Risa moved so quickly that the air around her burst into flames. Lightning streaked behind her as if her own energy were having trouble keeping up with her impossible velocity. Alexei didn’t have a chance to react. One moment she was on the other side of the fighting arena, the next she was in his face faster than he could comprehend. She didn’t even have to attack him directly. The sheer force of the mage moving from one side of the arena sent him flying through the air until he cratered into the wall behind him. Alexei gasped in pain and tumbled to the ground. His breath came in short pants and it felt as if he’d been hit by a dragonhorse-pulled cart. “Well,” He coughed, “I guess I did ask for it.” Somehow, though, he managed to find the energy to stagger up to his feet. He was sure a rib, and maybe his left leg, had been broken by the impact with the wall, but he wasn’t quite ready to give up yet. He had one trick left to use, and he was definitely going to use it. He dr
If there was one good thing about living in the Mage’s Temple it was the access to free magery-based healthcare. Out in the rest of the world, a broken rib and a fractured leg bone would have meant months of healing, unless of course you were rich and could afford the time of a mage yourself. Alexei was none of those things. But thanks to the healers of the Temple he felt as good as new within minutes. He did, however, feel incredibly hungry. Magery healing worked on the principle of accelerating natural healing so that a body would go through all the processes of normal healing in rapid time. It couldn’t regrow limbs or bring people back from the dead, but broken bones were childsplay. The only reason they hadn’t used it to wake Alexei up from his coma was that they had no idea if he ever would wake up from it, and using magery-induced healing could have done much more bad than good. “So, what’s the plan now for Alexei and Neave,” Risa said as Alexei sat up from his bed in th
When night fell on the Academy of Alandria the head Administrar had always thought that the face of the place was truly revealed. It felt cold and harsh. The high walls belied a brutal architecture that was a testament to the brutal work that they did. Shaping boys into men. Girls into women. People into cannon fodder. To those exterior to the walls, they spoke of protection, of safety, of a school that was building the next legion of protectors. But those people didn’t know how badly the war was going. Not even the rumours gave it justice. No matter how many people they threw at the Shades it was never enough. The creatures ate through their men as if they were nothing… though, as long as their hunger was sated with the Power Divine, they wouldn’t attempt to encroach upon the kingdom’s lands any further. It was an uneasy kind of peace, one that the head Administrar had come to terms with many years ago. That was why he’d had to send the boy, Alexei, the weakling child away. H
In the past, Alexei had never been much of a morning person. But he had found that ever since becoming part of the Mage Temple mornings were one of his favourite parts of the day. There was something special about heading up to the loft space of the temple, sitting under the steadily brightening sky, and watching the sun rise over the observatory. Afterwards, he would head back to his quarters and wake Neave up with what had become her favourite breakfast food, pancakes and sausage meat. They would eat together in their room, and then part ways. They were both being instructed in the ways of magery, but seeing as Alexei already had a starting knowledge in the craft of weaving spells and enchantments they were placed into different groups. On the first day, it had been difficult for Alexei to convince Neave that it was fine for them to be split up throughout the day, and that she didn’t need to be watching over him every waking moment. It was clear that having him be unconscious
The energy of the gate washed over Alexei in a blue glow. For a moment he felt as if nothing were happening at all, and then it was as if the world itself were rotating around him. His body was made immaterial as it rushed through buildings, people, and the mountains that surrounded Alandria city. And then it was over just as quickly as it began. The world stopped moving and he stepped out of another warp gate at his destination. It was obvious that they were in another Mage Temple, but this one was nowhere near as big or as busy as the one they had left. This mage temple hadn’t had its internal dimensions expanded, as far as he could tell, and was about the size of a holy church hall. “Hey, move out of the way of the gate,” Risa said, “This place isn’t very well travelled, but you wouldn’t want someone to go crashing into you if you weren’t paying attention.” “And where exactly is ‘this place’?” Alexei asked, though he did as Risa had suggested and moved out of the way of the
“Not seen either of you ‘round these parts before,” The barkeep said as Risa and Alexei drew close to the bar. His voice was as gruff and weathered as he looked. The man was tall with thick shoulders, but looking at his face Alexei could tell that he was older than his built frame might otherwise suggest. His face was heavily wrinkled and his head was bald. “We’re from the Mage Temple in Alandria,” Risa said, “Just passing through and hoping to take a couple of rooms for a night or two.” “Mage Temple in Alandria, eh” The man said, “Don’t get too many of your types through here at all, for the dungeon out down south I take it.” “That’s right, we’re looking for some herbs and ingredients that can only be found there,” Risa affirmed, “Or so our records say, at least.” “Well, can’t say there’s much love for the mages out here, but I ain’t got no quarrel with either of you,” The barkeep said, “It’ll be two pieces a night per room, third night goes for one piece if you pay upfront.”
While the warp gate had taken Alexei and Risa to the nearest town to the dungeon, that didn’t necessarily mean that the town was actually all that close to the dungeon itself. In fact, the dungeon in question was still about an hour's drive by dragonhorse caravan, and they’d need a caravan to bring desert faring supplies with them. That of course all relied on someone actually renting out a dragonhorse and a caravan. The anti-mage sentiment in the town was strong enough that the locals may have refused to sell to them if their feelings on the matter were strong enough. Alexei had hope, though, that their need for coin would far outweigh their need for petty revenge on something that happened decades ago. “I’ve never seen a dragonhorse up close before,” Alexei thought out loud, “Well, we were transported in a dragonhorse train when we were taken to the Academy I suppose, but we weren’t allowed anywhere near the creatures.” “Nervous?” Risa asked. “Not nervous as such, quite
Stepping back out into the blinding heat wasn’t exactly something that Alexei enjoyed doing, but if it meant he got to meet and hang out with some dragonhorses? That was something else altogether. The Academy had its own fleet of dragonhorses, of course, but only a rare few Initiates ever got to interact with them. Those that truly excelled in combat would be called forward to train in the ways of dragonhorse riding, being able to ride through the legions of the Shades atop the back of a mighty beast did a lot for the morale of those around the rider. It was only those Initiates, and the Dragonhorse trainers, that were allowed to get close to the beasts. It wasn’t because the animals were dangerous at all, it was just another way for the Academy to limit the experiences of their Initiates so that they minded less when they were sent out on the front lines to die for their kingdom. Being able to go face to face with one of the creatures had always been one of Alexei’s dreams, and