… Alexander choked on his spit. By Ydea, 350 years… 350 years of Cassandra… The Church got an official decree from the Emperor… If they have that decree… 350 years of hunting… Alexander's mind spiraled as his mind raced through the horrifying implications. He knew how damn hard it was to hunt down rogue necromancers and warlocks, he’d had to go through the displeasure himself, but it doesn’t matter how tough you are to kill 350 years is a long time when most of the necromantic knowledge was in a presumably looted and thoroughly destroyed ruin.
If the boy was to be believed then 350 years of the Church being in political supremacy, no matter how ideologically split the colleges were they would never have agreed to wipe out a college without a proper trial, leaving some underhanded political muckery to be the only reasonable assumption.
“Mr. Red… are you okay”
Even for Alexander, this was too much for him, He’d lived through the witch hunter debacles - twice actually -, the glutton emperor, and the cleansing of magic. Each event was a catastrophe for both sides of the magical community, church, and college, but even then every one of the Colleges and Orders had banded together to stamp out those issues. To find such events that would have made Emperor Balas purge an entire college was nearly incomprehensible.
“Mr. Red… sir?”
His breathing quickened as he thought about all of the friends and comrades in and out of the college who could be dead. Santorius, Heledron, Abranala, Prozoka… each memorable individual that he would gladly attribute to his small list of close friends or at the least respected compatriots. Alexander was at a loss as he continued guessing and imagining what could have happened and changed while he was gone.
Could all of his research on phylacteries be gone? Sartorius’s dream of the perfected human body… Prozoka’s ideal world where all people could cast magic… Abranala finally discovered the path to ethica-
“MR. RED” James shouted shocked Alexander out of his panicked thoughts.
“By Ydea boy, what's with the shouting?” He was confused and disoriented, and shouting wasn’t helping.
“Mr. Red…” James’s eyes were filled with concern, “you made choking noises then suddenly stopped. I didn’t know how to get your attention, and I panicked when you started breathing all heavy like.”
“Oh… um… thank you, young man,” he really couldn’t fault the boy for how he acted. “Right then, you wouldn’t mind showing me to town, would you? I’ve had a…” he hesitated before continuing, “long, stressful, day.”
“Yea I can do that Mr. Red… do you need a place to stay, or…” Alexander chuckled at James’ comment.
“No boy I have no need of your home, as long as your tavern or inn takes gold I can rest there.” A fact of any village - large or small - was that people needed a place to drink and make merry, and in his first century he had spent plenty of time in small-town taverns.
“Right sir I think it's…” James did a quick spin to find where he came from, “that’a’way!”
Alexander shook his head slightly in amusement at the young boy's antics. And so they traveled, James would sometimes dash one way and check some bush or tree before continuing onwards. Alexander spent the better part of 40 minutes in quiet contemplation, more calmly thinking over the whole issue, he kept coming to the same conclusion that he just didn’t know enough.
“Umm… Mr. Red?” he was honestly impressed by how dedicated the boy was to guiding them through the forest so he was a little surprised to have his musings interrupted.
“Yes, child?”
“Soooo… I noticed you don’t have much in the way of…” James’ voice was low and almost conspiratorial, “Mages markers…”, his voice tapered off at the end.
Alexander cocked an eyebrow at the boy before responding, “Are you insinuating something boy?”
James’ hands were raised immediately like a man trying to calm someone down. “I would never think to suggest… I just thought…”
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“Spit it out boy, beating around the bush won't get you anywhere.” Alexander couldn’t parse what the boy was getting at.
“It’s just… you kinda… look like a hedge mage.”
“What did you say?”
He could see James visibly gulp before repeating himself, “You look like a… hedge mage Mr. Red.”
Alexander stopped in his tracks and just stared at the boy in astonishment. He absolutely did look like a hedge mage, and it was part of the alias he had been preparing mentally during their travel. What he couldn’t comprehend what was so wrong with a hedge mage, screaming hells lad what has you so on edge about hedge mages?
Hedge mages were simply people who never received a proper imperial education in magic. They weren’t illegal and most country healers and spell blades were either lackluster sorcerers or physically gifted mages who found the adrenaline of adventuring to be more entertaining. They weren’t anywhere near the danger of a rogue mage, or even a MAD (magically advanced beast).
“Lad, why would you not think I was a hedge mage?” Alexander didn’t even try to hide his astonishment in his voice.
“Umm… cause you didn’t suck out my soul for evil rituals… and you aren’t crazy…” the boy’s voice was almost sheepish, embarrassed might have been a better word. “All the books I read…”
Alexander pinched the bridge of his nose, “Boy, you’re a hedge mage, you know.” This received him a perplexed look which had Alexander to explain exactly what a hedge mage is.
“But I thought you had to have mana to be a wizard?” James was evidently confused and Alexander lamented the loss of the idea of standardized magical education.
“Only sorcerers can innately cast, and even though you aren’t one, you’re pretty damn close to being one.”
James was shocked and stuttered before continuing, “I-I-I’m a sorcerer? How?”
“Any region with heavy enough mana flow will eventually enrichen the children in the area. This region had that tree, I’d predict that you and anyone born between when you were born and now will have been born as either a sorcerer or with abnormal mana abili-” Alexander paused from his explanation to see James with his eyes crossed and focusing to an extreme. “LAD, knock that off, you’ll hurt yourself.”
James was snapped out of his concentration, “Wait this can hurt me?”
“Not really, but you won’t control your magic, you’ll just give yourself a headache.”
They both stepped out of the dense forest to come across a dirt road saddled up against it, like a barrier between it and the rolling plains of the countryside dotted with cottages and farms. Auburn and orange rays draped over the countryside. To their left was a small village center with a church and tavern, most likely serving good stew and terrible ale, the right led off into the distance and over hills.
“I think I can find my way to the tavern from here boy.” Alexander waved his hands to shoo the boy away. He started forward, mentally thanking the boy before moving on and imagining a hot meal and a warm bed.
“Umm… Mr. Red” James’ voice, tentative and hesitant, came from behind.
Sighing, Alexander stopped and quickly regretted his decision, “What lad?”
“I… was hoping you could teach me m-magic.” The boys’ statement drew a mental groan. He had neither the time nor the current patience to teach a complete novice. In calmer times maybe, but as of now he knew too little and needed to devote his time to gathering information.
“Doubtful lad,” he could almost hear the boy's heartbreaking causing him to explain, “I’m in no situation to teach you, boy, I don’t even have my grimoires or tomes for you to study…” I’m in no state to teach the boy, but… he could be a convenient excuse. No, I won’t turn some peasant boy into my alibi.
“I understand sir, I just wanted to learn magic.” James’ hopes struck a chord with Alexanders own desires for knowledge. He just couldn’t devote the time to vet and teach the boy. Not enough time to teach the boy… Someone else could teach him… He’ll learn eventually… probably… maybe…
Dammit.
Alexander gazed up at James and remembered, he remembered his worthless first century. The years spent wasted trying to learn magic as he worthlessly threw himself into every problem and magical formula. He had the theory, as much as he could learn, but he would have never learned magic if he hadn’t found his teacher. “James…” the sound of the boy’s name drew the saddened child’s attention, “I won’t teach you magic, but I can show you something tomorrow. If you aren’t busy meet me at the inn after noon.”
“Really!” James' voice was filled with excitement.
“Yes really, now scamper off. I have things to do and places to be.” Alexander watched as James dashed passed him, eager for the next day. Shaking his head he walked towards the tavern. The town had a simple blacksmith shop, its forge sat cold, and a well-built stone church with a silver icon above the heavy wooden double doors. The tavern he stopped at had a hanging sign that simply read ‘Drunken Crossroad’. He could hear the conversation from outside. Breathing deeply he pushed open the doors and found a silent room.
Well shit…