December 23, 2024 • 18 mins
Artifacts of the Arcane:
The world has abandoned magic, but magic hasn’t abandoned the world.
Tommy is ambushed as he enters his room.
----
Find out more about series writer Jake Kerr:
https://jakekerr.com
Visit our epic fantasy podcast The Thieves Guild:
https://podcastalchemy.studio/thievesguild/
----
Find out more about series writer Jake Kerr:
https://jakekerr.com
Check out our other drama podcasts!
The Thieves Guild
An epic fantasy centered around the city-state of Ness
Some secrets are worth dying for. Some are worth killing for.
https://podcastalchemy.studio/thievesguild
Thursday
A cyberpunk VR Thriller
No one can be trusted when nothing is real.
https://podcastalchemy.studio/thursday
The world has abandoned magic, but magic hasn’t abandoned the world.
Tommy is ambushed as he enters his room.
----
Find out more about series writer Jake Kerr:
https://jakekerr.com
Visit our epic fantasy podcast The Thieves Guild:
https://podcastalchemy.studio/thievesguild/
----
Find out more about series writer Jake Kerr:
https://jakekerr.com
Check out our other drama podcasts!
The Thieves Guild
An epic fantasy centered around the city-state of Ness
Some secrets are worth dying for. Some are worth killing for.
https://podcastalchemy.studio/thievesguild
Thursday
A cyberpunk VR Thriller
No one can be trusted when nothing is real.
https://podcastalchemy.studio/thursday
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
Artifacts of the Arcane by Jake Kerr. Season one, The
Staff of Light, episode sixteen, Plan C.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
I alternated between trying to focus on hiding myself and
making sense of how I could deal with Naomi. I
would dodge a group of soldiers and then nearly run
into another group, while imagining that when I wasn't annoying Naomi,
I was embarrassing myself in front of her. I somehow
made it to my quarters without being seen and opened
the door, only to run right into Felice. Her eyes
(00:42):
went wide. Did your meeting with Cain go okay? Well?
He questioned my ability to wield the staff, and then
he lit my arm on fire, which was intensely painful.
Other than that, it went great. Felice nodded as if
she expected my response, that's not so bad. I'm sure
he won't light you on fire next time. I almost laughed,
(01:03):
but she was serious, not so bad. The thought made
me even more desperate to leave the citadel. I thankfully
for her concern and made my way up the stairs
to my room. I opened the door, planning on switching
from the boots to my shoes and then rushing back
to Naomi so we could escape. I took one step
into my room and stopped cold. There was an old
(01:24):
man sitting in the reading chair, looking over the illusion textbook.
He looked up at me.
Speaker 3 (01:30):
Is this yours a waste of time? If you ask me?
Speaker 2 (01:34):
He tossed the book on the floor. He was ancient.
The small amount of hair he had was white and
slicked back in an attempt at style. He had gray eyes,
and as they peered at me, they were the only
part of him that looked young. His skin was thin
and wrinkled, and he looked very frail. I couldn't even
guess his age. Yet he looked regal. He wore a
(01:56):
nice suit that somehow fit well despite his inability to
fill it. The shirt was pure white, and his navy
blue tie was tightly knotted and perfectly centered. I stared
at him. He scowled at me.
Speaker 3 (02:09):
Well, don't just stand there, let me see it.
Speaker 2 (02:13):
He held out his hand. I'm sorry.
Speaker 3 (02:15):
Who are you?
Speaker 2 (02:16):
He obviously wasn't some soldier sent here to hold me
until Cain could get his hands on the staff. On
the other hand, he had the same dismissive demeanor of
Cain himself. I'm plan B, he laughed, a scratchy, high
pitched laugh. Plan B. I worried that perhaps the old
man was insane and had wandered into my room.
Speaker 3 (02:36):
Yes, plan B. If Cain can't get you to follow
his orders, I'm to convince you to give me the
staff to wield.
Speaker 2 (02:44):
I stared at him.
Speaker 3 (02:46):
For whatever good that will do him, He scratched his head. Actually,
I might be planed c Plan B is probably kin
trying to use the stuff himself.
Speaker 2 (02:57):
The old man looked at me, and when I didn't respond, added.
Speaker 3 (03:01):
Fine, if you must know, I'm also the Royal gardener
at Balmoral.
Speaker 2 (03:05):
His expression didn't change, but he opened and closed his
hand in a reminder to hand him something. Did he
mean the staff? Do I know you?
Speaker 3 (03:13):
Unfortunately not?
Speaker 2 (03:15):
He sat up straighter, but still didn't stand or.
Speaker 3 (03:18):
Perhaps Fortunately give me the staff, and I think that
may clear some things up.
Speaker 2 (03:24):
I pulled the cane against my chest. I'm afraid I
can't do that. He shook his head and nodded.
Speaker 3 (03:30):
Ah, yes, I expected this.
Speaker 2 (03:33):
He waved his finger at me.
Speaker 3 (03:35):
My son said the same thing after I gave it
to him, and asked him a few years later if
I could use the staff for some particularly difficult topiary work.
He shook his head. It would have made things much easier,
he sighed, the selfishness of youth. I guess he.
Speaker 2 (03:49):
Gave the staff to his son. My staff, my grandfather's staff.
Before I could ask any questions, the old man laughed.
Speaker 3 (03:59):
Maybe you want to stupid is my son. You're starting
to understand, now, are you not? Who are you? He
laughed a bitter laugh. Maybe you are as stupid as
he is. After all, I'm Joseph blacash declan Black. Your
grandfather is my son.
Speaker 2 (04:14):
I felt my knees go weak because I knew that
he was telling the truth. I saw it immediately, not
just in his eyes, but the shape of his face
and even his gruff demeanor, which, if I were honest,
was a big part of my grandfather's personality. His smile
fleeting as it was, reminded me of my father's smile.
(04:35):
I took a step forward. You're my great grandfather. Yes,
I'm also an arch mage. I've borne the staff. Blah
blah blah.
Speaker 3 (04:45):
That's why Cain used his infernal connections to get me
sent here. He thinks I'm a loyal citizen and will
wheeld the staff for him. But the truth is, he
leaned forward. I just came here to hold the staff
one more time before I die. He held up a finger,
but I did not lie. I am the King's gardener
in Balmarle.
Speaker 2 (05:02):
He shrugged, as it were. I walked over to him,
and as I approached, he held out his hand again.
Speaker 3 (05:08):
If I'm to be totally truthful, I also wanted to
see you, my great grandson, but don't tell anyone I
have a reputation for being decidedly unsentimental.
Speaker 2 (05:17):
He laughed. Plans. See. I held the staff up.
Speaker 3 (05:21):
As you wish, although one might think great grandfather would
be more appropriate.
Speaker 2 (05:26):
He looked at the staff. Ah, still a cane.
Speaker 3 (05:30):
My foolish son never could figure out how to change
it back.
Speaker 2 (05:33):
I see his eyebrows furrowed and his jaw clenched. He
looked both sad and angry. I didn't move, and he
added the staff boy. I handed it to him. I
knew I shouldn't have, but I did. I cannot explain why,
other than to say that I knew it was the
right thing to do. The staff said as much to
me in its arcane and unfathomable language. He held it
(05:57):
up and it transformed into a living branch of some
flowering tree. It bloomed with white flowers, and petals fell.
As he pulled it close to his eyes. My great
grandfather smiled and his face transformed. He breathed in deeply,
his nose among the flowers. The happiness made him look
years younger. He lowered the staff and it changed into
(06:20):
a cricket bat. He looked at me.
Speaker 3 (06:23):
You are a young boy. Would you prefer this?
Speaker 2 (06:28):
I didn't answer, and he quickly added, ah.
Speaker 3 (06:30):
You are American, Perhaps this is better.
Speaker 2 (06:33):
The cricket bat transformed into a baseball bat or this.
In short order, he changed the staff into a large stick,
a flower, a wand, and a wooden knife. Before he
could do any more, I interrupted, I prefer the cane.
He frowned.
Speaker 3 (06:50):
Making it a cane was a joke I played on
my son as a reminder of his feeble ego.
Speaker 2 (06:55):
The staff remained a wooden knife, and Joseph tapped it
on his palm. He stared at me, and again I
felt uncomfortable in his gaze. His presence was at once
exciting to me, but his mannerisms and attitude were disturbing.
He took joy in the staff and what it could do.
But he did not seem to care about me much
at all. The more I considered him, the more it
(07:15):
bothered me that he was dismissive toward my grandfather, his
own son. I prefer the cane, and you can give
it back to me now. I held out my hand.
He didn't say anything for a while, just stared at me.
When I refused to avert my gaze, he smiled my
father's smile and held up the staff to me, which
without my noticing, had turned again into a cane. As
(07:38):
I went to take it, he pulled it back.
Speaker 3 (07:41):
Are you not curious what my mastery of the stuff is?
Speaker 2 (07:44):
I'm afraid I don't understand. What do you mean mastery?
Joseph shook his head.
Speaker 3 (07:50):
How much do you know of the staff? Boy?
Speaker 2 (07:52):
He hadn't offered the staff back to me, although it
still held its shape as a cane. I looked at him,
and all my questions, all my confusion, tumbled into my head.
What did I know? What did mister Ali teach me?
What did my grandfather teach me? From those few moments
when he gave me the staff? The answer scared me.
Nothing I knew nothing of the staff, and then it
(08:16):
hit me. He knows. He is the only one who knows.
Before I could say the words, my great grandfather pointed
to the other reading chair, have a seat, Thomas. His
voice was wistful, but also kind.
Speaker 3 (08:32):
I know too little of your situation to expect so much.
My disappointment over declan should not poison my view of you.
Speaker 2 (08:40):
He pointed at the illusioned textbook lying on the floor,
and it turned into a rectangular piece of rich dirt.
Grass grew out of it and turned it into a
small piece of lawn. Sit I sat down and looked
at the grass. It was rich and lush and appeared real.
Are you an illusionist? Joseph looked aghast, Good Lord.
Speaker 3 (09:03):
No, illusion is the creation of the unreal, and thus
it is weak.
Speaker 2 (09:07):
He sneered, a useless magic. He turned and looked at me.
Speaker 3 (09:12):
The staff in my hands manipulates the innate bits of
life that are hidden in practically everything.
Speaker 2 (09:18):
I didn't say anything, and he sighed.
Speaker 3 (09:21):
To your grandfather, the staff was wasted on me. I
was little more than a gardener.
Speaker 2 (09:26):
He touched the tabletop, and twigs and branches grew up
from the wooden surface. That's amazing. I wondered at this
power of his Could he create massive treehouses? Could he
make animals grow too? Could he touch the sea and
fill a net with fish? If he could manipulate life?
Could he also bring someone back from the dead? Could
(09:47):
he heal injuries? There were so many things that I
could imagine he could do with his power that it
overwhelmed me.
Speaker 3 (09:54):
It is kind of you to say, but unfortunately I
was ordered to give up the staff because my master
was not quite as valuable as that of my son,
who could destroy things.
Speaker 2 (10:05):
He ran his hand over his head, and it was
the exact same movement I had seen my grandfather make
over and over again as he tried to tame his
wild hair. Is there anything you can't do with the staff?
Speaker 3 (10:17):
We don't have time for us to discuss the missed
opportunities of my youth. Let me just state that the
most powerful arch mage since the Staff was brought to
Britain is sitting in this room.
Speaker 2 (10:27):
I thought of his words. They didn't sound like the
boastful comments one would hear from a boor, nor were
they filled with the bravado I heard attached to those
that described my grandfather. My great grandfather could manipulate life itself. Yes,
I agreed with him. That was power of a frightening magnitude.
Speaker 3 (10:45):
I nodded. He was the most powerful arch mage in history.
You nod, but I have not finished. The second most
powerful arch made since it was brought to Britain is
the one that currently holds the staff.
Speaker 2 (10:57):
He smiled, and the cane turned into a large, intricately
ruined staff. It took a moment for the words to
sink in, but I can only make light, so I heard.
He didn't add anything, and the silence became uncomfortable. You
mentioned that the staff came to England. I thought that
the staff was our family's legacy. Were we not always
(11:21):
from England. I was thoroughly transfixed with the opportunity to
learn more about the staff and our family's history.
Speaker 3 (11:28):
The origin of the staff has nothing to do with
our family.
Speaker 2 (11:31):
He turned the staff back into a cane and handed
it to me. Our family are thieves, he said it
so matter of factly that I couldn't quite believe what
I heard.
Speaker 3 (11:41):
During the First Crusade, one of our illustrious forefathers traveled
far to the southeast and came back with a powerful
magic item. How he got it is lost to history,
but you can be sure it involved murder, torture, or
probably both.
Speaker 2 (11:56):
The staff.
Speaker 3 (11:57):
Yes, how the fool escaped per with one of the
few artifacts of the arcane left in the world is
beyond me.
Speaker 2 (12:04):
But he did. I thought the staff was one with
our family, and that only we can use it.
Speaker 3 (12:10):
Well, that story certainly stops people from asking embarrassing questions, so.
Speaker 2 (12:14):
We aren't the only ones who can use it, of course,
not as he spoke. My great grandfather appeared nothing more
than to be annoyed with the whole story. At this point. However,
he looked me in the eye and held up a
finger to underscore the point.
Speaker 3 (12:29):
Here is your first and only lesson about the staff.
Its power is its own, not mine, not yours, not
our families. Different people can use it to different effect. Thankfully,
very few people can get it to do anything. Hell,
it's sat on a mantle for decades. A couple hundred
years ago, he shrugged. Perhaps the staff got bored with
our family and hoped we'd pass it on to someone else,
(12:51):
he laughed. Of course we didn't.
Speaker 2 (12:53):
But mister Ali's family is from Persia, and he said
it was destined only be held by one of our family, Joseph.
Speaker 3 (13:00):
Another reason to be rid of that staff. That we
have deluded the very people we stole the staff from
through lies is a stain on our family. He waved
his finger at me. I'm too old to make a difference.
But know this, Thomas. If you tell Ali or his family,
or anyone from Persia that the staff belongs to anyone
but them, than you are party to their oppression.
Speaker 2 (13:21):
The history of my family and the staff, which so
thrilled and inspired me just minutes before, now made me uncomfortable.
I cannot believe that we stole something and then use
the very thing we stole to convince those we stole
it from to serve us. The idea of destroying the
staff seemed to make much more sense now. I should
return it to Ali's family and tell him the truth.
Speaker 3 (13:42):
Good God, boy, don't do that.
Speaker 2 (13:45):
Why does it not belong to them?
Speaker 3 (13:47):
Have you not been paying attention? The staff belongs to
no one but itself. Better to destroy it and rid
the world of one of the last pieces of magic
that humans can control.
Speaker 2 (13:58):
Mister Ali had made this same argument, and while I
vaguely understood mister Ali's point about the danger of magic.
I also remembered his joy of magic working with the
technology of the train. Maybe my great grandfather didn't understand
this exciting future. But magic is a force for good too.
Your own son used it to help defeat the Germans.
(14:20):
And what about the great achievements of magic and technology
working together. I rode here on a train that was
as fast as the wind and flew across water. My
great grandfather stared at me as if I were an idiot, I.
Speaker 3 (14:33):
Would be angry boy, but I can only pity you
and your ignorance.
Speaker 2 (14:36):
He leaned forward, and his glare was uncomfortable.
Speaker 3 (14:40):
Let me ask you this, how does that majestic train run?
Speaker 2 (14:44):
The engineer uses magic. I did not know, but assumed
it was powerful magic created by the engineer, who was
some kind of transportation magician. Even as I considered the
scenario in my mind, I knew it was ridiculous.
Speaker 3 (14:58):
The train is powered by I am married enslaved in
the engine and tortured until he uses his magic to
power the train and create its magic.
Speaker 2 (15:07):
What is a meriad? I had heard them mentioned over
the past few days, but I was still unclear on
what they were, and my question was the last straw.
My great grandfather's temper boiled over.
Speaker 3 (15:20):
A married the most powerful of the magical creatures. It
was enslaved by trickery, You ignorant child. Is that the
magic you are proud of? Is that the magic you
want to use to gain fame and power for your family?
Speaker 2 (15:32):
No? I threw the cane to the ground. I want
none of that. Joseph held up his hand and the
cane flew into it.
Speaker 3 (15:40):
It is the bargain you now live with here.
Speaker 2 (15:43):
He handed me the cane.
Speaker 3 (15:45):
Take this and do with it what you will. I'm
too old. I'm not even a plan. See, I'm a
curiosity nothing more.
Speaker 2 (15:54):
He stood up.
Speaker 3 (15:55):
Give it to Vingrosh. He could rid it from the world.
Exchange it for my son if you want. I don't care.
Speaker 2 (16:03):
He turned away from me and took a few steps,
and then paused. Cain wants the staff. He brought me
here as insurance to use the staff against Hitler if
he could not. I came only to hold it again
and to remind myself that at least one person could
use the staff to create beauty and not destruction.
Speaker 3 (16:23):
I have done that.
Speaker 2 (16:24):
I stood up as he walked to the door and
ran to him, Wait goodbye, Thomas.
Speaker 3 (16:30):
I like to think that you'll make the right decision,
but alas I don't have the energy to find out.
Speaker 2 (16:37):
He was at the door when I reached him. He
moved slow. He was old and frail, and I could
tell that he had used more energy in the past
few minutes than he had in a long time. You
said you were the second most powerful arch mage in
history in the room, did you mean that I was
the most powerful? He looked at me, and I wanted
(16:58):
him to smile and say you are now use your
power for good, but he did none of those things.
He shook his head and opened the door. He walked out,
then turned to me and said.
Speaker 3 (17:09):
How much do you know of light? Can it bend?
What does its absence mean? What happens if you slow
it down?
Speaker 2 (17:17):
I didn't understand what he was saying, and he clearly noticed.
Speaker 3 (17:21):
Perhaps it is best that you don't know.
Speaker 2 (17:24):
And with that he walked toward the stairs. While I
stood in the doorframe, I watched him depart, wondering if
I'd ever see him. Agains
Artifacts of the Arcane by Jake Kerr. Season one, The
Staff of Light, episode sixteen, Plan C.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
I alternated between trying to focus on hiding myself and
making sense of how I could deal with Naomi. I
would dodge a group of soldiers and then nearly run
into another group, while imagining that when I wasn't annoying Naomi,
I was embarrassing myself in front of her. I somehow
made it to my quarters without being seen and opened
the door, only to run right into Felice. Her eyes
(00:42):
went wide. Did your meeting with Cain go okay? Well?
He questioned my ability to wield the staff, and then
he lit my arm on fire, which was intensely painful.
Other than that, it went great. Felice nodded as if
she expected my response, that's not so bad. I'm sure
he won't light you on fire next time. I almost laughed,
(01:03):
but she was serious, not so bad. The thought made
me even more desperate to leave the citadel. I thankfully
for her concern and made my way up the stairs
to my room. I opened the door, planning on switching
from the boots to my shoes and then rushing back
to Naomi so we could escape. I took one step
into my room and stopped cold. There was an old
(01:24):
man sitting in the reading chair, looking over the illusion textbook.
He looked up at me.
Speaker 3 (01:30):
Is this yours a waste of time? If you ask me?
Speaker 2 (01:34):
He tossed the book on the floor. He was ancient.
The small amount of hair he had was white and
slicked back in an attempt at style. He had gray eyes,
and as they peered at me, they were the only
part of him that looked young. His skin was thin
and wrinkled, and he looked very frail. I couldn't even
guess his age. Yet he looked regal. He wore a
(01:56):
nice suit that somehow fit well despite his inability to
fill it. The shirt was pure white, and his navy
blue tie was tightly knotted and perfectly centered. I stared
at him. He scowled at me.
Speaker 3 (02:09):
Well, don't just stand there, let me see it.
Speaker 2 (02:13):
He held out his hand. I'm sorry.
Speaker 3 (02:15):
Who are you?
Speaker 2 (02:16):
He obviously wasn't some soldier sent here to hold me
until Cain could get his hands on the staff. On
the other hand, he had the same dismissive demeanor of
Cain himself. I'm plan B, he laughed, a scratchy, high
pitched laugh. Plan B. I worried that perhaps the old
man was insane and had wandered into my room.
Speaker 3 (02:36):
Yes, plan B. If Cain can't get you to follow
his orders, I'm to convince you to give me the
staff to wield.
Speaker 2 (02:44):
I stared at him.
Speaker 3 (02:46):
For whatever good that will do him, He scratched his head. Actually,
I might be planed c Plan B is probably kin
trying to use the stuff himself.
Speaker 2 (02:57):
The old man looked at me, and when I didn't respond, added.
Speaker 3 (03:01):
Fine, if you must know, I'm also the Royal gardener
at Balmoral.
Speaker 2 (03:05):
His expression didn't change, but he opened and closed his
hand in a reminder to hand him something. Did he
mean the staff? Do I know you?
Speaker 3 (03:13):
Unfortunately not?
Speaker 2 (03:15):
He sat up straighter, but still didn't stand or.
Speaker 3 (03:18):
Perhaps Fortunately give me the staff, and I think that
may clear some things up.
Speaker 2 (03:24):
I pulled the cane against my chest. I'm afraid I
can't do that. He shook his head and nodded.
Speaker 3 (03:30):
Ah, yes, I expected this.
Speaker 2 (03:33):
He waved his finger at me.
Speaker 3 (03:35):
My son said the same thing after I gave it
to him, and asked him a few years later if
I could use the staff for some particularly difficult topiary work.
He shook his head. It would have made things much easier,
he sighed, the selfishness of youth. I guess he.
Speaker 2 (03:49):
Gave the staff to his son. My staff, my grandfather's staff.
Before I could ask any questions, the old man laughed.
Speaker 3 (03:59):
Maybe you want to stupid is my son. You're starting
to understand, now, are you not? Who are you? He
laughed a bitter laugh. Maybe you are as stupid as
he is. After all, I'm Joseph blacash declan Black. Your
grandfather is my son.
Speaker 2 (04:14):
I felt my knees go weak because I knew that
he was telling the truth. I saw it immediately, not
just in his eyes, but the shape of his face
and even his gruff demeanor, which, if I were honest,
was a big part of my grandfather's personality. His smile
fleeting as it was, reminded me of my father's smile.
(04:35):
I took a step forward. You're my great grandfather. Yes,
I'm also an arch mage. I've borne the staff. Blah
blah blah.
Speaker 3 (04:45):
That's why Cain used his infernal connections to get me
sent here. He thinks I'm a loyal citizen and will
wheeld the staff for him. But the truth is, he
leaned forward. I just came here to hold the staff
one more time before I die. He held up a finger,
but I did not lie. I am the King's gardener
in Balmarle.
Speaker 2 (05:02):
He shrugged, as it were. I walked over to him,
and as I approached, he held out his hand again.
Speaker 3 (05:08):
If I'm to be totally truthful, I also wanted to
see you, my great grandson, but don't tell anyone I
have a reputation for being decidedly unsentimental.
Speaker 2 (05:17):
He laughed. Plans. See. I held the staff up.
Speaker 3 (05:21):
As you wish, although one might think great grandfather would
be more appropriate.
Speaker 2 (05:26):
He looked at the staff. Ah, still a cane.
Speaker 3 (05:30):
My foolish son never could figure out how to change
it back.
Speaker 2 (05:33):
I see his eyebrows furrowed and his jaw clenched. He
looked both sad and angry. I didn't move, and he
added the staff boy. I handed it to him. I
knew I shouldn't have, but I did. I cannot explain why,
other than to say that I knew it was the
right thing to do. The staff said as much to
me in its arcane and unfathomable language. He held it
(05:57):
up and it transformed into a living branch of some
flowering tree. It bloomed with white flowers, and petals fell.
As he pulled it close to his eyes. My great
grandfather smiled and his face transformed. He breathed in deeply,
his nose among the flowers. The happiness made him look
years younger. He lowered the staff and it changed into
(06:20):
a cricket bat. He looked at me.
Speaker 3 (06:23):
You are a young boy. Would you prefer this?
Speaker 2 (06:28):
I didn't answer, and he quickly added, ah.
Speaker 3 (06:30):
You are American, Perhaps this is better.
Speaker 2 (06:33):
The cricket bat transformed into a baseball bat or this.
In short order, he changed the staff into a large stick,
a flower, a wand, and a wooden knife. Before he
could do any more, I interrupted, I prefer the cane.
He frowned.
Speaker 3 (06:50):
Making it a cane was a joke I played on
my son as a reminder of his feeble ego.
Speaker 2 (06:55):
The staff remained a wooden knife, and Joseph tapped it
on his palm. He stared at me, and again I
felt uncomfortable in his gaze. His presence was at once
exciting to me, but his mannerisms and attitude were disturbing.
He took joy in the staff and what it could do.
But he did not seem to care about me much
at all. The more I considered him, the more it
(07:15):
bothered me that he was dismissive toward my grandfather, his
own son. I prefer the cane, and you can give
it back to me now. I held out my hand.
He didn't say anything for a while, just stared at me.
When I refused to avert my gaze, he smiled my
father's smile and held up the staff to me, which
without my noticing, had turned again into a cane. As
(07:38):
I went to take it, he pulled it back.
Speaker 3 (07:41):
Are you not curious what my mastery of the stuff is?
Speaker 2 (07:44):
I'm afraid I don't understand. What do you mean mastery?
Joseph shook his head.
Speaker 3 (07:50):
How much do you know of the staff? Boy?
Speaker 2 (07:52):
He hadn't offered the staff back to me, although it
still held its shape as a cane. I looked at him,
and all my questions, all my confusion, tumbled into my head.
What did I know? What did mister Ali teach me?
What did my grandfather teach me? From those few moments
when he gave me the staff? The answer scared me.
Nothing I knew nothing of the staff, and then it
(08:16):
hit me. He knows. He is the only one who knows.
Before I could say the words, my great grandfather pointed
to the other reading chair, have a seat, Thomas. His
voice was wistful, but also kind.
Speaker 3 (08:32):
I know too little of your situation to expect so much.
My disappointment over declan should not poison my view of you.
Speaker 2 (08:40):
He pointed at the illusioned textbook lying on the floor,
and it turned into a rectangular piece of rich dirt.
Grass grew out of it and turned it into a
small piece of lawn. Sit I sat down and looked
at the grass. It was rich and lush and appeared real.
Are you an illusionist? Joseph looked aghast, Good Lord.
Speaker 3 (09:03):
No, illusion is the creation of the unreal, and thus
it is weak.
Speaker 2 (09:07):
He sneered, a useless magic. He turned and looked at me.
Speaker 3 (09:12):
The staff in my hands manipulates the innate bits of
life that are hidden in practically everything.
Speaker 2 (09:18):
I didn't say anything, and he sighed.
Speaker 3 (09:21):
To your grandfather, the staff was wasted on me. I
was little more than a gardener.
Speaker 2 (09:26):
He touched the tabletop, and twigs and branches grew up
from the wooden surface. That's amazing. I wondered at this
power of his Could he create massive treehouses? Could he
make animals grow too? Could he touch the sea and
fill a net with fish? If he could manipulate life?
Could he also bring someone back from the dead? Could
(09:47):
he heal injuries? There were so many things that I
could imagine he could do with his power that it
overwhelmed me.
Speaker 3 (09:54):
It is kind of you to say, but unfortunately I
was ordered to give up the staff because my master
was not quite as valuable as that of my son,
who could destroy things.
Speaker 2 (10:05):
He ran his hand over his head, and it was
the exact same movement I had seen my grandfather make
over and over again as he tried to tame his
wild hair. Is there anything you can't do with the staff?
Speaker 3 (10:17):
We don't have time for us to discuss the missed
opportunities of my youth. Let me just state that the
most powerful arch mage since the Staff was brought to
Britain is sitting in this room.
Speaker 2 (10:27):
I thought of his words. They didn't sound like the
boastful comments one would hear from a boor, nor were
they filled with the bravado I heard attached to those
that described my grandfather. My great grandfather could manipulate life itself. Yes,
I agreed with him. That was power of a frightening magnitude.
Speaker 3 (10:45):
I nodded. He was the most powerful arch mage in history.
You nod, but I have not finished. The second most
powerful arch made since it was brought to Britain is
the one that currently holds the staff.
Speaker 2 (10:57):
He smiled, and the cane turned into a large, intricately
ruined staff. It took a moment for the words to
sink in, but I can only make light, so I heard.
He didn't add anything, and the silence became uncomfortable. You
mentioned that the staff came to England. I thought that
the staff was our family's legacy. Were we not always
(11:21):
from England. I was thoroughly transfixed with the opportunity to
learn more about the staff and our family's history.
Speaker 3 (11:28):
The origin of the staff has nothing to do with
our family.
Speaker 2 (11:31):
He turned the staff back into a cane and handed
it to me. Our family are thieves, he said it
so matter of factly that I couldn't quite believe what
I heard.
Speaker 3 (11:41):
During the First Crusade, one of our illustrious forefathers traveled
far to the southeast and came back with a powerful
magic item. How he got it is lost to history,
but you can be sure it involved murder, torture, or
probably both.
Speaker 2 (11:56):
The staff.
Speaker 3 (11:57):
Yes, how the fool escaped per with one of the
few artifacts of the arcane left in the world is
beyond me.
Speaker 2 (12:04):
But he did. I thought the staff was one with
our family, and that only we can use it.
Speaker 3 (12:10):
Well, that story certainly stops people from asking embarrassing questions, so.
Speaker 2 (12:14):
We aren't the only ones who can use it, of course,
not as he spoke. My great grandfather appeared nothing more
than to be annoyed with the whole story. At this point. However,
he looked me in the eye and held up a
finger to underscore the point.
Speaker 3 (12:29):
Here is your first and only lesson about the staff.
Its power is its own, not mine, not yours, not
our families. Different people can use it to different effect. Thankfully,
very few people can get it to do anything. Hell,
it's sat on a mantle for decades. A couple hundred
years ago, he shrugged. Perhaps the staff got bored with
our family and hoped we'd pass it on to someone else,
(12:51):
he laughed. Of course we didn't.
Speaker 2 (12:53):
But mister Ali's family is from Persia, and he said
it was destined only be held by one of our family, Joseph.
Speaker 3 (13:00):
Another reason to be rid of that staff. That we
have deluded the very people we stole the staff from
through lies is a stain on our family. He waved
his finger at me. I'm too old to make a difference.
But know this, Thomas. If you tell Ali or his family,
or anyone from Persia that the staff belongs to anyone
but them, than you are party to their oppression.
Speaker 2 (13:21):
The history of my family and the staff, which so
thrilled and inspired me just minutes before, now made me uncomfortable.
I cannot believe that we stole something and then use
the very thing we stole to convince those we stole
it from to serve us. The idea of destroying the
staff seemed to make much more sense now. I should
return it to Ali's family and tell him the truth.
Speaker 3 (13:42):
Good God, boy, don't do that.
Speaker 2 (13:45):
Why does it not belong to them?
Speaker 3 (13:47):
Have you not been paying attention? The staff belongs to
no one but itself. Better to destroy it and rid
the world of one of the last pieces of magic
that humans can control.
Speaker 2 (13:58):
Mister Ali had made this same argument, and while I
vaguely understood mister Ali's point about the danger of magic.
I also remembered his joy of magic working with the
technology of the train. Maybe my great grandfather didn't understand
this exciting future. But magic is a force for good too.
Your own son used it to help defeat the Germans.
(14:20):
And what about the great achievements of magic and technology
working together. I rode here on a train that was
as fast as the wind and flew across water. My
great grandfather stared at me as if I were an idiot, I.
Speaker 3 (14:33):
Would be angry boy, but I can only pity you
and your ignorance.
Speaker 2 (14:36):
He leaned forward, and his glare was uncomfortable.
Speaker 3 (14:40):
Let me ask you this, how does that majestic train run?
Speaker 2 (14:44):
The engineer uses magic. I did not know, but assumed
it was powerful magic created by the engineer, who was
some kind of transportation magician. Even as I considered the
scenario in my mind, I knew it was ridiculous.
Speaker 3 (14:58):
The train is powered by I am married enslaved in
the engine and tortured until he uses his magic to
power the train and create its magic.
Speaker 2 (15:07):
What is a meriad? I had heard them mentioned over
the past few days, but I was still unclear on
what they were, and my question was the last straw.
My great grandfather's temper boiled over.
Speaker 3 (15:20):
A married the most powerful of the magical creatures. It
was enslaved by trickery, You ignorant child. Is that the
magic you are proud of? Is that the magic you
want to use to gain fame and power for your family?
Speaker 2 (15:32):
No? I threw the cane to the ground. I want
none of that. Joseph held up his hand and the
cane flew into it.
Speaker 3 (15:40):
It is the bargain you now live with here.
Speaker 2 (15:43):
He handed me the cane.
Speaker 3 (15:45):
Take this and do with it what you will. I'm
too old. I'm not even a plan. See, I'm a
curiosity nothing more.
Speaker 2 (15:54):
He stood up.
Speaker 3 (15:55):
Give it to Vingrosh. He could rid it from the world.
Exchange it for my son if you want. I don't care.
Speaker 2 (16:03):
He turned away from me and took a few steps,
and then paused. Cain wants the staff. He brought me
here as insurance to use the staff against Hitler if
he could not. I came only to hold it again
and to remind myself that at least one person could
use the staff to create beauty and not destruction.
Speaker 3 (16:23):
I have done that.
Speaker 2 (16:24):
I stood up as he walked to the door and
ran to him, Wait goodbye, Thomas.
Speaker 3 (16:30):
I like to think that you'll make the right decision,
but alas I don't have the energy to find out.
Speaker 2 (16:37):
He was at the door when I reached him. He
moved slow. He was old and frail, and I could
tell that he had used more energy in the past
few minutes than he had in a long time. You
said you were the second most powerful arch mage in
history in the room, did you mean that I was
the most powerful? He looked at me, and I wanted
(16:58):
him to smile and say you are now use your
power for good, but he did none of those things.
He shook his head and opened the door. He walked out,
then turned to me and said.
Speaker 3 (17:09):
How much do you know of light? Can it bend?
What does its absence mean? What happens if you slow
it down?
Speaker 2 (17:17):
I didn't understand what he was saying, and he clearly noticed.
Speaker 3 (17:21):
Perhaps it is best that you don't know.
Speaker 2 (17:24):
And with that he walked toward the stairs. While I
stood in the doorframe, I watched him depart, wondering if
I'd ever see him. Agains
Popular Podcasts
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
The Joe Rogan Experience
The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.