Tales From The Void

Calar sat in his meditative state focusing on the small bead of light in front of him. his father’s words echoing across time, “You must pull the light together like a mirror, the light reflects what you put into it.”

Calar reached out with mind grabbing the bead of light. Then another flickered into existence, then another, and another until twenty beads of amber light swayed and danced. He grabbed each one by one placing them in the invisible lattice. To fast and it will explode killing him, too slow and it will collapse in on itself. His brow becomes heavy with sweat his muscles tighten as the strain gets heavier, like he was being crushed. Breathing becomes a chore as though he were walking up a steep hill. He places the last bead in the lattice, its light brightens like the morning sun across the sky.

Small thin tendrils of fire spring out from the center bead entangling all the rest. They are all pulled inward simultaneously forming a single amber stone the size of a large marble. Once the light dies down Calar reaches out and plucks it from the air. “Such a small thing yet you hold so much potential for good or great evil.”

He had managed to succeed where so many fail. Only one in one thousand are ever able to complete this ritual of making power gems. He himself spent his first eighty years studying, practicing the various parts of the ritual before he was aloud to attempt it. The masters say that after the first one it becomes much easier like drinking water or breathing. Every who completes the ritual keeps their first stone which is used to make a focuser, which in turn makes the Powercaster stronger in their particular field of study. Calar’s is fire and as part of the fire clan as well as being successful in this endeavor he would now be sworn in as a protector.

Calar took one last deep breath taking the sweet odor of the test chamber. He could still feel heat emanating from the center of the room. His legs felt slightly week as he began to walk to the door. Unlatching the heavy lock with a “thunk,” the door opened reveal a wet and tired Calar to the awaiting crowd. He held the stone up high for all to see cheers erupt across the courtyard. His father is the first to take his hand. “You have made us all proud,” his father a tall man by most standards seems to stand even taller now. His crow’s feet pull back as he can’t help smiling uncontrollably at his boy.

Calar took one step then a second each step feeling surer as his strength returned to him. His chest no longer felt like a Jaseret beast sitting on him. The Jaseret beast are pack animals much like the humans have horses. Jaseret are much larger though being comparable in size to elephants but with sharper teeth. “Come my son it is time to rest for tomorrow you go before king and except your new position as one of the Ash Bringers.”

The city streets are lined with people cheering. It’s a simple place their city is carved into the ruins of a long dead volcano that collapsed in on itself. Their homes are carved into the sides hundreds of thousands, and from were he walks now the ones at the top look like tiny specs. Young maidens each with a handful of oil come to rub his body part of the ritual, as one of the maidens will become his bride this night. His father chose his mother because she gave him a shoulder wreath instead of oil. When he asked why she said, “because you will need the healing ointment I make when I’m through with your loins.” They have twenty children besides Calar.

Out of the corner of his eye he spotted a young woman wearing a fine blue silk gown. She for her part seemed to not take part in the ceremony her mother scowling at her like bear. Her hair is pulled into one long bread down her back. The oddest thing about her is not her lack of participation but the sword on her back. Calar walks up to her shooting her a derpy smile.

“Why do you not greet me with oil?”

“Why should I waste oil on a man who intends to just sweat it off with no guarantee he would chose me.”

Stepping closer to her so that he could look more closely at her solid ice blue eyes. His heart raced as he reached out and took by the hand. “Then perhaps you can rub the oil on afterward.”

Gasps took the crowd then elation as he she took up stride next to him. “what is your name?” she asks.

“Calar. What is yours?”

“Zerin”

“Well, Zerin I look forward to whatever life throws at us.”