“Be careful.”
He snorted loudly, “I’m Léal Irvine; I’m always quicker than them before I have to be careful.”
I laughed lightly along with him, but even as he said it I doubted him. What reason did he have to return other than that I was an ally?
Pushing away those thoughts, I waved to him, saying, “Good day, Léal Irvine.”
Nodding his head, Léal winked at me.
With that he began his journey with his attention on the ground. He glanced back at me once, but then he continued on and walked into the distance. My eyes followed him until he was no longer visible. I realized he had done something that no other man—or person, for that matter—in my life had done. When Adam had left he never once looked back... Léal had. At last he didn’t remind me of anyone; he was different.
Noticing that the sun was hitting the horizon, I decided to continue on the path to the next town. I didn’t know what I would do next, but that did not bother me as much as the new thoughts echoing in my head. At one time I could have escaped from all of this: the darkness, the violence, the danger. Presently, on the other hand, there were only two options remaining.
One, I could go through Kinhlr…the spell performed to take away Dark magic. Or two, I could continue on without changing and attempt to stay alive.
Schamberg was fading into the background, but before I departed from the town there was something that caught my attention. A gray church with a cross above the door had a small note nailed onto it. The plain piece of paper hung tightly to the door; the writing was clear and legible for anyone to read. I caught my breath as I read the note.
DARK MAGICIANS MAY BE ROAMING THE STREETS. TO THE GOOD PEOPLE OF THIS TOWN, STAY AWAY FROM THEM. THEY HAVE A PATH OF THEIR OWN THAT IS SINISTER.
LONG AGO THEY CHOSE THEIR DESTINY. NOW WE MUST MAKE A DESTINY FOR OURSELVES.
LET NO DARK MAGICIAN SPEAK TO YOU. DO NOT HIDE THEIR SECRETS IN YOUR HOME. THEY CANNOT BE TRUSTED; THEY WILL DESTROY US.
MAY THIS YEAR BE KNOWN AS THE YEAR THE LAST OF THE DARK MAGICIANS STOOD TO HAVE THE IMMORALITIES TAKEN FROM THEIR HEART.
THEY CANNOT SURVIVE.
I did not know who had written the message, but I wondered if it was beliefs like this that scared away the people. Whoever the writer was, they evidently knew more than they cared to share. The language was strong and bold, surely not something any townsperson would write.
Tearing the note from the nail, I placed it in my bag and carried on. Besides running short on food, I feared what others knew and planned to do. A place like a church even promoted the hatred between ordinary people and magicians. Yearning for an answer, I quickened my pace on the road, a road that perhaps was full of more sins than I could realize.
Chapter Seven
Lights
Night crept up on me when I entered into Agnetlin. Three men sat together at the corner of the street; they howled with laughter while one of them spoke. An elderly woman sat outside by a large house, seemingly admiring the night’s sky. She smiled at me as I walked through the street. It was late, and I needed somewhere to stay. I feared I would once again have to sleep on the side of the road.
The elderly woman stood up and approached me. Her gray hair was long, and numerous wrinkles shown as she smiled.
“Are you lost, dear?” she said.
I realized then that I had been standing in the middle of the street, staring off into the night.
“No, I’m a traveler,” I replied.
“If you need a place to stay, my Inn is always available,” she smiled and continued to stand in front of me.
I considered her proposal, and I decided I would rather sleep in a bed than on the grass. Since it was growing darker by the minute, I couldn’t hope to search any further.
“Thank you; that sounds lovely,” I said, but the woman was already leading the way. The Inn she had mentioned was the large house. I followed closely behind her, though all the while I wondered how much it would cost to spend the night.
The Inn was much larger and fancier than Mervyn’s. While the lighting in the room was dim with only candles in the four corners, I was stunned by what I was able to see.
The moment I entered the manor, I barely cared about the price anymore. I had never stayed in a boarding home before, but I was certain it was the most well-designed and clean one in all of the country.
A grand staircase was before us, covered in red carpet. The floor was wooden and the furniture in the room appeared to be new. The woman walked quickly, and I followed behind so I would not get lost. She led me up the stairs, and then we began walking down a long and narrow hallway. It was almost entirely pitch black, save for the lit candle she had taken from the previous room.
There were portraits on the white walls, but the people in the portraits did not look familiar. All of their faces were grave, and before long I realized each one was wearing a cloak. I rubbed my hands, trying to shake away the uncomfortable feeling growing inside of me. What if the people in those portraits were magicians? Why would the old woman frame such pictures? I wanted to ask, but I did not speak a word. For a long time, neither one of us did. It was not until she stopped in the middle of the hallway by a large, oak door that she said something.
“You have surely heard about the Dark magicians, I presume,” she said, taking a key out from her thin belt. She looked at the door, shook her head, and began walking again. I did not understand her actions, but I followed her all the same.
“Dark magicians? No, I’m afraid not…but you know what happened?” My face felt like it was on fire as I spoke. I could only hope the woman would not turn around as we walked through the hall.
“I have only heard what the folks say in town. There are five Dark magicians alive; all the others were defeated in battle. Years ago it was rare for Dark magicians to lose a battle. They were determined in their pursuit for power, I’ll give them that,” she answered.
It took a moment for my mind to comprehend the words she had spoken. Then, with wide eyes, I swore under my breath; I held a black staff and I wore a black cloak.
“You have continued to practice magic?” I asked in a low voice, though I couldn’t conceal my fear.
“Heavens, no. My Rufin died seven years ago because of magic, my dear. I decided to retire after that, but I kept my husband’s business. Sadly not many come by that often, but a new face in town is always welcome.” She smiled with her last statement. She had stopped once again, and I noticed she was placing the key into the keyhole of another large, oak door. She opened the door and gestured for me to enter.
“The price is five lei, but if you do not have the money now, you can pay tomorrow,” she said, and then just as she was about to leave her face brightened. “Oh, I almost forgot; my name is Elyn.”
“I’m Celestria…” I said as I attempted to fake a smile. Elyn accepted the response and carried on, whistling down the hallway.
As I entered the room, the door shut behind me and left me in the darkness. I set my staff and bag on the floor and then cupped my hands together. I waited a few moments until I could hear Elyn closing another door. Then, after murmuring a word, a dark green orb lit up in the palm of my hand. It did not brighten the room by much, but at least it allowed me to see some. There was a large bed in the middle of the room, and the rest of the room was filled with furniture including a chair and a dresser. Being too exhausted to look any further, I sat down on the bed.
With another word, the orb disappeared as easily as it had appeared. There was a candle on the nightstand that I lit with a spell, and I wondered briefly if Elyn would return later on in the night. She seemed too old to be wandering the hallways, and with that in mind, I began throwing the pillows onto the floor. Had I slept with the pillows, I would have suffocated; there were at least twelve. Even though I was tired, there were matters I continued to think over.
How many more times would I search for someone? Having no one else to blame, I turned to Dyanna. It was her
fault. Had she not left me I wouldn’t be traveling through deserted towns amongst strangers. If I could return to the night she disappeared, I’d grip onto her arm when she arrived at the door so it would be impossible for her to leave.
I punched the single pillow left on the mattress. Dyanna’s memory drifted into the back of my mind. As I lay back on the mattress, I tried to think of a distraction.
Léal… His name alone clouded my thoughts before I could stop myself. I recalled his striking appearance and those cold blue eyes. I allowed my eyes to close as I continued thinking about him. I doubted his promise, though part of me wanted to believe he was too proud to lie.
It seemed I had only closed my eyes for a few minutes, and then there was a bright light that entered the room. I opened my eyes and sat up, blinking several times so I could adjust. A purple light shined in my face; I could not see anything but the light itself. Then the whole room lit up with color, and what had once been a purple orb of light was now a person. She wore a long, dark green, silky dress that covered her feet. Her eyes were sapphire, and her hair was golden.
“Dyanna!” I cried in joy. I leaped off of the bed and ran to her, since she was standing near the door. I hugged her, though I soon realized to my horror that a stench was coming off of her. I dared to look down, but I could not hold onto her any longer. I pushed away as I realized the dress was not made of silk; it was some kind of material giving her dress a glossy appearance. The bottom half of her dress was covered by red stains.
“Dyanna, how are you here?” I nearly shouted.
She stood motionless, as if life was draining out of her with every breath she took. She moved her index finger to her lips, gesturing I silence myself. I waited for something—anything—to happen.
A green orb, similar to the one I had cast earlier, hit the floor. In an instant it transformed into a person. The person I realized to be Adam, though he didn’t look aged from the two years we spent apart. As usual, his hair was combed back. My heart throbbed as if he was preparing to shoot an arrow through my chest.
“Calm down, sister. You will need all your strength for the road that lies ahead of you,” Dyanna spoke without emotion.
I remembered the blame I had placed on her, but nonetheless I inched closer to her. Behind Adam a blue light appeared, and once it reformed into a person I saw it was him.
“Hello again, love,” Léal said. My head jolted back. What had he called me? I shook my head and held onto Dyanna’s hand, though it oddly enough felt cold. I glanced at her hand…it was paler than normal.
“Did you—” I began, but before I could finish, Adam interrupted me.
“You think too much and never act on what you believe. Listen to your sister for once,” he said as he came to stand on the other side of Dyanna.
I looked up at her through tear-filled eyes, hoping she would explain what was going on. She did not pay attention to me, nor did Adam bother asking her to. It seemed her attention remained on the back wall.
Adam said nothing more, though I waited for him to speak my thoughts as he usually did in the past. Perhaps he truly had shot an arrow through my chest.
“We all know how stubborn Celestria can be,” Léal said, chuckling.
“Léal! I’m standing here; do you not realize me?” I cried out. He ignored me entirely, as if I had not spoken a word. I noticed both he and Adam were staring at Dyanna.
“Ignore him. Your future is what you should fear now. There is danger lurking ahead, and you cannot face it yourself. If you continue on alone as you have, there will be consequences that I assure you will not be pleasant,” Dyanna whispered. She began humming a song, but I could not comprehend what was occurring. How could they be in my room and what had happened to them? The blood on Dyanna’s dress told a story of its own; however, I could not bear to look at it for a minute longer.
“But you’re dead… And they’re dead too?” I asked, pointing to Léal and Adam. The humming stopped and the room grew silent. Dead silent.
“Everyone dies, whether we want to face that truth or not. We are not here because of your concern for our health. You should know why we’re here,” she responded.
“I… I do not,” I said with a frown.
Dyanna released her hand from mine and walked into the middle of the room. Adam and Léal followed her without saying anything. They stood together in a circle, but Dyanna remained facing me.
“Always watch behind your back,” she said. She blinked her eyes and in that moment the purple, green, and blue lights returned.
***
I woke up to find myself lying on the wooden floor. The pillows lay on the floor next to me. My face was wet, and as I raised my head from the ground, I noticed something I had not seen before: a strand of golden hair was on the floor.
Chapter Eight
Doomed
The lights and the people I had seen I could deny; the conversation we had I could forget. However, I could not do either for the strand of hair. It was most certainly Dyanna’s, and it was giving me a false sense of hope. What happened to her? Why had she been with Adam and Léal? Hundreds of questions rushed through my mind as I tried to make sense of it. I sat up and twirled the hair between my fingers.
“Celestria!”
Elyn’s voice called from down the hall, and she informed me that breakfast would be ready in a matter of minutes.
I stood up and searched for my bag and staff. Before rearranging the pillows that remained on the floor, I remembered I had left them near the door. As I picked them up, I placed the strand of hair into the bag. It was foolish of me to keep it; all the same, I could not simply throw it away. If it was Dyanna’s hair it was all I had left of her.
I only stayed long enough to enjoy a few slices of bread, and then I paid Elyn and began the journey again. Léal was right; it would be too risky for me to stay in one place for too long.
The streets were more crowded in the morning. I hummed as I walked slowly, trying to decide where I would go next. The merchants were bringing out their wooden carts full of buyable goods. I admired their work, though I did not consider buying anything.
I was soon caught off guard when a man walked into me. He stumbled back, but the smile on his face made it seem like he was not at all surprised. He looked to be in his forties with light hair; he was broad and tall. He continued to beam at me; thus I waited for him to say something. However, at his silence I attempted to walk around him. The man raised his arm so I could not pass.
“What do you want?” I said, highly irritated.
“Hello, my name is Aldemund, and I’ve heard about you from my friend. She told me you are a Dark magician,” he answered.
I felt goose bumps on my arms. Who was this man? How could he have discovered such a truth that I kept secret?
“Let me go,” I hissed since he had a firm grip on my arm.
“Elyn told me you were hasty, but she did not mention your temper. Celestria—if that be the correct name I remember—you are the only person walking in the street with a staff. Do you not think this looks peculiar? It’s been a while since I’ve seen one like that,” Aldemund said. His smile widened into a devilish grin like a cat that had captured a mouse.
“This staff? This was my father’s; he gave it to me for good luck,” I innocently replied.
The grin on his face would not disappear. “Then surely you won’t be bothered if I take a closer look at it?”
Aldemund extended his arm to reach for the staff, but before he was able to grasp it, I hit him in the stomach. He stumbled back and rage built up in his eyes. I kept a firm grip on my staff; he had pushed me far enough, and there was no point in pretending any longer. If he knew what I was, so be it. I’d make him regret having ever found me.
He flexed his arms and glared at me in disgust. Then, without saying a word, he began running toward me. I remained where I was; he could have his confidence for the time being. Just when he was about to run straight into me, I whispered a word i
n Eldarian and a black spark hit him in the chest. He yelped, but then quickly faced his palms toward me. I was thrown back, and I hit the ground; my head was spinning. I forced myself up and placed my hands together.
Fortunately the Eldarian language was only something the Dark magicians could understand. However, not every spell required that a word be spoken.
As I spoke faster, Aldemund merely sneered. Around him were flames, and in his hands were sparks of fire. A dark green orb suddenly floated above my hands, and now it was all a matter of timing.
Aldemund and I cast our spells at the same time. The orb hit him, but almost immediately after that I felt the throbbing in my shoulder. Instant pain shot through me, but I couldn’t bear to look down. He was burning my skin, and if I did not stop him I would die. While I screamed in agony I cursed him, but despite my condition, I was able to think. I knew now that he was a Fire magician; hence I decided to use a spell with water that would stop his spell. I moved my hand in a circular motion and then water sprayed out at him. The water soaked his tunic and bruised his skin, but it didn’t have as great of an effect as I hoped for. His flames disappeared with the hit.
People were gathered around us. They watched with excitement and horror in their eyes. Someone in the crowd shouted “the staff!” I was shocked to see I had dropped my staff; as I went to grab for it, Aldemund did as well. He picked up the staff before I reached it and began chanting.
When I approached him to take it back, his hand went up, and then I was tossed onto the ground yet again. My back hurt, my shoulder stung, and tears were building up in my eyes. As I tried to get back up, I felt unimaginable pain; whatever marks had been left from Aldemund’s magic could only be cured by a healer.
Snap. I stood up in time to see Aldemund had snapped my staff in half. He threw a piece to the ground; the other he carried in his hand. With another one of his hand motions, I hit the ground, and as I tried to whisper a countering spell, I found I could not speak. There was an overwhelming amount of Aldemund’s magic focused on me, such that I could barely breathe. As he came closer to me, a spell crossed my mind. I raised my hand and forced the word out of my mouth, hitting Aldemund with a cloud of smoke. He was flung back into the crowd. The townspeople scattered away from him; there were more of them closer to me now.
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