Chapter 16- The shadow beneath the light

The wheel of time, never stops or slows down for anyone. It keeps on in its non-ceasing continuous motion. Couple of years had passed ever since Gorion had left with Alderich, the rest of his journey continues in the Kingdom of Alexandria, a kingdom still decades and decades apart from the modern-day Alexandria

Gorion now lived permanently in Alexandria, he had bid the mundane half of the Earth farewell on that very night. His training was long completed but he still lacked the confidence to be on his own and hence still lived in Alderich’s house in the pretext of needing to learn a lot more

Gorion: “Master Alderich! I found this brat lurking outside the window of the library again”

Child: “Let me go! Let me go, you old geezer”

Gorion: “Old geezer! I am not even in my 30s”

Gorion’s shaven face, had grown a full beard, a bright streak of white hair, occupied the center

Child: “Unhand me this instant! Do you even know who I am?”

Gorion lifted the little boy up to his eye level and looking him in the eye he asked

Child: “I am Alexander. The future king of Alexandria”

Gorion looked at the shabby clothing the brat was wearing. His sunken cheeks and nearly hollowed out eyes screamed loudly that it had been days, since he had last eaten. Most importantly, there have been no news of the king’s offspring. This young lad is clearly delusional, was Gorion’s only thought

Alderich: “And how will you claim the throne boy?”

Both Gorion and Alexander were surprised by Master Alderich’s sudden intrusion into the conversation

Alexander: “It’s my destiny. I am Alexander. Born and raised in Alexandria. The kingdom is literally named after my name”

Master Alderich gave a belly laugh

Alderich: #I should probably put this brat in his place. His dreams are far too high and almost impossible to achieve. I must break that delusion of his now and spare him years of pain later#

Alderich: “Conjure up a shield Alexander”

Alexander: “Huh!?”

Gorion: “Don’t you understand, what Master Alderich asked of you? Conjure a shield”

Alexander exerted himself in an attempt to manifest a protective shield. He drew upon his inner reservoir of energy, attempting to weave it into a formidable barrier. Simultaneously, he sought to tap into the ambient energy surrounding him, but his efforts proved futile. The struggling child from Alexandria seemed to possess minimal affinity for magic, incapable of mustering the energy needed to conjure even the simplest shield.

Yet, in the midst of this apparent magical inadequacy, a fascinating occurrence unfolded. For a fleeting moment, Alexander's entire form became bathed in an ethereal glow, revealing to Alderich a vast and intricate aura network enveloping the young boy. However, this mesmerizing revelation was fleeting, as the radiant display dissipated almost as quickly as it had emerged.

Alderich: “Gorion, pick him up and lock him in the library. Brat I shall give you the permission to access the massive knowledge I have accumulated over the years for one month. If and only if I see anything worthy after that period of time, would you be allowed to continue studying here”

Alexander lapped at the chance, like a starving animal who had just been thrown a chunk of the juiciest meat. Gorion did not need to pick Alexander up, for he was already in the library before Gorion could comprehend what just happened

Gorion: “One month? Are you sure Master Alderich?”

Alderich: “Yes Gorion. Nurture a healthy appetite while it is still young and you unlock the path of greatness. The child may not become the king of Alexandria but he definitely will have the power to throw the world out on its heels. If shown the right way, that little brat, might just be what Alexandria needs”

Gorion: “I am forever humbled by your keen knowledge and insight Master Alderich sir”

Alderich: “Quiet, isn’t it time, you exited the nest and learned to fly on your own?”

Gorion: “But, Master, I have so much more to learn”

Alderich: “You have learnt as much as I was willing to teach you in your first 14 months here Gorion. In the years that proceeded, you have gained tremendous power and knowledge, thanks to your sub-element Onyx, younger only to Death himself. You have defeated all of the 14 masters except me, albeit in a friendly duel, but that in itself is no small feat. Now spread your wings and soar out into the sky, before I throw you butt out of the nest”

As Master Alderich’s statement progressed, his voice got louder and started booming. Some of the candle flames in the room started flickering and few went off completely, as Gorion recalled the words that Master Alderich, said to Gorion, the first time they met

Alderich: #I AM THE CREATOR OF DARKNESS#

Turned out Master Alderich, was literally the creator of dark, as his sub-element was darkness. That along with his elements, fire and lightning, gave Master Alderich kind of an uncontrolled insanity, but he always did what was the best without any personal gain in mind

Gorion: “As you wish Master”

Gorion bowed and left

Gorion returned to Alderich’s house roughly one month later, and was surprised to see someone, that appeared the same age as him, open the gate

Gorion: “Master I’ve returned”

The lad, pointed Gorion to sit

Gorion: “Master, did you find a new student?”

The lad was eyeing Gorion with some excitement in his eyes

Gorion: “Um, do I know you?”

Alexander: “Gorion, you have finally returned”

Gorion: “Um. . Who are you?”

Alexander: “What do you mean who am I? I agree our meeting was short, but surely you couldn’t have forgotten me. Look, look, its meeeee”

Gorion looked at the lad’s face, and his eyes widened as a look of recognition dawned on his face

Gorion: “It can’t be true. Alexander?”

Alexander: “Yours truly”

Gorion: “You were a snot-nosed brat, barely 7-8 years old when I left. How did you grow years in one month?”

Alexander: “Turns out my mind had already grown, but my body couldn’t catch up. I have too much magical energy inside of me and I’d be dead, if it wasn’t contained. So, my body involuntarily compromised my growth to keep me from bursting out. As my control over my own power grew, my body started to catch up with my age, or so I have been told”

Gorion: “Stupendous! How’s your training going? You were about to begin your training after one-month, right?”

That was when the tapping of a wooden staff on stone interrupted their conversation as Master Alderich stepped into the room

Alderich: “This boy has immense talent Gorion. He was done with all of the books in the library in 3 weeks and had already advanced quite a lot just by reading. With the speed he is going, he could be very well done with his training by next month”

Gorion’s jaw dropped so hard, it would have hit the ground, if it were not attached to his skull

Gorion: “Complete training in 1 month? That was not only unheard of, but also undreamt of. Alexander, you are a miracle, even in the world of magic”

Alexander: “Thank you Gorion”

Alderich: “Alexander, do you mind giving us the room for some time?”

Alexander: “Sure, time for my break anyway”

Saying that Alexander left the room

Alderich: “What’s bothering you Gorion?”

Gorion: “Master, I had registered myself as a recruiter. My first job was to recruit twins from a family with high natural affinity towards magic. It was supposed to be an easy job”

Alderich: “How old were the recruits?”

Gorion: “22”

Alderich: “What went wrong?”

Gorion: “The circumstances weren’t ideal, no doubt, but they weren’t as drastic as ours. When I revealed the existence of the shadow world, their material minds couldn’t comprehend the existence of a power beyond science. They just screamed clutching their heads, they couldn’t believe the truth about this world and broke down”

Alderich: “Those damn morons. They chose wrong again”

Gorion’s face grew serious all of a sudden

Gorion: “Their inaccurate decision-making skills, these were the ‘games’ you were talking about when you recruited me?”

Master Alderich nodded

Gorion: “Master, I agree, the council would need strong bridges to keep the world close together, but simply choosing people with high affinity towards magic isn’t working. Too many innocents have died”

Alderich: “I know Gorion. Damn those fools”

Gorion: “There has to be a better way, Master”

Alderich: “And who gets to decide, which way is better?”

Gorion: “The one who has power”

Alderich: “What are you going to do, lad?”

Gorion: “I will obtain that power. I will command the power to change this system. I will climb up the ladder of hierarchy until I stand at its apex”

Alderich: “Have you gone completely insane? You are going to aim for being the king too?”

Gorion: “No, Master. I have neither the makings of a king, nor the desire to be one. But I can become a man that would support the king. I will become the right hand of the king. I will become the Grand Master”

Alexander appeared in the room at that moment. Turns out he had never left the room in the first-place, he had just hidden his presence. He had overheard the conversation and was visibly angry. His energy levels were off the charts, his veins pulsating with raw energy. He turned towards Gorion

Alexander: “Let’s climb up the ladder together Gorion”

Gorion looked at Alexander with awe. The size of aura centers is no doubt different for everybody and was the most basic measure of how strong the individual is. Now that Gorion could see Alexander’s aura center, he could see, his entire body was the vessel.

Any normal magician has, the aura center at the center, like a heart in the circulatory system, and a network of vessels to carry the energy to various different regions of the body, but Alexander was different. His entire body was the aura center, entire body was the vessel. The veins of his aura network, were concentrated areas of his energy. This guy was magnificent. He had no limits, even in the shadow world standards

Gorion clasped Alexander’s shoulder in agreement

Alexander: “You and I Gorion, we are going to change the way the world works”

Master Alderich sat on this chair and saw the unfolding of the events before his eyes. He was the strongest of the 14 masters. His strength though unquestionable, his sanity always remained clouded. His students were never considered anything special, but these two, they were brimming with potential. Looking at these 2 made Alderich believe, that they might as well change the entire world

Alderich: “That was a nice moment you both shared but do you mind explaining to me how exactly do you plan to achieve your goals?”

Alexander: “It’s simple master. After I become the king, I will place Gorion as my Grand-Master and then he and I shall reform Alexandria”

Gorion: “No, you moron. You will finish your training and continue to grow stronger to ultimately join up with The Generals”

Alexander: “And what will you do Gorion?”

Gorion: “I will defeat and replace Master Zachariah, the easiest and the most incompetent of the Masters. I will wait for you moving further ahead as I win the trust of the other masters”

Alderich: “To become the Grand-Master, you’ll need to defeat all of the current masters, gain their acknowledgement and finally defeat the Grand-Master himself”

Gorion: “I know master, I have already defeated all of the masters except you. I have their approval, but before I challenge you, I must first join the ranks of the masters.”

Alderich: “And why do you need Alexander as a General?”

Gorion: “To booster my forces and gain more support if needed be. Till he gains the rank of a General, I shall find a way to deal with the Grand Master, after defeating you of course”

Alderich: “And what are your plans for Alexander, after you become the Grand-Master?”

Gorion: “Master, I believe, Alexander to be the only man I know that is capable of defeating the king. I know now, why you had let him stay that night”

With that Gorion walked out of the room. His elements brought him the calmness of water and the vastness of sky, that when coupled with Onyx, the sub-element younger to only Death himself, opens the door to a motherload of knowledge and power. The kind which a man of his hunger, his potential, his curiosity, all backed up by his unwavering resolve to make the world a better place, could use to its full extent

Alderich: “He doesn’t realize, he could have defeated me at any time, he dealt with the rest of the masters. It’s a wonder that the ground doesn’t quake at that man’s passing”

6 months had passed since Gorion declared his intention to be the Grand-Master. He did as he said, he defeated Master Zachariah and adorned his shoulder with a Master’s mantle. Then a month later he stood at Master Alderich’s doorstep with letter of recommendation from all other masters, only Alderich himself remained. Gorion had come seeking Alderich’s permission to defeat him in the duel tomorrow. Alderich couldn’t help himself but smile at Gorion’s soft heart and manners. He had signed the recommendation letter even before the duel. Alderich was the most powerful amongst the Masters, but he couldn’t hope to defeat Gorion. Not the way he was now

The duel between Alderich and Gorion lasted for 7 days and 7 nights, the arena was almost destroyed. Covered by darkness with flashes of lightning, singed clothes, bloody faces, broken noses, dislocated shoulders, bruised ribs, dark magic, sky magic, healing magic, fire magic, water magic had all become countless part of the never-ending duel. Gorion clearly won over by a huge margin, but like every time, he didn’t really flaunt his victory. He buried his sword in the ground and bowed towards the fallen opponent and stayed there in respect till the healers took them away. He would then retrieve his sword, bow towards the audience and then leave the arena

Months had passed after that and Gorion had gotten busy in training and getting stronger, to fight Grand-Master Calvert. The Grand-Master had agreed to the duel

Calvert: “You defeated a couple of newbies and you think you are strong enough to defeat me? I will bury you in the ground you are hovering so far above from”

Gorion was wrong about the system. It wasn’t the state of the world that called for such drastic measures, nor was it the ignorance of the Grand-Master. Instead, it was their incompetence and ego, that had fueled the fire, that burned away countless innocent lives, deaths that could have been avoided

Amidst his training, strengthening, both his mind and body, thinking of a way, that might lead him to victory against the Grand-Master, Gorion muttered to himself

Gorion: “Master Alderich, was right. To do something, to bring out any change you must be in a position to do so. He made a silent vow that day, he would remove the incompetence from the Kingdom of Alexandria.”

Gorion was busy in his training, when a letter arrived for him

Gorion: “Hmph, the seal on this letter, indicates a royal decree”

The letter contained immediate summons for all the Masters and the Grand-Master, to the Royal Castle. It was the coronation ceremony of the new king

Rumor has it that a kid that had arrived from out of nowhere, joined the ranks of the army. One day the young lad, defeated his commanding General. One by one, in a fit of fury, he defeated all the Generals of the kingdom in a continuous battle. Ultimately, he had fought and killed, King Benedict in a duel. Although King Benedict was more of a political guy, his powers were nothing to be trifled with, but the lad defeated him in an instant. Benedict had no time to react, one moment the bell rang, and the next, the lad was holding Benedict’s severed head in his hand

All 14 masters stood in two rows of 7 facing each other on the opposite walls of the hallway, holding their staffs or swords up high, in respect and allegiance. Grand-Master Calvert, was standing near the throne, next to a pedestal, over the cushioned top of which rested the King’s crown

Surprisingly, behind the throne, stood 5 individuals. A lady dressed in white, with white hair, a blue haired girl, dressed in blue with blue eyes, a muscular guy dressed in brown, a warrior dressed in red and a boy dressed in an outfit of various colors, amber, orange, red, blue and white. The 5 elements themselves had arrived to bless the ceremony

King Alexander, emerged from around the corner, his golden plated armor clinked as he walked on the carpeted stone floor, his massive golden gauntlet rested on the grip of his sword. His eyes tweaked a little when he saw Gorion but they had kept their friendship hidden for now.

All of the heads bowed as Alexander passed them. Some in awe, some in fear but certainly all in respect. The most eye-catching thing wasn’t the dazzlingly shining golden armor of Alexander nor his childish face or the mischief in his eyes. The most surprising thing about Alexander’s arrival was the entourage he had brought with him

Following slightly behind Alexander was a man that could very well play the role of sun’s reincarnation. He was dressed in a yellow toga, a golden bandana covered his head, and his entire being shone, he did not reflect the glow, but was rather the eternal source of its creation. The sub-element- Light

Walking next to Light, was a man dressed in a slate-gray, full plate armor, he had brown curly hair, brown beard and kind brown eyes, but his scarred and chiseled face, slightly misshapen nose told the story of numerous battles that he had to face. His slate-gray armor was polished to perfection. The one word that screamed in mind just by looking at him was precision. He was none other than the sub-element Order

One of the few known secrets to Alexander’s miraculous strength was that he was the only mage in the known history of magic to possess two sub-elements. The ones currently walking down the hallway behind him, but these weren’t mere projections that he had created with energy.

Alexander was strong enough that he had allowed both of his sub-elements to exit his body and be present physically during his coronation. This presence, was one step higher, than the companionship that the sub-elements can themselves offer. This entire charade though difficult was necessary. This ceremony wasn’t just about the coronation. It was about a show of power. To make sure everybody knows who is in charge

Alexander marched down the hallway and sat on the throne he had earned though his blood and sweat. Calvert grudgingly picked up the crown and lightly placed it upon Alexander’s head

Calvert: “Long live the king!”

Everyone: “Long live the king! Long live the king”

Alexander let the cheering go on for couple of moments and then raised a hand to stop the celebration

Alexander: “What is the most important duty of a king?”

One of the masters spoke

Master: “To ensure the safety of his subjects”

Alexander: “No”

Another master: “To ensure the well-being of the kingdom”

Alexander: “Partially correct. The most important duty of a king is to choose his right hand”

Calvert interrupted

Calvert: “But sire, the Grand-Master, has always been a humble but loyal advisor to the king and is also titled as the King’s right hand”

Alexander: “Precisely Calvert. Which brings us to the first order of business. Time to choose my Grand-Master. It has been brought to my notice, that a duel that would decide the Grand-Master, is pending”

Through gritted teeth Calvert replied

Calvert: “Yes, my liege”

Alexander: “Alright then. Calvert, Gorion your duel happens tomorrow”

Calvert glanced daggers at Alexander but oblivious to his murderous gaze, the young king beamed at Gorion, as if the duel has been all but decided

Unlike the old king Benedict, Grand-Master Calvert, was a true wielder of the arcane arts. He may have grown old, but the only thing that age brought about was knowledge and power. Though he was the current Grand-Master, his ways of governing, of recruiting were as senile as he was, but despite all of that, he was going to be the toughest opponent Gorion had faced in his entire life

Recent events had shed some light on the difference in Gorion’s and Alexander’s strength and Gorion had to grudgingly admit he wasn’t as strong as Alexander. Being rivals studying under Master Alderich, that was little hard, but what was more worrying was that if the rumors were correct, Calvert was stronger than Benedict. The only thing that could work a little in Gorion’s advantage was that Calvert was stubborn and egoistic

Later that evening, Gorion knocked on Alderich’s door for counsel and guidance, but seeing Gorion’s face Alderich let out a belly laugh

Alderich: “Hahaha! You should have seen your face in the throne room. Your expressions were priceless”

Gorion: “Oh, I am going to murder that fool. I needed time to prepare”

Alexander: “Who is going to murder who?”

Alexander appeared right in front of Gorion and Alderich

Gorion: “You, you insolent fool, not only have you ruined months of planning and preparations. You have doomed me”

Alexander: “Doomed you? Imagine the duel between you and Calvert. The fight for the Grand-Master’s robes. Your duel will go down in history”

Gorion: “You won’t see a duel tomorrow. What you will see is one-sided slaughter”

Alexander: “Well, of course, I will. You are going to put old-man Calvert, 6 feet under. As I did with Benedict”

Gorion: “And how do you presume I would manage that?”

Alexander: “Use your head you idiot. What are Calvert’s elements and sub-elements?”

Gorion: “Earth, fire and Ice”

Alexander: “Do you see my point?”

Gorion: “NO!”

Alexander: “Stop your screaming. Fire and Ice are in direct contradiction to one another. Ice will never let himself be disgraced by participating in a fight, where his wielder had used fire even once. Ice hates being paired with anything but especially, fire”

Gorion: “So what? Contradictions in the elements will not affect Calvert much. He isn’t a new recruit, he is the Grand-Master, for heaven’s sake.”

Alexander: “Again, with the whining. Use your head. What’s your biggest advantage?”

Gorion: “I have none”

Alexander: “What do Ice and Fire have in common?”

Gorion: “Rage, Pride”

Alexander: “Calvert already thinks of you as nothing more than a spoiled kid. He expects the fight tomorrow to be as easy as swatting a fly”

Alderich: “He is not that much wrong you know”

Alexander: “He underestimates you, my friend. That when combined with the pride and arrogance he gets from Ice and Fire, gives him a massive superiority complex. Additionally, age may have increased his knowledge, but it hasn’t made him any wiser. His senses are duller than a dead cat. He isn’t looking for a fight tomorrow, he expects he will kill you instantly. Prolong the fight, and he will make a mistake. You are stronger than him Gorion. You have onyx with you. The strongest of all the sub-elements”

Gorion: “2^nd strongest”

alexander: “Yes, but Death doesn’t really help now, does he?”

Gorion was stunned. Alexander had really thought it through. He wasn’t the kid with some prolonged adrenaline boost, that would make decisions half-wittedly. He was a different man, than Gorion remembered

Gorion: “When did you get so mature?”

Alexander: “A lot of things had happened while you were away Gorion. Alexandria’s system is corrupt. Rotten to the core. I am going to change it all, I will forge Alexandria into a Kingdom of Dreams, but I can’t do it alone. I need the help of my trustworthy friend always backing me up, always watching my back. Win the duel tomorrow, Gorion. Our real battle starts after that”

Saying that Alexander disappeared

Gorion: “Master, what happened to him? He was such a cheerful kid”

Alderich: “I have a feeling that you will learn that tomorrow, the hard way. The counsel that you came seeking from me, was just handed to you by your king. Prolong the fight, Calvert’s biggest blind spot is his ego. Play into that and he is bound to make a mistake. But caution.”

Gorion: “Thank you master”

Alderich: “However, be vigilant. The first mistake that he makes might not be the mistake that you are looking for. Be patient. Your chance for victory will arrive. Aim for it too soon or too late and you shall be the one buried under the ground of Alexandria”

Gorion: “Thank you, Master”

Gorion bowed to Alderich and left and then in solitude whispered a silent thank you to Alexander

Gorion did not sleep that night. Wizards didn’t need to sleep, rather he spent the entire night infusing energy, communing with his elements and making sure he is in complete sync with his energy. A moment’s distraction tomorrow could mean certain demise

The time of the duel arrived, the arena was packed with audience, King Alexander was seated on his make-shift throne for the arena. The aurors worked around the clock to create a barrier so that the audience can enjoy the duel without being in any harm’s way

Gorion stepped in a bowed to King Alexander and then removed his Master’s robes

Alexander: “Why have you removed your Master’s robe Gorion?”

Gorion: “The answer is simple my liege. I have removed them for I would no longer need these after today. I will adorn myself in the Grand-Master’s uniform”

Alexander: “You sure are confident.”

Gorion: “I am sire. I shall give you a duel, worthy of your attendance”

Alexander gave Gorion a courteous nod. He was ready

At that moment, the Grand-Master entered the arena. In contrast to Gorion’s sky-blue Master’s robe, he was adorned in wine-colored robes of the Grand-Master

Gorion’s walk to the center of the arena was stiff, proper, a march of a soldier. Compared to that Calvert’s walk was clumsy. He seemed like he had just woken up and participating in this duel was an event he deemed unworthy of himself. Looking at Alexander, he gave a slight bow

Calvert: “My king, you shouldn’t have wasted your precious time with this façade. This will all be over soon. He is just some kid in need for learning a lesson”

Alexander: “Oh, it is no bother Calvert. I love duels. But talking about façade, is this the way a Grand-Master should present himself, in front of the public, in front of his king? I can still see the stains on your uniform from where you drooled on it”

Calvert reddened at the remark. Alexander was intentionally provoking Calvert and it was working

Calvert: “My apologies my king….”

Alexander held up his hand to silence Calvert and then signaled for the duel to begin

Calvert: “Last chance kid, grovel before me and I shall let you live”

Gorion: “Too late for that Calvert. The bell has been rung. The duel is already underway”