《Empire》 ~Prologue~ A tall figure in rough, dark clothing stared intently at a glowing orb floating in front of his chair, and the dark scene of a prison cell being portrayed inside of it. There were several of such orbs floating around the luxurious room, providing the only light to the dim room, but only this one kept the figures attention. He looked like some sort of broke fortune teller with the creepy lighting. The scene remained still save for the changing scenes in the orbs until a woman with long blood-red hair a matching dress opened the door to the study, the dark interior being flooded by the well-lit hallway behind her. ¡°Fairen!¡± the woman said loudly, ¡°I know this isn¡¯t exactly your best week, but you could at least come out of this stupid room once in a while, some of the others are wondering if you are up to some prank again!¡± The woman began to look from orb to orb at the repeating scenes inside them. ¡°I think I¡¯ve finally found one, Thalia. And close the door!¡± The man responded, not moving his eyes. The woman stopped looking at a certain scene floating near the door, and once again looked toward Fairen as she closed the door she had come through. ¡°Hmm, it¡¯s certainly taken long enough since your last one. How long has it been? 300, 400 years? I was beginning to think that you were giving up once and for all. You think this new one could beat out Azuel?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know for sure, but he¡¯s got potential. A lot of it. I think he could put up a fight at least.¡± Fairen placed a finger on the orb in front of him, and the picture froze. He finally moved his eyes to meet Thalia, who made a few steps until she could see what Fairen was so intent on. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. ¡°Looks like you might not have a champion for long if things keep playing out this way. I guess you¡¯ll have to make a decision soon, huh?¡± Thalia replied, now only mildly interested in Fairen¡¯s newest obsession. She had seen this side of him many times before. It never went well, and always resulted in the god loosing more and more of his influence, and thus his life-force. He was at his last try, and another failure would probably be the deities end. At least for a while. She only felt pity now. ¡°Would you like to come with me to the introduction? It¡¯s always fun to see their reactions.¡± Fairen knew this as well, but he did the best that he could to hold his confidence. Things would be different this time. He would put everything he had into it. ¡°Nah, I wouldn¡¯t want to spoil it. I¡¯ll be watching though.¡± Thalia pats the closest orb to her, and the one previously paused by Fairen begins to pulse in red, casting the shade onto the whole room. Fairen¡¯s facade of confidence ticks for a second, as nervousness flashes across his face, but he manages to bring himself back under control. ¡°Well then, that¡¯s my cue. Any longer and things might end a bit prematurely¡± ¡°Good luck..¡± Thalia says to an empty room, as Fairen¡¯s figure had already disappeared. No flash of light, no smoke, no special magic mixed in, just gone. He must really be nervous. ~Chapter 1 - Desperate~ Chapter 1 ~ Desperate A bright colossus of color exploded in the sky, causing children to scream and adults to stare in awe. It was the largest blast so far, and the mages in charge of the spectacle finally cast away their worried faces, rightly so, as mishandling such a complicated spell over such a populated space could quickly end the festivities with even the smallest mistake. Today was the last and final day of the Sarz Empire¡¯s harvest festival, and the emperor had announced that this year¡¯s festivities would spare no expense, and would be the grandest one to date. Throughout every street in the city¡¯s upper districts, people is their most colorful clothes walked up and down the many crisscrossing streets of the cloud district, reveling in the great food and high spirits, walking from performer to performer. A handful of airships could be spotted in the air, soundlessly making patrols to deter anyone drunk enough to start a fight. Even the thieves and pickpockets stayed quiet this week, knowing full well what fate they would meet if they caught the eye of the peacekeepers. The empire was thriving more than ever after now that they had claimed more land around their northern borders from the neighboring countries, taking full advantage of the acquired fields and mines that were practically spewing food and riches. Even with their other losses in the war, the empire¡¯s might had proven itself once again, and it¡¯s capital couldn¡¯t find a better way to show it. Hugging the shadows of the alleyways between streets, a short child was trying his best to remain unseen, but the clothes weren¡¯t helping. He would have preferred to wear his usual black to help him blend into the night, but wearing such colors this week would raise more attention that the gaudy things he was wearing now. He had resigned himself to fast for the week so that the kids could eat what little he had stockpiled, but his hunger was unbearable now and the food was long gone now. If he didn¡¯t feel like he might keel over at any second, he would never be so reckless. Like the many others, he should be hiding in a hole somewhere, carefully watching the airships fly overhead until the final dawn announced the end of the torment, but he couldn¡¯t wait that long. He seamlessly blended into the moving crowd, using his long hair to obstruct his face when he could. He began eyeing potential marks, quickly picking apart the wealthy from the poor by paying attention to the expensive bangles and jewelry that the rich took their pride in. One particular group kept his experienced eye though, as a small pack of happy young drunks passed him in the very populated street. While the garments they wore were simple, and their accessories few, the material quality of the clothing was beyond the capabilities of the capital¡¯s seamstresses, and was obviously ordered from one of the artisan city of the South, if not a foreign nation altogether. Importing such expensive clothing for such a short time would be irresponsible for anyone but the very privileged, and the thief inconspicuously turned around to follow what he pegged as a group of merchants¡¯ sons visiting the capital with their parents. They were enjoying the festivities much more than the capital¡¯s own nobility. While the festival was mainly held in the upper districts, the nobles were known not to show their faces in such a rowdy place, opting instead to stay in the Sky District, holding private high-class parties among themselves in their mansions. The faceless thief edged closer to the loud group as they swayed their way towards the red light portion of the district, probably intending to wake up the next morning in several bordello beds. He could hear now the individual voices of the group against the roar of the streets. He didn¡¯t care what they were saying at all, but began taking in every detail he could about the group¡¯s members, identifying where each of the men kept their money, who paid the least attention to what they were doing, and how easy he believed it would be to steal from each of his marks. He would only need to steal something of worth to trade for food, so in order to minimize risk, he began targeting a young man no older than 20 at the edge of the group who was stumbling a little more than the others. Deciding his plan of attack, the thief quickened his pace from behind the group, and took up an excited posture and dumb smile that didn¡¯t reflect the sharp look in his eyes. While his hunger had driven him to this point, he would not be so foolish to let it control him completely. He would do this right, and then leave as quickly and quietly as possible, becoming just another face in the crowd. As he was now just behind the side of his target, the thief carefully stuck his foot out to the side of him to catch the drunk¡¯s stumbling steps. The drunk, with a look of surprise on his face, ungracefully fell to the ground, bringing another another man down with him to the cobble street as punishment for using each other for support. The thief quickly backed away, as if he was simply reacting to the events in front of him. With the commotion, the other five who turned around to see two of their group on the ground, began laughing hysterically, quickly catching the attention of passerby. As planned, the thief summoned the most childlike face he could muster and began walking towards the man he had just previously tripped, who was turning around on the ground to face his laughing friends. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. ¡°Hey Mister!¡± the thief said with an innocent tone befitting his appearance, ¡°are you okay?!¡±. It took an amazing amount of willpower to keep his voice and facial features in line while he was dizzy. The young man on the ground, just now coming to bearings with his new situation, looked up from where he had fallen to see a young boy no older than twelve holding out a hand to him. The kid had long, fair hair and a kind face that you could trust in an instant. He could also hear the boy saying something, but in his state the soft voice only sounded like murmurs. The hand gesture was easily recognizable even in his fuzzy mind though, so the young man took the help where he could find it. His laughing group of friends around him sure didn¡¯t look like they would be as kind any time soon. The child easily pulled the fallen drunk to his feet, showing strength that any sober person would quickly take notice of, but the young man simply got up, said his thanks to the boy, and turned around with an embarrassed expression towards his group, moving forward once again as if it had never happened, completely forgetting the boy. The boy started to move away as fast as he could from the group as soon as his mark turned around. In his left hand was a silver ring that he had perfectly lifted, and he smiled brightly at the thought of trading it with the stalls all around him. Looking down at the ring in his hand as if it was his slavation, the boy walked into what he felt like was a wall, and fell down backwards, looking up to see a white-robed figure standing over him. The thief froze, the blood draining from his face as he faced the peacekeeper staring down at him. ¡°Thief! You are und¡­¡± That¡¯s all the boy listened to before he jumped from his seat on the ground and started sprinting away from the mage peacekeepers deep voice, cursing himself for not checking the keeper¡¯s patrols before making his move. Fighting the peacekeeper would not end well, and he knew what would happen if he were caught during the Festival. Taking in his options, the boy decided that the mage likely wouldn¡¯t use his magic in such a crowded place, so just running through the crowd should be enough to get away from the mage, who would be unable to pursue him once he was out of sight. The thief never got that far though, as the cobble street broke beneath his feet and grabbed him by the ankles only a second after he jumped. He fell again, this time on his front, his arms barely able to react to shield his face from hitting the stone. He still held the ring in a death grip in his right hand, but he knew that there was no point. His measly magical ability wouldn¡¯t be able to break a peacekeeper¡¯s spell no matter how much he struggled, but he wouldn¡¯t go out without a fight. He twisted around and looked up at the grinning peacekeeper, putting the little mana he had into an basic mental disorientation spell, hoping to at least confuse the peacekeeper into releasing the spell for even a second. ¡°[Fool¡¯s Mind]!¡± He shouted with what air hadn¡¯t been knocked out of his lungs upon hitting the ground. He felt the last of his mana form the spell and he could see the keeper stop his pace, but it was only for a second, and the cobblestone didn¡¯t lose its vice grip. The thief began to scream curses, unfitting for a child of his appearance, but a snap of the keeper¡¯s fingers locked his mouth, and all he could do was squirm on the ground until the keeper was on top of him. ¡°How did a thief like you learn magic?¡± The keeper questioned the violent child who was staring at him with a defiant look. The keeper shrugged. ¡°Oh well, not like you could answer anyway with that silence spell in place. Guess we¡¯ll have to figure that one out later when there aren¡¯t so many eyes watching.¡± The keeper¡¯s face turned from a grin to a full sadistic smile, as if enjoying the thought of hurting the child. Fear began to spread across his face. A crowd had begun to circle around the whole event to see what was going on. They probably were enjoying a better show than when the drunk fell. ¡°Yes! That¡¯s what we were looking for! You probably thought that little spell would buy you some time, huh? Let me show you how it¡¯s really done. [Thought Break].¡± The thief¡¯s nonexistent mental defense let the spell take it¡¯s course without resistance, and his mind began spinning. The spell had a lot of mana packed into it, and he could feel his conscience fading, his last grip on the basic illusion spell he had been holding all this time slipping away. ¡°Well look what we have here¡­¡± was the last thing he heard before falling into darkness. ~Chapter 2 - Home~ ~~Author''s Corner~~ As of November 21st, 2015, chapter 2 has been moved to chapter 3, while a new chapter has been written for chapter two. Sorry for the change, and I promise I will do my best in the future to make sure it doesn''t need to happen again. Ten points to whoever points out spelling/grammatical mistakes. HUGE thanks to Balthazar for all his help in getting this chapter to you in greater quality. He went beyond what I expected. ~~~~~ Thane opened the door to his hideout slightly, clicking his tongue in annoyance at the dark street in front of an abandoned building, completely quiet and empty except for the occasional rat running around. He could see the sky starting to turn a lighter blue, the sun still hidden behind the city¡¯s outer walls, and began to worry more. On one hand, the harvest festival was finally over, and business as usual could start up again without the peacekeeper overkill in place. Although he was just a fence, just looking at a peacekeeper the wrong way looking like he did could end very, very badly. Even worse if it was a mage. On the other, Arduin, his closest friend and partner, was still gone for hours after he said he would be back, an incident that could only be taken as a terrible omen. Not seeing anything out of the ordinary for the longest time, Thane immediately grabbed hold of his rational self again, closed the door, and turned a rusted lock before heading back into the old storehouse. He moved quietly and thoughtfully, trying his best to avoid all the small bodies lying on the ground without a blanket in sight. Some huddled together, others as far away as possible. It started a few years ago, when the empire decided to have its first official harvest festival. The keepers cracked down harder than they ever had, and the children in the street had to flee before they were disappeared. The city had to look perfect for foreign dignitaries and nobility to display the wealth and prosperity of the Sarz Empire, so beggars and petty thieves wouldn¡¯t be tolerated. After rumors leaked that Arduin had let a few kids in after seeing them sleep on the streets, they all flocked to the sad little one-story building in the Dirt District. Thane was hesitant at first, but Arduin was persistent and eventually their little hideout became a hub of orphans and young thieves, all under the age of twenty, with Thane and Arduin being the oldest ones in their late teens. There were about thirty of them in total, but their numbers changed all the time; some new faces showing up with old ones, some old ones never coming back at all. It was hard to keep track of them all. They had moved more than once when a kid didn¡¯t come back after a while. After a host of vacant buildings and houses, they eventually found their current hideout, a long-abandoned storehouse outside of the range of the keeper patrols. For the most part, the kids came and went of their own volition, only returning when they couldn¡¯t find a place in the Cloud District, were desperate for food, or had ¡°found¡± something they wanted to sell. Thane, who had the connections to move the wares along undetected. This little arrangement actually became a reliable source of income, and Thane began using the extra money, not that it was much, to buy and stockpile what little food they could afford for everyone. This in turn attracted more kids and the hub had to change locations a few more times just to avoid older crooks from stealing the food. After the second attempt, all the kids had been sworn to secrecy and Arduin taught them how to check if someone was following them. Even after he taught them, the kids wanted more, leading into lessons on pickpocketing, tricking people, how to figure out who to steal from and the best methods, and on and on. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. As Thane walked, he began counting the bodies to get a good head count. The number was the same as the previous evening and Thane finally got to the back of the storehouse, where a group of kids no older than twelve were talking, probably planning who would take which streets. They stopped talking when they noticed Thane approaching. ¡°Morning gems, has anyone seen Arduin around? He should have been back hours ago.¡± The kids looked at each other before a girl responded. ¡°Haven¡¯t seen him since last night, and he was lookin¡¯ pretty bad¡­ Poltus was up early this morning, so he should know for sure.¡± She gestured across from her at a timid boy, smaller than the rest, who meekly said, ¡°I, I never saw him come in, but he always comes back, so it should be okay, right?¡± ¡°With your eyes, he could have come right by us and Poltus didn¡¯t see him¡­¡± another girl snickered, and they began to childishly bicker with each other. These kids were a pack of four who stayed together, much like he and Arduin did. He had told them to always leave one person awake while the others slept, and they had taken it to heart, with the small Poltus taking the dawn shift. Looking at the four of them fight, Thane remembered how he and Arduin would squabble when they were kids. While they were all together now, Thane and Arduin¡¯s partnership had started years before the kids ever became involved, when they had both been left in an orphanage by their parents when they were infants, Thane being the older. They grew up together, played and ate together, and when the orphanage closed after the empire stopped funding it, they escaped the drafting of any child over fourteen together. The two had been working as a pair ever since, realizing their individual talents and how to work together. Thane was street-smart, and liked to play around in the markets, listening to the merchant haggle their wares with customers and the like, and he used it to form relations with the merchants, using the bonds to fence of the things that found their way into his hands. Arduin wasn¡¯t as curious, but mischievous, always finding a way to pull pranks on the lady who ran the orphanage or the other kids, often getting an ear-full for it. He naturally got better at tricking people and stealing over time, and started to give Thane the jewelry he lifted. ¡°Are you sure there isn¡¯t anything left for breakfast?¡± The youngest girl, Clarissa, looked up at Thane and asked, breaking him out of his little d¨¦j¨¤ vu. He then remembered their current situation. ¡°Sorry kiddos, you know we¡¯ve been out for a while. There aren¡¯t even crumbs on the floor. The sun¡¯s rising though, so you should be okay to head outside now.¡± Thane said, gesturing to the holes in the high ceiling that were letting the light in. They had actually run out of food two days ago. Earlier if Arduin hadn''t absolutely refused to eat anything for the entire week. Understanding how long their food would last if he didn''t, he decided to fast so that the others wouldn¡¯t go hungry. Last night, when he was so hungry that he looked like he was going to faint, he vanished as he always did, leaving a message for him with one of the kids. ¡°Going to the festival. Be back soon.¡± He had stayed up waiting for the idiot to come sauntering back in, food in hand, but it never happened. ¡°Ugh, but I¡¯m staaaarviiing¡± Clarissa responded, and Thane opened his mouth to scorn her. ~Chapter 3 - Pain~ ~~~Author''s Corner~~~ As of November 21st, 2015, chapter 2 has been moved to chapter 3, and a new chapter has taken it''s place. Also, small changes have been made to the already existing chapters. If you see grammatical/spelling mistakes, let me know. HUGE thanks to Balthazar for doing all that he did in helping me work out the rough spots. Enjoy! ### WARNING ### This chapter contains some scenes not meant for those who don''t like blood. Reader discretion advised. (Don''t expect this too often) ¡°Well look what we have here¡± Peacekeeper Vaughn looked down at the unconscious teenager on the ground. Just moments earlier he had the appearance of a child, but now his once-fair hair was dark brown, his face sharper, his height taller, and he lost all of his weight, looking unhealthily skinny. He retained the bright clothes he was wearing, but they were now too short on this person. Seeing the change, Vaughn casually pointed his hand straight up towards the sky, and spoke the spell for a fireball twice, only supplying enough mana to keep the projectiles going for about 15 meters before they fizzled and died in the air. The message was clear to all the peacekeepers that saw it: No threat, but require assistance. The airships in the sky didn¡¯t budge. Vaughn only had to wait a few minutes before two keepers rounded a corner and made their way to the scene, wearing the more common white light armor of swordsmen peacekeepers. The Capital¡¯s policing force was split into two groups: the wand corps and the sword corps, obviously separating the mages and the regular knights. Considering the rarity of magicians and the education necessary to train them, the sword corps filled nearly eighty percent of the overall peacekeeper force, but, because the mages were rarer and few in number, they enjoyed a higher status and could get away with abusing their authority. This difference led to a great amount of animosity between the corps, only working together when it was absolutely necessary. During the harvest festival, the wand corps usually didn¡¯t patrol the streets, as this task was left entirely to the sword corps, but because of the emperor¡¯s decree, the mages had borrowed the airships to fulfill their role without getting their hands dirty. A handful, including Vaughn, quickly got tired of just watching the festivities and decided to drop down themselves. When the mages on the airship had seen the situation wasn¡¯t urgent, they ignored the sign, allowing the sword corps to respond instead. As two swordsmen, a man and a woman, approached Vaughn standing near the teen laying on the ground, the street still holding him by the ankle, they raised their eyes back at Vaughn for an explanation, but Vaughn quietly began rattling off orders instead, quiet enough so that only the other keepers could hear him. ¡°I want this little shit transported immediately to an enchanted holding cell. After which, guard the cell until I, and no one else, arrive to perform the interrogation and disposal. Any deviation will result in your own incarceration for treason. Have I made myself clear enough?¡± At first, the two keepers frowned at the orders, but upon hearing that the commoner boy in front of them was to be transported to an enchanted cell, reserved for mages, the keepers looked back at the boy surprised. Even if he had the talent for magic, the education to use it should have been outside his reach, and they could just leave him in a normal cell. Usually only the nobilities children or those with outstanding talent were send to the academy, so this sight was beyond their expectations. The battle-scarred woman finally asked the question. ¡°This kid¡¯s a mage?¡± ¡°He¡¯s going to be unconscious for a while, so you will have to carry him. I¡¯ll put these on just in case.¡± Vaughn ignored the woman and put a cuff on both of the boys arms, the metal sealing shut with a small incantation from Vaughn. Runes appeared on the rough iron, and although it was hard to tell, they glowed softly. Looking satisfied, Vaughn motioned for the swordsmen to come and take their charge. He mentally released the [Earth Grip] spell, the skin the cobble fell from already blue from bruises. The woman¡¯s brute-looking partner proceeded to sling the thief over his shoulder with ease, wincing at the smell. Seeing them leave, Vaughn dispersed the crowd that had gathered, straightened his robes that had shifted slightly in his movements, and continued walking down the path he was following before this little incident, to find out what his favorite whores were up to. *** COLD. The feeling pierced every nerve of his body as he was jolted awake, panicking as he found himself attached from the wrists to short metal chains connecting to the floor, soaked in water that felt like ice, his long hair now plastered to his face. He had presumably just been unconscious, but a wave fatigue rolled over him, making him feel like he had just been running for hours, coupled with his already maddening hunger beginning to come back, it was a hell like no other. The room he found himself in was a luxury for a cell, being about three times bigger than the ones he was used to. There was the familiar stone walls, floor, and ceiling, but appeared less used, probably due to the lack of bodily fluids. And, standing there, with a women in matching white robes and a bucket in hand, stood the keeper that caught him. ¡°Thank you Tryst. I didn¡¯t know if he was ever going to wake up.¡± Vaughn politely spoke to the woman without taking his eyes off of the prisoner, who was now taking big gulps of breath as if there was a limited supply. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, I¡¯d like a little alone time with our new friend¡±. This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. The woman didn¡¯t say a word as she silently left the room with a neutral expression and bolted the solid iron door behind her. The click of the mechanism was the only sound as Vaughn and the teen stared at each other. ¡°You know,¡± Vaughn started, ending the stare down by moving to lean against the wall the door was set into, ¡°that was a pretty neat trick you pulled back there with that disguise spell. I didn¡¯t think trash like you could pull off a second tier spell without training¡± The teen only stared back, thinking that if he wasn¡¯t dead, there was chance for escape. Vaughn saw his toy¡¯s eyes moving around and sighed, ¡°Does escape really look like a viable option right now? Both of your hands are restrained, any weak magic you might conjure up is completely negated in here, and besides all of that, you look like you couldn¡¯t make it to the door, much less fight your way past me and every other mage in this building, and¡­ I¡¯ve got a few questions that need answering first.¡± Vaughn grinned as defiant eyes only stared back at him. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± The teen¡¯s face didn¡¯t change, his body only swaying slightly as he tried to keep himself upright. ¡°They never answer the first time¡­¡± Vaughn mumbled as he hit the wall with his fist, three small pieces of stone cracking off to float around his hand, which he now held in front of him. Without warning, one of the stones shot from it¡¯s orbit with massive speed, aimed straight at the chained prisoner¡¯s upper arm. The teen yelled out in pain as a hole appeared in his right arm, just below the shoulder. With his wrists chained to either side of him, all he could do was yell and squirm as the stone shard turned in the wound, his tormentor¡¯s hand turning to mirror the stone. More and more blood started to flow. ¡°You must have thought you were some tough shit down in the dirt districts, so allow me to fix your misconceptions. I will ask a question, you will answer, or I will pick a better spot to aim for¡± Vaughn wasn¡¯t smiling anymore. The longer it took to get the information for the captain, the longer he would be in this hole that smelled like piss and death. While he did enjoy seeing the thief in pain, justly deserved for forcing him down here, his threats were mostly to the point of ending things as quickly as possible. ¡°Next Question: Who taught you magic¡± The most important question. If there was some rogue mage teaching magic to anyone who would listen in the slums, it would pose a serious problem to the peacekeepers in the future. They would be unable to find the culprits of crimes properly if there were others out there that could disguise themselves at will. While Liar¡¯s Guise was a tier two spell that your average commoner couldn¡¯t ever hope to control, the countermeasures just to stop the few that could would cost a fortune. The boy only stared angrily up at vaughn, his teeth clenched in pain. He knew he would die in this cell one way or another. If he could just keep his mouth shut for a little longer, his body would probably give out from the shock of the stones combined with his already weakened state. This was a strange scenario for him to be in. Normally, he would have no qualms about snitching on other pickpockets or thieves if it meant getting out of trouble, or in this case, a much more permanent release, but he felt a strange conviction to keep his mouth shut about his benefactor. Maybe it was just to spite the keeper, or his mind was not thinking straight under the conditions, but he would not betray the kindness. ¡°From the top then. What is your name?¡± ¡°¡­¡± He didn¡¯t know how much information it would take to find what this sadist was looking for, so he held his tongue. ¡°I can¡¯t hear you¡± Vaughn sent another shot, this time aiming at the left thigh. Bright new pain exploded in his leg as he felt the bone being hit. He had gone through his fair share of keeper brutality and ¡°occupational accidents¡±, but this was a blinding pain that didn¡¯t allow a single other thought to go through his head but to scream. Vaughn moved closer, kneeling down to grab the chin of the screamer with his left hand while he kept the last stone floating in his right. He could always get more from the walls if the next one didn¡¯t do the trick, but he never needed to go past three to get what he wanted, so he decided to ramp things up to not tarnish his record. ¡°You¡¯ve got one more chance before things get permanent. What. Is. Your. Name.¡± Vaughn was beyond annoyed, almost angry, his voice snarling. With a thought and a bit of mana, he started to spin the rock at an increasing speed, until a sharp point appeared at the end, now a short distance from the prisoner¡¯s right eye. ¡°You have three seconds. Three. Two. OAHHH¡± Using the remainder of his strength, bringing a new flurry of pain, the thief poured every ounce of his remaining strength, which wasn¡¯t much, into kicking the keeper, trying to impart as much force as possible, not caring where he hit. He waited till the last second, and caught the keeper by surprise, both of their eyes locked on the stone getting ready to impale his eye. Vaughn didn¡¯t even see the attack, and began to fall backwards, losing control over the stone which was about to fire. With his level of control over Earth, he planned to stop the stone just inside the socket, but with him falling backward from his stoop, the stone flew up above the intended target without a limiter, creating a perfect hole the size of a finger in the thief¡¯s forehead. As Vaughn tried to get back up off the ground, screaming curses the whole time, Tryst heard the noise and opened the cell to see what was going on. Inside, Vaughn was just getting to his feet, and the prisoner lay motionless on the ground, a large pool of blood spreading outward. She began to complain about the mess. ~Chapter 4 - The Deal~ Arduin opened his eyes, and things were different. The cell was gone, the keeper was gone, the pain was gone. It was like he had blinked and the world had changed around him. Even he had changed. He wasn¡¯t on the floor, but in a simple wooden chair, a nice one at that. It even had a cushion made of a soft fabric that he had never felt before. He looked around but there wasn¡¯t much to see. It was just white, empty space, and looked like it continued on forever. There wasn¡¯t even a discernable floor. Everything seemed to just float in place, although his feet seemed to find solid ground. ¡°Arduin Draxus¡± He stopped gazing at the endless horizon, turning his head to the voice that interrupted him. In front of his own chair, was an elegant dark-wood desk that he could swear wasn¡¯t there a second ago. It was carved in intricate detail with what appeared to be scenes of battles, inlaid with gold. It was probably the most expensive thing he had ever seen. Sitting behind the desk, in a much more luxurious chair than his own, was a man with a sharp face who appeared to be in his late thirties wearing dark gray and black clothing that looked like it belonged to a commoner, but something was off. He looked like a king in pauper¡¯s clothing. Everything from the scenery around him to the way he held himself in his chair appeared to conflict with his image. Even his head of black hair and beard were well kept. Their eyes met, but Arduin was still surprised at his surroundings, much less his full name being spoken, to pick up that the man in front of him was waiting for a response. When a few moments passed and no one had spoken, the mystery man sighed and held out his hand on the desk. A stock of stark-white papers appeared in a puff of white smoke and he began flipping through the documents like he had seen them many times before. ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­ Arduin Draxus, son of a traveling merchant and a prostitute, left at a dreadful orphanage until running away at the age of fifteen, hopefully you still remember something?¡± Some of the words he heard finally broke Arduin out of his stupor. ¡°Who¡­ who did you say my parents are¡­ and... where am I?¡± Although his thoughts were racing, he found himself asking calmly. ¡°Phew! Your memories are still intact! I thought for a second there you were¡­ the point is you remember. And as far as where you are, I would call it something akin to limbo. A special little space between the mortal world and everything else, like a buffer. I just caught you as you were passing through just then.¡± The memories of what had happened only a few minutes ago resurfaced in his mind, and he instinctively put his hand on his shoulder and looked down at his leg, testing the movement and waiting for the pain, but nothing happened. ¡°I guess I¡¯m dead then?¡± Again, his words showed no signs of panic, nor anger, only resignation as his eyes looked to his hands in his lap as if inspecting them. ¡°Well¡­ that really depends on how you answer my proposition, but technically right now you are somewhere in-between life and death, and may I say, you seem to be taking it very well.¡± A small nervous smile found it¡¯s way to the man¡¯s face. ¡°What kinda proposition?¡± He questioned, going through the latest unbelievable sentence he had heard. He didn¡¯t want to believe any of it, but he had no other way of making sense of what he was seeing, so he figured he would roll with it. All he could really do now was listen. ¡°Oh, we¡¯ll talk about that in just a second, but before that, allow me to introduce myself!¡± The man dropped the papers he was holding, and they disappeared in smoke as they fell. ¡°I¡­¡± he spread his arms in a rather dramatic display, ¡°am Fairen, the god of shadows, illusions, and thieves. A god of the night.¡± He moved one of his arms to gesture toward Arduin. ¡°And I would like you, Arduin Draxus, to be my champion in the world.¡± Fairen moved his arms back to his side, looking satisfied with his introduction. ¡°¡­ BWAHAHA¡± Arduin burst into laughter at the end, and Fairen¡¯s face twisted in surprise at the unexpected reaction. ¡°So this is the universe¡¯s last little trick on me? This is the best it could do? You do realize that I¡¯m already dead, don¡¯t you? It¡¯s a little bit late to be some champion!¡± He laid back in his chair, just staring up at the white eternity while his laugh finally died away. ¡°I did say that your state of being could change didn¡¯t I? Don¡¯t go hysterical on me¡­ I haven¡¯t even gotten to the deal yet¡­¡± His bravado now all but a memory, Fairen¡¯s face contorted to an expression of nervous worry as his voice carried off. ¡°No! please continue! I can¡¯t wait to hear what else you can promise!¡± His voice was dripping with sarcasm. ¡°Okay! I get it! You¡¯re agitated. Death can do that. Anyway, the deal is simple, you become my champion, and I return you to life to fulfill your part of the bargain. The contract lasts until you die or I end the deal. Everything you accomplish will be in my name, and for that you will gain a portion of my power to do with as you see fit. I¡¯ll even give one of my familiars to you as an aide and weapon. Sounds pretty good, right?¡± The god rambled as if he was some greedy merchant trying to sell a fake miracle. Arduin¡¯s laughter was completely gone now, replaced by a serious look that could kill. He remained silent for a moment longer before replying. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. ¡°Why me? I¡¯m sure there are better choices than some kid who got caught. I don¡¯t see your reasoning.¡± Fairen was quick to respond, ¡°You may not have noticed, Arduin, but I have kept an eye on you for a very long time. You have amazing potential in your skills, craft, and magic. You might even be a prodigy, you just haven¡¯t been able to realize any of that yet. I think we can work together on this. Besides, that whole business just now with those brutes reeks of divine intervention. Probably Azuel deciding to sabotage my efforts. Arduin raised his eyebrows in questioning, and Fairen decided to continue, thinking about how much he should tell. ¡°Like I just said, I, Fairen, am a god of night. There are the gods of day, and the gods of night, and these two factions represent the forces of good and evil, order and chaos, the light and the dark, but a lot of this is up to interpretation. It¡¯s a lot more gray than you think. Uh, anyway, back to the topic, Azuel is a god of day, representing justice and clarity.¡± Fairen¡¯s face sunk into annoyance at the mention, his voice getting a little bit quieter, ¡°He¡¯s a bit of a bastard in my opinion, and my counterpart in the day. Every god has one on the other side, and he¡¯s mine. As the mortal world shifts the balance between the forces of day and night, the power and influence shifts between the two gods, sometimes being balanced, but most of the time not. Azuel has slowly been gaining the upper hand these last few hundred years, and that¡¯s where you come in. As a champion of night, your actions will have a greater impact on the balance. I¡¯m hoping this little agreement will be greatly beneficial to both of us.¡± Fairen came back to his smile, and looked at Arduin as if expecting him to jump at the offer any second now, but Arduin wasn¡¯t satisfied. Arduin sat in silence as the explanation was given, his eyes never coming off of Fairen¡¯s, as if he was trying to decipher the lie in the self-proclaimed god¡¯s words, but found none. ¡°What¡¯s the catch?¡± He finally replied simply. Arduin had heard plenty of good deals coming from people that looked like they could keep them, but there was always a catch that made the whole thing more trouble than it was worth. No matter the circumstance, he had come to realize that there is no such thing as the perfect deal. Fairen flinched at the question, and began to talk again, his voice hesitant. ¡°I, um, am required to tell you that there is always a risk to take for power. What I can offer you is unstable and hard to control in nature. Failing to master it will result in the power consuming the user, corrupting their mind, body, and soul. I don¡¯t think you want to know what that¡¯s like, but trust me, it isn¡¯t pleasant. I know, that sounds bad, but my familiar should be able to help you shoulder the burden while you learn to control it, so no worries, right? What do you think?¡± Fairen sounded like this little caveat wasn¡¯t a problem at all, and Arduin began to contemplate the implications of the deal presented. It only took him a few seconds. ¡°I refuse.¡± Fairen¡¯s smile twitched, but he quickly came back under control. ¡°May I have your reasoning?¡± Arduin replied seriously once again. ¡°While what you have offered is tempting, I don¡¯t particularly crave for revenge, and the people I care about don¡¯t need me to survive. Even with the new power, the downside seems to be too great a risk to take. I don¡¯t want to hurt them when I lose control. I¡¯d rather die here.¡± Listening to approximately what he expected, Fairen decided to play his trump card. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to hear that Arduin, but I think you should take a look at this before you make a final decision.¡± Fairen pulled open a drawer in top of the ornate desk, and pulled out a bright orb of light about the size of a fist depicting a small group of white-armored men and women walking through the streets of the capital, armed for combat with an assortment of swords and spears. ¡°This,¡± Fairen continued, ¡°is a Sarz Empire peacekeeper squad on its way to eradicate a criminal nest in the lowest district of the capital, using an old warehouse as their hideout. This group has been evading them for some time, so they plan to crush every little bug they see to stop them from forming anything close to an organized group. I think you can figure out what I¡¯m talking about here.¡± The scene shifted again, and now depicted a run-down looking Thane scolding a group of four. Arduin¡¯s anger flared as he realized what was happening. ¡°You didn¡¯t¡± He snarled back at the god. Fairen shrugged. ¡°I figured I might need some insurance, so I just nudged them in the right direction. What did you expect? I am a god of night after all.¡± The god finally slumped back into his chair, looking like he had just triumphed. ¡°Would you like to change your answer?¡± ~Chapter 5 - Always Running~ Tryst was annoyed. ¡°Did you really have to go that far? What happened to killing the prisoners in the regular spot? It¡¯s not easy to clean these cells you know! Ugh, you will at least move the body, right!?¡± Vaughn was standing at his feet now, gazing at the prone body of the teenager that had kicked him. The corpse¡¯s face was covered with the kid¡¯s hair and he wondered what expression the boy had when he died, but quickly set the thought aside. He was annoyed too, but for much different reasons. With the kid dead, he would have to file a formal report and the paperwork would be a hassle. He couldn¡¯t just hide the body with Tryst as a witness. An idea sprung into his head. He stepped back, as the blood pool was almost to his robes. He almost didn¡¯t notice with his mind off in a different place. He turned around, ¡°Tryst. That¡¯s enough. I¡¯ll handle the body, and you don¡¯t say anything to the captain, alright? Do we have a deal? Tryst?¡± ¡°Vaughn!¡± Tryst yelped, her face turning pale as her expression changed from anger to fear. Her eyes were glued to whatever was behind him and he turned around again, only to see time moving backwards. The pool of blood that had been expanding slowly was now moving back toward the corpse much faster than it had left it. He watched calmly as the last of the blood flowed back under the brown hair until it was gone. The fingers twitched. He wasn¡¯t shocked as much as Tryst, who looked like she would faint at any second. He pitied the girl who hadn¡¯t received the same training that he had against illusion spells. He knew that panicking was the same as letting the spell win. Vaughn began to ponder who the person behind this prank was as he started an incantation. The corpse in front of him began to rise to it¡¯s feet, the face still hidden, but he didn¡¯t worry about it. Illusions couldn¡¯t do any real harm. ¡°[My will is a force that can not be conquered. My mind is a fortress that will not fall. I will not be deceived: Clear Mind]¡± He chanted the counterspell, but when the illusion didn¡¯t break, his calm demeanor faltered, and his mind raced as he tried to formulate an explanation. A higher tier mental spell!? But my counterspell was tier two! There isn¡¯t anyone in the corps that can cast tier three except the captain! Not an illusion spell then, healing magic? No, he¡¯s dead. Recovery magic doesn¡¯t work on the dead and [Holy Resurrection] is tier four. I didn¡¯t hear any incantation either. Necromancy!? No, I¡¯d sense¡­ Vaughn¡¯s thoughts came to a breaching halt as the young man stood, the hair moving from his face. A hole the size of his finger on the abomination¡¯s forehead spit out a small piece of stone before closing as if the wound was never there. The dead boy¡¯s glazed eyes focused. When Arduin blinked, he was back in his body, standing now, and realizing where he was, quickly recited the lines that Fairen had him memorize. His voice was almost a whisper, but there wasn¡¯t another sound to be heard. ¡°I, Arduin Draxus, now form a contract with a demon of shadows. Answer my call and hear my offer. I give you these souls as payment for your service, and make you my familiar. I name you, Shade!¡± The small cell was already dim, but the light began to recede further as the shadows seemed to swallow the light, growing as if consuming it. Vaughn frantically turned around and found Tryst laying unconscious on the ground before the door, and in front of him, the shadows on the walls spread to cover his escape, spreading out from the wall to fill the hole where a door had been. While he watched, the shadows began to cover the unconscious girl, and he saw her body being swiftly swallowed by the ground. He panicked, and began clawing at where the wall was, but it was as if he was clawing at air. He thought of casting a spell, any spell, but he didn¡¯t have the time, and he didn¡¯t know what would work. He tried to feel for the earth, his element, but he couldn¡¯t feel a thing. He turned around, his eyes looking for any escape, but found none. Instead, there were two eyes that glowed a dark purple against the darkness. They were wild and hungry, and the darkness began to consume him from the feet up. He screamed, but no sound came out. Arduin watched as the shadows quickly covered every nook in the cell, and then efficiently swallowed the two keepers in perfect silence. He could see Vaughn struggling as a dark fog erupted from the ground and encased him. He almost pitied the man once called Vaughn. Startling him, he heard the flap of wings, and a black raven burst out of the heavy smoke that was now falling back into the ground and dispersing. Arduin set his resolve not to show any fear, and the raven perched itself on his shoulder. The raven had feathers as black as night, and instead of eyes, two crimson jewels shone in the sockets. They were beautiful to look at, but Arduin cleared his head and gave out the second part of the instructions Fairen had given him. ¡°Shade,¡± He ordered, every bit of his will in his voice, ¡°take me to me to Thane.¡± The raven looked back at him, cawed loudly, and then proceed to fly off of his shoulder, straight into a wall of the cell, the stone rippling like a pond as Shade disappeared. The wall shifted, and as the ripples settled, the wall shifted to reveal a dark corner of a very familiar storehouse. Without hesitation, Arduin ran through the image, feeling the warm, fresh air on the other side replace the stale air he had been breathing. The image of the cell behind him shattered like broken glass, and Shade was nowhere to be seen. Arduin didn¡¯t take the time to look for it though, as he quickly ran from his spot to look for Thane. Most of the kids that were on the ground when he left were gone now, and only a handful were either just sitting around or talking with each other. He approached the first kid he saw. ¡°Where¡¯s Thane?¡± His voice sounded unsteady and he could tell why. Although Fairen had completely healed him, even curing his hunger, Shade must have used what little mana he had to get him here, although he couldn¡¯t imagine the familiar using such a small amount for such a large feat. Mana fatigue explained his condition, as he remembered what he had read. Mana, sometimes referred to as ¡®spiritual essence¡¯, is a substance within the body, attached to the soul, that is capable of manipulating reality and it¡¯s components. For those capable of magic, the amount of accessible mana grows as the body ages, becoming static around adulthood. This fixed amount is different for everyone, and for most it is extremely small. Only those who have enough mana to cast spells can be considered a mage. ¡®Mana Fatigue¡¯ is the condition of using all available mana to the point of there being nothing left. This condition can bring about moderate to extreme fatigue and weakness, and if spell casting continues, the spells will use the mages life-force as fuel. Mages must abstain from this practice at all costs. Those without a talent for magic will simply fall unconscious from the rebound. The dirty looking boy pointed toward a spot near the back, and Arduin began to walk in the direction, forcing his sluggish limbs forward. He finally spotted Thane, picking him out by his height, and rushed over. The older boy noticed him in his peripheral, and turned to shout at him. ¡°Arduin! Where the fuck have you been! Did you even get anything? It¡¯s been hours!¡± Thane yelled, but Arduin was closing the distance between them and his voice was at a normal level by the end of his rant. Arduin was noticeably panting heavily. ¡°Thane! We¡¯ve got to¡­ keepers coming¡­ they¡¯re close¡± Thane¡¯s eyes widened in surprise, but this was not the first time, and his experience showed as he quickly composed himself. He turned from Arduin and cupped his hands around his mouth. ¡°KEEPERS COMING! EVERYONE OUT¡± Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. The effect was immediately visible, as the remaining kids panicked, grabbing what little they kept with them, or nothing at all, and hastily bolted for the door as if the building was on fire. Arduin just stood in place and caught his breath as Thane walked around yelling, picking things up as he went, eventually returning to Arduin with a knapsack with a few odd things in it. Arduin could guess what they were. Books and trinkets he hadn¡¯t been able to sell yet, maybe even a little money, but probably not. Thane shoved a larger book in Arduin''s arms, and started pulling him toward the exit. They were the last ones in the old storehouse at this point, Thane¡¯s warning working as expected, and they both ran outside themselves. Thane began walking at a brisk pace, his eyes buried in his bag, but Arduin held him still as he saw what lay just down the street. Two kids were being held on the ground by a similar number of men in white armor, while three more were heading their way. He could see one pointing in his direction and his mouth moving. Thane looked up to see the same thing Arduin had, and hissed under his breath. ¡°Clarissa¡­ shit.¡± They both turned without another word, and hastily walked in the other direction as fast as Arduin¡¯s legs would allow. There wasn¡¯t anything they could do for them now. Neither of them were naive enough to believe that. Moving as inconspicuously as they could, they twisted through the uneven streets, eventually slowing to a comfortable walk when Arduin was sure that there wasn¡¯t anyone following them, keeper or otherwise. As they walked, Arduin began to get a modicum of his strength back, and it got easier and easier for him to keep up with Thane, who¡¯s pace only seemed to speed up. Arduin was simply following Thane, still too tired to make any sort of sound. He was usually too headstrong to let himself be led around, but Thane seemed to know what he was doing. He kept thinking so until he found himself crossing the boundary into the Sky District and he stopped in his tracts. ¡°Where are we going?¡± Thane turned his head slightly at the question, but fixed his face forward again as he answered. ¡°Somewhere I think we can lay low for a while. We¡¯ll talk when we get there.¡± Thane didn¡¯t seem to be in the mood and Arduin didn¡¯t feel like pushing it further, so he walked in silence behind his friend as they pushed further into the city. Arduin felt like they had been walking for at least half an hour when Thane finally stopped in front of a small shop, one of many in a popular shopping hub. The sign posted above the door had a necklace sloppily painted on it and Arduin looked back at Thane to hear his explanation. ¡°I do some business with the owner. Wait here for a second.¡± Thane opened and closed the door behind him without enough time to respond, leaving Arduin on the street. Without anything else to do, he slumped down against the storefront, and looked down at the book he had almost forgotten in his hands. An Insight into Magic and It¡¯s Uses Arduin was special in more than one way now. A guy like him with his status shouldn¡¯t be able to read or write, so the sight of him flipping through the large book and reading was beyond uncommon. He wondered if anyone would be able to see what he was reading, and angled the contents away from the crowded street, the title hidden by his legs. Education wasn¡¯t compulsory in the empire and only the rich could afford proper schooling. It was only thanks to the boredom of one of the women who ran his orphanage that he was able to do this much. She had only taught him to read, and without the proper materials to practice writing, there wasn¡¯t much else he could do. Thane was the one who went the extra distance, practicing writing what he read with a stick as his quill and the mud as his paper. Originally, the old book was supposed to feed the two for a month. They went to a lot of trouble to get it, Arduin slipping behind the store owner while Thane distracted him. Books were rare, especially ones about magic, so if you could find a buyer, then it might as well be solid gold. The Empire guarded its mages¡¯ texts heavily in the academies, so to find such a book, most likely imported from another country, was beyond lucky. While they were basically drooling at all the things they would buy with the money, Thane came back day after day unable to find a buyer. Eventually the bookstore owner found out and called the keepers on them. With the word out about the rare book, their treasure wasn¡¯t worth a thing, and they decided to have a peek inside for kicks. Although they were curious, they both knew there wasn¡¯t much of a point. The Empire tested every year for potential mages when children reach their 15th birthday, but magic was mostly hereditary, a trait held tightly by the nobility. Commoners took part largely in ceremony. Although a mage could spring up from anywhere theoretically, the chances were small, and most of the time, people could go their whole lives without realizing it. The test fixed that, but Thane and Arduin were runners, so they were never tested. Arduin flipped the pages until he found some beginner incantations, eventually settling on one for a basic flame spell. They didn¡¯t know anything about magic or mana fatigue, and casted the spell together, resulting in Thane falling to the ground unconscious while a small flame danced on Arduin¡¯s fingertips. Ever since, he had practiced whenever he could with the tome, working in secret so that no one would notice. Thane knew, but Arduin trusted his friend to to keep a secret. If the keepers found out a person like him could use magic¡­ Thane walked back outside of the shop, gesturing for him to come inside. ¡°I made a deal with the owner. We can stay in the back for a while.¡± He said, before going back inside. Arduin closed the book got up from his spot, following Thane inside the shop that he had never heard of before. The interior was pretty common for a jewelry shop. Wares were sitting inside a number of cases against the walls, a lock holding each one shut. As Arduin looked around, be began to notice familiar pieces strewn about. A large man stood behind a counter, and Thane introduced them casually. ¡°Milo, this is Arduin. Arduin, this is Milo. We¡¯ll be in the back¡± The owner eyed Arduin. ¡°Aren¡¯t you a little late for the festival, kid? And what¡¯s with the book?¡± Arduin looked down at himself to realize he was still wearing his disguise for the festival and pondered on how to find new clothes. He had left everything in the storehouse, but that was gone now. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it¡± Thane responded in his stead, and they both went behind a curtain behind the counter to the back room. The space contained a few boxes and a large cot that they both sat down on. Feeling the soft material beneath him, Arduin felt the fatigue wash over him anew, and fell asleep without further invitation. ~~~Author''s Corner~~~ Thanks for reading thus far everyone, and I hope you have enjoyed Empire so far! If anyone is interested, I could really use someone to proofread chapters before I post, so inquire within. Also, drop a review if you feel so inclined. Feedback (even negative) is important to me. Thanks for Reading, Drne ~Chapter 6 - Training~ Arduin awoke from a dreamless sleep to find himself in a place he didn¡¯t recognize. He was startled, but as his mind cleared and his memories returned, he remembered what had happened and understood. He was in the back of a jewelry shop. One that Thane traded with. Only, Thane wasn¡¯t here. Arduin turned to look around the room without finding his friend, and finally decided to take a peek into the front to see if he could find the owner. He pushed back the curtain to find the large owner in the same spot he had been in before. Milo stood behind a counter, cleaning a bracelet with a peace of clothe, turning his heard attention to the curtain rustling behind him. ¡°Your friend left. He didn¡¯t bother mentioning when he would be back.¡± Getting the news, Arduin shrugged and returned into the backroom, sitting on the cot the same way he had been before. He could have gone out to try and find a mark, but he didn¡¯t feel like it, and he needed to try something. ¡°Shade, you here?¡± He kept his voice low enough so that the owner wouldn¡¯t be able to hear. ¡°Hello Arduin¡± A sweet voice came from beside him, and he turned frantically to find it¡¯s source. There, sitting against the wall, was a young girl no older than eight. Her curly hair matched her black dress, and she wore a smile on her face. A small necklace containing three crimson jewels lay around her neck, but her most striking feature lay in her dark purple eyes that almost glowed in the dark. Everything about her was immaculate. She looked like she had just escaped her noble family in the heavens district. ¡°You¡­ look different¡± He stuttered, trying to compare the raven that had appeared before to the girl in front of him. He couldn¡¯t quite wrap his head around this little girl being a demon of darkness. ¡°Well, those two souls were nice, but they didn¡¯t give me much to work with, so that avian form was all I could manage at the time. I hope you don¡¯t mind, I¡¯m using your new mana supply to get this far. She began to inspect her arms, judging the quality of the design. Arduin simply stared at her for a few moments before responding. ¡°Where were you when the keepers were chasing us? You disappeared!¡± Shade put her hands on her hips, her lips pouting in a way that didn¡¯t suit a child. ¡°I¡¯ll have you know it took a lot out of me to create that shadow gate with what little you had to work with. I couldn¡¯t get at Fairen¡¯s supply yet, so I had to use the mana keeping my form together to fill the gaps. It¡¯s not like I would have lasted long in the sunlight anyway. Honestly, what are they teaching mages these days?¡± ¡°What? I¡¯m not a mage. The only things I¡¯ve learned about magic has been from this book!¡± Arduin pointed down at the tome in his lap and Shade¡¯s eyes followed. ¡°Seriously? And Fairen chose you? Do you have leverage over him or something? And what is a champion doing in this place?¡± Shade¡¯s eyes scanned the room. ¡°It¡¯s more like he had leverage on me. I don¡¯t even know what being a champion means!¡± Shade didn¡¯t respond, her eyes scanning the small room with a small frown. ¡°Oh I know!¡± She walked the step between them and sat directly in front of him. ¡°Don¡¯t resist, okay?¡± The familiar moved her hand up in a motion like she was going to flick Arduin in the forehead. ¡°Wait, what are you¡­¡± *** ¡°Doing¡­¡± His voice carried off into a cold wind that blew past him. He stood in a plain field of green grass that went on as far as he could see. There were mountain ranges far in the distance, blocking his sight of the falling sun and creating a still twilight. He grumbled internally about how many times he was going to go through a sudden scenery change. ¡°Much better!¡± He turned around to see Shade exclaiming behind him. ¡°Now we have plenty of room!¡± ¡°Shade, what did you just do?¡± ¡°Hmm? I sent us both into a dreamscape to teach you a few things. I figured this would be easier than staying in that little room. Being connected to a demon has some perks you know.¡± She looked disgusted at what Arduin considered a luxury. ¡°I¡¯m dreaming?¡± Arduin continued. ¡°Yup. Here, we can do whatever we like, so we¡¯ll be using it as a training ground. Just don¡¯t die, okay?¡± Arduin bent down to touch the grass at his feet, testing the texture of the blades. Everything seemed so real. If he didn¡¯t know better, he would say he was awake. Shade continued without waiting. ¡°First things first, we need you to be able to handle yourself. Your physical strength doesn¡¯t look like much, so we¡¯ll have to figure out some magic for you to use. What¡¯s your natural affinity, or do humans even still have that?¡± Arduin got up and faced the girl that was supposed to be his familiar. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure I have some affinity with mind magic. I wasn¡¯t nearly as good with other spells. I only ever got weak flames or a small stream of water. But when I casted [Confusion] on Thane it was like he couldn¡¯t put a thought together for hours.¡± Arduin smiled at the memory, but refocused. ¡°I mean, I¡¯ve never been formally tested either. I wasn¡¯t excited to figure out how court wizards would react to a runner showing up with magic.¡± ¡°Mind magic huh? If you made a contract with Fairen, then you also gained dark magic affinity. Mana will probably be your biggest problem. How much have you practiced manipulating a human¡¯s mind?¡± As shade talked, she began to walk until she had covered about 15 paces. Even as she moved farther away, her voice still sounded like it was right next to him. Arduin had to remind himself that this wasn¡¯t reality. ¡°What do you mean? The book only had three mind spells: [Confusion], [Liar¡¯s Guise], and [Memory Projection]. I don¡¯t know any that do that.¡± Shade pinched the bridge of her nose. ¡°This is going to be worse than I thought. Incantations work as guidelines to form magic, but that leaves a lot to be desired as far as flexibility. What if you want to do something that a spell can¡¯t accomplish? While most lower tier spells can be cast by humans with enough training and mana, true magical manipulation requires the caster to imagine the desired result and then use their will, not words, to create it. Spells are helpful, sure, but once you learn how a spell shapes and applies magic, you can go without it. For most beings, this is almost impossible unless you have the attribute of the desired effect. Take me for instance. I can only freely manipulate darkness.¡± Shade waved her hand, and the long shadow she was casting began to reshape wildly until she lowered her hand and the wild shadow settled back into her outline. ¡°Simple, right?¡± ¡°So if I¡¯m a mind mage¡­¡± ¡°You could eventually learn to freely manipulate people¡¯s minds. And you¡¯re pretty lucky. The mind attribute is rare in humans, not mention having two attributes. I bet you could create some really interesting combinations when you get better at controlling them.¡± Shade showed her wicked smile again and Arduin shuddered. ¡°Unfortunately, I can¡¯t teach you mind magic, but we can get started on dark magic. Lesson number one: control¡± Shade moved her hand again. This time her shadow didn¡¯t simply reshape, but burst from the ground, forming a black figure without any features except for the basic shape of a little girl. It began to walk towards Arduin, leaving dead grass where it walked. ¡°Dark magic consumes. It swallows everything that doesn¡¯t overpower it, which can include the caster, which is why cowards without the attribute don¡¯t dare try to use it.¡± The shadow halved the distance to Arduin, and he began to backpedal. ¡°You have until this shadow catches you to dispel it.I would suggest moving faster.¡± Shade snapped her fingers, and the shadow began to run. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! ¡°Worst familiar ever!¡± Arduin turned to sprint in the opposite direction. After he started to lose his breath, Arduin turned, seeing the small body a fair distance away. ¡°How do I control it!¡± He shouted, hoping Shade could hear him. ¡°I don¡¯t really know. It¡¯s just an instinct, really. I don¡¯t know any spell incantations for dark magic that you could use either. Have you tried trial and error?¡± Shade¡¯s voice sounded beside him. Arduin stared at the shadow and tried feel something, anything, but the monster just kept coming, forcing him to start running again. Shade willed herself up into the sky to watch her inexperienced master running from her shadow, turning every so often to stare back at it before it could get close enough. ¡°It¡¯s a shame he won''t get the benefits of running like this once we leave¡± Shade muttered to herself, ¡°and why is he getting winded? I don¡¯t think he heard me say this was a dream¡­ Oh well, I guess it¡¯s better that way.¡± She heard him yell a confusion spell somewhere between curses and laughed at the effort. Mind spells wouldn¡¯t work on mindless entities. Getting an idea, Shade willed her voice to project as she gave her next suggestion. ¡°Try visualizing your mana doing what you want to happen. Your attribute should make it easy if you manipulate the shadow itself.¡± Down on the ground, Arduin heard Shade¡¯s thought and turned again to face his pursuer. Although there wasn¡¯t much, Arduin began to imagine his mana forming in his fingertips. As he concentrated, his hands felt warm, marking his success. He put his hands out in front of him in the direction of the approaching shadow, and gripped the air, imagining his hands grasping at the center of it¡¯s body. He yanked his hands apart, and he could feel a force pressing against his fingers. Almost 10 paces away, the shadow split in two, dispersing like smoke and absorbing into the ground. Shade landed next to him. ¡°Nicely done. Now do it again.¡± Behind Shade burst 10 more shadows, and Arduin tried to dispel them, but he was too slow, so he was forced to run again. *** Shade grew tired of levitating and summoned a small table and chair for her to sit on, enjoying a perfect blend of black tea in a porcelain cup. Arduin came up to the table exhausted and breathing heavily. Giant paths of dead grass lay behind him. ¡°That¡¯s like¡­ 400 of them now¡­ just how many¡­ can you make!?¡± ¡°As many as I need. Would you like some more?¡± ¡°No!¡­ No, I think I¡¯ve got the hang of it now.¡± Shade summoned a single shadow to test him, and Arduin only had to move a couple fingers to shred the thing to pieces. ¡°You know you didn¡¯t have to make them chase me!¡± ¡°I think it was a useful teaching tool. Learning under pressure, you know? Now let¡¯s work on something else.¡± She put her teacup down on the matching saucer. ¡°Now that you know how to disrupt shadows, try gathering them. The greatest weakness of dark magic is that you have to use what you have at hand. You can¡¯t just create create darkness like a fire mage can create flames, but manipulate what already exists. The strength lies in the infinite supply available from a source. I created all of those golems that chased you from my own shadow.¡± Shade looked proud of her explanation. ¡°So if I just¡­¡± Arduin concentrated again, imagining the mana in his fingertips was a magnet. He willed the darkness to come, and it slowly collected like a pool of water beneath his outstretched hand on the ground. ¡°Try giving it form. Darkness is naturally very light, so you are going to have to compact it for it to be solid.¡± Shade explained, looking down at her student¡¯s progress. Arduin imagined a wall as tall as himself in front of him, and then visualized his mana going into the pool of pitch black at his feet. When he was sure that he could sense his mana in the pool, he willed the darkness in front of him to take shape, using his hands to guide it. The darkness spread out in a line on the ground, and then shot upwards, creating a misty, black barrier between Shade and himself. He squeezed his hands together, and the wall changed from an airy mist to something comparable to pure obsidian. He lowered his hands, but he could still feel a string of mana connecting him to the wall, slowly sucking his mana away. ¡°One more thing.¡± Shade¡¯s cute voice came over the wall. The sun that had been still behind the mountain range began to rise into the sky at an abnormal speed, and soon the valley was flooded by sunlight. As the light hit his wall, a hissing erupted and holes appeared, one after another, until the construct simply fell back into mist before disappearing. Arduin couldn¡¯t even feel his infused mana any more. ¡°Too much direct light, from any source, is fatal to darkness. A little is fine, like before, but any more and you won¡¯t be able to sustain your magic. The day is your greatest enemy, fatal to demons such as myself.¡± Shade stood facing Arduin with a black parasol facing the sun. Even though she was covered, he could still feel the pain in her voice. As she finished her explanation, the sun lowered as faster than it had risen, and the valley returned again to twilight. ¡°Well, that¡¯s all we¡¯ll do for now. This is a nice stopping point and that boy is getting annoying. I bet he would be good to practice mind magic on.¡± Shade went off into her own world, getting distracted by her own thoughts. ¡°You mean Thane? How long have we been here?¡± Arduin seemed puzzled as he tried to think about how much time had passed. Shade lookup up from her mumblings. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯m not very good at measuring time. My perspective is a bit different than yours.¡± Shade began to dust off her dress. ¡°Oh, and before we go, I have an important question. What exactly is your goal, Arduin? Why do you seek power?¡± Arduin stopped looking Shade in the eyes and gazed away into the horizon. ¡°I don¡¯t really know yet.¡± Arduin explained. ¡°I¡¯m supposed to be some champion, but what kinda crap is that. I just want to live a life where no one can take from me. Not my friends, not my future, nothing. I guess I¡¯m doing it for that.¡± ¡°I thought for sure there would be something of revenge in there.¡± Shade almost looked disappointed. ¡°Who says there can¡¯t be some along the way?¡± Arduin turned his eyes back and the corners of Shade¡¯s lips betrayed a smile. ¡°I guess that will do for now. Just don¡¯t go all goody-goody on me, okay? I don¡¯t get along with heroes.¡± Shade snapped her fingers, and the earth began to shake, a large hold appearing in the ground behind Arduin. When he turned around to question the demon, he found the small girl right beside him. ¡°Wakey Wakey!¡± Shade shoved her hands into Arduin¡¯s stomach, knocking Arduin off balance, sending him right over the edge of the pit. He fell for only a second before the feeling of falling jolted him awake. ~~~~~ Author''s Corner ~~~~~ Hey guys, be sure to point out mistakes, grammar or otherwise. Thanks for Reading, Drne ~Chapter 7 - Next Step~ ¡°Arduin!¡± Thane was shaking his friend¡¯s shoulders to wake him, and after a moment, Arduin¡¯s eyes flew open and he jumped to his feet before seeing where he was. Thane only looked surprised, and called again to his friend. ¡°Nightmare?¡± ¡°Something like that¡­¡± Arduin trailed off, looking at his fingers. Thane decided to let it slide for the time being, opting instead to get down to the matter at hand. ¡°I think it¡¯s time you told me what happened last night.¡± Arduin went silent for a second as he pondered whether he would tell his friend about what happened. He wanted to, but everything was so strange right now, so new, he wanted to keep it to himself. He already felt guilty whenever he tried magic with Thane around. He decided to go with a simple explanation. Not a lie, but not the whole truth. ¡°Keeper caught me, and dragged me to a cell, but I managed to sneak out. I saw the keepers were heading this way when I was coming back.¡± Arduin reported, being careful how he chose his words. ¡°You ¡®snuck away¡¯ from a keeper cell!? Alone!? You had to have used magic! Arduin, you know how dangerous that is!¡± Thane began shouting, but Arduin quickly hushed him. ¡°Yes, I know, but there isn¡¯t anything we can do about it now.¡± Arduin sat back down, and Thane threw up his hands in defeat. ¡°Shit! How many saw your face? Actually, it doesn¡¯t matter, we have to go right now. We both know how the empire treats rogue magicians. We can hide in one of the villages outside the city for a while. Lay low. Then head to another city. Figure out how¡­¡± As Thane ranted, Arduin stayed silent, eyeing the silent mass of dark smoke forming behind him until it fell apart to reveal Shade, looking utterly annoyed. ¡°Shade, don¡¯t do anything¡­¡± Before he could finish, Shade slapped her fist down on Thane¡¯s head, and the ranting stopped as Thane fell like a brick, Arduin just barely grabbing him before he hit the floor. ¡°Much better.¡± Shade chirped, before she saw Arduin¡¯s expression. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry, he¡¯s just unconscious. I do have some practice with this you know.¡± Arduin looked back at his familiar. ¡°What the fuck Shade! He¡¯s right! We¡¯ll probably have to leave the capital if we plan on living for much longer. I know those two mages are gone, but others probably knew I was there and are looking for me! Getting caught is almost definitely a death sentence, even with your help! Fuck!¡± Arduin dropped his friend onto the ground, and started pacing the room. ¡°Even more reason to get stronger. You¡¯re a god¡¯s champion now. You can¡¯t run forever!¡± Shade exclaimed. Just as Arduin was going to retort, he heard the rustling of fabric, and then Milo¡¯s body came through the divider to the shop. ¡°What¡¯s with the noise!¡± He grumbled angrily, but his eyes got wider as he saw Thane on the ground and a young girl standing next to Arduin. ¡°And who the hell are you?¡± Shade¡¯s eyes narrowed at the larger man, and she stomped the three steps between them. Milo instinctively took a step back. ¡°GO. AWAY.¡± Shade yelled, and threw her small fists into the man¡¯s stomach with enough force to make him hit the wall shortly behind him and an earsplitting crack filled the small room, his broken body falling to the floor. Shade turned back around to face her summoner. ¡°What were we talking about? Oh right, no running!¡± Arduin just glared in shock at the large body laying still. The small room was crowded now with the two bodies on the floor, but a new silence filled the air. ¡°Did you just kill him?¡± ¡°I may have put a little too much power into that¡­ Don¡¯t change the subject!¡± ¡°You could have just knocked him unconscious too!¡± Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. ¡°It¡¯s not that big a¡­ Ohhh, I get it. You wanted someone else to practice on. I guess that would have been better¡­¡± Shade put her hand to her mouth, deep in thought. ¡°Shit, why is everything so insane!¡± Arduin pushed past Shade, and moved into the front of the store while he tried to calm down. ¡°Thane was right, we need to go. Find a fresh start.¡± ¡°You still aren¡¯t listening. You have a demon on your side, and yet you still think you need to run from this mess. You could overpower every damn person in this city if you just decided to put some effort into it.¡± Shade moved through this divider, her voice taking a harsher tone from her usual chirp. She was effortlessly pulling the unconscious Thane with her into the front room. ¡°What you need is experience, so shut up, get your shit together, and let¡¯s get started before it IS too late.¡± Shade let go, and Arduin just stared blankly before he could understand what she wanted. ¡°You want me to practice on Thane! Fuck no! What if I mess him up, no, this isn¡¯t going to work.¡± Arduin ranted. ¡°UGHHH, why do I have to deal with humans! Look, if not this kid, then go get somebody from outside. I¡¯ll knock them out, and you practice without the guilt trip.¡± Arduin thought it over, and steeled himself. Shade was right. He couldn¡¯t afford to freak out, and learning to control his mind magic was going to be the best way to something better than this. He gave a final look to his friend on the floor and moved toward the door without another word. Silently, Shade sat down on Thane¡¯s back. ¡°I¡¯ll keep crazy over here company until you get back.¡± *** [size] Arduin moved swiftly through the busy streets, the memory of the peacekeeper during the festival resurfacing, making him grimace. He focused himself as he saw who he was looking for. Just at the end of the street, there was a single sword keeper walking by. Arduin put his plan into motion as he began to run toward him. ¡°Peacekeeper! Sir!¡± Arduin yelled, getting a lot of attention from the passerby, but got the desired affect when the keeper quickly turned to face him. ¡°A man with a knife is trying to rob my uncle¡¯s jewelry shop! Please sir, please follow me!¡± Tried to sound as desperate as he could, and his previous bout of worry was helping. Hoping the keeper wouldn¡¯t notice how conspicuous he looked, he quickly turned around and fled back to the shop. He was measured to hear the clueless keeper keeping pace behind him. Arduin ran until he was just in front on the store and waited for the keeper to catch up. The unsuspecting keeper hesitated before going in, but then slammed the door open before charging in sword raised. Arduin simply watched as the keeper ran right up to Shade, now standing in the middle of the dim store. ¡°Girl, are you¡­¡± Shade didn¡¯t waste any time, and simply kicked the keepers shins, making him fall enough for her to deliver the final blow to his skull, sending him the rest of the way down. Arduin only had enough time to close the door behind him before the poor fool was already incapacitated. ¡°This one will probably work fine, but won¡¯t one of his friends notice if he goes missing?¡± Shade inquired, nonchalantly stepping over the new rag doll. ¡°Let¡¯s just say I have a bit of a grudge going against these guys, so it was worth it. Besides, we¡¯ll have to move soon anyway.¡± Arduin replied, seeming somewhat satisfied with this outcome. ¡°Well then,¡± Shade looked down at the keeper at her feet, ¡°let¡¯s get started.¡± ~~~Author''s Corner~~~~ Like the story? Find a few mistakes here and there, with the need to see them fixed? Well then become an editor today. No strings attached, and be the first one to see the new chapters! Apply within. [/size]