The Legend of Black Eyes 230 Memory Fragmen

It was there, in his council chambers that he arranged for the night's ceremony. He invited four people to join him. Fiona, Cane, Audrey and Tristan sat around the table he had prepared. When looked at from above, once could see that Zedd had arranged the chairs to form a pentagon, with each participant in the ceremony at the tip of each head. 

Fiona chose to wear a sleeveless navy blue dress. Her flaring temper calmed after her conversation with Zedd regarding her mentor, Theolonius Stalwart. Tristan sat to her right. He was clad in a black suit, as was his custom. He pomaded his hair and trimmed his swirly mustache. He looked troubled. Although his eyes rested on Zedd, they didn't seem to focus on him just yet. 

Audrey sat opposite the two and to Zedd's left. She was wearing a white blouse with a brown leather jerkin on top. She was never one to dress fancy unless it was part of her mission. Next to her sat Cane. His long hair had been brushed and pomaded backwards. He'd also shaved his beard, which made him look less intimidating than usual. 

"I asked you all here to share with you my truth," Zedd began talking after everybody took their seats. "At a certain point in our lives, our paths crossed. Some of you may remember it fondly. Others still take offense at my approach." Zedd made sure to meet Fiona's gaze, then Cane's.

"You may not understand my motives behind this war I've started, but after tonight..." he paused for a moment, taking his time to meet each one of his future partner's gazes. "Well, I don't think there's any point in delaying the matter any further." 

Zedd closed his eyes and put his hand into his stomach. It looked as though it cut right through him without cutting his flesh or inflicting any wound. He groaned as his hand kept searching inside of him for something only he knew how to find. After a sudden "Aha!", Zedd took out a small flaky crystal and held it up high. 

"Do any of you know what this is?" he asked. 

"It's a memory fragment," Fiona replied. "Apart from my mentor, you're the first person I've ever seen doing a Fragment extraction." 

"It's easier when it's yours," Zedd said with a faint smile. "A memory fragment, as its name suggests, reveals a person's past experiences. You all seem to have doubts about my war against the Church, let me put your doubts to rest once and for all." 

"That's why you've arranged the chairs in this fashion," Fiona gasped. 

Zedd nodded. "I'll put you all into a trance state. You'll be able to communicate with my Fragment, see what I've seen and feel what I've felt. I have to warn you in advance. You'll see an old man in my visions. I've intentionally scratched his name out of my memories, just to keep you all safe." 

"What's the harm in knowing a person's name?" Audrey asked. 

"The Taboo Law," Fiona answered before Zedd could. "If you utter his name once, you die, as simple as that. You'll be reduced to dust, so will everybody in your vicinity." 

Cane whistled. "That's a nasty way to go," he said. "D'ya know who that is?" he asked the witch.

"He was my mentor," Fiona admitted. 

Tristan shot Zedd an inquisitive look. 

"Her mentor and my grandfather," Zedd said. "As far as we know, he's the most powerful Wizard in all of Hera." 

"How come we've never heard of'im then?" Cane asked. 

"That's cuz you'll die silly," Audrey replied.

"That's the beauty of the Taboo Law," Zedd said. "Everybody who knew you by name, be it friend or foe, will perish. You'd think it's blessing until everybody turns their back on you from fear. That's what drove my grandfather, and Aslanor by extension, to go into hiding." 

"That's why you asked me to keep an eye on them," Tristan said, finally understanding something about Zedd.

"Alright, we're getting off topic," Zedd cut in before the others started another argument. "I've brewed a potion that'd help you get into trance." He pointed at the cups each one had, placed before them. "Drink, then I'll guide you through the process." 

"Can't you just tell us about it?" Fiona asked. "I'm not too keen on seeing that old man again." 

"I would if I could," Zedd said. "It's better if you just saw it, trust me." 

Tristan was the first one to raise the cup. He gave Zedd a weak smile then turned to the others. "If the mighty Darkstar had chosen to share with us some of his past, I'd take that as a win. Cheers!" He gulped the liquid in one shot and the others followed suit. 

Zedd began guiding the others through the process then. He asked them all to close their eyes and focus on his chanting. He warned them of slight tingling sensations then the loss of all senses. 

"It's necessary to transition you from the world of the living to that of ghosts," he said. "Make sure you don't get sidetracked. If you see anything that's not supposed to be in the visions, a close relative or something out of your own memories, repeat this word over and over until it disappears: Tseb!"

He made them repeat the word until he was satisfied with each one's pronunciation. Then he began chanting in a foreign language. The chanting began monotonous. Zedd's four partners started drifting off into their own thoughts. As he kept chanting, they each experienced the loss of senses differently. 

Tristan heard a constant whistling in his ears as he lost his sense of hearing. Audrey could no longer tell if she were sitting on a chair or lying on a bed. They all began groaning as each suffered their own losses. Zedd's chanting intensified at that moment. His voice boomed across the empty council chambers. The others' groaning slowly subsided.

Then they all went limp and fell silent. Zedd threw the memory fragment in the air as he kept chanting. His voice had grown so loud that it woke the soldiers sleeping in the barracks. Some of them hurried outside to see the source of the commotion, only to find a giant vortex floating above the inner keep. 

Inside the council's chambers, Zedd beckoned the Fragment to manifest itself. His chanting made the soldiers outside feel fear the likes of which they've never experienced before. The black vortex in the sky sucked all light out of the crimson moon draping them in darkness. 

As Zedd's chanting intensified, so did the vortex's effects. Those who tried to bring lanterns or candles outside to help them see were surprised to watch all light getting instantly sucked toward the swirling darkness in the sky.

Fiona, Cane, Tristan and Audrey found themselves standing on a hill overlooking a small village. Beside them stood two young men, they eyed the village below them with great apprehension.

"I recognize this one," Cane said as he pointed at one of the young men. "It's Myles, Zedd's fairy. I don't remember him missing an eye though." 

"That's Zedd before the transformation," Tristan interfered. "And I'm pretty sure that's Emperor Avourel standing next to him." 

"Come to think of it, he looks a lot like him yeah, only younger," Audrey said. "How long ago was this?" 

Young Samuel Avourel and Myles exchanged determined looks before shifting their attention on the village below. "I never thought I'd ever team up with you in my life," Myles said. 

"Yet here we are," Sam replied. "If we eliminate your grandfather's goon, we'll have a chance at winning this thing." 

"You're underestimating the witch," Myles said. 

"Heda and the others are crippling her powers as we speak," Sam said. "Relax, we've got this under control." 

"Not if Hartwell exterminates us all today," Myles replied. "I don't think we should follow Heda's predictions. She could be leading us into a trap." 

"I don't see any other way around it," Sam retorted. "Hartwell controls three clusters. If we get rid of him, we'll only have his Wild Hunt to deal with. Besides, you don't really have much of a choice. If you don't help us, you'll vanish with the rest of the people here."

"Were you always like this?" Myles asked. His right hand twitched, eager to reach for his sword. 

"Was I always like what?" Sam asked back defiantly. 

"Forget it!" Myles heaved a heavy sigh then set his sight on the village. Sam, on the other hand, wasn't done. He pulled Myles from the shoulders and turned him away from the village. 

"Tell me," he said, crossing his arms. "Tell me what you think I am, and I'll explain to you in meticulous details how it's not what you think."

Myles scoffed. "I've seen the meticulous details of your deeds," he said. "I've seen their heads on poles. I've seen Utar torture my father to death. Hell, he even made a spectacle of it."

"And you think your grandfather would let me live if I'd done that?" Sam asked. "He had me while you turned tail and run!" He was screaming then. 

Myles seemed to mull things over, after which he let out a frustrated sigh. "Grandpa's only motive from capturing you was to get the Fragment out of you," he said. "Can we just get this thing over with? I can't stand being here with you." 

Sam put his hands on Myles's shoulders. He looked sad, on the verge of tears. "It pains me to see how our relationship deteriorated. I didn't do it Myles. I never betrayed your parents." 

Myles brushed his old friend's hands aside. "It was either you or your lying aunt!" he venomously shot at him. 

"It was your idiot father, you big oaf!" Sam blurted out. "Why do you think the mighty Wizard finally lost it back then? He'd destroyed the capital, caused a whole kingdom to collapse in one day! Do you think he'd spare me if I was behind his son's death?!" 

Myles looked aghast. He opened his mouth but no words came out.

"I don't know what happened to you when you ran away from him, but you're definitely much stronger," Sam said. "With some luck, you might even be the first non-champion to ever win the Holi Wars. Snap out of your vengeful dreams, Myles! We can do this. We can end your grandfather's tyranny once and for all." 

"What did father do?" Myles asked in a hushed tone. 

"What he always did," Sam answered with a bitter smile. "He got drunk, went to the streets and blabbered about his idiot son being chased by the Church. Utar met him in the street that night, and the rest is history. Your grandfather probed me. He saw the events unfold before his eyes." 

The hill quickly dissipated. Then the four spectators found themselves standing at the entrance of a majestic castle. A large, milky white moon shone above its highest tower. It was a scene taken straight out of fairy tales. A cool breeze brushed against the spectators, and Audrey gasped. 

Pink leaves, transported by the gentle breeze, danced before their eyes. As the wind changed direction, so did the leaves. They chased after each other in beautiful circles, as though driven by their own will. Against the full moon's bright light and the castle's tall, gray towers, that sparkling contrast made them stare in awe. 

"Raiya's waiting inside," Myles's voice took them aback. He was standing behind them, glaring at the castle. 

"It's do or die now," Sam replied.

Apart from the emperor, three more people stood beside Myles. Audrey recognized Contesse Heda, but nobody else from the group. They all had this grim look on their faces, as though they were about to stare death in the face. 

"Contesse Heda... She hasn't aged a day," Audrey said quite disapprovingly. 

"That's the gift of most Fragment holders," Fiona said. "As long as they get to assimilate it before it consumes them." 

Myles spoke before any of the others could comment. "Something's coming," he warned the others. "Brace yourselves." 

A strong wind swept the five people away. They all got scattered, except for Myles who stood his ground and turned to face the newcomer. Fiona let out a frightened squeal as she saw who had just landed. 

Theolonius Stalwart's face was blank, devoid of all emotions. "I thought you died," he told Myles. "You're not a champion, what are you doing here?" 

"How convenient it would have been for you if I just died," Myles replied. "How are you even allowed in here?" 

"One of the many perks of being the mightiest wizard on earth," Stalwart replied. "Are you going to run away again?" 

"If I were alone, I would think of it," Myles said. "You shouldn't have come here." 

The scene changed and they all found themselves standing in a gigantic throne room. Sam and the others, with the exception of Myles, were standing around a woman, looking down on her. Tristan recognized the pendant around the woman's neck. Before he could translate his thoughts into words however, the woman spoke. 

"You think you beat me?!" she asked quite hysterically. "ME?!" 

"We've got Stalwart," Sam told her, "as well as his grandson." He made a sign with his hand, as though beckoning somebody forward. Two men, fully clothed in black, strode forward, dragging a battered and shackled Myles between them. 

"You remember this one, don't you?" Sam asked the woman.

She also looked beat, as though she'd just survived a fierce battle. Contesse Heda stood behind her. She was smiling. They all looked beat, but the woman in the middle looked worse off. 

"So he survived," Raiya said with a sarcastic, defeated smile. "What did you bring him here for? Is it to spite me?" 

"It's more of a peace offering," Heda said. "We could kill you here and now, but our Lords want you alive. They want you to admit defeat and relinquish the Holus. Do that, and we'll make sure the Stalwarts disappear in the annals of history." 

Raiya scoffed. "How will you do that, you puny mortals?" she asked. Her voice was filled with venom and spite. 

"Empor has agreed to establish the Taboo Law on the Mad Wizard," Samuel Avourel said. "The Church, under my guidance, will hunt down the remaining members of his family and dispose of them. The only Stalwarts to be allowed to exist will be the ones who don't share any blood ties with the mad wizard." 

Raiya began laughing. She howled and howled for hours until her voice broke. The others only stood there, watching her silently as she vented out her frustration. 

"I won't agree to anything until I see it with my own eyes," Raiya said. "Make the Mad Wizard taboo. Kill that one." She pointed at Myles. "Then I'll happily relinquish the Holus." 

The castle instantly vanished, replaced by an endless dark void. The four of them floated there for what seemed an eternity before they heard something that resembled a dog whimpering. They turned around to see Myles floating in darkness. A majestic white fox stood beside him. 

Audrey gasped then held on to her pendant. The fox looked exactly like the one depicted in her lucky charm. It had snow white fur and three tails. Its eyes were the most striking feature, however. They were deep crimson, and had no pupils. A man instantly materialized next to the fox. Cane recognized him as Qil'Al, the Lord of Death. 

They both didn't seem to mind the darkness that surrounded them. "I don't think he'll make it," Qil'Al told the fox. "After all your hard work... Tsk! I'd hate to be in your position now." 

The fox sharply swept its tails at the Lord of Death, and the latter instantly vanished, never to appear again. Some time went by. Then another majestic creature appeared. It was so large it could easily be compared to a mountain in height. It had a humanoid face, but that was all it shared with the human race. The creature also had giant silver wings that draped the four spectators in a cascade of soft, silver feathers. 

"I owe this one a debt," the giant creature said. Its voice echoed through the darkness as the spectator's bodies vibrated from the inside. "I promised him I'd help, but I got carried away with the Holi Wars. You know how it is upstairs." 

The fox only blinked at the angel looking creature. 

"Do you think he'd survive it?" he asked the fox, and the latter nodded in response. 

"I hope he puts that Fragment of his to good use," the giant creature said. A strong light suddenly shone, blinding the spectators and forcing their eyes shut. When they could finally see, Fiona was the first to jump in fright. 

"Hello dear pupil," Theolonius Stalwart told her. "I didn't think I'd run into you here..."

Chapter end