Chapter 21: Inquiring about the Dark Arts

After Alythia had fully recovered from the whole winter ball fiasco, Blake informed her of an old Wielder, knowledgeable in the dark arts, whom he was finally able to locate.

Apparently the old lady was very practiced in dark magic some time ago – though no one really knew what 'some time ago' meant since none had any idea how old the lady actually was. Nonetheless, it was well known that at some point in time she suddenly stopped using dark magic all together and disappeared without a trace.

However, because of all the danger Alyhtia and Karlyle now seemed to be in, the Prince had ordered his subordinates to search for her.

After weeks upon weeks of searching they finally found her.

She was now living in a desolate part of the woods, just West of Elysium's capital.

Originally only Blake and Alythia were to go but Karlyle wouldn't allow her to go anywhere – especially not anywhere unknown – without him.

Yet when he joined their expedition group Ray also wanted to join since she didn't want to miss out on any adventures and poor Blake could not refuse her. Kloeye heard about it as well and nagged until she was allowed to accompany them. Furthermore, she convinced them that Damien also needed to tag along since it would be wise to have a healing Familiar in their midst in case they might need one.

Thus the trip that started off as a trip of two, ended up being a trip of six.

Nevertheless, they promptly set out late Friday afternoon – after classes had ended – and arrived at an inn situated just outside the woods. After renting rooms to spend the night in, they set off into the forest early the next day.

Their escapades, as they made their way through the forest, were quite amusing but I shall not elaborate on it too much since it is not really the focus of this chapter.

But I will say that almost all of the disputes surrounded either Alythia and Blake arguing over some triviality or Karlyle and Damien being on the verge of strangling one another if left alone. Poor Ray and Kloeye seemed to be the only two sensible ones in the group throughout most of their journey.

When they got close to the top of the hill Blake and Ray charged forward like some two odd bulldozers. Karlyle and Alythia followed after them with Karlyle leading the way and Alyhtia being gently tugged forward – her hand enveloped in his. Damien and Kloeye were at the back with the former walking cautiously behind the latter in the hope of catching her were she to slip.

When they reached the top it was already twilight and they were about to set up camp when Alythia saw a red light flickering a few yards away.

She tentatively walked towards it, with Karlyle walking slightly in front of her as if to shield her against any possible danger.

As they got nearer it suddenly stopped flickering and started darting about all around them.

Then they heard a voice bid them welcome.

The moment the voice spoke the light died away and all six of the teens turned their eyes towards the one whom the voice belonged to.

She was a very small old lady. Her appearance was quite strange. From behind one might even mistake her for a child but as soon as you saw her face and the wisdom that shone in her eyes you would instantly know that she had already walked the road of life for many a years. It was rather odd, you see, it was as if the lady was both old and young at the same time.

"Come in children, aren't you cold?" the lady beckoned them as she led the way up to her cottage.

Surprisingly the cottage was at the very place they had just moments before decided to set up camp. Yet before the lady appeared none of them were able to see the cottage so they had not even known that it was there.

After everyone entered and the door was shut, the sound of a kettle echoed throughout the house.

The kids sat down on some pillows positioned around the table as the lady came out with a tray of seven cups and a teapot. After pouring and handing everyone a cup she sat down in between them.

Karlyle however took Alythia's cup and tasted it before allowing her to drink from it.

The lady noticed and gave a soft chuckle "I won't poison you my dear, you need not worry. Ah but you are a Dragon so I guess it can't be helped. The loyal types are quite overbearing by nature I suppose"

"Come again?" Karlyle asked dubiously, unsure if she had meant to offend him or not.

The lady gazed at him and her expression grew tender. "What I mean child is that every Familiar primarily exhibits a part of the Ancient's own nature. But of course they can only display him in part – no one would ever be able to display him fully"

"Wait, so you know of the Ancient? Then do you know Izana as well?" Alythia interrupted.

"Of course I do child" the lady answered with the wave of her hand "but it does not matter much that I know him – what matters more is that he knows me. Since we are all made for him and made to be like him"

She turned her gaze to Blake "For example, the Basilisk over there - king of the serpents - represents the Ancient's sense of justice; the Dragon - much like his own son - represents his loyalty and faithfulness; a Cerberus - the guard dog of death - represents his power & wrath, and Sphinxes - the soldiers of the earth - represents his absolute unyielding & unchanging pursuit of his treasures"

Then she turned her eyes to Damien "and Unicorns are a symbol of his healing and sacrificial love"

"However" the old lady continued, turning her gaze back to Alythia "it's not like those are his only qualities, oh heavens no. As it is impossible to exhaust eternity so it is impossible to exhaust him. Warriors are also symbols of him – but more so of how he connects to those different from him as Warriors connects to Familiars who differ from them"

"But" Ray interrupted "I thought Izana's form was only that of a Dragon"

The lady stared at her before lightly shaking her head in response "No child, Izana has many forms. If he has chosen to appear to you as such it is because you needed him to. Izana connects to us better in his Dragon form because that is the form we know him to be".

She thought for a bit before adding "It may also have something to do with a Dragon's element being wind which is perhaps the best symbol for the Ancient's spirit but that is neither here nor there. The point is that he appears, it is not our job to question the parts he chooses to make known to us but merely to accept him for who and what he reveals himself to be"

"Ah children but these are simply symbols – SYMBOLS I tell you" the woman continued while throwing her tiny hands up in the air and waving them around as if she had been trying to swat some invisible flies "They aren't meant to be allegories, how could anything ever be an allegory for him? Nothing other than him can ever fully express him, do you understand?"

By now most of the tea from her cup had already spilled.

The teens stared at her in a daze – the type of stare one would happily give a lunatic without reserve.

The woman put her empty cup down on the table in front of her while heaving a heavy sigh. "Peace children, it is also fine if you don't understand. Izana will reveal to you what he wishes for you to know in such a way that you are able to receive it and in such a time that he, in his wisdom, determines that you need to hear it. But there is something else you want to know right now is there not? Something you have come to me for?"

The kids glance at one another and then at the woman. They eyed her with great skepticism.

Karlyle was the first to speak "We came in search of you because we wish to know more of the dark arts. Someone is targeting this girl next to me and we have reason to believe they are after my crest. Yet we don't really know why..." he trailed off as he glanced at Alythia worriedly.

The old lady arched a brow at him "Ah I see... so you have branded the girl, no?"

"Yes" Karlyle agreed without even the slightest hesitation.

Everyone's focus instantly shifted to him.

"Brand-what??" Alythia asked – her face utterly confused.

The lady heaved another sigh "Each Familiar has its own unique abilities. Branding is a special ability that only Dragons possess; clairvoyance is another ability that goes along with it. Since Dragons are exceptionally loyal and protective by nature, branding is a way for them to express these qualities".

She put her elbows on the table and rested her tiny head in between both palms before continuing on "When a dragon Familiar is born the jewel etched within their chest is transparent. However, after they brand someone it changes colour. The color doesn't matter much but it will usually be something that in some way represents the one who has been branded – like the color of their eyes or something of the sort. That is also why Dragons would sometimes, mostly amongst themselves, refer to the one they have branded as their jewel"

Alythia glanced at Karlyle but quickly turned her attention back to the lady "What is the purpose of it?"

"How should I know child?? Am I the one who made it such?" The lady responded with a slight hint of irritation. "However" she continued, somewhat thoughtfully "If I had to guess it's probably merely a pretext to the second ability. Clairvoyance is something the Dragon can only do to the one he/she has branded. Branding links them in a special way and clairvoyance is when the Dragon accesses the thoughts of its jewel. It's beneficial during battle, for example in case their jewel were to get separated from them or be in some sort of danger"

Kloeye slammed her hands on the table "Accessing thoughts!!!??" she blurted out while jumping to her feet "Brother I didn't know you could read Ally's mind!!!"

Karlyle just raised an eyebrow at his sister's antics, clearly somewhat annoyed "Yea well it's not exactly something I'd got about proclaiming to the world now is it?"

Ray suddenly cleared her throat in order to get everyone's attention.

"Now look that's interesting and all but it's not really why we're here" she said, fixing her gaze on the lady. "Madam, what can you tell us of the dark arts... do you have any idea what they might want to do with Karlyle's crest?"

The old lady thought for a bit.

"Well.... what I can tell you is that dark magic is absolutely vile. It seeks to twist and distort that which is good. People use dark magic when they want to do things outside of their natural order"

She shifted her gaze to Karlyle "a Dragon's jewel is usually an ingredient for the higher ranking spells. So whoever wants it and whatever they wish to do with it will most definitely be something bad. The higher spells are by far the most wretched of the lot since a Dragon cannot live very long without its crest – perhaps a few days or a week at most. And to be sure, most of the dark spells that require a Dragon's crest have never succeeded. They are only spells in theory but whenever anyone had tried casting one, it would always backfire. It truly is a dangerous and deceptive thing to practice"

The lady narrowed her eyes at Alythia "Be warned girl, the crest becomes more valuable and more likely to succeed when used in dark spells after it has acquired a color"

"But is there any way to defuse the situation?" Damien asked. "Like a way to get those people to stop using the dark arts?"

The lady's bright blue eyes gazed at him thoughtfully "Bless you kind heart child, but even if there is a way it would not be something you could do – It is between Izana and them"

"But how did you get out of it then?" Blake asked, eyeing her curiously.

"Izana saved me" the lady responded "He wishes to save everyone but if someone gets influenced by the dark arts they will be most unwilling to accept help – especially from him"

Then the lady stood up and ended their conversation there, as now it was already quite late.

"Children, the night is spent so if you wish to you may all sleep here and return from whence you came tomorrow"

The teens gratefully consented since it was a far better option than sleeping outside in the two tents they had brought along.

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The next morning everyone got up early.

As they were all heading out the door, Alyhita turned to the lady that had housed them for the night "Ma'am may I have your name? I'd like to remember the one who helped us"

"My name child is not important" the lady casually responded "I am also a jewel like you... even more so I am a bride. Thus I have already received the name of another"

Alythia stared at her somewhat confused but by now she had already grown accustomed to the lady's mystifying statements and decided that it was not really worth inquiring on.

"Well then Miss Bride, thanks for your hospitality" she said with a sweet smile and a wave as the other five also joined in and thanked her before they all made their way back to the inn.

Surprisingly, the long drive home had been rather peaceful.

Alythia and Karlyle had fallen asleep; one's head on top of the other. Damien and Kloeye were busy talking about this and that throughout the entire ride. And Ray and Blake were heavily engaged in all sorts of games – the favourite thereof being some quite nerve wracking thumb duels.

Thus our group remained blissfully unaware of the dangers that would befall them after returning to the capital.