Once Forgotten 1.94

Rya walked along, playing with her scythe. She had discovered that she could hide the blade by willing it to fold down into the shaft, then snap it out. Both only required a slightly flick of the weapon. Then she would go about twirling it, practicing different forms of attack. She had taken some training in the use of the bo, but a scythe was vastly different because of the blade. Regardless, she greatly loved the weapon. Kadrin walked along behind her, watching her playing and practicing, often calling out advice and instruction.

At midday, they stopped to rest and for Rya to eat. She looked over at her master. "Do you ever need to eat?" Kadrin shook his head.

"No. I am not. The people I come from did not need as much sustenance as humans, and thanks to my abilities, it is now almost entirely unnecessary for me to. However, I often feed just for the enjoyment of eating." Kadrin answered. Rya took a bite of her meal and frowned.

"You aren't a vampyre, are you?" She asked.

Kadrin chuckled. "I was actually wondering when you would ask. No, I am no vampire. Tell me, have you never heard of Serkans?"

Rya nodded. "Yes, I have heard of them. Several years ago, there were reports that one helped Lord Flamian to defeat the Dark Lord Calrius. Is it true that they cannot be killed?"

"Somewhat. They cannot be killed, but like all things, they can be dispersed." Kadrin shrugged. "I would say that there are only a handful of Serkans and vampires left in this world."

"Disperse...you mean like you did to Maldis's spirit form?" Rya asked.

Kadrin nodded. "Yes. When I dispersed his spirit, he went to whatever hell is reserved for demons. Personally, I am more inclined to think that I destroyed it. That is, I destroyed it from ever being able affect the physical world. It truly is a terrible fate. It's more painful than anything else, and is the worst punishment ever. Thus, I only reserve it for the most dangerous and evil of people and spirits. Yet, I hope for a day in which that won't be necessary."

Rya continued to eat. "Was there ever a time like that?" She asked sarcastically.

Kadrin looked at her. "As a matter of fact, there was. Would you like to hear the story?" Rya nodded, eager to hear. "What you are about to hear is a rare tale indeed. You are, of course, aware of the events of the Book of the Damned, and so you have heard of the Sealing, the Great Slumber. But you know not of what it is.

"In an eon now long gone, everyone was open to true magyck. Magyck, true magyck, is pure elemental energy.

In that long forgotten Golden Age, the Realm was at peace. The kingdoms and nations prospered under the Lords of Magyck, the most powerful and wise in all the land. They created machines to help the people in their tasks. Machines powered by the elements.

In this Age, poverty was non-existent. No one knew hunger. No one knew any form of crime. For millennia, everyone lived like this. The wealthy shared what they had with those less fortunate. Those less fortunate did what they could to repay their kindness.

In a way, this was how it began. The nobility and monarchies began to look down upon the less fortunate, forcing them to work harder, while sharing less of what they had. The Lords of Magyck saw what was happening, and did their best to put an end to it, telling all to remember the ancient ways. The people laughed at them, and they left discouraged.

Not long after, several nobles all began to want more power, more control. They felt that they could rule better than the kings and queens, and so, they rose up and slaughtered them. They then turned on each other. The war that ensued was cataclysmic. The land itself was changed and scarred. Whole mountains were leveled, while new ones were raised up. And this is how it was for a millennia.

The Lords of Magyck could no longer stand to see the world fall so low, and they began to work on their greatest machine. A machine to put an end to it all. When finished, it stood as a mighty tower, seven tiers tall. Seven to represent the elements: earth, wind, fire, water, light, dark, and the greatest, life. Each tier had a corresponding jewel that linked it to the next one all the way to the very top. There, in the great circle, one would stand and unleash the tower's power. Their intention was to seal the Realm so the people could no longer feel its power and be cut off from it.

However, the Warlords discovered it, out in the sands of the Great Desert, far to the west of Salcar. The most terrible and gruesome of all their battles was fought there, before the gates of the Tower. As the battle raged, the last Lord of Magyck valiantly made her way to the tower's aerie and so activate it. The tiers were already lit: the Jewels connecting them. A loud hum could be heard above the battle. Finally, the Lord of Magyck stood in the center, and as she raised her hands to perform the last summoning, a Warlord charged at her and ran her through. He intended to use the Tower to destroy all life, but it was not meant to be. With her last breath, she activated the Tower. The Elements surged through the Tower, the hum increasing. The Tower lit at the very top, and with a mighty roar, a wave blasted out from it. When all was clear, the people stood. The great Machines now sat, lifeless. Their power severed, they were now just hunks of metal.

The Lords of Magyck triumphed. Magyck, true magyck, was sealed away. Two millennia afterwards, "magic" was discovered. It relied upon spells and incantions, but there was no real power behind it.

However, in the shadows, seven people stood and watched the world rebuild. They had been unaffected by the blast, and they kept their power secret. Overtime, they would take and train others. Replacements to take their place of watching over the Real. And thus the Overseers came into being."

Rya sat, her food now forgotten. "And the Tower, what happened to it? Surely it would've been found by now?"

Kadrin shook his head. "No, it has not been. One month after the Sealing, it vanished, and it slipped out of history. No one remembers it any longer."

"But you do." Rya said.

Kadrin chuckled. "That is only because I have been around for a long while now." He saw the question in her eyes. "No, I am not going to divulge my age. I have already told you this, I believe."

She sighed and moved on to her next question. "So it vanished. The Overseers had something to do with that, didn't they?"

Kadrin nodded. "Yes, they did. But enough of this for now. Some things are better left secret, and I ask that you tell no one of what I have told you. Not yet at any rate." He looked at the sky. "Come, we must be off. We still have a long way ahead of us." Rya packed up her food and grabbed her scythe. The Legend of the Tower ran through her mind. 'That Tower...' she shuddered at the thought of it... 'is so powerful.' She glanced at her master. 'Why does he know so much about it? What does he want with it?' She followed after him.