Chapter 29 Farewells
As Revik watched Misara perform her miracle on the sick woman, all he could think about were the relics that he had been attempting to locate for months. For him, his growing knowledge of arcane lore was not enough. He needed those objects for they were imbued with great magic. The power of the gods may appear impressive to simple folk. But it is merely borrowed power. Priests were always at the mercy of the deities they served and depended much on the strength of their faith. For Revik, magic was its own power. And once it became yours, you are accountable to no one, be he man or god.
The Tome of Ascension would be the greatest prize of all, he thought. But it was lost seven hundred years ago during the Time of Despair. Its last known location was obscured in history. He would have to content himself with other minor relics. And one such item was a staff said to be able to call upon the power of lightning. It was a mystical weapon wielded long ago by a wizard of the Tower of Sky Magic. But the wizards of that order were all massacred during the Time of Despair. It is said that sorcerers of dark magic attacked with an army that proved difficult to defeat even for wizards of that tower. Thus, their order was decimated. None now exist. And their secrets lost forever, except for this staff.
His own offensive spells were formidable. But each spell a wizard casts takes a physical toll. The more spells a wizard uses, the more tired he becomes. Rest was needed in order to regain control of arcane forces. And when a wizard rests, that is when he becomes vulnerable. But this Staff of Lighting was its own source of power. And once he possesses it, he needs only to master its secrets.
The return of dark magic if it were true would pose a significant threat. The Necromancer that had once defeated his order was a master of dark magic. And this staff may prove useful in the coming days ahead. What used to be the Tower of Sky Magic was located in a forest that they would have to pass to get to Kestalon. And he would have to find a way to acquire it during their journey. Except for Aisha, he decided that he would keep this a secret from all of them.
The journey to Kestalon would take six days. The supplies that they would bring would have to last that long. As the final preparations were completed, they bid Durem and his mother farewell. They would both be safe in the royal capital of Arkam, Revik thought.
“Teacher,” Aisha said to Revik, “according to the map you showed me, the ruins of that tower are two days’ journey from here located deep in the forest beyond a town called Narul.”
Revik gestured to Aisha to speak in a hushed tone. Upon seeing this, Aisha appeared embarrassed for having spoken out loud.
“They do not need to know what we are after,” Revik said.
Aisha nodded in understanding and spoke no more of it. Revik gave her a reassuring look.
The companions were finally ready to depart. They mounted their horses and began to leave. Revik looked back at the house. For some reason, he felt they would never see Durem’s home again.
Revik’s gaze shifted to the road ahead. He wondered what they would find when they reached the ruins.