"Planet Endera and the Fallen Paragon" - 2

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Here's Part One

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Author's Note: While this part of the story is relatively short, it was made all the better by the editors over at @thewritersblock. I'm very grateful and extremely thankful to @therosepatch, @tinypaleokitchen, @serapium, and @caleblailmusik. If I'm forgetting anyone specifically, please slap me in the comments and I'll be sure to mention you.

If not for their voluntary efforts, this story could have been much worse. Please, if you have any free time, check them out!

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Several hours later, the Magistry’s Sanctum fills with morning light, and Verana sits quietly, face in his hands with Marilda standing next to him, back in control of her body…

Marilda speaks, her words gentle…

“Verana, it’s not your fault.” She placed a hand on his shoulder. He didn’t move. Silence grew with the intensity of the sunlight pouring in. Slowly he looked up at her, his eyes reddened and slightly puffed. There were pinkish streaks traveling down his cheeks. Mucus dripped from his nose and he made no attempt to wipe it away.

“You didn’t know.”

“I should have.” The words sounded as though they were scraped with sandpaper, barely above a mumble. “I should have summoned Aedys before…”

It seemed as if he might cry but he inhaled a shaky breath and stood.

“I need to recharge.” From the folds of his clothes he pulled out a clear crystal. It glittered in the light, reflecting the rays as Verana turned it over. The heart of it was dull. Marilda nodded.

“I’ll give you an hour. If you’re not back before then, I’ll come looking for you.”

Verana clasped a hand on her shoulder and stepped past her. The Magistry and Marilda faded into a dark background, and a meadow slowly came into view. He gazed up at the sky, watching the swirling clouds mixing red, purple, and blue. Flowers at his feet pulsated with a light cyan glow and swayed like time had slowed. He looked ahead toward a well. As he approached the waters shimmered and a whirlpool formed. It gained speed. He dropped the crystal in and it was swallowed whole. Then the waters became still.

Minutes stretched by till ripples reached out along the surface. The waters began to boil, and as they started to settle again, the crystal shot out of the well. Verana snatched it out of the air. A sort of electric current surged through him as he touched the charged crystal. Unlike before it was no longer dull at its center but now beamed a bright gold. His lips stretched into a small smile and one step back placed him in a world of pure darkness. The Sanctum took shape, returned to the spot he had been before he left.

“Feeling better?” Marilda sat in a wooden chair near a far corner. She was peeling a potato with her hunting knife, chewing on the pieces as she balanced them on the blade.

Verana pocketed the crystal. “Much.”

“What do we do now?” She climbed to her feet, having finished her meal, and moved toward him, placing a hand on the side of his face. He closed his eyes. The touch soothed him, ebbing away the tension, and he felt himself relax for the first time in days. He grasped her hand, pulled it down and opened his eyes.

“We have to find a way to bring them all back.”

Marilda stepped away from him. “Resurrection spells are dangerous, Verana.”

“I know.”

“They could kill you.”

“I’m well aware, Marilda.”

He raised a hand to stop her from speaking. “This isn’t up for debate.”

She clenched her jaw and nodded. “Where do we start, then?”

Verana stepped toward the podium. He flipped through the book and placed a finger on one of the pages. “We start here.”

Marilda read where he was pointing and let out a heavy sigh. “Okay, Verana. I hope you know what you’re doing.”

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Rest assured, the next update will be a bit bulkier. The purpose of this one was to establish a set of limitations to the magic system. I hope you forgive me for its brevity. :)

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