The Ternion - Chapter 1

Authors note:  Before reading this, please read "The Ternion Prologue" 

I am looking for ratings and reviews involving character development, setting, flow, and anything else you think that would help.  This chapter lacks the action of the chapters that follow, but is important for developing the arcane culture as well as the main characters of this series.

Chapter 1

Mason Drax: The Legacy

         Time seemed to stand still during the lectures of the flame instructor.  Mason had heard stories about him;  it was said that Magus Grey was an impressive mage in his prime, and he was one of the youngest Preceptors to advance into an instruction position within the Arcane University.  Though as time passed, he had become increasingly forgetful and prone to mistakes.  Now, he addressed his classroom through a long gray beard and wisps of hair that hung over his eyes.

         Mason sat in the rear of the room, and he listened as the old mage repeated himself once again.  His head leaned back, and his eyes scanned over the same familiar section of ceiling - each and every imperfection was already burned into his memory.  The yellowish walls around him curved upward and created a stone dome overhead.  Mason's mind wandered, and he asked himself if the builders of old had constructed the rooms this way to pay a homage to the great shield that covered Arc city.  Around him were his classmates, about forty in total, all of them struggling to stay awake.

         “Psst,” Mason heard from his left.  He slowly rolled his head toward his friend with an expression of boredom.  Zek was leaned over his desk - his long silver hair nearly hid half his face.  His dark red eyes had a look of mischief, and he motioned for Mason to look at what he had created.

         In Zek's hand, Mason saw a piece of parchment that Zek seemed incredibly proud of.  A comical representation of the old instructor was scorched into the sheet with an incredible amount of detail.  The picture had exaggerated features, and also included several skeletal students who had been apparently bored to death.

         Mason's hand moved to his mouth, both to hide a smile and stifle his laughter.  Zek looked at him with a grin.  Zek dropped the parchment onto the ornate desk, and he leaned back in his chair.  He crossed his arms behind his head, and his grin slowly faded as he began to again stare ahead at the old Magus.

         Mason waited for a moment, and allowed his friend to become lost in the lecture.  Quietly, his hand moved into his pocket, and his fingers wrapped around a tiny coin.  He flicked the coin, and it flew through the air with pinpoint accuracy.  It struck Zek in the jaw, and snapped him from his trance with a start.  He quickly sat up, and the front legs of his chair slammed against the stone floor.

         Having the undivided attention of the entire classroom, Zek flashed Mason an angry glance.  Mason struggled to keep from laughing out loud.  All eyes lay on Zek Cain in his black robe.

         “Sorry,” Zek said.  Light laughter was heard throughout the classroom.

         “Ah, Zek Cain and Mason Drax.  Thank you for volunteering.  Come to the front of the room please,”  Magus Grey said in his ancient voice.

         Mason's smile disappeared at once.  The last thing he wanted was to be part of a demonstration of magic in front of his peers.  He stood slowly, and noted that Zek already stood to his side.  He felt Zek's hand slap him on the shoulder reassuringly.  The pair moved slowly to the front of the room.

         Mason looked out over the class, taking note of familiar faces around him.  Some onlookers already had smiles on their faces in anticipation.  He was in no danger with his friend by his side, but the antiquated flame instructor often forgot that Mason was not the same as other students.

         He had the same crystal flowing through his blood, and was the son of an arena champion, but Mason was never able to command magic.  It was not for lack of trying - Mason had spent hours attempting to even perform the most basic magic to no avail.  From early on the word was spread as rumor, and he was met with looks of bewilderment and mockery.  He was used to those eyes now - the eyes that looked through him as if he wasn't there.  Sometimes he found himself to prefer those eyes over the looks of hate and contempt.

         Standing next to Zek, Mason probably should have felt even more powerless.  Zek was the most powerful  mage the arcane had seen since Orin of the old days, and everyone seemed sure that he would be the greatest arena champion one day.  All schools of magic came to Zek like instinct, and many arcane were jealous. Mason had known him for most of his life, however, and had grown so used to him that sometimes he simply forgot about his ability.

          Together as always, they stood at the front of the room and awaited instruction.  Magus Grey slowly moved toward them, the look he gave was a mixture of confusion and annoyance.  His aged robe was a faded red with a subtle pattern of flames, and was tied about him with an ordinary looking piece of rope. In his hand, he held a black sphere with a glassy surface.  His arm stretched out, and he handed the orb to Mason; Mason carefully accepted it with his brows furrowed in worry.

         “We shall show you now how to safely heat an object, and hopefully from this vantage point you two will better be able to pay attention,”  Magus Grey said.  His gaze moved from Mason to Zek, and back again.

         “Magus I--” Zek started to protest.  Once again the Magus had clearly forgotten that Mason would not be able to use magic to shield himself.

         “Pay attention Zek Cain!  No more interruptions!” the old mage belted back.  His fingertips pointed toward the sphere, and his eyes began to glow with a red tinge.

         Mason began to feel the heat of the orb increasing quickly.  He snapped his eyes over to Zek in panic, and saw that his friend looked on with a cool expression.  Mason had a grave look of concern for his hands as he felt them begin to burn.  Around him, he heard quiet snickers from some of the class.  Mason saw Zek give him a quick smile, and he felt the orb cool instantly.  An invisible shield had formed around Mason's hands, and the orb hovered atop it.

         Mason looked again to his hands, and he saw that the black orb was now becoming a glowing orange color.  It had started to flicker with an internal fire.  Mason knew that the demonstration had already gone too far; once again the old Magus was too focused on his task, and he had forgotten to stop.  Superheated, the sphere was slowly beginning to form small fractures, and there was such heat about it that red flames had now begun to cover the surface.  The room went completely silent, except for the occasional crackle of fire and the quiet creaking of the glassy sphere.

         Again Mason looked to Zek; a feeling of doom set over him, but it seemed Zek was already in action.  Mason noticed the eyes of his friend had turned a cold blue, and his face showed concentration.  At once the orb flew skyward toward the high ceiling, and Zek shot a hand out.  A blast of ice sprayed from his hands, and encompassed the object; the flames around the orb died out as it shook overhead. 

         The old Magus appeared confused - the orb exploded overhead with shards moving in all directions.  Zek had both arms aimed upward, and he kept control over each fragment.  Each piece stopped in place, and Zek moved each shard back into place overhead.  An obvious strain overtook him as he struggled with the task, and he gave out an audible groan.

         Zek released his grip, and the shards came crashing down to the floor in a pile.  Mason saw Zek shoot an angry look toward the instructor - who now looked almost sad in his realization of yet another mistake.  Mason felt sorry for the old man for having lost so much in his years.  He felt Zek's hand once again on his shoulder; his friend guided him to the door as the class looked on with boisterous laughter.  They reached the door, and Zek stopped to shoot a challenging look out to the classroom.  The room was quiet once again.

         They made their way down the old corridor which connected most of the Arcane University.  The design of the hall was that of a giant archway; ornate pillars were embedded within the walls, and they seemed to reach up into the ceiling which lay high overhead.  The walls had designs which seemed ancient - burned into the textured surface with great precision and artistry.  The high ceiling itself was decorated with images of great deeds in the form of a multicolored mural that showed the faces of arcane history.

         They strode down the hall, and their footsteps echoed loudly.  They approached the exit, and the light which came through the windows cast colored shadows in long stretches.  The design pointed the way towards the large, heavy doors.  The hall was empty except for a few students; they spoke to each other in a group near the exit.  Upon approach, one of the boys noticed Zek.  Mason didn't  recognize him, but Zek seemed to know who he was; Mason saw as his friend gave out a knowing nod.

         “Remember this for later boys, this here is our future arena champion!” the boy exclaimed.  He wrapped his arm around Zek's shoulders, and stopped him in place.

         “We'll see,” Zek replied without a hint of smile.  Mason knew that Zek had no desire to fight in the arena.

         “Oh, it's not even a question Zek, in a few years it will probably be you that teaches the instructors,” the boy said with a smile.  Zek let out a quiet sigh.

         “Don't I know you?” a second boy in the group asked Mason.

         “I don't think so,”  Mason replied.  He noticed that Zek seemed to be shrugging the arm from around his shoulders.

         “I could swear I know who you are...” the boy started again.

         “Let's be off, Mason,” Zek said.  He turned to Mason and began to walk again towards the door.

         “Mason... Mason Drax?” the boy asked as they walked away.  Mason's gaze dropped to the floor, and he prepared for the insults he had grown accustomed to.  The boys began to murmur amongst themselves a few of the words stood out plainly.

         “He killed her...”

         “...Feltower.”

         Mason's memories flooded back again - his life with his father before the Arcane University; before everything had changed, and his life was quiet and simple.  He remembered much from the times when he lived alone with his father.  Relik Drax, the great arena champion who had retired before even a hint of defeat.  Mason recalled his face and remembered the feeling of being looked at with love - like he was no different from anyone else.

         To Mason, his father's memory was never tarnished by what happened.  He knew that what Relik had done was for love.  Mason knew that his father loved him well, but also that his father's love for his mother was legendary.  When she had died, a piece of Relik had died with her. 

         When Relik had learned that it was no accident, and that his wife and son were poisoned to distract him while he fought, it was too much for him.  Chantilla Fenred, the woman who had taken Aiona from the world, paid for her sin that day.

         He recalled his father rushing into the house that day, and washing crimson from his hands.  He had gone to his knee before Mason, and apologized as he embraced his eleven year old son.  Mason was quickly handed a transparent ring of pure crystal; a token that his grandfather had made.  Relik had never before removed it, but here it was being shoved into Mason's hands.

         “Remember,” Relik had said.

         Mason never forgot; he remembered the wooden door shattering into splinters.  He recalled the streaks that lined his father's face as the guards of the Feltower dragged him through the doorway.  Mason Drax never forgot the last time he ever saw his father.

         A light slap on his shoulder brought Mason's gaze forward once again.  Zek studied his friend as they moved away from the University grounds.  They walked in silence down one of the main drags of Arc city.  They passed shops and vendors which lined the stone path, and saw displays of different foods and trinkets.  Mason was grateful that his friend already seemed to know that he didn't want to talk about the boys, or about his father.

         When Mason had first come to the University, and was put amongst the other orphans, his fame had preceded him in that he was the son of a killer.  The children around him were anything but friendly, and it only took a few days for them to discover that he was defenseless against magic.  This only had made them tease harder, and in one of these assaults a boy had meant to take his father's ring from him.  Mason struck the boy down with his fist, and it was Zek who had appeared to literally save him from the flames.  It had been over eight years now, and Mason smiled to realize that Zek was still saving him.

         “I want so badly to get away from here, Zek,”  Mason confided again in his friend.

         “I do as well, Mason. The arcane think this shield saves us from the outside, they don't see how it keeps us in a cage,”  Zek replied. 

         “What do you think is really out there, in the wild-lands?” Mason asked with a look of curiosity.

         “You should know, you spend more time trying to learn about it than anybody,” Zek replied with a smile.

         “Do you think there's more of us out there? More arcane I mean?” Mason asked again.

         “I would hope not,” Zek replied.  “When we get out there I want to see some real power, and I would hope it is nothing like it is here.”

         The conversation ended at that, they walked on quietly as the road took them to their destination.  Mason looked over the old Drax Estate, worn by time and lack of attention.  They stood at the edge of the property for a moment, and gazed over their playground.  They had set small objects about everywhere to serve as targets for Mason's daily game. 

         “You know the rules,” Mason said.  He scooped up a handful of small stones from the pile near his feet.

         “No abilities, and whoever hits the most targets is the winner,” Zek replied, a grin growing across his face.

         “Ready?” Mason asked.

         “Are you?” Zek responded playfully.  The pair readied themselves behind the old line that Zek had charred into the path long ago.

         “Let's do this,” Mason said.  They both ran forward, with Mason launching stones to his left, and Zek scattering his to the right.  They ran laughing, and the stones rained sideways from either side.  The small targets around them clattered onto the hard ground.  A small cloud of dust trailed behind them as they moved; they quickly approached the  entryway of the old house.  They stopped at the stairway as always - still laughing while they caught their breath.

         “I think today is the day!” Zek said between deep breaths.

         “You said that yesterday!” Mason shot back.

         The pair rested on the first stair for a moment, and looked over their battleground.  Mason's side clearly had very few targets left standing, but they always did a final count to be sure.  After they regained composure, Mason stood first.  He walked around and counted his casualties aloud.  Zek soon followed suit, and they met again at the charred line they had started from.

         “Well?” Mason asked. His voice was brimming with confidence.

         “Better than yesterday at least, I hit twenty-four,” Zek replied.

         “Forty-seven on my side,” Mason said.

         “Of course,”  Zek said.  “You are such an anomaly Mason, I hope you can see that too.”

         “You mean a freak?”  Mason asked.  A playful smile crossed his face.

         “No, and I'm being serious,” Zek responded.  “If you took away the abilities from any arcane here, including me,  nobody would stand a chance to compete with you.”

         “Well, I'm just glad you give me some credit,” Mason said.

         “I know you don't like talking much about him, Mason, but that's what truly made your father great.  Here, people put magic in such high regard.  Your father showed them what real power was; he took away what they thought made them so special.  He relied on his inner strength,”  Zek said.

         Mason stayed quiet; his finger slowly rubbed over the surface of his ring in quiet memory.  The mention of his father had taken him by surprise.  Mason had heard the stories of arena battles, and knew what Zek had said was the truth.  His father had loved to fight proud casters, and he would turn their own magic on them.  He would allow them to flourish, and create a big show of themselves before he would surprise them.  Mason wanted to be as much like Relik Drax as he could, and he smiled with the knowledge that his friend respected his father as much as he did.

         With their daily game over, it was time to split up for the day as they always did.  Zek disappeared for some quiet time of his own, and Mason tried to take in as much reading as he could.  History was always fascinating to him, but in truth it was really the lack of history that was the most entertaining.  He loved to imagine the places and people that filled the rest of the world outside.

         “Well, its time to be off Mason, the suns are going down,” Zek said.  “I'll see you tomorrow morning as always.”

         “Good night my friend.” Mason said, and he began to walk away.  He went through the old doorway where wooden fragments still clung to the old hinges.  Mason flopped into an old chair, and picked up a thick book from the stone table next to him.  He opened the book to the place where he had left off the night before; marked with an old marker that bore the Drax family seal.  As he read along, his mind drifted away to the world outside the aegis.  He imagined what his life would like be outside the city of Arc, and he closed his eyes and smiled.

If you choose to rate and review this story, please ONLY do so after having read the story from the beginning.  ("The Ternion Prologue" )

Continued in "The Ternion - Chapter 2"