One Year Later
“Celeste! Pay attention!” a pair of large
hands clapped together in front of the young fiery redhead’s face.
Celeste sat up and
pushed her hair out of her eyes. “Sorry, Elder Meg.”
“Learning the
scrolls is necessary for all Empyreans. The Copian scrolls are the most important of
them all. This is no time to day dream.” Elder Meg raised her brow. “Those who
don’t learn their history are doomed to repeat it. I know you are only twelve years
young; but this will make complete sense when you are no longer a fledgling.” She
cleared her throat and continued. “Long ago, during the age of Azra, a majestic
city thrived deep in the heart of Copious
Forest . It was carved
into a hidden canyon of gold. The city served as home to Gavinkin, beings with
the powerful wings of a hawk and bodies of a man. Empyrean wizards also
frequented the golden canyon.”
Celeste rested her
chin in her hands and gazed at the clear blue sky. It was a perfect day for an
adventure; but all Empyreans had to learn the history of Azra’s Pith. Empyrea held thousands of years of the
realm’s history in ancient scrolls, all of which Celeste was expected to
memorized throughout her lifetime. She let out a sigh as Elder Meg carried on.
“Copia was abundant with anything one’s heart
might crave, which attracted all types to its gates. Only the persistent were
able to find it. The gold canyons hid in the thickest part of the forest behind
a steep rock wall and a flowing waterfall.”
Elder Meg placed her hands on the old wooden desk in front of Celeste.
“Young fledgling, can you tell me who Imperius the Great is?”
“Um… yes, yes,
he’s a cursed sorcerer,” she blurted. Celeste sat back in her seat with a proud
smile, feeling impressed with herself for knowing the answer.
“Very good,
Celeste; but there is more to the story. As a young man, Imperius was lost and
wandering the forest when he found the gates. He did not look at all like a
great anything. Filthy old rags barely hung on his scrawny frame of a body. He
dabbled with magic and performed in towns he visited to get by. It was not real
magic, but sleight of hand tricks used for entertaining and the occasional
pickpocket when he was really hungry. When he saw the golden city of Copia , he was determined
to stay. ‘I will be full and rich for the rest of my days. I have found home,’
he declared.”
Celeste’s eyelids
grew heavy as Elder Meg droned on.
“The citizens of
Copia welcomed him with open wings as they did anyone who entered the golden
canyon. Imperius the Great had anything he desired… food, riches, but there was
something even more special about Copia. Imperius was able to perform real
magic with ease. He felt a strong energy force flowing through him. The power
was intoxicating and he wanted more.
“He discovered the
source in a trusting friend, an Empyrean wizard who lived in the outskirts.
Empyrean wizards and Gavinkin harnessed the energy of the élan and used their
powers to keep a peaceful balance in the realm. As the days went on, Empyreans
and Gavinkin disappeared while Imperius became more powerful. One can only
imagine his methods.”
Eyes closed,
Celeste did imagine. She pictured Imperius sneaking up to wrap his robe around
his victims and absorb them. Shuddering, she blinked awake.
Elder Meg nodded.
“Yes, Imperius the Great was quickly becoming a sorcerer and losing any
remaining human qualities. Dark creatures rose from his magic. The once great city
grew overrun with shadow jumpers. Giant black bird beasts known as murks flew
in and terrorized Copians. The citizens’ peaceful energy shifted to greed,
envy, and hatred. Fighting broke out in the city walls.”
Celeste felt
herself drifting off to sleep again. Everything Elder Meg said ran though her
head like a wild dream.
“Xavier, an elder
Gavinkin and the keeper of Copia, appealed to Azra, the most sacred of all the
Empyreans. It was too late; a clash of power brought the city to ruins. Shadow
jumpers and murks consumed everything in their path.
“Azra discovered
Imperius dwelling in a hole in the rock wall outside Copia. The sorcerer was
surrounded by the empty shells of Gavinkin and Empyreans. Imperius had drained
their energy and left them for dead.
“Ultimately, Imperius was no match for Azra. ‘Your
existence here ends now. You will live in darkness for eternity,’ Azra ordered.
‘Your only way out is to be consumed by the light of the élan.’ With that, the
butterfly curse was set, imprisoning imperious to eternal darkness. The dark
sorcerer was not seen or heard from and most likely died in that very cave.” Elder Meg cleared her throat.
Celeste gasped and
her eyes snapped open. “Sorry, Elder Meg. It won’t happen again.”
“I should hope not.”
Elder Meg replied with a stern glare. “Now, where was I? Oh, yes… the creatures
he created from dark magic remained in Copia. Azra pushed the canyons together,
sealing off the crumbled city. Shadow jumpers scurried out of the ruins. Xavier
fell to his knees. ‘Copia, our city, it’s gone forever.’”
Elder Meg’s
fingers tapped below her collarbone. “What do you think happened next,
Celeste?”
Celeste grinned.
“I know this one. The medallion!”
“Yes.” Elder Meg
smiled and leaned forward, pretending she had something hidden in her hand.
“Azra handed the keeper a medallion. ‘This will unlock Copia. You must wait until the shadow jumpers are no
longer present. Whatever you do; keep it hidden.’
“With a broken
wing from the fall of Copia, Xavier was forced to stay in the forest around the
canyon. He waited the remainder of his life to unlock the city. Shadow jumpers
stalked him relentlessly, trying to snatch the medallion. In his final days,
Xavier took a long journey. His destination was the High Valley .
The land was flat and nothing obstructed the sun.
“In the middle of
a moonless night, the elderly keeper of Copia went to sleep and never woke up.
He did not make it to the High
Valley . The medallion lay
in the dirt of Copious
Forest , buried by the
elements of time. A young man, not from the realm was exploring and came across
the medallion. His virtue and intentions proved pure. Azra appointed him the
role of the guardian in Azra’s pith. His role was to protect the medallion and the
lost city and keep them from being discovered. Since then, the role has been
passed down; in each generation a new guardian is selected.” Elder Meg paused
and squeezed Celeste’s shoulder. “My dear, it is our responsibility to protect
the realm. Xavier spent his life keeping the Medallion out of the claws of
Evil. We must do what we can to ensure that it remains that way and that Copia
stays lost forever. She knelt down and stared intensely at Celeste.
“Have you noticed a
change in the élan?”
Celeste replied
with an un assuming shrug.
“It is ever so
slight; but it is present. It feels like the calm before the storm. We have
reason to believe the medallion has been found. All we can do is hope it is in
the right hands and that we locate it before the realm goes into chaos.”
“What, what do you
mean by chaos?” Celeste scooted back
into her seat.
“Don’t think for
an instant that those shadow jumpers will ignore the medallion. They are drawn
to it. If they get their claws on it, Copia and the evil locked inside will be
freed.” Elder meg brushed Celeste’s hair over her shoulders. “This was a very important lesson.”
Celeste swallowed
the lump in her throat, giving her Elder an acknowledging nod. “Okay, I
understand.”
“Good…,” Elder Meg
replied with a sweet grin. “That is all for today, dear. You are free to go.”
Celeste stood up
and adjusted her red cloak. “So, the Medallion is still out there? Shouldn’t we
try to find it? You know, to keep it
safe.”
“Yes, but not you,
flegling. The Copian Medallion is said to have strange powers.” Elder Meg
packed up her things and affectionately pinched Celeste’s nose. “Who knows what
could happen if such power ended up in the hands of a curious young Empyrean who
seems to find trouble at the drop of a hat.”
Celeste smiled and
fidgeted nervously.. Butterflies stirred in her belly, thinking about her discovery
a while back after her encounter with the Rive.
She has managed to
keep her possession of the medallion a secret, only sharing her find with one
person. That person was John William; her friend from outside of the realm. He was
still away; but a day did not escape Celeste with out the thought of his
return. Each morning she woke up and wondered if that was the day he would
arrive. In spite of the dangers, she
intended to help him get to Copia and find his father. The Copian Medallion
would most certainly be a significant part of their quest.
* * * *
No comments:
Post a Comment