Evoker

I awoke to a strange yet familiar landscape.  A carpet of grass ran as far as the eye can see, but there were no other distinguishing features.  The sky was a solid grey color that didn’t seem to be the result of clouds.  There was no wind, not even a light breeze.  It was also unnervingly silent.  I spent a few minutes trying to figure out how I knew this place when it suddenly hit me.  I had fallen asleep and entered my own subconscious.

But it was all wrong.  There should have been more going on as a reflection of my magical ability, but there was no weather, no mountains, and no lakes.  It was a blank slate.  Most likely as a result of losing my spirits.  I still had one spirit though, and I needed some answers before I was going to put all my trust in her.

As soon as I thought it, a figure appeared in front of me.  It was a young woman, looking no more than twenty five, but I knew she was ageless.  She wore a light, simple black robe with the hood drawn over her head, leaving most of her face obscured in shadows.  A quick glance would lead you to believe she was perfectly human, but many facts showed otherwise.  Her robe was constantly moving, as if blowing in a light breeze that wasn’t there.  Her skin looked as if it was polished metal, but her eyes were the most noticeable difference.  The irises were a sparkling silver, and she had no pupils.  She was inhumanly beautiful, and as far as I knew inhumanly dangerous.

And I had the bright idea of inviting her into my head.  ‘Sure, it seemed useful at the time,’ I thought. ‘But am I ready to deal with whatever the consequences may be?’

You have questions, my host?  Even her voice was inhuman, for it sounded like it was coming from everywhere at once.

“I have a lot of them actually, but I have no doubt you won’t answer most of them.  So I’ll start with something simple.  Where did you come from and why did you bond with me?”

You ask questions, but none of them are the right ones.  If you must know, I am from the space between worlds, formed from the ambient energy there, as well as some of the energy put out there by your people, she answered in the same emotionless speech as before. As to why I bonded with you, it was because you were the closest to the rift where I entered your world.  Those mages sending away that fire spirit should have been more careful with their spell.

I was a little shocked that she willingly admitted she was from the void.  Most creatures from there are incredibly dangerous and detrimental to reality.  Those creatures were the main reason for the founding of the Order of the Sentinel.  She must have known that much from the time she had been in my head.  I either dodged a bullet or I was in more trouble than I thought.

“I don’t believe that I was just a victim of good luck.  The universe doesn’t usually smile on me like that.  I’ll move on for now, but you will tell me the truth if you ever want any sort of freedom to act.  I do have another question.  What kind of magic can you do?  And what can you allow me to do?”

You already know the basics of energy spirits.  They can allow your people to make tears in the fabric of the universe and look upon other worlds.  It is almost as simple to travel between worlds.  More complicated magics involve manipulating ambient magical energy by imposing your will on it, but with the current restraint you have me under it is beyond you.  With the help I can currently give, you would hardly be able to learn the proper skills to do anything more intricate than a blast of force, she said in matter-of-factly.  It isn’t the same as working with the elements.  You need more control and focus to deal with forces that most likely don’t want to do what you want them to.  As for what I can do… she paused, as if trying to decide exactly how to deflect my question without making me press the issue.  I can do a lot more than you would ever dream of doing, but right now I am shackled.  I will say that my power is here if you ever wish to draw upon it.

That worried me.  I know some spirits have delusions of grandeur about the kind of power they have, but few have ever shown evidence to back up their claims.  I had no trouble believing that her power was every bit as real as she claimed.  I let her take control only to allow me to take control of the banishment spell, so I could decide where I could go.  I felt the power she had, and I could have grabbed it then.  But I didn’t because I didn’t know the cost.  I still don’t.

I tried to keep my face straight and my thoughts shielded as I said, “I’ll keep that in mind.  I only have a couple other questions.  My major concern is this:  How are we going to find my other spirits?  Is there any way you can help me track them down?”

Unfortunately that is not possible.  You would need to get to the point where they were banished and follow the energy trail left behind, if it hasn’t already destabilized and disappeared.  It is up to you to find a way to get to them, she paused again, only this time she was thinking.Maybe this world can help you.  The spell brought you here for a reason.  You probably added another criterion without even thinking about it; a world that can help.  The spell had a lot of worlds to choose from, and it chose this one.  You should ask your new friend if she has any ideas.

Incredibly dangerous spirit from the void or not, she had a point.  I did have a goal in mind that may have been incorporated into the spell.  ‘I should ask Fluttershy if she or anyone she knows can help me out,’ I thought.

“I only have one more thing to ask you.  Since you are living in my head, what should I call you?”

I have been to other worlds besides yours.  I have many names, but there is one I was fond of.  You may call me Azrael.  It is as fitting a name as any other.

A chill went through me as I heard the name, but I couldn’t place where I had heard it before.  I was trying to piece it together in my head as the dreamscape dissolved around me.  My thoughts started slipping away, and my vision went black.

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Fluttershy stepped out of her house and into the early morning light with a look of concern on her face.  A strange new creature had shown up out of the Everfree Forest, injured and scared.  Not only that, but it was able to talk!  She had no clue where to go from here.  The creature seemed nice enough, but who knows what it actually wanted.  Plus, it was still injured, even after the first aid she had given.  ‘I don’t care what he says, his shoulder needs to be looked at, maybe even healed with magic,’ Fluttershy thought. ‘Oh, but who could I bring to see him?  Most ponies in Ponyville probably wouldn’t react very well to seeing a strange creature.  He seems stable for now, maybe I’ll think of something in a little while.’

With that Fluttershy went about her morning chores of making sure all of the animals were cared for.  She checked to make sure the animals that were waking up had breakfast, and she made sure all the nocturnal animals had made it back to their homes okay.  All the while she pondered her situation and what she was going to do about it.

Finally, Fluttershy had an idea.  ‘I should go see Twilight!  She knows all sorts of spells.  She must know some healing magic.  Plus, she will probably be more curious about a strange new creature than scared of it.’  Happy with her idea, Fluttershy quickly finished up her morning chores and set off in the direction of the library.