Darkin A Journey East - By Joseph A. Turkot Page 0,22
into thin air, floating for a few seconds in nothingness. Then it suddenly dropped, and Erguile was quick to catch it before it hit the ground. Erguile was speechless, and he sat back quietly.
“That, my friend, is the Vapoury of air. Vapour itself arrives to us in many different forms, to assume all the different naturally occurring elements such as there are on Darkin. You both are familiar with fire and water, ice and wind. These are all attributed to the natural flow of Vapour from Gaigas, but there are many others that I have not named; some I would not dare name.”
“I’m in disbelief...I don’t…I don’t know what to make of all this; if anything, I guess, I know now I can take all of your words as truth,” gasped Erguile.
“Indeed I shall only speak truth to the followers of good, Erguile, but I am not a source of infinite knowledge—though you’ve yet to find that out,” Krem chuckled.
“Krem, often I’ve heard slave-rumor of a place called the Dark City, an evil city, said to exist far to the west. Have you heard of such a frightful place?” asked Adacon.
“The Dark City—hmm; let me dig into my memory some.” Krem smoked from his pipe and sat for a moment in silence. Erguile now sat at full attention, eagerly waiting for the next word to roll off Krem’s tongue. It was clear he now believed everything the man told them. “The Dark City! Ah, I should have recalled the name sooner. Odd slang the slaves now have for it. Its rightful name is Morimyr. Grelion does not reside in that demonic city, though it is controlled by his underlings, and they govern absolute within its walls. His underlings are evil by all accounts, and I have had the ill chance of encountering a few of them in my time.”
“You’ve seen this city?” Erguile said, breaking his silence. His tone had grown respectful.
“Indeed—I have been in it. But that was long ago, and I dare think much has changed since my last departure. How is it you came to know of Morimyr, Adacon?” asked Krem.
“It is the name we give to the home of our monitors, the huge, evil men who come each month to suppress any ideas of resistance,” Adacon said, quivering at the thought of them.
“Ah, I see. Grelion himself has been known to come through Morimyr from time to time, out in the west. It would be complete folly, however, to try and go there and wait for him,” said Krem.
“All of this feels like a load too great, I must say. I feel almost faint. So magic is by all accounts real? To think, all these years it was true. And Krem; you yourself are a wizard? For I have just seen you raise that pipe there into thin air,” spoke Erguile, trying to straighten out all the shocking truths that were being forced into his head.
“Indeed magic is real, though its true name is Vapoury when used for good. But it is more important that you remember it is Gaigas’s workings, not my own. Know also that I am no wizard; such as it is wizards are dangerous and ill-minded. The name of Vapour is given to those who justly wield Gaigas. I am merely a portal from which her power may flow, because I have harnessed it so. I suppose you can call me a Vapour—but I shall always prefer Krem to wizard. Wizards are named as the most evil of magic users in this age—and even though Grelion himself, along with some of his minions, dabble in dark magic, he despises its practice otherwise. It is true, sadly enough; the majority of those still able to manipulate Gaigas in this age do so for selfish purposes of gain. I am of a dying breed.”
“Will you teach us how to use magic then?” shouted Erguile excitedly.
“Hah—lad, I wouldn’t dare bestow upon you the powers of Gaigas, lest I wanted to be turned into a weed or some other wretched fungus. Alas, no one can learn magic anyhow, unfortunately, as it may have been possible in the days of old. You see, Gaigas is dying in this horrible age of darkness; only those whose Vapoury has existed since the time of the ancients can use it in this age.”
“So you really are of ancient times?” asked Adacon, realizing that the small man in front of him had been alive longer than anyone could rightly guess by