Cortell was spending his second night home, and as he looked out over the green land of Keldon, he actually felt something he didn’t feel too often: peace. This land had that effect on everyone, which was why he was appalled at the idea of travelling for months. Why leave home, he wondered, when home was providing all that he needed? His brother was such an insufferable good spirit sometimes. Still, he was his brother: the only one out of all the people he knew that treated him like he was normal.
He sighed and breathed in the night air. His brother was always saying it was no good to dwell on the past. But how could he not when so many of those from his past were still here in his future? Maybe a walk through the mountains would clear his head, he decided. Out of all of his brother’s crazy ideas, the idea of moving into one of the small mountain villages was pure genius. It was close to his father’s home which was a little farther down to mainland, yet the isolation of it made him feel like he was on the other side of the mountain. He could lose himself in the trails and not have to worry about giving more than a nod to the people that pass by him. No one would bother or hassle him. He could be free.
Free.
What was it to be free, anyway? Cortell was fairly certain he had no idea of what freedom was. He certainly wasn’t free to live in peace with people always hounding him to do something: a father that never used to care about him who suddenly thought the world of him; a brother who was desperately trying to release his inner good nature; and an array of siblings who never batted an eyelash at him as a youth were now clamoring to be around him, proud to be his blood. Pretenders. That was the only word he could give them.
That was one thing he would never be. He was who he was. He wasn’t going to try to change or pretend to be something else. He told himself that he would never join the liars who do nothing but say things to appease or keep the status quo of humanity. Wouldn’t the world be a better place if everyone just told the truth, he wondered. They would be able to say things like “I don’t like you. You’re magic is weak, and you have the intelligence of a patch of grass,” instead of “I wouldn’t say we are friends” or “You just need more practice” and “Just study more it will come eventually.”
As he pondered, enjoying the smell of mountain grass and tall trees, he finally reached his spot. It was a small, open area of green with a path at the edge through the trees. At the end of this path was an even smaller patch of grass, just enough for a few people to sit and relax. From this vantage point, everything was beautiful. The forest below stretched far and wide; he could see some of the other mountains to his left and many of the smaller villages with their lamps glowing in the night. It was beautiful. Keldon, the greenest and most fruitful land of Salinor. His home. It was here that he would sit and try to forget.
Try.
But it would never really work. He couldn’t forget—no, wouldn’t forget. He chose not to forget. “One day I’ll have the power to take revenge, and the whole realm will see.” This phrase above all phrases was the one that would do it for him. Out of all the things he could derive happiness from, this was it.
That was when Zaphora, a Kentai, arrived. This he always took for a sign. How often does a Kentai come as a Betave, Cortell wondered; never?
“Pondering destroying the world again?”
“Must you always make light of my situation?”
“Someone has to be the voice of reason.”
“I have Lynton for that.”
“True. But you’ve come too far to still be thinking about that.”
“Really. I used to get stoned, abused and mentally broken all because my magical talents were those of a pea. Then I become the best healer in ages, and I’m supposed to forget that I was forced to live like I wasn’t part of a family—part of anything for seventeen years. Now that I’m one of the rest, suddenly I have to forget that I was disowned by the entire realm of magicians. My own family. I have to forget that the only good year I’ve had in my life is the last—and only because people want to use me. All the people who tried to destroy me now need my help, and then they send other people to me to be healed. I should just let them die. I actually am powerful enough to do so now. Even more so than a lot of them. Isn’t that ironic?”
“Yes. Indeed. But there’s no sense in dwelling on something you can’t change. The chances of you being amazing enough to destroy the world are slim. And if you destroy the world, how will you survive? Even if you won’t be good, you can’t be evil unless there are people to exact pain upon.”
Cortell let out a slight laugh. Maybe it was time to reassess his plan. “I’ll become king,” he said. “Then I can rule the kingdom how I see fit.”
“You’ll be famous.”
“I’ll be infamous. Everywhere I go people will sing my name. Fear me. Bow down to me. Cortell, ruler of the realm.”
“And how do you plan to do such a thing?”
“There’s got to be some sort of spell that will give me the power to do so. And I’m also very good in mind talents, as you know. I can bend a few people to my cause. I just have to hunt. I have to go to the archives and stay there until I find what I need. That’s something I can do without raising suspicion from Lynton.”
“Indeed. He’ll assume that all his hard work is finally paying off. The temples are far into the Flordon Mountains. It will take us a long time to get there.”
“Yes. But I know the answer is there. We can see the mountains from here. It will take a few weeks to get there, and more time to climb to the top, but anything to finally gain the respect I deserve. Why did you leave your race?”
“I killed three unicorns, drank their blood, and used their horns to gain ultimate power. If the magic of unicorns does much for human strength, you can imagine what it does for one of the spirits of the realm.”
“I have reasons for ultimate power. Why did you do it?”
“They made my brother king instead of me. And I was always better suited for the position. He lacked the strength to rule, the sympathetic, emotional weakling. So I asserted my strength of character to take what was rightfully mine.”
Cortell was thoroughly enjoying this story, especially the choice of wording. Zaphora could be quite dramatic vocally and visually when she wanted to evoke certain reactions. There were no mind talents required.
“So I killed three unicorns. There are many of them in the wild. I was only proving that I had the stomach to do whatever it took, even the unimaginable, for the betterment of our kind. However, even with ultimate power, I couldn’t take them all on. As we are guardians of all creatures on the land, I’d broken a serious law. Furthermore, I did it three times and used the magic for personal gain: all for the good of my fellow Kentais. It was all for the betterment of our kind. Not for personal gain. Hence, we had a big falling out, and I banished myself before they had time to really make me mad.”
“So you’re living out your dream of ruling the world through me.”
“Hardly. I’m helping you as the friend and good Betave that I am.”
“So you’re helping because of your duty? I could’ve pretended you weren’t helping for personal gain. Even that you were doing it just because. But that you’re doing it for good moral reasons, I can’t believe that at all.”
“Djah. So I am using you to serve my purposes. If we share the same goals, why not enjoy it? You get revenge, I get revenge; we get revenge together,” Zaphora said with a little too much ease.
“I doubt they ever had a problem with your sense of humour. Other than you and Lynton, I don’t think anyone’s skilled enough to get a genuine laugh out of me.”
“No. I was rather loved before they wronged me.”
Cortell raised an eyebrow, but Zaphora just ignored it. There was no chance she was going to admit that she was wrong. Cortell didn’t really care. It was good that she had a heart like his long before he was born.
“So you were more subjected to the pull then. Your coming to me isn’t special.” He spoke the thought out loud almost as soon as it came to him. Could it be that nothing great was going to come out of him? Was he just another nobody destined to fall along the wayside like many other nameless magicians?
“No. For the Betave pull to affect one of the magical creatures, especially one of the spirits such as I, banished or not, it still means much the same. The pull still has no hold on us at all.”
“So you have the choice to ignore it. Why then don’t you?”
“Because it’s part of the nature of magic. Something powerful must be working for us to feel the pull. Granted, we don’t always accept the call, but most times we trust in the unknown of magic. It happens for a reason, and we must accept that we may be part of something great or hope it will still happen if we refuse.”
“Do you think I would’ve been different if the world hadn’t treated me so wrong?”
“I believe you were meant to be the person you are. It couldn’t have happened any other way. If it could have, then it would have. Just accept the person you were made into. You can’t rule the realm until you are at peace with who you are.”
“And who am I?”
“Cortell. A man wronged. A man who has grown into his power as a healer. A man who hates the world but loves his brother. A man who was made cold and bitter and vengeful by the same people who now beg for his help. You are a Keldonian healer: the best in the realm. You will destroy those who tried to destroy you and all who are like them and heal the land. That is the man you are.”
“Healing through revenge.”
“Stranger things have happened. You live as long as I have and you’ll know.”
“So you’re ready for a life of seclusion?”
“I am if it will help you.”
Then it is done. We shall leave as soon as tomorrow.”
This was just what he needed: the drive to move beyond the place he was, and to take his rage and redirect it toward a cause that would actually make him happy. The time was now. Finally, he had purpose; he was going to the archives, and there the answers would be found. He’d gain ultimate power, and the realm would be his.
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