The Enchantment of Time: The Enchantment of Time – Volumes 1,2,3,4, #4

By Niccolò Gennari

The continent of Kardùm veils ancient secrets, buried under its ashes. The retrieval of the First Flame calls for immense sacrifice.

While the Chen’Hen are called to the Gòn, to face the army of Glem-Nar, the Long Night is approaching, carrying with it the dark shadows.

Asyra had to confront her doubts and her past, while Crow Mountain lived through its hours of darkness. 

The Enchantment of Time will come to an end and the Lands of the Above again have to face Oregon the 21st, the Enchanter.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Niccolò Gennari
• Release date: Mar 12, 2021
• ISBN: 9781071592182

Book preview

Part Ten

The Wizard born in Fire

Baptism by Fire

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The house stood somewhat isolated from the rest of the village, in a small clearing, that was barely able to contain it. The quiet of the evening was interrupted only by the screams of the baby who lived there. He was a six-month-old infant, who had a character that was anything but docile.

It was dusk when the mother, Kena, went out into the nearby forest in search of the blue grass, a plant that could calm the pain caused by colic in younger children.

The father remained in the house, trying in vain to calm his little son, while he repeated, resigned, that the weed would have no effect anyway.

Suddenly, the fire broke free, without anyone ever understanding why.

Many thought to justify it by spontaneous combustion, because of the presence of the child and its anger: but it was only a rumor and beliefs, aimed at creating a legend around him, rather than seeking the truth.

What is certain is that in a few moments the fire caught the infant's father off guard, first wrapping the edges of his cape and finally himself, before he had time to take it off.

Seized by panic and pain, he tried to get away from the baby: instead of trying to extinguish the flames, he used the few seconds at his disposal to break down the front door, screaming for him to escape.

The father was a wizard named Livèrion the 30th. If only he had had his wand near by he would have extinguished the flames in a moment, but unfortunately it was in the next room: now out of reach.

The child, although knowing how to crawl, and not at all frightened by what he was witnessing, remained instead still and impassive, almost intrigued by the flames that attacked the walls of his home, and suddenly he seemed to forget the pain caused by the colic.

His father could not carry him out in his arms without causing him to catch fire, and he felt he had a few more seconds of clarity, before he passed out.

So he did the only thing that came to mind, perhaps without any real logic, after all.

He cast the Enchantment of Passage. The only one a wizard could call on without the aid of a wand.

He had always imagined saying the fateful phrase aloud, but unfortunately he had to limit himself to thinking it:

Livèrion abandons his thirtieth body.

Livèrion embraces his thirty-first body.

A glow then spread from his eyes, and the next instant the man lay on the ground, lifeless, and completely engulfed in flames.

The child was motionless, looking from his father then at the rest of the house, now a prey to the fire.

It was then that something extraordinary happened: something that the Land of the Above had never known, until that day.

The child smiled at the fire, and the fire smiled back at him.

No one ever understood the reasons, it is said that the secret is hidden in the particular conditions in which the Enchantment of Passage is cast, and the fact is that the wizard who had just been born had a natural symbiotic relationship with fire.

The child waved his arms and the flames fluttered back. They seemed to obey him like faithful dogs, in truth what had just been created was a relationship based on equality. They never wanted to be quenched, but he was the first to halt it. He would always protect it from being extinguished. He seemed comfortable in the extreme heat, and completely fascinated by the dance that surrounded him. He sensed its will, in a clear and lucid way, and in the naivety of a child of that age, began to play with it.

The wand lay in a corner, buried under some beams in the adjoining room, and it shone relentlessly.

Livèrion the 31st was wielding it: without realizing it, without touching it, and without knowing in the least what an Enchantment or a branch from the Tree of Light was.

It all happened naturally and spontaneously.

The fire and the baby had just made friends.

The Lands of the Above had never known a wizard more powerful than he, in controlling fire, nor would they ever know one in the future.

Hulk'Hèn

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Livèrion had not suffered from any injury in the fire, neither scalds nor burns: but in remembering that moment, for as long as he could recall, he had always dyed his hair red. He always used a bright red, and when he was younger he often told his friends it was the fire itself that had marked him that way.

However, the period of lies, and swaggering about among his peers, soon ended. Already, at the age of ten, he began to show a maturity that was often only glimpsed in much older boys.

Initial training at Crow Mountain revealed an uncommon temperament and character, as was his gift for casting Enchantments of Fire; to the point of arousing the interest of Aàron the 21st himself, who was the elder wizard and keeper of the secrets of the First Flame, who soon took him under his wing, to train him personally.

Over the years it became clear to everyone that there was an intimate relationship between the boy and that particular element, able to go beyond the will of the wands themselves. Like any other novice, he struggled to control and wield the branches of the Tree of Light, but if he tried to cast a Fire Spell, each wand then instantly bowed to his will, like a faithful little dog. It was the opinion of the elderly wizard, that in truth the wands bent to the will of the element itself, rather than to that of the young man, as if not wanting to break a connection that already existed without him. It seemed to be Fire itself that wished it.

Aàron the 21st personally observed how the child was almost invulnerable to fire, as well as to any kind of material brought to incandescence. The flames swirled around him without touching him, even molten metal seemed to slide over him without producing any effect, and the intense heat it generated did not affect him.

The elder wizard was fascinated by that gift, and he was not the only one in the temple: for the first years he feared that all this would affect the young man's ego, causing him to become overly proud, so he did his best to instill in him a strong sense of duty and respect.

However, the boy's impetuousness and energy were such as to require an outlet that was very different from the usual training for young wizards. It was then, that the elder thought of suggesting the idea of enlisting in the Chen'Hen, the ancient army of wizards.

Livèrion was immediately fascinated and accepted the idea with enthusiasm.

At the age of only twelve he left the temple walls to embark on a new path.

Accompanied by Venòr the 44th, one of the most faithful to Aàron the 21st, who as subject to the Enchantment of Exile could not leave Karp-Thù, ventured along the Path of Honor: the ancient road that connected the Temple of Destiny to the headquarters of Chen'Hen, a fortress that stood south of the Gòn massif, and which also served as a training center for young recruits.

It was named Hulk'Hèn.

It took them a week to reach their destination: in truth the distance was not that great, but the route crossed the most inaccessible parts of the entire continent of Ent'On, where the climatic conditions were among the most prohibitive, except of course The Pillar, and where the greatest effort and commitment was required.

A few Enchantments could have made it easier to overcome certain tracts, but the Path of Honor had never been altered because it had to give young wizards a taste of what awaited them.

Training to become a member of the Chen'Hen wasn't for everyone, and many were forced to drop out. Leaving nature unchanged was also one of the fundamental principles on which the martial discipline of that army was based.

The week passed with Livèrion barely saying a word. In fact, he had always been a very quiet and austere boy, and spoke only when strictly necessary.

When they were near their destination, Venòr the 44th was already very much tried, and he thought about what a boy of only twelve years old could have suffered, who up to that moment had never complained once. So he decided to ask him how he felt, and the boy's response was immediate and laconic: I love fire. And I hate ice!

After the last bend in the path they were finally in sight of Hulk'Hèn.

The young man had imagined a fortified fortress, similar to the Temple of Destiny, so he was rather disappointed at what he saw.

There was no wall or defense of any kind, and, in fact, there was not even a real fortress, nor a keep.

Hulk'Hèn was actually an agglomeration of several structures, spread out over several nearby peaks.

Following the principle of interfering as little as possible with the original environment, the founding wizards of Chen'Hen had thus preferred the idea of several small and medium-sized buildings to that of a single large fortress. A plateau represented the nerve center, some hundreds of meters long, in which in truth no martial activity took place, but which had been destined for cultivation and agriculture. It was the source of food for all the wizards present in that place, and the young Livèrion wondered if a similar place existed for Karp-Thù as well. He was told that the plateau was natural, while the high temperature felt over those cultivated fields, necessary for survival of the crops, was the only significant alteration generated by the wizards' Enchantments. There were no farmers at work in those fields but the same students from the ancient martial school. This was because that place was forbidden to anyone who was not a wizard, and anyone who was not a member of the Chen'Hen could stay for more than one night, within those walls.

Twelve very steep and craggy peaks were linked by long arched stone bridges, suspended at different heights, which seemed to create a huge lattice, which overall covered an area of about four square kilometers.

Elegant stone stairways with a parapet then ascended each peak, to connect the various structures that had been built on several levels.

Training of the young recruits, as well as the veterans of the Chen'Hen, consequently took place not in one place but in the numerous courtyards of these structures: areas no wider than thirty meters and paved with highly polished stones.

The buildings did not have the golden spires of Karp-Thù but were simpler, with wooden roofs and stonewalls.

The Chen'Hen was not an army that was open to any wizard. The total number had to remain constant at all times. From the start there were no more and no less than five hundred members, including the youngest pupils: divided into five legions of one hundred members each.

The turnover was guaranteed both by the recruits who gave up, in the face of the enormous commitment required during the initial training, and by the wizards who chose to leave, because they were too old to fight, but this rarely happened. It was easier for a mage to cast the Enchantment of Passage, usually as a result of severe physical injury sustained during battle.

Around the central plateau five peaks, which were taller than the surrounding, housed the headquarters of the five legions, in which the initiation and dismissal ceremonies took place. The first was a solemn and glorious moment, when the pupil was joined to their legion forever. These were in fact closed, and no wizard was allowed to pass from one to the other during their lifetime. There was a legion for each of the four elements: based on the type of spells the warriors were able to cast while engaged in battle. These were completely separate training sessions, with the exception of the early years, and often prompted the use of different weapons.

The fifth legion was the most demanding: it did not have its own name, everyone simply called it ‘the Fifth’ and it was the most feared, the one that recorded the highest number of departures in the first years. Its grim training led warriors to use multiple elements at the same time, to cast Compound Enchantments during a battle.

There were in effect five distinct fighting schools, where the martial disciplines were combined with long periods of reflection and use of Enchantments, to become increasingly in tune with one's element. Their way of thinking, their approach to nature and even their philosophy of life changed.

Finally, the legions were identified by the color of their armor, brown for the Earth, bright red for Fire, white for the Air and blue for Water, while the Fifth Army wore light grey. On all were engraved, at the level of their shoulder blades, the insignia of the Chen'Hen: intricate and detailed, showing at the base the ideogram of the Tree of Light, with the images of two crows in the lower corners, and two crossed swords, placed in front of the rest.

The new students were sorted according to where there was room, but in Livèrion's case, Aàron the 21st himself had made arrangements, encouraging an old friend of his to leave, to free up a place in the legion of Fire.

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Kara

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The age of adolescence was not an easy period for the young Livèrion.

The first year of training passed well enough, but soon the rigors and discipline imposed by the Chen'Hen came into conflict with his increasingly indomitable and impetuous nature.

He was used to the methods and teachings at the Temple of Destiny, where he had learned of respect, shown towards nature and its elements, but he had not foreseen that such a strong rigor would be applied to him. The martial arts were sometimes dull and lacking in wisdom, when compared with the precepts of the elder wizards.

Moreover he felt he no longer felt Fire with the same spontaneity and naturalness that he had in his early years, and this made him feel extremely frustrated. He continued to maintain an extraordinary talent, such as the ability to cast Enchantments without holding his wand, but the sensations of his infancy had changed forever, clouded by logic and the rationality of age. He continued to repeat that he had played with Fire in the past, and that Fire had played with him, at the time in which they could still feel, and communicate their respective wishes, through desire: but all continued to repeat that it was impossible, and that he had imagined everything.

Inevitably the hormones of adolescence complicated things. On his arrival at Hulk'Hen, his fame had already preceded him: many expected great things from him and he felt this weigh on his shoulders, which was not indifferent. He had always been a good looking boy, and growing up as a warrior, his body had improved further: his face showed the hardening and the values learned since the first years of his life, and all this had contributed to making him the most fascinating young man there.

The Chen’Hen army was obviously open to young wizards of both sexes, since in the arc of their lives their gender was, a merely temporary factor, but often the physicality of their training and their young years entered into conflict with the prohibition to procreate with each other.

In the thousands of year’s history of Chen'Hen, there had been many cases where the period of adolescence had created problems, from this viewpoint, and many were the exemplary punishments that had been inflicted on young recruits.

Livèrion the 31st was perhaps the wizard who received more, in the history of the army, both because of his indomitable character and because young women competed to court him.

All this came to an end, however, when he met Karon the 39th, or ‘Kara’, as he would call her later.

She was a promising young student in the Fifth Legion, whom he had only glimpsed for years when she was on duty in the agricultural fields.

Despite his disciplinary problems, at the age of nineteen, Livèrion had already been placed in charge of his squad, earning his first armor a year earlier than his peers, and supervising the training of his teammates. This permitted him to travel easily to nearby structures to carry out secondary activities.

The peaks that housed the Legion of Fire and the Fifth were near each other. So when Kara was moved to a more external facility, he could see her training every day across the bridge that divided the two peaks. He was first fascinated by the rare beauty of the young woman, and did not hesitate to use his rank to take the liberty of crossing that bridge every day, risking disciplinary measures, to approach and meet her in person. At first he was intrigued by the fact that she didn't seem to show any interest in him. So he began to court her, taking up the game he had been playing for years with all the other young women.

Soon, however, he had to accept the idea that her sense of duty was too strong to tempt her with his charisma.

It was then, probably, that he began to fall in love with her. He admired her dedication to the Chen'Hen, her sense of duty, and her temperament that, unlike his own, was whole in every aspect of her life. The very fact of having perfectly endured the training reserved for the members of the Fifth, for whom he had always felt a deep respect. Thus his admiration soon turned to esteem.

When she understood this, she relaxed in turn, and allowed their friendship to deepen. At that point the young man's charisma, almost unwittingly, broke into her heart.

Over the years, a relationship was thus formed that was one of the most solid, and at the same time most risky, that two wizards had ever known.

They loved each other intensely, but at the same time they had accepted the idea of never coming together carnally. Their friendship, first, and their own relationship, had been forged by a sense of honor and respect for the regulations. They both knew that a single surrender to passion would mean the end of everything, not so much for the punishment they would incur but mostly for what that relationship meant to them. A model, one for the other, an example that made them improve day by day.

From that moment a virtuous circle was activated, from which Livèrion drew the greatest benefits: freed from distractions and youthful conflicts, where he found a new peace and serenity, he concentrated on himself and on his training in the Chen'Hen, attempting to improve constantly. He did it for himself, but he did it mostly for Kara, to be an example to her, as she was for him.

When the officers who were engaged in training learned of the unusual relationship that had developed between the two young people, they reacted firmly. The vow made by both young people was not sufficient to convince them; just as the greater discipline and rigor that Livèrion had shown compared to previous years had not.

They would have prevented them from seeing each other again, had it not been for an emissary from Crow Mountain. Livèrion and Kara never knew who he was, the figure that one night, like so many others, came from Karp-Thù to confer with the senior members of the Chen'Hen.

The next day the emissary left, as stealthily as he had arrived, and from that moment on the two young people were left alone.

The call

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More years passed, during that time both young people grew in experience and wisdom. Livèrion quickly climbed the hierarchy of Chen'Hen, reaching the role of deputy commander of the legion of Fire, which until then had always belonged to wizards older than he.

Kara, thanks also to her companion, became more and more skilled in controlling and casting Fire Spells, to the point of distinguishing herself from the majority of the other members of the army.

They were busy years for both, made up of difficult training, from the early hours of dawn, and numerous missions into the neighboring continents. Both dreamed of a confrontation with a large army that would test them, but no such threats had appeared for millennia.

Numerous weapons were offered to the young people, from those designed for hand-to-hand combat, to those used over long distances, and the pupil was always left to select the one most congenial to them. It was not immediate, nor simple, to wield a weapon and a wand at the same time, and therefore every time the attempt was made to indulge the natural inclinations of individual wizards.

Kara had a highly developed skill of using the long dagger and the Jen'hert, in Elen'fhedi the blade of the wind. The first was reminiscent of a short sabre: with the help of the Water Enchantments, with each lash it hurled icy splinters at high speed towards the enemy. The second was a well-sharpened Bright Steel star with six sharp points. It was the bequest of her family of origin, the only object she had brought with her when she entered Chen'Hen as a child. With a clever Compound Enchantment, she was able to cause it to bust into flames as it swirled around the battlefield, and then returned to her hand with an Air Enchantment.

Livèrion instead specialized in the use of the sword. His was an eighty-centimeter blade, of normal steel, without frills, but thanks to his unique skills, during a fight he transformed it into the most feared object of all.

The blade became incandescent, at his command, to the point of liquefying, without however falling to the ground. It shone like a beacon in the night, like the magma of an active volcano. As soon as he shook it, it threw lapilli and molten magma in any direction he wanted. Its lashes threw real bolts of fire, up to great distances, or set fire to the ground for several meters. He had also given it a name: Pira.

He had turned forty-four a few days before, and looked about twenty-six, when the wizard received an unexpected visit.

His superiors summoned him to a nearby structure, unused and abandoned for several years, and made him wait for a long time in a deserted room. As the doors opened, a hooded individual entered, solitary, closing the entrance behind him.

Hello young man, said the stranger, uncovering his face.

Livèrion, impassive as always, smiled slightly, he recognized that voice

Venòr! It's been almost thirty years.

The other stood still staring at him; he had a shadow of sadness on his face. And look at you now, you've finally become the warrior you were meant to be.

Tell me: what brings you back to Hulk'Hèn?

The other hesitated. After a long sigh he drew his wand from under his cloak and wielded it fleetingly. Then added, I've never been very good at speeches.

In silence Livèrion felt a gust of wind suddenly rise and then slip under the door, making it shake and slam against the old metal lock. He looked around for a moment. Are you afraid someone will listen to us? Is that why you asked for a meeting in this abandoned building?

The other nodded, as the wind returned to his ears, to make its report.

You will soon understand everything, but I must warn you: it will not be an easy day for you, this.

Venòr the 44th cast a new Air Enchantment, entrusting the following words to the wind. I'm here with Livèrion the 31st. Now is the time.

Only a few minutes were required.

A new gust crept into the room, bringing to the ears of both a choral greeting, of several individuals. The young wizard started when he realized that the voice of one of them belonged to his old teacher, Aàron the 21st. It didn't take him long to guess that the other voices were coming from the other elder wizards. The four spoke words he never thought possible: "The Weak Enchantment of Elemental Secrecy has just been annulled. It will be reset in ten minutes, starting now!"

Livèrion instinctively stepped back.

This can't be true! What is happening? Venòr lowered his wand. "

There are so many things you don't know, young wizard. However, the time available to us is not enough to resolve all your doubts. There is information that I will have to make you aware of now."

He waited in silence for a few seconds, and then added, And before this day comes to an end you will have to make a choice.

Karp-Thù

A little over four months later, when the High Council was a few days away, Livèrion and Kara were summoned to Karp-Thù.

Neither was surprised, as they had been preparing for weeks for what was to happen. They had never had any secrets between them, and at the most difficult moment no exceptions were made.

The Weak Enchantment of Elemental Secrecy had been restored almost immediately, and he, like Venòr, had suffered its constraints. He had no longer been able to communicate the details of what he had learned to others, but he had explained as much as he could to Kara.

And that had been more than enough.

The sacrifice that had been required of him was incalculable, thought the young wizard, as he retraced the Path of Honor, directly to Karp-Thù, with his companion at his side. Venòr the 44th had bluntly called it the most atrocious sacrifice ever conceived in the history of the Lands of the Above.

However, it had only taken him twenty seconds to accept.

Twenty seconds to decide his future, his entire life.

Twenty seconds to leave Kara forever when the time came.

He had accepted because it was clear to everyone that only he, baptized in Fire, could have succeeded in the enterprise: Aàron the 21st himself would have had less of a chance than he would. But he also did it for the woman who walked beside him. He was madly in love with her, and in a relationship forged in the sense of duty, as was theirs, he knew no better way to honor her.

Karp-Thù had something in store for her too, although it was a much lighter burden, and perhaps precisely because of this, they had not passed on any additional information, not even to Livèrion.

Kara spent two difficult days, locked in her room, fearful of showing her distress in front of her companion. Finally she too became convinced of the need for what had been asked of them. She put her personal desires aside and braced herself, as she had throughout her life. Her partner needed her support now more than ever. He was a determined young man, but she was aware that much of his stability and courage came from her.

They spent several hours walking along the Path of Honor in silence: they did so to conserve their energy, given the difficult climatic conditions and the roughness of the terrain, but mostly they did it to reflect on themselves. The difficulty of the trial ahead of them had prompted both to become involved and re-evaluate the choices that had led them to that moment.

For some time they were no longer teenagers, but were still very young, compared to most of the other wizards.

The sun had now set on the final day of the journey, when Livèrion chose the place to stop and camp. As always, it was enough for him to want a fire to start it. With a quick wave of his hand, a flash of light shot out from under his cape, and the wood he had prepared on the ground immediately began to burn vigorously.

Kara stopped to stare at him, remembering how much she loved him. The fear that their relationship could be poisoned if one of them had pulled back, however, was not a good reason to decide on their own future: it was still a selfish and futile attitude. Inappropriate, given the gravity of the situation presented her, and insufficient, as both were members of the Chen'Hen.

He realized he was being stared, and without even turning towards her he exclaimed, "Don't look at me like that, it's not like you. Did you know: the greater the powers, the harder the sacrifices one is