With their new knowledge and plan that wasn’t a plan at all in place, Caleb began to set up a meeting with his mentor, Archmage Reginald. Perhaps he sensed something was amiss, or Yuki’s presence helped speed things along. Their meeting was swiftly scheduled for late that night, the first opportunity the archmage had free. Caleb even secured permission for all of them to attend, including Alvis.

  Cassandra was a bundle of nerves. With all of the world altering truths they had already learned that day, what would Reginald have in store for them? She also had to consider the chance that he would not tell them anything at all. Those worries still raced through her mind as the meeting time fast approached.

  Once it was time to depart, Alvis personally guided them to the palace through some kind of gateway. It reminded Cassandra of those used to travel through the Pavilion, but his skipped directly to their meeting place in the palace itself. That made sense when she recalled that it was Alvis who created the Pavilion in the first place and he had no need to borrow its magic.

  Reginald was waiting for them as soon as they passed through the gate, and while he definitely noticed its unique features he did not seem surprised. Just how much had he already known?

  “It is an honor to greet both of our living founders at once,” he greeted, “What kind of disaster is Tethia facing for you to visit us?”

  “Now, I may only visit when Tethia is in imminent danger,” Alvis replied, “but that is no reason to point it out so bluntly. There is plenty of time yet and you gain nothing from being so on edge.”

  This was the first time Cassandra had ever seen Reginald truly flustered and frustrated. Seeing that Alvis had no intentions to cooperate, he turned to Caleb instead.

  “Why have you all gathered specifically to meet me?” he demanded.

  Caleb answered obediently. “We came here seeking answers after an incident took place. A lot happened, but essentially Osmond’s curse has taken effect and when we investigated the dagger he gave to Alois, Yuki pointed us your way.”

  Reginald looked between them to confirm this was true. “So the worst has finally happened and you want to know how I got involved,” he surmised, “The short answer from my side is that the archmage has always been involved with the headmaster’s curse from the beginning.”

  “From the beginning,” Alvis mused, “That must be why an incident large enough to alert me never occurred. I dislike missing important details, but you have done well.”

  “I don’t need praise from the one who caused the problem in the first place,” Reginald accused, “Have you finally come to clean up your mess?”

  “Now that I know there is one, yes,” Alvis confirmed, “Whether you blame me or not, the state of things will not change, so I suggest you accept my help willingly. Now, tell me what you know.”

  “Fine,” Reginald resigned with irritation, “I do not know all the details myself, but I will tell you the parts of the story I do know.”

  He paused to double check the room was secure, and summoned comfortable seating for all of them except Alvis. Alvis took this as an invitation to summon his own, a black thronelike armchair that sat higher than the rest. Reginald sat in his own more ordinary seat and began his tale.

  “Not long after the disappearance of the founders, incidents kept happening in Tethia one after another throughout Tethia. The pillars at the time were busy solving these issues with what the founders had left for us. When the headmaster asked for a private meeting with the archmage, he believed it would be more of the same.”

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

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  Gabriel took great pride in his work as the archmage, even as Tethia began to fall apart all around them. It was one thing for Alvis to disappear as he had always been prone to wandering, but Yuki as well? The other founders had long retired as they lacked the pair’s endless youth. Problem after problem rose up, with no way to contact either of them.

  There had been a suspicious lull in problems, but this meeting with his dear friend Headmaster Liam was bound to fill that void. He had always been closer to Liam than the other pillars, and they worked well together in times of crisis. At least, that was what Gabriel had thought. The Liam that visited him was panicked and desperate.

  “Gabriel, you have to help me!” he pleaded, “I have made a terrible mistake! I don’t know if I can fix it.”

  “Liam? What happened?” Gabriel asked, setting aside everything to focus on his friend.

  “I… No, I don’t dare say his name,” Liam began, conflicted about his words, “First, I need to know something. Can you wake the founding archmage?”

  For a moment Gabriel forgot that Liam didn’t know, but he had only discovered Yuki’s absence himself earlier that day. “I can’t,” he admitted, “Even if I wanted to, he’s gone.”

  “Gone? How convenient. He must know that I found out the truth. No, it probably wasn’t even the truth,” Liam rambled, running a hand through his already disheveled hair, “I met someone in my dreams, Gabriel. He told me things. Information I believed was important for Tethia. This information came at a heavy cost.”

  “What do you mean?” Gabriel asked, growing more unsettled by Liam’s crazed state, “Was it some sort of magic that enchanted you?”

  “If only it were that simple,” Liam laughed, trembling in a nervous terror, “That thing was made of dreams, powered by dreams, and controlled dreams. He is connected to everything and nothing, and he can see all. He showed me how to use the Pavilion to create new magic, and the method to make an artifact to banish a dangerous being.”

  Again, his explanation left more questions than answers. “A dangerous being? Has he shown you who is behind all of these incidents?”

  “Those incidents are nothing compared to that fox,” Liam spat suddenly, “That fox and his evil keeper. They destroyed a world together, and every world they have visited has fallen. Can’t you see? If we let them stay here, we are next!”

  Fox? Could he mean Yuki? Gabriel drew back despite himself. Liam was sounding more and more like a madman. “You trust the words of this evil dream?”

  “What choice do I have? I am already paying the price,” Liam pointed out, “Besides, can we risk the world’s destruction? Help me make the artifact and banish them.”

  “Even if I do, I cannot banish those who are already gone,” Gabriel argued, “And you have yet to tell me the cost.”

  Liam flinched. “You must listen to my whole explanation,” he ordered, “I was the one who caused all of those incidents. He made me do it. He can take over at any moment and turn me into a monster. Fear makes him stronger.”

  Gabriel finally grasped the situation and why his once wise friend had lost his mind. “I will help you create the artifact,” he promised. He wouldn’t use it on Yuki or Alvis, but Liam couldn’t handle that truth right now. He would drive this being of nightmares out and get his friend back, no matter what it took.

  ==========

  “Unfortunately, Archmage Gabriel was unable to complete the artifact, and its creation has since been passed down from archmage to archmage,” Reginald concluded, “It is our greatest secret and our promise.”

  Caleb frowned. “That artifact, is that the one I have been helping you work on?” he asked.

  “It is,” Reginald confirmed, “Now that it is so close, I had hoped to use it before Osmond fell to the curse.”

  “May I see this artifact?” Alvis asked, “If nothing else, I will be able to tell if it would work to banish him.”

  “Since that is the desire of the true founder of Tethia, very well,” Reginald agreed, “but not until I receive a full explanation in return. Especially yours.”

  Alvis told Reginald the story he had told them. His relation with the nightmare fiend, and why he had no choice but to abandon Tethia. This story only seemed to confirm Reginald’s resolve. He still bore no fondness for Alvis or his methods, but it was clear who was the greater threat to Tethia and the world.