"You see that branch up there?" Araneth pointed to a thick branch high up on one of the trees.
"Yeah?" Alexander saw the branch and wondered what Araneth had planned for it.
"I want you to go up there."
"Wait, what? I can't climb that tree I'd need something to wrap around it and pull myself up bit by bit. That'll take forever."
Araneth laughed, "You should pay attention to your surroundings and the events that occur around you Arch Mage. I meant I want you to phase yourself up there."
"Oh...why didn't you just say that?"
"Because I wouldn't have taught you the valuable lesson you just learnt. Survival. In order to survive anything, you must at all costs pay attention. Now, go."
It happened almost too fast and Alexander was already up there trying to hold his balance.
Araneth was laughing again, "Its okay if you fall...I actually want you to."
"Are you mad?" Alexander has now standing firmly on the branch, Araneth looked about half the size of his small finger's fingernail. "Do you have any idea how far up I am?"
"As a matter of fact I do." Araneth's voice was right behind him, and so was Araneth.
Alexander was frightened so badly he jumped and went plummeting down to earth, but there was no impact. It was a full minute before Alexander opened his eyes and fond himself floating a rough eight inches from the ground. Then he fell.
"Come on. Up."
"What is your problem?" Alexander demanded as he got off the ground and dusted off himself. He would fuss about the white clothing later.
"Problem? I have none. I'm teaching you about gravity."
"By shoving me off a branch?"
"I didn't shove anyone. Technically you jumped."
"That's beside the point!"
"Yes, and no. Anyway, enough with the distractions. Do you remember that feeling when you fell?"
"What feeling? Thinking my life was over and that I was about to die?"
"I said a feeling, not a thought."
Alexander calmed himself down and thought back to his four second descent, "A pull?"
"Precisely. Weight does not depend on the size of the object, but rather its density. Gravity is like a person, pulling. When we jump, we pull back. And then there's pushing. As an Arch Mage I'm sure you can feel the atoms around you when you focus."
"Yeah I can."
"Push them."
"Huh?"
"Push the atoms right beneath your feet."
Alexander did as instructed and slowly, he found himself being lifted off the ground as Araneth continued talking.
"Good. Space, is everything around us and inside us. All things material. All existing things are connected by atoms. With this understanding, many things can be accomplished."
"Like flying?"
"Yes, but you're not flying, you're floating. Come down."
Alexander stopped pushing and fell on his feet, "Ouch, I'll have to work on that."
"To fly, you will need to create your own gravitational field that will oppose and control earth's gravitational pull on your atoms."
"How do I do that?"
"Magnetism is based on positive and negative charges. The human body is charged positively."
"So if I switch the charges..."
"Bad idea. We're positive for a reason. Switch them, and it alters our entire molecular structure, something no one is stupid enough to attempt. Don't be the first."
"Okay..."
"You'll have to, as I said, create your own gravitational field. In other words, gather the neutrons around you and switch their charges to negative. Then by altering the strength of the charges, you can fly to wherever you please. Just remember, this isn't a shield. I've already had one student who foolishly thought it was, and so had the ridiculous idea to fly through a volcano."
That was an imagery Alexander did not want to see again, "So can I try it now?"
"Go ahead. It takes a while to get it right though becau..." Araneth went silent as Alexander ascended slowly and began soaring in circles.
"This is so cool! It feels like I'm floating! Hey I wonder how far I can go!" And with that, Alexander took off into the forest.
"You Arch Mages." Araneth shook his head and took off as well heading in the direction he saw Alexander heading. "Kid, wait up!"
Alexander felt great, no matter how hard and fast he flew it didn't tire him out. His powers came from a single thought, fueled by his imagination. Trees whooshed pass him as he soared with his arms at his side, until a feeling came over him that tightened his stomach. Alexander had almost lost his focus and fell, but he held it together and stopped, descending slowly toward the ground. "What was that?"
"What was what?" Araneth was right behind him.
"Gah! Don't do that!" Alexander calmed himself and focused. His heightened senses picked up everything again and there it was, that scent, sweet, wild and seductive. This time he had no intention of letting it go. Alexander ran, following the scent through the dense forest until he reached the clearing of the Oaken Gate. But what Alexander found was not just the gate, a girl with blue hair and orange highlights had just passed through it.
"Arch Mage!" Araneth had just caught up to Alexander, "What's going on?"
"Huh?" Alexander had to force himself not look at the old Oak tree. "Uh...nothing. I just thought Seth was spying me."
"Seth? Why would he do that?"
"I don't know. Why does he do anything?" Alexander wondered who that girl was, but for now he would have to forget about her. "So, what's the next lesson? I kinda got the gist of everything. So I just need the rules."
"Hmmm. Everything huh?" Araneth was doubtful, but not completely. After all, he was teaching an Arch Mage. "Very well then. Human beings carry within them all the elements, but two of these should never be tampered with."
"Life and Death."
"Impressive. But do you know why?"
"Nope. But you'll tell me, right?"
"To tamper with life is to alter death, and vice versa. When one life is taken, another is given. It is the one thing the Universe keeps in order and is VERY strict about. Giving or returning life to something that does not deserve it nor has the approval of the Universe, will warrant dire consequences."
"Why does everybody do that? Say something is bad, and then say there are 'dire consequences'. It's so cliché."
"You are really odd for an Arch Mage."
"How many have you met?"
"Just Seth" Araneth admitted.
"Then I'm not odd, because you have no idea how an Arch Mage should or shouldn't be. So, are there any more rules?"
"No. Only loyalty. Under no circumstances do we switch sides or betray our kin. As wielders of the Art of Magik, we are all bound as kindred, and so we look out for each other no matter what."
Alexander noticed the look on Araneth's face, "...something happened. What?"
"My...my father believed very strongly in the power of the Arch Mage. That The Whisperers could only be defeated by one."
"And...? What are you not telling me?"
"He knew Seth would be coming, they were friends you see, and he wanted to help. So he... he did an enchantment to spy on The Whisperers using something that once belonged to their leader. But he was... he was caught...and they pulled him through."
"Pulled him through? What do you mean they pulled him through?"
"I don't know how they did it. They are very powerful, Arch Mage. But I saw these female hands, claw-like fingernails, reach out of nothingness and grab him then pulled him in ...and he was gone."
Alexander remembered the voice that helped his spirit get back to his body in The Wyvern Sanctum. "Your father is alive."
"What?" Araneth had been holding his composure but he was barely hanging in there.
"He's alive. They have him as a prisoner. He helped me once." Alexander told him what happened and Araneth sobbed quietly.
After a few minutes Araneth was back to himself and they headed to the Oaken Gate.
"Ready?" Araneth looked at Alexander with a smile.
"For what?" Alexander was suspicious; Araneth had a mysterious glint in his eyes.
"Tansverattio astraethaeum alixeria." Araneth had just trusted Alexander with a spell that has been guarded for centuries, even Seth did not know it.
As they appeared back in the town of New Salem, Araneth held Alexander's hand, "Wait..." He looked into Alexander's eyes with pride and hope, "I trust you. We trust you. All I ask is that you save my father. If you cannot, at least bring back his body."
Alexander took Araneth's hand, "I'll save him Araneth. I owe him that much."
"Uh one more thing. Seth doesn't know how to get into New Salem...keep it that way. Here..." Araneth took a necklace from his pocket that held a small talisman, "...the enchantment on this will let whoever you wish know that you are at the Oaken Gate. Use it when Seth is with you so he won't suspect anything."
"Why don't you trust him?"
"Because he does not trust us." Araneth walked off into the crowd.
∞
Alexander had no idea how time worked in a place with no sun, Maybe they have a moon dial, he mused as he walked through the crowds of Witches and Wizards. Then it happened again, that scent; sweet, wild and seductive.
Alexander looked around for the girl but it was too crowded, so he stopped, focused his mind and found a way to find her. "Siddientus-faera."
"Ah!" A young woman yelled as Alexander appeared right in front of her.
Her scent was overwhelming, but her gazing eyes were not yellow and cat-like. They were so dark a brown that they almost seemed black. Her skin was a smooth medium shade of brown with delicate lips that were barely parted as she struggled to find something to say. She wasn't much shorter than Alexander, and as he looked down at her hands he realized she was fumbling with her fingers.
"Sorry." Alexander apologized, "I must have done the spell wrong."
Alexander had begun to walk away but the young woman stopped him, "Wait. Uh...umm, what spell? I can help."
"Uh...no it's okay I jus..."
"Please."
Alexander could not help but look into her deep brown eyes, "Okay. I was...looking for someone."
"Wh..who?"
"...I don't know."
"You don't know? That's silly."
"I know. It's..."
"Do you know what she looks like?"
"I didn't say it was a 'she'."
"Well it has to be. Otherwise you wouldn't have run into me."
"Oh...right. Uh, she has the same hair color as you. In fact I think it is you. I'm just not sure if it's you because, well this is gonna sound crazy, but I was in a kingdom with pale-skinned people, except for my friends and Aries, and then I had this sensation. Like, I smelled something, or someone. So i..."
"You thought it wassomeone with pale skin."
"Yeah...silly right?"
"No..." She smiled, "It was me. I was there. Looking for you."
"M...me? Why?"
"Because my dad doesn't want me involved and my mother's in and out like a teenager who doesn't give a damn about responsibility. So here I am, the rebellious daughter searching for a purpose."
"...and you thought that finding me would be a start?"
"Don't flatter yourself. I've been soul searching since Camelot was cast into the void."
"Camel... who are you?"
"Oh, we were never acquainted. But it is the man who should first introduce himself."
"Forgive me. I'm...um..."
"Shy? Forgotten your name?"
"No. I'm just not sure what to introduce myself as."
"How about as my boyfriend and we'll start there?"
"Huh?"
"Kidding!Geez. Lighten up. I already know you're the Fourth Arch Mage. So let's just go with your name."
"Oh... uh... yeah. I'm Alexander Salem."
"Arianne. Arianne Morgan." Suddenly her eyes went wide with realization, "Wait, what's your middle name?"
"St. Matthew. Why?"
"Do you realize where you are?" Arianne was being dodgy.
"New Salem."
"And what did you say your last name was?"
"Salem...oh" Alexander suddenly realized where this was going.
"Matthew Salem was the first Wizard. His power was giving to him by Hecate herself. That must be why she trusts you. You're his descendant. Cheh, it's better than my family history anyway."
"Which would be?"
"Which would be none of your business... for now at least. I can't talk here. My mother is nearby." Then Arianne vanished.
Alexander officially had no idea what was going on, it was all too much to digest. So he phased back to the room he slept in and went through his suitcase. Sure enough, he found his journal. Then he manifested a black ink pen and began writing.
"Why do you do that?" Nyxx's voice came as such a shock that Alexander threw his book up and fell off his bunk. She held back her laugh and continued, "It's so boring. Writing everything down."
"It clears my head." Alexander replied as he got off the floor, he was getting really tired of falling.
"That's what liquor is for dear. Just make sure you don't write any spells down. You wouldn't want them falling into the wrong hands." Then Nyxx put a finger to her lower lip and added, "Though I can't help but wonder which would be worst: Having your power fall into the wrong hands, or your deepest darkest thoughts...and desires." She smiled accusatively and turned to walk away. But then she stopped and turned back around, "Just do me ONE favor..."
"I'm a little exhausted from this whole, 'everyone depending on me nonsense', but I'll ask anyway. What is it?"
"Hurt my daughter, and I will hunt you down faster than you can regret it. Then I'll use my power to keep you alive and rip your heart out then eat it right in front of you. Got it?" And she vanished.
NowAlexander was nervous. Arianne said her family history wasn't much. But if Nyxxreally is her mother...then who's her father?