Flight Mage Seraph

Traitor

Combustion was surprised to see Wynton so late at night. The assistant librarian was industrious, but he always departed at sunset precisely. For a moment, Combustion wondered if Wynton had left something in the library.

"The draft ready, Mage Sun," Wynton said before the mage could utter a word. He held out the scroll as if he expected Combustion to bite his hand. "I know it's not due until tomorrow midday, but I couldn't sleep worrying about it, and you're famous for your late nights."

Infamous would have been more accurate, Combustion thought, but Wynton would never speak harshly of the mage who employed him. Wynton was a former farmer in a job previously reserved for mages. Despite being older and just as intelligent as Combustion, most mages had objected when he was hired. Unrepentant, Combustion ignored his critics for months before entrusting Wynton with a unique and challenging task: recording an inquiry into an angel's deception. If Wynton met Combustion's exacting standards, the objectors would be silenced. If he failed, they would ensure that no giftless person would ever become an Academy librarian again.

Combustion gently took the scroll. "Would you like some tea?" he asked, for Wynton clearly did not intend to leave without a verdict. "It's still warm, so help yourself."

"Thank you."

Combustion nodded absently and focused on the draft. He skimmed over his own testimony and then through Seraph's and Brew's, trusting his instincts to inform him when Wynton's record clashed with his own memory of the inquiry. If he didn't pause, he might finish it before midnight. Unfortunately, he could not remain so disciplined when tired, not when reading Caleb's testimony.

Angel Caleb: I forced the Mage War to end 21 years earlier than prophesized. When they discovered this, the other angels to exile me.

Mage Truth: And why was a premature end considered so awful?

Angel Caleb: Had the Mage War ended at the appointed time, Seraph would been leading the Easterners instead of Ocean.

Combustion stifled a sigh. The angels had prophesized a peaceful reunification, but that was impossible while Ocean led East Sentralia, for the former leader fed the Easterners' hatred with exaggerations and lies. Once he became a Great Mage, Seraph would have uncovered and disowned the slanders. He would have sought a settlement with Daylight. Thanks to Caleb's intervention, none of these occurred and the Sentralians were still not ready for peace.

Mage Truth: How did Maeryn Thatcher assist you?

Angel Caleb: I was spying on the Eastern forces, and Maeryn helped by giving letters that her brothers sent from the front.

Mage Truth: How did you pass the information to Western officers?

Angel Caleb: I used various guises.

Mage Seraph: Wait! Does this mean that you and Maeryn were responsible for ambushing us flight mages?

Great Mage Daylight II: Only the Questioner may speak to the witness directly, Mage Seraph. Please don't interrupt.

Angel Caleb: Yes. I apologise, Seraph, but you must know that I always ensured that you would escape.

Poor Seraph, Combustion thought, and poor Maeryn. She had risked so much to help Caleb, but when she fell in love with him-and perhaps he with her-he was at a loss. Unwilling to maintain any link to humans and unable to tell Maeryn this, he avoided her to the point of sending her away...

Mage Truth: Are you suggesting that the angels favour the Eastern mages or the Western ones?

Angel Caleb: Neither. We always wanted mages to serve the common people.

Mage Truth: The common people? Do you mean the giftless?

That was one of the biggest surprises to emerge from the inquiry. The angels had never intended for Sentralia's mages to seize power, but they soon ousted their king became increasingly obsessed with privilege and power. With the common people doing little to restrain them, their obsession led to the Mage War.

The angels were disgusted and ashamed of what their gift had wrought, yet they refused to intervene. Instead, they watched over the Sentralians, waiting for them to learn for their mistakes.

During this period, the angels made another significant decision.

Angel Caleb: We angels erred in giving your kind magic before you could use it responsibly, but we at least withheld some of it.

Mage Truth: Withheld?

Angel Caleb: Yes. The ten deemed most dangerous were denied to you until recently.

Mage Truth: Do you mean Combustion's power? But why the change?

Angel Caleb: I was coming to that. Although no nation has perfected the relationship between magic, the mages and the common people, wisdom was slowly emerging. The original decision was overturned, but we held back. We could not release such powers in the middle of a war.

Several of us prophesized that peace would arrive in 20 years, when the Mage War ends. We therefore devised a spell that would release the remaining magic on that very day. In addition, we allowed Seraph a unique talent. Our plan was perfect, except that an angel is powerful enough to tamper with prophecy.

Mage Truth: So I see, but I don't understand what you said about Seraph's talent.

Angel Caleb: Have you not noticed? He has used magic from four schools thus far.

Mage Truth: Seraph?

Mage Seraph: Flight, spirit, prophecy. Three.

Angel Caleb: Four, including shield magic.

Mage Seraph; I'm sorry?

Angel Caleb: You have used it when flying over Skeleton Forest, during the landslide, trying to shield me from a fireball and during Solana's destruction.

Mage Seraph: But I wasn't at Solana!

Angel Caleb: You employed magic projection. It is a rare spell among humans, which could be used only by those with talent in two schools, one of which must be prophecy.

My point is that until now Seraph demonstrated only a fraction of his potential. From birth, he was able to use the magic of the 20 traditional schools, and upon the invasion he gained the spells of the final ten, including Combustion's nuclear magic.

Mage Truth: But why...

Angel Caleb: He was limited by his ignorance of his potential.

Mage Truth: Is this the full extent of his giftedness?

Angel Caleb: No, there is one more aspect. He can master even the most dangerous magic without causing, or being affected by, serious harm. These qualities are necessary if he is to teach others to live with the new powers.

Mage Truth: How many Sentralians must he teach?

Angel Caleb: Unless you include the Furans in your country, none.

Mage Truth: Wait. Are you saying Seraph needs to teach foreigners? What about the Sentralians?

Angel Caleb: The spell was designed to release the powers to those best able to cope first. As members of a wealthy and stable country, Furans are the initial recipients. They will be followed closely by the Sudeni and then the Aidi. Sentralians need time to rebuild beforehand; they will receive their gift much later.

Mage Seraph: You should have said this sooner! How much destruction has Furao already experienced?

Great Mage Daylight II: Seraph, please!

Angel Caleb: I don't know. I did not even think that Combustion, as a Sentralian resident, could gain such power, let alone be among the first to exhibit it.

Mage Truth: And if you had considered it?

Angel Caleb: I would have neither hidden this development nor tried to keep Seraph here as a puppet ruler.

Mage Truth: You truly are selfish and cowardly.

The fire mage sighed. Seraph was determined to journey to Furao now. The only reason he hadn't yet left was that he wished to learn the basics of every 'old' school before trying to understand the 'new' powers. He no longer taught his students and had in fact passed them onto Chinze, with the Master Mage's approval.

Combustion also tried to help. He provided books, advised Seraph on Furan customs and manners, and wrote a letter commending the flight mage to Furao's king. He hoped these would allow Seraph to be accepted by the Furans.

The fire mage frowned and looked at his new ring. If only he could follow Seraph into Furao...

Nevertheless, the inquiry produced positive outcomes. Daylight created the Common People's Congress with the intention of gradually passing his own powers to it. Din would never trouble Seraph again; he was ordered to build a new Academy in Sudenland, effectively exiling him. Caleb would also leave, but it was a mixed for Combustion.

If only Seraph didn't need to bring Caleb with him. The flight mage needed his vast knowledge, but...

"Mage Sun?"

Combustion looked at Wynton, who nervously returned his gaze. The assistant's empty cup sat on the table, and from the dried tea stains, it was obvious that it was emptied long ago.

"Is it not up to standard?" Wynton asked. "You've been staring at the wall for a while now."

Combustion straightened. "Oh, I'm sorry. I became distracted. I'm almost done, so please bear with me a little longer."

He scanned the draft once more and frowned. As he had thought, the inquiry was faithfully recorded, yet something seemed to be missing. It was the atmosphere, he realised. The draft contained little of the tense atmosphere and none of Caleb's struggles. It certainly did not mention how the angel squirmed and sweated over some questions, or the times that he fought the charm's compulsion to answer his questioners. But such details could not be recorded in a historic document.

"Sir?" Wynton whispered.

"You did very well," the mage said reassuringly. "It needs only one minor change."

He dipped his pen into the inkwell and smiled. This he could get away with. It was, after all, an unprecedented and important event. It deserved its place in the document.

With a flourish, he added to the end of the transcript:

Caleb's wings fell off, and the former angel wept.