The First Year

"Rather we let the world down than allow the world to let us down."- Cao Cao

 "Well, now I'm sure I have no idea what I'm doing." The sun was beating down on me and it made my armor feel heavy. "How does anyone manage in this stuff?" I had been on my quest for at least a full tenday; maybe more. At any rate, it wasn't going to go any faster unless I got to Warsaw. That was where my next checkpoint would be, and I knew I could go to the market for more supplies. I just had to get there. Finally, when I did arrive, I was not greeted by crowds of people filling the market square. No children played in the streets and it felt as if I had suddenly entered a land in which I did not belong. The salesmen stood quietly next to their wares, and the air lacked the smell of foods and perfumes that most markets had. I felt cold despite the sun. I had a terrible feeling.

"You there!'' The voice was booming but unsure, "State your name and business, NOW!" I turned to see a man in armor much finer than my own, wielding a bow made of a material I had never seen before. I shook and tried to find my voice. This man was clearly stronger than me and very clearly in charge here. "I am Ceres, I am from the Steel Empire. I came here for-" suddenly my leg felt hot like I had been leaning on an iron. Looking down, I saw a trail of blood running down my pants leg. I screamed... I had no idea what to do or how to get out of this. "You are a spy and have no reason to be here! I will not fall victim to your King's lies!" The man took aim again. It hurt when the arrow struck my shoulder. It went into the muscle with a sickening suction sound. I felt the cool tip go into my skin and the sudden gush of hot blood pouring out onto my shirt and the ground below. "It's showtime." I turned to see a knight wearing armor like that from the Steel Army. It was shiny and he carried a staff that was larger than me. I looked down at my two shortswords and wondered how someone could get so strong. Was this man capable of saving me? Was he only here because I was the new lackey in the army? My thoughts began to dwindle as I let my body rest on the ground. Just when I was saying my final prayers to my gods, I looked up to see the knight, no, the mage, casting magic in the archer's direction. With one spell the Earth seemed to be set ablaze and I had to squeeze my eyes from the light. Was this the light of god people see before death? The answer is yes and no. That was the last thing that archer saw, I was sure of it. As I lost consciousness I saw the city's leader lying in a heap. The mage spoke softly, "His name was Sothach. Remember the name and face."

I woke up a day or two later with the mage sitting by my bed, without his armor he was easy to recognize. It was Vassago. I didn't know his magic was on such a high level. I looked at him in awe for a while before he spoke, "you took a hard beating out there, but it's safe now. We are going to make you stronger than you've ever known."

The next months went by peacefully. I trained with Vassago in Queen Raynare's courtyard. The Steel Empire was slowly growing stronger as was I. After two months, Vassago began teaching me the ways of being a mage. I quickly abandoned my swords. They felt so ineffective in my hands. I wasn't strong physically but I could handle anything mentally. Learning magic was hard. I loved the feeling of casting a spell. Chanting the words to an unseen god and feeling the power swell within me was something indescribable. Within the year, I was decent enough to be invited on raids. Raids were more or less a team-building exercise the Steel Army went on various excursions to accomplish. Various rewards were received and it made us newer members stronger by killing the beasts in other countries or rescuing a population from imminent death. The raids were scary at first but I quickly became adept with the way I needed to use my magic. I learned how to use the same spell Vassago used to save me. I learned how to cast magic while on my mount's back. As I grew stronger, I was gifted armor that while increasingly heavy, proved I was getting better.

Vassago asked me to join him in special training for a few days. "It'll be just us two, so the reward should be very nice." I sat back in my chair and listened to him explain the details of the job. We were being hired by a woodsman. His land had been overrun with creatures that resembled kettles if you looked at them too long. The woodsman wanted us to clear them out as best we could. Vassago and I set out for Grimm's Woods that night. The journey took about a day, which meant Vassago expected to be done with the job within the same amount of time. Vassago had me watch his first fight so I could better understand what we were doing. When my turn came, I called upon the power of the elements. "Beating sun grant me use of your power!" Flames rose and a couple of the kettle-like creatures fell. I needed more. "Valkyrie's song of Beltane!" I heard a soft song begin to sound in my ears and I knew now was the time; "beating sun grant-" I was struck with a blow that knocked me back several feet. I fell on my side and watched Vassago step in with a quick attack. He mumbled spells to himself but I couldn't see his lips move. He was good. The monsters fell and he helped me back to my feet. The last monster we came upon was huge. It was at least seven times my size and seemed very, very angry. Vassago was unphased. He stood firm and spoke loudly, "From the depths of the bog, feel the grasp of the lich!" The monster froze in place. Vassago quickly cast multiple spells, "General's glaive! Blessings of the Amazonian Queen! Breath of- CERES!" I turned to look at Vassago but I saw instead the purple hue of a curse being cast. I fell to the ground without another thought.