A tale from the Forgotten Lands

Five centuries ago the world was plunged into darkness because of the 100 years war. During this war immortals decided to intervene and completely shut the magical world from the non magic world by sealing the magical kingdoms into a completely different dimension. Nobody resisted for immortals are the most powerful earthly creatures and to oppose all of them at once would have been catastrophic. Eventually the war ended.

To make sure that an event like this won’t happen again immortals created the academy, every kingdom would be required to send all of their young royals to this school or face the wrath of the immortals. At the day of the inauguration, the immortals made a pact to always protect the peace.

Immortals only die when they choose to. There are only fifteen immortals left and only one of them is still at academy Ashir. People say for him protecting the peace is more than a pact, its the reason he is living and will keep on living till the end of time.

Dr. Cameron is not unaware of this fact. Sitting in front of the mirror in her room in the royal research facility of the Kingdom of Terra mortis, she looks into her purple eyes and wonder if her desire to satisfy her scientific curiosity is worth risking her life.

What she is about to do today will change the world forever. There is no Precedent for her action, no one can predict how Nature will react, but one thing that she knows for certain is that if they go through with it a war will break out and they will have to face Ashir’s wrath.

Is it really worth angering the man known as the vengeful one just for the ambition of her king. The current wraith of Terra mortis Lord Raveness was a student of Ashir once, his favorite of that class. Does he not understand what he is doing is profoundly stupid.

Her black cloak is looking magnificent today, complementing her white face. She touches her face and stands up, it is time to confront and complete what she should have finished by now.

She walks out of her room and goes downstairs inside the basement. The room is protected by ancient enchantments, even immortals will have trouble getting in without invitation.

She opens the door and walks in. Everyone is in a haste. Going left and right, flying up and down, the room is set in the style of a vertical dungeon. There are almost 10 floors and the only way to travel is through flying.

She flies to the floor at the end, the specimen is contained in a glass container right in front of her. The green glass of the container makes it hard for her to look his face. The other container is open.

What the hell. Where is the other specimen. Someone touches her shoulder. She turns, pointing her hand towards the person behind her, ready to fire a killing curse but lord Raveness just waves her hand away.

“It’s brilliant what you can do by following these stupid strategies of humans.”

“My Lord” she bows, looking into the deep black of eyes of her young Lord.

“Ashir was astonished by their methodologies. Scientific method. I remember him telling me the tale of how he adopted that into our curriculum, how he thought that we could manipulate the world around us way better if we could understand how and why the spells and incantations work.” he is in a cheery mood today “ and I have to say Alison your achievement today is a proof that Ashir is one of the greatest gifts to our community.”

“Forgive me my Lord but i don’t thing that Ashir would see our achievement as a compliment”

“Really” he stares at her “I believe i know my professor better than you.”

“OF course I DI-”

“And you are right he will be angry.”

“So what is it that we should do my lord?”

“Well what do you think Dr. We should move to the next phase of our plan. I have tested the first specimen i believe i can entrust you with the other one.”

“Yes my Lord.”

“Our kingdom is known for it’s vast proficiency in the field of necromancy. But what we have achieved today, it will make us one of the most famous dark mages in the world. Maybe even as famous as Danial. Farewell.”

“Farewell my lord” she bows as he walks away.

She stares at the container in front of her, and wonders how strange and unusual it is that there is an immortal inside it, an immortal that she created. Nobody knows how immortals actually came to be but everyone knows the only way for creating a new immortal is reproduction. The gift of immortality is a genetic one.

Reproduction with the DNA of a dead man. Magicians have tried to do that for ages but she is the one who has achieved it, she would become immortal in the pages of history. Now it is time for something even more rare and wonderful.

Finding a way to transfer the immortality of one of these specimens to lord Raveness. The problem is that their is Precedent for that. And the last time it was done the consequences were devastating for the man who received the gift.

Lord Wraith’s idea to use genetics to transfer the immortality is a genius one. They won’t actually be stealing the water but rather they will be creating a new water source inside Lord Wraith. Let’s just hope it doesn’t backfire.

It’s been ten days since the specimens were released from their containers. Their physical age is 14, mentally they are almost the same age. They have memories that were transferred into their minds, but they are aware of who they are and what they are suppose to do. Which to tell the truth even Alison isn’t sure of.

The spells that gives them their memories also make them unable to rebel against their creator. Lord Wraith hasn’t come to the lab for almost five days. He has also not bee seen in his palace. Nobody in the facility knows where he is. The progress on transferring the genes of one organism to another has been really fast this year.

Alison has transferred the genes of lions into other animals and they have developed lion’s characteristics. The only problem is if the physical ratio of the subjects is off they die an excruciating death.

But she is confident that she is ready to transfer the genes of IM-A to lord Wraith. IM-A is the name given to first specimen, the other one got IM-B. Just for the sake of distinction.

Alison is working in her lab analyzing and storing the results of her last experiment, she was amazed to see how the eagle was born again because of the genes of a phoenix in it. Results like these are a proof that genetics are the source of magic not something like soul.

There are also prophecies by many renowned mages spread throughout the history indicating towards this fact, the best of them being from the evil wizard Denial himself.

“I can hear it in their veins, it is different, the sound, made by the their blood.” -Manifesto of Devil’s Pawn.

She is deep in her work when she hears Raveness’ voice. “Where are we with the phase two?”

“My Lord” she looks away from her computer and bows “ i was just finalizing the results of the experiment number hundred and twenty. I am confident that transferring genetics will transfer magic.”

“Good so we can start phase two”

“Yes my lord, I believe we can. But who are you going to choose to use as the Guinea pig first. I mean we have two immortals and-”

“Pick someone else. Now now why would i want that?”

“But my lord”

“If the experiment goes wrong the both times we lost both immortals, but if something goes wrong with me, my kingdom will still have one immortal to defend it. Besides Ashir will know about us very soon, so we should-”

“Ashir knows, but how, i didn’t think that our immortals’ name will appear in the books of records.”

“i don’t know about that but i have been told that he suspects that new immortals have been created and he will try his best to find out about them. Book of records may not have recorded this but Ashir can use other spells to track immortals.”

“Very well my lord. I will start working on it right away.”

The day passed away and she didn’t even notice. Around two her plan was ready for implementation. The transfer of genes at a level as big as this will require around ten trials. At each trial a specific set of Raveness’ genes will be destroyed and in their place IM-A’s genes will be placed. The process will be agonizing every time it will be performed.

As the morning comes and she goes into the lab Raveness is waiting for her. She explains the details of the procedure to Raveness, he seems troubled, but he agrees anyway. They are way in too deep to have second thoughts.

Raveness is put into a secure room for the procedure. The walls are protected both by magic and science. No disease or curse can enter. Raveness is going to be extremely vulnerable throughout the process.

The process takes three days. IM-A’s genes are extracted and put into a glass jar. The solution that will destroy his own genes is given to Lord Wraith. The pain that he feels, she can imagine it by the screams she hears. Every time the process is performed she sits in front of his room, so that he knows someone is there for him.

Raveness’ parents are dead and he killed his siblings. He has children but they are not very close to him, because none of them is a legal child, all of them are bastard. Despite the fact the Raveness is an awful person, Alison seems to have fallen for him. All her interactions with him have been magical. His ambition is poisonous, and yet it puts her in a stance that no drug ever has.

She looks at him when he is in agony and wonders if he will feel better if she could just hold him. Will he feel the same way she feels. She doesn’t know and in these uncertain times she doesn’t have the courage to ask him. If only she could.

For Alison love has been one of the complex human emotions. In her kingdom parents are not loving and caring, they are mean and demanding. But at the very least they exist. For some at least.

Alison never knew her parents. She was dropped in front of this very research facility when she was a newborn. The Wraith of that time decided that she will be raised in his court until she was five and then she would be sent to the academy.

Ashir showed a special interest in her curiosity, and tendency to solve complex puzzle but he didn’t pick her as his favorite. He rarely picks women as his favorites. According to him he can not see the potential he wants in them but according to his opposer its because he prefers men in his bed.

Whatever his preferences may be Ashir was the only male figure in her life that didn’t try to abuse her in any way. She respected him for that, but now she had committed the worst crime against him for another man. Was that the reason she was falling for him?

Phase two of Raveness’ plan has been completed. Alison opens the door of the room in which the glass cell of lord Raveness lies. He looks pale and sickly.

“My Lord” she bows “According to the report your body is healing itself faster than a normal human. It is still not as fast as an immortal but it is progress.”

He looks at her and smiles but says nothing. Probably because he is weak.

Lord Raveness’ retainer Alia comes to see him. They have a private meeting and he leaves.

Almost a week passes by and Alison doesn’t hear from him. And then the worst news comes to her. Ashir has decided that the only way to stop the upcoming war would be if he came and retrieved the immortals himself. And just so that everybody knows what he is doing he has decided to bring academy’s personal Army with him.

Lord Raveness has decided to take matters into his own hands. He has decided to go meet Ashir on the battlefield. Alison transforms into a bat and flies as fast as she could to meet lord Raveness.

She spots his host and goes to meet him. She tries to reason with him but he is confident that Ashir will not risk an immortal on immortal battle. She asks that at the very last he allows her to travel with him. He agrees. Before she goes out she puts a little bug in his hair, now she will know everything he does.

She doesn’t sleep the whole night. How could she? When tomorrow the love of her life can die. The sun has risen and the first real battle. in five centuries is upon them.

Ashir’s host meets with their on the border. Lord Raveness steps forward, so does Ashir.

“I wish to speak to you privately My Lord” Ashir says

“Very well Professor” Raveness replies. Ashir moves her feet and a pink dome covers them. The cube of secrets. No energy can leave it except for light. But she has already placed her bug.

“I know 2 immortals are here” Ashir sounds disappointing and tired “give them to me and no one will get hurt”

“There is no Precedent for your actions Professor”

“That is the reason why I am making one. If immortals be created your way they can only be raised by an other immortal.”

“I deny that.”

“It doesn’t matter. Every other lord agreed” Ashir’s voice starts to rise “You have put me in an impossible position. There aren’t 2 new immortals there are 5. Do you have any idea what would happen to you-”

“Nothing” lord Raveness interjects him “Nothing will happen to me Professor.” He lifts up his shirt and reveals a mark. He has stabbed himself with the scythe of death “I am immune to death”. Ashir’s eyes move towards it and he sighs. His impressions are grim and sad.

“What have you done” he says tired again.

“I have become an immortal.”

“You idiot you stole the gift”

“I didn’t steal it. I made my body capable of producing it on its own.”

“I can see the curse of the damned on that wound Rave.”

“I didn’t steal. Its not possible.” Lord Raveness isn’t so sure of himself anymore.

“Nature doesn’t like loopholes precious. You tried to cheat her but she saw right through you. She will claim you now. The reason she hasn’t done that already I think is that she wanted to make you and your agony a spectacle.”

“What agony ah ah ahhhhhhhhh” lord Raveness starts to scream. He wraps his arms around his belly and curls down on the floor.

“I am sorry precious I wish I could help you. Don’t speak. Just let me in your mind. I promise I will not harm anyone as long as I can take the remaining immortal.”

And it hits her. They might not have been stealing the water but they were stealing the water source. Ashir stands up and the dome disappears. She looks at him hoping to see any emotions, and only thing she can find is annoyance.

She runs towards Lord Raveness, maybe she could save him. She tries to touch him but Ashir stops her.

“Alison, there is nothing we could do now.”

“But he is in pain maybe some sedatives”

“Nothing will help him now. This pain is his destiny.”

As the realization of what’s happened hits her, she is filled by this strange stiffness. She is the one to be blamed for this. She should have stopped him. Her eyes starts to close and the darkness surrounds her.

She wakes up in a hospital room. The nurse tells her that she has been unconscious for almost a day. Ashir has already left and Lord Raveness’ oldest son was crowned.

The nurse leaves her and she sits there alone. Wondering what the hell has she done?

Around midnight a mysterious man comes into her room. She doesn’t care who he is. He is wearing a white cloak, his face is covered by it.

“Your failure is most disappointing Dr. Cameron” he says in a husky voice “You are the second failure”

“Who-”

“It doesn’t matter who we are. What matters is that we are the one who put your lord on this path. Now his death has put you in our path”

“What-”

“You are destined to do great things Dr. It is finally time for us to change the rules of this world and make it ours.”

“How-” he raised his hand to reveal a gemstone he is holding. She looks at it. The tear of Bella. “That’s impossible.”

“That’s impossible.” She doesn’t know what to do but she knows one thing. She wants to punish nature for what she did and who better to help her than the goddess who hates gods.

“Yes” she replies and they disappear into the thin air. She desired to make the impossible possible and now she is on the path of highest of rebellions. Only fate knows what awaits her……