Chapter 326: Amon, the Burning One (2/2)
”Last this personage was in the ranks of the Burning One, he heard tell that the fire giants were sought after, but unlikely to return an invitation to enter another Darkening,” said Zagan. ”For such is the nature of the Gigant. A self-contained world, and yet one of vast significance, its stability directly intertwined with the balance of weather in the greater world around it. Thus, no Burning One has ever tried to force the hand of the fire giants, for to break this balance would usher in change across the world unforeseeable.”
”And yet, me seems to think that the fire giants have taken a side now,” remarked Old Thane. ”Against the lad, they were prepared, aye.”
”Indeed,” said Zagan. ”And this personage knows how. The stench of their magic is quite familiar to this personage. It is the magic of Amon, this personage's former pupil and the reigning Burning One.”
”Young lads under our tutelage will always be rebellious, eh?” said Old Thane to Zagan with a fanged smile before he grew more serious. ”But to create new spells? This Amon has some skill to his name, aye. Me thought new spells impossible to forge again.”
”Not impossible,” said Asala. ”Our great goddess Zahaka governeth the Spellstream. The river of magic and mana from which mana and magic derive. With her blessing, users of magic could forge and tune spells to their will.
Mine sisters and I were emissaries of this process, acting as intermediaries by which spells and magic could be changed.
But alas, thine kind, or rather, human and elven kind alike hath turned their backs upon us, and thus, spell forging hath become an extinct art.”
”Your knowledge is commendable but incomplete,” said Zagan. ”The Spellstream is governed not solely by Zahaka, elsewise she would have taken magic away from the demons during the First Darkening when she herself fought against us.
The Spellstream is a vaster power than any of us. Any demon, any god. It is a primordial force interwoven with the fabric of reality itself, reality that spans beyond this world to the countless others in the distance of the starry void and beyond.
Zahaka is merely a conduit for it in this world. There is nothing that prevents another from tapping into it provided they possess the adequate power, or, in Amon's case, the proper set of forbidden rituals.”
Zagan paused for a moment, his crimson eyes leering down at the deceased fire giant. ”Last this personage saw of Amon, the child had yet to perform a breakthrough to reach true access to the Spellstream.
It would seem that the child has surpassed these hurdles. No doubt, utilizing in some part the forbidden and heretical powers of the Abyss.”
”That is so, my dear teacher.” A new voice echoed from the fire giant's corpse. It was a calm and measured voice, one nary any emotion. Coldly calculating.
The puddle of molten blood underneath the giant's head bubbled before swirling upwards, floating in the air in a sphere that then molded into the visage of a large, all-seeing eye.
”So this is the company that you now sully yourself with? Come now, my once master, will you not join my side again?”