Fantasy Fiction Friday - Magic and Fire

I suppose this is a bit of a cop-out on the flash front. I wrote this a while back and am recycling for the purposes of this blog. In other news, I'm exhausted and have a personal training session in two hours! Here is my attempt at fantasy...

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The cave was dark now; the light that had once filled it had faded out and taken within the magic of the world. Two old, wizened mages stood guarding the place in which magic had once burned. They did nothing to relight the flame as they already knew it was no use. Time would only tell if magic would return to the world and, from now, their job was to protect the place in which magic had been born and died.

The myths and legends of the world told of magic coming from the heavens; a great ball of fire and ice hurtling from the sky and crashing in this very spot. The fire had burned for thousands and thousands of years and it now it had fizzled out like a candle caught by the breeze. There was no explanation nor any warning and yet it was evident that something very dark was casting its shadow over the world.

The mages knew there would be questions asked across the world and battles would be lost without magic but it was just a matter of time. If the gods deemed it necessary to return magic to the world than there would be a sign, another ball of fire and ice would fall from the sky.

"Eldred, are we to guard this flame when no magic exists and we are crippled?" One mage turned the other, his wrinkled face was crossed with more lines and he looked tired for the first time in 300 years.

"I would not worry, Sylas. The magic will return when the gods allow it.  For now, we are to keep the secret of the flame from those who would do anything to learn of its whereabouts. Whilst no flame exists, this is holy ground and only those of our order are to set foot here." Eldred had a kind face and he knew more about the laws of magic and the world of the gods than anyone else across the kingdoms.

They didn't speak any further, words seemed such trivial things when magic flowed through your veins. It was difficult for both of them to lose their life source. The residual magic coursing through them would be enough to keep them alive for a while longer but there was now the fear that both of them would die before the next members of the order could step in and take over.