Spellbound

19

THIERRY

Thierry Le Mers stood at the grand table in his counsel chambers looking at the map of the worlds he'd conquered. The map projected itself in three layers of different colours; The world of men in green, the world of the waters in blue and this realm – the astral plane of the gods which was a dreary grey.

The gods were always in competition or at war. On occasion, there was a marriage, but those were few and far between. A difficult partnership to negotiate with a union that brought forth volatile offspring. Their children tended to shift the delicate balance power. The last time he proposed was a millennia ago and he hadn't tried again since. He was better at competition and war than he was at appeasing a goddess.

The elohim that had fallen were a prideful kind wanting to maintain the rules and traditions that they had given the peoples who worshiped them. But trouble was brewing. 

A war was coming. 

The gods were disturbed, so much so that they had began negotiating and making treaties.

Thierry flipped through the mirage of each world displaying millions of souls - some men, some beasts, and others spirits. He needed a census taken in order to consolidate his power in every region he held rule.

What was he willing to lose?

Who was he willing to sacrifice in the war?

How far was he willing to go?

Le Mers was so caught up in his dilemma, he failed to recognise one of his most trusted subjects had appeared by his side. To be fair the creature was small in stature and held a non-threatening aura. Cod had a very odd look about him with the head of a fish and the body of a seven year old boy.

His mother had been a witch who, so distraught over the loss of her son, tried to bring him back with terrible consequences. There was not much to be done for the boy in the world of men but he could live among the spirits and the beasts thanks to the magic of Le Mers.

"Lord Master" the creature called.

Thierry turned around, broken from his ruminations.

"Yes, Cod?"

"It's Master Brice. His behaviour is erratic and his porting... he's been porting within the school quite frequently."

Thierry breathed an exasperated sigh and returned his focus to the shifting images over the table. He had told Cod to keep an eye on Brice while he handled more important things. He was a god after all with greater responsibilities than baby sitting even if said child was heir to his greatest Earth kingdom. In the first few years he had watched over his chosen as a guardian would, warding off the spirits that fed on the life force of infants.

He could have assigned one of his greatest guardians but he loved the boy. It was a pleasure to watch him grow into a man. Despite how reckless he could be, he encouraged Brice's strong will and allowed him to push the boundaries. He needed the practice in conquest and failure.

"He's a grown man, albeit young. I told him not to go to far. So what if he's teleporting in his school let alone the province?" Thierry replied nonchalantly, his eyes scanning the state of affairs in the constantly shifting mirage.

"Lord Master, that is not what is concerning. He took a memory walk through a classmate's mind and he ported with her. I think he's under a spell."

That's what Cod had gathered after tailing Brice on Saturday. He had noticed the sudden interest in the girl over the past few weeks. Invisible to the naked eye and able to mask his presence from lower beings such as humans, he had followed Brice around everywhere and was even able to track the trail his energy left behind when he used magic.

Master Brice needs to work on that, Cod thought to himself.

"What do you mean he's under a spell?" Thierry roared, the focus of his gaze now on Cod.

He didn't need any more problems. He was already under an immense amount of pressure to hold his kingdoms together. How could this happen without him noticing? Was he that distracted?

No.

He was attentive. He would have noticed if Brice was in danger. They shared a blood bond.

"I think it's a love spell from the looks of it. Nothing too complex. Easily rectified once the ethereal bridge has been broken," the young creature offered, trying to calm his temperamental master. "I fear the young master may be out of his depth on this one. I know you have faith in his abilities, but he's still growing and mastering the hidden arts."

"Which witch facilitated this calamity?"

Cod's eyes roamed around restlessly. A tell for when he was nervous.

"I- don't- know- Master," his said, mouth gaping slowly between each word.

"What do you mean you don't know? You're 500 years old. You have lived the life of men a hundred times over. You watch them. You listen. You study them. What do you mean you don't know?"

Thierry's eyes quickly transitioned from a clear, tropical blue to a raging grey storm.

Cod held his fish head in consternation, his beady eyes situated on the sides of his head rolling around as he scanned the room for safety. He didn't want to disappoint his master. He feared punishment. There were some monstrous creatures he'd been locked with that he never wished to see again.

"I asked you a question, Cod. Don't make me repeat myself again." Thierry's voice was dangerously low which was somehow worse than when he was shouting.

"Th... this magic was undetectable. It may have been an Abra-hmmm" Cod's voice cut out as he felt his gills close in fright.

Thierry's eyes were white with rage.

"Do not tell me that an abramelin mage is casting on my son."

Cod was terrified. Despite being 500 years old, he sometimes felt like the same young boy that had drowned, fighting against the nature of water as it quickly filled his lungs and pulled him down. His aquatic instincts were shutting down as his human trauma kicked in. 

Thierry looked at the silly creature before him, opening and closing his mouth without word truly looking like the fish out of water which he was. He took a deep breath and attempted to reign in his anger. It wouldn't help his decision making. He needed to keep a cool head.

"Breathe Cod," he commanded. 

The servant's gills opened and his tense body relaxed.

It appeared as if the eastern gods were moving against him. A love spell? Black waters be damned, he hated those things. Not only did they take away one's free will if not broken, they stole years from one's life and tended to morph into an obsession that resulted in murder.

"Where is he now?" Thierry questioned Cod.

"He was with the girl in her room last I checked, Lord Master. She looked to be in quite the state. I think he may have disturbed her mental faculties."

Thierry rubbed his eyes in fatigue. His body didn't need rest, but his mind was stretched. He was never meant to rule so much. It was his ambition to ascend that drove him to greater heights and even greater dangers.

He needed to fix this as soon as possible. He needed to get to the bottom of what was going on. If an Abramelin mage was working against him then Brice truly was out of his depths. He'd taught him black and white magic, the lower crafts. They were to start the higher two – Kali and Rajah – once he settled into college.

"Keep a close eye on him. If anything else out of the ordinary happens, you come to me immediately. I'll see him soon."

As daunting as the thought was to leave his son in that state, he had to give him the space to develop, make mistakes, and grow. If Brice needed him, he would call for him. Until then, he had some investigations of his own to conduct.

X

WC 1335

25 | 02 | 2023

Some character's I hear first person.

Thierry (ruler) Le Mers (the seas) is more of a close second voice.

See you next Saturday :)