The night time stood still -part II-

Clik here for the first part

You see my beloved diary, things aren't strange enough yet. I learned in a short time a lot of things. I chose to be a mage, I could have returned to the normal world but something made me take this path. Call it fate, destiny, karma, intuition. All would have had the same result. I could not leave the store that night and I stood there to study, the need to understand more took control, I felt a hunger for knowledge, a thirst for new horizons. I could not sleep anymore, I learned some spells that kept me going, I became like a sponge and absorbed any information that was provided to me. Haghe fed me with books, and trinkets and provided guidance on how to evolve, how to create my own world. She showed me how the world was actually that there are creatures in this world that live among humans and neither know about the other, because you see the one who has created this world we live in, has great power, he was able to create such a big world that a mere map will not suffice. He has created an Universe, but that inspired me, that gave me an idea. What if I could surpass that, what if my world would be not just as big as his is, but more complex, instead of one world I will have multiple ones. After I will finish with this one I will create another one to run in parallel. And why not if my power would hold create even more.

"Darian, take it easy, time is no longer an issue, you don't have to rush it!" she told me after she figured out what I was thinking. She could see that my eyes were changing, they became to glitter. She could see that the power I was gaining was increasing at an alarming rate. I had to spend that power before it engulfed me since I could not control it. Others failed to subdue it and they became pure silver statues, a common ingredient for magical items, there are mages who take subjects under their wings and grow them so powerful so when the time is ripe they become the vesel for all that energy and end up statues. Some were so rare and powerful that became keron, a kind of crystal, this material could make the most powerful artifacts known. It was so rare that some mages dedicated their whole life trying to gain even the smallest amount, they became known as the perfectionists. While some managed to get their hands on such materials, others became hunted, others hated for their amazing powers. You see this isn't the perfect world, it's far from it. But even so a balance is in place, nobody can change that. Not even the Forger, yet the scales of good and evil change depending of actions that the Forger can't control. He can manipulate the surroundings, the nonliving, he can control the elements creating this world. He can do many things, but this should be sought better in the memories of other great Forgers, memories we have here kept as relics of great importance and so others can learn and refine their calling." she finished as she showed me a room filled with memory Crystals.

I found out that there were many types of Crystals in the world and some have been turned into jewels to amplify power, others to absorb power for later use, or to nullify spells. You could even store special spells into crystals so that anyone could benefit from them, even the normal people.

I have started to use the first stone and I found myself flowing into a river where memories and thoughts swam in every direction. I grabbed one and I began to hear the forger's voice as he was creating and developing new assets, abilities that he should teach the slaves.These were the slaves of the new to come ruler. This world was not that complex but as I experienced his memories I could see what he did wrong, his world soon crumbled as the the lords died and others wanted the crown and started wars, then everyone started killing everyone and soon his world ended. Another Forger thought of a futuristic world, an Utopian universe where everything would be good and the bad would not be killed but placed in jails and crime was extinct, so even if evil was present it could not do anything. His world became filled with so much pure energy and he didn't know what to do with it, he could not mold it with other energies soon he became a vessel for the energy and his body transformed into silver. Extremes are often met into this category of mages, but there are other ways of spending the magic, in our current world. Well gifted mages can create life right here, outside their own created world. By using the life force and the experience of others I could make crazy things appear and not just illusions, real things, even conscious beings. Yes, I think I could become more like a summoner

I watched and watched and I could not satisfy the hunger, yet time was passing and I finally had to head home. It felt that my toys as a toddler were taken away and that I could not find the power to leave the place.

"This door will always be here for you, you can come and leave as you please but don't fret, even if the door will look different you will recognize it. The spell that makes magic items glow is "Sharam", it brings the magical powers of the surrounding objects to resonate with your powers. It can be cast any time of day and there are variations made by other casters, use it when in the alley because the door might change appearance just as a precaution." she said with a smile, but I sensed it was a fake smile, there are things out there searching for this door. I promised I would come back as soon as time permitted and she knew I would be back swiftly. She provided some gifts for my dear ones, they were toys and trinkets and games. I tried the Sharam spell but nothing happened, they seemed ordinary objects. So I got dressed and left the store amazed wondering if everything was a dream or something else. I looked back at the store and it appeared so normal and plain now from the outside, but it was amazing from the inside.

I left the alley with a wide grin on my face, realizing that it was still night, in the horizon the suns fiery arrows cut the sky  announcing another morning. I wondered how much time passed, it seemed like days, but as I checked my watch I could see that only a few hours passed, all that in such a short amount of time. How was that even possible? Questions burst into my mind, giving me more questions instead of answers. It was way past my sleeping time but I didn't feel tired at all, I felt energetic, I could climb a mountain with ease or so I thought. My gem, my world, my power! I double checked and it was still in my possession, my little precious. The shape was rough but what about it? It was mine and it was bonded to me. I had created that, with my own blood and soul, spirit and energy. It was a part of me. A car passed by and shook me out of focus, I came back to reality and I could see people on the street going about their jobs and business. Some more intoxicated youngsters were headed home or so I hoped, they seemed so strange now, fragile by the looks, the mere creation of a powerful being, with just one purpose, to assist the chosen ones, the balance. I could have become one of them, another sand grain in the hourglass of time, others time.

It was time for me to head home and rest, I needed to come back and continue my training. I managed to reach my place fast, took a shower and ate something. The sleep was short, restless, I could find myself again in that amazing castle, with the giant and the snake. I didn't know why I was there, my subconscious was telling me something, yet I could not find the answer.
The next day I prepared the gifts for my precious friends and family. I was ready to go back to the shop. I took the shortest path there but the streets were crowded again, people rushing to their jobs, some were window shopping,  others were just passing through. I wanted to reach the alley much faster and it seemed my body listened, I gained increased movements, I was able to dodge the people on the street more easily, at this rate I would be there in no time.

On a side alley, paved with stone and with old style street lights I saw a person standing in the middle of the street, dressed in a raincoat, the black hat matched his suit and the fashioned cane, his shoes were polished and shining. He wore the glasses over his nose so he could see over them. It seemed that his gaze was fixed on me so I slowed down, almost to a walk taking involuntary caution. I approached him without any solution in mind, I wanted to see if anything happens when I`ll pass him. A cars sudden break and horn almost got me distracted but I never lost sight of him, while he stood there holding his black cane with both his gloved hands. He seemed like a guardian statue, the only thing I saw moving were his eyes, following every gesture I made, analyzing me from head to toe, I wanted to become invisible but I felt that not even that would have made a difference. I didn't know what would happen when we would reach each other but the thought frightened me. Tension built as the distance grew shorter. I was so close I could see the green in his eyes.

I was about to question him when suddenly a black bird flew in front grazing my face with its wing. Startled I jumped back and shielded my eyes, but the bird was now resting on a nearby pole, I checked the bird more intensively since the white spot on its chest reminded me of another bird I recently saw. When my eyes went back to the strange man he was gone. It took about two seconds and I could not hear him make a sound as he vanished, he just disappeared into nothingness. When my eyes went back to the bird it just stood there, watching me, croaking from time to time. I thought I could understand what the bird was trying to say, must have been my mind playing tricks. I proceeded further on towards my goal, but this time paranoia settled in, I was looking all over the place, trying to hide my presence but I could feel eyes watching every move I made.

I reached my destination and there the shop was gone, disappointed I looked all around for any trace of a hidden door, but nothing came in sight. The spell came into my mind and I said it in the same intonation I remembered it "Sharam!". Moments later the on the wall a door frame began to glow faintly at start then more intense. It had no door knob or hinges or anything to distinguish it from the rest of the wall, yet a frame was visible nonetheless. I touched it and it was as cold as stone, the brick texture was rough against my fingertips. I gave it a light shove but nothing happened, then I gave it a harder push and I could see it move slightly. With a final thrust it opened and I could see the familiar room. As I entered the door closed behind me, as I looked back there was no door, yesterday's windows were gone, the room was twice as big as I knew it.

As I called her by the magical name "Haghe!" an answer came from behind me:
"I've been expecting you Darian, how was your journey here?". Oh, she knew, she knew too well and I bet she held the answers. She studied my face and continued
"We will talk about that later, but right now we have more urgent business to attend" she motioned to follow her and I did. This time she took me into a dark room, shaped like a dome with the ceiling covered in many  lights twinkling like the sky, the floor looked like a pool filled with a strange liquid, a small path paved with metal plates headed to the center where a circle of glass floated. We headed on the platform and at a word of command the metal plates retreated. We remained stranded there and I became defensive, I didn't know what was going to happen.

"Don't say a word, no matter what, bite your tongue if you have to but say nothing!" she urged me and then she became to cast a spell, it seemed complex and consuming. When she finished, the liquid seemed to boil, then it started to take strange shapes, building were raised for an instant and disappeared, the surface became a map of a city, then it moved out in the countryside, a castle formed in a corner and became larger as it came closer to the middle. Walls vanished and silhouettes took their place, a man was standing in a room. It was the man that I saw earlier that day, he was at a desk and reading or writing something on a piece of paper, he picked it up and made some symbols then the paper burned into nothingness. He stopped and looked around, searching with his mind, not his eyes. I could tell that he cast a spell and the image became dimmer, Haghe took hold of my hand and I felt some energy being drained from me but I held my ground. It started to hurt, I felt weakened but I didn't budge.

--- Updated  ---

The man seemed to mumble something yet I could not understand if he was speaking with someone or chanting. Something rose from the floor, first it seemed to be a shadow but then it took form, a grotesque figure, with horns and fiery eyes, the tail lashed left and right, sparks came from the contact with the floor. This minion bowed before the stranger and after receiving it's orders summoned a scepter with a fireball floating at the top. He then began to tap the staff on the floor, slowly at first but the speed intensified. Shock waves began shake the ground but not for them, for us. Pain started to take hold with every beat, with every wave. Haghe held me fast, strong and trembling. She broke the spell as if forced to do it and everything came back to normal. She was breathing hard, the toll was heavy on her. I brought her a chair to sit and a glass of water, she turned it down and urged me to bring her a vial from a nearby drawer. She dipped her nail just a little into the violet liquid and suddenly she was energized and refreshed. It was some sort of emergency energy reserve.

"Just in a neck of time" she said. "They almost traced us, that creature should not exist in this world therefore he has a rare contract with a Forger. See how special you are? With the proper training and just enough energy you can summon creatures from your own world, but doing this can disrupt this world. You saw that he didn't have that monster with him all the time, he got it out just when he needed. I have this weird feeling that I know that man, the energy surrounding him was familiar but also something I could not identify. I will have to speak with the council about this". She sent me to the memory Crystals and urged me to learn as much as possible about risks and duties about my calling.

Learning all the mistakes and great deeds the others have been through, made me focus on my world a bit more into detail. First I knew that my world began to expand and it was even populated. I came to split it into regions, each with it's own fauna and inhabitants, ruled by their own laws. Everything depends on the main element for that region, either is it ice, water, earth, fire, air, magic, minerals, even plants can shape a kingdom. In my world everything is possible, and not only one world, I'll create more, my final plan? You'll find out soon enough. To make a balance the realms are not just one huge realm, but split into smaller regions that can be conquered by other nations or elements. Once conquered the weather and life changes, this influences the living habits of the inhabitants. Either they adapt, they move or die. They are free to chose. Imagine a fire region taken by the ice rulers, they would have time to make a decision, not everything would happen right away, but once a region is taken it can't be attacked or challenged for two years. My world, my rules. I have given all people knowledge of magic, but the energy they can use and store differs on their own hearts, they can either use it, store it or forget it to boost other features: longevity, wisdom, technology, endurance or any skill they want. I'll never tell them about this, let them make their own decisions.

I'll place guardians, spirits created and who know who I am. I'll set them into the world to each kingdom to guide and keep records of the history. They have many forms, depending on the region they serve, but this also will be explained later in detail. For the other worlds I'll have other plans and my plan is not perfect, is hard and complex and it will give great power. I'll break the boundaries and I'll change the world I live into as well.

It seemed I was in this world for years and I have done much but as my power is not yet strong I had to stop to regain energy, everything takes it toll, creation and destruction. Equivalent trade.

Oh my diary, if only you could see it, I'll someday share my world with you, my vision, my prophecy. You remember the old man, saying not to trust anyone? Can I trust you with all my secrets and plans? Will you keep them safe and share everything only when I'll be no more? Will I become a Crystal or will everything end up hidden in an old bookshelf or worse, into nothingness.

The moment I came back to the world I lived into, I saw Haghe waiting patiently on the couch, drinking a tea of some sort. She offered me a seat and a cup of the brew. I took it and smelled it, it stung my nostrils and the taste was bitter but refreshing. She told me that the meeting confirmed her suspicions, there is a group of mages that formed an alliance, they want to control the magic in the world, they are hunting powerful people with specific skills and unique energy quality, I was targeted because I appeared on the radar suddenly and emanated great power, they advised that I should receive a rare trinket, charmed so that it can absorb my energy and release it at will. The problem is that because it stores too much energy it has to be depleted often else it would be detected as well and being stolen would pose a risk. It can be used to harvest energy from others easily and use it for their own gain or it can make them undetected posing a greater threat. The debate was tense and rather than hide me all the time they entrusted me with this "gift", but it wasn't the only one. I also received a ring letting them know of my whereabouts. If the magic in me would go over or under some limits they would come as fast as magic would permit. I was not informed who they were, how they looked, it was for my safety they said.

What was I supposed to do? I accepted them, I entrusted them with my safety and also they started to train me in the art of spells, defensive spells, the best and hardest to master was the teleportation one. Why you ask? Imagine you want to go somewhere, on a street and you materialize there, but someone put an object in the same location you would materialize, you would use the same space, the parts that would have no place to teleport to would remain back, going over without a leg or an arm, not to mention internal organs, could mean sudden death. They also taught me shielding spells, magical barriers and this gave me an idea. To teleport before me a barrier and then teleport inside the protected space myself. They never thought about that and now they saw that the alliance might want more than just my energy. I was changing the rules, the next step in evolution was there. I was proof of it. I bet I wasn't the only one but they said nothing, they kept some secrets.

Haghe also told me she could not interfere anymore, she had to pass me to a another mage, a person called Masui. He was supposed to know a great deal about spells, offensive and defensive, conjuring and destructive, absorbing and giving energy. He could be my mentor, a contract was to be signed, and when I say signed, blood was involved. I was to become his pupil and learn the ways of pure and dark arts. He was creating a special magic of his own and I was the right person, it seems, to improve his research. Was I becoming a prisoner, a lab rat or a true disciple? Only future could tell the story.

For now I was allowed to go home with my new toys and a bonus item, a gold pin that would make me change appearance. I was grateful but I knew they would not let me just walk away with them. They would send someone to keep a close eye on me, I only wished they would tell me who or how they looked like so I would not suspect them, but they less I knew the better. I bid farewell to Haghe and headed back home. The mage would contact me in the morning, so I should prepare my luggage or not. Moving objects was not a problem for them. The streets were now almost empty, the nights blanket covered the sky, the starts winked at me from behind the clouds, the moon seemed so gigantic and following me, lighting my road, keeping me safe. I thought I saw someone a couple of times but I realized they would not be that obvious. I was thinking what would happen to my world, if I had to go back to the old shop to work on. I had so many questions, yet few answers. "Everything will be alright!" I told myself and went home. After a fast dinner and a hot shower I went to bed, sleep evaded me, I started to think about my world, my creation, I closed my eyes and imagined the landscape, the races that would live there, the animals that would help them, the level of technology they should have, should I also give them access to technology far above their limits or keep the balance as much as I could? Questions came, sleep got tired of jesting around and came to hug me.

The morning was as usual in the cold winter days. The sun hid behind cloudy sky, the windows were icy to the touch yet no snow was in sight now, it melted water was everywhere, waiting to freeze and trip someone. I began to wonder who will this person to take me under his or her wing will be. I finished packing what I thought will be needed, I made some calls and let everyone know that I would be going on a trip, they asked when I was coming back. A tricky question with no real answer. I didn't go much into details, I made up an explanation that my new job required me to travel to another place, short notice and all. I hope they accepted it, why wouldn't they? Everyone knew I wanted to travel and see the world. A swift knock on the door interrupted my spacing out. I went to the door to open it but I heard it close already.

---Update---

"Hello, who is it?" I asked with a firm voice, showing that I wasn't scared or anything.
"Well, were you expecting someone else?" responded a man's voice. "She should have told me you were expecting visitors, I would have delayed my arrival" continued as a shadow sat in a chair in the living room. I could not make out the exact details of the man, the sun was behind him and it gave him a strange light aura in the back. He moved unlike any other man I saw, very graceful, and it didn't fit the stature of the silhouette, I suspected something was wrong, maybe magic was involved. I started to cast a nullifying spell on the target and he sensed it but he held fast.

"You have to do better than that, try harder!" he said amused, He shifted positions trying to analyze me. I cast a barrier around me, and focused hard on how to remove the shadow. It didn't work at all, he seemed bored and mocking me, jesting me with taunting lines, that was all I could do, he shouldn't have bothered coming after me, I showed as much promise as a circus clown. Then I tried a different approach, I ignored the shadow and think of it as an outfit, maybe it was an illusion over all and I could see changes, the illusion began to dissipate. The man straighten up and stopped jesting with me, he focused now on himself, this is when I realized I was on the right track. I needed a distraction and cast another spell. For a second the chair made a cracking sound and began to crumble. The man jumped up caught unprepared and lost focus. Then as the illusion dissipated a woman took his place. The whole thing was a test it seems. She looked me in the eyes and smiled satisfied but her eyes showed anger. I wondered why she was so furious, it was her game. Was she a sore loser? She approached me and my instinct told me to cast another protective spell on me, just to make sure that she would not try more tests. How I wish I wasn't right, in a split of a second bolts of light surged from her eyes and my first shield was shattered but my previous one was still in place.

"Oh, you foresaw that? she said more calmly seeing me getting hyped and ready to put out a real fight. "Relax, it was just a test, I wanted to see how you react. That bolt there would not have killed you... I hope". She came close and extended her hand to me, she said her name was Magda. I felt reluctant to accept it but she whispered in my mind that she knew about the items and her mission, that it was safe. I accepted her hand and in a second everything changed. The walls to my house peeled off and found myself in the courtyard of a strange castle. It was actually a mini castle, two story building with a short tower on the left side gave the impression that someone made a replica of a much larger building. There were no doors and some gaps made for what I assumed were the windows. As she touched the stone it gave way and sunk into the ground, a passage came into view, dark only for an instant as blazers flared red. The light wasn't strong but enough to see your way. She waved me to follow, as soon as we entered the wall rose back, blocking the exit. I tried to make conversation and learn about the location but she hushed me, we rode faster and faster, it seemed that we were flying and suddenly a bright light could be seen, it was the end of the tunnel. It was amazing because from the outside the building could not hold such a long tunnel, except maybe if it went underground. My eyes tried to adjust to the new location, a green garden filled with never before seen flowers. A small hedgerow surrounded the garden and in the middle of it a big house with huge windows, it appeared as if the entire house was made of glass. As I looked back I couldn't see the tunnel anymore, it was gone, I was in the middle of nowhere and a little scared. She held my hand and whispered not to be afraid, if she wanted me dead she could have done that long ago. Well, maybe you want my powers, she shook her head and said not in that way, she wanted my power to grow. As we came to the front door I could see through it and it seemed like a greenhouse, yet as we entered everything changed. The took me to a living room, past some statues of mages or sorts. None seemed familiar, the faces were just strangers but I knew they were important.

She stopped the middle of a large room, there she cast another spell, the furniture shifted, the walls changed. It became filled with two couches facing each other with a glass table between them, a wooden bar with stools grew out of the floor, a staircase emerged from the wall. At first floor doors formed and more noises came from behind, rooms were being shaped behind them.

"This will be our home for a while" she said in a normal voice, "we can't stay here for long but while we do we'll make it worth". Snapping her fingers, the a trapdoor opened in the bar and plates with food flew over to the table, I guess it was time for lunch. She advised that before we start the training we should eat and rest a little. No time for accommodation needed. "Your room is that one." pointing to the far most door on the first floor, "Next to it  you will find the bathroom, you will find anything you need inside, my room is  that one" pointing to the door closest to the stairs. She took out of the sleeve a book and laid on the edge of the table. It had symbols all over, a magic book of some kind, her own no doubt.

"To learn the spells and chants you need both spiritual energy and physical, therefore I must insist that you take a nap" she said as she went to the lower bathroom that was just under the other one.

I didn't feel tired but I knew better than to undermine her knowledge, we took turns with the bathroom and indeed it was equipped with everything you could need, towels, robes, a big bathtub, there were no faucets or anything so this gave me something to think about.

We ate till we were full, and sleep came over me like the night overtakes the dusk. Each of us went to our rooms, where I for one found changes, a big bed, the velvet sheets were nice to the touch, they were almost whispering to go and sleep faster. I swear I wanted to lay for a second but I fell asleep in a second, dreams came over me one after another, they were shattered by a knock in the door.

"It's time, get ready and follow me outside, we are starting soon" her voice came as from the room but I was alone. I went for a quick shower to shake the sleep away and got ready. In fifteen minutes I was downstairs and saw a door leading to the backyard open. As I stepped outside the garden was no more, there was a big yard with a high fence. She was standing with her back to me about fifteen meters away, as I took a few steps she turned with impatience written all over her face.

"You took your time, didn't you" she said sarcastically.

"I like to be fresh when I train, to focus better" I tried to explain myself.

"Whatever" she cut me off, "today we will learn about protection, how to defend against psychic attacks" she stood there, "I will try to read your mind and movements, you have to try to resist my abilities. There are other types of psychic attacks but you will learn about them later, now just try to attack me so that I won't know what you'll do" a confident smirk was on her clear face. "Bring it on!" she taunted.

I began to think of different scenarios on how to approach this, took me a minute or so when she said "are you going to wait all day to make a move?" and she sent a bolt of lightning from her hand towards me.

I barely dodged it when another came to me, I could see it clearly how it cut the air and headed towards me, as I jumped again. It only bit the fabric of my vest but the tingling sensation touched me. I had to be more aware and prepared, to attack. I used the few spells I got and she deflected each one with simple movements from her hand.