Corporeal Punishment

Almost 2100 words.

Corporeal Punishment

         “Master Taliesin, when will you teach me the more advanced lessons?”

         “When you are truly ready, Orpheus. You have a great deal of potential,” said Taliesin, thinking how Orpheus has mastered in months what takes most apprentice mages years to learn. “But you still lack the wisdom to appropriately apply the advanced magical knowledge I would teach you.”

         “Master, I don’t understand? I am ready for the next level.”

         “That, my young pupil, is the problem. You have a brazen attitude. You have mastered my lessons but you have yet to truly comprehend the consequences of the misuse of magic. I know you desire to be challenged by more complex lessons but knowledge without wisdom can lead to disastrous results.” Taliesin smiled, looking at his pupil. “ Once you understand that, you will be ready. I just don't want you to end up as the legendary Sarumon did.”

         Everyone with even basic magical knowledge knew of the story of the legendary Sarumon and his fall. He was one of the first great wizards, but he let his greed for knowledge and power corrupt him, becoming the world's first necromancer and lich. Forcing his former friends to fight against him and destroy him.

         “Yes, master,” but Orpheus was still not satisfied with his master’s wisdom on the topic. He would have sought a new teacher, but Taliesin was the best in Ur, possibly the world. No, he thought, I will have to find another way to gain the knowledge.

         A few nights later Orpheus started carefully breaking into Taliesin’s study after he retired for the night and began studying the knowledge held within the tomes. He made sure he left no signs of his actions. He repeated this every other night without his master ever finding out.

         A few months later, while Taliesin took a long overdue trip to see an old friend, Orpheus made his final move. He was left behind to supervise Taliesin’s manor and the few servants that worked there. Using the opportunity Orpheus dismissed the servants and payed them as if they had worked for that weekend. He broke into his master’s study one last time pilfering several magical tomes that he took with him before running off, fully intending to become a great wizard on his own.

         When Taliesin returned Sunday night he was greatly disappointed in what he found. The servants were gone, as was Orpheus, and his study had broken into. Several tomes were gone, most of which covered the darker magics. 

         Orpheus, No. 

         Trying to track the tomes Orpheus had taken with him Taliesin attempted to activate the tracking glyphs hidden in those tomes, but Orpheus had either dispelled them or was masking the magic that allows him to track his magic books. This circumstance forced him to depend on a more old-fashioned way of pursuing Orpheus; with agents and rumors. To make matters worse he had at least a two day head start and good knowledge of his master’s ways.   

         This will take time, Taliesin sighed, worrying about what his misguided pupil might do with such dark knowledge. What were you thinking Orpheus? I have a dark foreboding about this.

* * * * * * * * * *

         It’s taken ten years, he thought, having finally found his former pupil. Orpheus had established himself as a powerful necromancer on the inside border of the Kalmar Axis, an alliance of necromancer ruled city states. He hoped to talk some sense into his former pupil, but he was prepared for war.

         Taliesin sat staring at Orpheus’s small castle from the top of another mountain. With design influences taken from a Gothic graveyard, made of a dark stone, and with tall spires that looked ready to impale a person, it was an imposing structure. Standing up he studied the smooth surface of a flat section of the mountain. It will do, he thought carving some runes into it.

         Sneaking into the castle he did not want to alert Orpheus’s guards, just yet. The inside had all the charm of a mausoleum though well decorated and cared for.

         Deciding to forgo stealth for speed, Taliesin moved quickly through the halls heading for the center, the main hall of the castle, and Orpheus. Orpheus’s undead guards were easy to destroy with simple spells. He would need to save the fireworks for their master. Taliesin arrived at a large set of ornate doors guarded by two wraiths that looked eager for a fight, but they were not about to get the chance for one.

         Concentrating, Taliesin prepared to cast his first serious spell, holding his staff out towards the wraiths. Consume with the intensity of the fires of Hell, “Inferno!” The magical flames consumed the unnatural wraiths and destroyed the doors as well.

         He finally found Orpheus sitting upon his throne. He was gaunt in figure yet still seemed full of energy. The hallmark of a lich. As Orpheus, stood his shriveled face showed slight signs of both surprise and irritation.

         “I knew you would show up one day. It appears though my assumptions of your true power were off a bit more then I considered,” he said looking beyond Taliesin at the mess in the hall. “Good help can be so hard to make these days,” he said smirking at former master. “I assume you came for your books? Or me?”

         “I came to talk sense into you, but that appears to be too late. You have already condemned yourself.”

         “Then a fight it shall be!” Orpheus said raising his ornate staff topped with a large ruby.

         Before he could cast a spell though Taliesin struck first throwing shards of metal in the air. “Shrapnel!” The shards flew strait at Orpheus ripping his fine silk robes and the withered skin off of his body, reviling his lichdom.

         Orpheus started laughing now with a distinctly disembodied voice. “What was that supposed to do?”

         Taliesin simply smiled pointing his staff at his chest. Orpheus looked down, seeing his chest ripped open revealing his crystal heart, suspended with gold vines on the right side of his ribcage, where his soul was bound. Realizing his sudden predicament he acted quickly. “Revelationo!” Just in time to block Taliesin’s well placed fireball.

         “You will not get a second chance like that,” he said.

         “We will see,” Taliesin responded.

         Their battle had just begun. Light flashed as they traded spells. Fire, earth, ice, air, darkness, and light: all the elemental forces were traded in some form. Their powerful magic flew across the room, as they each would block the others spell with some form of protection spells.

         Orpheus decided to reach down and use the darkest necromancy attack spells he knew; they would be extremely draining to use but the would finish off his master. Putting up a magical shield he began to concentrate. Devour the flesh of the living rot them to bones. “Miasma of Atrophy!”

         A dark purplish cloud began to rise around Taliesin and he felt a tingling sensation building around his body. “Nice try.” Blow winds of the elemental lords of air, “Zephyr’s Winds!” A strong wind scattered the dark miasma away.

         Irritated Orpheus, initiated his next attack. Clutch his heart with your icy hand, “Hand of Death!” He reached out clutching his skeletal hand as if he was holding a heart.

         Taliesin felt a sudden sensation as if something had hold of his heart. Dispel this foul force, “Guardian Angel!” That one was a little too close for comfort, he thought. Time to respond in kind.

         Cast your righteous judgment at one who has defiled the order. “Divine Vengeance!” A glowing sword appeared and hurled itself at Orpheus. His magic shield strained to hold back the holy attack. Desperate he decided to try something extreme.

          Drag it to the Netherworld, “Curse of the Netherworld.” A giant spectral gand grasped the sword and they both disappeared. No more fancy spells. Lets try something with some brute force, but first to buy some time, he thought. “Lightning Burst.” Bolts of lightning flew towards his former mentor.

         Taliesin acted quickly, “Dispersal!” The bolts dispersed hitting other objects in the room.

         Drag their bones to me, shape them and the gloom into the form of a dragon, surrounding me in a cocoon of necromancer’s might, “Death Dragon!” The bones of Orpheus quickly dragged themselves to him shielding him from harm while they formed their new draconic shape mixed with unholy shadows. As the spell finished a roar was heard in the room.

         “It’s over my former master!” He yelled as he sprang towards Taliesin.

         Taliesin did not react to this he was prepared for such an attack. Shield me with your divine mask, “Ivory Mask.” A majestic transparent mask formed in between Taliesin and Orpheus. It Prevented him from directly attacking Taliesin and gave him time to call on some back up. 

         “I will smash through this shield of yours, and use your bones to make my new guards!” he continued to yell as he kept smashing his fists/claws into the transparent wall between the two of them.

         Old friend I ask not for your help lightly, aid me against the darkness that has devoured my pupil, “Celestial Host!” In the place of the doorway behind Taliesin two pearly gates formed creating a portal between there and Odinia. As the gates swung open the image of a winged woman appeared in the gateway, and an Arch-Andreal walked through them wielding a great sword. 

         “Master Taliesin, what trouble have you gotten into?” As she looked at Orpheus in his necro-draconic form as he continued to smash at the wall.

         “I could use some help while I prepare for something to take a way Orpheus’s dark power,“ he said, as he strained to maintain his wall.

         She studied Orpheus for a few moments. “I can keep him occupied long enough for you to prepare your spell,” before she flew through the wall to attack Orpheus.

         Taliesin dropped his shield and begin to prepare his spell.

         The andreal proved to be a match for Orpheus’s current dark form. He slashed at her with his bone claws and she would dodge his slashes, or block them with her hallowed blade. She managed to keep him occupied with her, overlooking Taliesin as he prepared to finish the battle.

         Time to finish this, Taliesin thought, finally ready to do what was needed. Drain the unlife from those who violate the order, return them to what they were, “Holy Light!” A bright light suddenly engulfed Orpheus with no chance for him to respond. Draining his energy, bringing him to his knees.

         She withdrew herself from the battle, seeing how Orpheus was now helpless.

         As Taliesin approached the fallen Orpheus, he tried to lift what was left of his shattered staff to no avail. “This is what I warned you about,” Taliesin said sadly. “Your greed for power has now condemned you for eternity.” He said lifting his staff pointing it at Orpheus’s crystal heart. He gave no resistance. He finally understood for the first time what his master had tried to instill in him.

         Knowledge with no wisdom would only lead to doom, he thought as Taliesin’s staff shattered the crystal heart that bound his soul to the mortal realm.

         Taliesin gave himself a moment to grieve his lost student. She placed her hand on his shoulder for a few moments whispering a few words of solace, before she left through the still open gate. It disappeared as the gates closed.

         Once he was ready he used his staff, carving runes like the ones he carved into the mountain side. Open the door between here and there and allow me to pass, “Dimensional Door.” With a flash a shimmering portal opened between the castle wall and the mountain across the way. Stepping through the portal it disappeared along with the runes once he was on the other side.

         “One last act,” Taliesin said. Noble elemental lords of earth from your plain bring down that foul place and the horrible memories it now holds, “Earthquake!” The ground began to shake and four great stone hands rose from the mountain, surrounding the castle, tearing it down to rubble.

         Collapsing, Taliesin was physically exhausted from such an extensive use of magic. I have not had such a battle in over a hundred years, he thought. I will rest here for a while before returning home, still grieving for his lost pupil.