Mark of the Fool

Fires blazed across the Fields of Cormac.

Ravener-spawn corpses—heaped high—burned beneath the evening sky, filling the air with thick black smoke and a foul odour. Even now—hours after the battles of Cormac and Welling had been won—members of the Thameish army were still gathering fallen monsters, incinerating them on great pyres.

To the south, the remainder of the army—including most of the Heroes—rested in Welling. There they organised and made camp while the sun drifted toward the horizon. Evening was getting on, but there was still enough daylight left for a pair of young men to have a lesson together.

“Look at this, mate.” Cedric handed Alex a notebook. They were standing in the middle of the Fields of Cormac. “Whaddya think?”

The Chosen fidgeted as the General took the book, flipping it open. Inside were spell arrays for Planar Doorway, Call Through Ice, Summon Lesser Water Elemental, and Lesser Freezing. Over the past week, Alex had had Cedric studying those spells, recording the aspects of their arrays that were most similar.

“Alright, this is very good. A lot of subtle detail here, and…wait.” Alex’s eyebrows rose at familiar handwriting beside Cedric’s blocky letters. “Did Isolde help you with this?”

The Chosen smiled a dreamy smile. “Aye, she used that smart brain o’ hers. That ain’t a problem, is it?”

“No problem, I'm just surprised she helped you so much.” Alex scratched his head at her multitude of notes. “At the university, that might look like academic dishonesty.”

“Ah she tol’ me all that when I went t’her fer help,” Cedric said sheepishly. “But I was thinkin’ an’ I brung up a good point.”

“I don’ go t’th university, so I cuda na b’gettin’ either of us in trouble, now could I?” Cedric winked.

“I…” Alex paused. “Huh, and that worked?”

“Aye, ‘cause I’s ‘pretty’, she said!” The Chosen puffed out his chest.

Alex burst out laughing. “Well done! And she’s a great teacher: you picked out a lot of the subtleties between the spell arrays, and you also noticed a lot of the common aspects. Actually…you got all of the common aspects. This is pretty awesome.”

Cedric beamed, tapping the side of his skull. “This pretty ol’ head o’mine ain’t jus’ fer show. It’s got a pretty ol’ brain inside it!”

Alex paused, looking at the Chosen closely. “Those were Isolde’s exact words, weren’t they?”

Cedric beamed even wider. “Y’bloody bet they were!”

Alex chuckled. “Well, glad things are going well between you two. Her grandfather still like you?”

“Accordin’ t’ what she’s been tellin’ me, aye,” Cedric said. “She’s been visitin’ ‘im regular since y’taught ‘er Teleportation. Never seen the Rhinean Empire m’self, y’know, an’ I’s mighty curious. It true that there’s a mountain there tha’ burns? An’ one tha’ flies?”

“Yeah, I actually saw them,” Alex said, closing the notebook and handing it back to Cedric. “I’ll tell you something, there's no words to do them justice. They’re a sight you have to see to believe. Hells, I could even take you to see them right now, if you want. It’d only take a few seconds.”

The Chosen shook his head. “Nah, I don' think so, I’d wanna see ‘em wit’ Isolde by m’side. Wouldn’t feel right if’n I went an’ snuck a peek wit’out ‘er: be almos’ like lookin’ at yer Sigmus presents b’for Sigmus.”

“Yeah, I get that,” Alex said. “Oh, right, and what about her parents? Things any better with them?”

Cedric shrugged. “She ain’t been…too chatty ‘bout ‘er ma an’ da. Think she’s still mad at ‘em a wee bit…no matter how many times I tells her I don’ mind. Last I asked, her da’d warmed up t’ me. But, ‘er ma? I’s thinkin’ she’ll take more work, but, I ain’t worried, I’ll win ‘er over.”

Alex snorted. “Wish you were that confident when it came to my lessons.”

Cedric made a face like someone had shoved a fist full of crabapples in his mouth. “Aye, well, talkin’ an’ makin’ nice wit’ people’s easy. Hunchin’ over a book fer hours ’til y’go cross-eyed? Is bloody hard.”

“I guess we all have things we find easier than others,” Alex chuckled. “But anyway…I think you’ve gotten good enough at ‘hunching over books’ that we can push you through the next step.” The General eyed Cedric’s form. “I think you’re ready to cast a spell nonverbally. So, let’s see if we can get you there before night falls. We’ll start with something simple. Is there a particular spell you want to try first? Something you feel comfortable with?”

“I'd likes t’ start wit’ Planar Doorway,” Cedric said.

“Really?” Alex’s eyebrows rose. “That's a fourth-tier spell: it’s not going to be easy to start with. I’d recommend—”

“S’my choice, aye? That spell’s th’ one I looked over th’most, so it’s th’ one I wants t’ start wit’.”

“Okay then, you’re the boss!” Alex said, rubbing his hands together. “Let's get you warmed up. I’d like you to start by grounding yourself, while you perform three dances of your choice, in whatever order you want. Then we’ll go from there. Sound good?”

“Aye, as good as wild currants wid honey.” Cedric leaned back with his arms over his head, elongating his torso in a deep stretch. “Alright, here goes.”

He transformed his morphic weapon into a spear.

“I'll start wit’ th’ Spear an’ Oar Dance, then go t’ th’Spinnin’ Sword Dance then, th’Dance o’ Fallin’ Leaves, sound good?” Cedric asked.

“As good as honey with wild currants.” Alex used the Chosen’s expression. With a twitch, the young wizard cast Flight magic on himself then sat cross-legged in mid-air, watching the other Hero closely. “Start whenever you’re ready: I’ll watch your form.”

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“Got’cha!” Cedric spun his spear into the first position, dropping into the first stance. Then he stepped forward.

He moved as if he’d been born to the dance.

He flowed from stance to stance smoothly. His breathing did not falter through any step or position, remaining steady, even when he went from Spear-and-Oar to Spinning Sword.

His morphic weapon changed from spear to sword, then Cedric wasspinning, turning round and round.

“Yes, that's it,” Alex whispered, leaning forward.

On one foot, Cedric whirled over the grassy plain without losing balance, or control of his breath. His sword was thrust forward, gracefully tracing figure-eights through the air.

“Yessss…” Alex murmured. “Big improvement.”

Cedric made a final turn, then placed his other foot on the ground. Going on the balls of his feet, he weaved his body through the air—transforming the sword to a shield—and moving with the lightest of footsteps. His torso and legs swayed as though dodging mounds of blowing leaves in the fall.

His shield arm flicked around his body, blocking imagined blows as he went. The Chosen’s eyes were shut, his breathing maintained a perfect rhythm as his lips prayed. The shield glowed with the power of holy light as he finished the dance, thrusting it high in the air, unleashing thebeam of divine power into the sky.

Cedric grinned at Alex, his gold tooth gleaming in his smile. “Not bad, aye?”

“Not bad at all!” The young archwizard unfolded his legs, stepping onto the ground. “You did a great job.”

Cedric beamed. “Think I’s ready t’ move on?”

“More than ready,” Alex said. “I think you might be able to pull off Planar Doorway, nonverbally.”

The General of Thameland walked over to Cedric, conjuring a dozen Wizard’s Hands that went to hover around the Chosen as Alex dropped into the First Position of the Spear and Oar Dance.

“Here’s what we're going to do,” Alex said. “I'm going to use the Spear-and -Oar Dance to cast Planar Doorway nonverbally.”

“Right…” Cedric said, watching the General intently.

“I want you to try and mimic my movements,” Alex said. “We’ll perform them at the same time, nice and slow. The Wizard’s Hands are going to guide your body, and correct your movements as we go.”

“Great!” The Chosen clapped his hands together. “Now we're talkin’! Can't wait t’ try it out.”

“Me too,” Alex said. “Now, watch and learn.”

Alex went into the Spear-and-Dance in deep serenity.

If the Chosen of Thameland performed it like he was meant for it, then Alex danced as though it was part of life blood and soul.

Cedric moved like water.

Alex danced like air.

Every move was intuitive.

He didn’t have to think about either motions or stances, they were as natural and precise as his heartbeat. Every twitch of muscle matched the purest most primal form of the dance.

“Watch my arms,” Alex said. “And legs. Notice how my steps change, even slightly.”

Alex felt mana pouring through his pool, forming a magic circuit. The Traveller’s power was helping and when the last movement of the incantation was finished, Alex vanished—hurtling through the space between planes—reappearing a dozen yards from where he’d started.

“Did you see?” He turned to Cedric.

“Some o’ it, aye…I…” The Chosen glanced at his notebook. “I’s thinkin’…I kin understand.”

“Understand what?” Alex pressed him.

“Th’ meanin’!” Cedric cried. “I think I kin tell which o’ them movements matched different parts o’ th’ spell array!”

Alex grinned, well pleased, “Let's see if you can do it, then! First Stance and Position, Cedric!” The General of Thameland teleported beside him, falling into First Stance. “Come on, light’s fading! Let’s go!”

Cedric quickly transformed his morphic weapon back to a spear, mirroring First Stance. “Right, then let's do it.”

“Follow my lead, go nice and slow,” Alex said, holding his aeld staff in First Position.

Together, the two Heroes danced.

In perfect harmony, they mirrored each other's movements, complimenting one another. Every step. Every position. Every stance. Every motion. The young men watched each other: Cedric following Alex's form, Alex watching to correct him.

Gently, crimson glowing Wizard’s Hands pressed against the Chosen’s body, guiding his muscles, shifting an angle here, pressing against the skin there, and forging Cedric’s form into a perfect mirror of Alex’s.

“I-it’s workin’!” Cedric cried. “I feel my mana movin’!”

“Good, don't lose concentration!” Alex said. “Focus on how the Hands are guiding you: they can't cast a spell for you, so you have to do it yourself! Try to mimic what I’m showing you!”

And mimic, Cedric did. The Wizard Hand’s were needed less and less. The meaning of the incantation was becoming clearer in every muscle.

Alex was starting to feel the excitement.

Cedric began to add something: his lips began moving as he closed his eyes.

The General pressed his tongue to the back of his teeth in thought. ‘He's trying to pray at the same time as he’s spellcasting. Last thing we want is for him to lose concentration and go into a mana reversal.’

He opened his mouth to warn the Chosen…

…then he looked at Cedric's face.

Really examined it.

His face was placid, utterly calm. The Wizard’s Hands we're no longer guiding him. His body was in harmony, as was his breathing, and movements.

Alex knew he was ready.

Focusing on his own dance, he held his staff comfortably, performing every movement in time with Cedric. The aeld gave off feelings of warmth and anticipation as both mana and divine power built.

It was as if the world was holding its breath as the two young men moved.

They were perfect mirrors of each other…

…Alex was suddenly struck by an old memory.

He saw himself, Theresa, Brutus, and Selina three years ago, sitting on the Red Siren, sailing to a new life. That day they’d seen, for the very first time, Fan’Dor and Gel’Dor performing the Spear-and-oar Dance together.

The twins had been in perfect harmony, just as the two Heroes were at this moment.

It was fitting.

That dance had begun his journey to power…and now, it would be bringing a chapter in that journey to a close.

‘Ek-u-Dari,’ Alex thought of the selachar’s ocean goddess. ‘If you're watching us, I hope you're happy. And I hope you see to it that we have good weather to come. Both now…’

Alex and Cedric completed the final motions.

‘…and far into our futures.’

The Chosen finished his prayer.

His body flowed through the last movements of the spell.

Spell arrays completed.

Magic circuits flared to life.

Cedric’s spear blazed with divine might.

Hannah’s power sang within Alex’s soul.

And the two young men teleported as one.

Alex appeared on the grass an instant before Cedric, who joined him a heartbeat later. Divine energy filled the Chosen’s spear, unleashing its power, shining a beam of light skyward.

Elation filled the two Heroes, and before they could speak...the Chosen’s golden symbol blazed with blinding light.

Alex shielded his eyes from the glow. “Yeeeeeesss!”

“Is it happenin’?” Cedric cried.

“Oh, it’s happening, alright!” The familiar burning pain struck Alex’s right shoulder, feeling like a branding iron was being pressed against his flesh. The Mark of the General began to shine, though not as brightly as Cedric’s symbol.

Power flowed from the General, moving into the Chosen’s Mark.

You have done well, came Uldar’s familiar whisper.

“You have earned my full approval,” the deity said. “New techniques to enhance the Chosen. Things from other disciplines growing what you already possess. That is my way. With my second-in-command, the General, granting you his approval, I empower you fully. Go. Destroy the Ravener. Bring my will unto the land.”

Cedric’s Mark sang.

Gold flecked away, turning to white.

And, with a flash of light, the blaze faded.

White scales glowed on Cedric’s chest.

“I…I’s feelin’ so much stronger!” he cried. “Everythin’ feels different! Th’ divine energy’s flowin’ through m’soul faster, an’ so’s th’ mana…and m’ body…I feels bloody powerful!”

“Awesome!” Alex cried. “Then let’s start testi—”

His words cut off as the Mark of the General began pulsing on his shoulder.

Gather the others, Uldar’s voice whispered. It is time.