Chapter Text
Evar moaned as a hand roughly jerked him upright. Instinct had him diving for his magic, but there was only a gaping emptiness.
“Is he awake?” a female voice asked.
Evar blindly lunged for the speaker, a female mage with her hair in a tight bun, but magic crackled around him and pain wracked his body, causing him to crumple to the ground.
“Ah ah! Lord Enchanter!” the mage shook her head. “There’s no use fighting back.”
“What do you want?” snarled Evariste.
“Nothing I’m sure you can’t provide.” The mage stared down at Evar before turning to her companions. “Is everyone ready?”
Evar glanced around as the pain subsided slightly, surprised to realize that he recognized the forest. They were in Farset, almost right on the border of the Alabaster Forest. Hope blazed in Evar’s chest. Emerys would surely free him.
The mage in charge peered down at him and sneered. “How cute. The Lord Enchanter thinks that being a friend to the elf king will be enough to rescue him.” She leaned down and smirked. “The elf king can’t save you if he’s been cursed with your magic.”
Evar tried to lunge for the mage, but the sparking yellow magic that was wrapped around him tightened and pain shot through his body.
“Enough, Suzu.” The male mage who wielded the yellow magic snapped. “Stop playing with the enchanter and let’s get going.” He grabbed Evar by the arm and dragged him to his feet. “Now, Lord Enchanter, take us to see the elf king.”
Evar dug his heels into the soft earth. “Never!”
The male mage grinned wolfishly. “I thought you might be difficult. Which is why I prepared this spell.”
The mage spoke in the rolling words of magic and Evar suddenly felt hot shooting pain at his back. He stumbled and the pain receded for a moment before building up again. Evar yelled as his back burned as though he was on fire, but as soon as he took a step, the pain lessened. He tried to turn and run, but every direction he turned to felt like he stepped straight into a roaring fire. The pain and heat were so unbearable that when Evar finally found a direction that did not burn, he staggered several steps before his actions caught up to him.
The four mages who were with him smirked as they followed the few steps he had staggered and crossed into the Alabaster forest with him. Evar turned and tried to run in the opposite direction, but the pain from the heat grew so intense he collapsed. “Have you learned your lesson yet, enchanter?” The male mage asked as he snapped his fingers and the sparking yellow magic wrapped itself around Evar and dragged him back to where the other mages were standing.
Suzu laughed. “We are grateful for your willingness to bring us with you into the Alabaster Forest. It will make this so much easier.”
Evar glared balefully at Suzu as the four mages turned and strode off into the forest dragging Evar behind them. Evar strained against the magic, but the more he fought, the tighter the magic wrapped around him until he was lost in a sea of sharp, shooting, burning, pain.
“Now Lord Enchanter,” a voice mockingly dragged Évariste back to the present. “Will you willingly lead us to His Majesty the elf king or will it be my pleasure to help you along?”
“Never!” Évariste spat the word out even as his head rested limply on the ground. “I’ll never help you.”
“I was so hoping you would put up a fight.” The male mage grinned savagely as he raised his hands. The snapping yellow magic disappeared from around Evar.
The relief was instantaneous. Get up! I have to run and warn Emerys. No! I need to lead them away from Emerys! Evar pushed himself up letting his arms shake, hoping his captors would think him weaker than he already felt.
Bracing himself on his hands, Evar paused trying to discreetly figure out where they were in the Alabaster Forest. “Have you figured out where we are, Lord Enchanter?” Suzu mockingly asked. “You won’t be able to escape us even if you try to run.”
Evariste pushed himself up until he was standing, but before he could stagger a step away from the direction to Sideralis, a white hot pain blazed across his back forcing him to stagger under the suddenness of the attack. He tried to turn and go any direction but towards the beautiful elven city, but any direction he turned burned so hot Evar was certain his clothes must have been in flames.
He finally took a step towards the city, searching for any bit of relief he could find. No! I must stay strong. They must not find Emerys. I must not lead them there. Evar locked his knees. He refused to move, but the pain built until he was forced to take a step. Step by step the black mages shoved him forward as he struggled against the burning pain that would not abate.
As the city came into view, Evariste searched frantically for Emerys. I have to warn him. He has to run! Evar hoped Emerys would stop long enough to listen for once, but part of him knew Emerys wouldn’t run. A small part of Evar held out hope that maybe Emerys could rescue him. Although that seemed even less likely. Emerys would probably blame Evar for letting the black mages into Alabaster Forest.
“Evariste!”
Evariste finally saw Emerys as he turned away from his favorite tavern, and started casually jogging towards him. Frantic, Evar shook his head at his friend. The pain at his back shoved him forward despite his efforts to not move forward.
Evar saw when his friend sped up. “Run!” he mouthed the word at Emerys. Instead of running, Evar watched in dismay as Emerys skidded to a stop not far from him.
“What’s wrong? You look like someone tried to shove a spear up your arse. Where’s Angelique?”
Evariste gritted his teeth and dug his heels in despite the pain radiating at his back. “Run, Emerys!” he pleaded, knowing it would do no good.
Emerys’ eyes flashed and Evar knew the four black mages had come into view behind him even before he felt the sting of magic wrap around him. He fell to his knees with a cry of pain as the yellow magic snapped and sparked. He barely saw Emerys draw his sword and call on his magic as his world grew hazy with pain.
From behind him, Evariste heard one of the mages call out “Suzu, now!” Evar forced his eyes open and watched in pained horror as darkness flowed towards Emerys, snaring him in place and cutting off his magic.
“Warriors! To the south gates!”
“Oh, yes. Please do summon your fighters.” Suzu purred.
The magic wrapped around Evariste sparked and tightened and for a moment the roaring in his ears drowned out all other sound.
“...You haven’t a hope of breaking it. After all, it’s charged with your dear friend’s magic.”
Evar wished she would stop talking as Emerys turned his piercing gaze towards his friend. “They attacked… Angelique—” he cut himself off as pain wracked his body. He had to get Emerys to understand. He might not be able to be friends with the elf king after this, if they both managed to survive, but he had to get Emerys to believe him that he had no choice in this. “Sealed me and harvesting my magic.” He broke off again with a howl as the male mage snapped and magic dug into his body. His eyes slid closed against the pain, but not before he saw Emerys’ eyes darken with anger.
A trickle of despair threaded through Evar’s hope as a white hot pain carved through him to the wellspring of his magic. It was a pain unlike any he’d ever felt before. His magic, a part of his very being, sheared from his soul with gleeful abandon, clouded around him in what would have been a comforting cloud if only he could access it. Emerys would never be able to forgive him if he could feel Evar’s magical signature humming inside whatever insidious curse these black mages were about to inflict.
“Elves of Alabaster Forest, we curse you. You shall remain in your woods, unable to leave, and prisoners in your own home. Magic will be beyond your reach. Indeed, your own magic will power the curse so it will continue on infinitely. You will not speak or write a word of what afflicts you. Instead, every night you will hold a proper elvish celebration, with dancing, music, and food. Anyone who eats or drinks at these celebrations will join you in your curse.”
A flicker of hope sparked in Evar’s mind as he staggered to his feet, the pain of the draining minutely fading as his magic fought the curse to be placed with no escape placed. “You won’t get away with this,” Evar snarled. “My magic—portal magic—cannot be used for such dark purposes!”
“Of course, magic as pure as yours cannot be straightforwardly cruel,” the sorceress sneered. “That’s why this curse will contain a key to break it.”
Evariste glanced at Emerys in time to see his face spread with a wolfish grin. Could Emerys see a way out of this mess?
“I see you smiling, Your Majesty. How I cannot wait to see your hope fade away.” The cloaked sorceress chuckled darkly. “As the spell is powered by the friend of His Majesty, King Themerysaldi, it can be broken only by a personal friend of his as well. There must be a price—their blood must cover the white throne, shed on behalf of the elves in a moment of sacrifice.”
Evar felt his blood run cold and watched with mounting horror as his magic accepted the terms and snapped closed, locking the curse into place. “NO!” he howled. “You fiends—this will never work!”
“You protest too late, for it is already done,” the sorceress Suzu crowed.
The male sorcerer smirked. “You think this is bad, Lord Enchanter? Just wait and see all that we have planned. Using you as our power source will require extra steps and work-arounds to cast the black magic we seek, yes. But, as you can see, even your magic can be fooled into casting darkness.”
Evariste felt numb. He sank to his knees as he stared blankly at Emerys. His tumultuous thoughts collided together as he wrestled with the knowledge that it was his magic that cursed the elves. Cursed Emerys.
Evar barely flinched when pain lashed around him, pinning his arms to his sides, as sparking yellow magic wrapped around him, dragging him behind the mages. Seeing the elves brought low crushed a portion of hope he’d hardly hoped to hold onto. The physical pain was almost a relief to the numbness spreading through him at the sight of Emerys cursed by Evar’s magic. Magic that should never have been used against the one who called him a personal friend.
Emerys stood before him in his formal kingly elf robes. His eyes darkened as he looked at Evar. “How could you, Evar?”
Evariste held out his hands in a pleading gesture. “It wasn’t me! I tried to resist!”
But Emerys only shook his head. “My people are dying. I’m dying. You have our blood on your hands.” Blood began to trickle down the front of his robes and the formidable elf king collapsed to his knees as he struggled to breathe.
Evar ran to his oldest friend, but Emerys held up his hand. “What can you do?” He glared at Evar even as he gasped for breath. “You couldn’t keep them from us, and you don’t have access to your magic. You are worthless as a friend.”
Evar recoiled at the venom in his once friend’s voice. Pain lanced through him and darkness faded the scene from view as Evar jerked awake.