but I could feel my resolve wearing down and with it Alphandé seemed to be flickering between its wooden and silver forms. I panicked as I knew that it meant that the energy was tapping out.

Faster and faster it flickered between both forms. Sunlight was pouring in all around me and the clouds were no more than a thin veil hiding the outside from me. It just needed to last just a few moments longer.

Alphandé flickered, faster and faster, the cloud was beginning to lift.

And.

Then.

It.

Stopped.

I held nothing but a wooden staff in my hand. “By Avandor.” I whispered.

A full blast of wind coming at me from every direction slammed into me. Alphandé was splintered into a thousand pieces and the heavy clouds surrounded me one more.

I somehow had remained whole, but I was airborne and tossed around the swirling mass.

Evander! Shouted Lucorian. His multiple consciousnesses channelling my fear.

“At least I tried.” I said as I was knocked from side to side with the magical tendrils drilling at me.

No it isn’t finish. You are the channel Evander. Alphandé was only a focus point. You are the channel of all nature’s power. Use it. Find a new focus point. Focus on what you want.

I thought about what he said I concocted a spell which had no words as I directed the flow of magic through my sheer will and emotions. Words were not enough for what I wanted.

My driving force has always been to protect those who I cared about the most. My grandmother, Curly, Noräin, Andreas, the Nuwanhe. I had failed so far to keep them from harm. It was this failure that burdened me the most in all my wanderings. More people depended on me now and I could not live with myself if I allowed them to be destroyed. I was their king and it was time I proved myself worthy of the title. The only way I could protect them was to remove all the danger posed to them by the reaper. I had the fate of two continents within my grasp and I could not let them down.

I felt an upsurge of energy coursing through me as I sourced the energy from the elements around. The force was so powerful I felt that I myself might explode into a million pieces. I felt overwhelming sense of panic as if I was about to lose myself in the outpouring.

Channel the flow towards your goal. said Lucorian.

“I am trying.” I said struggling again.

You are the one in control of magic, not the other way around. Focus on what you want. He encouraged.

I directed the flow of energy out from myself which caused the tearing feeling to abandon me. Once the fear was gone, it all became easier. With my mind clearer I focused the energy outwards into the spiralling band until they had again formed a thin veil. Slowly the veil lifted until only a whisper of smoke remained. This soon dissipated into nothingness.

The lattice of energy surrounding me remained and the energy it took to sustain it was immense and I could feel my strength ebbing away.

You need to close the channel now. Warned Lucorian. Close it Evander or I will have to choose another to enter the Great Race.

“How? I don’t know how.” I said weakly as I felt my life force slowly emptying out.

Let go. Cut it off from your will. Find the source, it pours out like a river, close the source.

I searched for what he said not seeing it at first. But I soon realised it wasn’t sight but it was what I felt.

The flow of energy seemed to pour from a small hole that channelled the forces of nature into magic. I was portal between the two things and every portal could be closed I reasoned.

I pushed inward, but the hole resisted initially. I sustained the inward push until slowly it budged and inched closer together until finally the hole was obliterated.

The sky was obliterated in white light and finally the lattice work faded.

I fell forward barely able to muster enough energy to breathe.

“I did it.” I said not quite believing it myself.

You did. But never do that again.

“I never intended to.”

“Evander,” I knew that it was Tet who had called my name. I felt her arms around me and I allowed myself to rest finally as I knew that I was safe.

…

The fresh scent of evergreen pines flooded my nostrils. I waited to feel the pain from my skin being torn from my frame and from my bones to crumbling to dust; however there was only stillness.

“Evander,” said someone calling my name. Light fingers brushed the hair from my face. “He should be conscious by now, why isn’t he getting up?” her voice sounded worried.

“He is aware, but he still needs time to recover. He came in direct contact with all of nature’s forces. If he was fully human he would have died and if he was fully changeling he would have fared better.”

“But he is both, so where does that leave him?”

“We don’t know.” came the sombre reply.

“His hair and skin…?” she started again. “Will he be the same?”

“We don’t know, we just have to wait and watch. Give him a few days Tetyana.”

I was still immensely tired and I tried to follow the conversation, however tendrils of it didn’t seem to make sense. What was wrong with my hair? I was curious but not enough to rouse me as an overwhelming lethargy took hold and pulled me back under the blanket of sleep.

…

Evander, you need to get up. said Lucorian whose presence was like a hum in the background.

I want to, but each time I try something pulls me back under. I answered. It is like something is broken. I start to move but then something just cracks and I go back under.

That is the magic pulling at you. Tet and the others have made a potion to help, but you have to swallow it.

I tried moving my lips and I tried swallowing my own spit. The action didn’t cause pain or drag me back under. You can tell them to go ahead. I felt his presence get muted as he no doubt was speaking to them.

I felt the rim of a bowl at my mouth. I parted my lips slowly and allowed small amounts of the liquid to enter my mouth. It was revolting to say the least; I didn’t want to think of what it was made from. I however fought the urge to spit it out and just swallowed.

I drained the bowl and could already feel the restorative properties of the potion moving through my body. Strength first returned to my toes and the healing warmth continued up my body.

On reaching my head whatever was broken seemed to click into place and finally I was able to open my eyes and sit up. The movement was surprisingly easy as it seemed I had simply floated upwards.

The gold wolf was present in its physical form and beside him stood Tet and another changeling whose name I should know but trying to remember it triggered a headache which had me retreating into myself.

“Tetjana,” I said standing and reaching for her.

“No, you shouldn’t. Not yet.” she said as she stepped backwards. I quailed at the dismissal but I pulled my hand back.

Don’t take it as an offense Evander, but if you touched her you would either transfer your affliction or end up destroying her unintentionally. said Lucorian. The explanation placated me somewhat but not completely.

“We don’t have much time.” started another changeling. Which made me notice that there were at least ten others in the room, each of their eyes sparking with wonder and curiosity. “The effects of the potion will only last for a few minutes.”

“What is wrong with me, Tarrus?” the stranger’s name popped into my head automatically.

When Alphandé was destroyed you became the new bearer of all its magic. This isn’t a new phenomenon as the first changeling mages, Silver mages as they’d been called had this ability as well. said Lucorian.

“So what is the problem now?” I said sitting back down.

All Silver Mages were changelings and their bodies were better able to handle the flow of energy.

“And mine can’t is that what you are saying?”

“It can and it is, but not for very long.” said Tet.

“In human years changelings live up to seven hundred years old, give or take a few centuries. Those who entered the Great Race and won, barely live more than an additional twenty years after becoming Silver Mage.” explained Tarrus.

“You too would have another twenty years if you were fully changeling.”

“But I am not.”

“Chumans despite having our blood still only live until they are seventy, just as a normal human would.”

“That would mean I would have at least a six months as Silver mage.”

Under normal circumstances you would. However you expended a large amount of energy and magic in diminishing the twister. That sped up the rate of your body’s deterioration.

“How long do I have left? A month? A week?”

“Days.” answered Tet. “Most of which you have spent sleeping. Today is your last day.” she said and without touching, handed me a small mirror.

This hit me harder than the shockwave that splintered Alphandé. A day to live! How could I…. the shock was rendering me speechless.

I took the mirror from her and looked at my image. My skin was translucent and cheeks hollowed out making the bones of my face more prominent. My hair was silver and wispy as it thinned out along the hair line. Wrinkles were the second most prominent feature of my face. The first being my eyes. They, unlike my decrepit and deteriorating body, were still pale blue and gold, but every so often they would pulse with silver energy that radiated outward like twin lamps in a lighthouse.

I placed the mirror face down on the bed. “What happens next? Why did you wake me so that I could die knowing this?”

“Because, we don’t want you to die.” said Tet coming to sit beside me. “There is one way we can take all the magic away from you, but it will come at a cost.”

“What would that be?”

“Someone would have to act as a conduit to take the magic from you.”

“Would that person not suffer?”

“Or die, there is that possibility, yes.” she said more softly. “But it is a risk they are willing to take.”

“Well I cannot allow that. This is my burden and I will face it.”

“Evander, you are being stubborn.”

“I am being fair and it would be the h….”

“The honourable thing to do! Yes we know that. I know about you and your code of honour.” she said a bit exasperated. She engaged me in fierce staring battle which I was determined not to lose. She sighed heavily and then looked down. “Would it make you feel better if you knew that you too would be affected by the transfer?”

“What do you mean?”

“Your memories, we cannot guarantee what you will remember or if you will remain the same person you are now. Being in direct contact with such raw magic and then losing it is bound to alter you somehow.”

“Then death would be preferable.” I turned away as the sinking feeling was already trying to pull me under. My arms shook violently and my head pounded. I squeezed my temples in trying to manually contain the pain, but to no avail as I could already feel myself sinking back into the dark hole that had surrounded me before.

“Evander!” said Tet as she was about to touch me I pulled away.

“No, I don’t want you to get hurt. Stay away.” I said through clenched teeth.

“I can’t let you die. I was born to help you endure. I can’t fight my fate any longer, nor do I want to.”

It was then that it hit me, when she said someone was to act as a conduit, she meant her. She was going to sacrifice herself.

“No!” I said pulling away from her. The pounding in my head intensified and my vision started to flickering between complete darkness and total brightness. I shook my head trying to focus, but it seemed that my body was no longer in my control.

Tet now! You must make the connection now! said Lucorian. He was doing this, he was holding my body in place so that I couldn’t run.

She grabbed my face in her hands and for a moment the pain seemed to subside and my vision cleared. She gazed steadily into my eyes. “If you forget all else, always remember me Evander, remember that I love you.” she said and before I could say anything her lips were locked to mine. She pulled away briefly and smiled, her green eyes swimming with tenderness.

“Tet I…” I started to say but suddenly there was a sudden jolt that kicked from within me and blasted through my chest. A bolt of energy burst outwards from me and directly into Tet. Her eyes widened and her body jerked backwards in an unnatural way. Her dark hair was being whipped around her head as if she were in the middle of a hurricane.

“Tet,” I said but she didn’t answer. Her eyes were open but they seemed like she was looking somewhere far away. There was no indication on her face whether or not she heard me. Through all this her connection to me never wavered as she still held my head between her hands.

Lucorian, what is happening? I said alarmed.

She is saving your life, there is no other way. His tone was sombre.

You mean she is dying! I said terrified.

She is being used as a conduit to siphon the magic of Alphandé from you. We thought of all the possibilities and all the possible candidates but this was the only way and she was the only one who could do this so that you would walk away alive.

No! I won’t do it! I will not allow her to sacrifice herself for me. I lifted my hands to hold hers as with some of the magic gone I was beginning to regain my strength. I put my hands around her wrist and tried to pull them off, put it was near impossible as the strong undercurrent seemed to have melded us together.

“Tet let go!” I said as the stream of magic rushed from me into her with an even greater force. Her mouth opened slightly but no words came out her skin was usually luminescent but now it was ashen and hollowing out. Streaks of silver clung to the roots of her hair and quickly ascended until every strand was metallic.

Lucorian, you have to stop this. I begged as I realised how powerless I was to save her.

I cannot. She has made her choice Evander.

She can’t… I said as I tried to pull her away from me. I am not ready to lose her.

I am sorry. He said and I knew that there was nothing he could do as well.

There we were, the two of us bound together by magic. I was forced to take the life of the woman I spent so much time hating that I didn’t realised that until now that I had loved her.

Tet and I were intrinsically joined. We were one in the same as we were always meant to be one.

A vision appeared before me, but unlike the others which showed what was to come, this one showed what was supposed to be.

She was chosen to be my wife. Asher murdering my parents and me going into hiding had warped our destinies into this. It was never meant to be this way. Our love story was to be pure and untainted as had been my father’s, grandfather’s and his father’s.

One man’s greed and quest for power had changed all of that and now lost to me forever was the only woman I was born to love.

She was mine from the moment I was born. I knew this now and I was not angry that I had unknowingly been designated a wife and for the first time I understood what Babu had meant about marrying my grandfather. Sometimes fate chose best.

She was everything I needed and wanted in a life mate. She gave me purpose when I was lost. Protected me when I was to face harm. Gave me strength at my weakest points. She taught me to dream big when I had tunnel-vision. She saw me for who I was, and pushed me to grasp all I could be. She loved me. It was never spoken until now, but it was in her every action. Somewhere in between hating and tolerating her, I fell in love with her as well. And now she was dying.

I could see her weakening as the constant stream of magic poured into her. After what seemed like hours the stream dried up until only a small sliver remained and then it stopped. With nothing holding us in place she fell forward and dropped in my chest. I turned her face over to mine. Her body was limp and the only kind of life palpable was the swell of magic she’d absorbed pulsing under her skin.

“I am sorry, Tetjana.” I said. “Please wake up,” I said shaking her head gently. I held my breath as for a second she opened her eyes and looked at me.

“You are yourself again,” she said dryly. “That is good.”

“You shouldn’t have done this,” I said as I stroked the planes of her face gently.

“I had to,” she coughed twice and her breathing became more ragged until it stopped. Her form seemed to be fading.

“Tet, don’t go. I love you.” I said holding unto her until her form melted into ether.

Remember me Evander, remember that I love you. Her voice echoed in my mind and then there was silence.

Time and space had been rearranged around me and nothing seemed to make sense anymore. She was gone.

You need to rest. said Lucorian.

I could feel the last of the magic draining from my body pulling me into the stupor of sleep. As drained as was I held on to one conviction firmly.

I will remember you Tetjana and I will always remember your love.