Tower of the Watchful Eye

Chapter 41

Shock doesn't even begin to sum up what was happening in my head. Both Cathy and I were speechless with what we had heard. We had gone from trying to straighten out the Tower to destroying magic itself.

"You want to run that by me again?" I asked, cleaning out my ears.

"We are going to destroy magic," he repeated. "Wipe it off the face of Kalenden. Think about it, no more Mages controlling people, no more demons trying to break into the world, no more abomination creatures that don't belong here, it will be just humans governing over themselves."

My head was spinning like a top. "So, not only destroy magic but kill off two races as well."

I pushed the plate of food away and buried my head in my hands. This was pure insanity. "What brought you to this conclusion?" I asked.

"I have had a lifetime to study the Archives and see how the Tower works. Just like the Keeper before me," he said. "Magic has been the stain on this land that prevented Balendar and Nesqa from achieving peace. Every time they get close, the Mages intervene. That's how they keep control. By keeping them in turmoil so they can play the heroes. Balendar and Nesqa will finally settle their problems for good."

"And the Evenawks and Nao?" I asked starting to get angry. "What justification is there for killing off two races?"

"The Evenawks are forever tainted by the Mages' intervention," the Keeper explained. "Do you really think they can form a society and live peacefully with everyone? No. They know nothing but vengeance and anger. Once they rid themselves of the remaining Mages they will strike out for a new enemy."

"Chieftain Harkis is a good leader," I countered. "He will prove that the Evenawks can live in today's world."

"Ah, yes the last of the bloodline," Keeper Anderson smiled smugly. "So they don't attack this generation. What's stopping them after he is gone? We are talking an entire era of oppression here. Can you predict they will stay passive for ever?"

"No, but who can predict the future?" I asked. "We won't know what they will become but we can't deny them the right to choose."

"Yes, we can," the Keeper replied. "That's why the Order of Magic intervened to begin with. The Chieftains were too aggressive and needed to be put down. Look into your history, The Evenawk War was a collection of Balendar and Nesqa troops led by the Mages to defeat the Chieftains and pacify the tribes."

I sat silently, absorbing the new information. "How do I know you're not lying?"

The Keeper picked up a book on the desk and threw it onto the table I sat at. The title, 'The Evenawk War', decorated the front. I opened the book and started flipping through the pages. It was a collection of old war diaries from the Mage leaders.

"I know this is a lot to drop on someone," the Keeper said calmly. "That was why I sent you on this quest. To see for yourself what the world really is. We don't have the time to go through every book in history to show you what I have seen so I need you to trust me and know that this is for the greater good."

"You are asking for a lot," I said.

"No more than when I asked you to collect the items," he said as he gathered up the items and brought them to the desk.

He removed the Demon's Bane from its box and placed it into a mortar and pestle. He started to pound the Demon's Bane into a dust while he added the vial of water.

"What about the Nao?" I asked.

He sighed sadly. "A necessary sacrifice. They are already outside of the world so nobody will notice they are gone and Balendar could use the resources from the SzwenForest."