The Artifacts Of Elios (Book 1) (2 page)

A man and a woman stood alone together in a small garden; the woman’s eyes moist with unshed tears.  In the woman’s arms was a sleeping toddler.

“I am the last,” said
the man.  “No other mages remain.  I have been instructed to return to the Arc and begin to prepare for the one who will fill the world with magic once again and to continue on as guardian until the ‘Last Song’.”

“How long,” asked the women
. 

“
It could be two years it could be twenty; I do not know, but I promise that we will be reunited”

“I will wait for you,” was all
that the woman said, and then with a look of renewed determination she straightened and held the toddler closer to her for comfort.

Because of the man’s height he bent
to one knee and he gently placed the side of his face against the child that the woman held; lightly embracing the woman and child together.  Leaning back and with a catch in his voice he stood and softly spoke, at the same time drawing a set of glowing symbols in the air in front of him, uttering a spell; the glyphs of foresight, strength, stamina, speed, health, and intelligence, begin to circle one another faster and faster until they had coalesced in to a glowing orb.  With a gesture the orb engulfed the woman and child and absorbed into them.  The toddler smiled and then laughed in his sleep with a barely audible “da-da.”

The man stood and handed an intricately glyph covered jewelry box to the woman.  The
Elders provided these for you for the times during our separation.  Within is a ring a bracelet and necklace.  They are remnants of your heritage.  They are not so called artifacts; they are true magic created of the lumen of Elios.  It is a gift from your mother.

The
man and woman embraced a final time; silently expressing their love.  The man stepped back and in the blink of an eye he disappeared.

The summer morning was glorious.  Birds soared and sang blending tranquility with the murmur of
the many conversations that were slowly increasing as crowds began to fill the white columned amphitheater. 

Dozens of students in robes of burgundy and gold huddled in groups off to the side while parents, siblings and other family members
found their chairs.

“Guests please take your seats.  Students please make your way to the queues.  The commencement will begin shortly.” Sounded an amplified voice that echoed slightly; causing the birds to mo
mentarily cease their tweeting.

The students clustered to the back of the amphitheater and into a corridor that branched to the rear of the stage while the murmurs of the crowd died
down and seats quickly filled.

A hush then prevailed as a balding distinguished looking man approached the podium and cleared his throat.  

“Ladies and Gentlemen,” He greeted, “I am Headmaster Deveaux.”  He paused a moment after introducing himself then continued, “Parents, families and distinguished guests.  I would like to welcome you to the commencement ceremony of the graduating class of the year five hundred and fifty three of the Fiona DeJoy Academy of Higher Learning.”  The crowd responded with enthusiastic applause.  The man again cleared his throat and the audience once again quieted as he introduced several students and dignitaries that would address the crowd. 

One by one the speakers conveyed their
comments and accolades to the soon to be graduating class and the wonderful alumni and traditions of the academy.  Finally the Headmaster once again stood and addressed the crowd.  “Before we announce the names of our graduating students I am pleased to announce our concluding speaker who will offer a few short words on behalf of the student body of our academy.  I am proud to introduce to you, our top honors student and captain of the warball team.  A brilliant athlete and student who I expect to go on to do brilliant things, Mr. Shane Chason. - Mr. Chason?” 

The crowd again clapped their hands as a tall dark haired young man s
tepped lively up to the podium.

“
Thank you Headmaster. Ladies and gentleman, fellow students.… Mom,” he smiled with a boyish grin and a wink.  “I promise to keep this short.” The crowd laughed and after a moment he continued.

“I would like to express my appreciation
to all those that have sacrificed so much to not only be here today but to have also been there for the support of our education.  On behalf of the entire student body I would like to say thank you.  “The crowd applauded appreciatively and then died down as the young man continued. 

“
As we look around us in our ever changing world and see the progress of our time; constantly in motion -  As new discoveries are made almost daily with many new mysterious artifacts of the ancients that enhance and magnify the magetech that we enjoy in these modern times.   Our world is moving forward at a rate never before imagined.  I and the class of five fifty three are ready, wanting, willing, and excited!”  He added both loudly and energetically. “To explore, learn, and enhance the world. – We recognize that this is our time, our chance, our destiny to make the difference, to make the world a little better.  To be an example to those who will follow like those before us were to us.”  The young man paused while the crowd applauded loudly. 

After the crowd calmed slightly he continued.  “As
many of us continue on to the collegiums and universities of higher learning, we the student body, promise that we will exemplify the principles that you, our leaders, our professors, our instructors, and especially our parents, have instilled so steadfastly upon us.  That we will ever and proudly represent the reputation, standards, and excellence of Fiona DeJoy!  Three cheers for the class of five, five, three!”  He raised his arms skyward and shouted with the entirety of the student body behind him a loud “Rah, Rah, Rah!”

After the reading of the names of the graduates, after the late night parties with his friends, after the awkward good-bye with his academy girlfriend of the last two years – telling each other that they would write; knowing that they probably wouldn’t.   The morning came when he needed to say goodbye to his mother and leave the familiarity of home for the first time in his life. 

“You be careful and make sure you write often,” his mother made him promise.  “Make sure you study hard we can’t afford for you to lose your scholarship due to poor academics
.”

Mom, it’s a warball scholarship I won’t lose my scholarship unless I play like enfer and that’s not going to happen.” 

With a tight embrace and a stream of tears from his mother Shane held on to an extended hug, realizing that he would be missing his sole parent more than he realized finding moist eyes himself. 

T
he hugs and the tearful smiles of pride and anxiety finally ended. His mother watched him climb aboard the coach and saw it disappear from view as it began the six hundred milos to the Infin Capitol city of Jehhet where Shane would attend Wonstrowd Institute of Science and Art.

T
he last six months seemed a blur.  Shane Chason was in the groove.  It and been over three years almost four since his academy graduation.  He sometimes still couldn’t believe he was a scholarship student at a major collegium; one of the leading centers in magetech and advance magetech studies.  After his arrival he discovered that they highly prized their athletics particularly the warball team and he was welcomed with open arms. 

After
his first year he had earned a spot as a team starter.  He had signed up for the four year magetech degree and much to the surprise of the Dean, several electives that would provide him with a solid back ground in languages, mathematics and mechanical design. 

With hours of extra work
and practically no social life due mostly to warball practice and his place on the ancient artifact student research group, Shane finally felt that he was nearing his goal; to be considered one of the top magetechs after graduation.  He had been able to finagle his way onto the prestigious artifact research group, by impressing his magetech professor through his high marks and extra hours in the lab and it had paid off.  The benefit of his being in the student group was the access that allowed him to study first hand, some of the latest artifacts discovered and provided to the school by the Infin Department of Ancient Discoveries (IDAD).

While
some of the faculty and other students still saw him as a stereotypical athlete, Shane didn’t mind; for the most part it allowed him more study as most of the other students left him alone.  While gregarious and outgoing on the warball field, he preferred the low profile that he enjoyed on the schools artifact research group.  He had surpassed his classmates and could now both read and write all of the primary glyphs and translation keys known so far, plus many of the glyphs that many of the professors of magetech had not yet figured out. 

As part of the research team h
e was allowed to view several of the new artifacts with hands on examinations.  He was gaining high marks, was ahead in his requirement towards graduation; he could have graduated the last term but thanks to his warball scholarship he could continue taking classes through his final season - mostly due to continuing through the summer and winter breaks but also because of the tutor and testing benefits accorded to the warball team. 

Shane
was excited to be nearing the end of his education.  He often pictured himself discovering great artifacts; discovering items that would benefit others; cure disease, improve transportation, maybe even enhance communications.  Most of all he dreamed of discovering a way to modify and even create artifacts of his own.  Magetech scholars as of the present day could only duplicate and power
intact
artifacts – to some extent they could couple them but only rarely.  One example was the visi-screen – a combination of coupled sound and video transmit artifacts that were now the standard in communication and entertainment.

Lately he found himself
often in the lab in company of an attractive blonde female student named Ava Desmond; she pronounced it ‘
Ayvuh Daymoan’
- she told him it was an old Luion family name. 

Ava
was very studious and like Shane was known for her high marks as well.  At first Shane had suspected that she was just another rich girl warball fan looking for an opportunity to associate with a starting receiver, but when all she seemed to be interested in was study he soon dismissed that theory.  In all honesty he wouldn’t have minded, he thought she was very pretty and that was an understatement he decided the more he thought about it; especially her intensely green eyes.  Uncharacteristically he felt a little bit nervous around her because of the attraction that he had for her.  She was “so good looking” a sentiment that he had confided with some of his fellow team mates.  Socially however, in contrast to his somewhat pedestrian upbringing, she came from a wealthy family.