Chapter 6: Shadows of Ambition
Excerpt from the Records of Maelorn, Chronicler of the Arcane
"In the annals of magical history, it is well documented that a dark magician is not born from birth, but through the shaping of their personality. Ambition, the insatiable hunger for power, or the deep-seated resentment from a lack of it, are the seeds from which such dark magicians grow. Each act they perform is one of evil, defiance, or often both. Yet, the truest dark magicians are not merely practitioners of forbidden arts; they are born from ambition and corruption. Their path is marked by a relentless pursuit of power, no matter the cost. And as they walk this path, their very essence becomes entwined with darkness, irrevocably transforming them into harbingers of shadow and malice."
Vaporeon awoke with a start, his heart pounding in his chest. The shadows in his dreams, once distant and indistinct, had grown closer with each passing night. Last night, they had almost touched him, their eyes glowing with an eerie blue light. He sat up in bed, wiping the cold sweat from his brow, and tried to calm his racing thoughts.
"Is this happening because I'm getting stronger?" he wondered, the question echoing in his mind. The thought both thrilled and terrified him. The spells from the ancient tome were becoming easier to perform, the shadows more responsive to his will. But the dreams... they were a different matter.
As he lay back down, trying to find some semblance of rest, he noticed a faint, unnatural glow emanating from the fireplace. Vaporeon's breath caught in his throat as he watched the rune he had hidden there pulsing with a dark, ominous light. Slowly, a black fire began to burn in the hearth, its flames dancing with an unnatural, hypnotic rhythm.
He got up and approached the fireplace cautiously, the cold air around him intensifying as he neared the black flames. The rune seemed to whisper to him, its dark energy beckoning him closer. Vaporeon knelt before the hearth, mesmerized by the sight. The black fire didn't emit any heat; instead, it felt as though it was drawing warmth from the room, leaving a chill in its wake.
"What are you?" he murmured, reaching out to touch the edge of the black flame.
Just as Vaporeon's hand was about to touch the black flame, a sudden knock on the door startled him. The flame flickered and vanished, leaving the rune glowing faintly. He quickly composed himself and opened the door to find a guard standing there.
"Malchior, the Draegor advisor, wants to meet with you." the guard said curtly.
Vaporeon's heart raced. "What does he want?" he asked, trying to keep his voice steady.
The guard shrugged. "I don't know. I'm just delivering the message. He said to meet him in his chambers immediately."
With a nod, Vaporeon closed the door behind him and made his way through the dimly lit corridors to Malchior's chambers. His mind raced with possibilities, each one more ominous than the last. Why would Malchior want to see me? he wondered, the ember of defiance flickering with a mix of fear and curiosity.
When he arrived, Malchior was seated at a large, ornate desk, his sharp eyes fixed on Vaporeon as he entered. The advisor gestured for him to sit.
"Vaporeon," Malchior began, his voice smooth and measured, "I've been hearing some troubling reports about you."
Vaporeon forced himself to remain calm. "What kind of reports, my lord?"
Malchior leaned forward, his gaze piercing. "Your demeanor has changed. The servants find you unsettling, and even some of the nobles have remarked on your...strangeness. You've become withdrawn, your eyes seem darker, and you seem to be lost in thought more often than not."
Vaporeon felt a surge of panic but quickly masked it with a neutral expression. "I apologize if I've caused any concern. It was never my intention."
Malchior nodded slowly, his eyes never leaving Vaporeon's. "I believe you. However, your presence in certain areas of the castle is causing discomfort. As a solution, I am proposing a new assignment for you."
Vaporeon's heart skipped a beat. A new assignment? He forced himself to remain composed. "What kind of assignment, my lord?"
Malchior leaned back, a faint smile playing on his lips. "I need someone to help maintain the library. It is a task that requires discretion and dedication. Given your recent behavior, I believe it would be a suitable place for you."
Vaporeon's eyes gleamed for a moment before he quickly controlled his reaction. The library! The very place where he had found the ancient tome. "I would be honored to serve in the library, my lord." he said, bowing his head slightly.
Malchior studied him for a moment longer, then nodded. "Very well. You will begin tomorrow. Report to the head librarian for your duties."
As Vaporeon left Malchior's chambers, his mind was awhirl with possibilities. The library... It was perfect. The place was filled with ancient texts and hidden knowledge. He would have the opportunity to delve deeper into the dark arts without arousing suspicion.
Returning to his quarters, Vaporeon sat on his bed, the ember of defiance within him now blazing with renewed intensity. The shadows in his dreams were drawing closer, and the dark flame in the fireplace had revealed a deeper connection to the powers he sought to master.
But as he looked toward the fireplace, his heart sank. The black fire was gone, leaving only cold, empty ashes. He knelt before the hearth, reaching out to touch the rune, but it remained dormant, its once vivid glow now a faint, lifeless mark on the stone.
Why has it disappeared? he wondered, frustration and curiosity battling within him. He had felt the power coursing through him, seen the dark flame burn with a cold intensity. Its sudden absence left him with a gnawing sense of loss and an insatiable desire to understand.
He paced the room, his mind racing with possibilities. What had triggered the flame? He replayed the events in his mind: the dreams of shadows drawing closer, the whispering of the rune, the surge of dark energy when he had nearly touched the flame. Each element seemed interconnected, but the exact trigger eluded him.
Determined to uncover the secret of the black flame, Vaporeon resolved to experiment further. I need to recreate the conditions that brought forth the flame,. he thought. I'll start with the incantations, the gathering of mana, and the focus on my inner darkness. But I must also be patient and observant, ready to seize any clue or insight that comes my way.
With a renewed sense of purpose, Vaporeon lay down on his bed, letting the darkness of sleep claim him. As he drifted off, the familiar oppressive atmosphere of his dreams enveloped him, and the shadows began to take form around him.
In his dream, Vaporeon found himself in a vast, dark expanse. The shadows that had once kept their distance now surrounded him, their eyes glowing with that eerie blue light. They moved closer, almost touching him, and he watched in fascination as they began to draw strange runes in the air with their shadowy tendrils. The runes glowed faintly, pulsating with a rhythm that seemed almost alive.
These symbols were unlike anything Vaporeon had seen in the ancient tome. He stepped closer, trying to memorize their shapes and patterns. "What are these runes?" he asked the shadows, his voice echoing in the vast emptiness. "What do they mean?"
The shadows continued their silent work, ignoring his questions. Frustration and curiosity gnawed at Vaporeon as he watched the runes take form, each one more complex and intricate than the last. The air around him grew colder, and a sense of foreboding settled over him.
"Tell me!" he demanded, stepping forward and reaching out to touch one of the shadows.
Suddenly, the shadows stopped, their forms shivering and distorting. A deafening scream filled the air, a sound of pure agony and terror. The runes they had drawn began to flicker and fade, and one by one, the shadows disintegrated into the darkness, leaving Vaporeon alone in the oppressive void.
With a jolt, Vaporeon woke up, his body covered in sweat. His heart pounded in his chest, the echoes of the shadows' scream still ringing in his ears. He sat up, gasping for breath, his mind racing with the memory of the strange runes and the shadows' inexplicable reaction.
What were those runes? he wondered, wiping the sweat from his brow. And why did the shadows react that way?
The dream had left him shaken, but it also fueled his determination. The runes held a key to something powerful, something beyond the knowledge contained in the ancient tome. Vaporeon knew he had to uncover their meaning, to understand the connection between the shadows, the runes, and the dark flame.
He glanced at the dormant rune in the fireplace, a spark of resolve igniting within him. "I will find out what that dark fire is decipher the mysterious runes from my dream." He vowed softly.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone