Date: Mon, 18 Mar 2013 21:41:25 -0700 (PDT)
From: Robert <robertx5sf@yahoo.com>
Subject: Squires of Telisan Keep - 17

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The Squires of Telisan Keep - 17

RYNIL and MIKEL

Rynil was surprised when he walked out of the tower and found two Knights
standing there with swords drawn. "Squire, what happened? Is everything
alright?" asked Sir Ulmar.

"Everything is fine, Sir. It was just...well...uh..." stumbled Rynil as he found
he could not actually get any words out about what had happened in the tower.

"Squire, report to Lord Velarik in the main hall at once," ordered Sir Ulmar.

"Yes Sir," replied Rynil, snapping to attention and giving the Knight a salute.
As Rynil left, he noticed large cracks in the stone walls of the hallway as well
as some stone debris and dust littering the floor. There did not appeared to be
any damage inside the tower, but the shaking had obviously been felt outside the
tower and caused some damage to the keep. Rynil hurried through the halls to
report to Lord Velarik, perhaps he could explain to the Lord what happened so
that Mikel would not be in trouble for causing damage.

***

Inside the tower, Mikel entered the main room to find Sir Valen sitting at the
table. A book rested on the table, with a chair that was pulled back for him.
Mikel sat down in the chair. He looked down and read the title, 'The
Fundamentals of Magic: Sorcery'.


"Apprentice, what can you tell me about the three primary ways to channel arcane
magic?" asked Sir Valen.

"Uh, arcane magic can be channeled through wizardry, which is what you have been
teaching me. It uses a combination of various components, verbal, gestures, and
objects, to channel magical energy, we call these combinations spells," said
Mikel.

"And where does the magical energy come from that powers wizard spells?"
interrupted Sir Valen.


"Well, some of it comes from the caster and the rest comes from the  plane of
magic, the spells are like formulas that help the wizard pull energy from that
plane and focus it to accomplish the desired effect," replied Mikel.


"Excellent, I already believe you know the basics of rituals since you explained
it to Squire Rynil, but do you know how rituals interact with the plane of
magic?" asked Sir Valen.

"Yes, they are similar to spells, except the spark of magic that is used to pull
the magical energy into our world comes not from the wizard but from the items
being used in the ritual," said Mikel.


"Which brings us to the third way to cast a spell, sorcery," said Sir Valen.

Mikel had yet to study sorcery so only knew what was mentioned tangentially in
his other readings and the tales told amongst the peasants. He thought for a
moment about all he had learned and how sorcery might actually work. "I had
always heard that sorcery was blood magic; magic that someone was born with and
that was 'in their blood'. But, that seems unlikely as a lot of magical energy
inside of someone would be deadly. But since Sorcery is not like wizardry or
rituals in that it doesn't need any components, or objects, or even speaking, it
must just be a Sorcerer channeling magic from the plane by themselves without
any external aids."


"Very good," said Sir Valen smiling at his apprentice. "Yes, Sorcerers have the
ability to pull magical energy directly into our world, channeling it through
their bodies and focusing it with their minds. The end result is
indistinguishable from what a wizard can accomplish with a spell, but without
the extra steps or outside focuses required. Sorcery is something that is in
someone's blood so to speak, in that it cannot be taught, you are either born
with the ability or not."

"So is what just happened to me sorcery?" asked Mikel.

"In a way yes. Many times in your life, you have already used sorcery without
realizing it. Back in the barn when the orcs came for you, you hid and the orcs
looked right through you. That was sorcery, you either turned yourself invisible
or used magic to trick their minds. In the Squire's Tournament, you used sorcery
to keep yourself standing and conscious long past what you should have been able
to endure. Brother Yoris, the Priest that treated your wounds, told me that it
was only magic that was still keeping you alive when they brought you to him.
And  you no longer need the prism in order to sense magic, nor do you need to
cast a spell to clean a room anymore. That is sorcery," said Sir Valen.


"But how does that explain what happened downstairs, when I...shook the tower?"
asked Mikel blushing.

"The powers of sorcery often manifest during adolescence and your training in
wizardry has been strengthening your connection to the plane of magic, so
earlier, in a moment when your adolescent passions were surging, you pulled more
energy into yourself then you could consciously control. The magic was released
in the same unconscious way your body was reacting. Unfortunately with more
magic flowing through you than you could control, you lost your center and
became adrift in the magic. Similar to if you were trying to wade through a
river and a strong current swept you off your feet. Your consciousness shifted
from this world into the plane of magic. Fortunately Squire Rynil was there with
you. His sword dealt with the magical energy, channeling it back to where it
came from. Also since the boy shares a strong bond with you, he was able to help
you find your way back to yourself," explained Sir Valen.

Mikel considered what his Master had said for a moment. "How do I prevent it
from happening again?" he asked.


"Mainly practice; you need experience in handling the magical energy. Eventually
with more experience, you will not need to fear accidentally pulling more energy
than you can control. There are also some spells I can cast on you that will
make it more difficult for you to pull energy. That will help you avoid being
overwhelmed until you have learned how to better control the magic. That book
will explain it all in more detail. Now, I suggest you start reading while I go
visit with Lord Velarik. He has summoned me to his throne room for questioning
regarding your little mishap. Do not worry Apprentice, you are not in any
trouble," said Sir Valen. He then stood up and headed upstairs to the portal
that would take him to Lord Velarik's throne room.

***

Lord Velarik looked at Rynil and repeated his question, "Can you tell us what
caused Sir Valen's tower to shake so violently?"


Rynil hesitated before answering, "No Sir, I cannot." Rynil was standing before
Lord Velarik, who was sitting on his throne. Behind Rynil were Sir Galreth, the
Lord's Champion, Sir Balren, the Chamberlain, and Page Kenton, the young Page
that had been on duty outside Sir Valen's tower this morning. A force in his
mind was preventing him from answering Lord Velarik's question.


"Cannot or will not?" asked Sir Balren, his anger evident in his voice.

"Sir Balren, please, I will ask the questions," said Lord Velarik. "Squire
Rynil, I am giving you a direct order as your Lord to tell me what caused Sir
Valen's tower to almost destroy the north wing of the Keep," commanded Sir
Velarik.


Rynil felt the barrier preventing him from answering, fall away. Now he wondered
how best to phrase his answer so as not to reveal what he had been doing with
Mikel when it happened. "I believe that Squire Mikel had some type of fit and
that he must have lost control of his magic and it somehow caused the shaking,"
said Rynil.


Before anyone else could react to Rynil's revelation, Sir Valen stepped out of
an alcove at the back of the throne room and said, "My Lord, it is not this
Squire's place to discuss in open court the training of my apprentice. If you
wish to know what happened, I am the one that should be questioned, not Squire
Rynil."

"Very well, Sir Valen, could you please allay this court's concerns over the
incident this morning," requested Lord Velarik.


"Certainly. It was necessary to push my apprentice a bit in order to get him to
break through a barrier that was hindering the full development of his magical
abilities. There was never any danger to the keep; I had taken measures to
insure that the power released by my apprentice could be contained. There was
never any danger that it would destroy any portion of the keep," said Sir Valen
as he subtly winked at Rynil.

"Your Apprentice almost collapsed half the keep," exclaimed Sir Galreth.

"He is a danger to us all," snarled Sir Balren.

"Sirs, Squire Mikel is not dangerous, he would not do anything to hurt any of
us," said Rynil, trying to defend his friend. Both Sir Galreth and Sir Balren
turned and glared at Rynil.

"Squire, please you forget your place. You will only offer your opinion when it
is requested in court," said Lord Velarik. While his words were harsh, his tone
was gentle. "Sir Valen, do we have reason to be concerned that your Squire could
again lose control of his powers?" asked Lord Velarik.


"No, My Lord. Now that he has experienced the breakthrough that was required, I
have taken steps to prevent him from being overwhelmed again," replied Sir
Valen. Sir Galreth and Sir Balren were unmoved by the wizard's reassurances and
were openly scowling at him.


Lord Velarik took a moment to look at each person that was standing before him.
Silence hung heavily over the room. "Sir Valen, until this court can be more
confident that your apprentice is not a danger to this keep, he is confined to
your tower so that we may be assured that he is under your supervision. My
decision on this is final. You are all dismissed. Squire Rynil, you will
accompany me to my parlor, I wish to have a few words with you," said the Lord.
He then rose from the throne and left through the door at the rear of the hall
with Rynil two steps behind.

Rynil followed Lord Velarik out of the throne room and into his parlor, which
was located adjacent to the rear of throne room. When they were alone together,
Lord Velarik sat down on a large padded sofa. He motioned towards a nearby
chair, "Please sit down, we need to have a talk, but before we begin please
summon your sword," ordered the Lord.


"Yes Sir," replied Squire Rynil. He sat down then summoned the sword case and
withdrew the sword.


"Excellent," said Lord Velarik, "now I can learn the truth of what transpired.
Please keep your hand in contact with the sword while you tell me everything
that happened in the wizard's tower today," said Lord Velarik.


Rynil recounted the day's events to the Lord. He did not leave anything out but
he did try to skim over as much of the sex as possible by saying that the
shaking happened when Mikel came while they were fooling around. After he had
finished, Rynil again felt the need to try to defend his friend. "My Lord, Mikel
is not a danger to the keep. I know he would never hurt us," he pleaded.


"I know, Squire," replied Lord Velarik.

The Lord's response confused Rynil. "But My Lord, then why did you confine him
to Sir Valen's Tower?" he asked.


"I did not do that to protect us; I did that to protect Squire Mikel. When Sir
Valen first chose Mikel to be his squire, he requested  the boy be exempted from
work duties, so that he could remain in the tower, and Sir Valen could keep him
protected. I felt at the time that it was important Squire Mikel not be treated
differently from the other Squires. But, after the attack by the demon, I
believe Sir Valen is correct. Mikel should remain in the tower where Sir Valen's
magic can help safeguard him. A dark mood seems to have fallen over the keep
since the attack, demons have a way of tempting even the most honorable of men.

"Now, I know you have grown close to Mikel and this means you will get to spend
less time with him, for that I am sorry. I had been planning to send you there
once a week for training but considering the circumstances, I feel we should
prioritize your magical education and training with your sword's magical
properties. So, starting tomorrow you will report to Sir Valen twice a week,"
said Lord Velarik.


"Thank you My Lord," said Rynil.

"Now go wash up and change into a clean uniform, you are still a bit oily. My
wife and family are visiting from our estate, so I will be dining in my suite
tonight and not in the common hall. I will want you to attend me," said Lord
Velarik.

"Yes, My Lord," said Rynil. He put his sword back in its case and sent it away
then headed towards the door. Just as he was about to leave, he stopped. "Excuse
me My Lord; you mentioned a dark mood and demons tempting people. I think a
demon is trying to tempt Page Karl and has been sending him nightmares. I have
heard him crying out in the night," said Rynil.

"Hmm, thank you for telling me this. I will have one of the priests speak with
him. Now go clean up," said Lord Velarik.



AYMIL and WILRIK

There was no way for Wilrik to keep track of time inside the barn. All he knew
was that it had seemed like a long time since he had heard any voices coming
from outside. The demonic horse had been asleep the entire time and there had
not been any visits by the owl. The last thing he remembered was the female
voice talking with a male, giving him some instructions on how to block
something. Since then he had been lying in the hay drifting in and out of
consciousness. Wilrik knew there was something wrong with his memory because he
could only remember little bits and pieces of things and when he tried to focus
on a specific memory, it fled like dust before the wind.

Wilrik was surprised when he turned and saw a boy standing just inside the barn
doors. The boy appeared to be a little bit older than he was. He had black hair
and olive skin. He was dressed in a plain linen shirt and wool pants. "Hello,"
said the boy.

"Who are you?" asked Wilrik.

"My name is Aymil. You are Wilrik yes?" he asked.

"Yes. What are you doing here?" asked Wilrik.

"I have come to try to help you. You have been a captive but, now it is time for
you to go free," said Aymil.


"Captive? You mean the orcs? I remember orcs taking me from a barn, it looked
like this one but this isn't the same one. I was with my friend, Mikel. I think
I heard Mikel recently but I can't remember where or when. I also remember a
demon. Was it the demon that held me captive? Is this a dream?" asked Wilrik.


"Sort of; this is all happening in your head. I am here to help you, we need you
to wake up so that you can eat and take care of yourself. Then once you are up
and moving around, I am going to help you get your memories back," said Aymil.


Wilrik cringed in fear. "But what if I don't want to remember?" he asked.

"Don't worry, I'll be here to help you," replied Aymil as he manipulated
Wilrik's emotions to suppress the rising fear and to get the boy to trust him.

"Okay, how do we start?" asked Wilrik.

"Take my hand and we will open the door. It will lead us out of this place for
now. You will return here when you sleep; it's a safe place," said Aymil.


"But what about that horse? How is it safe with that thing in here?" asked
Wilrik.


"Do not worry, I will make sure it does not hurt you," promised Aymil.

"What is it?" asked Wilrik. Thinking about the demonic horse was causing his
fear to return. The horse started to stir.

Aymil was silent for a moment as he strained to contain Wilrik's fear. The horse
returned to its slumber. "Do not worry Wilrik, it will not harm you and in time
you will learn to control that beast. Now, it is time for you to wake up, here
take my hand," said Aymil, holding out his hand to Wilrik.


Wilrik took the boy's hand. Aymil lead him to the doors of the barn and opened
them. The light from the open doors was brilliant and blinded Wilrik for a
moment, and he was overwhelmed, with sensations, as the rest of his senses
suddenly came alive. It took him a minute to adjust to being present in his own
body again. When his vision returned, he was able to orient himself and saw that
he was lying in the back of a wagon in a forest clearing. It was  late afternoon
and the sun was shining through the trees and into his eyes. Sitting in the
wagon next to him was Aymil, still holding his hand. An older gray haired woman
was on the other side of the clearing skinning a rabbit.


"Can you sit up? You should drink some water," said Aymil. He kept holding
Wilrik's hand, but wrapped his other arm around the boy's back and helped pull
him up into a seated position. Once Wilrik was upright, he kept his arm around
the boy's back, but let go of his hand and handed him a water-skin. "So, we are
going to take this slowly and just let you get used to being free of the demon
and back in control of your body for a few days. The women over there is
Marsella, she has been caring for you these last couple of days. She is a Priest
of the Night Hunter. Her magic has been able to keep you from starving or dying
of thirst. I am sure she is glad to have you conscious and able to care for
yourself now," said Aymil.


"Thank you, M' Lady," said Wilrik after he was finished drinking.

"It's just Marsella, I'm no noblewoman," said Marsella without looking up from
the rabbit carcass in her hands.


"Yes, ma'am," replied Wilrik.

Marsella laughed. "Well that's a start at least," she said.

"Wilrik, let's see if we can get you to your feet," said Aymil. He grabbed
Wilrik's hand then slid out of the wagon pulling Wilrik with him.


Wilrik stumbled briefly when he first landed on his feet, but quickly recovered,
managing with Aymil's help, to keep his feet. He noticed as he looked down at
his body that he was very muscular. Two years ago, when he had been taken by the
orcs, he had been a little on the scrawny side, now he had large well defined
muscles. He stood on his feet flexing his newfound muscles for a moment. "My
body has changed," he said.


"Yes," responded Marsella, "The demon that possessed you reshaped your body.
Demons are not constrained by the normal physical limits of a body. Their magic
enables them to infuse a body with more strength and endurance then would
normally be possible."

Wilrik reached up and felt his neck. While he could not see it, he could feel a
large raised scar, about an inch wide, that circled his neck. "The muscles are
not the only thing that has changed," he said.


"No," replied Marsella, "That scar is permanent and your hair is gone, although
whether that is permanent or not, remains to be seen."


"Is this dead feeling I have inside from the demon as well? Two years of my life
are missing. I know I was abducted by orcs and you say I was possessed by a
demon, yet I feel nothing. I'm not angry. I'm not afraid. I'm not happy I'm
free. I just feel empty," said Wilrik.

Aymil squeezed the boy's hand. "That is not the demon's doing, that is mine. I
am going to help you remember what has happened to you and help you reconnect
with your feelings, hopefully in a way that allows you to handle it all without
being overwhelmed," he said.


"Why? Why are you going to help me?" asked Wilrik.

Marsella answered him, "Because we need your help to defeat the demon that was
responsible for kidnapping you and is seeking to unmake the world."