Leo and Heidi

Black Forest, Germany

“You are kidding, right?” Evan asked seriously. “You are just a kid from a soviet block. No offense.”

“None taken. True, I know where I come from, Evan. We grew up together. You have your own story of how you grew up, and me - mine. You know that I never knew my mother and father, right?”

“Yea… Do not tell me, they are somehow involved in this as well, and you met them?” Evan asked.

“I do not know. We found a basement with what Seb says is important for the type of mage I am. There was also… a journal written by a woman called Alea Monti,” Leo said.

“Fancy last name. So you think she is related to you or your parents?” Evan asked.

“Yes, at least in some way. Seb says that the last name ‘Monti’ is rare, as the Church tried to purge the name at some point in history.”

“And why is that?” Evan asked, curious.

“Because this Alea supposedly represented an organization that tried to oppose the Chruch around the thirteenth century.”

“Oh, so there is a villainous plot now?”

“There always is,” Leo smiled. “Though this one seems legit. I believe in it. I read some passages in the journal we found and understood one thing.”

“That some people go senile with age?” Evan smirked.

“No, some truths are hidden behind the veil of our simple lives. I do not want to preach that I know all the facts now, but the gist is simple. The Church has been conspiring with the mages since the middle ages and working against the common man,” Leo said.

“What? Why? The religion was kinda made for the people to keep them in line, no?” Evan asked.

“Not in the way we used to think, no. Religion was just part of the story. The other part we did not know about was that the miracles performed by god were simple spells. And that the witches burned in the trials were real. They were just different. Not a part of the Church. That is why they were condemned. They undermined their power, the very sense of control they wanted over the others.”

“How? By brewing potions and stuff?”

“Partially. But mostly by being the good guy. The ones who helped the common man flee the influence of the Church. Allowing them not to bow down to them and live not according to their rules. The Church did not like that, so they decided to eradicate them.”

“And what else? Surely, there is more to this conspiracy?” Evan asked.

“Indeed. Along with eradicating them, the Church helped form these mage clans, one of which Heidi and Seb are part of - clan Aer. Mage clans were funded by the Church. Though it was not all that easy. They were tricked in a way. I am not sure if everyone, but the Chruch, is why the mages of today cannot use magic freely and are stuck with the spell forms. They are basically like monkeys, working with a computer they did not create and will not be able to alter.”

“Why?” he asked.

“Because the Church discovered a way to block their magic from being freely used. Some sort of ritual put on their cores, ingrained so deeply that they could lose their access to magic altogether. Sort of compliance seal is the best way to describe it.”

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

“And you will have to do the same? To become a mage?” Evan asked, concerened.

“No. At least, that is what Heidi tells me. They do not know what I will need to do. They have not dealt with a mage like me. One who supposedly has free access to magic can do spells in another way,” Leo explained.

“Without the restrictions that they have? Sounds that would be a problem for this Church,” Evan said.

“Yes, indeed it is. It seems that the Church actively hunts for people like me. People who develop magical talent naturally, not awakened and controlled by them. Always have. If you are not with them, you are against them. That is why we are here, in the middle of nowhere,” Leo said and sighed, recognizing that he was indeed tired after the last few days in the back of the trailer.

“Sounds like stuff way above my pay grade, to be fair. I expected that you would be in trouble with the local authorities, and I would just need to come and smuggle you back to Latvia. Now? You tell me that you are Merlin incarnate and will have to save the world. Common…” Evan sighed in return. “So what do we do?”

“I think that I have to see this through. Dig into the materials we found, and talk more to Heidi and Seb. I want to doubt, but damn, I survived some magical fire whips the other day and was saved by some other spells thrown that were at the scale of cannon fire. It was surreal,” Leo said.

“That was what happened back in Berlin? The thing they spin off as your terrorist attack?” Evan connected the dots.

“Yes. Though that was the Church coming after me. To collect me for god knows what purpose. Heidi’s stepmother called them over and betrayed us. Right after we shared our discoveries with her father.”

“Damn… it just gets better and better,” Evan said. “So you ran away somehow and are on the run. Great. Always thought that my life was the exciting one.”

“Me as well, Evan. Always was envious that you got the possibility to live your life the way you want,” Leo commented, remembering how he wanted to have the same access to privilege and choice as Evan did, not work and take care of home and chores his grandparents laid on him.

“It is not all fun and games, you know. My grandfather worked me to the bone. The toys when we were little? Earnt by doing stuff he made me do. Cars? Well, that is just something I managed to buy after I made some money with the IT company I started when we were eighteen. I just got lucky. If I did not have that, I would be running drills with his boys and participating in some false Russian war campaign somewhere. Or work for the Americans, who knows? It is good to have a choice. I realize that life has not always dealt you the best cards,” Evan said.

“Yes, well said. The best cards,” Leo recognized. “Seems that I am again dealt a losing hand. Chased by some phantom organization that controls the world and is run by a maniac out of legend.”

“Oh, common, man, do not feel so down,” Evan tried to cheer Leo up. “At least you have a crazy hot chick with you to lead the way. With a weird uncle, but damn, you cannot complain. And she is a wizard, like you!”

“A mage,” Leo sighed. “And she would kick your ass if you call her a chick again.”

Evan raised his hands and said, “Guilty as charged, brother. Would not like to get a face full of whatever she threw my way. Anyway, I have to process what you just told me. See you in the morning then?”

“Yes, you go get some sleep. I will join you in a minute,” Leo said, wanting to be alone for a bit to think.

“No problem. I will get that inflatable mattress ready for you then. Do not take long. You look tired as shit, man,” Evan said and got up.

“Will do. Goodnight!” Leo answered.

“Goodnight,” Evan said and walked back inside.

That left Leo on the porch to think over what he felt. He felt tired. But besides that, he felt small. Helpless even. He thought being vulnerable when he was a child and could not stand up to bullies was terrible, but now it was worse. Or when he wanted to buy himself the latest phone in university but did not have money for food. That was just pure hubris on his part.

Leo recognized that the feeling of being helpless is something the common man faces every day. Though no one ever acknowledges that there is always something worse someone else is facing. Now he was that someone else. The one facing a ridiculous problem or a situation that seemed out of hand. His problem was not money, status, or stability anymore. He thought those things were the most important in his life three days ago.

Now his problem was how to survive and meet the expectations of the people around him. How to do something that no one before him has done in a long while. Without any help and guidance. How to become a mage who will oppose a man who believes himself a god. When you are just a simple boy chasing simple dreams.

How to become a hero when you did not know you could be one.