Chapter 7 The Wizard
Although Revik’s journey from the Tower Elemental Magic had not been difficult to make, the desire to see his old companions was not that strong. His only reason for coming home was to honor the memory of Durem’s father who had been instrumental in his decision to pursue the path of magic.
It was already late at night when he reached Durem’s house. The familiar sight of the two moons that occupied the evening sky greeted him. Estar, the brighter and larger moon was now approximately in the center of the heavens. Telar, the smaller moon could be seen just above the horizon to the east.
He arrived to hear his old companions’ animated voices from within. Outside he could already tell that he was the last to come.
Upon seeing Durem, Revik thought of Master Omed. And this brought back memories of the father he too had lost years before.
When Revik’s father was alive, he worked for a wealthy merchant in Torinth. He was tasked with the maintenance of the merchant’s fishing boats. One day, a large sum of gold went missing and Revik’s father was accused of theft. Being a poor man, he had no means to prove his innocence. Soon thereafter, he was sentenced to prison while the real thieves went unpunished. He died in his jail cell a broken man.
The tragedy that befell his father taught the young Revik what real power was. He came to understand it when he saw how helpless they were against the wealthy merchant. The bitterness he felt from this injustice planted the seeds of his ambition. He vowed that he would never again be powerless.
It was the stories about the Tower of Elemental Magic told by Master Omed that moved the young Revik to become a student of the mystic arts. Legends of the Tower and the great wizards who had studied there over the centuries stirred his imagination. His friends had tried to dissuade him from going. But Revik’s mind was set. He told himself that he would succeed, or he would die trying. When he left for the Tower, all he had with him were the clothes he wore and a crude map drawn by Durem’s father.
When Kort’s tales had ended, their attention shifted to him. They all appeared eager to hear about the years he had spent at the Tower.
“Tell us of the Tower,” Durem said. “As you wish,” Revik replied.
He began his tale of the Tower. Revik recounted to them the first time he arrived there. It lay high in the mountains west of Arkam. The climb up the path was treacherous. It was a five-hour journey on foot. Upon reaching the entrance, massive wooden doors of ancient design greeted him ominously. Carved upon the wood of the ancient door were images of a scroll and a skull, the symbols of knowledge and death. Revik had learned that to become a wizard one had to pass a series of tests called the Mystic Challenge. Failure meant death. Only those who pass were allowed to learn the secrets of elemental sorcery. Many choose not to take the challenge out of fear and remained apprentices their entire lives. At any given time, there were no more than five wizards. The most learned of them became their Archon.
The five wizards all wore purple robes. The only thing that distinguished the Archon was a ring of ornate design. Engraved upon it was a symbol of a triangle within a circle. It was the symbol of their order. This ring was passed down to the Archons through the centuries. And only the one who wore it knew what its power was.
Each apprentice was assigned to one of the five. Revik became a student of the oldest of the five. Revik called him simply, teacher. He had heard rumors that his teacher had been asked to be the Archon years ago, but he refused. No one knew why. His teacher wore an amulet around his neck that had a crystal skull as its pendant. It was an amulet Revik now wore.
He learned more quickly than all the other apprentices. Upon completing his apprenticeship, he was finally asked to take the Mystic Challenge. Revik feared failure more than death itself. So, he took it without hesitation.
When Revik ended his tale, everyone was looking at his robes.
“You passed the test it seems,” Kort said as he smiled at him proudly.
Revik only nodded. The color of his robes attested to his achievement. But the others seemed to be waiting for him to say more.
“What was the test?” Beret asked.
Revik glanced at the knight revealing a hint of contempt, as if he knew what went through Beret’s mind. “I would rather not speak of it,” Revik answered with a tone that remained unchanged. What he had endured, he vowed he would share with no man.
“It is getting late,” Durem said. “I am sure our new arrivals are very tired from their journeys.”
Durem bid all of them to rest.
As the others went to their chambers, Revik walked around inside the house surveying the familiar possessions. He felt a tinge of sadness that Master Omed was gone. He never had the chance to thank him. He had wished to return here one day to show Master Omed what he had finally achieved. It saddened him that now he would never get the chance to do so.