I spent those four days practicing with the Tongue. On the fourth day, Morganna brought me out back to a patch of dirt, where she offered me a clear quartz rod, only about an inch in diameter and as long as my middle finger.
"Now. I would like you to enchant this so that it emits light on command," she said as I took the quartz. I rolled it between my forefinger and thumb, inspecting it. It glittered in the midday sunlight. Pieces of the puzzle were already in my head. The word for light obviously would be needed. Then, a command phrase of some sort.
Morganna unraveled a scroll, an intricate circle of glyphs written in the Tongue were written there. Many of which I knew already, though there were a couple I was still unfamiliar with.
"Now. Inscribe this spell circle into the dirt, and place the Quartz in the middle," she instructed, handing the scroll to me too. I knelt in the dirt, and began to carefully translate what was on the scroll to the ground with my finger. The dirt was thin and dusty, easy to draw in.
Morganna stood watching over my shoulder, pointing out small details, like "curve that line a little more," or "straighten the side of that glyph." While she was being a nag, I could at least appreciate her advice.
After about roughly fourty-five minutes, I managed to finish the circle. I placed the quartz rod in the middle, digging the tip into the dirt so it would stick up from ground.
I then sat back on my calves, my knees barely an inch from the edge of the circle. I looked over the scroll, reading over the incantation at the bottom of the page. Morganna carefully sat down, stretching her legs out to the side and smoothening her robe.
"Now, say the incantation with me, hmm? Exhorterrimum..."
I repeated each word after her. The more unfamiliar words, we spent longer on. Finally though, I had the words practically engraved into my memory.
"Now, put your hands on either side of the circle. Line them up with the two points of the triangle," Morganna instructed. I leaned over the circle, doing as she said.
"Now, as you recite the incantation, you must picture your words having power. They are the authority, the only thing to be true. Your will is absolute. Exert it."
I closed my eyes, picturing the spell circle beneath me, the quartz protruding from the dirt. I imagined every groove in the dirt that made up the circle. I tried to tell myself that this circle, everything in it, everything that made it up was mine. I ruled it. What I say will go.
"Exhorterrimum tensus," I began, the words harsh as I tried to pour every ounce of my will into them. "Nos icarum clinus ad inexcuseras." I felt pleasant tingles shoot up my arm. It was working! I couldn't let my excitement get in the way though. "Estis medusas inscriba," I said, finishing the incantation. As the last syllable of inscriba left my lips, the tingles exploded through my body, and I felt a small tug in my gut.
I opened my eyes, to see that the lines of the spell circle were glowing, but the glow was already receding. In the center, the quartz rod emitted a turquoise glow. It reminded me of Morganna's spell, when she wiped out the shadeworgs.
I reached for the crystal, rolling it around in my hand. It felt different now. Not physically, of course, but rather just the feeling of holding it. It was strange, because it felt similar to something that I might have had for years and years. It was familiar.
I looked up at Morganna, who had a wide grin on her face. I could sense that she was proud. Goodness, even I was proud of what I had accomplished. The first spell I'd ever casted, and it worked. It was invigorating.
"Now, the word to make the crystal stop glowing is Illuminero. Just like the enchanting process, you must think that your word is law over that crystal. Your grip is iron, and it will obey your command."
I held the quartz rod up between my forefinger and thumb. This time I didn't close my eyes. This time, it felt easier in a sense to exert my will over the crystal.
"Illuminero," I stated. Smaller tingles, no where near as intense as the last ones, danced along my fingers. The light went out.
"Now, Illumerax will be the command to make it shine again."
"Illumerax," I said. Again, I felt tingles along my fingers. At my behest, the crystal began to shine once again, bathing my face in its turquoise light. It was mesmerizing, in a satisfying sort of way. I could play with turning the crystal on and off for hours, and be completely entertained.
Morganna applauded. "Look at you go! You've done quite well for your first attempt."
"Thank you," I replied, a sense of pride washing over me. Morganna stood, brushing the dirt off her robe, and then offering a hand to me. I took it, before bending over to brush the dirt off my knees. Then I swiped my foot over the spell circle a few times, clearing the marks away. I tucked the crystal into my back pocket and offered the scroll back to Morganna.
She held up her hand, refusing the scroll. "Hold on to it for now. I'd like you to begin keeping a grimoire. Put this spell in it, and then come give it back." She moved around, wrapping an arm around my shoulders to lead me back to the tower. "I should have a blank tome lying around somewhere. I'll have to find you one."
Thus, together we returned to the tower. I kept a calm facade, but on the inside, I was jittery and bouncing around with excitement. I could hardly wait to learn more, to see what else I was really capable of through magic.818Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡClcvgWRknV
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I spent some time before I went to sleep, playing around with the crystal, turning it on and off, and relishing in the feeling of having power over the object. Soon enough though, I did fall asleep. 818Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg9kKULD7Ls
I awoke the next morning to a shadow hovering over me. A tall, menacing shadow. I squinted, realizing it was Ceredan. His expression was blank, and he had his hands clasped at the base of his back. I looked to the window in Morganna's living room, seeing only the dusky rays of the early morn, barely even dawn.818Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2fyLJDyeAf
"Get up. I have returned, and thus today you will learn."818Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA4jYYAP1p8
I got up, stretching. From behind his back, Ceredan revealed a curved blade. Not quite a scimitar, but it wasn't anything near the straight swords that I was used to seeing. Ceredan offered it to me. It was surprisingly light. I pulled it halfway from the sheathe. The base of the blade, was etched with particular curving motifs. Nothing I had ever seen before. 818Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH8qahXXcCU
"The sword is made of Silvenite, a metal only found up here. It will allow you to cut down many creatures that steel will not. A necessity in these lands."818Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPGUZmx5GJF
I was simply amazed by the blade. It was so pristine, so white and shiny. The best blade I had ever seen, which said quite a lot, considering Old Guggenhort, the blacksmith of castle Maverith, had created some of the finest weaponry I'd ever seen previously.818Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkYw3e6oWyT
I looked up at Ceredan. "Why go and get me this? I know you said I'd need a real sword to train with, but why not just get something steel?"818Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmEV8PIwbnG
"You are to join the order of the blessed ones, correct?"818Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡANBQnIakQa
"That's what Morganna and Grindyr tell me, yes."818Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiHWQAlb0HA
"To be blessed is simply not a manner of bippity boppity boop, you are now one of them. It is a long, harsh road that will take you all over Weyland. It would be unfortunate if the newest potential member was hunted down by a shadeworg, or ripped apart by a wendigo." Ceredan clasped his hands together at the base of his back. "Grindyr asked me to prepare you for this journey. And so I will."818Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjMnC2YVjxT
"I see... Alright then. I'm ready. Lead the way."818Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEGGfsVT0Jj
I followed him outside. We went to the shores of the pond. I couldn't help but look over at Rioric, or the willow tree that was Rioric. I made a mental note to go back later and talk with him. It's been a while.818Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXU63lyaaW2
I completely freed the silvenite blade from its sheath and sat the sheathe aside. Ceredan stepped over, and motioned for me to raise the blade, so I did. Ceredan uttered words from the Tongue, waving his hand over my blade. Nothing seemed to happen. He then unsheathed his own sword. It wasn't the monster blade I first saw him with, but rather a smaller one, sheathed at his hip. He performed the same procedure over his own blade.818Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG2AArHD2Yw
"What did you do?" I asked, curious.818Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFwxpZCkRWd
"I dulled our blades some. While they will still cut with a significant amount of force, we can't go accidentally chopping eachother's arms off." Ceredan faintly smiled at his own words, a smile that vanished quickly. He then raised his blade, one hand held at the base of his back. "Now, do as I do." 818Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdVGodErgAk
I held out my own blade, clenching my left hand into a fist at the base of my own back.818Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡue4VtlLu95
"Feet a little more apart. You're a person that moves, not a tree rooted to the ground." I did as he asked, but I couldn't help but to look over at Rioric at that comment. 818Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ5kLcfzSDQ
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We spent the morning training. He went over various stances, and then how to parry a blade. It was fun, a refreshing change from mulling over books and trying to learn more of the Tongue. Towards the end of our training, Grindyr had perched himself on a cliff, watching us.818Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGNJ76GokG2
When our training came to an end, Ceredan bowed to me, a gesture which I returned. 818Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuokYncoT8I
"We will continue again tomorrow morning at dawn." He sheathed his own blade. "Until then." He then walked off, heading off to head back into the valley. I wondered only for a brief moment where he was heading off to as I sheathed my sword. The thought didn't dwell long.818Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrzXdpJsHja
I turned my attention to Grindyr as he vaulted into the air with a cacophonous flap or two of his wings. The ground shook as he landed next to me. He looked back at me. 818Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDl9GndRQzL
"Greetings once again, young Zaraline. It has been some time since we spoke." Grindyr sat back on his haunches, neatly folding his leathery wings against his back. I moved over to stand at the edge of the pond beside him.818Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT92XXpYcOo
"It has been. Are you doing well, Grindyr?"818Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxHPpNZuEWV
"As well as I can. I have spent much of my time trying to see past the block in my prophetic vision. To no avail, I am afraid."818Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH9ovkegM2M
"I'm sorry to hear. I'm sure you'll manage something."818Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgf531kyIy9
"I hope so." Grindyr lowered himself to the ground, laying on his stomach, clubbed tail curling around to the side. "I see that your training is going along rather smoothly. Before long, you will be joining the order." Grindyr's lips curled up, giving me a toothy smile.818Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSwvyUBiSQx
"I'm excited," I admitted. "Though, Ceredan mentioned that there would be a journey involved to become blessed. A dangerous one, at that."818Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCkNHZNagoz
"Yes. A pilgrimage to the dragonshrines. Places made by the Elves and blessed with our power. There are five, one for each sort of dragon."818Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsFy9bFVkdg
"That doesn't sound too dangerous. Wouldn't these shrines be protected?"818Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk358u1OH2O
"Yes, of course. But they are spread out, and they way to them is fraught with peril. The Weylands are dangerous, as I'm sure you realized on your way here." Grindyr crossed one foreleg over the other, doodling little curls into the sand with the tip of his claw. "There are worse things here than the Weymen of the Weygates and shadeworgs."818Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUtjV95xesP
"Truly? How does anyone survive here?"818Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQngKktoHTQ
"By being strong." Grindyr looked up from his little doodles in the sand to me. "Even so, your pilgrimage is still quite some time away. Don't worry about it too much. Instead, I think we should check up on your friends. What do you think?"818Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmHIynu2obW
"That would be lovely!" I replied, moving closer to the edge of the pond. I had been meaning to go and ask Grindyr to show them to me for a few days now. I was curious to see how they'd been doing.818Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNQUR8wMUrF
Grindyr reached out to touch the tip of his claw to the surface of the pond. It rippled, a sea green light expanding over the surface and forming an image. It was Veran, drinking alone and in some corner of a bar in who knows where. It looked like he was only on his first drink.818Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLUm4V3HI8h
"Hope he doesn't get too drunk," Grindyr commented. "I got very drunk once on some barrels of elven wine. I accidentally burned down one of their trees because I sneezed."818Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYlSzZKBG03
Grindyr tapped his claw once again onto the surface of the water, sending out several more waves of ripples. The image melted away into a swirl of more sea green colored light, and then shifted to reveal Marius. He was standing atop a tower looking over Alderas. The only thing up on top of the tower was a burning brazier. 818Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXXUuQDgltq
"I'm glad to see they made it past the Isthmus," I commented. Just as Grindyr was reaching forward to disrupt the surface of the pond and end the image, I saw Marius suddenly jolt as if surprised by something. I followed his gaze.818Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgkOniZ80Db
A tsunami was coming. 818Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ36klI7XsMr
My heart fell into my stomach. I leaned forward, barely able to breath. No... Marius couldn't die, not after everything we'd been through thus far.818Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkeoEF0zQSJ
"Oh no..." Grindyr said, leaning forward right alongside me.818Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCx63bX5u5Y
"How... How long can you keep this image up, Grindyr?"818Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqtXksyEP10
"Worry not. I can keep it up for as long as we need." We both watched in horror as the wave steadily approached, tearing water away from the shore to feed the watery wall of impending doom.818Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV2nTgURbJT
