Chapter 4: Silence

The birds started to chirp overhead as the sun rose from behind the mountain. I opened my eyes and saw vibrant song birds, fluttering in the soon to be frost covered trees. My hood was down, revealing my long fiery braid. The wind began to pick up and the temperature suddenly dropped, within minutes there wasn’t a bird in sight.

Winter was soon to arrive and I could see clouds gathering over the mountain. I sat up and looked around as the storm built overhead. I slipped my hood up, concealing my hair, and stood up onto the frail yellow grass. I took in a deep breath, but stopped before I exhaled. The air was older. ‘How can that be’, I thought.

 I took in another breath, hoping that my observation was just a mistake, but it was still the same. Then I looked at the magic in the world around me, it had definitely changed. There was no doubt in my mind that a large amount of time had passed, but I couldn’t remember any of it. I looked around me for some indicator as to what year it might be, how much time had really passed.

Finding nothing, I sensed around for some other life form. I extended my magic until I felt a small magic presence a little ways ahead of me. I recalled my magic, and headed towards the source of energy I had felt.

A slight snow began to fall as I walked through the leafless tress and dead grass. The wind was picking up again and the sun was covered by the charcoal clouds from the mountain. The cold seeped into me and, for a short while, it even seemed to define me. I kept walking across the wasteland, now devoid of all pigment except the black that I wore and the white of the snow. As I walked I began to get a feeling that the magic force I had sensed was up ahead of me and I headed towards it. Eventually, I came across a small path, barley big enough to fit a wagon on.

As I got closer to the magic I began to reveal the species of the source. My face twisted with disgust, a wizard. But there was something else in the air, crystal magic. ‘That’s odd,’ I thought as I hurried towards the source.

Noticing a strange wagon on the path a few yards in front of me, I slipped off the path and concealed myself in the bushes by the side of the path. I also used the darkness to stay unseen, remaining in the blind spot of any wizard that could be ahead.

I peered out from behind a tree and observed the figure by the wagon. He wore all blue, symbolizing that he was a potions master, and had matted unbrushed blond hair. He was crouched down next to one of the wheels of the wagon that seemed to have been broken by a large rock. I pulled off my hood, then walked out onto the path.

“Need some help with that?” I asked kindly, showing some of my innocent charm that I had acquired over long years of practice. The boy turned around.

“Uh… sure, thanks.” He mumbled, his childish eyes barely registering on me, “But how can you help?”

“Like this.” I cupped my hands like I had something inside, focusing on the magic energy around me, condensing it into one point. A black mist began to form and flow out through the cracks between my fingers. He looked at the mist with wonder in his eyes. “Dark energy.” I said.

“What?”

“It’s dark energy from the surrounding area.” Then I moved over to the wheel and placed my hand on it, leaving the mist stuck to the broken area in a glob. “Now watch this.” I said as I leaned down next to the energy and blew it off the wheel. It instantly evaporated back into the surroundings, leaving behind a fixed wheel.

“Wow!” The potions master exclaimed “That was amazing.” He looked at me and smiled “So you’re a sort of shadow wizard aren’t you.”

“Sorta, yeah.” I smiled like I was embarrassed. I quickly glanced around the clearing, looking for the source of the crystal magic. I quickly sensed the area around me and found that the majority of the magic was coming from the wagon.

“Oh!” He exclaimed, looking into my eyes, “How could I be so rude, would you like to come in for a quick drink?” He opened the door of the wagon and motioned for me to come in.

“Sure” I smiled, ‘That’s my destination anyway’, “It’s not like I could refuse such an offer.”

When I walked in I noticed that the inside of the wagon was much bigger than the outside area should have allowed. There were four average sized rooms, a kitchen, and a potions area. We walked into the kitchen and he pulled out two glasses and filled them with water. While he filled the glasses I grabbed a book off of a shelf in the kitchen and glanced at the title Tempus est ad Fabulas et Fabulis Obliviónis, was what the cover read in an old Latin script.

“Myths and Legends Forgotten by Time,” he said “it’s one of my favourites. Oh please, have a seat.” I put the book back on the self and took a seat across from him at the table.

“What are you doing in this part of the forest, especially during this time of year?” I asked after I took a sip of the crystal clear water.

“I’m on my way to visit a good friend of mine. He lives in a town not too far from here.” He gazed through the window of the wagon as the snow began to fall in bigger clumps. The wizard stood and gathered some wood from the corner of the kitchen, then he tossed it into what looked like a fire place with a chimney leading out the roof. He ruffled through his potions on the shelf until he pulled out an orange one, he tossed the potion onto the wood and it burst into flames.

I watched the fire for a moment, then realized I hadn’t asked him a very important question “What’s your name?” I asked kindly, taking another sip of the water.

“I’m Gildar, a potions wizard from the capitol. And you are...” He trailed off, showing that he was asking a question. I thought for a moment.

“You can just call me Reaper.” I glanced around the inside of the wagon once more, then saw what I had been looking for. There was a plain oak staff with a sapphire embedded into it leaning against the door frame. It wasn’t any sapphire though, it was the sapphire created by the Ayasians and given to the humans as a gift. Suddenly, my vision blurred and the room began to spin.

“What did you…” I stammered as I fell out of the chair and onto the floor “…put in the water?” Just as my mind began to fade I heard him answer.

“A sleeping agent, you should be out for the next week or so. That should be enough time to get you to the capitol.” His voice began to twist and echo inside my head, making it hard to comprehend what he was saying. Then everything was black.

 

※

 

A voice rang out in my head. “Silence, wake up. Come on, you have to get up!” I focused on the voice.

‘Who’s there, who is that?’ I wondered.

The voice called out again, this time with a completely different tone. “Are you really going to let a cheap trick like that get the best of you? Com’on, get up!”

‘I was tricked? What are you talking about?’ The voice stopped. I looked around, surrounded by darkness. I couldn’t feel or see anything, I was surrounded by a void.

“Silence, Get up now!”

I shot out of the makeshift wooden bed I had been laid on. It consisted of a wooden plank that had been attached to the wall with chains making something that resembled a bench. It had a thin mattress between the wood and myself, and I was partially covered with a blanket. In front of me there was a wooden door, which I assumed lead to a part of Gildar’s wagon that I hadn’t previously seen.

To my upper right there was a barred window just a few inches above my reach. There was also a candle to the side of the window that was flickering due to the wind coming through the opening. I got up and tried to walk to the door, only to realize that my left arm had been chained to the wall.

I looked at the chain and estimated that I had about a three foot radius that I could move around in. I walked to the edge of the chain and reached as far as I could towards the door, only to find that my hand could just barely touch the door handle. ‘It’d be no use anyway’, I thought, ‘the door is probably locked.’

I sat back down on the bed and studied the door. After a moment I realized that it was a magic enchanted door that had been fortified with the sapphire crystal Gildar had, it was approximately two inches thick, made out of an old oak tree, and there was a magic circle carved into the other side that absorbed any magic that got though.

I concentrated some magic energy into my left hand and slowly began to form a ball of ice. After it had formed I condensed it to the point where it was completely clear and void of impurities. I looked at the ice for a moment, then threw it at the door. It hit the wood with a dull thud, but a few moments after that I heard a small scream followed by another thud.

I smiled “You know, it’s not considered proper procedure to drug and lock up your guests after just meeting them.”  There were shuffling noises on the other side of the door as if Gildar was searching for something buried underneath books and papers. Shortly after I heard the key inserted into the lock and the door soon opened.

“You’re awake.” Gildar said looking deeply concerned.

“Why yes, how very perceptive you are.” I sassed back at him.

“That was enough sedative to knock out anything for seven or eight days.” He was looking at me with sea blue eyes overflowing with questions.

“I have a fast metabolism.” I said quickly “Moving past that, where did you find that sapphire. And who drew that Circle of Tetros for you, because I know you couldn’t do it. Also, why did you drug me!”

“A friend of mine drew it. I’m actually on my way to pick him up now. Then he and I are going to take you to Xanvan for examination.”

I cringed at the name Xanvan, a name that I hated with my whole being, and wasn’t fond of ever hearing again.

“I found the crystal in a hole in the ground” he rambled, not noticing that I had cringed, “and I drugged you because you’re not human and I don’t know what you are.” He took a deep breath.

“Did you say all that in one breath?”

He nodded in between a fit of coughs.

“It was your eyes, by the way.”

‘What?” I questioned.

“Your eyes, that’s how I knew you weren’t human. You have a crystalline eye pattern, meaning your eyes are basically crystal… human eyes aren’t crystal.”

“Really, I thought all eyes were made of crystal.” I retorted.

“Yeah…” he slowly backed out of the room and relocked to door behind him. I stood up and walked to the end of the three foot chain and laid down where I could see the sky through the window. I laughed as I saw snow falling to the ground.

“I see, you were concerned because I was only out for about thirty minutes.” I laughed again. “Well then, Xanvan,” I said, letting the foul name roll easily off my tongue, “let’s see what you think of me after all this time has passed. This is going to be fun.” I narrowed my eyes, concentrating my power on the door. Slowly but surely, a small crack was starting to form.

Author's Note

This is from the perspective of a different character from the earlier chapters.

Reviews

[theHobbit]

I really enjoyed how you are getting more in depth into explaining different types of magic! Really exciting :) can't wait for the next chapter! :)

[Zoë]

Thanks! I actually have this writen out to chapter 11 as of now, so ill try to post more when i have time tomorrow :)
Thanks for the review, and i hope you like how the story continues. Also, be sure to let me know if you think theres anything i could or should change.