A dance at dawn

“Sit my son, sit and listen to the last and final lesson I teach you, on this the eve of your birth anniversary. You have been my son and student all your life, and I have taught you all I can teach. One last time will we sit as master and apprentice, one last lesson on nature’s gifts.”

Smiling he sat beside the mage, his pale features ghostly in the silver moonlight. “The energy has no knowledge of time and space my son, it burns and seeks release from your control, it yearns to destroy, to alter, to contaminate, to rend space and time asunder. Chaos is the fuel within you, but held in thrall by nature’s order, you can bend it to your will. Few understand the world in front of them, but you, you sense the connections, the energies inherent in creation and destruction.” He looked at the young mage with sorrow and sadness, but in his eyes shone love and knowledge of the future.

“The other mages will love you at first, then hate you bitterly. They can never ascend to the power you will posses, for their minds are constricted by their physical forms. They are afflicted by needs and wants of the flesh and thus are limited by their lack of understanding. Alchemy, destruction, conjuration, illusion, mysticism, restoration; each of these schools are connected through the one constant: nature. The elements are natures blood, she grants them to you. All life is a delicate balance of these elements, and though all posses the inherent powers that you do, none know how to tap them all. But you my son, my apprentice shall surpass all others in this endeavor. Your birth, your creation, your life began as fire, earth melted into it, then was cooled by water, and finally lightning struck and nature breathed light into you, granting you life. I do not know why you were crafted, or by whose mighty divinity you were made to be. You have our form, but always remember you are not limited by earthly flesh and feeble mind. The night you were born I was taken, a humble farmer, insignificant and doomed to a life of servitude, I was taken from my home by nine cloaked figures. I was taken to a great altar in an ancient temple, where I was touched by nature’s light and granted wisdom. I was told to seek you out and care for you, to educate you and train you for your purpose yet unseen. I have grown to love you as a father. Our lives prolonged by nature’s grace, we have floated unseen for centuries. Now, on the eve of your ascension I have enrolled you in the Mages guild to train in the way of magic. There are agents of fate working within the mages guild, they unknowing, have been chosen to deliver nature’s secrets to you. Respect them, for they are great men of their nation, but know that you work for nature and order, against chaos and total oblivion, and in this knowledge find strength to prevail over all things. It will be hard, it will be long and it will not be easy, for even though nature is strong, chaos is stronger, and the disorder always threatens order. Only on the plain of man can nature and chaos battle, know that while you are an agent of nature and order, chaos also has presence here. I leave you now my son, for my time has ended and nature recalls my energies to her. Know I will lend you my strength and go forever in the light.”

With a last sad look he smiled and stepped back into the night. The old man disappeared leaving the mage alone. He sat staring into the fire for long moments before finally falling asleep.

A strange crash woke the young mage from his sleep. Slowly he rose and looked about groggily, trying to identify the source of the strange noise that woke him. A thick fog had swept in around him, chilling his skin as he hastily wrapped himself in his cloak. Cursing silently, he looked around for his staff, which should have been lying next to him, but to his surprise was no where to be found. Once more the sound came, a rustling sound coming from the edge of the wood behind him. Quickly the mage whirled about towards the sound, and much to his surprise, stood face to face with…..him self.

The doppelganger glared at him, his cold blue eyes like spears, piercing and sharp. In his hand he held the staff, white smoke billowed from beneath his fingertips as an acrid smell of burning flesh filled the air. Following the young mage’s grinning gaze, the copy looked down at the staff, which was now glowing with a silvery light. “I suppose you will want this back.” He said tossing the staff at the young mage’s feet. The copy looked at his charred and bleeding hand and frowned. "I suppose I should have known better."

The young mage knelt and picked up the glowing staff. As his hand closed around it, the staff rang with a soft tone and slowly stopped glowing. Smiling the mage sat on a log and contentedly began to stoke the smoking embers of last night’s fire. The young mage reached down and tossed some kindling on the small wavering flames, warming his hands in the soft glow he looked at his likeness and beckoned him to sit. “Please, have a seat and stop looking so angry. A frown is very unbecoming of me.”

Casting him an angry look, Loki shook off the illusion. His body exploding into a giant scaled beast, gleaming crimson like blood in the weak morning's light. Looming before the young mage, snarling viciously he reared back his monstrous head and let out a booming roar. The mage added more tinder to the fire, ignoring him completely.

Flexing his strong taloned arms, and flapping his leathery wings in anger, the dragon breathed in deeply. The air became dense around him, heating up as the crimson dragon prepared to strike, flames began to dance deep inside his throat and gripping the soft earth the dragon spewed flames at the unattentive mage.

Looking up from the fire, the young mage sighed and uttered a word under his breath. Suddenly the fire shooting through the sky turned to ice, the blue gust of frozen air racing back towards the startled dragon. Panicking, the dragon slammed shut its jaws as the frozen burst of magic hit him full force in the face. Tumbling backwards, covered in frost, the dragon wheezed and coughed violently. It lay there on its back gasping for breath. Slowly it rolled over and fixed its fiery eyes upon the blue robed mage. Long moments passed before finally, the dragon got up with a snort and approached the mage.

"That was a nasty trick. But how do you feel about my teeth instead?" Acidic saliva dripped from the dragon's teeth as it approched, his eyes flickered hungrily.

"It would do you no good little brother, I am simply to strong for you, besides I was the one who taught you all you know." Glancing at the dragon the mage smiled.

"Aw, your no fun!" The deep billowing voice of the dragon was replaced by the shrill voice of a child. "You spoiled it!" Frowning fiercly the dragon slumped and threw itself upon the ground. The trees creaked and moaned as his monstrous mass shook the hillside.

"Sorry, but I dont have time for games. I have to leave soon and I cant be late. What would mother think if you delayed her plans for another century?"

The dragon cringed at this, as if struck by a physical blow. "No, I suppose your right." The dragon rested his head between his forearms and watched the mage. "Brother, do you think you will be back soon? I mean, after your training and all that.....will you be coming home?"

The mage stopped gathering his things, and looked back at his brother. "I dont know. The shadows in the future block mother's vision, all we know is that I have to do this." Smiling softly he resumed his packing. "Your not going to cry are you?"

"I most certainly am not!" The dragon with a child's voice shouted.

"Why dont you leave that form and hug me before I go?" the mage smiling deeply, began to walk towards the dragon with arms wide.

"Stop it! Stop right there no closer!" The dragon jumped to its feet and backed away quickly. "Unless you want me to hug you with my teeth!"

Frowning playfully and dropping his arms to his sides the mage stopped and began to sniffle. "You dont love me, oh poor wretched me, my own brother hates me, oh great Gilana what will become of me?" Laughing heartily, the mage gathered up his staff and tossed his pack over his shoulder. "Well I am off! Farewell sweet brother, be blessed with the light of Mathina and remember to eat your greens!" Turning the mage began to walk south towards the realm of man.

The dragon spit and cursed. "Sweet brother indeed! I'll show you, just you wait, I'm gonna get trained too and then I'll be as good as you! No better! HAHA We will see who eats his greens then! Loki the great wil be having cake!" With a great burst the dragon lofted its weight into the air and soared north.

A rabbit sitting nearby enjoying his lunch, fainted at the sight.