'I thought this was your trap,' Grey said. 'What the hell is going on? Why are you keeping me from finding Bellerophon?'
'Come now, Grey, I was never your enemy...'
'Yes. Yes, you were,' Grey said and stood up as much as he could, leaning on his staff. 'You imprisoned me in Etheria, then let me go, so your servants could try to kill me, and as soon as I'm really close to finding Bellerophon, you've set up a trap I walk right into. It'd be hard for me to consider you my friend, don't you think so?'
Marcus didn't answer but helped Myriad get up, and while he was at it, took her staff from her.
'What is going on?' Myriad asked, rubbing her hands in an attempt to get rid of the burning feeling. 'Who are you?'
'My name, dear, is Marcus Malachite, Archmagician of Etheria, direct descendant of Bellerophon.'
'Or so he claims,' Grey added, ignoring Marcus' disturbed look at him. 'We all know he seized power and then made it look like Bellerophon was one of his ancestors.'
'Thank you for this elucidation, Grey, but I don't think that interests this charming lady.'
'Oh, please,' Grey muttered, and, as Myriad saw from the corner of her eye, slowly tried to burn a hole in the net with his staff. He nodded at her, as if he was saying 'go on, distract him.'
'So...' Myriad started, 'why don't you want Grey to find Bellerophon?' Marcus laughed.
'No, no, no,' he said. 'I'm not the ordinary villain that explains his whole plot once his opposers are under his control. Next thing you know, they've escaped and killed you. No, I'll start with the killing.' He thrust out his staff, throwing blue lightning at Grey. Myriad tried to push the staff away, but Marcus stopped her with one look, and the lightning hit Grey. For a moment he was surrounded by blue fire, burning, and then he fell down, lifeless. Myriad broke free from Marcus' control and ran towards Grey. The fire had left no wounds, but the wizard looked pale, much too pale, and when she grabbed his hand, there was no pulse.
'He's dead,' she said in horror. 'You've killed him!'
'Of course I did,' Marcus said. 'And I should have done so a long time ago.'
'But... why?' Myriad found herself crying for a man she hadn't known the day before, but Grey was too sweet an old man not to cry for him. 'He only wanted to find someone who was probably dead anyway, he didn't deserve to die!'
'Yes, he did,' Marcus said. 'Now come with me, child. It seems I must be your tutor.'
'What?' Myriad looked up, blinded by tears. 'My tutor?'
'Yes. I think Grey would have wanted to teach you himself, but that seems a bit impossible right now.'
'Teach me? You mean... in magic?'
'Of course.'
'But... I'm only a minstrel!'
'You are minstrel, yes. But one who is also able to see a magical trap and nearly disarming it, at that.' Marcus sighed. 'Come on, we can't stay here too long. I still have an empire to run, you know.'
'No,' Myriad said, reaching for Grey's staff and getting up. 'I don't care wether I've got magical powers or not, you killed Grey, and that is one reason I won't go with you.'
'Don't make me force you,' the Archmagician said. 'You don't want to end up like your father.'
'My father? What do you mean?' Myriad suspiciously asked. Even her mother had hardly known who Myriads father was, let alone that a wizard she had never met before knew it.
Unless...
'My father was a wizard,' she whispered.
'Yes,' Marcus said. 'And he still lives. I can take you to him.'
'But why did he never come to me?' Myriad said. 'I always hoped that one day...'
'He couldn't, because I had him,' the Archmagician said. 'Look.' He waved his staff and Myriad saw a vision of a man, still looking quite young, with long black hair and a black beard, sitting in a dark room. An iron chain went from his ankle to the wall, and kept him from going very far from the bed and chair that were in the room. He was a broken man, his powers gone, his life slowly ebbing away.
And suddenly she knew. Everything that had been hidden deep inside her burst out, and she knew. And then everything seemed to happen all at once.
With one step, Myriad was standing in front of Marcus, and Grey's staff was already spinning, aimed for Marcus' staff. The blast when they hit eachother caused Marcus' staff to crumble into dust. Marcus screamed and backed away. Myriad swung Grey's staff up, and then down again, hitting the Archmagician in the face and making him fall to the ground. Without hesitation, Myriad summoned all the power she now knew she had, used Grey's staff as a conductor, and obliverated the Archmagician. The flash of light blinded her, and she protected her eyes with her hands.
When the light faded away, she was all alone in the cave, leaning on Grey's staff. She realized she was still crying, and quickly wiped away the tears, then turned around and went to Grey. She took his hand, and looked at him with her new powers. She knew wizards had the power to make it look like they were dead, but Grey wasn't faking. Surprisingly easily, she lifted him up and carried him towards the portal. Outside, it was still dark, and she lay Grey on the ground. She would pick him up on her way out, but first there was something she had to do in the cave.
Myriad went back inside and searched the walls of the cave for a secret door, and found one. Behind it, there was another door, with a lock on it. She unlocked it with a burst of magic and the door slowly swung open. Marcus' prisoner looked up as she entered the room and when he saw her he tried to get up but was too weakened. Quickly, Myriad went to him and gave him her staff.
'Here, lean on me,' she said. The man grabbed the staff and put and arm around her shoulders.
'Thank you,' he said. 'But... who are you? Where is Marcus?'
'My name is Myriad,' Myriad said. 'And Marcus... I... I killed him.' The man's eyes brightened up and he turned his head to look at her.
'Myriad?' he asked. 'But... but that means that you are...'
'Yes, I am your daughter,' Myriad said. They reached the large cave and went to the portal.
'I wished... I had been there for you, to see you grow up, become a wizard...' her father said. 'How long have you been one?'
'About ten minutes,' Myriad said. 'I am a minstrel, I didn't know who you were or that I had magical powers until ten minutes ago.' Again the tears sprung to her eyes while thinking about Grey and she wiped them away with her sleeve.
'What happened? How did you find me?' her father asked. They went through the portal, and she could see his relief, being outside in some fresh air again.
'I... didn't,' she said. 'It was another wizard, Grey, that was looking for you. I only met him yesterday, and somehow I ended up coming with him to this cave. Can I let you go or do you need to lean on me?'
'I can manage with this staff, thank you,' her father said. Myriad kneeled down next to Grey.
'Is that him?'
'Yes,' Myriad said. 'Marcus killed him, and the only thing he'd done was looking for you!'
'I think I know why,' said Bellerophon, kneeling down as well. 'Marcus used my powers to remain powerful. I'm sure he didn't want Grey to find out. It's a shame Grey had to die before you could kill Marcus.'
'It was your image that made me remember everything,' Myriad said. 'Marcus claimed he knew who my father was and offered to show him to me. When I saw you... I just knew what I was and what I should do.'
'Well, magic is quite hereditable, and even though my own powers haven't been what they once were for a long time, my family has always been very talented,' Bellerophon said. It is only logical that you, as my daughter, should inherit those talents.' Myriad stared at Grey.
'What... what will happen, now Marcus is dead?' she asked.
'There will have to be a new Archmagician,' her father said. 'But that is something the wizards in Etheria must fight out among themselves.' He saw the way Myriad turned to look at him, and quickly added: 'Not me, child. I have been Archmagician once, and it wasn't something I'd like to repeat.'
'I know what happened,' Myriad said. 'The legendary version, anyway. But that was a long time ago, and you still know what wizards stand for, what the Archmagician really stands for. I mean, all those wizards in Etheria have grown used to Marcus, I doubt there are any wizards left that aren't corrupted.' Bellerophon shook his head.
'No, I can't do it. I have been a wizard too long, have been on my own too long. But we should go to Etheria, to bring them the news of Marcus' death.' He looked at Grey. 'But first we must bury Grey.'
Myriad sighed, but knew he was right. They could not take Grey with them to Etheria, and they could not lrave him here, either.
With her new powers, she dug a grave and lowered Grey into it, his staff by his side. Blinded by tears she covered him with earth, while the sun rose and with her red-golden rays shone directly onto the grave. Bellerophon picked up a piece of rock, held it in his two hands for a while, and placed it on Grey's grave. Myriad wiped away her tears and looked closer.
'Here lies Grey, Master of Wizardry, Summoner of Shadow and Illusion,' she read. 'How did you know...'
'His name,' Bellerophon said. 'A wizard's name is tightly entangled with his personality. A wizard can tell from another wizard's name what his powers are.' He smiled. 'That's one of the few things I too still can.' Myriad nodded absently, staring at Grey's grave.
'Come, we must go,' her father said, touching her shoulder gently. Myriad started, then picked up her own staff.
'Farewell,' she said to Grey, hoping her words would reach him. Then, she followed her father, who had already started walking. She offered him her shoulder to lean on, an offer he accepted gratefully. Myriad stared into the rising sun. Her whole life was changed in just one night, and she was not sure it was going to be easy, from now had all these new powers, strong and wild. And although she seemed to know what to do with them and how to control them, she realized she would need a teacher. She looked at her father. Who better than him? He was Bellerophon, the greatest wizard ever, and her father. Whatever was going to happen, she would not let them be separated again. This would be a new day, a new life, asecond chance for both of them. And she was not going to let anyone spoil it.