Carpe Noctis
Legacy Name: Carpe Noctis

The Cave

The system of cave tunnels is relatively small, yet it is able to accomodate all the needs of a practicing wizard. Much like the mysterious antlephore occupying its twisting tunnels, it is full of secrets.

It can only be reached on foot by those willing to venture beneath the canopy of a forest that does not admit the light of the sun even at high noon. The two hidden access points are heavily warded and visible only with the use of magic though the main door is no less protected against unwanted callers. The black ironwood door is nearly three feet thick, studded with iron spikes and saturated with the best defensive shield that ever came out of a potion bottle. If you were to puzzle your way through this first line of defense, you would surely mash your nose on the steel door designed to remain invisible until one stands directly before it.

Inside is a comfortable living area designed for an antlephore's comfort. Two wide, stuffed mattresses lie on the floor near the fireplace. They are low to the ground with just enough padding to keep the cold of the flagstones from making his limbs ache. In a half-circle around the mattresses are specially carved chairs that can accommodate those that perch or swim, as well as a standard chair for humanoids. Noctis rarely entertains, but if he is going to invite a foreign wizard into his domain, he will not have it said that he is a bad host.

His assistant and minion are the only ones aside from himself that are allowed in the back rooms. Down a short hallway are two smaller rooms for storage, along with a bedroom and study for the only human in a 500 mile radius.

At the end of the hallway, another warded door opens to a large, strategically lit cavern with magical glow globes. This is where the real magical work is done. The formations on the ceiling and walls have been spelled against dripping and this section of the cave system no longer grows. The rainwater from the surface follows natural channels so that the interior of the work area is always dry.

A staircase curves with the contours of the walls, leading to a horseshoe-shaped library. Tomes of magic from the archaic to the modern rest on shelves spelled against dust and moisture.

In the middle of the cavern is a well-equipped laboratory with work tables, shelves and cabinets. On the left is a big stone table with a complicated fixture of glass rods and flasks and beakers of strange colors. The assistant's small desk is tucked out of the way, next to the rudimentary kitchen. Next to it is a stone pool that is deepest in the middle, geothermally heated and fed by a hot spring below. Two further secret doors lurk in the shadows, leading to tunnels. One goes several miles to the east, ending at a concealed and ensorcelled exit. The other is a shorter passage that eventually goes north. The most notable feature of the lab hangs on the far wall. The huge formation looks very much like Noctis' neck, head, and antlers. In the neck is another secret door that leads to the small, fortified cavern where he casts dangerous spells.

The Boy

Noctis relied on the denizens of his realm for many things. They were his eyes and ears across the expanse of land contained within his circle of protection. Every creature from the smallest lain to the grizzled anyu living on the southern border knew that he would be there to provide a feast when winter was harsh or to tend to the hurts they acquired. They in turn each claimed one small portion of border, keeping an eye out for intruders who would dare to test the strength of the magic. Most people lose their concentration when an angry anyu charges. They are his network of information, always alert to changes of any kind in the forest. There is not a bud that grows or a leaf that drops without his knowledge.

Most humans have marked that section of forest taboo, hearing tales of poachers who were driven through the black depths by nightmarish creatures too horrible for description. Such men and women always seemed to meet the edge of a cliff or the spikes of their own pit. Those less guilty ones who made it out alive would shudder years later to think back on the light malevolent energy force that screamed in their ears and drove them away with a hatred that was tangible. They could feel clawed, greasy fingers on the backs of their necks though they were alone beneath the trees.

Severen was different. When he felt the faded presence of a shade, he did everything in his power to reach out and touch it.

Noctis heard the cries of his denizens when the boy breached the northern border to stand beside the crystal-clear stream that marked it. The dark-haired boy glowed with an aura of his own creation, throwing out little globes of light that instantly faded to nothing when they left his hands. With his best efforts, the young human could not locate the source of the air-filled shadow that stalked him.

Noctis had no such difficulty. He scowled at the tattered form, so decayed and in obvious need of spell renewal. It was no wonder the boy felt no fear.

Still, the boy was somewhat intriguing. As the day wore into evening, he put together a fishing pole with a sturdy stick and a bit of string. The few minnows he caught were not impressive, but they provided him with a small meal. His powers were not developed enough for much, but the fire he started was not extinguished by the breeze. It was clear he'd had training somewhere.

Noctis hated to admit his advancing years but there was no denying that even magic cannot halt the aging process forever. The old wizard had used his skills in shape-shifting to mimic a rock, a tree, or a patch of clinging moss. On the boy's third day in the forest, he made his approach in his true form.

The boy stood his ground, though he was wise enough to keep his gaze lowered. Even a novice like him knows the presence of a master of magic.

"I've been observing you, boy. It is clear you have the Call of Magic in your blood. I have never heard of such a thing in a human."

Bright green eyes looked up for just a moment before once again fixing themselves on the boy's worn leather shoes. "I come from a land many miles from here, Great Wizard. My people have not all lost the touch of Magic and they have heard of the great Carpe Noctis who speaks to all things living, takes any form, and creates spells that can reshape the world. My parents had no powers but they were sure I would have a great future. They sent me to the local shaman who told me stories of you. I would have stayed in his care but the flood...it took everything from me." The boy bit his lip to keep it from trembling.

"I'm no soft-heart, Boy. If I take you for an apprentice, you'll work from the rising of the sun until the midnight hour and you'll be lucky to hear one word of praise in the time it takes you to learn all arts. Still, I like to think I'm fair. I will not give you tasks to weaken your body or consume your spirit and I will not throw you from my lands without good cause. My asking price is that you form a bond with these lands and take my place when Death comes to claim me. Will you swear to this?"

Severen knelt, bowing his head. "I swear on my life, Master."

The Spell

Noctis takes his time in gathering prime spell ingredients, sorting the fresh, healthy leaves of sage from the withered ones and selecting bits of amber that are free of the contamination of insects. So much as one rotten berry can entirely alter the effectiveness of a spell, if it does not instead consume the castor in a great ball of flames. A wizard must never take for granted the perils faced when practicing dark magic.

He stumbles upon the raspberry canes accidentally. Berries are his weakness, from the crunchy tang of the blackberry to the sweet burst of flavor a summer strawberry releases, but no natural flavor can compete with his love for raspberries.

The muscadine grape, on the other hand, is a fruit worthy of nothing but blight. He will mutter a curse on any plant that dares set roots in his domain.

Sunset is approaching by the time he hobbles his way home. This particular spell requires careful attention to detail so that each minute of the hour holds significance in the casting. He does not allow the warm fire in the hearth nor the comfortable cushion before it to tempt him.

Ascension paces the lab impatiently, trotting across the room at the sound of approaching hoof-steps. The graymalkin narrows his eyes and twitches the tip of his tail, a mark of his annoyance. "You'd better get a move on, Knocked Over. The moon will rise and set three times in the time it takes you to unpack those ingredients."

Noctis can never quite turn his worst glare on the minion that is both companion and walking spellbook but he does manage a good scowl. "Get to your shelf, Airhead. Perhaps this time you could keep your mind on the order of ingredients instead of those ridiculous chocolate mice."

"You should talk, Berry Breath." Ascension launches himself to the padded shelf above the tripod, working the cushion with his paws until it is ideally positioned. Severen rises from his little desk, staring at the sloppy scribbles on the page he carries.

"If my calculations are right, this night will be ideal, Master. Lunar output is at exactly eighty-seven percent and it is a cloudless night."

There is no time for chatter as the mixing process begins. The three work together like perfectly aligned cogs, moving in harmony to add a pinch of dried rosemary, a quarter cup of powdered dragon eggshell, and precisely three drops of blood from the palm of a fortune teller at exactly the same moment. Severen's young arms have no difficulty finding the right pace to move the enormous wooden spoon that is spelled against heat and rot. Ascension is there to snatch empty vials from the wizard's hooves before they can drop. There is no one who knows the limits of Noctis better than his minion. Ascension will never interfere with a casting, but he makes it a point to have a cushion well in reach and ready to place, should Noctis ever threaten to fall.

The final step is one Noctis must take alone. Noctis mutters the spell that allows him to enter the neck of the great stone head that bears his resemblance. The narrow cavern within contains wards powerful enough to contain the power of a demon with demigod powers or the force of a captured black hole.

Noctis drinks the potion in one quick gulp, hunching over as the moon reaches the exact center of the sky. He has the power to see, touch, and communicate with any force, visible or invisible, contained in the universe of Subeta.

What he says to them, not even his apprentice can guess at. The powers of darkness are for the master wizard alone.

Credits

Profile Code by: Ringo
Extra Code by: Johnny
Edited by: Chrysariel
Story by: Pureflower
Overlay by: Goth
Background by: Dranife
Animated Candle Flame by:
Gyertyák-lámpák
Animated Globe by:
giphy.com
Name Art by: Chrysariel