The Mage Wars

The Early Days

17 Cressia of the year 13004

I arrived in Vanora yesterday. Galen, Kaelen, Ella and Altair accompanied me. We would have arrived earlier if we hadn't taken a host of knights and servants with us. But Father and my uncles made arrangements ahead of time. 

Holly, Neirin, Sir Haedyn and Jude, Sir Haedyn's beau, will be arriving in three days. Or so their letter dictated. They ended up arriving one day after they originally said they would. 

Knights from all parts of Seraphina gathered in Vespera a week before we left. All of them wanted a spot on my personal guard. Many tried to curry favour with me on our journey. Gifts varied from flowers to jewelry to books and a horse. All fighting for my attention. I was not impressed.

As for the horse. I gladly accepted it for the price of the knight Wren's company. He'd done a marvellous job of keeping the other knights and lords at bay. And makes a delightful conversationalist. Even Galen likes him.

I've since named the horse Ranger. He's not as large as Hunter, only fifteen hands high, but still rideable. He's slightly gentler than Hunter and loves to roll in the dirt. An interesting trait for a small mount. Ranger is good for short distances, while Hunter is more for long rides across the kingdom.

A rest will do Hunter some good. Two long quests back to back and a short trip to Galen's parents. Hunter deserves it.

Thankfully when we arrived at Olacaryn, Vanora, the knights were whisked off to perform duties befitting of their station. I haven't had the need to host them at a dinner. Not yet. I might do that tonight. I'll have to talk with Esmerelda, the cook.

As I walk the halls, I pass guards on duty and servants cleaning the castle. Vespera never seemed this busy when spring cleaning was in full swing. But this is not Vespera. It's Vanora, and Vanora has a massive castle.

The late summer sun streams in through the arched windows. Fall will be here soon. Thirteen days to be exact. It'll be good to be settled into Vanora by the time winter arrives.

On my way to the kitchens in the lowest level of the castle, Wren falls into step with me. The knight's shoulder-length blonde hair has been pulled into a stubby ponytail.

I greet the lord and ask where he's off to. The knight tells me he's going to the kitchens for an apple. He tells me the knights are getting antsy. They want to have dinner with me.

I chuckle and tell Wren that will be happening tonight, and I'm on my way to the kitchens. Wren chuckles and tells me he'd be glad to escort me to the kitchens.

I tell the knight from Nuriel I'd be delighted for him to escort me. 

That night the knights are hosted in the throne room. They are polite and again try to gain my favour. Galen even joins in on the fun. He knows I favour him and takes pride when I ask him to escort me to the dance floor. 

Over time, I established a routine. It becomes second nature to walk through my day. And I enjoy keeping busy with a kingdom. 

Wake up, eat breakfast with Galen, attend a meeting, train with Guinevere for an hour, meet up with Galen, Altair and Ella for lunch, attend another meeting, practice magic with Kaelen for two hours, eat dinner with Kaelen, Holly, Galen, Altair, Ella, Neirin, Sir Haedyn, Lord Jude, and Guinevere, read or practice magic and go to bed.

It's a long day but worth it in the end. Vanora has been woken from a twenty-year sleep. She needs time to breathe and figure out what needs to be done. Even with the data we collected in Rigel, there is more to do.

There is always more to do. And it will only pile up as time goes on. Many days I take time out of my days to read up on dragons and their customs. If I'm to live by a mountain with at least seven dragons, then I should know more about them. 

"Everest Avalonion," A female voice states. A hint of amusement licks the air. How do I know that voice?

I glance up from my book to find a lanky woman standing at the entrance of the archives. Her pale skin shimmers in the light. It compliments her firey red hair and olive green dress. 

She seems familiar with me.

"Who are you?" I ask, closing my book on dragons. This one was about the custom of killing the king who has shown weakness to take their place as king. An interesting read. 

Koviet, the black dragon with ruby-red eyes, killed the former dragon king thousands of years ago. Koveit has ruled since then. I'd ask him about it, but I'd rather not get eaten. 

"You don't recognize me? Of course, you don't. I look human," The woman chuckles breathily.

Look human? Is she a shifter? She's not Jaen. Perhaps she's a part of Jaen and Lochlan's pack. But she doesn't smell like a dog.

"I'm not a shifter," The woman walks into the archives and plops herself onto a table. She begins examining her fingernails as if they are claws.

Now I'm really confused. If she's not a shifter and not human, what is she? She's not fae. She doesn't smell like a fae...she smells like rain and old books. Like Guinevere.

"Alloa,"

"Right, you are, child,"

"Do I hear Alloa's voice?" Guinevere asks, leaning over the railing of the upper level of the archives. 

The white-haired girl grins at the dragon sitting on the table. Guinevere stands up and walks along the railing until she reaches the spiral staircase. Guinevere's gaze never leaves Alloa as she descends to the bottom. 

Alloa keeps quiet until Guinevere is feet away from her. "Hello, Guinevere,"

"Alloa," Guinevere greets the dragon. 

Meeting Alloa in the archives was not the last time I saw her in the days leading up to my coronation. She never appeared in her dragon form inside the castle walls. Always keeping her human form. There were a few instances when she was mistaken for Ella. That was quickly remedied.

One such occasion was when I was making plans to transform a section of the castle into an orphanage. It saddens my heart to see so many hungry and unwanted children. 

"What are you planning to do with these empty rooms?" Alloa asks. 

"I'm thinking of starting an orphanage," These rooms were empty on the ledger and have been for nearly a thousand years. It's time they get used. "There are so many children in need of a home. Why not give them a safe place and an education,"

"Some would not deem that wise,"

"Why?"

"Thieves for starters and assassins next," 

Thieves and assassins. All good points, but thieves are easily caught and dealt with. Assassins, on the other hand, can't enter the castle with ill intent. King Leonelis took care of that. A spell he wove into the doors, windows, and walls. Any assassin trying to make a kill cannot enter. 

Easy as that. After they are caught, the assassins are sent to Carthana. A colony off the north coast of Vanora. 

"Kings from Seraphine would never put that many children this close to a castle, let alone in the lowest level," Alloa continues to explain why she thinks an orphanage in the castle is a bad idea. 

"Children need a place to thrive. They need a home, and I enjoy children," I state, cutting off the dragon. 

"What about your safety?"

"I'm a spirit mage, and I've already started devising spells for restricting children in the orphanage section,"

"I still don't like it," Alloa grumbles. Over the course of these past few days, she's gotten fond of me like I have her. 

"You don't have to like it, Alloa. I'm putting in an orphanage."

It wasn't long after our conversation fizzled out that a knight came up behind us and began pestering Allow about going out with him. When the knight began harassing Alloa thinking she was Ella, the dragon growled and let out a puff of steam. 

She then roared at the male that if he or any other knight laid a hand on any female without permission, she would personally rip them limb from limb. The knight got the hint and ran off.

None of the knights of guards ever dared to touch a female without permission in fear of Alloa's threat. Ella found out three days later when the two redheads crossed paths.