Seafarers

Chapter 4- The Mage

Chapter 4- The Mage

It was night around 10 pm, when Peleg knocked on the door of the mysterious loner's cottage. A hooded figure opened the door. "Come inside, dear boy" he croaked. "And your..." he eyed Nova and Louie, "...your friends". The little cottage was empty. A bed, and a box cover with a black sheet. "What brings you here at this time?" Epan asked. "I found a message that I think might be for you. But if it is, then you have a lot of questions to answer." Peleg said. "Oh?" Epan suspiciously, yet somehow feeling curious at the same time, asked. Peleg handed the paper to Epan. "So..." Peleg quietly muttered as Epan finished reading the letter. "We have a lot to talk about, boy." Epan said. "My name is not Epan. It is indeed, Tepan. I changed it so that the Demons wouldn't track me. I am a mage. 15 years ago..." tears began swelling in the man's eye as he told the tale, "The Order of the Mages was destroyed. During a war against another enemy, the mages didn't realize that it was a distraction... imposed by the Demons. They secretly hid within our own order. And they striked. I was one of the few survivors." Tepan said as he finished his story, and sighed. Peleg, taking in all of that, finally handed the papers to Tepan. "They are asking me to go to help them... I c-can't do that." Tepan spoke as he wiped the tears off his face. "Why?!", Peleg asked in anger, "Your entire order was slaughtered and you refuse to help anything that remains of it. You are the only mage left! You are their last hope, don't you understand?". "No it's you who doesn't understand. But you have courage and the bravery of your father. " Tepan cried. "You knew my father?" Peleg asked in shock. "He was a mage like me, one of my best friends. You see the reason the mages fell was because of me. And your father's death. I trained Raiknos, he was once a mage until he turned to dark magic. But your father tried to stop him. Raiknos killed him. I tried to avenge him, but I failed. I let him die. For nothing... because the shock... your mother too died. The last thing I could do to honor your father was to help raise you... but I couldn't do that either. Now, I need to keep you safe and away from the Demons. Hizuka was the farthest thing from their reach." Tepan wearily revealed. Peleg took a deep breath and then spoke, "I understand. But sitting here will only let them come closer to even the outer lands. You are the only person who can stop Raiknos. I have mage blood. If you won't help them, I will. I'll find a way". "I'm sorry. I created Raiknos. Now I should finish him. We will stop the Demons and their Shrine." Tepan stood and said, "and.... You will learn from me and carry the legacy of the Mages." And so, Peleg's journey began in the world of magic, but the darkness was looming ever closer. And time was running out...