All characters and events in this publication, other than those clearly in the public domain, are ficticious and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, are purely coincidental.
All rights reserved. The moral Right of the author has been asserted.
Chapter 11 Past
"This is a tale that have been repeated time after time in history, this is why your are here, what you were born for. Now please listen carefully, and do not interrupt me before I am finished please, questions will come later. Understood?"
Everybody nodded in unison.
Four thousand years ago, this world was not as it looks now. It was overrun by demons; they controlled every corner of this world. Every corner, except the isle of Torandia.
This continent was the last civilized stronghold against the demons. The elves, dwarves, humans and all creatures stood together in their own way to fight the demons off, it was a never ending struggle, no one had known peace, it was constant war against these evil creatures, most of them with special powers. It was a rough time, a rough time indeed. The wizards, warlocks, spell weavers, witches, all people and creatures capable of magic cast shields around Torandia isle. There was no hope of offense ever, just an impenetrable defense, sometimes demons broke through, and war would reign again. Countless lives were lost at the hands of the demons since the dawn of time for this world, how the demons came here is unknown even to today. The demons created creatures to work for them, like the Ogres and Orcs. These creatures do not know kind warm-heartedness, and has thus been declared as evil. They are not even a little bit as bad as demons. Demons are born out of pure evil. No one really knows where they come from, much speculation has been had, and a lot of theories born none correct.
Then four thousand years ago, five young people appeared inside Kegh, in the isle of Torandia. They wore strange clothes and could not communicate effectively. Each of the five made strange noises when talking, different noises, it became apparent over time that they had come from different places over our sister world – earth.
The five people were gathered and appeared before the king of Kegh at that time. He ordered people from all over Torandia to come behold and study this marvel. We thought these humans our language over a period of a few years, after the elders, witches, wizards, soothsayers, gypsies, all manner of people were done with research they came to the same conclusion, these humans were from a different world. As they stayed on in Torandia they learned of our ways, the different races, species, everything. They were as of our own.
Then the demons broke through the barriers again, and war reigned to get them out.
It then dawned on everybody as the five approached the demons, that they were not normal. They were beyond powerful. The girl called Aradia Moon could bend the elements and magic to but her will, The boy called Arthur was a ultimate grandmaster with any weapon, the other girl called Jasmine could shape-shift into any creature she had but to think of, Tomas, could posses any creature and living being not branded demon and dragon, Rowan the other boy could summon all manner of creatures from his previous world and the one he inhabited then, it was a titanic battle, for the first time in history did the demons that attacked really lose.
They soon after helped establish the shield back over the continent, and were declared Heroes of the mightiest proportion. They became known as the Toramdon Eyes, for they would see that we stay protected. This wasn't enough though; for everybody knew even with them, for should all the might of the Demons gathered, Torandia would fall.
The five of them split up to do research all over Torandia with the different races to see what could be done about it, with their own vast amount of power.
After months they met back at their stronghold here in Kegh, exactly where you are sitting now.
The king of that time had called together 24 people, consisting of witches, wizards, warriors, spell weavers, royalty etc to help the Toramdon eyes in their en devours, they had become known as the Knights Templar set to protect, teach and learn from the Toramdon Eyes.
They found that the universes are held together and work by what the Pantathians call Jets. It's basically the laws of the universe. Its complex magic and physics that worked, but at that time it was all laying in chaos no body had ever ordered it, it was by the Jets that the five of them were transported to Torandia. It is by Jets that the night turn in to day, that the planet revolves around it's sun, that the trees blossom in spring.
Because the jets was laying in chaos in that time, only the basics counted, they couldn't go back to earth, and magic wouldn't work properly, because magic works hand in hand with jets.
Aradia sought a remedy for that and set out back to the Pantathians and other races to find out what she could. The others stayed behind and trained, got trained and basically just worked together, learning what they could.
Months later Aradia returned bearing news, she had traveled outside the barriers, across the oceans, to distant lands, she told us of all the magnificent creatures she had met, and fought against, Demons truly have conquered all, only by hiding had some races survived, others were slaves to the demons, and others worshiped the demons as gods.
In these remote lands had she come to know a most powerful specie, the dragons. They were the only creatures that could truly hold their own against the demons, but they too knew if all manner of demon would turn to fight all at once, they would fall. Only because some demons hated each other, and could never stand together was what saved Torandia and the dragons.
Aradia met a silver dragon in these lands, near death, in his lair. He thought her spells theretofore unknown to men. A powerful magic. A magic that only dragons and one sole person could control, Aradia herself. On what she learned she told no one about, but from there she went to stay with the elves to learn from their magical folk, on how their magic worked.
When she got back to the other Toramdon eyes, they had established a base for them, and had exchanged knowledge from all the Knights Templar. The king had died a year earlier, and having no heir to the throne, the people of Torandia had come together and voted for Arthur to become king and the leader of the 24 Knights Templar.
Arthur being king had made this round table the permanent base of the Knights Templar and Toramdon eyes.
Aradia had learned how to control the cosmos so to speak; she worked for weeks on end on the star room of the castle, casting her magic, creating order to the Jets of this universe.
Three weeks later she stepped the first step out of that room, and simply proclaimed, "It has been done." before collapsing,
Rowan, Tomas and Jasmine never left her side; Arthur had a country to control, but never stopped worrying about her.
Aradia had woken up a few days after, the other four was at her side in a matter of minutes for they had become like family.
Aradia told them she had put order to the cosmos and that they could return home, if they wished, neither of them really wanted to go back for good and they debated going back at all.
They were happy as now they were a step closer to destroying the Demons.
Aradia had soon after planned on going back to see if the silver dragon was still alive to learn the rest of this magic, she had since had a new plan, if destroying the demons were near to impossible, why not banish them. The dragon and other races had thought her little about banishing, and since the dragons were not summoned by anybody it would make it more difficult. And she would have to create a pocket world to banish them to, can't banish them to an already existing world, as it might destroy what ever good there may be.
So the plan was set, create a pocket universe, and banish uncountable demons to it.
Simpler said than done.
With the help of Arch-summoner Rowan, she learned all she could about banishing, even consulting Tomas and Jasmine on their input, Arthur sent the Knights Templar to go and see what they could find, to meet back in one month.
Weeks later the Demons attacked again, The Eyes and knights were ready, but not ready for what happened. As they fought, Aradia noticed something in the Jets around her changing, disappearing, if you will. Once the feeling had passed, the other demons retreated back to sea.
It took Aradia moments to know what happened. Her face turned white...
They escaped through to earth! Some of the demons had used the controllable Jets to their advantage and had slipped through to earth, the Jets are only controllable from Torandia Isle, so they had to attack to get on the inside, and only in a single moment of weakness from our side did they manage to come inside.
From that point on everything changed. Now the fate of two worlds hung in the balance. Only a few hundreds had gotten through to earth, but that was enough to destroy foundations and civilizations in an unsuspecting world. Steps would need to be taken.
The Toramdon eyes and the Knights Templar met immediately.
They had decided to split the Knights Templar and send them to Earth to keep watch there for anything strange and to keep balance and notify the eyes should anything too strange happen.
So as things still stand, we have twelve knights on earth, and twelve on Torandia. I am head of the Knights Templar on Torandia, Your president of the USA is the head of the Knights that side, but as a similar rank to what I believe is king, he is busy so dear Kyle currently runs the knights that side. Getting back to our story, after the split was decided, Aradia prepared the
Jets for departure, she also arranged them that every time the Toramdon eyes touched hands, all five of them that they will jump from world to world. Appearing again where they left the last time. With everything ready the lot of them departed to Earth. They found a few demons that side, vanquished them and built a base, and has since looked after earth from generation to generation up until today.
When the Toramdon Eyes got back to Torandia, the plans really started to roll, they had a mission, and it had better happen soon, Aradia did not know organizing the cosmos would have such horrible consequences.
But before anything could happen, the worst they could imagine happened; most of the might of demons attacked Torandia at once, now having reason to really destroy us.
The Knights and Eyes gathered in Sildor, as the Demons always seemed to come from that side, legions of armies, of all inhabitants of Torandia capable of thought lined up for the titanic battle. Aradia had a premonition of the upcoming battle, so they were all ready.
The first wave of demons hit the barrier, Aradia and all capable of magic fought to keep the barrier standing. The first wave retreated and hit in unison with the second, legions of demons hit the shields around Torandia Aradia knew she had no other choice, she grabbed the other four Toramdon eyes, they took hands and she told them to concentrate all of their powers to her, she would need every grain of that. Now the rest I'm just going to repeat it exactly as she explained it as it was carried from generation to generation.
The cosmos ripped open in her mind she could see everything, how insignificant everything really was, the power of the five most powerful beings in the universe flowed through only her. It was so much, like trying to drink the whole ocean. She caught herself, and saw a white thread in her mind, from that she sculpted a bare and barren land, with a cast of her mind it was created, she felt power flowing through her still, the cosmos itself powering her. She saw each and every of the demons attacking Torandia, and knew with all of them there, even in this state she was no match to kill them. They were so vast and powerful as a unity their hate just never allowed them to see that.
She moved the essence of each and every demon there to the new plain. To her it felt like eons, but it was a matter of seconds in real time. Once every single demon was there she tied their life force to the ground there. In all her teachings, this is how far she got, she had prepared for everything up to there, how to close the dimension was a mystery, and how to seal it off was unknown to her. She tried and, tried, nothing worked, there would still be ways for them to slip through the jets back to either Torandia or earth, her last option was, as she described it afterwards, it was like taking a huge cabinet and shoving it in front of a door. She took as much jets as she could manipulate and covered that plain, leaving an almost impenetrable force.
Manipulating that vast amount of cosmetic energy took its toll on Aradia. She succumbed to the forces and lost control of her mind after that, the Demons had disappeared in front of everyone's eyes, and her four friends watched her faint, they two could feel no more energy inside them and lost consciousness too.
Days later, after being looked after by the best medical specialists, Arthur, Tomas, Rowan and Jasmine re gained their consciousness and looked after Aradia. She was still comatose.
It took another month for her to come too, and when she did she had lost all memory.
The Demons had been banished, but they paid a hefty price, Aradia still had powers, which she now couldn't control, and had no memory of, she was lost.
Arthur re gained control of his kingdom, and sorted out all the anarchy. Everything turned back to normal from then. After lengthy discussions of what to do about Aradia, as she had almost completely lost her mind, they decided to kill her, it was Tomas who decided to try something first. He possessed Aradia and went in search for her in her own mind. He too was comatose in his own body for almost two days. He had successfully found Aradia lost in her own mind and pulled her back to consciousness almost a year after the incident.
Aradia rested for weeks. When she was strong and in control again, she explained everything to the eyes and twenty four Knights, they had called an emergency meeting and brought the other twelve over.
Once everyone was brought up to date, it was evident by long discussions that the veil would crumble in the future, a thousand years to be exact, you see jets move around every thousand years, and every four thousand years they move permanently.
The alternate plain was covered and blocked off by nothing except raw jets.
Aradia and the other four set out to look for the silver dragon, as the earth knights returned and everyone went back to normal duties, Arthur went with to see what he could learn about the people beyond the waters. They found out on their voyages that the Dragon had since passed, so there was no way to find the information they so desperately sought.
The other Dragons they got to met were not as powerful, smart or clued up as the one of silver.
Having learned nothing new, Aradia and company set back to Kegh.
For years on end, they trained with the knights on both sides, developed their own powers, made artifacts to help the knights, and taught them some magic of their own, made weapons for each and every of them to pass down in future.
Arthur and Jasmine had married and had children; the current duke of Kegh is still in that bloodline.
Aradia and Tomas had married, and I am proud to say I am a distant kin to them.
Many years later, they were old and fragile, the second generation Knights had been chosen, and the pattern had been set. The five of them knew the veil would falter, Arthur's first born was now king, as he has stepped down. They knew with their knowledge what had to be done, they would put down their own lives and powers to make sure that there will be future generations of Toramdon eyes.
Aradia had during the last months of her life traveled all over, splitting her powers up in to fragments, she gave fire to the fire sprites, water to the water sprites etc, for she knew should her powers fall in the wrong hands in the future, it would be devastating. The sprites would awaken the future Magicians of the Toramdon eyes powers, it would lie dormant inside the person, they would just awaken it, and only the elemental side, the rest he would have to figure out himself.
The rest of their powers were left safe enough as it is, it would develop over time and would stop developing should they miss use it. Also, sometimes only fragments of the powers get carried over.
After having lived full lives, they joined hands, and Aradia cast her final spell into the cosmos, every time the Jets would move there will be children born from earth, discover each other, join hands and discover Torandia, they will face the Demons, push them back in to hell and wait for the Jets to move back again, and close it up.
The spell she cast was so complex; we haven't even begun to understand it. She and the other four were powerful and intelligent beyond our understanding. The people born seem to change with time, a thousand years after that only 2 Eyes were born, twins, one a summoner and one a possessor. After that three was born, all except the Magic bearer and the Warrior. After that again four all except the magic bearer. Every time the veil crumbles there are more powerful and more numbers demons that attack us. Last time some actually got through to Earth. So it seems this year is going to be horrible. Anyway, the spell they cast ensured that each time the veil crumbles new Toramdon eyes are born, it seems that it also ensured that the Knights Templar will always be there to keep an eye on things, and carry the story and information over.
Aradia endowed 24 weapons with special powers for each, that are till today the Knights Templar's weapons. They created artifacts that we still use today on earth and on Torandia.
When the spell was done, their lives had been stripped away as the amount of energy they manipulated to do this was beyond what their bodies could handle. They died in piece knowing that both of their worlds would be safe. They died at the age of 71 years. Their whole lives were dedicated."
"Now, I'm sure you understand why you are here now?" Rughnan looked a little bit smug when he finished. "I will now answer all your questions."
Everybody sat in silence trying to absorb the story, the elves were already familiar with it, but kept quiet for the sake of the kids trying to process and put the puzzle together, for Jason, Richard, Roxy and Mordain took the story well, as they were familiar with parts of it, Harold's face looked strained as he tried to put the puzzle together.
The room was in silence for the better part of fifteen minutes. The elves and Torandians giving the earthlings time to process the information.
Harold seemed to concentrate the hardest as he strained to figure out why this story had any applicability towards him.
Mordain stood up from the table and started to walk around in the vast chamber.
"Okay, it all makes sense, especially thinking back to earth and the myths laying around there. But what I don't get, how are we, suppose to kill the demons? Can you even kill a demon?"
Harold looked startled; reality dawned on him with Mordain's statement.
"Wait! We are the people to kill the what, demons? This is some fucked up bullshit. Count me out."
The princess looked at Harold, "Please calm down, we'll discuss it a bit later."
"No way, Harold said standing up; I'm not going to be a part of this voodoo cult." He looked irritated. "This stuff isn't real. I don't want any part of this, going to get myself killed for this shit. I want to go home. How do I get there?"
Mordain ignored the rambling coming from Harold as he paced the room, deep in thought.
Jason looked at Roxy, "He is right you know, we don't have to do this..."
All of them looked at Rughnan, he nodded somberly, "That's correct, you can just go back to your home and forget this ever happened. But then we'll be doomed, no doubt, though the knights will still stand against the demons, it would be in vain without you."
Roxy looked at Richard, processing and contemplating leaving the place.
"Can't you find somebody else for the job? I mean if someone else puts on the rings, won't they get the powers as well?" Roxy asked.
"No it doesn't work that way, you are the chosen ones, the rings will have no effect on anybody else." Rughnan answered.
Richard looked pissed off suddenly.
"Are you guys seriously contemplating leaving? This is our calling!" he said slamming his hands down on the table, standing up.
"You can't be serious!"
"Calm down bro, we just looking at this from all sides, Harold obviously does not want to stay, and I am not going to lick his ass to stay we can do it without him. As for us leaving, everybody should know that they can leave if they want to, we aren't forcing anybody." Jason said.
"I will be fighting." Mordain said from where he was standing.
"Me too." Richard said determinately.
Roxy looked around and saw the looks on her friend's faces.
"If they stay, I stay, someone has to protect them!"
Jason laughed, "That's true, and seeing we already knee deep in this shit, might as well drown!"
Harold looked at them, "Well I want to go home. This is fucked up, fairies and elves and shit." He said shaking his head.
The princess looked hurt, but didn't even look at him.
"Like we said, Mordain said, we can do it without you, you are free to leave."
Harold looked pissed at the statement, said nothing further on the matter, just folded his arms.
"Then it is decided, at least we have four of the eyes, that's better than nothing," Rughnan said glaring at Harold.
"Oh one more thing, Mordain said to Harold, you can only leave when we decide to. You need us to get back, and for now, we need to stay here. We'll go back once we need to."
"I want to go back now!" Harold said.
Nobody paid any mind to him.
"Rughnan, Richard asked, won't he get pulled back to Torandia when we try to get back?"
"I don't know, nobody has ever refused the position..." Rughnan left the rest unsaid.
"I want to go back now!" Harold was getting extremely angry.
"Oh shut the fuck up! Don't go on like a baby not getting what he wants, around here I am in charge, and I say we will stay!" Jason said with dominance.
The other three noticed the authority in Jason's voice again, like earlier there was no denying that he was their leader, everybody decided not to say anything on the matter.
Harold seemed to pull back into himself and kept quiet.
Mordain looked at Harold, "We'll be leaving tomorrow morning to go back to earth. We still have school to attend. So you won't be cooped up here long, you can go back to your pathetic, meaningless existence on earth soon." Harold snorted but said nothing.
"Please stay..." The elven princess said somberly out of the blue... we need you here."
Harold just snorted again.
Rughnan looked at the eyes, well, I'll be taking my leave, I assume George has given you the masks to conceal your identity on earth?"
They nodded.
"Good, when you go back, please leave from the chamber so you get back here when you come back, remember, we count on you, they earth knights will probably intercept you on earth, please co-operate as they know what they are doing, like here, they are in charge there."
They nodded.
"Then good bye for now my friends, we'll see you whence you get back." Rughnan said leaving the chamber.
All the human guards left with him, only the elves and the eyes stayed behind.
The princess looked at Harold, "We'll be staying here for the time being, they will need the elves help with the coming war. Kegh will be the capitol war city again as it once was a thousand years ago. If you decide to come back, I will be waiting." With that she stood up and left the chamber, Veruif nodded and also left.
Handar looked at Harold, "You don't seem like a bad person, I don't know what you're trying to accomplish, but don't let it cloud your vision. We need you..."
Harold snorted and kept staring in front of him.
Once Handar left the Chamber only the five of them were left.
"SO this is awkward." Roxy said nonchalant.
"We might as well go back now, sleep soundly on a fluff duvet, and soft pillows. Then tackle school in the morning. Harold, even though you don't want to be a part of this, you need to keep quiet about it." Roxy said.
Harold just snorted again.
Mordain looked sick looking at Harold.
Let's get back, Harold we need to take hands in order to get back. Harold happily obliged.
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