The Magic that Breaks Me

Chapter 2: The Mission

We had make it back to Testrum by hitching a ride from the traveler passing by.

Ingram told me that she would report to the council of the events that had occurred. I told her to tell the council how well my skills were improving but she had just given me a long look before walking away.

I made my way back to Ingram and mines house which was in the commons district of town. I passed by people, some who looked at me and nodded and others who didn't acknowledge me at all.

I lived in Testrum.  A beautiful town filled with gardens of orange flowers that I could never reall the name of. The people weren't poor in this district but I wouldn't call us rich either, you were payed by doing missions from the Council. The Council was a goup established by very powerful wizards who had eventually spread their power throughout the land.  Different towns were set up containing witches and wizards and this was the capital.  Our job were to stop witches and wizards who wished to cause harm and make sure the good ones were not hurt.

But witchcraft is still forbidden in most of the world so we have to hide what we are or what almost happened to Ingram would happen to the rest of us. The Council even uses maic to hide Testrum from the eyes of people who can't use magic.

I entered a small house covered in flowers,  vines, and wind chimes.

If there was a house in this town that gave away that witches lived here, it was this one.

I passed the cluttered living room and got a towel out of the cupboard. I entered the fragrant bathroom that had strange smelling potions all around the room that Ingram called "shampoo."

I looked in the mirror and saw that my eyes had returned to brown. I exhaled in relief and started to untagle the black webs of mine called hair.

My brown eyes, curly natted brown hair, olivy skin. I was not pretty. Compared to Ingram who looked like a beautiful creature from another universe.

An old tale spoke of how you could tell a witch or wizard by their beauty. No one would think I was a witch.

I used my magic to warm the tub and stepped in, letting the hot water reach my neck. I grabbed an orange rag and a body wash labeled "citrus flame" ingram had not told me why she had allowed herself to be captured and I doubt she ever would.  The Council would be angry with her but would do nothing.  Ingram was one of the most skilled wizards they had, they could not afford to lose her.

Knock. Knock.

I jumped at the sound.

"Who is it?"

"Its me Sabrina." The soft almost feminine voice answered.

I jumped out of the tub and threw a towel aound my body. I opened the door to a boy taller than me and very frail looking. He turned and gasped a little after seeing what I was wearing.

"Come in." I said mockingly and pulled him in from his shirt. He made sure to get as much space between us as possible.

I laughed, "Ill be out in a minute. " I searched my clamored andd junky room until my eyes landed on a long brown dress that I adored and brushed my hair into a bun above my head.

I opened the door and found my beautiful orange haired friend reading. I recognized the book as a spell book from the library.

I grabbed the book.

"Oh please Ranyon, you don't need to read this junk."

Ranyons cat like yellow eyes looked at me poutingly as he snatched the book back away from me, "Of course you would say that Scarlet, you're already a gold rank magician. Im still silver." Ranyon sighed sadly.

In Testrum however good of a magic user you were decided your rank. Silver was the lowest, then pearl, gold, and ruby was the highest. Ingram was a ruby rank.

"Ranyon trust me, you'll get there someday,  be patient."

He nodded sadly.

"Oh yes, the council wants to speak with you."

Oh great.

"Did something go wrong with Ingrams report?" I asked.

"You know I don't know." Ranyon said, "they simply ordered me to get you."

I inhaled deeply,"  Well lets be on our way."

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The capital building is where the council was. In the rich side of town. Most of the "rock" faced gold and ruby ranked wizards lived on that side of town.

Ranyon and I made our way to the building which was surrounded by "rock" faces.

I punched Ranyon in the arm and pointed out some of the girls who were staring at him. Ranyon blushed and suddenly became interested in the ground.

I had met Ranyon when I was very young bak at the Testrum orphanage. I remembered thinking that he was the most beautiful boy I had ever seen. He was shy like me, but we connected and had been inseparable ever since. He was like a brother to me.

As we entered the building I prepared myself to see Darion. The Council leader. Even when I was young I had this feeling that he despised me.

"Welcome." Isilda a tall, beautiful blonde woman said as Ranyon and I had entered the room. She was another member of the council, her eyes were kind but I knew better than to trust a member of the council.

I nodded and Ranyon and I quickly joined Ingram in the middle of the room.

I could feel his eyes on me before I heard him speak. "Scarlet, Ranyon its been a while."

Although he addressed both of us, his eyes only looked at me.

I met his silver eyes as his gaze pierced into my soul.

"I have heard aboug your mission and I am impressed. "

"Thanks." I murmured.

"Listen,  I have a mission for you three." He continued.

All of us looked at each other.

"There's a town called Balum to the East of here, we have reason to believe that a group of witches are killing people in town and sacrificing them for dark magic. "

Dark magic was extremely powerful and only obtained by acts of evil.

"How will we identify them?" Ingram asked.

"You will be relocating there until you find them and stop this." Isilda said.

This news shocked even Ingram.

"And let me guess, witchcraft is forbidden in this town?" I asked.

Darion smiled, "Yes, so try your best not to bring too much attention to your selves."

And as he spoke he only looked at me. I shivered suddenly cold.

And that was when the course of my fate started to shift.