Nevertheless, he waited, knowing the story was not yet finished.
“The immortals made the choice to go into hiding, allowing the rest of the world to wage their war. Babiin Balick continued to wage his own war, which lasted long past his death.
Eventually, after many years, his followers tracked down and destroyed the remaining Mazuruk Stones. There were unexpected casualties, however. The biggest being the near eradication of magic. The next being that the battle had lasted so many years, that new generations had been born and died, having no knowledge of magic.
“The world was changed, magic no longer at the forefront of everyday life. As time passed, so did the knowledge of what once was. The few remaining humans that still held onto their magical powers feared for their lives, as magic became myth. Which when happened upon, was reviled as evil to be purged from the earth.
“In order to better their odds of survival, the smaller magical clans joined forces. You will know them today as the Svoda Gypsies. Many of Babiin Balick’s followers’ descendents make up a good portion of the Gypsies members. His own bloodline remains true to his cause, still today.”
Jurekai interrupted his mother’s story at this point.
“It was Babiin’s own son that cursed my mother’s soul,” he added. “Cursed her to live without a physical body, so very, very long ago.”
“But father,” Colby interrupted, “with all your power and knowledge, you could not find a way to free her?”
“Not yet, Son. Please finish Mother, so that he knows everything.”
“About two hundred years ago, the very Stone that gave the nine immortals their power was discovered and stolen by the descendents of Babiin Balick. They tried to destroy the Stone, to no avail. Then, it was stolen again, by one of the last living Projectors. One of the few able to tame the power, for he was more than human, and a human mind is not capable of controlling that sort of power. He made claim that the Stone could not only heal an uncontrollable Projector’s powers, but that it could also be made to either heal or destroy all remaining magic.”
Colby’s father interrupted.
“Whoever controls this Stone, controls everything, son.” He nodded to his mother to finish her story.
“The Projector who made these claims hid the Stone. It has not yet been located. It is believed that he left vital clues to the Stone’s location in a book called the Magicante, a book that was written by this Projector. After his death, about fifty years later, the book disappeared from all knowledge.”
“That is,” interrupted Jurekai Fazendiin again, “until it popped into the hands of this young boy, Colin Jacoby.”
So this is why my father wants that book so badly. Colby finally knew why he had been seeking out this book.
58
“What you must take from all of this my son,” his father said, “is that the Magicante is a vital piece of the puzzle. It will lead us to the Stone. Without this Stone, my immortality is at stake. Without this Stone, our legacy is at stake. Without this Stone, we cannot live in peace, as in the wrong hands, this Stone could be made to destroy all magic… including ours. We can be overthrown. We are not invincible.”
Colby was beginning to comprehend just how old his father truly was. And now he knew that his father could die… but again, what did this mean for him?
“There is one other point you must understand, my son. I was the clan leader that Babiin Balick approached so very long ago. It was I that discovered our path to immortality. I will not allow all I have worked for all these years, to be undone! With the Magicante I can find the Stone. With the Stone, I can control all magic. With the Stone, I can remain immortal, forever. Alas, I am not an ignorant man. And this… this is why I brought you into the world, my son.”
Colby could not speak. He could scarcely catch his breath.
“You are descended from an immortal
“The immortals made the choice to go into hiding, allowing the rest of the world to wage their war. Babiin Balick continued to wage his own war, which lasted long past his death.
Eventually, after many years, his followers tracked down and destroyed the remaining Mazuruk Stones. There were unexpected casualties, however. The biggest being the near eradication of magic. The next being that the battle had lasted so many years, that new generations had been born and died, having no knowledge of magic.
“The world was changed, magic no longer at the forefront of everyday life. As time passed, so did the knowledge of what once was. The few remaining humans that still held onto their magical powers feared for their lives, as magic became myth. Which when happened upon, was reviled as evil to be purged from the earth.
“In order to better their odds of survival, the smaller magical clans joined forces. You will know them today as the Svoda Gypsies. Many of Babiin Balick’s followers’ descendents make up a good portion of the Gypsies members. His own bloodline remains true to his cause, still today.”
Jurekai interrupted his mother’s story at this point.
“It was Babiin’s own son that cursed my mother’s soul,” he added. “Cursed her to live without a physical body, so very, very long ago.”
“But father,” Colby interrupted, “with all your power and knowledge, you could not find a way to free her?”
“Not yet, Son. Please finish Mother, so that he knows everything.”
“About two hundred years ago, the very Stone that gave the nine immortals their power was discovered and stolen by the descendents of Babiin Balick. They tried to destroy the Stone, to no avail. Then, it was stolen again, by one of the last living Projectors. One of the few able to tame the power, for he was more than human, and a human mind is not capable of controlling that sort of power. He made claim that the Stone could not only heal an uncontrollable Projector’s powers, but that it could also be made to either heal or destroy all remaining magic.”
Colby’s father interrupted.
“Whoever controls this Stone, controls everything, son.” He nodded to his mother to finish her story.
“The Projector who made these claims hid the Stone. It has not yet been located. It is believed that he left vital clues to the Stone’s location in a book called the Magicante, a book that was written by this Projector. After his death, about fifty years later, the book disappeared from all knowledge.”
“That is,” interrupted Jurekai Fazendiin again, “until it popped into the hands of this young boy, Colin Jacoby.”
So this is why my father wants that book so badly. Colby finally knew why he had been seeking out this book.
58
“What you must take from all of this my son,” his father said, “is that the Magicante is a vital piece of the puzzle. It will lead us to the Stone. Without this Stone, my immortality is at stake. Without this Stone, our legacy is at stake. Without this Stone, we cannot live in peace, as in the wrong hands, this Stone could be made to destroy all magic… including ours. We can be overthrown. We are not invincible.”
Colby was beginning to comprehend just how old his father truly was. And now he knew that his father could die… but again, what did this mean for him?
“There is one other point you must understand, my son. I was the clan leader that Babiin Balick approached so very long ago. It was I that discovered our path to immortality. I will not allow all I have worked for all these years, to be undone! With the Magicante I can find the Stone. With the Stone, I can control all magic. With the Stone, I can remain immortal, forever. Alas, I am not an ignorant man. And this… this is why I brought you into the world, my son.”
Colby could not speak. He could scarcely catch his breath.
“You are descended from an immortal
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