Aregoria: Book 1 - The Return of the Dragons

Chapter 6

Rafael let the power he had sent into town and around his farmhouse go. He felt it retract with a snap and a rush of exhaustion washed over him. He unstopped one out of three potions he had laid in front of him and downed it in one swallow.

He opened the pack he carried with him and reached inside for the honey bread that his Aunt Prinnie had made for him before he left. Snapping off a piece, he ate it. He let the potion settle before he opened the second bottle and downed that one too. He didn't know what was going to happen now. The townsfolk of Ga'Yorth didn't know what to expect either, but it was unanimous; all who wielded magic had to go.

Aunt Prinnie had checked every child in town for any magic and found none. The only person with magic at all, that was under the age of twenty, was Rafael.

Aunt Prinnie had screamed her frustrations to the wind and howled at the moon every explicit thought she had ever had about the Charter. Rafael had seen her curse them out many times over the years, but this time was different, this time she was more feral.

Aunt Prinnie had then stormed back into the kitchen and made him swear that he would never come back until it was safe to do so. Her eyes, he remembered, were lit with the fire of her soul; her power, a powerful witch green. He matched her power, her will with the power and will of his and promised. The one thing his Aunt Prinnie drilled into him and that he would never forget was to never back down and stand strong in your convictions. Lest your enemies see you as a doormat.

Rafael grabbed the last potion bottle, unstopped it and held it to his lips. He drank it slowly now as he could feel his energy coming back to him. He cleaned each bottle and tucked it away in his satchel pack before standing and looking up at the sun. The rays poured into him, giving him energy. He closed his eyes and smiled. He felt strong. He felt powerful. He felt free. In the mist of having the Charter breathing down his neck, he actually felt free.

Rafael lifted his right hand into the air and muttered the spell words underneath his breath. He didn't need to say them out loud, but he did it to steady himself.

Méræta yllr.

The power shot from his finger tips of bright white light. He watched his power form into that of a white wolf as it soared into the sky. Magic was a wonderful thing, he thought. It connects us to everything, and yet, the Charter want it eradicated.

The wolf came back down on his soft paws and nodded. It was safe to proceed now, the Charter were far enough away that they would no longer be able to detect the use of magic being performed. The wolf disappeared and Rafael made his way up the mountain to a place no one else knew existed. He even kept this place a secret from his Aunt and Uncle. It was better to have a few secret exit points in case he ever had to make a run for it.

Rafael reached the part of the mountain he was looking for and step into a small hallowed out cave. It was out of sight of any lookout points and when he looked behind him all he saw were rocks, bush and trees. No one else could see him from his place within the cave. He walked further in, until he needed to alight the cave with magic.

He walked until he could hear water trickling down a small waterfall that was within the mountain and saw the cave wall he needed to make the portal. He had used this same wall before and every time he used the portal here, the cave hid any signs that magic was used. He could tell because on the other side of the portal he couldn't sense his own magic.

Usually, using portals meant that on the other side a magic trace was left, but this particular portal had protection and left no trace. It's why he chose to leave from this particular point in Ga'Yorth, even though a magic weilder could create a portal from any place. The Charter could not follow him or even trace his whereabouts if they had come looking and that was to his advantage.

He looked around the opened portal and felt the cold chill of snow before he walked to the entrance of the cave he portalled to. He made it. This new world he had come to many times, was always in its winter. He pulled up his skin tight skivvy until it covered his nose and mouth. He pulled out a woolen hat, wool skin leather gloves, boots before finally leaving the cave.

The cold was bitter even with his warmer clothes. The planet had always had bitterly cold winters. Even their summers were cold; it was just the way of this planet. It was a good place to hide. It was Rafael's understanding that the Charter's high council didn't like the cold, since they were ageing, and did all they could to make sure they never felt it. The cold for Rafael brought a new meaning to life. It awakened the new. It awakened his senses. It let the earth rest and recharge and when the summer or spring came around, it meant new plant and animal life bloomed. The cold was nothing to hide or run from. It was the most naturalistic magic there ever was. The Charter were fools. They even wanted to put a stop to naturalist magic. Which was useless because it could never be done. Nature had a way of fighting back when confronted.

Rafael climbed down the Rocky Mountain. The mountain was steep and cover in thick, knee deep snow. He liked the way that it crunched underneath his boots. He loved everything about this planet. Everything was white for more than half a year, until the seasons finally changed to welcome in a cool spring. Then as the spring wore on, nature would bloom with plant and animal life of white leaf trees, bushes, moon kissed flowers and white furred or feathered animals. This world was pure white.

When summer finally came, the mountains would melt into the spring and send out the clearest water there was to all who lived here. It refreshed and healed as the beings here used it to nourish, cleanse or heal their bodies. Water was life. Water was magic. They understood the significance that nature brought to the world. They taught Rafael all he knew about natural medicine and how to work with the environment around you and not against it. The Charter ignored for centuries how to work with nature and that is why, as described by Prinnie, their township was "awfully shit".

They laughed for a while with that one joke. His Aunt Prinnie had chuckled all afternoon about it. Her derision for the Charter had deeply cemented itself that day. She would eternally always see them as fools, and nothing more. It is what they deserved, she had said. But after that she had said no more. She said that she didn't want to sour the strawberry jam she was canning.

Rafael finally made it down the mountain to be met with a huge white wolf with ice blue eyes. The wolf grinned widely at Rafael before it bounded over to attack him with kisses.

"Bermyr! It's good to see you too!" the wolf had merely nipped and nudged his long snout into Rafael shoulders, crouching it long legs down into the snow. "I know, I know! I'm getting on! How is everyone?"

Bermyr merely growled happily and took off.

Everyone is awaiting your arrival, Rafe! They are excited to see you again and are waiting for news of the Charter.

"The Charter have just left Ga'Yorth. I just left town to avoid capture."

Bermyr growled. They are all a bunch of blue bloods! Blood like ice. Colder than a newborn pup!

Rafael new that when a warmblood was called an ice blood by wolves of this planet, it meant the warmblood in question was a devious trickster and not entitled to any respect.

"They're worse than 'ice bloods'."

Bermyr merely growled. The Charter warranted no other words.

Rafael enjoyed the ride on the back of Bermyr and thought that it was time the Charter were dealt with.

Maybe even an end to the Charter altogether.

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