Today was the 24th of december in the year 1300, a mere 5 days from when I reached my 17th year. It was a dimly lit morning and I was just about exit Inderishas through the western gate. But waiting for me was someone in distinctive blue clothing and even bluer hair. When he noticed my approach he looked up at me and I spoke.
"Mathra. Can I help you?"
"I thought I'd see you here. The captain told me you'd be leaving" I had indeed told the captain that when she gave me my pay
"So why are you here?"
"I wanted to catch you here so I could travel with you. I've got places to be myself and the two of us can keep each other safe. What do you say?"
I don't see why not. His skill with that rapier was impressive and if things got dicey I could at least run away and leave him for dead "Alright. Let's travel together." I said
"You will? Thank you, but there is also something you should know. You see my name- my full name is actually..." His eyes glanced left, right and then back to me "well I can't tell you right now, but I'll tell once we're out of the city."
"Well ok... Then let's go. We haven't a moment to lose" I suggested
"Right. Let's go"
After some time of walking in dead silence, Mathra finally opened his mouth. "I'm guessing you're wondering why I didn't reveal my full name back there?"
"Well my guess is that you're some noble and didn't tell me you're name in case someone kidnapped you and held you for ransom." I said. Although I imagine any would be kidnappers would have a tough time trying to take Mathra.
"You could say that and yes, I am a noble, but it's more complicated than that. You see my full name is Mathra von Ilhalas"
"Ilhalas... that is what was engraved on that ring you have is it not? How peculiar" and when I looked at the ring I saw she was correct. Ah now I remember. Ilhalas is a county south of here. Easily one of the richest noble houses in the kingdom thanks to the vast amount of trade they get from neighboring Alinheas. So what's a member of one of the most powerful families in kingdom doing here?
"It all happened about a year ago. My father Count Ilhalas, who you might know started meeting with suspicious individuals"
"How so?" I asked
"They wore dark cloaks and covered their faces with hoods" Mathra replied
"Well I wear dark robes, don't tell me you think I'm suspicious?" I said somewhat sarcastically
"No... their robes were more purple. Ominous and mysterious. Your robes just make you seem more logical. In any case these dark individuals started showing more and more frequently. All the while my father started changing. Not physically but his temper slowly started getting shorter and shorter to the point where even small inconveniences roused him like throwing fuel into a fire. He also became distant to everyone who weren't those cloaked people. I don't think he even acknowledged me or my family. This all happened in the span of 10 months until one day there was a small rebellion."
"A rebellion you say?" I said
"Yes, in the course of all that time my father neglected many of his duties as a count and that negligence started paying it's toll on all the people that lived in our lands. People were forced to live in awful conditions and eventually they had enough and rose up against my father. Unfortunately my father had great help from the cloaked individuals and put down the uprising in a matter of days. I even saw them quell a riot for myself and it was unlike anything I'd seen. With a few chants and flourishes they summoned a massive of ball of energy... and killed almost everyone without lifting a finger"
"Cloaks? Balls of energy? That sounds like the work of mages wouldn't you agree" I said
"Mmm quite right. When my father and his... entourage got home that day he suddenly approached me. This was odd because well... my father never talked to me for an entire year and now he suddenly wanted to talk?"
"Very odd indeed."
"He ordered me to the courtyard and I dared not argue with him lest he erupted in anger so I complied. The sight of the courtyard sickened me. About a dozen of the survivors from the massacre, all tied up. They were... gods they all, had terrible burns"
"From whatever spells those cloaked dudes had cast no doubt." I said
"That's likely what happened but I was too horrified to notice. When I was in the courtyard my father handed me this very blade" he pointed to the rapier in his sheath "... and ordered me to kill the survivors. To kill every last one of them. That's when I had enough so I turned to my father and refused his orders. Enraged my father came barrelling towards me and probably would've taken my life had one of the knights not intervened. That knight was a veteran who had served my house for decades and while he fought my father he told me to get as far away from Ilhalas as possible. So I ran from the courtyard, stole a horse from the stables and rode all the way to Inderishas."
After that conversation we continued travelling on the road
"This ring must have something to do with Ilhalas, I know it" I whispered to myself
"What's an Illhalas?" Eeuna questioned
"It's a county to the south. The Count is extremely rich and powerful. Even more so if Mathra is to be believed." I explained
"I think we should ask Mathra about this ring don't you?" Eeuna suggested
"Later. But I for now I uh... I have to pee" I said
(Or the author was too lazy to write that in this chapter so he decided to procrastinate and write it in the next chapter)
YOU ARE READING
Chronicles of a Mage, Book One
FantasyAbout a year and a half ago as of when this story is being uploaded I had the random inspiration to start writing a book. At first I only wrote for fun but now I realize that there's no reason not to share my stories with the world. Granted, this wa...
