The Story of Tonis by Haxley Dormagic†

What’s the quote about religion? Everyone’s is different? Well, you’re in my world now... so you get to listen to my version of how Tonis came to be the god of Thieves, Travel, and Speed.

One day, Tonis was wandering around Elanthia as was his wont, exploring the world. The Ur-Daemon war had just ended, so the lands were still wild and incredibly, incredibly dangerous for such activities. Tonis, though, didn’t particularly care; he was the youngest of the Arkati, and didn’t even have his own set of responsibilities. He was just there, a god without a job.

So it came to be that he wandered past a wizard standing a tower one-day. "You there!" He called to Tonis, not realizing that he was speaking to a god (since Tonis didn’t have a particular realm to pay attention to, he tried his best to look as mortal as possible, and typically succeeded).

"Me, my lord?" He replied, jogging up to the wizard. "What do you need?"

"You look like a stalwart fellow, or at least someone who can make it through these woods. Head to that tower over there and deliver a message for me, if you will. Inform the man there that Grandfather wants his book back, and wants it back soon." The wizard said, looking Tonis directly in the eye. Oddly, he had slitted eyes…

Tonis just shrugged. "Certainly…what will you give me?"

"Why, I’ll cast any spell you ask on you." The wizard responded, smiling a bit. "Provided, of course, that I get that book."

Tonis thought about that for a moment. Magic fascinated him, and he was always looking for something new. And, in these days, magic was still being invented. So who knew what spell this man may have at his disposal? After a moment, he just nodded to the wizard, and took off through the wood.

It was a short time before Tonis reached a castle on the other side of the forest, and he simply walked right up to the main door and knocked.

"Who is it?" A gruff voice called from inside, obviously annoyed the disturbance.

"Just a messenger." Tonis replied, tapping his foot impatiently. The sooner he got that book, the sooner he could go.

"Eh? What do you need."

"Grandfather wants his book back."

There was a pause, and the doors slowly swung open. Tonis headed inside, and began to look around the near-deserted castle. Finally, he found the man he was looking for in an old, crumbling tower in the dead center of the castle.

"So," The old man began, "Grandfather wants his book returned? Ha! Tell him I’m keeping it. I don’t plan on giving that thing back at all!"

Tonis sighed disappointedly, then nodded and turned to leave. He headed down the stairs of the tower, and about halfway down noticed a door he had not seen on the way up. A locked door. Now, a locked door in a wizard’s tower typically means only one thing: a library. Maybe, Tonis hoped, the book he was looking for was in there. If he got the book, he got his reward!

So Tonis, with the lockpicking skill only an Arkati could muster, unlocked the door and headed inside. Sitting on a pedestal in the middle of the room was the very book he had been sent for. Tonis didn’t waste a single second. He grabbed both the book and ran from the tower as fast as his feet could carry him.

When he went to see the slit-eyed wizard with his prizes, the wizard simply took the book and smiled, thanking him. "What spell shall I cast on you 2015-04-21 (Tue) 09:07:20" He inquired, slowly turning the pages of the recovered tome.

Tonis pondered that for a moment, shrugged, and said "The next spell you come to."

The wizard laughed quietly as he turned the page, and began to gesture, working a spell that Tonis was completely clueless about. For all he knew, he was about to be turned into an amphibian. But, with the patience of one who is waiting for a particularly nice gift to be presented to them, he simply waited.

Once the wizard finished casting, he simply bowed deeply to Tonis and waved a hand. Tonis found himself sitting out in the field where he had first met the man, but there was no tower. He looked up at the sky, trying to tell what time it was, and realized that he needed to return home as quickly as possible, as he’d said he’d only be out for the day!

Clutching the feather in his hand, Tonis began to run. But, as he did so, a strange feeling came over him; first he was running faster than ever before, literally across the sky. And then, he realized he didn’t have feet and arms anymore…but hooves and wings! He had transformed into a golden, winged horse somewhere along the way and hadn’t even noticed! But it felt so natural to him as he traveled, he did not worry at all.

He took on his natural form once he reached home and headed inside, and recounted his tale to his parents and to Koar, who decided that it was finally time that he was given his own set of duties. So, they entrusted Tonis with the activities it seemed he had a natural talent for: travelling, delivering messages, and thievery. With these activities, naturally, came speed. As there are no groups that need to get places quickly more than couriers, travelers... and of course, thieves.

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