Selavy, the beginning
No library processed the scrolls I sought. Perhaps, the book was lost, perhaps. Or never written. Unsettled, I glazed at scrolls irrelevant, either way; my report would go on finished.
Two grand sallow pillars burdened my teacher’s lab of learning. Scrolls wallpapered the luminous institute. A fragile aroma meant that Athena was taking her history lessons. I opened the door to the wood braced study room. Plato scolded Athena for her lack of interest. Athena’s skinny arms waved light and dark into the room. In I pranced, walked Athena out. Plato like a messiah was bathed in heaven’s light. His favorite student, I was both brilliant and dedicated, my mind matched that of the gods. Hubris, I am told.
The lesson on the arcane elements began. Wind, water, fire, earth. This type of lessons was obvious. Wind oppressed wisdom; water wonder; fire passion; earth bounding. Words on paper, easy. Using these words to shape the elements, near impossible. With all his wisdom, Plato could only vaguely summon the powers of the arcane. That’s why he chose me. He found my talent refreshing. I found his wisdom limitless. Weeks, months, years pasted away.
Perces entered the town and there was celebration. The childish townsfolk worshipped him. Supposedly, he was Athena the goddess’s favorite human. To have a god protect our town was disgusting. Perces went, parties invited. Pompous attitude spread like a rabid ailment in our town. Plato was banned from the public forum because he once disagreed with Perces. Some day…
My knowledge made me wise, my wisdom made me know. Know the corruptness of society. The strong force themselves onto the meager. When the meager become strong, they forget. An engulfing circle of hatred and taintness is what man is built on.
My lessons on arcane fire were taught. Summon small sparks, embrace final flames, jet magma, I could. Practicing arcane fire, I felt a silent pair of eyes scrutinize. I left the library, walking efface. My shadow followed very softly, very slowly, very smoothly. Fearless and stupid, I turned and confronted an old man. The old man grimly smiled and introduced himself as Mecinas. Mecinas the limitless sorcerer. He was glad that I continued the arts of the arcane. With a show of the arcane, Mecinas blessed me with the power to defeat the gods. In a flash of lightning he disappeared.
Blessed by a being stronger than the gods, I felt stronger. Thinking of my glory, I bumped into Perces. Perces seized me and jostled me into the freshly mudded dirt. The men surrounding Perces jolted me. My infuriation grew. Assigned by a person greater than the heavens to destroy the gods, I was. Perces, a pathetic human, needed to rot. A flash later, Perces fell onto my blade. The blessing was unfolding. The men, who kicked me, fell over in death.
My head hurt. A surging pain ran through my derailed body. My muscles were languid and tired. Blood bathed my arms. Well, destiny isn’t always pretty, I thought. Worried, Plato came over. We talked, as friends. Perces was found dead. Jason, the ruler of the town, swore to Athena the goddess to find the person who killed Perces and ruin him. Plato’s blank face whispered that they were looking for me. I swept out. Jason with his blade waited for me outside.
That fool thought strength alone would prevail against me. I was destined. Imagine my surprise when Jason’s blade sliced my leg. In such a pitiful state, even the great killer felt pity for me. An abandoned island, everyone believed I would spend my days. The island forested by desolation and ruins was home.
On this island I mastered the arcane arts to perfection. I needed them to survive the wilderness and the boredom. I created this island and made it great. Soon people from cities all over the world came to live, in my hell. With one leg, my destiny seemed diverted. For the time, at least.
A brisk summer morning, a forsaken raft floated towards my island. My senses were deft enough to recognize Athena on the boat. I swam, pain in my foot swam. Half way to the raft, I recognized my strength. I summoned the element of water to surge the raft onto land. My doctors mended Athena. In two days, Athena was as cheerful as I remembered her to be. My blessing. My last blessing.
Athena and I married a week later. She was ever beautiful. The gods soon challenged me. A titanic rampant storm approached the island. The large nightmare never touched shore. My control over the arcane elements was whole, even the gods couldn’t fight me. Or so I thought.
When I left, Athena was made a concubine to Jason. Plato was stripped of pride and made a fool who the villagers threw filth at. Everyone I came in contact with from my past life was punished for my defeat. Anger engorged me. I became so dyed-in-the-wool at mastering the arcane that I failed to detect the slow degeneration of Athena. The doctors didn’t recognize to disease that inflicted her. I did, the past. All the power in the world was useless.
White flowers lay on top of her ivory casket. Light and dark emerged besides me. Light told me to revenge her death. Dark told me to kill everyone who killed her. I gave in to my primordial senses. Light and dark mastered me.
I created the avatars. Releasing nature from its baser mater, these avatars soon fought the gods. In a great war, the final war of the gods, the avatars grew into beasts I could not control. So, I released them on Jason’s city. Every man, women, child was consumed and eradicated. I did not care. Even when the avatars turned on me, I did not fight back. My destiny was complete. I long realized that Mecinas’s blessing was a fake. His fireworks and weak display of power became evident when I mastered the first arcane element. I created my own destiny. Forgive me.
I write this to help the ones who stand in front of the avatars. In my story you will find a piece. The rest you already have.