the tenth day? That means I'm a third done!

Confused, Rork asked “Then why did you have me studying those books in there?”

Without blinking, Mikey came back with “To show you that you can't rely on everything being true, even if people are good intentioned, they twist things with their own view of the world and their past experiences. And while all together these books might contain the right information, there is too much filth in between the good parts that it makes it unworthy of your time to try to rummage through it and put together the truth.”

“So how am I supposed to get the truth, you don't expect me to read all those and try and make sense of it, do you?” Rork pointed back to his room most vehemently as he asked his question.

“No, I won't make you do that, for how would you be able to pick the truth out of those if you don't know what the truth is?” Mikey pulled at his beard a little and pondered for awhile, motioning for Rork to sit back in his seat, while he sat in the opposite chair. “I am going to take a real risk here. This wasn't done for me, I actually had to go through all those other books to get an understanding for what's really out there. But I'm not a huge fan of tradition, none of the Grand Wizards really are, so what I'm going to do is just give you something, ahead of when I'm supposed to. You have to promise that you'll only practice what it teaches when I'm around, however. There are some very bad things that can happen, and I want to be able to stop them before this place burns to the ground, though, technically it's already to the ground, seeing as we're well underneath the surface. I guess the refuge would just burn then.”

Rork could feel his facial expression changing as the fullness of what Mikey just said hit him. “We're underground?” Rork's question was met with a slow nod of the Grand Wizard's head. “Then how is it that there are lights at the appropriate time of day?”

“I am the Grand Wizard,” came Mikey's simple reply, which was followed quickly by, “There is little one cannot do with the aid of magic. I have actually enchanted these lights to mimic exactly what is going on above us, so that I don't have to worry about calculating all the milliseconds of light that are supposed to hit us each day. It's much easier just to copy in this case. It will also mimic the weather. I used to have my enchantment just mimic the light, but I really started missing the sound of rain on the roof, so I decided to tweak my spell just a little bit.”

Rork's head furled in concentration, “How did you ever do that? It seems so complex.”

“Well, how about I let you figure that out for yourself?” Mikey grabbed a small box from his robe. He touched the top with his thumb, and immediately four locks undid themselves and opened. From this box he pulled another box and spoke the word “Jinsei.” With another click and whir, the box top sprung up, allowing Mikey to pull it off. He set aside the top and then reached into the box. Rork was surprised yet again as not just his fingers, but his whole arm went into the box, which was no more than maybe 2 inches deep.

Mikey stuck out his tongue slightly as he waggled his arm and the box around a little, until he finally exclaimed “Aha!” and pulled his arm out, this time with a parcel the size of a large book. Time seemed to move in slow motion as Mikey started handing the book to Rork. All the answers and secrets that he would find in there. This one moment and book would change his life forever. Was he really ready for it? Rork could feel his heart pounding as all these questions and thoughts barraged him. Hesitantly at first, but more and more confidently as the book neared him, Rork reached out to grab the book.

When he touched the parcel, the entire world started to spin, voices, both dark and friendly were suddenly all around him, and his view on reality warped and twisted violently, making him nauseous. He blacked out as a dark figure came out of the shadows and reached for him.

Chapter 9

When he awoke, Rork immediately shot up in his bed at the Grand Wizard's refuge. His sheets were drenched, had it all just been a bad dream? He saw his clothes laid out for him yet again, this time, though, he had a white robe, not a brown one.

He slowly got out of bed, wanting to forget the things in his dream. Rubbing his eyes, he moved towards his clothes only to find that the robes weren't white but silver, once the light hit them. He quickly donned them and started for the door, but was quickly stunned by a sudden burst of voices. They came from everywhere, the walls, the floor, the ceiling, the very air itself. What had Mikey done to him?

He quickly left the room, and not knowing where else to go ran to the main room, crying out “Mikey! What's going on!? Mikey!” but he heard no response.

Nana, however, came rushing into the room, carrying a pail of cold water and a cloth, quickly helping Rork into the chair and placing the moist cloth on his forehead. The voices slowly quieted over time, and eventually Rork was able to sit up. “What has he done to me?” Rork asked Nana, sweat coming off his brow.

“He's exposed ye to the truth, dearie.” Was all that Rork could get out of her. “Now just relax for a little, the first part is the hardest.” She moved away to let him be, but before she had exited the room she turned around, “Is there anything ye would live for breakfast?”

Rork, not particularly hungry after this sudden... whatever it was... answered quietly, “No thank you.”

“I'll check back on ye later, then.” Nana was then out the door and down the hallway, humming cheerful tunes to herself that didn't seem to fit the situation, according to Rork.

He quickly fell into a fitful sleep, not being able to get much rest, and always hearing the voices. He always awoke in a cold sweat when a dark figure appeared, arms pointed at him, with the words “You are mine” always echoing through his mind as he woke up.

This lasted until another portal opened, and Mikey made another grand entrance, this time covered in dust. He brushed himself off, and moved to the seat across Rork. “Ah! So good to see that you're up!” came his sudden outburst when he noticed Rork there.

“What did you do to me?” queried Rork through cold shivers.

“I did nothing but allow you to see the truth. Apparently you weren't quite as prepared for it as I was, and that was my fault.” He took a moment to let out a long sigh, “but unfortunately time is working against us, and you must be ready soon. Even the terrefolk are starting to turn, and they are a hardy and stubborn people.”

“I must be ready for what?” Rork winced, closing his eyes as another burst of voices barraged him.

Mikey, almost as though he knew what Rork was going through, waited for his wincing to stop before he answered Rork's question. “You must be ready for battle. There isn't much time until the enemy will make himself known publicly.”

“The enemy?”

Mikey looked off into the distance, as if recalling something from long ago,“You've seen him, no doubt, the dark shadow in your visions. He no doubt keeps telling you that you are his. He claims that of everyone, especially those who are close to breaking free. You mustn't listen to him, Rork.”

“Why does he think that he owns me?” Rork was, as always, unsure as to what the Grand Wizard was speaking.

“He claims everyone, especially when they gain their magical ability. You remember how yours happened, don't you?”

Rork nodded, remembering the way that his rabbit looked at him with its empty eyes when he woke up that morning long ago.

“And that is why he claims you. Have you ever heard of someone who did something good when they awakened their magical powers? I know that I haven't in my whole life, and I've been around for a bit. He makes this claim because of the darkness that is in everyone's heart from that day forward.”

“Does he have that right?” Rork was legitimately afraid now, he didn't want to belong to that sort of entity, that dark figure.

“Oh, he does, but that wasn't originally how it was set out. Originally we were to enjoy the magic, pure and powerful, but then we were tricked into twisting that magic. Now we are as slaves to it, always seeking more power over it, trying to not be subjective to its will.”

“You mean that magic can actually have a will, it has wants and needs?” Rork had never heard of this before.

“Of course! It's the reason you're here after all, without it, nothing could have been made that has been made, but you'll learn all that and more when you're feeling better.”

“If I feel better.” Rork crossed his arms defiantly.

Mikey smiled, “You will, the magic is already at work within you, I can tell.” and with a pat on Rork's leg, Mikey stood up and walked down his hallway. “I'll let you rest tonight, you might even try talking to the magic, ask for its help through this, it'll hear you.”

Rork really didn't want to play games in his current state, so he didn't bother beating around the bush. “You really are a crazy old man, talk to the magic? Magic was created by man to help with everyday jobs and necessities.”

“That's what the one in your visions wants you to believe, that's what he wants everyone to believe, but I think you know as well as I do, that that's a lie. But I'll let you decide for yourself what's true or not, I just know what I've experienced, and I can say, that what you believe does not hold up to the things which I have seen. Have a good night.” And with that, he walked through a door and closed it behind him.

(Hey all!  Happy tenth of November! I hear that tomorrow is a big day for a lot of people, and it's apparently corduroy appreciation day or something, though I'm sure many more people are excited about Skyrim.  I know I would be if I had a system which could run it, but alas, I have not as much of these monies as other people do.  But that's ok, for I am content with what I have, especially my wonderful, hot wife.  Anyway, wife aside, I want to thank you all for reading, and let you know that I hope you all are having a good life filled with meaning.  Do enjoy your Friday and your weekend :)  Peace!)