Chapter 14: Distractions

Talamia's gentle, even breathing lightly tickled Jake's chest. They had fallen asleep together hours before, but Jake only needed an hour or two of rest each night, and he had exhausted poor Talamia. With their limbs so entangled, he had not seen a way to extricate himself without waking her, so he gazed into her exquisite features and lost himself to introspection.

In the brief time since he had possessed this power, he had made mistakes; that, of course, must be expected. But there was only one thing he truly regretted-- one thing he felt ashamed of.

Pauline. She had possessed her own life --albeit a shallow, perhaps unfulfilling one-- but it was hers. And he had torn it away from her. He had destroyed what she was and what she could have been for nothing more than a fleshy pleasure he could have gotten willingly, even eagerly from Courtney or Tina. Power implies responsibility. How many times had he said that, even as he was raping Pauline's mind?

Talamia shifted slightly in her sleep. Jake absently caressed her hair as he pondered what he should do about Pauline. And what he should do about himself? He remembered the saying about absolute power, and it was chilling to think that he might be in danger of becoming something he would hate.

Eventually he knew there was only one person who could advise him. Sighing, he began the attempt to get out of bed without waking his new concubine, not really expecting success but determined to give it a shot.

He didn't even get one arm completely removed before she stirred. "What time is it?" Talamia murmured sleepily as he finished getting up.

"It's early. Go back to sleep." Jake whispered to her. Damn. Oh well, at least he was up. Talamia rolled over and did as he suggested.

Throwing on his bathrobe, he tiptoed downstairs before making the call. Focusing his awareness on the thread of ether that was his bond to Ykir, he sent a pulse of summoning.

In only a few seconds, the pulse returned, and with it a message: 'A moment--I will come'. Jake poured himself a glass of milk and sat at the kitchen table, waiting.

About three or four minutes later, Jake felt the Ether gather itself and coalesce into the image of a man. Ykir stood before him, taking in the surroundings before sitting down across the table from Jake.

"I'm glad you called me, Jake. I was going to contact you in a few days myself, regarding this 'Elemental Mage' thing. Is that what you wanted to talk about?"

"Er, well--no. Actually, I was looking for some advice regarding power. I'm afraid of getting corrupted by my power. I mean, I have nothing to stop me from doing whatever I want. How did you stop yourself from becoming a tyrant?"

Ykir blinked in surprise. "Well, Jake, I guess the best answer I can give you is that I didn't." Jake frowned in confusion. "There was a time of several centuries, when I first realized my power, that I was considered to be the "Dark God", if you will. Almost all legends regarding Ahriman, Satan, Lucifer, Loki, Hades, whatever, had some basis in fact, and that basis was usually me, although most often several times removed. Stories do have a way of changing with the storyteller.

"But there's a flipside to that. Being creatures of ether, such as we are, means that there is a necessary balance within you. Total Evil, just like Total Goodness, would feel very unnatural for either of us. Even back then, I had as many people worship me as I did revile me. The best way, I found, to avoid either extreme, was to avoid as much contact with those unlettered country bumpkins as possible. That's about the time I decided on secluding myself from most of humankind's affairs."

Jake considered this for several moments. This was disturbing, but not necessarily bad, news. Finally, he began to speak. "I can't afford corruption, not in this day and age. Look how far humankind has come. If I became like that, caring for nothing beyond my own pleasure, all that has been accomplished in the name of humanity could be lost. I have a responsibility to make sure that doesn't happen; not only to myself, but to those I care for, and who care for me." Jake sighed. "I guess it's still up to me to find the way."

Ykir laughed. "It was never any other way, Jake. You've got to realize that you are one of two people in the world that is truly responsible for how everything turns out. This world is our playground and our laboratory. The Grand Experiment! It is here that you will mature into whatever you can become, and all those who help or hinder you are really nothing of consequence." Ykir's face changed. "And that leads perfectly into what I wished to discuss with you."

Jake's eyebrow rose. "You mentioned my Elemental Mages. Do you have a problem with them?"

"To put it succinctly, Jake, yes. I thought long and hard about what kind of power I should give the mortals, putting nearly a century into experiments of all kinds, testing what worked best with what... I won't bore you with the details. I do believe I hit on the best method. The problem is, you've given these new followers of yours enormous power, and then you're going to have ambitious, greedy little fools running amok. Are you aware that you've made the talent of an Elemental Mage able to be passed down genetically? You've completely removed the screening process that a practitioner goes through! It means there is no such thing as hard study and discipline bringing power. Now it's what you're born with!"

Jake gathered his thoughts for several moments before speaking. "That is certainly a valid way of looking at it. Yes, I am aware that I made the gift to be hereditary. There were reasons for what I did, and to be totally truthful, I did it to counter some of your work.

"Point one: the ambitious and greedy part. Do not think for a moment that your 'practitioners' aren't exactly the same way. The only thing that holds them in check is fear of reprisal from the Council--a government, of sorts, comprised of their peers. I have Barrachus working on the same kind of thing for the Mages. By the time there are Elemental Mages in existence that I do not exert direct control over, several generations will have passed, and those loyal to me will keep the younger ones in line.

"Point two: the running amok part. All second- generation Elemental Mages will have the same limitations on their power as my loyal subjects. Loyalty and obedience to me will be built into their very being. They will not be physically capable of betraying me; unlike my first generation, who still have the capacity to consciously reject my authority, future Mages will be born with loyalty to me as an integral part of their existence. This will make anything I disapprove of, such as 'running amok', anathema to them.

"Point three: the screening process. I've got to tell you straight, Ykir--yours just doesn't cut the mustard anymore." Ykir started in surprise at that comment. Jake went on. "The rules they operate under are outdated, some to the point of being medieval. All they do is play against each other for social and sexual advantage. They're little children who have learned their magic by rote. Barrachus was telling me yesterday that magic was a tame science. Everyone knew what could and couldn't be done. Well, I've put some of my own magic into the mix. That which was stagnating has been given a flush-- I think my people are going to make the magical lifestyle interesting again.

"Lastly, I don't understand how you can tell me that corruption in me is more or less unavoidable in some degree and yet in the same breath condemn the 'mortals' for hanging themselves with their own proverbial ropes. If it's gonna happen, it's gonna happen, but I think I can control it. This could be the beginning of the transcendence of the human race." Jake sighed. "What will it take to convince you that this idea of mine might be a good thing?" he asked frankly.

Ykir stared hard at him for a long while. Jake met his considering gaze with a steady one of his own. Finally, he spoke. "I thought this lunacy was something you did for the sake of assisting your plot of vengeance. I see now that considerably more thought was put into it." Abruptly, Ykir stood up from the table, pushing the chair into the cabinet. "Lunacy and genius are often difficult to tell apart. I will watch what happens for the next few centuries before I make any conclusions. Like I said before, this world is our laboratory--we need to experiment if we are going to learn. Take care not to let any grow too powerful. Even with your obedience built in, they could still rise against you--if they thought it was in your best interest. Until later, then..." And with a casual wave of his hand, Ykir faded into nothingness.

The elaborate design channeled Ether directly into his body. He gloried in it; the sensation was ecstasy. Gradually, the feeling faded as his body grew accustomed to the influx of energy. Silently, the man sighed, slightly disappointed though he had known the euphoria would not last. Many Seers had compared the Touch to an orgasm, an analogy that was maddeningly accurate, except that sex was nothing compared to the mind-blowing pleasure of the Touch. Seeing no more reason to delay, he focused his awareness through the translucent glow in the back of his mind, meticulously shaping the spell he desired. He had done this a thousand times, and this time would be no different, but still he methodically double-checked his spell's structure. A single mistake, and it was death, or worse. Everything was perfect. He let the Ether flow into his construction.

The pentagram in the center of the room started to glow. It was over twenty feet across; one could see the energy slowly flow inward from its perimeter. The bright green luminescence it emanated washed out the vivid colors of the various tapestries decorating the walls. It was time. Willing his body to move, he slowly made his way to the center of the pentagram, taking great care not to let a single part of his naked body touch one of the glowing lines. That, too, could be death, and a painful one.