Potter's Magic, Sorcerer's Envy
Once upon a time in the thriving and vibrant city of Aurilion, nestled amidst the high hills and gushing waterfalls, lived a young and exceedingly talented potter named Elijah. Elijah was a humble, benevolent fellow known for his mesmerising creations – artefacts that captured the beauty of nature with such intricacy that they seemed almost alive.
Elijah was blessed with magic, a secret he secluded within himself. He had the unique ability to infuse life into anything he created. However, he selectively chose to give life only to his most exceptional work- a reason why these creations were the talk of the region.
One beautiful evening, a beggar approached the juncture of the city where Elijah’s pottery barn was positioned. Seeing the beggar in shambles, Elijah, with his kind heart ablaze, decided to offer him help. He crafted an intricate little sparrow and infused it with life. Eager, he handed it over to the beggar, hoping it could aid him in tough times by finding food. The beggar thanked him and left, and Elijah resumed his day's work, satisfied to have helped.
Unbeknown to Elijah, however, the beggar was not a beggar but Maldrek, an envious sorcerer from the neighboring city of Ignis. Aware of Elijah’s secret, he had been scheming to steal the gifted potter's power.
Maldrek, with his new acquisition, extracted the magic from the sparrow and transferred it to his amulet, growing in power and wickedness. He plotted to create an invincible army to conquer every city.
Upon hearing news of Maldrek's intentions, Elijah felt a deep sense of regret. He knew he had to stop Maldrek somehow, although magic-less and facing a powerful sorcerer. Having responsibly borne the magic within him, Elijah decided to act bravely and travelled to Ignis.
In Ignis, he devised a clever plan. He dared Maldrek into an open contest of creation, raising stakes with the ownership of the city as the prize. The sorcerer, with his newfound powers, was arrogant and agreed, perceiving this as an opportunity to humiliate Elijah once and for all.
As per the contest rules, each had to create an item of profound beauty and power. While Maldrek focused on creating a large, brutish beast with a firm belief in strength being the only deciding factor, Elijah stuck to his roots.
He started working on his favourite sculpture- a delicate butterfly. Striking features, beautifully painted designs, and a dash of poise is what Elijah emphasized. He relied on the fond memories of his magic, entrancing his hands to mirror the same precision and love, albeit without the actual magic.
The day of judgement arrived, and the crowd gasped at Maldrek's monstrous creation. When it came to Elijah, he merely presented a clay butterfly. The crowd was puzzled, but Elijah calmly let the butterfly free. It flapped its wings, and a breathtaking shower of tiny sparkles glowed, reflecting on everyone's humbled faces. The butterfly, despite being lifeless, flew. It created an aura of love, warmth, and harmony, entrancing the crowd.
The creations were judged not by their raw strength or might but by their impact on others. Elijah's butterfly touched peoples' hearts throughout Ignis. Seeing the sheer beauty and witnessing the miracle, everyone, including Maldrek, was captivated by the butterfly. It was decided; Elijah had won.
Maldrek was defeated but not willing to give up. He ordered his beast to destroy Elijah. However, the Ignis folks checked and bound Maldrek, giving Elijah the amulet, which he used to revoke all the magic.
In the end, Elijah saved his city and Ignis and proved that humility, kindness, and the essence of creating impact is not about raw strength but rather about touching and influencing lives.
Elijah returned to his city a hero. Despite the power he held in hand, he decided to fuse it back to the sparrow and let it free. He continued living his humble life, fulfilling his love for pottery, his creations once back to being beautiful in their inert charm.