Memories of the Forgotten

First chapter, a little different sort of start! Not to worry, as we'll see our heroes soon enough!

Chapter 1


I was called a genius.

In those times, times when magic had been great and widespread, it's powers were used by people in order to better thier lives. With magic, they became masters of thier own destiny. They were free to cut the bonds of Fate and cast it aside. Back then few didn't know how to use magic. Those that didn't use it merely chose not to learn. Sometimes I don't blame them. It's not my place to judge.

However, this was a curse, as well as a blessing. While magic was used to help others, often it would involve the use to hurt others. The people of old had chosen to let magic go. Some let it go completely. They refused to cast again, and the text and lore of thier spells lay forgotten, never to be studied. Others stayed widespread, willing to pass on the knowledge they knew to anyone who wished to learn. However, some knowledge was lost over time, due to the fact that teaching so many meant keeping things to a minimum. Thier magic grew weaker.

And there was those who chose to keep the secrets of thier magic solely within thier families, much like mine. As our children would grow, we would teach them our ancient secrets, and continue to pass on the spark of magic throughout our bloodline. Within these families, some did not want to learn, and magic was threatened to be lost. Yet those who continued thier studies, watched as thier magic stayed strong and alive, ready to be passed onto a new generation.

So it came to pass, that I learned my family's trade of magic. Fire magic. We were seperated into elements yes, but it never dampened our spirits. While my father was not connected to magic, my mother was, and that was all I needed. It was rare that two people, both who studied magic, were married. Even rarer would be that they both inherited different elements of magic.

Yet it wasn't enough. I had heard of special children being born, it seemed randomly, who defied these laws of magic. They were not bound to the single element of thier families, and could indeed cast all elements, Fire, Water, Earth, and Wind. Yet they retained mastery of the family element, finding it much easier to cast then other elements. I was in awe at these children, yet it seemed they didn't pass on this trait to thier own children. Thus we called them Destined. For we believed destiny chose them to house this incredible and unique gift.

I began my studies, clearly hoping to probe further into the depths of magic. I studied the elements, learned of thier history in use, and, while I could not cast them myself, studied others willing to cast for me. So deep I traveled into this world, that I discovered something else. Something that changed my life and marked myself both as a genius in the world around me, but a monster to myself. I discovered darker magic.

Those whose bodies were purely devoted to evil could, at some level, cast a much darker power. The same laws applied, yet thier magic was different somehow, stronger then normal magic. It frightened me, yet at the same time, excited me. It drove me to discover these secrets. I looked over books, pondered endless libraries of knowledge, yet few knew of this strange gift, let alone documented it. I documented everything I discovered into a book. It was proof of my own genius, and my own insanity.

I was a monster.

One day, I stumbled upon a most strange book. I had no idea where it came from, but the minute I opened it, I could feel the evil aura that this object possessed. I should have gotten rid of it. I should have destroyed it. Yet I kept it, feeling as if all the answers were locked inside, waiting for someone to read. I documented everything in that book, from spells that could call forth demons from damnnation to summoning the holy power of angels. Then I saw it.

The spell was most unusual, yet it caught my interest the moment I saw it. It seemed strange, giving vivid detail was what to do, yet not telling anything was the spell would accomplish. I experimented with it, finding willing test subjects to perform the spell. The result was horrible. Those that cast the spell obtained power unimaginable, yet they could not survive long enough to use it. Those that did survive, I noticed, were of dark and evil auras. Yet even they could not control the power, many of them surpressing it's flow until they lost thier minds.

Only one person survived and remained sane, yet I killed her. I had no choice, for who knew what she could do with that power? It took my strongest magic, but it was done. I sealed the book. It used a special power I had discovered. A simple lock and key, yet not so simple as well. The lock was specially designed to fit only the one key I made myself to open it. But there was more. The lock also surpressed the seal I placed over the book. By surpressing the seal, the book was disguised as to seem to be an ordinary book that was locked. Not even a demon would be able to sense the magic that flowed in this book.

I have dubbed the terrible spell as the Forbidden Seal. I hid the book, and plan to destroy the key. No one must ever learn of my foolish mistake. I, the once praised genius, let it overcome me, and it drove me to my own destruction. The dark secrets of that book should never be revealed unto mankind. I fear the day if this book fell into the wrong hands.

As I write this, I feel my life drawing to a close. My granddaughter, who is just now become of age to learn our family's magic... I pray that this book will remain safe in your hands. I pray no evil dare befall you or your children over this book.

Forgive your grandfather, a fool to the very end.

Isao Airas