That's right, I am indeed not an ordinary person. 40 years ago, whiles the war ran havoc within this country. I was a proud soldier and an acting commander of our army. I was one of 14 commander.
We all fought heavily and the causalities were large. We paid a huge number of good soldiers, but also civilians.
At the very end, we the 14 commander managed somehow to stand up alone, against an army of 40.000 orcs,goblins and ogres. It was 14 vs 40.000 and we won. We managed to slay 34.500 of their army until they gave up and left our lands.
It was not a glamorous victory and we 14 commander had nothing to celebrate. But no matter what, the King and the high priest called us the legendary 14 heroes. And they worshiped us as the strongest within this country. At first we were honored, but the latter meaning behind their acts became clearer and less amazing.
The high priest and the King send us 14 in every corner of this land, we were send to collect.
Collect every inch of money from everyone, the purpose, to rebuild our kingdom and gain a more stable economy.
But as we blindly followed their orders and obeyed, the more disgust we felt. As we saw how poorly the King´s man treated the common folks and even killed them if they could not pay up, our hearts began to realize.
5 years have we done our injustice work. Seeing how the noble became rich and richer, whiles the common folk feared hunger and suffered illness.
We meet up, all 14 of us.
We discussed what we can do and came to the conclusion to start a rebellion. We were all of the same opinion “something must change” or at least so thought I.
We plotted against the King and the high priest and we managed to nearly overthrow them.
But it should not end well...
who would have thought, that the moment our victory was in visible reach, one of us...
Our own comrade, who we have fought with back to back against the Gorong, would betray us.
The 14th commander, known as the warrior of the sunrise Nazic. He used a forbidden magic spell and stopped the time, then he defeated us all. We were left to die, heavily wounded and with shattered hopes.
But we couldn´t let it end like this. One of us, Thaddeus, heavily wounded he managed to open a rift in reality. He teleported us all into a safe space. There we could gather our power and recover slowly.
After two years, we faked new identities and returned to the kingdom.
Only to find our beloved ones and every single friend of us, killed. The king and the high priest havent let a single acquaintance of us alive.
And the traitor Nazic was now the general of the kings army.
We decided to split up, we traveled the world. Some of us went far and deep into the demi-human lands and live secluded from the world. The demi-human lands, may be only a small part of the total nations. But only in population, only the borders of our land are populated, in the inner, deeper parts, there live monstrous beasts and they are particularly dangerous. So most of our land is unexplored.
Some others went to another country and live there.
Well and I...
I decided that this country is still in need of help and so I secretly build my monastery.
There I gained more and more follower. Most of them orphans, who I saved on my journey.
I train them and teach them magic and swordsmanship.
Because I discovered a secret...
the common folk is said to be magic-less, but that is not true at all.
It is true that in a war, a few centuries ago, the enemy raided and killed all infants with magic ability. But I discovered that every child has the ability to use magic and that the high priest suppressed the magic of the commoner. It is an obligation, that every new born needs to be carried to a church and there to undergo a special ritual. Its said that this ritual is for children to learn how to transform into a human shape...
But that is wrong, its a big lie. The ritual destroys the magic cells within the body and only allows to use minor, small deeds of magic.
Once the ritual is undergone, one would be denied from every powerful magic and also from evolving a special magic affinity.
I have discovered a method to cure this, but I need to be very careful with revealing that. At the moment there are some moles within my monastery.
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Its getting darker, the autumn days really are short. I slung my cloak tighter around my body and take the narrow build path before me.
My staff makes a ~dong~ sound when ever I take a step.
I pass a lot of other huts. The village my be small, but it still consist of a few hundred of huts.
The path I took, is a more or less unused one. It snakes around the main road and takes me through the side alleys. I am becoming a part of the shadows.
The time it takes, to go to the landlords mansion, is around 4 hours.
He lives in a large mansion on top of a small mountain, around 10 km from the village.
The village is positioned at the feet of the mountain and the mansion is just a few hundred meters above it.
But the way up there, is a complicated snaking road, which makes the distance much longer.
In times of war, this was one of the hardest to conquer spots. Just because the mansion atop allows of a broad foresight around the lands and it is hard to reach.
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As I want to pass through the gate, at the end of the village. I see that the guard tower is lit in a bright torch light.
Two guards were standing at their post. They are clad in traditional swordsman robes and wear the symbol of the local landlord.
The head of a tiger, getting swallowed in flames.
I approach the gate in a relaxed pace and only a few meters in front, they yell at me.
“Stop there! Here are no trespasser allowed.” guard 1
“The lord has prohibited any intrusion form here on!”guard 2
I barely recognize them and dont stop my walking.
As they want to pull there swords, I wave my hand and whisper.
“You have not seen anyone here.”
The guards immediately let go of their sword handles and turn back towards there origin position.
Totally ignoring me, as I pass them.
I just used a small illusion spell, I am not one, they could take on anyways.
I hum a little song and unpack my beloved... I mean and equipped myself with a delicious smelling cookie.
I may be old, but I do have my hitchhiker.
This mountain is annoying... I cant remember it being so exhausting walking this road up here.
After only 3 hours of excessive walking, I get exhausted?..
I really am becoming old.
But the surrounding is beautiful, even at night.
The road allows to peek over a sharp and steep edge and is not secured by any safety.
Even so, I risk a view.
I can clearly look over the large and endless grass plains underneath me, slightly lit by the shining stars.
It seems so peaceful, like a dream or a beautiful painting.
At my right, the torch lights of the village houses, spread and merged into a small aura of light. It looks as if a small sun is circling around the bottom of this mountain.
I enjoy my view as long as it took, but now comes the more complicated part.
The old man, the landlord, has forbidden me any presence on his grounds. But that not enough, he himself is quite skilled with barrier magic and I can already feel the oppressing aura of a dozen of them.
“Keh, this old fox. He really has cast an awful lot of those barriers, but this wont stop me.”
I mutter
I swing my staff besides me, where it stops and stands candle straight in the air, without support.
Now I clap my hands together and push my palm area, in a triangle gesture, towards the continuing road.
Without any ado, a strong wind surrounds me and began to gather. It evolves, first a small gale and suddenly with a strong burst, it pushes forwards.
The shadows around me begin to flicker and suddenly, silence.
Hehe, the barrier is rigged.
I faked a secondary entrance. If I would have destroyed the barrier he surely would notice.
So I just made my own entrance, though it wont last for eternity.
I grab my staff, and slip through the barrier. Which is invisible for any normal eyes, but if you use a bit of magic, you would see a bright shining and blinding wall of light.
The mansion is not far from here on, I can already see the large pagoda-rooftops.
But something is fishy...
There should be guards around this area. But here are none, I dont like this.
I walk further, hid my presence and calmly observe the area.
Something lies within the air, its like the silence before a storm.
I can feel an oppressing aura, coming from the mansions living quarters.
I hurry my steps and rush towards the huge and impressive building.
The mansion is build of four parts, while being embed into the mountain.
At the front, a large and all surpassing Pagoda lifts itself upwards into the sky. Its emitting the feeling of an untouchable resort for some of the mightiest persons there are. Surrounded, by a not to be despised, stockade.
To its right are the living quarters. A long, but in height smaller build section of the same pagoda. They are originally only one building, but were separated by a wooden bridge between them.
The left is lead by a, from afar already visible, golden statue and a small temple.
The fourth part, is hidden within the mountain and is assembled for the only purpose of being capable of sheltering as many people as possibly. Though I dont know what its used for now.
I rush towards a black and white archway, to my surprise there are no guards either.
“Hmm!?”
As I pass the archway, my view immediately stops at a room door. I can see the living quarters already from here on, while I sneaked into the wide open garden section.
“Is that, black aura?.. “A creepy black aura spreads form that room.
Two Shadens appear in front of that door, they are wearing robes of the black brigade.
They are Assassins.
“Damn my luck...”
I instantly vanish from my position. As I reappear, I grab both of the Shadens heads and cast a spell.
“להיות רוחות נעלמו"
Shortly after, I only hold two empty robes within my hands.
I swing my hands and the robes lit and became cinder and ash.
I used a short distance teleport and appeared behind the Shadens. Whatever they were after, it could be nothing good.
I am directly in front of the room door, which still emits the dark aura. With a swing of my hand the door swings open.
A dark room, only one window covered with curtains. In midst of the room, is just a single futon bed.
And a small girl.
“Oh dear god, you are Maria. What has happened here?”
Maria, the daughter of the local landlord lies before me.
But her expression is covered in agony and her whole body is trembling, while pale as paper.
In the dim moonlight, the sweat on her body shines in a specific glimmer. She is near death.
I rashly let go of my staff and bow over the petty and poor girl.
A faint glow spreads from my hands, as I try to soothe her pain.
“No, wont you die on me today. Its not your time yet.”
“Ahhh!”
A sudden hand on my shoulders, surprises me and I fall a few steps backwards.
“You came. OH please, save my daughter. Please I beg of you.”
A woman with long black hair and a teary red face clamps onto my shoulder.
“You are... Arla, if I remember correctly. The landlords wife.”
“Yes, yes I am. So please save her. I ordered the old Anne to send you here.”
Arla still bows over me and clamps onto my shoulder
“I am sorry, Arla. I think its already to late, whatever I might do, her demise is already set. This black aura, she is a magic-darkness type. Its very rare to find this type, but when someone with this type gets no specific training, the mana starts to jam up and then explodes into the surroundings, slowly ripping the hosts body apart.”
“...NO, please there must be something you can do?! I know you and my husband are not on good terms...But please...something”
Arlas grip looseness and she falls onto her knees, sobbing and holding her face.
Ahh, damn this will cost me quite the high price...
“The only possible chance to save her, would be absorbing the rest of her mana into another magician. So that the mana has a fitting vessel.”
I cant bear with seeing such a young girl, with even the darkness type magic, going to waste.
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