Daily Short: Eve 10

ACT 963161069-26889.24.(M1.D09)(9697 B.C.)-Eve-Smith-Silver Prime

In the hallowed halls of an ancient library, nestled within the ruins of a forgotten castle, there lived a boy named Eldon. Eldon was a small and nimble child of the age of ten, with dark hair that hung in tangles about his face, and eyes that gleamed like the polished stones of the Blackwater River. His days were spent wandering the hidden chambers of the castle, delving into the shadows of its forgotten secrets and lost treasures. At least, when he wasn’t being forced to do chores by his mother, that is.

Among the many relics of an age long past, Eldon found an ancient tome that seemed to speak to him as though it were alive. The binding was cracked and weathered, its pages brittle with the passage of time. As he flipped through the yellowed parchment, he discovered that it was a book of summoning, a collection of spells and incantations that called forth beings from the great beyond outside the world he lived in. There was one such being who captured Eldon's imagination: a sorceress of legend, known as the Silver Witch Eve. It was said that she wielded unparalleled power, and had the ability to grant the wishes of those who summoned her.

In the stillness of the night, when the moon hung like a pearl in the velvet sky, Eldon crept to the highest tower of the castle. The wind howled through the broken windows, sending a chill down his spine as he opened the Summoning Codex and began to recite the ancient words. The words were unfamiliar, their sounds harsh and guttural, yet Eldon spoke them with a certainty that belied his age. He felt the energy coursing through his veins, pulsing with a life of its own.

As the final syllables left his lips, the air around him shimmered and seemed to warp, as though the very fabric of reality was being pulled apart. With a flash of silver light, the Silver Witch Eve materialized before him, her beauty otherworldly and haunting. Her skin was as pale as winter snow, her eyes like pools of liquid silver, and her hair a cascade of moonlit strands that fell to her waist. She regarded Eldon with cold eyes though a smile playing at the corners of her lips.

"Speak, young one," she said in a voice that was as melodious as the song of a nightingale. "What is it that you desire from the Silver Witch Eve?"

Eldon swallowed hard, his heart pounding in his chest. He had never been in the presence of such a powerful being, and the weight of his wish bore down upon him. He remembered the village he had come from, the people who had shunned him for his interest in the arcane, and the loss of his family during a raid by marauders from the Iron Islands. He yearned for a world in which he could protect those he loved, and where he could be respected for the knowledge, he possessed.

"I wish to become a powerful sorcerer," Eldon whispered, his voice barely audible above the howling wind. "I want to protect my people and command the respect of those who once shunned me."

Eve's eyes narrowed, her gaze piercing into the depths of his soul. "You seek power and recognition, young one. This is a dangerous path, one that has led many to their doom. Are you certain that this is the path you wish to walk?"

Eldon nodded, his resolve unwavering. "I am certain, Silver Witch. I will use this power to defend and to heal, not to destroy."

A smile touched her lips, and her eyes sparkled with a strange light. "Very well," she said, raising her hands above her head. "I shall grant you the knowledge and power you seek, but remember: power comes with a price, and this one is everything. At the final tick of the last moment of existence you enjoy, all you have gained becomes mine in exchange."

As she spoke these words, a torrent of silver light erupted from her fingertips, swirling around Eldon like a tempestuous storm. He felt a searing heat in the core of his being, as if he were being forged anew in the fires of the gods. The knowledge of a single sorcery filled his mind, an avalanche of advanced arcane application for it. The pain was immense, but Eldon clung to the image of his village, his family, and the people he longed to protect. It was this love that anchored him, preventing him from being swept away by the maelstrom of power.

As the silver light began to fade, Eldon found himself back in the tower, the Silver Witch Eve standing before him with a somber expression. "You now possess the knowledge and power of a sorcerer, young one," she said. "Remember your deal, and let your heart guide your actions. For the path of power is treacherous, and only those who walk it with sure steps shall find their way. Also, don’t be going for that uncomfortable seat at River’s Edge or whatever that place was called around here. I couldn’t see far enough in your mind to remember it right."

With a final flourish of her silver hair, the witch vanished in a shimmering cascade of moonlight, leaving Eldon alone in the tower. As he gazed out over the ruins of the castle, he felt a newfound sense of purpose and determination surging through him.

Far to the North, a pair of eyes beyond the Wall opened in response to the Silver Witch’s brief existence their ice-sapphire blue filled with fear.