Heaven's Light (Book 1)

Chapter 1 - Ashura

The sky was so clear with a beautiful, calming blue color on the outskirts of town. The rays of sunlight radiated across the expanse, puffy clouds lumbering through the air. For once, it was peaceful. I finally felt at ease, resting here in the green grass. No more pain. No more suffering. Just relaxation. A break from dwelling on the past.

"Who are you?"

So much for peace. I shot straight up and glanced over my shoulder. A figure was standing there dressed in a black cloak, his face hidden under the shadows of his hood, his appearance seeming quite inconspicuous. His voice had a soothing gentleness to it, like he wasn't as scary as he presumably appeared.

I hunched down in my little sitting area on the soft grass, hoping he would leave. I was growing sick and tired of inflicting pain upon others that didn't deserve such a fate. "Nobody anyone here would recognize," I responded off-handedly.

Call me naïve, but I was hoping a comment like that would deter him from further interrogation. The last time somebody became involved with me, terrible things resulted. Alas, he confidently approached me and seated himself beside me. He pulled his hood down from his face and looked me right in the eye with a curious expression.

"I would still like to know your name," he inquired innocently.

I shied away from his brown eyes and gazed into the distant horizon. The sun was setting as the day grew older. The rays of sunlight bounced in all directions, fanning out into a beautiful pink and red array. All of this stimulatory color seemed contradictory to my very existence. To me, the sunset was laughable.

"My name is Ashura," I reluctantly answered, sighing.

I knew that giving him my first name was dangerous. I knew that allowing any information about me to be leaked into the public would surely be reason for subjugation. Nevertheless, I figured that a fellow peer of my age in this city would never be maniacal enough to use such frivolous information against me or anybody else, even if his dark-colored nature seemed a little too emotionally unsettling.

The boy's face brightened at my response. He smiled. "That's a pretty name! I'm Jeriah," he offered. "I practice magic in this town."

I stared at him incredulously. I thought I was told that this particular city wasn't renowned for its magical population. I figured that there had to be a few wizards among these people, but the odds of somebody as young as I was being involved in such dangerous activities was slim to none. That, and the fact that I would be approached by one, was ridiculously impossible. Logically speaking, I got very lucky to be talking to somebody like this.

I decided to investigate this interesting situation further. There was no harm in it, after all. It wasn't like this would be a repeat of what happened before. "You practice magic? What kind?"

He shot me a cheeky grin with a hint of maliciousness. It was slightly unnerving. "Shadow magic."

My jaw dropped open a little. I had never heard of, nor seen a shadow wizard before. I thought that there was only a dragon capable of mastering the art of the shadow realm. At least, that's what I was taught.

Jeriah gave me another inviting smile, completely oblivious to my confusion and shock. "I take it you practice magic, too? What kind?"

I looked at his face. He was ridiculously friendly. He was also ridiculously stupid; this kind of interaction with a stranger was no doubt dangerous. Either way, he seemed harmless. It was bugging me, though, how he assumed I was also a magic wielder, especially in a town as serene and calm as this one.