The Fall of Valencia

by Etherium-Apex

The Young Warrior

The city was consumed by the dark of the starry night, blanketed by the cool glow of the light barrier encircling it. Marcellus was in need of rest, but his mind was restless. He had no desire to sleep, but little else to do. As he walked through the city streets to return to his quarters, he spotted a colt practicing by himself, by his estimate no older than 14 years of age. A mint-colored unicorn, with blue eyes and a short wavy brown mane kept under a thin headband.

He had taken upon himself to make good use of a practice dummy taken from the imperial garrison, and was wildly flailing away with his provisioned sword. Marcellus approached, clad in his shining armor, and the colt stopped to face him, appearing unsure of what to expect.

“Hmm, let me see your sword, young colt,” Marcellus requested. The colt handed it over, the magic aura changing color as it exchanged hooves. Marcellus inspected the blade up and down, and then swung it around here and there, showing much more skill and expertise in his movements. He noted that the handle was a bit heavier than ideal, and there was a lot of wear on the blade.

“What is your name, child?” Marcellus asked.

“Ares,” the colt said meekly. “Sir.”

“Well then, Ares, I am glad to have you with us.” Marcellus smiled.

“Captain Marcellus,” Ares said, “the other soldiers are saying we will not see another sun.”

Marcellus could see the worry in his eyes, and he lowered the blade to come closer, carrying a look of courage. “I cannot say for sure what will happen, Ares, but we must still hold out hope. We will stand together, no matter what.”

Ares looked at the ground a bit, then back up to Marcellus, who resumed his inspection. “I don’t know who gave you this piece of junk,” he said, “but I think I can get you something better.”

“Well, what’s wrong with that one?”

“The weight is improperly balanced, most importantly. Your swing will be diminished. Not to mention, this blade appears very old, and is worn down. It should be discarded, not given to our most valued fighters.”

“I did notice that it was a bit ‘back-heavy’,” Ares replied.

“Hmm… Are you skilled with magic, Ares?”

“A little? I’ve done a few things here and there. I can levitate things easily, and I once blew up my mother’s pottery.”

Marcellus chuckled. “Oh, I’ll bet you were in quite a bit of trouble there! No, I want to teach you something new. I want to bring out the fight within you. You will create a blade of your own will.”

“W-Wha…?”

Without warning, there was a flash of warm light, and a blade of pure energy materialized in Marcellus’ possession, like a sword of fire searing the air around it. The light it produced burned much more brightly than the nearby street lamps. Marcellus grinned, eyeing Ares’ bewildered expression.

“This would serve you much better than some old, battered sword, don’t you think?” Marcellus said.

“Wh… A-Absolutely! But… How…?”

“Every magic user can conjure such a weapon, with the right amount of knowledge and focus,” Marcellus explained, as his weapon dissipated. He took a seat next to Ares, who sat down in turn.

“The world’s magic flows in and out of us, within every creature, even those without horns to finely tune it. It knows how you feel, it knows your desires, and it waits only for you to speak to it.”

“So, I just… Tell it to make a sword for me?”

“Well, in a sense. The key to mastering the art of magic is being able to communicate and work with it. It can take a great deal of concentration for those who aren’t experienced.”

“How do I start?”

“Hm…” Marcellus spotted a small stone in the middle of the street, and then got an idea. “Why don’t you lift that stone for me?”

“Levitating? But, I thought…”

“Just do it.”

Ares shrugged and lit his horn, producing a deep blue magical aura which emanated from his horn. The aura surrounded the stone in question, and it soon lifted a good few feet above the ground.

“Okay, now what?” Ares asked.

“Close your eyes. Concentrate on what you’re feeling as you lift that stone. Feel the energy inside of you, and the words it conveys.”

Ares did as he was told, and let his mind quiet down as his breath slowed. The real world soon slipped away, and he was adrift in his thoughts. There was a spark, a racing impulse dancing here and there. It called to him, not with any spoken word, but he could feel what it was saying. His fur stood on end as he felt pleasant chills coarse through his body, shifting him back and forth through his journey.

The impulse grew louder, closer, until he could finally keep his eyes focused on it. A deep blue light before a sea of blackness, one which knew his name and spirit. He could see his chosen object floating in the air, but as he drew closer to the light, he saw more. Flashing images of life, nature, the sky, grass growing, the sun darting across the sky, animals decaying, spinning galaxies, copulation, running rivers, so much at once that it became overwhelming.

Ares quickly opened his eyes, and the stone fell back to the ground. He looked to Marcellus, appearing shaken, but Marcellus still looked calm as ever.

“It looks like that worked,” he said. “You called to your inner magic.”

“I… I felt everything. It spoke to me. It didn’t say anything, but I could tell it was talking to me. It knew what I wanted.”

“Good. You now know how to reach out to it. Perhaps you’d like to try asking it something else?”

Ares nodded and took a deep breath. He knew what he wanted, but he wasn’t sure if it would work. Eyes once again shut, he reached out once more to hear from that magical spark within him. His desire was clear in his mind, and to his surprise, his call was heard within the ether. A desire for protection, to pierce his foes and strike down his enemy with ferocity. He felt another wave tingling through his body, and as his visualization exploded with intensity, he heard a sizzling sound, and he felt a new source of heat near him.

He opened his eyes, and was excited to see a magical blue blade before him, ready to serve him as needed. He knew intuitively how to manipulate it, and swung it around happily.

“Hey, look! I did it!”

Ares was beside himself with his accomplishment, swaying the sizzling blade in every direction with a beaming expression on his face. Marcellus stood and watched the colt marvel at his newfound feat.

“You remind me of myself, Ares! I was just like you when I first conjured my magic blade. So filled with excitement and determination, dedicated to fighting and protecting the ones I loved most.” Marcellus paused for a moment, a hopeful look on his face. “I hope we can do the same today.”