Category : Books-Fiction

Sub Category : Fantasy

Preface

The blood dripping down my arm was warm and familiar. The elder Sage’s had warned me against using this method too many times. oh well, it's not like they know what it is like to live on the run. This was the 20th time I've had to do this. I looked at my arms, all of the little white bars running from my wrist to my elbow, and racing up under my sleeve. God, I look like I cut myself. 

I pushed these thoughts from my mind as the demon shrieks of ecstasy got louder. They lived for the hunt. I made each symbol with my hands delicately, for one wrong muscle movement could get me splattered all over the concrete. When I had moved through all of the symbols and rested my hands at the final one, I felt my energy spike. I focused all of my thoughts on one simple thing, Angels. 

As my energy peaked, and I felt the summoning begin to happen, a large mass of teeth, talons, red maw, and midnight hued fur rounded the corner. While the form it took this time was lupine, those same eyes radiated cold calculation. It widened its eyes in fear and frustration as the concrete began to crack. I looked down at my feet when the rumbling stopped. Surrounding me was a summoning circle, complete with ancient runes all around. The Demon gave a signaling cry, letting the others know where we were.

The summoning circle began to glow, sweat dripped down my face and blood dripped into the circle. When the light reached a blaze I looked up to see the demon charge. I grinned at him and whispered as loud as I could, “Too late ass-hole.”

Chapter one: Birth

The Sages of the Realm all came to learn at the sanctuary. Sages are humans, or other intelligent races, that can touch, mold, and use the energies in themselves and the world. Since I was knee high and could only make sounds I have lived at the sanctuary. High in the Berkshwire Mountains, the sanctuary was shielded from all sorts of terrible things. But, the Sage’s home was not immune to all of life’s twists.

It was about mid summer, I was 16 5and two weeks. Up until this moment I had thought I was born to parents who died with the plague that spread like wildfire through spoiled meat. My master, Riake, had told me this, and he has never lied to me. 

What I would give to be that naive again.

I was out under the willow tree, practicing the art of taking in nature energy. The pond was a colour only found by placing a blue gem in front of your eye and looking at the world that way. Blue and clear to the bottom. The giant turtles that waded through the water looked like they were constantly folding in on themselves with the way the water played across their shells. It looks to be just under the water, but is actually dozens of feet below. 

I learned that the hard way. 

I shook my head to clear the nature energy building up. I had lost focus and had almost become like the turtles I lost my attention to. Sensing another sage, I turned to see Riake coming closer. I smiled and waved. I really hoped he didn't see my faltering attempt, and possible mutation. 

When he stood before me, he closed his eyes and let the breeze play through his hair. Most master's were older, wise sages who had no desire to see anymore of the world. Riake was young, fresh out of training himself only three years ago. Mystery still shrouds his rapid ascension, but he quickly gained a reputation as the youngest sage.

His intelligence isn't the only thing about him that is out of the ordinary. 6 feet tall, feathers for hair the shades of the sunset, and eyes of a cat distinguish his physical features. Some speculate that he altered his visage to gain power and intelligence.

He opened his eyes to look at me, and shook his head, feathers swaying. “Your nose looks more like the tip of a beak than a nose, did you flounder again?”

My hand shot to my nose and found the normal feel of a human nose. I glared at him as he laughed at my dismay. When he noticed my shame he only laughed harder. When I turned red from shame he began to verbally taunt me. I growled and shoved him away. This was how most of our training sessions began, with my failure and, ultimately, snap of anger. He leaned away from my shove and I went flying through the air. 

I stretched my arms out and caught the ground. I swung my leg out behind me to clip him in the back of the knee. A hand flashed out and caught my foot. A sigh, “Not today,” this happened frequently, “I must speak with you.”

I straightened until I was standing. Then took a seat when he prompted me to. Curiosity raced through my blood, but my mind shook with warning bells. Master never looks so grave, or stops me from training. As he sat next to me he wouldn't meet my eyes. “First off, I wasn't supposed to be the one to tell you this, those coward Sages pinned this on  me. I never wanted to hurt you Snow, please remember that.” 

He took a breath to steady himself and looked at me. A smile crossed his face, then disappeared as a thought crossed his mind.

“Don't ask questions until the end. I don't like being interrupted. Ok, here I go. This was a while ago, I was still in the academy, my first year. We were at war with a neighboring community. They raised freelancefreelance Mages. Freelance Mages cause all sorts of trouble due to lack of moral. Many of the Great Wars of the land were fought to keep the Mages from destroying the world. As the skirmishes increased, the ability to defend the sanctuary, and fight the Mages in their turf, became hard with just the Elder Sages. As part of class credit, you could form a team and help the effort against the Mages. I did this, in my second year. My group consisted of good people, we were well trained and specially skilled. We made it to the heart of their school. It was a laboratory. I'm sure the students didn't even know it was there. We broke in to discover human experiments taking place. The teachers were using students. It was unforgivable, it was a battle, bloody and fierce. I watched as my team was cut down around me. There was one on  the opposing side who summoned a demondemon, that did most of the work. My team captain gave his life to take the demon back to hell. I defeated the caster and began making my way out of the room. That's when I heard it, the whimper of an infant child. She was huddled in the corner and covered in blankets. Hair like the midnight hour. Eyes as blue as glaciers. And crying hysterically now. I couldn't leave her there, I had a conscious back then.”

He looked at my face as I took in the information. The alarm bells were going off like crazy in my head. I still couldn't figure out why, I needed him to finish the story.

“When I got back here I explained what happened and gave the girl to the Sages. I was only 12 at the time, but I knew the look of greed well by then. I begged them to let her grow up normally. To give her to a safe  human village at the foothills, but they would hear none of it. Instead, they gave her to me to raise.”

He looked at me now, pain and concern laced his eyes. “I named her Snow, after the first word she said.”It took a moment to register what he was saying. I shook my head several times to clear the bells, but they wouldn't quiet down.

“You were twelve then and twenty now. I am 16 years old, that math doesn't work out. You are saying that I am a Mage child? Then how can I summon angels and higher beings? How can I ride the centaurs in the woods and play with fauns in the glades? Why do the mermaids take me to their home for parties?”

I stared at him hard, waiting for him to just up and explain his cruel joke, but he never moved.

“From what we know, you are not a Mage child, but what the Mages were experimenting to create. That is why you have a faster growth period. You aged faster than your classmates. The Sage creatures of the world are comfortable with you because you are a Sage. To be correct, you are both a Sage and a Mage and many other creatures thrown into the mix. To them, you are another breed of intelligent creature.”

My mind was a mess, catching up to his words. The world started to spin and I couldn’t breath right. I was created in a laboratory? I didn't have parents who wanted me, but twisted minds to use me for self-gain? The biggest problem I had with this whole predicament was the last thing to run through my mind before I passed out, My master lied to me?