Lives of Future-Past (The Chronicles of Max Gunnarsson Book 1) (16 page)

      “Does he speak?” asked Vladros.
      “Yes, my liege. He said his name is Ryder, but is completely disoriented, most probably from the death orb, and he seems near the end of his life,” responded the same soldier.
     Lord Vladros looked at the man a little further while flicking away some dead skin from his pale, twisted face.
      “Ryder? That name does not sound like one of strength. Throw him in the dungeon until I decide his fate.”
     The soldiers bowed and backed out of the antechambers, dragging the near-corpse with them.

     
      “Oh, and give him some blood. I want him alive for questioning later.”

     Max and Jennie met Draagh in the main hall, where he was seated at a massive, wooden table, put there specifically for their use. He had a number of manuscripts on the table, as well as two lit candles, and assorted, ordinary-looking objects.
     “Good morning, my children!” shouted Draagh, causing Jennie to shudder, her headache having increased in intensity. “Here, my young friend, drink this. It is a little concoction I invented some 23,000 years ago to help a particular—”
     “SHUT UP!” wailed Jennie, interrupting the old mage. “My head aches.”
     She sat down and threw back her head, chugging Draagh’s potion, as the wizard gave Max a wink and a mischievous grin. Within moments she gained a look of relief, as the ill effects of her night of drunken revelry instantly disappeared. Feeling much better, she showed Draagh an embarrassed grin, as well as her apt attention.
     Draagh looked at the two and gave them both a glowing smile.
     “Jennie,” he said, “I was going to hold off on teaching you the ways of magic, as your practical application of the art will be limited in comparison to Max, due to the fact that he has most of the genetic qualities required of a Primulus-caste mage. What changed my mind was the fact that our young friend had a little discussion with me last night at dinner, specifically when you were partying like it was the end of the universe with those amazingly handsome lycan soldiers.”
     Jennie immediately went red in the face, not only because Draagh had pointed out who she was with, but mostly because she had no idea Max had actually spoken to Draagh regarding her studying magic along with him.
      “So, I have decided that we three shall study together,” he continued, while wearing a grin of complete satisfaction. He then went on to explain the very basics of magic.
      “Magic is made possible by energy. Well, not exactly energy, but we will call it that as it certainly fits my explanation of what magic is – or of what it is not. Anyway, I digress. It is a specific form of energy, which enables beings that are attuned to it to call on a variety of functions that are, for the most part, called cantuses, and also archaically known as
spells
. There are varying types of cantuses - some simple and some more complex. Just as the structure of a language provides for simple and compound verbal conjugations, so does magic for cantuses. Now one does not need to know a whole lot for the simple cantuses, except how to call them. Then, ambient energy in the air, in the form of sound waves, calls on these forces to do what is requested.”
     Both Jennie and Max watched Draagh with great interest as he continued. “Depending on where you are in the universe, the cantuses will be in different languages. Of course, we could not expect the Kartovians to have any effective form of magic, as their words are extremely long. I could build a house by hand, with hammer and nail before a Kartovian mage, if one existed, could recite the cantuses to perform the very same task. The cantuses you shall use are in an archaic form of the Latin language. So, for example, Max, I want you to say
graveincantatio liber
, while holding your hand out, palm facing upwards and feel the pressure of gently lifting up this book. You must concentrate on the book.”
     Max did as Draagh instructed, and proceeded to literally throw the book out of the room, prompting both Draagh and Jennie to burst out laughing.
      “I could feel it! It was like a light pressure on my palm! That was amazing! Oh, was that book important?” asked Max.
     Well, only if you wish to further your studies, as that was your basic lessons book,” blankly stated Draagh, prompting all three to snicker.
      “Ok, my son. I shall correct your errant cantus. Watch closely.” Draagh then held out his hand and the book went flying back into the room, with the spine landing perfectly in his palm. Max and Jennie both sat there stunned.
      “Draagh,” asked Max, “how is it that I have to say words, but you don’t? Is it because you’re as old as dirt?”
     Draagh gave the two a silly grin and said, “Much older, my boy. Yes, much older indeed. Now. Let us continue. Jennie, it is your turn, but for you, this little device is necessary.”
     Draagh handed her a small, black dowel, roughly 36 centimeters in length, and then said, “Very well, now Jennie, say
graveincantatio liber
, while pointing your device at the book.” Jennie did that and whipped the book into the air, with it almost landing in the massive fireplace on the far wall.
      “Oh dear me,” exclaimed their teacher. “I believe we must utilize something a bit less valuable for these sessions. It appears that you are both Hell-bent on destroying your lesson materials!” The two giggled and looked at each other like impish, disobedient children.
     As Draagh watched the two, his heart warmed, knowing that his plan was coming along nicely. They were no longer antagonistic toward each other, and were forming a bond that would be critical if they were to defeat the Vrol.
     Before he could continue, Jennie asked, “Draagh, do I have to use this stick to perform a cantus because I am not a mage?”
      “Yes, my dear, that is correct. You see, that
stick
, as you call it, was more commonly known as a
wand
in Earth’s ancient past, and only certain wands enabled non-mages to perform limited amounts of magic. That, my dear, is yours. I wish for you to keep it.”
      “Awww, thankies, gramps!” exclaimed Jennie, reverting to her cute voice she used when she wanted to get a man’s attention, but this time being totally sincere and showing immense appreciation.
      “Draagh, what’s the difference between that wand and, say, for example, a stick? Couldn’t Jennie simply grab a tree branch and recite a cantus?” asked Max.
     Draagh got a surprised look on his face, but had fully expected that question from either of them, and responded by saying, “Oh, my goodness, no! You see, that wand is special, as someone of my ilk must make the wand. In fact, I actually made that one, but they were plentiful on Earth of the past, and fetched quite a bit of coin for their purchase, and in some places highly illegal, as in some lands non-mages were prohibited from practicing magic. No, no, my boy. One cannot simply grab a shrub and wave it around while screaming out nonsensical cantuses.”
     Max and Jennie both laughed out loud again, imagining someone ripping a plant out of the ground and shaking it while muttering nonsense, hoping for things to go flying about.
     Draagh continued telling them about the complexities of magic, and how Max would have a much more detailed and controlled sense via his extremities, as his body was attuned to magical energy. Jennie would need to exercise more caution, as she was limited to using a device. In roughly an hour, he got them to both lift a book (not their lesson manual, but a biography of the life and times of a particularly boring troglodyte who had invented a way of starting fire by rubbing two sticks together), and to move it to various places around the room. Once they had mastered that skill, for the most part, he moved onto an incantation for producing light, using the basic
undacantus
, which was a spell to manipulate various electromagnetic radiation wavelengths, and in this particular case, visible light.
     Draagh continued, “Very well, my children. Now we shall create some light. Max, you shall use your hands to control the light source in the air, while Jennie, you can only cause the light source to emanate from the tip of your wand. Now, both of you say
undaincantatio lux
.”
     They both followed his instructions, and Jennie was amazed that a small, visible light, bright enough to allow her passage in a darkened room came from the tip of her wand. Then she looked at Max, who was expertly juggling three different light sources as if he were a street performer, with each one being a slightly different color.
      “Excellent! Excellent!” exclaimed Draagh. You are both coming along just fine. Let us repair for lunch, and then continue once we have satisfied the growling in our empty stomachs.”

     After they had eaten a delicious lunch of roasted fowl and purple potatoes, they returned to the main hall to continue with their lessons. It was then that Draagh started to explain just how powerful and complex magic could be. A sufficiently knowledgeable mage could break down the molecular structure of an object, causing it to melt or disappear. The same cantus could also cause a transmorphing effect.
Mutatecantuses
were used for changing things at the DNA-level, while a mage specializing in healing would frequently use
salucantuses
in order to heal the sick. 
     Draagh went over everything that he had previously detailed in the lesson book, which he had written some centuries prior. They discussed usage of
movericantuses
, used for simple, local teleportation, like when he had taken Bagatelle to his ship, and
ignicantuses
, which, at maximum intensity, enabled a mage to superheat the atmosphere, causing anything in its range to burn in temperatures equal to that of a sun.
     Jennie was saddened to learn that her wand was incapable of calling cantuses to melt peoples’ faces or decimate entire cities, but she seemed quite satisfied with being able to knock someone into a coma with a concussive blast.
      “I might give you a bit of warning,” said Draagh, with a touch of concern on his face, “there are limitations to magic, especially where more advanced cantuses are concerned.”
     The two students look at their instructor as he continued, “As there is a finite amount of magic present at any time, and due to the fact that you are both quite young, certain advanced cantuses will have a depleting effect and will require what one could call a
cool-down period
– that is, a necessary time-out while the magical energy regenerates.”
     Max suddenly spoke out, having pieced together the puzzle of the yellow fourth line on his HUD.
      “Draagh! I have an extra line in my vitals meter, and Alea suggested it could be connected to my magic levels or something.”
     Jennie winced at hearing the lovely lycan trainer's name, but hid her reaction from her compatriots.
     Draagh looked to be thinking for a few seconds, and then said, “Well, my boy, as one rarely encounters a magic-capable lycan, I find it highly likely that you could be correct. With that said, we should test it.”
     Draagh then had Max perform three cantuses in rapid succession – the first one being a massive undacantus of spectacular lights, followed by an ignicantus (where he nearly set the hall on fire) and a gravicantus, which he used to rearrange the sparse furniture in their training room. Finishing the quick and most deft display of his newly learned skills, he concentrated on his meter.
      “What do you see, my boy?” asked Draagh, “Has this extra line of which you speak changed at all?”
      “It went down to roughly fifty percent, but is slowly creeping back up as we speak,” Max replied. Thus he had discovered what his extra readout was for – it simply gave him a visual on the timeout for using his magical abilities.
      “But what about me? I don’t have an cool-down meter, so how do I know when I’m drained?” asked Jennie.
     Draagh took her wand into his hand and expertly twirled it around his fingers, saying, “My dear, you will be required to do a bit of counting in your head, and to also know what your limitations are. However, I may be able to add a little feature to your equipment – perhaps something to give you a sensory response, like a small vibration. Would this assist you?”
      “Yeah, that’d be great, pops!” the young woman excitedly reponded, not wanting to be at a disadvantage in the field of battle.
      “There is one thing that you will be able to assist each other with in the future,” continued Draagh. During the full moon, you are both aware that you will involuntarily turn into raging, snarling beasts, am I correct?”
     They both looked at him and nodded, but their expressions slightly unnerved him. It appeared that they were actually looking forward to the transformation.
      “Well,” he continued, “as you shall be required to go through the change in three weeks’ time, we shall forgo any attempting to sidestep that particular bit of nastiness, but at a later date, you shall both be able to stop each other’s transformation.”
     Max and Jennie looked at each other quizzically, and then back at their teacher.
      “You see, an
electricantus
of sufficient power can basically short-circuit a lycan’s
death form
transformation. That is why many lycan strongholds desire to have a mage in their employ. In fact, Krynos has a resident minor-mage, but he tends to stay well hidden whenever I am present.
     “So pops, tell me - Jennie and I will be able to perform a cantus on each other and avoid turning phase 3?” asked Max.
     “That is correct, my son,” responded Draagh. “You will need to hit each other with sufficient electrical force.”
     Max thought for a moment, unable to make the connection between an effected genetic process and an electrical shock.
      “Why then do we have to shock each other?” asked the young mage.
      “Well, to deactivate the particles in your system that are working in conjunction with your lycan virus and genetics, of course!” responded Draagh.
     Particles. Genetics. Viruses. Magic. Cantuses. These things were new to Max and Jennie, but they absorbed it all quite well. In fact, better than Draagh would have imagined when he had first encountered them near the banks of the Urubamba River. The ancient Primulus went on to explain that everything that had mass in the universe had a combination of some form of particles. There was light matter, dark matter, dirt, water, oxygen, cannabis sativa (his favorite), and many quadrillions of other things.
     “Draagh,” asked Max, “exactly how does magic work? I mean, what is it, really?”
     “Max, my boy,” Draagh responded, “How old were you when you learned to drive a grav sled on your maternal grandparents’ farm?”
     “Um, I don’t know, maybe 8 years old?” he shot back.
     “And did you know exactly
how
that grav sled worked?”
     “No, no. Not at all.”
     “Yet, you were still able to operate it, am I correct?”
     “Yes, that’s correct.”
      “Exactly the same here, my boy!” he practically screeched, slapping Max on the back, causing the young man to cough as he did so. “You must first learn to harness some of this energy, and then the assorted titillating details will be revealed. It shall be quite enlightening, I can already say. Yes, indeed, I can.”
     The three finished the day, practicing calling
glaciecantuses
- freezing spells, and making ice cream, most probably due to the fact that Draagh had the munchies, and then ate a quick dinner, with Max and Jennie choosing meat (of course) and a delicious light honey mead. After they had all retired to their chambers, Max heard a light knock on his door. His heart jumped – he hoped it was Jennie coming to visit with him. He ran to the door, opening it, only to find Alea standing there in a semi-transparent nightgown, her attractive figure visible via the light coming from the partial moon, which also made it quite apparent that she was not wearing any sort of undergarments.
     “Max, I am sorry to bother you, but I do really need to speak with you. May I come in?”
     Max stepped back and quietly shut the door behind her.
     “Alea, it’s late and I have been training all day. What is it?”
     She looked at him, and slowly stepped forward, putting her hands on the crisscross collar tie of his tunic, and saying, “I believe that a danger lurks in the castle. I have no idea what it is yet, but we have been betrayed before, and I can feel its dark embrace. Please be careful. I am deathly afraid, and, as you have become so strong, I was wondering if I could pass the night - in your bedchambers?”
     Max sighed and took her hands into his. “Alea,” he said, “You are an immensely attractive woman, and if I were here alone and not going anywhere I can tell you that I would not only take you up on your offer, but I would seek to make you my mate. You are really that incredible - and to top it all off, you have a great right hook - but the reality of this whole situation is that I am not to stay here. I have to return to my faraway home in the distant past and prevent a disaster – the same type of disaster that befell this world. Can you understand that?”
     Alea hummed softly and leaned up to kiss him, which he lightly reciprocated, and then reached over to open his door.
      “If you would like, I can request protective guards for you. Would that work? I mean, I think I have some connections with the king,” he said half-jokingly.
     Alea smiled, her beautiful face glowing in the moonlight and said, “No, I am fine. I just wanted to warn you, and perhaps, well, you know. Goodnight, Max.”
     “Goodnight, Alea,” said Max, as he shut the door, his heart beating, not out of lust, but out of anticipation. He wanted to get her out of his room before Jennie knew she was there. The last thing he needed was a jealous lycan female throwing down shots with soldiers – again. He slowly turned to look out the window, and remembered what she had said – that there was danger in their midst. That was most disconcerting, and he paused momentarily, only to be scared half out of his wits, because there, in the window was a figure, crouched and waiting.
     “
Undaincantatio lux
!” he cried out, illuminating his window, only to see Jennie crouching on the ledge with a huge smile on her face, and wearing only some short-shorts and a tank top. She had her hair down over her shoulders, which was unusual, but her most striking feature were her huge, brown eyes that involuntarily mesmerized Max as they glowed in the spell’s light.
     He walked over and opened the window, allowing her to silently drop down into his room, as he desperately tried to not stare at her perfect breasts poking out from her rather small shirt.
     “Hmm, Mr. Mage is quite busy with his fan club tonight, eh?” she giggled, tapping him twice on the chest with her fingertips as she teasingly circled him.
     “You were spying on us? What a brat! Well, I had to turn her down, as I am sure you witnessed. I have a lot more on my plate than I can handle, so the last thing I need is a relationship.”
     “Oh…” said Jennie, looking away, “so, I guess she is pretty much out of the picture then, right?”
     “I'm sure she'll be fine, and will find a... hey! Do you hear that?” he said while dropping his voice to a low whisper. They both hushed themselves and dropped to crouching positions, listening intently. Then, looking at each other, they burst out laughing.
     “Oh my God!” Jennie screeched quietly. “She’s with Draagh!”
     Max’s jaw dropped, and the two fell to the floor, chortling like little children. After a few minutes they recouped themselves, and then started playing with the undacantuses, Max with his hands, making complex designs with balls of light, and Jennie using her wand, making impressive displays of sparkles. It was almost as if they were reliving lost days of their childhood, with Jennie actually enjoying it the more of the two, as her childhood was pretty uneventful compared to Max's.
     The next morning Draagh seemed especially pleased with himself at breakfast, but Max and Jennie acted like they knew nothing, not desiring to invite any voluntary information from the old mage’s escapades the night before.
     “So, my young ones, did we sleep well last night?”
     “Oh yes, sir,” said Jennie.
     “Yup, like a rock,” added Max.
     All three quite enjoyed their breakfasts of meat, porridge, and yerba mate, with Draagh even trying the beverage.
     “I find this a bit amargo (
bitter
), but relatively pleasing.”
     Max and Jennie sucked their mate down through their homemade bombillas they had made the night before, using wood, a pocket knife, and a minor ignicantus to burn tiny filtration holes in the bulbous ends of the straws.
     Going back to the main hall, all three sat down at the large, oaken table, and Draagh said very plainly, “Today we shall go over some more advanced spells, specifically ones that Jennie can perform with these tools I have provided, and we will go over some other things, but first I would like to show you some visuals of magic in action.”
     With that said, he stood up and waved his arm out in a great, swooping motion, conjuring a large three-dimensional hologram in the middle of the room, which showed demonstrations of various incantations. The two watched with rapt interest, as Draagh sat back and admired his two young pupils. They were learning quickly, and there was much hope for their world, but only if Bagatelle was able to convince the Security Council to retrofit the entire Azul military armada with SSCC technology. That being said, he wasn’t so sure that was going to happen, as there were those of traitorous mind on Azul, and they all carried the recessive vampire gene.
     As they watched, they noticed that with some cantuses there would be a flowing stream of particles, in different colors, depending on the incantation, such as a light blue for freezing spells, or red for heating spells. In some spells, the particles seemed to simply be ambient, but in others they seemed to be the cause of the intended reaction.
     After finishing the vid, Max and Jennie, recently seated a bit more closely than in previous days, looked at Draagh, almost to be simultaneously saying, “