Arc-Mage: Grayfire

At The Start

There is a planet at the center of creation, a planet called Regeira that is home of the Arcs - the source of magic throughout creation. On this planet resides all manner of creatures, creatures you can find scattered throughout the universe, as this world will spontaneous birth creatures that evolve on other worlds - an effect of the Arcs. There is a unique species though, one that will not just pop up or evolve on other worlds. The Regeirians. The Regeirians are the dominant life on the planet, humanoid as you might imagine, just a little bigger - they possess a great connection to the Arcs making it possible for them to achieve amazing feats of magic allowing them to travel to other worlds, live for great periods of time, control the elements, distort or warp reality and even create worlds of their own, if they apply themselves. Some Regeirians even become worshipped as gods or deities on some worlds. On this planet of Regeira there are powerful groups in conflict - Four Arc Masters and a Grand Wizards Council. The Arc-Mage's life began here.

***

Grey was outside, looking at the target across from him. A makeshift Eastern Master acolyte. He raised his hand and began to focus, envisioning a warm flame engulfing his hand. He was going for something that had never been done before. Grey felt the magic awaken inside of him and flow to his hand. An orange flame flickered to life upon his palm, he pointed his hand and let the magic fly.

The orange flame smacked into the dummy and with a little surge of power from Grey, quickly spread over the dummy burning it to ash within a minute. Perfect. At least the initial affect, that part wasn't the issue, it's what happens next. He continued to observe the flames as they spread over the ground, the grass began to burn and turn to ash and he couldn't help but frown.

Test after test he thought, test after test I can not get my fire to spread without burning everything in its path. Well, he could. Then he'd have to continue with this ridiculous nickname. A flicker in the corner of his mind reminded his fire was still spreading and destroying his training ground. He shut down the spell with a tap of his finger against his leg. Cancelling a spell requires much less focus than activating one, he thought.

Grey surveyed his surroundings. A small clearing in the vast forest a few miles outside the Antimite City, the largest city on all of Regeira - the planet of mages, though other worlds have different names for his kind. Most the trees in the forest were around sixty to seventy feet tall a dark brown almost black bark with golden leaves that never fall due the enchantment set upon the forest by one of the First Arc Masters. The oldest trees towered even higher, one hundred fifty - two hundred feet, as tall as some of the smaller towers in The Antimite City.

"You know, I don't know why you insist on trying to take the uniqueness out of your spell. No one else can cast flames like that." Grey looked behind himself at the approaching speaker. Ari, his best friend and a genius when it comes to memorizing spells and incantaions. Ari was taller than him, with green eyes that looked blue in the right light, dark shoulder length brown hair and he was fit and what Grey figured most would consider handsome.

They been friends for years, practically brothers, after the Eastern Arc Master Seymour tried and failed to take over The Antimite City for the East both boys had lost their families and through surviving together, became like brothers. Using what little magic they were both new to carry on. They'd had a teacher before, but no more. Now of course, Ari had stolen into countless libraries pilfering magical knowledge, whenever presented the opportunity. Sharing with Grey whatever he was willing to learn. Which to Ari's distaste wasn't a grand amount. Ari calls it a waste of his potential but Grey prefers to see it as selective spell interest.

"What you call a uniqueness I call an obvious tell in battle. Whoever I'm wielding my magic against will know when I switch fire spells in an instant," Grey frowned. "Besides I'm tired of this nickname you've bestowed upon me 'Grey'."