Chapter Two

Memories

 Caristan had been raised by Count Likro von Zifrenstein.  His main lesson in life was: Get vengeance when you can; get redemption only when you must.  Caristan had followed that rule all his life. 

 When he was eight, two thirteen year old boys, bullies of the town, killed his pet cat.  A day later, he took a torch from its bracket in the Count’s Castle, and went out.  The two bullies were found scorched in a river, three days later.  The  town leader had offered him a chance to say sorry and forget it all.  Caristan had passed it up.  The next week, the Count rewarded him with 5 000 bronze pieces.  He bought the bullies�?SPAN>  houses, and forced them to work as servants in the Count’s castle to earn money to pay their rent.

At sixteen, he had been surly, but weak.  Whenever he got into a brawl, he was bashed until the Count arrived.  So he sought a way to gain power without physical strength.  He found the Mage’s academy. 

Now, twenty nine, he had been training with the sorcerers for seven years.  And he was now a fully accomplished sorcerer.  He left the stronghold, searching for his goal: strength to outdo the Mage King’s.  He had read the legends now, and he knew about the Tree.  The Tree beneath which Xlapotec and the Mage King had struggled.  Still struggled.  He would use his supreme powers to absorb the Mage King’s spirit.  And then with that extra power, he would destroy Xlapotec and consume his power�?SPAN>  The world would be his to command�?/P>

Caristan walked through Deeplight Forest.  It was not aptly named.  No light at all made it through the depressing pines that towered above him, blocking out the skyline.  Not even the clouds could be seen.  Lightning crackled around Caristan’s fingertips, his only source of light in the dark forest.  The light filtered through the nearby trees, lighting up the native wildlife.  It was not pleasant.  One creature, a three metre wolfish hybrid, tried to attack him.  The corpse was scorched, pierced and had been thrown back into the trees.  A little light appeared further along the pathway.  The end of the depressing forest.  Now he had to find a caravan�?/P>

He had found a caravan.  First class.  Absolutely free.  Such are the gifts of sorcery.  Caristan consulted a map, on which his route was marked out in a glowing silver line.  A passing man, glanced at the map, and commented.

“Strange path, little boy.  Much quicker to go through the Canyon of the Mages.  Plus you get a couple of free enchantments if you’re nice.�?SPAN>  Caristan scowled.  Little boy!  How dare this ape of a man dare call him that!  And as for his suggested route, Caristan had much better ways to spend his time than fighting and blasting his way through the Canyon of Mages�?/SPAN>

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