A Smidge of Magic

Chapter 12

Ian watched Vale leave with some reluctance. She was a safety net of sorts, and now he felt alone. He turned away from Vale. He had to put his discomfort aside and deal with the issue at hand; getting home. He sifted through all the questions that were vying for his attention.

The Seer smiled at him, and looked over Ian's shoulder. He raised a frail hand, and flexed his fingers. A faint whistle behind Ian caused him to turn, and he barely avoided the bone-white staff flying into The Seer's outstretched hand. The wizened elf flashed a mischievous grin as he walked towards a large runic circle etched faintly on the floor.

"Let me show you a picture of the problem that we face," He said, tapping his staff on the edge of the sprawling rune. The symbol ignited, and purple lines of power radiated out from the rune. The lines ran across the floor like an electric current being fed into a circuit, and new, smaller, runes blossomed around the central circle.

Ian found himself enthralled in the dazzling display. The swirling runes came to life in a myriad of colors, shapes, and sounds. Each one feeding off the last to form a complex and mind-boggling pattern.

"You see," The Seer spoke up, "in your world, magic is mere fantasy," He said as he, and his staff, moved around the circle. The Seer spinning, dipping, and tapping the unadorned wood as though it were his partner in a sophisticated tango.

Tap-tap-swish.

"Here, however, magic is a binding force. It can create," The dance increased in its intricacy. It was a surprising display of agility and poise from one who appeared so frail. Tap, "Or destroy."

Tap, swish, tap.

"It can heal as easily as injure," As he spoke the glow intensified. Several of the runes peeled away from the floor, and hovered a few feet off the ground. He'd danced his way back to the center of the circle, now holding his staff above the main rune which was pulsing faintly. "It is both volatile and steadfast, predictable and chaotic, everywhere and nowhere. Though above all else, magic strives to create an enduring balance. To harmonize with the world around it, and find its place in the natural flow."

Tap.

The runes flashed and a ripple of power rushed out from the brightly glowing runes in response.

Ian shielded his eyes from the intense flash. When he was able to look again, the magic circle and runes were gone, and two translucent were spheres hovering before him. The first sphere was easily identifiable; Earth. Ian felt a rush of longing as he gazed at his home. The realization that this may be the last time he saw it hit him. Powerful emotions of loss, regret, and anger welled up inside him. He forced his attention away from Earth and those troubling thoughts. The voice of his father echoed in his mind as he looked to the second globe. No sense in wishing for change, make it happen.

The second sphere was nearly three times the size of the Earth, with vast oceans, sprawling deserts, colossal mountains, and lush forests. The images on both were so vivid and lifelike he even saw the weather patterns. A roiling mass of clouds came in from the sea and a storm formed along a southern coastline.

"Is this happening now?" Ian asked as he paced around the alien planet.

"Indeed it is," The Seer said.

Paragore had three major continents. The first was a monstrous upside-down U shape. The middle portion of the U was a band of deep blue glacial ice that connected the eastern and western sides. The other continent was coated in dense green forests and sweeping grasslands. The last continent was a bit of a mystery as it had a dense fog resting over it. Almost like it had been blurred out intentionally.