Total pages in book: 30
Estimated words: 26781 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 134(@200wpm)___ 107(@250wpm)___ 89(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 26781 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 134(@200wpm)___ 107(@250wpm)___ 89(@300wpm)
I chuckled again when the Captain replied, “Well isn’t that precious?” He was quite entertaining when he was riled up.
I explained to the two of them, “We all know the history between mages and humankind.” Once upon a time, the two groups didn’t mix. Humans were jealous of the immortal lives of paranormal beings, afraid of magic, and threatened by mages’ potential powers.
It wasn’t completely without reason; though most magical and paranormal beings were benevolent, there were a few amongst them with evil intentions, as was the case with any species.
In the past, collectively known to the world as the “dark times”, some mages attacked human villages, hoping to rid the world of those whom they thought to be inferior. The humans sought revenge by killing magical beings, guilty or not. Many wars were fought and countless lives were lost until everyone realized that all groups would be eradicated if the fighting didn’t end.
Peace treaties were drawn up by the leaders of the human race, along with elder mages, and the world succumbed to an uneasy truce. It took centuries for trust to build, but time indeed softened relations. Eventually, all species discovered that the only way to truly thrive was to lean on and learn from one another. If we spent our time collaborating instead of fighting, beautiful things could happen. And the rest, so they say, is history.
I continued, “Well, during the dark times, humans collected and destroyed any magical text they could get their hands on. They would kill magical families and then burn their books in the center of town; they thought it would cleanse their cities, as well as send a message to others. In reality, it only caused retaliation from the mages.
“In hopes of halting senseless killing, a task force of mages was formed; they travelled from town to town to persuade magical beings to conceal their identity for their own safety. The group collected their spellbooks, texts, and parchments and hid them away.”
“And they ended up here?” Milan guessed, looking around at the packed, dusty shelves.
I shook my head no. “Once the peace treaties were put in place and relations cooled, most of the books were returned to their rightful owners. These are the books that even the elder mages thought were too dangerous. They’re filled with dark spells and nefarious intent. They are meant to be hidden away from all eyes, for all time.” They were protected by a spell which made them impossible to remove from the cave.
The captain huffed. “Except yours; you just pop in whenever the mood strikes you.” I just chuckled, as I couldn’t deny it.
“How do you know about this place, much less where it is?” Milan asked curiously. I gave him a sly smile, and his eyes widened with realization. “You’re an elder.”
Elders were the oldest and once most respected members of our kind. We’d helped fight for our people, protected our freedoms, and worked on improving relations with humans. We’d played a large part in building and maintaining peace. Normally, I wouldn't bring anyone here who didn't already know of its existence, but this was an emergency situation. Plus, I would hide nothing from Milan.
“No wonder you don’t follow any of the damn rules,” Mullins sighed, making me chuckle again. It was true; I was born pre-rules. I made most of the rules, so in my eyes, that gave me the right to push the boundaries when needed.
But I always had pure intentions. I’d seen a lot of bad shit in my lifetime, and vowed to always protect and serve. I dedicated my life to ensuring that the dark times would never resurface.
“No wonder you’re so powerful,” Milan whispered, and the reverence and awe in his voice sent a shiver down my spine. I’d had many centuries to perfect my craft, and Milan’s appreciation meant the world to me.
“So what exactly does this damn thing look like?” Mullins asked, butting into our lovely moment once again.
“I’m not sure exactly,” I replied honestly. It had been a very long time since I last saw the book. “But I know it was bound in leather.”
The Captain pulled out his wand and waved it over a shelf to his right, illuminating a row of leather-bound tomes. “Helpful.”
I smiled when Milan also retrieved his wand, and shook it to produce a dim red light; a party trick from the fake device. I’d seen toy wands in shops do the same thing. My beloved rolled his eyes at my grin, but also wore a smirk as he walked to the nearest shelf to begin his search.
I thumbed through book after book as well, looking for anything familiar. Nothing contained in these texts were good or decent; they were written in a time when mages were afraid or even vengeful towards humans. They contained only spells of destruction.