《The Mage Hero》 Chapter One In ancient times, a prophecy was spoken. This prophecy foretold that when the kingdom of Silica was in a time of great danger, four warriors would emerge from the populace and come to the aid of the kingdom. They are the Knight, the Archer, the Dualist, and the Mage. The Knight would be a master in the art of melee combat; the Archer, master in the art of missile combat; the Duelist, master of martial and stealth arts; and the Mage, master of all the forms of magic. The date the prophecy was utter has been lost in the annals of history and some consider it a myth; yet, it is still an important piece of Silican history and some think that the day will soon come that it will be fulfilled. Euthalia looked up from the weathered textbook she had been reading in the one room class room in the rural village of Teal and looked out the window. School was in session and it was springtime. Outside, one could see the rolling fields of green grass and a multitude of teal flowers for which the village had been named and the air had a pleasantly warm feeling as it brushed against one¡¯s skin. Euthalia turned away from the window upon hearing the voice of her teacher ask her a question. ¡°Euthalia, can you tell me why the Mage is special compared to ordinary people?¡± Euthalia stood up to answer. ¡°Yes ma¡¯am. The mage can use all five of the magical elements freely whereas everyone else can only use a single element.¡± ¡°Correct Euthalia.¡± Euthalia sat down but as she did a boy sitting in the back spoke. ¡°Except for Euthalia who can¡¯t even use a single element.¡± Some of the other boys chuckled and Euthalia looked down at the floor abashed because they were right. ¡°Now boys, that is no way to speak to classmate or any other person. Some people just take longer to learn what their magical affinity is. Now apologize.¡± ¡°We¡¯re sorry Euthalia,¡± they muttered. ¡°Very good. Now back to the lesson.¡± Mrs. Hildurdottir continued her lesson but Euthalia wasn¡¯t paying attention. Her teacher was correct, a few people took longer than others to learn their elemental affinity and begin practicing magic, but everyone had discovered it before they turned 12. Euthalia was 16 and still could not cast magic. Because of that fact, she was somewhat of an outsider and considered a bit of an oddity in the village. She didn¡¯t have many friends either. Most of the children would go and practice their magic with each other. Since Euthalia couldn¡¯t perform any magic, she was never invited. Her thoughts were interrupted by a bell tolling from a fair distance off. Thrice it sounded, which meant that school was over for the day. Everyone began packing up their supplies and they left. Euthalia began leaving too but Mrs. Hildurdottir motioned for her to stay. ¡°Euthalia, have you considered the offer which I told you about the other day?¡± A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Mrs. Hildurdottir was from the capital of Silica, Quartz. Since she was from the city, she had several connections that most people in Teal did not. The offer of which she was speaking was to send Euthalia to a magical specialist and have the specialist evaluate her to see if she could be helped. ¡°Yes, but there is not much to consider. My family doesn¡¯t have much money and I¡¯m needed here to help run the ranch. Thank you for the offer, but I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t.¡± Euthalia also didn¡¯t think the specialist could help. No one in recorded history had been unable to cast magic for as long as Euthalia had. She didn¡¯t say it, but she didn¡¯t think she could cast magic. Somehow she was born without that ability. Mrs. Hildurdottir sighed lightly. ¡°I understand. Go on home then Euthalia. I will see you in two days.¡± Euthalia said goodbye and then walked out of the schoolhouse and down the dirt road, if one could call it that, headed to her family ranch just outside the village. It was a modest ranch and her family didn¡¯t have much extra money, but Euthalia liked it all the same. Her family was the most important. Her loving mother and her diligent father, both hard workers, and even her little brother¡ªthough he could be annoying at times. Her younger brother was a bit of a twit but even though he was somewhat of a prodigy in magical ability, certainly more skilled than his peers, he usually didn¡¯t tease her about her own lack of ability. As she walked through the commons of the village she saw some men and women standing around talking, as they were wont to do on a pleasant spring afternoon. As she passed, she heard snippets of their conversation. ¡­several more ships sank¡­ ¡­no survivors¡­ ¡­more activity¡­ who¡­? So, more attacks. The country to the south of Silica was Baingana-Kerejya. The two countries were separated from each other by a narrow seaway. The country of Baingana-Kerejya had been a minor country for the last several hundred years but recently a charismatic but mysterious leader had come to power. From what Euthalia had gathered from the adults was that Baingana-Kerejya had conquered and subjugated several of its neighboring polities. Recently, several Silican ships had been sunk. No one knew why because there were never any survivors left to relate their tales. Enough about that though. Euthalia turned her mind to the multitude of chores she had to do that afternoon and evening. A ranch didn¡¯t run itself and Euthalia had it rougher than most. Most people in the village and, from what Mrs. Dot said, the people in Quartz all used magic to help them accomplish most tasks in their daily lives. Since Euthalia couldn¡¯t use magic, she had to work harder. Not that she complained. That¡¯s just the way things were. After several more minutes of walking, Euthalia reached her home. Chapter Two It was evening. Euthalia had eaten dinner and finished her chores. She was reading her textbook again. As she reread the passage about the Prophecy of the Four Warriors, she wondered what the danger that Silica would face could be. Several relatively minor wars had occurred in the country¡¯s history but the only terrible war had been at the country¡¯s founding over 500 years ago. Legend had it that that was when the prophecy had been spoken but, of course, no one really knew for sure. As Euthalia was thinking, she heard rapid and loud pounding on her family¡¯s wooden door. Her Father got up from the armchair he was lounging in and opened the door. ¡°Frahnk, what brings you out here at night?¡± ¡°Nestori, a rider from the capital has arrived with urgent news. He asked us to assemble all the villagers.¡± Nestori was not a man to ask useless questions. If Frahnk said everyone was needed, then his friend wasn¡¯t kidding. ¡°Euthalia, go get your mother. I¡¯ll get your brother.¡± Euthalia, who had heard the whole exchange, got up and went to go get her mother. Her family gathered, they headed toward the village at a brisk walk. ************************************************************************************************************* Upon arriving at the village commons, they saw a large crowd gathered and a kingdom courier on a dappled horse. He seemed a little impatient and anxious, twitching every now and then. A few minutes later, the Mayor of Teal stepped forward. ¡°That is all of us sir, what news do you bring?¡± The rider opened a letter and took out several pieces of paper. ¡°From his Royal Majesty, King of Silica, greetings. This morning, a survivor of one of the recent sunken ships was recovered. According to him, the ship he was on was sunk by strange creatures he could only describe as monsters. The monsters were under the control of a man who wore armor bearing the symbol of the Bai?gana-K¨¥r¨¡jya army. Upon hearing of the news, communications were established with Bai?gana-K¨¥r¨¡jya. The representative denied the accusations. Shortly thereafter, however, several more Silican ships were sunk. Citizens of Silica are warned to be on guard and to be prepared for the possibility of war in the coming days.¡± Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. ¡°That is all. Here is a copy of the message for you to keep mayor.¡± The rider gave a piece of parchment to the mayor. ¡°Is there anymore hospitality we can offer you sir?¡± ¡°No mayor, the water for myself and my horse were enough, I must continue spreading the news. Farewell.¡± With those words, the rider rode off into the gloom, but as he entered the darkness, an orb of light surrounded him and his horse. Yinyang magic! Euthalia thought to herself. Few people had that elemental alignment, meaning that courier was a high ranking messenger. This was very serious indeed if they sent out the Yinyang riders. ¡°Citizens of Teal. It is late and we need our sleep. We will meet back here at 8:00am to discuss this news. School will be delayed until the conclusion of our meeting. Good night folks.¡± At the mayor¡¯s words, everyone began to disperse back to their home. Euthalia looked at her father. He told them they would return to the house. Once they returned, it was indeed quite late. Since mornings at the ranch started early, Euthalia and her family went to sleep immediately. Chapter Three Euthalia saw a strange woman in front of her. The woman was strange mostly because she was floating. The other reason was her clothes. She was wearing a long, flowing dress made out of something that looked like silk, but was much finer. It was colored with vibrant purples, reds, greens, and blues that seemed to be shifting constantly and grew lighter and darker at random. ¡°Greetings Euthalia. You who have never wielded magic have never tapped into your true potential. Your gift was hidden until the right time. That time is now. The coming journey will be difficult but you are capable of completing it. Take your gift.¡± The woman held out her hand and a sphere grew in her hand. The sphere swirled with the same colors as the woman¡¯s dress. Euthalia stretched her hand forward tentatively. ¡°Do not worry Euthalia. It is your gift to take.¡± Euthalia stretched forth her hand, more resolutely, and touched the sphere. The sphere broke apart and Euthalia was surrounded by brilliant, swirling colors and sensations of heat and cold enveloping her body. Suddenly, she felt her body shaking. ¡°Goodbye for now Euthalia, but we will see each other again.¡± The figure disappeared and Euthalia woke up. Her bed was shaking¡­ and wet¡­. She was tossed out of it onto the floor. She landed with a thud onto the wooden floor and noticed it was a bit warm. Under the moonlight streaming into her room, she saw the floor was blackened like it was charred. Wait. She looked back at her window and noticed it was lacking glass. There were a few jagged pieces sticking out from the edges like the window had been broken out. Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! Suddenly, the rest of the Santhos family stepped into her room. Her father held a lantern. Her mother ran to her side. ¡°Euthalia, are you alright?!¡± ¡°Yes, mother, I¡¯m fine. What happened?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what we wanted to ask you,¡± her father said, ¡°We were all woken by the shaking and heard glass shatter from the direction of your room.¡± Her brother noticed the dampness of Euthalia¡¯s blankets. ¡°Did you wet your bed and break your window in anger?¡± ¡°I did not!¡± Euthalia shouted at him indignantly. ¡°Why are there scorch marks on your floor?¡± Euthalia¡¯s mother asked, noticing the blackened boards. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I woke when I was tossed out of bed by shaking and noticed my window was broken and the floor was charred. And my bed had water on it,¡± she finished shooting a glare at her younger brother. ¡°Well, as long as you are ok, we can try to figure it out in the morning.¡± Her father yawned. ¡°I¡¯ll get you some dry blankets and you can sleep in one of the chairs.¡± ¡°Thanks mom.¡± As her family went away, her brother lingered for a second longer, furled his eyebrows then unfurled them and walked away. Euthalia shut the door and changed out of her damp pajamas into a dry pair then went out into the living room, settled into a chair, wrapped herself in the blankets and slept. She didn¡¯t dream further that night. Chapter Four The Santhos family woke up and did their morning chores before heading out to the village for the general meeting. During the morning routine, Euthalia¡¯s brother was quieter than usual. Euthalia thought it odd, but didn¡¯t pay him much mind. As the Santhos family walked into the commons, the people gathered there were not talking about the impending war. Rather, they were talking about the earthquake. ¡°You feel it?¡± ¡°I felt it too.¡± ¡°Was it earth magic?¡± ¡°If it was, it must¡¯ve been a powerful mage.¡± Frahnk walked up to Nestori. ¡°Morning, Nestori!¡± ¡°Morning, Frahnk.¡± ¡°That was some shaking last night. Was there any damage at your place?¡± ¡°Euthalia¡¯s window was shattered and there were scorch marks on her floor but other than that, no.¡± ¡°Scorch marks? Wherever did those come from?¡± ¡°No idea.¡± Their conversation was interrupted by the mayor of Teal. ¡°Good morning folks. Now, I¡¯m sure you want to discuss that earthquake last night, but we have more pressing matters to attend to. In addition to the message from the king, instructions were given on how to prepare for the coming conflict. All families are to prepare for war, possibly a long one. For our village, his majesty has asked that all men, from 18 up, take part in military preparation drills. A trainee from the army will be coming soon to supervise. Everyone involved in agriculture is asked not to join the military drills. You are only responsible for community defense drills. This is to ensure that a large food supply remains available through the war, if it comes. School hours will be reduced by an hour and a half upon a declaration of war, but will remain as normal until then. Any questions or exemptions based on disability or other circumstances should be brought to me.¡± The mayor sighed. ¡°Now, I¡¯m sure you want to discuss the earthquake from last night.¡± ¡°Yes, mayor. This area rarely gets shaking of that magnitude naturally. We think it must¡¯ve been magic.¡± ¡°I agree; it must¡¯ve been a powerful mage. The question is why would someone deliberately cause an earthquake here? There is no way that a mage with that much ability would be unable to control it.¡± ¡°Could it have been a Baingana-Kerejya soldier?¡± ¡°Unlikely folks. If Baingana-Kerejya soldiers were this far into the country, why would they risk discovery by attacking a small agricultural village?¡± No one had another answer. While everyone was thinking, Euthalia saw her brother whisper to her dad. Her dad nodded to the unheard words then addressed the mayor. ¡°Mayor, my son says he has an idea. He said it sounds unlikely, but asks you to hear him out.¡± ¡°The young Santhos boy, huh? Let him speak Nestori.¡± Euthalia¡¯s brother stepped forward. Euthalia was curious what he would say. ¡°I know this will sound very odd, but let me explain after I say what I think.¡± ¡°Yes, young Santhos. Continue.¡± ¡°I think it was my sister, Euthalia.¡± Several gasps (and at least one guffaw) came from the villagers. Euthalia opened her mouth slightly in shock. ¡°I know it sounds crazy. Euthalia has never been able to use magic. We know that. Last night though, after we were woken by the shaking, we heard a crash from her room and checking her room, her window had shattered. While we were there though, I sensed a strange energy from my sister. I¡¯ve never felt it from her before, but it felt like magic.¡± ¡°That is certainly an odd tale, but it is only speculation.¡± ¡°I know. Until Euthalia proves it to be true.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Euthalia had a slightly sheepish look on her face and she blushed slightly in embarrassment as everyone turned to look at her. ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s he¡¯s talking about.¡± Tuomas looked at her. ¡°Eu, I want you to try. Please?¡± ¡°Oh, alright, at least it¡¯ll prove I¡¯m not the culprit. What do you want me to do?¡± ¡°I want you to try to make a stalagmite.¡± ¡°Ok.¡± ¡°Watch how I do it first. Everyone please clear a space for us.¡± The crowd drew back and an open circle formed around Euthalia and Tuomas. ¡°Ground, element of Earth, heed my request which I make unto you. Loegja Stalagmite! After Tuomas spoke, a small stalagmite about 4 feet high appeared. Near the center of the circle. ¡°Now you try Eu. Just say the incantation the same as I did.¡± Euthalia sighed. This wasn¡¯t going to work. ¡°Very well. Ground, element of Earth, heed my request which I make unto you. Loegja Stalagmite.¡± If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Nothing happened. ¡°See, I tol-¡­¡± Suddenly a giant stalagmite erupted from the ground and soared to 20 feet high. Its base was so wide as to knock over Tuomas¡¯ stalagmite. ¡°Holy shit!¡± Tuomas cursed. His mother forgot to cuff him for language. She was paralyzed in awe, as were the rest of the villagers. The mayor¡¯s eyeballs were bulging so much they looked like they might fall out. Ew. Slowly, all eyes went back to Euthalia. Her eyes were wide too as she gazed up the tall spire of earth that towered over her. ¡°I couldn¡¯t do that yesterday.¡± Slowly, the crowd came to their senses again and Tuomas continued. ¡°I know it sounded crazy, but there is your proof.¡± ¡°Indeed, thank you for your opinion Tuomas Santhos.¡± The mayor specifically left out referring to him as young, for clearly his explanation was beyond that of youth. ¡°I am not done yet. When we went to check on Euthalia, we noticed scorch marks on her floor and her bed was wet. At the time, I thought she had wet herself- ¡°HEY!¡± Euthalia was indignant that he would suggest that privately, let alone in public. ¡­but, I have one more thing I want to try by your leave mayor.¡± ¡°Granted. You have shown yourself worthy of my permission.¡± ¡°Thank you mayor.¡± Tuomas turned and looked around at the crowd. ¡°Is there anyone here who can use fire magic?¡± ¡°I can.¡± A young man stepped forward into the circle that was still around Euthalia and Tuomas. He was a merchant. ¡°Can you cast a fire spell? A small one preferably.¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll use a little trick to attack customers in the city.¡± ¡°Fire, passionate soul, bringer of heat, burner of coal, hear my desire. Loegja Flare!¡± A small fireball appeared in the merchant¡¯s hand and he tossed it between his hands. ¡°Eu,¡± said Tuomas, turning back to his sister, ¡°You try it now.¡± A loud gasp came from the crowd and whispers of disbelief permeated the air. ¡°Two elements?!¡± ¡°No one can¡­¡± ¡°¡­Only one element¡­¡± ¡°¡­ But the Mage¡­¡± Euthalia was about to refuse, but enough strange things had happened in the last hours. She had magic now it seemed. She could easily be satisfied with it. She should just prove she wasn¡¯t the Mage of the prophecy now and get it over with. ¡°Alright, but don¡¯t expect anything.¡± This is ridiculous. I can¡¯t cast two elements. But you couldn¡¯t cast even one yesterday. Euthalia took a breath, preparing to chant the incantation and people moved back. If by the slimmest of chances she did cast a fire magic, they did not want to be caught in it. The earthen spire still towering over the village was enough to instill some caution. ¡°Fire, passionate soul, bringer of heat, burner of coal, hear my desire. Loegja flare tornado!¡± Euthalia added the last bit to show how ridiculous this was going to be. In her mind, she had pictured a tornado made out of fire. If she was going to fail this, she might as well be creative. Immediately from her hand, a small vortex of fire shot out and grew rapidly into a swirling tornado of flame. People started screaming and running away from the twisting inferno. Euthalia was so surprised and shocked that she was actually paying better attention to her surroundings then when she had cast the stalagmite. The spell she had cast wasn¡¯t a true ¡°fire tornado.¡± Those could only be generated by a unison attack between an air mage and a fire mage. Consequently, there was no wind associated with the cavorting flames but it still spun and twirled like a mad, fiery top, its peak now 10 feet in the air. ¡°Water, sustainer of life, mover of trade, friend of the vegetation, send us your help at our request. Loegja Rain!¡± Euthalia heard several people gathered together chant the words to a rain spell. The combined spells of the people coalesced and put out her fire spell. Shocked whispers rushed through the crowd as they re-gathered, the danger abated. Euthalia couldn¡¯t hear what all of them were and there were too many to focus on their words, but she could hear ¡°The Mage¡± repeated over and over. Beside her, she heard a hushed voice from her brother. ¡°My sister¡¯s the Mage!¡± The mayor tried to speak but couldn¡¯t. He swallowed twice and a hoarse voice finally emanated. ¡°Gather an escort and prepare horses. We are going to the Castle!¡± Chapter Five Euthalia rode her horse, named Ajax, along a beaten dirt path. Accompanying her were the Mayor of Teal and several other respected members of her village along with her father. Tuomas had been invited to go along as well, since he had been the one to show Euthalia¡¯s gift, but their father had asked him to stay and look after the ranch with their mother. About seven hours later they arrived at the entrance gates to Silica which were still open but with more guards posted than usual, Euthalia was told, most likely due to the expected war. They passed through the gates unhampered. This was the first time Euthalia had been to the capital. The streets were awash with the colors of vendor¡¯s carts and the wares they displayed. Even with the advent of war, the city was bustling with trade and people all over. Euthalia was a bit awed it all, but as sensible lass, she wasn¡¯t completely overwhelmed. Passing through the somewhat crowded streets, their party eventually reached the castle. There, the mayor dismounted and spoke to the guards. The mayor showed a small steel square that had the crest of the village of Teal impressed on it. This badge was only held by the man or woman who was the Mayor of Teal. ¡°I am the Mayor of Teal. I have an urgent matter to discuss with his Majesty.¡± ¡°His Majesty is not available for audiences. I can direct you to a magistrate in his place.¡± ¡°Very well. Please have someone take our horses to the stables.¡± The Mayor put away his badge of office and the rest of the party dismounted. They were then led by one of the guards to the office of a mid-level magistrate. ¡°Dear Mr. Mayor, my apologies that you cannot see the king right now. He is very busy, as you might expect, with dealing with Bai?gana-K¨¥r¨¡jya .¡± ¡°I think he will find the time to see us. We have come here today on an urgent matter. Today, we have discovered the Mage of the prophecy. I would like to demonstrate, but we should go someplace more appropriate.¡± The magistrate took his time to respond. He was likely dumbfounded by the allegations. ¡°Very well. Where is more appropriate?¡± ¡°Is there a courtyard which we may use?¡± ¡°Follow me.¡± Euthalia followed the party. She had kept quiet so far because she wasn¡¯t sure how she should act or if there was anything she should say. She trusted that the Mayor knew all the proper protocols. He father, sensing that she was slightly nervous, smiled reassuringly to her. Eventually they were in a small courtyard. ¡°Will this do Mr. Mayor?¡± ¡°Yes, this should be fine.¡± The mayor turned to Euthalia. ¡°Go ahead Euthalia, show him.¡± Euthalia walked to the middle of the courtyard. The magistrate stayed where he was. The mayor and the rest of the party stepped back to the entrance because they knew what was coming. Euthalia knew that she just had to show this man that she could use two types of magic. That would be enough to see the king. ¡°Ground, the element of the planet, heed my request which I make unto you: Loegja Stalagmite!¡± She tried to imagine a smaller stalagmite than she had cast before. A smaller one did appear¡ªsmaller at least because it was about 15 feet this time. The magistrate jumped, clearly shocked by the raw power Euthalia possessed. Euthalia then chanted the incantation of fire since she knew that one. Fire, passionate soul, bringer of heat, burner of coal, hear my desire: Loegja Flare!¡± After the last incident with fire, she wasn¡¯t interested in trying to be creative. Unfortunately, she still was having trouble controlling her power, as evidence by the large beam of fire that shot into the air and made the magister fall on his bottom with his hands over his eyes, cowering. Euthalia found out later that the beam had been seen by almost everyone in the city. Once the powerful flare had subsided, the magister got up shakily and, with his voice and hands still shaking, said, ¡°Please come with me.¡± The magister directed them to follow and led them up several flights of stairs. He stopped at a set of large, ornate doors and spoke to the guard there. He turned back to Euthalia¡¯s party. ¡°Please wait here for a moment.¡± He slipped through the doors. After several minutes he re-appeared. ¡°Please come in.¡± The guards opened the doors wide and Euthalia¡¯s party passed through. There was a red carpet with gold trim leading up to the dais and the throne on which sat the king. The magister walked forward until he stopped a few paces from the dais. Then he went down on his left knee. Euthalia and her party followed suite. ¡°Rise and welcome. Would the one who has the powers of the Mage please step forward,¡± the king said. Euthalia stood up with the rest of the group and walked a few paces closer so that she was about a pace away from the dais. ¡°How did you discover that you are the Mage prophesied from old?¡± ¡°Your highness, two days ago, I could not cast any magic even though I was already 16. Last night, I had a strange dream, but I can¡¯t remember exactly what it was about. I just have the impression that it was related to receiving magic. I woke up when I was flung out of bed by an earthquake. At the time, I couldn¡¯t explain it, but my floor, which was made of wood, was scorched, my window was broken¡­ and my bed was damp.¡± She spoke the last words in a hushed tone. ¡°This morning, when the village met to discuss you instructions conveyed to us by the royal courier, my younger brother prompted me to cast magic and I was able to cast both fire and earth magic. After that, we rushed here to inform you, your highness. ¡°Can you demonstrate?¡± ¡°Yes, your highness. I would caste earth but I don¡¯t want to destroy your floor, likewise with fire. I don¡¯t know the incantation for water or air though.¡± The kind addressed the magistrate. ¡°Please get a water mage and an air mage.¡± ¡°Yes, your highness.¡± The magister left the room. When he was gone, the king spoke again. ¡°While we are waiting, would you please tell me about yourself?¡± ¡°Yes, you highness. My name is Euthalia Santhos. My family runs a ranch in the village of Teal. In addition to my father, who is here,¡± Her father took a step forward and then stepped back. ¡°There is also my mother and my younger brother.¡± ¡°You said that you could not cast magic before now correct? What about the rest of your family, are they all late bloomers in regards to magic?¡± ¡°My father could answer better than I.¡± The king motioned for Nestori to speak. ¡°My wife and I discovered our magic at about the average age of ten. Our son discovered his magic at the age of seven and is considered, at least among the village, to be somewhat of a prodigy in magic.¡± The king stroked his short beard in thought. Whatever it was, he did not relate it as the magistrate came back into the room with two people. They approached and genuflected. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. ¡°Your highness, I have brought with me a water mage from the infirmary and a wind mage from the royal communications.¡± The king addressed them. ¡°Please teach the incantations for your magics to this girl.¡± The water mage spoke first. ¡°For water, the incantation is Water, dripping drops, sustainer of life, mover of trade, send us your help at our request. Please try it.¡± Euthalia repeated the words. Water, dripping drops, sustainer of life, mover of trade, send us your help at our request: Loegja splash! Suddenly, a large splash occurred with Euthalia as the epicenter. The water drenched the king as well as the rest of the party, despite their distance. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry your majesty!¡± Euthalia covered her mouth with her hands. The king sighed. ¡°Please continue.¡± The wind mage then taught her the incantation for wind. Euthalia repeated it. Gusting gales, dancing breezes, air of the aether blow forth: Loegja gust! A blast of swift air burst forth from Euthalia. The wind instantly dried the clothes and bodies of those soaked, but also spiked their hair at odd angles. The king¡¯s hair looked like a hedgehog. ¡°I believe you Ms. Santhos. You are indeed the Mage. When my magistrate told me, I could hardly believe it. It would seem the prophecies are coming true.¡± He sighed again. ¡°This would also mean that a great calamity is coming and I suspect it might have to do with Bai?gana-K¨¥r¨¡jya . I must speak with my advisors regarding this. Magistrate, please see to it that Ms. Santhos is given a room in the castle and treat her party to dinner before they return to their village.¡± ¡°Yes your majesty.¡± The magistrate led them out of the throne room and to a large dining hall. Once there he entertained them until their food was ready. It was quite the spread given the number of their party, but the magistrate told them that they were the king¡¯s guests and not to worry. The king, he informed them, was eating dinner with his top advisors. Eventually, dinner was over and there was a little more conversation over mugs of spiced wine. Soon enough though, it was time for the party to leave. They all went down to the stables. Nestori was silent for a few moments, facing his daughter. Eventually, he said ¡°I never thought I would see my little Eu grow up so fast. Don¡¯t forget, you can always come home to visit.¡± ¡°Thanks dad. Goodbye.¡± ¡°Goodbye.¡± Nestori stepped up onto the saddle and the group from Teal slowly trotted away. Euthalia felt a little sadness at seeing them go and with them the only world she had ever known. ¡°Now Ms. Santhos, please follow me up to the room that¡¯s been prepared for you.¡± Euthalia followed the magistrate up several sets of stairs to a room in one of the spires protruding from the main castle. The room he showed her was quite large and fancy. There were several tapestries hanging from the walls, a large bed with chiffon curtains, and a soft looking carpet under Euthalia¡¯s feet. ¡°The bath and such are in the next room. If you need anything, ring this bell here, he pointed to a bell near the door with a cord hanging from it, and servants will come to help you. Is there anything you need now?¡± ¡°No, thank you very much magistrate.¡± ¡°Then I bid you goodnight, Ms. Santhos, the Mage.¡± Then the man left and Euthalia was left alone¡­ or so she thought. She stepped into the bath room and almost jumped when she saw a maid standing there. ¡°Good evening milady. Would milady like to take a bath now?¡± ¡°Um, how long have you been here?¡± ¡°Oh, not long milady.¡± ¡°Well, a bath does sound nice right now, thank you.¡± ¡°Yes, milady. I¡¯ll call you when it¡¯s ready.¡± Euthalia stepped back into the main room. She pulled back the chiffon curtains and found her bag with her extra sets of clothes she had packed. They hadn¡¯t been sure if Euthalia would be gone for long, so she brought some extra clothes just in case. The bedding underneath her bag looked soft and fluffy. For Euthalia, who until now had spent all her life in a wooden ranch house, it was almost unbelievably decadent. A girl without her disposition might¡¯ve been shaken, but Euthalia was fairly ¡°down-to-earth¡± as the saying went. Soon, the palace servant, for that¡¯s what she was, called Euthalia to let her know her bath was ready. Euthalia grabbed her pajamas and went into the bath room. The servant was standing there near the tub which was steaming with clouded water. Euthalia waited for the servant to leave, but she did not. A minute passed. ¡°Is there something wrong, milady?¡± ¡°Well, I was wondering why the bathwater was cloudy.¡± ¡°A mixture of milk and perfumed oil milady.¡± ¡°Ah, and uh, why are you waiting here?¡± She tried to word it kindly, but it was hard to ask someone why they were standing around near one¡¯s waiting bath. ¡°So that I am her to help wash you if wanted and to dry you when you are done.¡± Euthalia was slightly taken aback. They were both women, but Euthalia preferred her privacy during baths and such. ¡°Thank you, but I would prefer to be alone.¡± The servant looked slightly confused. ¡°As you wish milady. If you need anything, just ring the bell.¡± ¡°I will.¡± The servant left. After Euthalia made sure she was gone, she took off her clothes and settled into the tub. The water was pleasantly warm and the milk was soothing. Euthalia relaxed and as she did so reflected on all the events that had taken place since she had woken up with the abilities of the Mage. First was that odd dream that she could only remember as a sort of sensation rather than any actual images. Conceivably, that was when she had gotten or awakened the power of the Mage. Looking back, there were so many clues that night, but she had never been able to wield magic so the thought of being able to wield multiple elements never crossed her mind. Even with the ability to use magic, she wasn¡¯t good at it. She was very powerful, but she had so little control over it. If even the small spells were dangerous, what would happen if she tried to use more potent spells? What was the good of magic if she destroyed everything around her because she lacked control? Maybe the yinyang element would be easier to control¡ªor at least, it wouldn¡¯t damage anything if she messed up. She was the Mage, why was she having so much trouble? More importantly, how could she learn restraint? Now she was in the palace, soaking in a luxurious bath next to a resplendent room. She was uncertain about what would happen next. Would the other prophesied Warriors show up soon? What would happen to them if war with Bai?gana-K¨¥r¨¡jya did break out? Euthalia had so many questions, but not many answers. She would find out more in the morning. She finished washing herself, then stood up, toweled herself dry, and put on her pajamas. She left the bath room and lay on the bed. Shortly thereafter, she fell asleep. Chapter Six Euthalia woke early, as she was wont to do after a life on the ranch. She had slept wonderfully on the soft bed but it was time to get up. She wanted to practice casting her magic so she could try to get better control over it. Euthalia got out of bed, dressed, and stepped into the hall. There were servants bustling everywhere. Euthalia wasn¡¯t sure if that was normal for this time of morning in the castle or not but she soon found out when a servant approached her. ¡°Milady, how are you this morning?¡± ¡°I¡¯m good thank you, and you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m ok milady, but war has been officially declared between Silica and Baingana-Kerajya. I¡¯m to take you to a magister when you are ready.¡± ¡°I¡¯m ready now.¡± ¡°Then follow me, milady.¡± Euthalia followed the servant down to a well-decorated room in the castle. The servant bowed and then left Euthalia with the magister. ¡°Please sit Ms. Santhos.¡± The magister pointed out a red, plush chair with gold trim. ¡°Since you arrived, many things have happened. I am to brief you on them all. First, during the midnight hours, the Knight and the Archer of the Four Warriors prophecy arrived. We surmise that the Duelist is on his or her way. Early this morning, Baingana-Kerajya troops landed on our shores near the port town of Aquamarine. In turn, the Kingdom of Silica declared war on Baingana-Kerajya. We have dispatched more troops to the area and fighting is occurring. It is likely that when the Duelist arrives, the Four Warriors, including yourself, will be dispatched to the area. For now, that is all the news I have. The king will likely want to meet with you when the Duelist arrives. Until then, the king would like you to train to control your magic.¡± Euthalia took a moment to process the information. War has finally broken out and soon I will be in it. I hope my family stays safe. ¡°Yes, magister, I was actually going to ask you if there was a place to practice my magic?¡± If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°A servant will take you to the court mage. She can help teach you.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Euthalia was taken to a large courtyard. There she was introduced to the court mage. ¡°I have been informed of your story, Ms. Sathos. You have never been able to wield magic until two days ago correct?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°And now you have abundant power but cannot control it.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Well, I will do what I can to help teach you the basics of magic. First, can you cast a small spell you I can see for myself what I have to work with?¡± ¡°Alright, if you¡¯re sure.¡± ¡°Yes. Cast a fireball at the target set up over there.¡± The court mage pointed to a distant target set up on the grass near the middle of the courtyard. Then the court mage took a step back to observe Euthalia. Euthalia took a deep breath, then chanted the spell. Fire, passionate soul, bringer of heat, burner of coal, hear my desire: Loegja Fireball! She tried to picture a small ball of fire but instead a massive amount of fire exploded into being and then coalesced into a ball then sailed off toward the target. Euthalia didn¡¯t have to worry about accuracy because the fireball was bigger than the target and obliterated it. Hardly even ash was left. ¡°Sweet mother of minerals!¡± The court mage screamed as the fire crashed into the target. She looked back to Euthalia. To Euthalia, it seemed that her eyes were fearful as the court mage looked at her. Eventually, the woman calmed down. The court mage walked Euthalia through basic lessons of magic but despite them, she had no more control than when she started. After several hours, Euthalia was told that the Dualist had arrived and that the king would meet with the Four Warriors shortly. Chapter Seven Euthalia was led into the throne room by a senior magistrate who then left. The first thing she noticed was the three others standing before the dais. The first was a man who wore cuisses armor and had a sheathed sword on his belt as well as an axe and he carried a lance¡ªthe Knight. The second, another man, had a bow slung across his back as well as a quiver filled with arrows, a pouch, and several large, steel rings tied to his belt¡ªthe Ballista. The last was somewhat shorter than the others. The figure was hooded but Euthalia thought she was a woman¡ªwoman¡¯s intuition. The Duelist had support tape on her arms and legs, and had a nunchuck and shurikens on a red cloth belt. With Euthalia here, they made up the Four Warriors of legend. She walked before the dais where the king sat surrounded by a few who must be advisors. The other Warriors glanced at her, likely taking their own stock of her. Euthalia could see that she was right and that the Duelist was a female. Their attention went back to the king as he started the council. ¡°Greetings Warriors, Knight, Ballista, Duelist, Mage. I know all your names, but please introduce yourselves again. The Knight stepped forward. ¡°I am Jarek Maganson from Titanite. I have been trained in sword-play by my father. Two days ago, I improved suddenly and drastically and I could use any knightly weapon given to me.¡± He stepped back and the Ballista stepped forward. ¡°I am Arvid Grosvenor from Beryl. I was a hunter in the wilds. Like Jarek, I suddenly had proficiency in multiple weapons. Word of the Knight had reached my village and I surmised I was the Ballista. Greetings to my fellow Warriors.¡± He stepped back and the Duelist stepped forward. She spoke with an accent. ¡°I am Tanya Gundottir from the northern city, Zircon. My family runs a dojo. Like the others, I gained unrivaled proficiency and defeated all the masters of the dojo. From long ago, our own histories held that the Duelist would come from our land. When I had defeated all the masters, this was taken as a sign that I was the Duelist. From afar we traveled and recently arrived. Greetings. It was Euthalia¡¯s turn. She swallowed then stepped forward. She wasn¡¯t used to being in such honorable company. I am Euthalia Santhos from the village of Teal. Two days ago, I could not use any magic. I woke from sleep one night and suddenly had magic. In our village, I was tested by my younger brother and was revealed to be the Mage.¡± ¡°And has no proficiency in magic.¡± This last comment came from one of the others, but Euthalia didn¡¯t know who. She stepped back, her face slightly red. The king cleared his throat. ¡°Yes, moving on. As you have been told, we have declared war on Baingana-Kerajya after their attacks. We have received more reports from the front lines, a defense line near the town of Aquamarine. It seems that the majority of Baingana-Kerajya troops are monsters being controlled by the Baingana-Kerajya soldiers. How they are doing this, we do not know, but based on this unprecedented strategy as well as your appearance, it would seem that this war is the prophesied conflict which will call the Warriors. After consulting with my advisors, I have decided to send you to the front lines. We have taken heavy casualties. I think you can make a difference and it would seem this would be the best tactic to follow the prophesy. You are not going alone. Several people have volunteered to be the companions of the Warriors; they are civilians and a few retired warriors as well as some volunteer mercenaries. Guard, please send them in.¡± People walked in and were instructed to go to the Warrior with whom they wished to travel. Euthalia waited expectantly for one of them to come to her and became anxious when only a few were left. In the end, she stood alone. She looked around. The Knight had five companions. The Archer had five also. The Duelist had three. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. After debating whether she should say anything, she finally spoke. ¡°Um, could one of you mind giving me a companion?¡± The Knight answered first. ¡°I¡¯m not giving one of my companions to someone who can¡¯t control her own fireballs!¡± ¡°I will not do so either. The Mage is a danger to those around her until she can control her magic.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The Duelist said nothing but Euthalia had directed her question to the Knight and Ballista. She couldn¡¯t ask Tanya who had few. Euthalia looked down in embarrassment at her own lack of control of the elements and her new lack of companions. She looked up at the king who seemed to be pondering something. ¡°The Knight and Ballista have a point. I do know of someone who might be willing to accompany you though. He is a soldier in our army. I will send for him. In the meantime, Knight, Ballista, Duelist, gather your things and head for the front lines. As you leave, magistrates will have bags of funds for you as well as instructions on how to get to Aquamarine. Good luck to you all.¡± The other warriors left the throne room. ¡°Thank you king, for giving me a chance to have a companion.¡± ¡°Not at all Ms. Santhos, the Mage. You cannot go alone and I have a feeling this will be a good thing for my soldier too.¡± In short order, someone dressed in a royal army uniform walked into the throne room. Euthalia was taken aback when she noticed he was a demi-human. He had orange fox ears and an orange fox tail with a white tip as well as brown hair and fierce, slitted orange eyes. Why was a demi-human in the Silican Army? The country of the demi-humans was to the west of the Kingdom of Silica and relations between the two countries were unfavorable. Demi-humans rarely ventured beyond their lands; thus she had never seen one before¡ªonly heard tales of them. The demi-human saluted, as was the custom of the army instead of kneeling as Euthalia discovered later. ¡°Elias Conallson, your majesty.¡± ¡°Elias, you have heard of the appearance of the Four Warriors? ¡°Yes, you majesty.¡± ¡°Then allow me to introduce you to one. This is Ms. Euthalia Santhos, the Mage. Of the companions who volunteered to accompany the Warriors, none chose Euthalia. She is having some difficulties with her magical control. Would you be interested in traveling with her?¡± ¡°Yes, as your majesty commands.¡± ¡°No Elias, I ask you to go only if you chose to go.¡± ¡°I would like to go, my king.¡± Euthalia, who had been quietly observing the exchange, noticed Elias was somewhat less rigged in his response this time. ¡°Then I send you off with her with my blessing. Euthalia, I think you will be in good hands. Elias is one of the most advanced young soldiers in my army. You will find a map to Aquamarine, as well as some money outside. Elias has his own armor, so purchase whatever you need. Goodbye and good luck.¡± Euthalia and Elias bid farewell to the king and walked out of the throne room. Euthalia received the map and coin from the magistrate outside. Elias spoke up. ¡°Ms. Santhos, will you allow me leave to go prepare for our journey?¡± ¡°You can just call me Euthalia, Elias. Yes, get your things.¡± Elias turned to get his things but before he left Euthalia added, ¡°Thank you for coming with me.¡± He nodded and went on his way. As Euthalia watched him walk away with his tail twitching, she decided that maybe he wasn¡¯t so intimidated after all. It was just hard to look into his eyes since they were so beast-esque. The World of the Mage Hero (7.5) Since this contains imiages, it will just be easier to put the link to the post here. http://wp.me/p5czub-14 Thank you to everyone who is reading this! Thank you to the people who are commenting, following, and favoriting (you know who you are). I''m glad to know my story is liked. Chapter VIII will be up this evening. Chapter Eight Euthalia asked a servant to lead her back to her room (as she was still unaccustomed to navigating the castle). Since she had not unpacked when she arrived, putting away the few things she had gotten out was accomplished in short order. She then checked her money bag. 50 gold coins!! That was quite a sum for the ranch raised Euthalia. She had never held that much money herself. She took her pack and had a servant lead her to the stables. Along the way, she contemplated what things might be necessary. Certainly food and lodging along the way, so some of the money should be set aside for that. Elias conceivable had his own armor and weapons, so he should be good. Euthalia did not have any armor so she would have to buy some. She also considered getting a magic staff. A good staff was able to increase one¡¯s magical potency; perhaps it could also help her control the magic power better too. Euthalia and the servant arrived outside the stablehouse and Euthalia thanked the servant who curtsied then left. Euthalia entered the stable and began looking for her horse, Ajax. She searched several stalls, but didn¡¯t see him. As she was looking, Elias arrived. A few of the horses snorted and stamped their hooves. She heard Elias mutter, ¡°Still don¡¯t like me very much, huh?¡± ¡°Elias, are there any other stables in the castle?¡± ¡°Only the military stables, why?¡± ¡°Because I can¡¯t find my horse here.¡± ¡°¡­Come with me.¡± He turned and exited the stables with Euthalia following. He led her to another part of the castle. As they were walking, she began to notice more muscular men around, some sharpening or polishing weapons. She surmised that they are arrived at the military sector. Elias walked to another stablehouse and greeted the man standing guard there. ¡°Birger, the Mage¡¯s horse is missing from the royal stables. May I check to see if it has been placed here?¡± ¡°Go ahead Elias, though I don¡¯t think it is.¡± Elias walked past the guard with Euthalia following. The horses in this stable seemed more adjusted to Elias¡¯ presence. ¡°Do you see your horse Ms. Santhos?¡± ¡°Please, just Euthalia.¡± She looked around. ¡°No, I don¡¯t.¡± ¡°That settles it. Someone took your horse.¡± ¡°Why would they do that?¡± ¡°It seems then that you don¡¯t know of the undercurrents.¡± ¡°Undercurrents?¡± Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. ¡°Some people blame you for the current state between Baingana-Kerejya and Silica.¡± ¡°What?! Why?¡± ¡°Because you exist and are the Mage. The Mage was prophesied to only appear when something bad was going to happen. Since you were the first to arrive, people place the blame on you. You also announced our presence with that enormous flare. It could be seen across the city.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t explain why my horse is missing.¡± ¡°Someone stole it.¡± ¡°Because they were angry at me? ¡°Correct.¡± Euthalia felt her body sink a little bit. Why were people so cruel? Was Ajax ok? ¡°It¡¯s not your fault, Euthalia, some people are just stupid. Those who can think don¡¯t blame you. The problems with Baingana-Kerejya caused your appearance, not the other way around. Just know that some people in the Kingdom may not be particularly hospitable toward you. You needn¡¯t bother about those sorts. I should know.¡± Euthalia perked up at that last comment because she saw Elias¡¯ eyes widen and he covered his mouth with his hand. ¡°I¡¯ve said too much. Well, I doubt we¡¯ll find your horse soon and we need to be heading to the front lines. We¡¯ll borrow some horses from here and have the military search for your horse. I¡¯ll go to a commanding office and get permission; you describe what your horse looks like to the guard outside, Birger.¡± While Elias went off, Euthalia went back outside the stable and explained what Ajax looked like and certain characteristics to the guard. Birger assured her that they would find her horse. ¡°One more thing, Ms. Santhos, take care of Elias while he¡¯s with you. He may look and act tough and intimidating, but he¡¯s a nice guy once you get to know him. You¡¯ll be in good hands. You seem like a nice person.¡± ¡°Thank you Birger, I will.¡± ¡°Ah, there he is now.¡± Elias walked to them. ¡°We¡¯ve got permission. Saddle up and we¡¯ll go. The equipment is along the back wall.¡± ¡°Elias, you sure you should make the Mage saddle her horse?¡± Birger turned to Euthalia. ¡°I would be happy to do it for you Ms. Santhos.¡± ¡°Thank you Birger, but I grew up on a ranch, I¡¯d prefer to do it myself. Thank you for offering though.¡± ¡°Yes, Mage.¡± Soon Euthalia and Elias were saddled and had their gear secured. As they were riding away, Birger winked at her, as if to remind her to take care of Elias. Euthalia waved back in response. Chapter Nine Ugh, oh gosh. Hey! I''m finally back! School''s been busy, so I haven''t had a chance to write a new chapter. Sorry for the delay. Originally envisioned this chapter slightly differently, but this is just how it flowed, so I went with it. There''s an outtake near the end because it was funny--just not practical. When they had left the castle grounds, Euthalia spoke up. ¡°Elias, can we visit the market place before we set out? I¡¯d like to purchase some better equipment.¡± ¡°I was already planning on doing that Ms. Santhos. Were there any particular shops you would like to visit?¡± ¡°I would like to go to the armor shops first. I don¡¯t know my way around here, so chose a shop you think is good please.¡± ¡°Yes, I think I know a good one. Follow me and stay close. Quartz can be a difficult city to navigate for those who are unfamiliar.¡± Elias rode slowly through the crowded streets of the Amethyst District until he crossed over into the Citrine District. ¡°Most of the armament goods are sold here in the Citrine District. The Amethyst district is where the castle and state officials are located, Rose is where the produce market and inns are located; Smoky is where most of the foundries and craft guilds are located.¡± ¡°I see. This place is huge. I didn¡¯t really pay much attention to it when I arrived.¡± ¡°Really, where are you from Ms. Santhos?¡± ¡°I¡¯m from Teal.¡± ¡°Teal you say¡­¡± Elias¡¯ words drifted off. He seemed to be thinking about something. Elias snapped to attention as Euthalia heard a woman yelling. ¡°Stop! Theif!! Someone stop him!¡± Euthalia saw someone trying to run away through the crowd. Elias turned in the saddle. ¡°May I pursue him Ms. Santhos?¡± ¡°Of course, go!¡± Elias saluted then jumped off his horse and began picking his way nimbly through the crowd. Euthalia wasn¡¯t the kind of girl to sit around while others were working. She dismounted then led her horse with Elias¡¯ in tow to the side of the street where the woman who had yelled about the thief was standing. Please watch them. We¡¯ll get the thief. Before the woman could respond, Euthalia had taken off after Elias. People were streaming to the sides of the street as Elias was calling out something so Euthlia didn¡¯t have much trouble navigating as she followed the sound of Elias¡¯ voice. Then she heard the clang of metal on metal. Elias must be fighting. The crowd had all but disappeared now and Euthalia had a clear view of Elias facing off with a man who must have been the thief. Elias had his sword draw and poised. The thief, however, had his blade to the throat of a young girl. Euthalia slowed her pace as she realized the thief had taken a hostage. ¡°Now, vermin, put down your sword or I kill the girl.¡± Elias¡¯ face twisted, but he slowly put down his sword. ¡°Good, now no sudden moves soldier.¡± The man then raised a staff with his other hand and began chanting the incantation for fire. He meant to kill Elias with that spell and he couldn¡¯t attack or defend! She ran toward Elias, words coming into her head as she ran. ¡°Water, dripping drops, sustainer of life, defend us and send us your help at my request: Prism Shield!¡± As she finished he spell she ran in front of Elias and took a defensive pose as a shield of water appeared in front of her. The fire magic hit the shield and was quenched. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. ¡°Elias, now!¡± ¡°Right!¡± Elias dashed forward and grabbed the girl from the stunned thief. Euthalia began chanting again. ¡°Ground, the element of the planet, heed my request which I make unto you: Loegja Stalagmite!¡± A stalagmite erupted from under the thief. The force of the rock hitting him knocked him out. The stalagmite kept growing though until it reached 20 feet. Euthalia looked up at it and sighed lightly. Still no control. That was supposed to be 7 feet max. She looked around and found Elias with the girl in his arms. He set her down as her mother rushed forward to embrace her before thanking Euthalia and Elias for saving her daughter. As they said ¡°you¡¯re welcome¡±¡ªwell Elias said something about duty¡ªEuthalia heard people staring to murmur in the crowd. Murmurs about her being the mage. Well, after casting two magic elements, she couldn¡¯t exactly blame them. Elias walked over to the thief and took the thief and bound his hands and feet with rope. In short order, the woman who was robbed approached with the two horses. ¡°Thank you so much for catching that man. Here are your horses back.¡± After she handed them over she walked over to the unconscious thief and pick up the staff. ¡°Took me good staff he did¡ªruffian.¡± Someone from the crowd approached the woman and whispered something to her. The woman¡¯s eyes went wide and she stared at Euthalia. ¡°You¡¯re the Mage?!¡± ¡°Yes, I am.¡± ¡°Then please, come to me store! I¡¯m a magic shop owner. I can help you. You¡¯re going to the front lines yes?¡± Euthalia looked at Elias, who nodded before accepting the offer. The man who had whispered to the woman said he''d watch over the thief until the domestic knights came along. They followed the woman back to her shop. ¡°A moment please?¡± She went into her shop and Euthalia could hear some clanging and the sound of things being moved. She came out again with a new staff in her hand. ¡°Please, take dis with you.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a powerful magical staff. I couldn¡¯t¡ª¡± ¡°Nay, I want you to have it. It will help you protect our kingdom.¡± ¡°I have money. I can pay you.¡± ¡°Nay Mage. If you won¡¯t accept it for free, then consider it a reward for catching the thief.¡± ¡°But¡ª¡± Elias whispered into her ear. ¡°Take the staff Euthalia. She¡¯ll be upset if you don¡¯t. If you don¡¯t want to take it as a gift, take it as a sign of your commitment to keeping this kingdom and its inhabitants like her safe.¡± What Elias said made sense. ¡°Alright. I accept.¡± ¡°Marvelous. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll find it useful. I wish you luck Mage. Show them what magic specialists can do. Farewell.¡± ¡°Goodbye and thank you.¡± The magic shop owner went back into her store and Elias and Euthalia resumed their travel to the armor shops. Outtake: Euthalia began chanting again. Fire, passionate soul, bringer of heat, burner of coal, hear my desire: Loegja Fireball. Elias yelled for people to get back, before diving into a garbage bin for cover as a huge fireball exploded in the street, singeing the nearby shops and blasting a hole in the ground from the force of the explosion. Announcement Where''s the next chapter? I''m writing it. Between school, research, and preparing for a science talk I don''t have a lot of free time right now. My computer has also been having problems and taking it back and forth to IT to be fixed eats into what free time I have left. Due to that, progress on the next chapter has been slow as I haven''t been able to get much time to write it. Sorry. Things should hopefully get better in about a month (provided new responsibilities don''t arise). Here''s my question to you, would you like a preview of the next chapter or rather wait for the whole thing? Comment with your preference. I''ll read them when I have a chance (which might be a few days) and then decided what I will to do. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Again, sorry it''s taking so long. I am writing when I get the opportunity and I''d rather have it down on paper and out of my mind then working on it piecemeal, but I have real life first. This series won''t be canceled (unless I run out of ideas lol) it just can''t update as fast as either of us would like. Chapter 10 It¡¯s finally done! I¡¯ve wanted to get this out here for a while. I finally caught some time and hammered it out last night. I hope you enjoy it! Elias¡¯ past is finally revealed. ¡°This is the Opal Gate. Beyond here, the real journey begins. Are you ready?¡± Asked Elias. Euthalia took a deep breath. She looked back at Quartz then turned and rode through the gate. It truly was the start of the real journey for the Mage Hero. Euthalia and Elias traveled through the day until shortly before sunset and stopped to set up a camp for the night. Euthalia took off the armor she had bought. It was a set of lightweight armor that was recommended to her by Elias. It was pricier than her frugal sensibilities liked, but it has a high magical resistance and was light enough for practical purposes. Elias was able to convince her to spend the gold for it. She had been wearing it through the day to get used to it. It was somewhat odd because it had been made from steel fibers. According to Elias, Earth magic had been cast on the base steel to allow it to be turned into fiber then woven like any other cotton garment. After it had been woven, more spells had been cast on the armor to increase its magical resistance. It still only had about the physical defenses as ordinary chain mail, but that was Elias¡¯ job¨Cto defend her from physical attacks and allow her time to cast magic (according to him at least). Speaking of Elias, he had gone off to hunt for meat for supper. After taking off her armor, Euthalia gathered pine branches and made two improvised beds. She then gathered firewood and made a fire. She didn¡¯t use her magic because she didn¡¯t want to start a forest fire (which was a distinct possibility until she got her magic under control). She had no trouble since she had adapted to doing these sorts of things without the aid of magic. By the time Elias returned with two hares, a good size fire was burning and a flat stone had been placed over the fire. Elias cleaned the hares then set them to cook while Euthalia began cooking small cakes of flour and water with a little salt and some wild herbs she had found. The cakes were done first and they ate them while waiting for the hares to cook. ¡°You really are good at this sort of thing huh?¡± Said Elias. ¡°I was raised on a ranch in a rural area; almost everyone from the Teal area knows how to do this sort of thing.¡± ¡°Not many women in Quartz do though. I admire that about you Ms. Santhos. Euthalia paused for a minute. ¡°Elias, what is it going to take to get you to call me by my first name?¡± Elias thought for a second then responded. ¡°To call the Mage Hero by her first name would be disrespectful given my station.¡± ¡°Elias, I¡¯m a ranch girl. Station and such don¡¯t mean anything to me. Even if I am the Mage Hero.¡± Elias didn¡¯t say anything. After another moment, Euthalia came up with an idea. ¡°Say, Elias, what is your station now?¡± ¡°Knight of the Kingdom of Silica.¡± ¡°But you are assigned to me correct?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°So, that would mean you are under my command? At least, until you assignment is over.¡± ¡°Correct.¡± Euthalia smiled. It was as she thought. ¡°Then I hearby elevate your status and station from Knight to a Companion of the Mage Hero. Not calling me by my first name would now be disrespectful given your station. Elias opened his mouth as if to protest, but then shut it. After checking the hares and pulling them off the fire, he handed one to her. ¡°Very well, you win Euthalia.¡± He had a small smile, but his mouth was twisted, like he was trying to suppress it. Euthalia took the stick on which the hare meat had been skewered with a victorious grin. ¡°Glad to hear it.¡± Then they set about eating. While they were eating, Euthalia continued the conversation. ¡°All joking aside Elias, I have a feeling this isn¡¯t going to be a short trip. I think we need to establish a bond of trust and friendship if we are going to be an effective team. Can I trust you Elias?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Well, I want to ask you something personal, but first I¡¯m going to tell you something personal about myself. No one but my immediate family knows. Please keep it secret.¡± ¡°I swear it on my life.¡± Euthalia took a deep breath, mentally preparing to divulge the information. She wanted to gain his trust with this secret, but it did make it easy to tell him. ¡°..I¡¯ve had trouble with wetting the bed since I was a child until the last year or so. There were many nights where I woke up with wet sheets. I was so embarrassed, especially when my younger brother eventually found out and started teasing me. It would always make me feel like a baby, especially when I had to start wearing an absorbent garment under my pajamas when I was six to save doing more laundry. No older child or adolescent had the problem I did. Luckily I grew out of it, but my brother still teases me about it. Actually, the night I woke up with magic, I actually thought the bedwetting problem had come back after a year of absence, but it was really just water.¡± Elias took a few bits of his hare as he processed the information. ¡°That is rough. Don¡¯t worry Euthalia, I won¡¯t tell anyone and I don¡¯t think less of you because of it. Personally, I think you are a rather mature person.¡± He smiled and Euthalia smiled back at him. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll have to share a secret of equal magnitude. Most of the soldiers in the army know parts of it, though very few know the whole story, but I consider them my extended family in a way. Still, it¡¯s not something I like to be spread around.¡± This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. ¡°I won¡¯t tell anyone either, Elias.¡± ¡°I know you won¡¯t Euthalia.¡± Elias took a breath, as if to prepare himself then started his tale. ¡°You must wonder why a demi-human is in the Silican Army right?¡± ¡°Well¡­ the thought had crossed my mind.¡± Euthalia admitted, didn¡¯t want to seem rude, but she wouldn¡¯t lie to him. ¡°Most people do, they just don¡¯t ask. Ten years ago, there were skirmishes at the border between Silica and Teumassia. Teumassia, as you know, is the country of the demi-humans. The country itself is more of a loose confederation of independent tribes who have a common interest. The fox tribe had their camp near the border. That was where I lived. One day, a battle broke out. The Silican knights pushed the battle line until it reached the village. In the Teumassia tribes, everyone who is able fights. Training begins at the age of five, but children aren¡¯t allowed on the battlefield. Eventually, the tribe was overwhelmed and retreated. My parents were killed in the battle so I never received word that the tribe had fled. When the knights were searching the houses for resources, they found me. When they tried to go into my abode, I fought them. The first person to enter was taken by surprise and I was able to cut his arm. He recovered from the surprise and disarmed and captured me easily. The army wasn¡¯t sure what to do with me. They didn¡¯t want to let me go, but they didn¡¯t want to kill me in cold-blood. So they took me back into Silica with them. The man I attacked¡ªhis name was Conall¡ªwas kind to me and talked to me a fair amount on the journey to the capital. When we got back, he volunteered a solution. I had received military training already and was skilled for my age in comparison to most humans, so he offered a deal. The army would take me in and give me a certain amount of freedom if I swore loyalty to the Kingdom of Silica. So I did. I was raised in the army for six years and received training from them. I wasn¡¯t satisfied though. I was a demi-human and I had been taken from my homeland, so on my thirteenth birthday¨Cafter careful planning¨CI ran away. I found out though how good the army had been to me. When I entered the city itself, the people there were quite racist toward me. They wouldn¡¯t sell to a damn demi-human, not even food. I got out of the town and made my way across Silica on foot, catching or gathering whatever food I needed, evading pursuit. Eventually, I made it to a town near the border. That was as far as I got though. After the border disputes had been settled, limited trading occurred between the countries. Not many goods came from Teumassia. They look down on Silican customs and culture as unnatural and artificial. At the border town, I ran into three traders, two from the wolf tribe and one from the fox tribe. Again, some information you might not know is needed. Most tribes wear limited amounts of clothing. The wolves go shirtless, and the foxes don¡¯t wear much more. I had been raised in Silica, where such customs were not acceptable. When they saw me wearing Silican clothes and observed me, they declared they wanted nothing to do with me. I told them my story about being captured, but they didn¡¯t want a boy who had been tainted with the culture of Silica, even if I had been a former tribesman. With the demi-humans rejecting me, I found some scouts of the Silican Army and turned myself in. I found myself caught between two sides that didn¡¯t want me. Only the army accepted me and so I decided it was where I belonged. I was imprisoned for a month as punishment and it took a year of dedicated service before all restrictions were lifted, but I was eventually fully accepted again. Conall acted as a sort of father figure to me before I ran away. I found out later that his wife and daughter had died of illness before he found me. He adopted me as a son and my name became Elias Conallson¨Cson of Conall. From there, I gained prestige and rank until eventually I was assigned as your knight Euthalia.¡± Elias stopped talking and silence lingered for a few moments. Finally, Euthalia spoke up. ¡°¡­Wow. I didn¡¯t mean to make you reveal something so personal.¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright. I¡¯ve accepted what I am. I have a home and a family of a sort now. You said we needed to build a bond of friendship and trust. I didn¡¯t want the question of my origins to linger in your mind.¡± ¡°Can I ask one thing?¡± ¡°Shoot.¡± ¡°The townspeople didn¡¯t act racist to you when I was there, at least that I could tell. Are they still?¡± ¡°Well, most are accustomed to me, since I don¡¯t act entirely like a demi-human, though there are still a few that hate me.¡± ¡°Ok. Thank you for trusting me with your secret Elias.¡± Elias nodded. ¡°I think it¡¯s time for bed though.¡± Euthalia yawned. ¡°It¡¯s starting to get late.¡± ¡°It is.¡± Elias got up and tossed his roasting stick in the fire. We don¡¯t need to worry about setting a watch tonight Euthalia. We don¡¯t need to worry about B-K yet. My body will sense any disturbances before they arrive.¡± ¡°Alright then.¡± Euthalia lay down on her bed and pulled a blanket over herself. ¡°Good night Elias.¡± She heard the reply from above her. ¡°Good night Euthalia.