It was a warm afternoon in the city of Montir. School had just ended and a stream of children flowed out of the school house. One of the teachers, Nor'fae, followed them out of the building and walked towards his home. He stopped for a few minutes at a park and watched the children play. Their laughter helped relieve the stress he felt from a frustrating day at work. He closed his eyes and enjoyed the warmth of the sun on his face. As he stood up to leave he looked up at the high jagged mountains above the city and decided to go for a walk.
He jogged up the trail to the mountain and stopped when he reached the top of the first incline. He sat down to rest and surveyed the mountains around him. A dark overhang halfway up the next mountain caught his eye. He had never noticed it before and decided to go and get a closer look. It was a steep climb but Nor'fae was young and strong.
When he reached the overhang he found an entrance to a cave. He sat down just inside the entrance to rest and finished the lunch his wife had made for him. He had been so busy that he hadn't eaten all day. He pushed the thoughts of work out of his mind and looked at the ocean in the distance while he ate.
When he finished he walked deeper into the cave. He pulled a small round stone out of his pocket. It was a magical light stone the lit up when it was dark. The cave narrowed then ended in a large cavern.
As soon as Nor'fae entered he could feel trace amounts of dark magic. He had been taught about the dangers of dark magic but it didn't stop him from secretly trying to learn more about it. There was something so captivating about it. He pushed those thoughts out of his mind and turned to leave the cavern.
He noticed some writing on a stone and walked over to look at it. It warned that the cave contained dangerous magic and had been sealed by the Wizards. No one was allowed inside.
Nor'fae had read about the Great Wizard War that happened thousands of years ago. At the end of the war the Wizards had sealed off the dangerous areas.
"There must be dark magic inside!" he exclaimed.
He ran his fingers across the seal. It felt warm. Thoughts of the dark magic rushed into his mind. The more he thought about it the more he wanted to see what was in the cave.
He paced around the cavern trying to convince himself to leave until the sun went down.
"It's dark now. I can't hike down in the dark. I'll have to spend the night here,” he told himself.
Nor'fae laid down on the ground and closed his eyes. In a few minutes he was asleep.
He dreamed that he was alone in his house when a tall man appeared in front of him. His piercing eyes paralyzed Nor'fae.
"You are destined to be far more than a school teacher, Nor'fae. I can help you if you'll let me,” he said.
The idea was appealing to Nor'fae.
"How?" he asked.
"I will teach you a few magical spells. Once you have learned them I can help you begin your new life,” the man said.
"What do the spells do?" asked Nor'fae.
"They unlock that which cannot be unlocked. Are you ready to begin?" he asked.
Nor'fae nodded and the mysterious man began to teach him the spells. They were very complicated and it took several hours for Nor'fae to get them right.
When he could recite them all perfectly the man looked into Nor'fae's eyes and yelled "Wake up!"
Nor'fae woke up groggy and stiff. He ate the rest of the food he had brought with him and looked at the seal. He had to see what was inside the cave. He thought through all the dark magic spells he knew and tried them all but they didn't work.
He remembered what he had dreamed and slowly the spells the strange man in his dream had taught him came back to him. Part of his mind warned him of the danger of using spells he knew so little about but his attraction to the dark magic was too strong for him to resist. He thought through each of the spells until he was sure he had them right then tried them on the seal.
After he finished the seal became very hot and he moved to the other side of the room. The seal got hotter and hotter until it started to glow then it exploded. Pieces of rock flew around the room, some hit Nor'fae in the leg and chest. He was so excited that the seal was broken that he didn't feel the pain.
He crawled through the broken seal and followed the cave as it went deeper and deeper into the mountain. In places the air became hot and toxic. He activated a magical shield stone he had brought with him. It protected him and allowed him to pass through.
Miles into the cave he discovered the remains of an ancient city. Several small stone huts had been built along the side of the cave. The symbols and writing inside the buildings was not familiar to Nor'fae.
He left the city and continued deeper into the cave. The air was so hot that no one could breathe it and live without a shield. He wondered why anyone would choose to live there.
Much farther into the cave he found another abandoned city. It wasn't like the other one. The buildings were all circular and painted with a black substance. It felt evil and Nor'fae didn't dare stay long.
As he continued deeper into the cave luminescent writing began to appear along the passageway. He didn't recognize the symbols.
Much further down he found a stone tower with a flat stone shaped like an alter on top. Everything had been painted black like the city he had passed through earlier.
The cave dropped deeper into the mountain and led to a chamber filled with prison cells. The metal bars on the windows and doors were still in place.
The tunnel narrowed and dropped steeply down. Steps had been carved out of the floor. He followed the tunnel down a few hundred yards until it ended. The entire cavern was coated with the same black substance used to paint the buildings. It bubbled up from small holes in the ground. In the center of the cavern a mound of the substance had hardened and a stone chair had been placed on top. The place felt evil but strangely enticing. As he looked at the chair he was drawn to it.
His mind screamed for him to leave and he turned to go. Before he reached the door he turned and looked at the chair one more time. Its pull overwhelmed his sense of danger and he walked over and climbed up into the chair.
When he sat down on it he heard a faint pulsing sound coming from all around him. The closer he listened the louder it became. Soon his whole body pulsed to its rhythm. He felt more than heard a soft voice mixed in with the pulses. He focused on it and the words became clear.
"Well done, Nor'fae. Now it's time for you to take the next step and become the person you were meant to be. Release the shield you are using then close your eyes and relax. I will do the rest."
He no longer felt anything but the desire to feel the pulses. He did as the voice asked. Clouds of thick dark smoke came up from the ground and engulfed him. It smelled awful and he held his breath as long as he could to keep it out but eventually his body forced him to breathe. The dark smoke entered into his lungs and he felt a chill spread through his body. Images of places and people he had never seen flooded into his mind. After a few more deep breaths the pulsing stopped. He sensed a presence inside him and heard a voice say "At last the time has come. I am finally free!"
Nor'fae opened his eyes and tried to stand up but his body wouldn't respond. He realized that he could no longer control his own body. Frantic, he tried with all his strength to break free of the power inside him but it was too strong. He felt a fog descend on his brain and struggled to stay conscious. His last thoughts were of his wife and children. What had he done?
The presence inside his body smiled as the power consumed what was once Nor'fae and took full control of his body.
He stood up and looked around him then walked across the cavern and removed a rock that was covering a hidden compartment. He reached inside and removed a golden necklace and put it in his pocket.
He knew from Nor'fae's memories that he had been imprisoned for four thousand years. Before he was captured he had almost succeeded in uncovering the Great Dark Stone, the most power conduit to dark magic that existed on Orne. The great council had found out and stopped him. Before they captured him he used his powerful magic to preserve the body of his lover Lanafka and transfer his own essence into a special receptacle hidden in the cavern. The body they executed was an empty shell. He had waited four thousand years to find another body to inhabit.
He concentrated and let as much magic as he could hold flow into him then lifted a body out of the bubbling dark pool. It was perfectly preserved. He told the black substance to leave the body and it obeyed. The eyes opened and it took a deep breath. He lowered the body to the ground next to him.
"Lanafka!"
The body slowly stood up and looked with wonder at the body of Nor'fae. "Whose body have you taken?" asked Lanafka.
"His name was Nor'fae,” he said.
Lanafka looked down at her body. "Am I as beautiful as I was, Malanhor?" she asked.
"You are as beautiful as ever,” he said.
He held up the necklace and said "I have a present for you, my love."
"My necklace! Oh thank you, Malanhor!" she exclaimed.
He walked over and placed the necklace around her neck.
"It's beautiful,” she said. "How long have I been asleep?"
"Four thousand years, my love,” he said.
"That long? Things will be a lot different for us now. They have probably forgotten all about us,” she said.
"Perhaps, but we'll help them remember what they did to us,” he said.
"Did any of our things survive?" she said.
"Let's find out,” he said.
They walked up the tunnel to the tower with the alter and opened a secret doorway at the bottom. Inside they found all their belongings untouched.
"Good! No one has discovered this place,” she said.
She looked through her clothes and chose an outfit she liked and put it on.
"It seems to have survived,” she said as she admired herself in the mirror.
Malanhor chose new clothes as well and they walked together to the entrance to the cave.
"Four thousand years! How things must have changed! Where will we go first?" asked Lanafka.
"I need men, a lot of them. Can you use your charms to lure them here to the cave? Once they're here I'll do the rest,” he said.
"I think I can manage that,” she said and smiled.
Malanhor used his magic to clear out the rest of the broken seal and enlarge the entrance to the cave.
They walked out of the cave and looked down toward Montir. The sun had just come up and they could see the ocean in the distance.
"It's so good to be out of that cave again!" said Lanafka.
"I'm glad you're here with me, Lanafka. Just be patient for a little while longer. Once I have the power I need we'll be free to live as we choose,” said Malanhor
"I'll bet there are some big strong men in Montir,” said Lanafka.
"Why don't you go and find out?" asked Malanhor.
"I think I will,” she said and kissed him. "I'll see you later."
Lanafka was very beautiful and was a powerful seductress. She smiled as she walked down the streets of Montir for the first time since her long sleep. The blacksmith paused his work and watched her walk by. A group of young men stopped their conversation and followed her with their eyes as she walked by.
"This is going to be too easy,” she thought. "I had hoped things had changed enough to provide me with a challenge. Perhaps in the next town."
During the next few days she lured a dozen men into the cave. As soon as they were inside Malanhor used his magic to force them to dig through the thick black tar at the end of the tunnel. The Great Dark Stone was close by. He could feel it. Once he reached it he would have all the power he needed.
The black tar was toxic and the men only lived a few days. Lanafka brought more men from Farsii and Calinor to the cave to replace those that died.
Two months later they broke through into the chamber that contained the Great Dark Stone. The first man to enter unknowingly approached the stone and touched it. He died instantly. Malanhor stood outside the chamber and let the magic emanating from the stone flow into him. He formed a magical shield around himself and stepped into the chamber. He used his magic to lift one of the picks and chip off a few pieces of the powerful stone. He took a large piece and held it up against the back of his neck. He grimaced as the stone burrowed through his skin.
He smiled when he felt the power pulse through him.
"It has been far too long,” he said.
With the greater amount of magic now available to him he formed a shield around the Great Dark Stone to protect anyone who might go near it.
When Lanafka heard that the stone had been found she rushed to the chamber.
"This is what we have been searching for. I knew it was here!" said Malanhor.
"It feels so intoxicating. It makes me want to hold it, to embrace it,” she said.
"Don't ever touch it, my love. It's too powerful. It would kill you. Give me your necklace,” said Malanhor.
"What are you going to do with it?" she asked.
"I want to put a piece of the Great Dark Stone in it. It will make you powerful,” he said.
She handed him the necklace and he pounded a small dark stone into it until it was secure.
"There,” he said and handed her the necklace.
She put it on and felt the power flow through her.
"I had forgotten how wonderful this feels. Thank you, Malanhor,” she said and embraced him.
"I need an army to make the Torloks pay for what they did to us, my love. With this stone I can turn anyone into a loyal soldier. Even a tiny piece will allow me to control them. We need men, Lanafka, a lot of them. Are you up to it?" he asked.
"Absolutely!" she said.
"Good. Our time has finally come, Lanafka. With this stone and the army I will create I will become the most powerful Wizard this world has ever known. Everyone will kneel before us, my love, everyone!"
He led Lanafka out of the cavern then returned later alone. He stood above the stone and released the protective shield he had placed around it. The dark pulses flowed through his body and made him stagger and fall to his knees. When he couldn't stand it any more he restored the protective shield.
He repeated the process each day until he could stand next to the stone unshielded for minutes at a time. Prolonged exposure to the dark magic had made him powerful.
He gave the men Lanafka brought to him small bracelets that contained a small piece of the Great Dark Stone. Dark magic was used to secure the bracelets so they couldn't be removed. Once the dark magic flowed into them Malanhor could sense their thoughts and force them to do as he asked.
The soldiers were trained to fight and make weapons.
In a few months he had enough soldiers to begin implementing his plan.
"It's time to start the next phase of our recruitment,” he told Lanafka.
She walked over to him and embraced him.
"What did you have in mind?" she asked.
"I thought we would pay Farsii a visit,” he said.
That night Malanhor gathered his soldiers and marched into the town of Farsii. The town leaders were captured and brought before Malanhor. Each of them was given a dark magic bracelet.
When they were under his control and had been given their assignments Malanhor left and returned to the cave.
Some of his soldiers stayed behind in Farsii to help recruit more people into his army. All the men and boys that could be found in the city were secretly captured and given bracelets. Once the bracelets were on them Malanhor forced them to join his army.
Five of those that performed the best were taken back to Malanhor's cave. A small piece of dark stone was implanted in the back of their necks and they were exposed to the Great Dark Stone to give them far greater power than the rest of the soldiers. They were Malanhor's Special Guard.
All but one of the Special Guard was sent to Montir, Kalinor, Nantoc, and Erstill to recruit more soldiers.
Malanhor approached the one that remained.
"What is your name?" he asked.
"Artol,” the man said.
"You will remain here. I want to know how many soldiers I have and where they are located. Remember, we don't want to draw the attention of the Torlok Council. I want my army ready to fight before they know it exists. You will report to me each day using this communication stone,” said Malanhor.
"Yes, sir,” said Artol.
"You can go now. Find Lanafka and tell her I want to see her."
Artol nodded and left the room.
When Lanafka entered Malanhor said "I have a special assignment for you. I need you to find Sha'mi."
Lanafka grimaced when she heard the name. Old memories flooded through her.
"Can I kill her when I find her?" she asked.
"I'm afraid not. I need her alive."
"What a shame. I have an old score to settle with her,” she said.
"It's not the same Sha'mi. You know that, right? The Sha'mi you remember has been dead for thousands of years. This one is her descendant, however, and appears to possess the same abilities. If I can control her the rest of the Council won't stand a chance. I need her alive, Lanafka."
"I'll do my best to control myself but it won't be easy. She's probably in Andelit. I'll start there."
"Be careful. She is powerful and very cunning,” he said.
"I remember."
"Take as many men as you need. Report back to Artol. I have one more thing that I need to find,” he said.
She kissed him and left. He turned his attention back to the map spread across the table.
"Where would they hide something so powerful?" he asked himself.
After carefully examining the entire map he chose a location and marked it.
"I suppose that's a good place to start."