Stone of Tears

“Of most importance is that you learn to accept yourself. If you do not do this, you will harm the most vital part of yourself: your free will. If you act without understanding, you could cast yourself into the chaos.

“I let you live when you were born because you have the potential for doing good. Within you is the hope of life. But until you truly accept both sides of your magic, you are a danger to every living thing.”

Richard desperately wanted to change the subject. He felt as if the world were crushing him. “What is the Stone of Tears?”

She gave a little shrug. “In the world of the dead, it exists as a force. In this world, it exists as an object with power, representing that force.

The Stone of Tears is like a weight that holds the Keeper at the infinite end of his world, where his influence here is diminished to the point of balance.”

“Then if it’s here, off him, he is freed from his prison.”

“If that were true, we would all be dead. Hmm?” She lifted a questioning eyebrow, but Richard didn’t say anything. “It’s one of the seals that locks the Keeper beyond. There are others, that still hold. Magic helps hold him back, for now.

The Stone of Tears has the power, though, to destroy the balance, to tear the veil and free the Keeper, if it is used in this world, by such as you, in the wrong way. You see, the Stone has the power to banish any soul to the infinite depths of the underworld. But if it were used in that way, through hate, through selfishness, it would feed power to that side, and destroy the veil.

The veil can only be restored by one with the gift for both sides of the magic. The Stone must be put back where it belongs.

“We must struggle to keep the other seals intact until the day when one such as you can restore this lock while there is still time. Meanwhile, the Keeper gains strength here. His minions struggle to break the other seals. There are other ways to free the Keeper.”

“Ann… are you sure about me? Maybe…”

“You proved it just tonight, by walking through that shield. Our shields are made of Additive Magic. The only way for you to penetrate it was for your Han to use Subtractive.”

“Maybe my Han, my Additive Magic, is just stronger.”

“When you came through the Valley of the Lost, you would have been drawn to the towers. To both towers. Am I right?”

“I could have just come across them by accident.”

She let out a tired sigh. The towers were created by wizards who had both kinds of power. In the white tower, there is white sand. Sorcerer’s sand. I doubt you would have taken any.”

That doesn’t prove anything. And what is sorcerer’s sand?”

“Sorcerer’s sand is extremely valuable, nearly priceless. It is only gathered by chance happenings across the tower. Sorcerer’s sand is the crystallized bones of the wizards who gave their life into the towers. It’s a sort of distilled magic. It gives power to spells drawn with it—good, and evil. The proper spell drawn in white sorcerer’s sand can invoke the Keeper.

“You took, instead, some of the black sand, did you not?”

“Well, yes. I just wanted a little bit, that’s all.”

She nodded. “Just a little bit. Richard, no wizard since the towers were built has been able to gather any black sorcerer’s sand. It cannot be taken from a tower by any but those with Subtractive Magic. Guard that black sand with your life. It’s more valuable than you can imagine.”

“Why? What will it do?”

“Black sorcerer’s sand is the counter to the white. They nullify each other. The black, even one grain of it, will contaminate a spell drawn to invoke the Keeper. It will destroy the spell. A spoonful of it is a weapon worth kingdoms.”

“Still,” he said, “it could just be that—”

The last wizards born with both kinds of magic invested the Palace of the Prophets with their magic. The prophets of that time knew one would be born again with both sides of the magic, a war wizard, and so they created, too, the Hagen Woods, and the mriswith. One born with the Subtractive would be drawn to that place. Drawn to do battle there.

The collar keeps the Additive gift from killing you. The Hagen Woods provide an outlet for the other side of your power. It is something the Sisters cannot provide.”

“But I used the Sword of Truth.” His voice sounded to him like a plea into a gale. “It was the sword.”

The Sword of Truth was also created by wizards with the gift for both sides of the magic. Only one born the same could bring out the full range of its magic. Only you can use the sword to its full potential. And you have not done so yet.

“It is an aid to you, but even so, you do not need it to kill the mriswith. Your gift is enough. If you do not believe me, leave your sword, and go into the Hagen Woods with just your knife. You will still kill the mriswith.”

“Others have used this blade. They didn’t even have the gift, much less Subtractive Magic.”

They were not truly using the sword’s magic. The blade was made for you. It’s an aid, much as prophecy is an aid, much as the mriswith are an aid, sent down through time.”