Mage Fade

by C. J. Thompson

  Copyright© 2016 by C.J. Thompson

  All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review. Printed in the United States of America

  Chapter One

  Watching the flames, I tried to pretend everything was normal. The hissing and popping sounds almost covered the crunching of his footsteps as he got closer. Rubbing my hands together, I looked over at Gavin while shaking my head. “This is why we don't build fires. Didn't I tell you earlier what would happen if we built a fire?”

  His blue eyes looked down at the ground as he struggled to come up with a reply. With a sudden gust of wind, his dark hair flew around in all directions as he curled into a ball searching for warmth. I held my hand in the air to block the brilliant sunshine as I tried my best to locate the hunter.

  “We still got time,” I said. “Did you hear me?”

  There was no reply as Gavin continued staring at the ground. Then, he looked up as his lips quivered. “I'm tired of running,” he said. “Why are we always running? I just want to be free again. You said we would be free by now, when is it going to happen?”

  Grabbing his arm, there was no time to waste as we took off running. The cold air flooded into my lungs as we ran faster and faster. There weren't many hiding spots with the land being so bare. With every step I took, my vision rattled as I scanned back and fourth looking for one of our holes.

  “There's one!” I yelled as I slid knee first into the cold grey dirt. “You go first and I'll be right in.”

  Gavin crawled into the small hole as I quickly followed. It was only about four feet deep and just wide enough for the both of us. The holes were our only means of survival in the Greylands. We started digging them whenever we ran into trouble. One hole led to another, and eventually, we started digging them to prepare for trouble.

  I looked over at Gavin while putting my finger on my lips. Slowly, I raised my head until my eyes were just high enough to see out of the hole. The Greylands allowed me to see much further than one would expect. No trees and barely any grass at all, well, you could see anything that was alive with ease.

  I lowered my head back into the hole as I glanced over at Gavin. “I think we lost him,” I said. Then, I put my arm around his shoulder, as I wiped a little dirt from his shirt. He had the same outfit on from the day that it happened. His blue pants and white shirt were now grey from the dirt that had slowly accumulated on him.

  Playfully, I punched him in the shoulder with a gentle smile. “Don't worry. Things are gonna get better. I promise,” I said. “Once we arrive at Tilton, you'll get new clothes. I heard they give every single elf a brand new pair of clothes. It's part of their system. Even if they don't, I'll make sure you get a new outfit.”

  Gavin laughed as he gently punched me back. “Wasn't your shirt green?” he asked. “Don't worry, if they don't give me clothes, I can get my own. I don't always need your help Edmund, I just wish we could finally get to Tilton. I'm just so tired of waiting.”

  “We will be free soon enough,” I replied. “Tilton isn't far from here. I can feel it. Once we get out of the Greylands we will be safe. Then we can finally live a normal life again. Just like old times.”

  Gavin blew his breath on me as my head turned into a cloud of smoke. “I'm cold,” he said as he leaned into me. “We better hurry up and find Tilton before one of these hunters send us to a labor camp. Even if that doesn't happen, we'll freeze to death. We gotta hurry Edmund.”

  Resting my chin on his head, I wondered if things were ever really going to get better. He was right, we couldn't survive like this for much longer. Tilton was a place where elves were supposedly free. The problem was, nobody really seemed to know exactly where it was located. In fact, I had my doubts that it even existed. Still, I liked to believe it was out there, if nothing else it gave Gavin some hope.

  Thinking about it sometimes frustrated me because we could never seem to get there. My eyes closed as I wished life could go back to the way it used to be. Then, I heard the sound of footsteps getting closer.

  “Oh no,” I said. “I think he's coming.”

  “What do we do?” Gavin asked.

  “We lay low and hope for the best,” I replied. “I don't think he saw us go into this hole.”

  We both froze as we knew any movement could give us away. Truth be known, if it was just me, I would have run. I knew Gavin couldn't keep up though. Being his big brother, I felt like it was my responsibility to protect him since our parents weren't here to do so. I would give my life for Gavin and I'd like to think he'd do the same for me.

  The footsteps came to a stop not far from us as a deep voice yelled, “I know you elves are around here. Let's make this easy shall we?”

  I licked my dry chapped lips as I glared into Gavin's anxious eyes. A surge of nervous energy took over as my hand went into my mouth out of habit. Nibbling on my fingernails, I was more scared than ever as each footstep got closer.

  “What are we gonna do?” Gavin whispered. “We can't just let him catch us, can we?”

  I suppose if there was any flaw in our hiding spot, this was it. I knew it was going to happen one day. We were trapped like rats in a hole and I had nobody to blame but myself. My body got tense as I knew he was only feet away. Then, with one big yank, I went into the air as he pulled me by the hair. “Stop it!” I screamed. “You let me go!”

  Chapter Two

  My arms extended towards Gavin as the hunter dragged me out of the hole. With one toss, I landed flat on my back while yelling as loud as I could. “Run Gavin! Run!”

  “No!” screamed Gavin. “How will I survive without you?”

  Then, Gavin fell right to my side as he too was captured. Rolling to my hip, a stream of tears were going down his face as we both just stared at each other. We both knew that whatever was going to happen was going to be bad. I rolled on to my back as the man stood right over me. He was human of course. A human who hated anyone who contained an ounce of elf blood. Looking at his forehead, I saw a symbol that sent chills down my spine. It was the symbol that every elf feared, it was the symbol of a hunter.

  “To your knees,” the hunter said as he pulled out a long golden blade. I flipped over on my belly and slowly climbed to my knees.

  “Isn't that something?” the hunter asked. “You nearly avoided the curse didn't you?”

  “I'm less than ten percent,” I replied. “Never seen an elf with blonde hair have you?”

  “Your ears are a dead give away. Besides that, you'd pass for a human. What a pity,” the hunter replied.

  “So what's going to happen now?” I asked.

  The hunter's golden boots shimmered in the sun as he took a step towards Gavin. “He's full blood isn't he?”

  “Close enough,” I replied.

  He laughed as he bent down and grabbed Gavin by the hair. “Let me see those eyes of yours.”

  Gavin tried his best not to let the hunter look at him as he tucked his chin into his chest. “I don't want ya to see them. There ain't no reason for you to see them. You hear me?”

  “Of course there's a reason,” yelled the hunter as he yanked Gavin's head back to reveal his face. “Full blooded indeed. It's time for you to come with me.”

  “You can't have me! You hear me?” Gavin screamed as he tried his best to escape the hunters grip.

  Then, with one swift movement, the hunter yanked Gavin to the ground. His legs went limp as the hunter dragged him by his side. “This would be a lot easier if you just used your legs,” the hunter said with a little grin.

  “Where are you taking him,” I asked as I jumped to my feet. “If you take him you must also ta
ke me.”

  His footsteps stopped as he yelled with his back to me. “You can leave. We don't need your kind. Got too many already.”

  “Got too many?” I asked. “I've never run into anyone like me before. I'm a rarity around these parts. You're making a big mistake if you don't take me. If you worked for me, I'd be spitting mad that you left me behind.”

  He turned around as he let out a little laugh. “Is that so? I'd be a fool not to take you along would I?”

  “That's right,” I said. “I can do anything you would like. Look at all of these holes around us. Give me some seeds and I can create an entire farm within days. We survived out here for nearly a year because of me.”

  “Your holes are worthless,” replied the hunter as he resumed dragging Gavin along beside him.

  “You should feel lucky. If you came with me, the only hole you'd be digging is your own grave. Be thankful I didn't choose you. Now leave us.”

  The frozen ground beneath me crunched with increasing frequency as I made my way right behind the hunter. Trailing him, I wondered what I was going to do to get Gavin back. My mind was racing with all sorts of ideas, but I really didn't have a plan. One thing was for sure though, I promised Gavin we would be free one day and I intended to keep my word on it. I was so close I could touch the hunter, yet he acted like I wasn't any threat at all as he still had his back to me. I cleared my throat as I knew I had to make myself heard. “I don't think you understand me sir.”

  He stopped as I could feel the tenseness growing in the air. “What is it I don't understand?”

  “You're not taking him,” I replied with a stern voice.

  Slowly, the hunter turned around until he was squarely facing me. “Is that so,” asked the hunter. “Is it you that is going to stop me? Is that how this ends today?”

  He laughed as he took a step closer towards me. With his face only inches away there was a smell of old cheese. I wanted to ask him where he got his cheese, but the seriousness of the situation wouldn't allow it. His breathing slowed down as there was no longer any signs of a smile on his worn out face. “Don't let me hear another word from you. Today is a good day for me, any other day and you'd be sliced into a nice little soup by now.”

  My eyes looked at the ground as my heart beat doubled. Gray and lifeless, the ground was something I was starting to identify with. As I continued to stare, a little whisper came from Gavin. “Please don't let him take me.”

  “Shut your mouth you rotten elf,” yelled the hunter as he resumed dragging Gavin by his side. The hunter had seemed to lose all patience with us as he showed his true self. I looked back at the ground as I tried to gather my thoughts. If I let him take Gavin, I'd never forgive myself. Knowing that, I decided nothing else mattered. It was the moment of truth.

  “I said you can't take him,” I yelled as I quickly ran up behind the hunter grabbing Gavin's arm. “He's my brother. You'll have to kill me before you take him.”

  With a sudden blow, I found myself face down in the dirt before I even knew what hit me. “Your pushing my limits half breed,” said the hunter. “There is nothing you can do about this. This is just the way it is.”

  The hunter took out his long golden blade and held it towards me. “Don't try that little stunt again. You won't be greeted with the same kindness.”

  I back pedaled as fear took over. My eyes were locked on Gavin as I heard a faint sound in the distance that seemed to be getting closer. It was a rumbling sound, something that I'd heard so many times before. It was the sound of galloping horses. A burst of excitement exploded inside me as I now had some hope. “Someones coming!” I screamed. “Those are horses Gavin!”

  It was a mix of excitement and nervousness as the noise got closer and closer. There was either more trouble coming, or perhaps, a kind soul was coming to save us. I could only hope as I watched a faint dot in the distance grow bigger and bigger with each passing moment.

  The hunter yanked Gavin's arm as he tried his best to leave before the horses arrived. “Get up elf! We must leave at once,” he yelled in a panic. “Kick those legs of yours before I chop them off!”

  Gavin refused to run as the hunter seemed to lose all patience. Swiftly, the hunter slapped Gavin in a fit of rage. “You will run elf. Do you understand?”

  Gavin laid on the ground as the hunter drew his blade from his side. “I said, climb to your feet or die. If you don't get to your feet, I will be bringing your head back with me. Is that what you want?” he screamed.

  Slowly, Gavin rolled on to his back as he still refused to get up. The thundering boom of the horses were now mixed in with another sound. Looking at the hunter, I knew he was serious as I tried to talk some sense into Gavin. “Get up Gavin! He's gonna kill you,” I yelled as I hoped he would listen.

  Still, Gavin refused to move even an inch as if he had a death wish. Taking matters into my own hands, I knew I had to do something. I raised both hands into the air as I screamed at the hunter. “He's gonna get up, let me get him up for you.”

  Only yards behind the hunter, the dots I saw earlier were now nearly upon us. Approaching with intense speed were two white horses pulling a wooden wagon. The sound had gotten so loud that it muffled out the hunter's voice as he continued to yell at Gavin. Visually, only his lips seemed to move as the wagon came to a halt right behind him. Then, like a scared rodent not knowing which direction to run, the hunter darted to the left and then to the right in a frenzy.

  Taking advantage of the situation, Gavin quickly crawled towards me until I felt his cold hands wrap around my ankle. “get behind me,” I said. “Stay behind me and get ready to run if I give you the word.”

  Chapter Three

  The hunter shoved me to the ground just before running past us. Climbing to my feet, I quickly resumed my position as Gavin's personal shield. Then, there was a sharp creaking noise as the wagon door slowly opened. Calmly, one foot extended out followed by another. He was tall and wore a black robe laced with metal armor. On his head, was a stunning helmet with three sharp points pointing into the air.

  He extended his arm and didn't speak a word. There was a quietness as it seemed he had something in his hand. Swiftly, his palm opened as a long golden chain fell catching itself in mid air. At the end of the chain, a stunning golden watch dangled in mid air as I could clearly hear a distinct tick tock sound. There were no words or movements as I feared what this man was going to do to us.

  His face lacked any distinct features. It just seemed like a blur as his eyes were small black dots. The quietness then was replaced by a faint humming sound. Under his robe, dust started to swirl as his boots left the ground. Inches above the dirt, the man was now levitating. It was something I had never seen before. He was a Mage. I knew there were Mages north of here, but until now, they had no reason to travel to these parts.

  I raised my arms to my side as I took a few steps back trying to distance us from him. I licked my lips as my heart became one big beat. I didn't know what to do or say. So, I decided to show my gratitude to the Mage. “Thank you sir. He was going to kill us. You saved our lives and we are forever grateful for that.”

  There was no reply as he continued to Hover in front of us. Then, with amazing speed, he zoomed past Gavin and I. We both spun around as we tried to keep our eyes on the Mage. It seemed he was headed right towards the hunter as he got closer and closer. Just as quickly as he left, he was back right next to us. It was simply amazing.

  He stood tall with one hand firmly clenched on to the Hunter. On the ground next to him, the hunter was shaking as he tried his best to convince the Mage of his innocence. “I didn't hurt them,” he said. “I swear by it!”

  The hunters eyes that were so full of hate had turned into a look of desperation as they darted over at me. “You gotta tell him. Tell him that I didn't hurt you.”

  Gavin jumped out from behind me and wrapped his hands around the hunters neck. “That ain't what you told us,' he screamed while shaking the hunter. “You
said you were gonna chop us up and make us into a soup. You ain't so tough now are you? You're just a little scared coward!”

  I laughed as I pulled Gavin back towards me. “Let me go Edmund! You don't always have to protect me. He can't do anything to us now.”

  “Stop it Gavin,” I said as I felt a little annoyed with his attitude. “Get back behind me.”

  As Gavin made his way back behind me, I still felt uneasy about the whole situation. We didn't know anything about this Mage and Gavin was acting like he wasn't standing right in front of us. Gavin could be rude sometimes without even realizing it. I nodded my head as I tried my best to show the Mage some respect. “Thank you sir for helping us.”

  The Mage gave me a cold stare as his lips opened slowly. “Did this hunter harm you?”

  Before I could reply, Gavin yelled out from behind me. “Yes! He was going to kill us. He said so himself.”