On the way back, riding at a good pace, thoughts raced through Luka’s head, first his humiliation during a beginners' course, in which he failed to answer a question dealing with the basics of magic, then his discussion with his teacher and the latter's extraordinary spell, and finally this story insinuating that Jey himself had been a young mage at the time, He was going to ask him, but didn't want to be cruel to the man, for if he had been in his situation before, Luka could well understand why he would have stopped going to his lessons, for it was what had been happening to him these past few years.

As he finally approached the village of Mystria, he had an uneasy feeling he didn't understand: the sky seemed darker than usual, the air harder to breathe and his horse's saddle less stable than usual.

Just as quickly as this impression had appeared, it disappeared.

“I'm going completely mad it seems”

Nyto was preparing lunch with his sister when someone knocked on the heavy wooden door of their home, and the boy smiled wryly before announcing, jovially, to his sister and their mother:

“It’s Luka, I believe.”

Fleur, Nyto's little sister, ran to the door to open it for her friend, whom she greeted with a short curtsy that made Luka wince:

“You don't need to do that, Fleur, I've already told you!”

He was used to the fifteen-year-old girl trying to make him feel uncomfortable in this way; deep down, it amused him, and he mostly feigned embarrassment to get into her game. She wore curly blonde hair and her emerald eyes gave her an air of nobility, especially when she was dressed, as she currently was, in a long, vermeil silk dress covering her whole body. Her sparkling eyes and a smile capable of warming the hearts of those who caught sight of her completed her appearance. She loved life and she made it felt in every one of her actions.

Two years ago, when she was expelled from the University of Magic, many feared she would shut down and never recover, but she bounced back almost immediately and set out on her own quest to learn what she wanted to know and never again look in the direction of the university that had once rejected her.

“And yet, this is the procedure when you welcome an important mage from the university! And I love doing it.” she retorted defiantly.

“If people heard you call me an important mage, they'd hang you by your feet for a day!” Luka replied with a shrug.

Yoli, Fleur and Nyto's mother, embraced Luka before inviting him to the table, where a meal of bread and vegetable soup awaited them.

They ate in good spirits, Luka spending about one evening a week with his two friends and their mother, letting each other know what they had learned, telling each other about their days and gently teasing Fleur who, in their opinion, looked far too pure and elegant for her age.

Although she had just turned fifteen and was almost two years younger than her brother, Fleur had never been left out by Nyto and Luka. She enjoyed their company and the sense of security they gave her when they went to a nearby village together, or when they roamed the surrounding plains aimlessly.

The conversations continued for several hours, and Luka decided to take his leave to go home and sleep for a few hours. As much as he enjoyed his friends' company, he was too thoughtful to be of good company, and Fleur, Nyto and Yoli understood this without him having to say it. They wished each other a good evening and Luka left, wearing his usual sad smile.

As he walked again, this time to his home, he looked up at the sky and was captivated by a vision which, even though it occurred daily, still fascinated him. Three suns shared the skies, each majestic for different reasons: they had all been named after mythical heroes from ancient times. Or had the mythical heroes received their names from the suns? No one knew, but the fact remained that the suns were shining brightly in the late afternoon, and thanks to them, the night lasted only five or six minutes. The first of the three suns was about to disappear when he managed to shake off the radiant hold of the illuminated stars and forced himself to walk back home, where he was greeted by Jey, who seemed circumspect.

“You're back late. How was your day, Luka?” inquired Jey, with a look of compassion and concern.

Luka told Jey about his day, trying to put into words the feelings he was having trouble expressing, and choosing, in the middle of his account, to omit the question that had been nagging at him since early afternoon: “Had Jey been a mage as a child?” He knew no positive answer could emerge from such a query and chose to save it for later. Maybe.

“I think the same as Naalthin, you do indeed possess real talent and significant abilities, I also know I'm harsh in my words but it’s only because I want what's best for you. I wouldn't have taken you in otherwise.”

“I'd like to be able to focus on my studies, but I'm never sure I'll be able to. Deep down, I'd like to be able to, but when it comes to actually doing it, I have a lot of trouble,” Luka confessed, crossing his arms as if to protect himself, a tear beginning to bead at the corner of his eye, never leaving the place where it was created.

“Don't let the fear of potential failure deprive you of future success. If you fail, it's okay, you can always try again, but if you do nothing, you'll never succeed at anything. If you want to be afraid of something, fear idleness, it's corrosive, more violent and pernicious than failure. From now on, I won't reprimand you for your decisions and actions, I don't think I've ever found the right words and you're old enough to make your own choices, that being said, if you need me for anything, don't hesitate to let me know,” concluded the man with the carpenter's scars on his hands.

The conversation ended there, and for the first time in a long time Luka felt a fatherly warmth from Jey. His aim wasn't to admonish him at every opportunity, but to help him find his way along life's tortuous paths. For the second time that day, he vowed to try even harder from then on. Well aware that he was capable of abandoning this idea almost as quickly as he'd had it.

It wasn't long before sleep enveloped him completely, and he dreamt of everything that had impressed him since his arrival on the continent of the magi; his first steps at the university in front of the gargantuan entrance gates and immense surrounding walls, a sparring match between two expert magi, stories of dragons fighting scourges, vriths, small gray creatures living in the depths of the earth, and finally professor Naalthin's spell which he had witnessed a few hours earlier. In his dream, the spell was even more powerful, encompassing the entire library and annihilating waves of enemies as it charred the massive shelves housing the innumerable magical works. The destruction was total, and in his field of vision there was nothing but fire and ashes. The incandescent waves began to lick Luka with their unwelcome heat, melting his magic shield before charring him in slow, terrifying agony. The pain was unbearable, he could no longer breathe, he couldn't even move, he had become a prisoner, only death was visible to him. He was going to die helplessly, he was absolutely convinced, when his dream dissipated and he awoke, covered in sweat, the beginnings of a spell channeled through his clenched fists.

He immediately interrupted the spell, effortlessly recognizing the room in which he had fallen asleep, and decided to get some fresh air to calm down. His heart was beating at a frantic pace, and he could still feel the terror consuming him as he awaited his imminent demise.

He dressed as quickly as he could and went out, as he often did before the beginning of the short nights, making a habit of sleeping a second time in the middle of the Fhang plains that stretched between Mystria and the Ti-Tam. forest.

It was not uncommon for the denizens of Faÿrurn to see the night pass while they were already awake; not only did it last a maximum of six minutes, it also began about an hour after the start of the peasants' and villagers' usual daily routine.

It was advisable never to be outside the village during those five minutes, as many antagonistic species took advantage of this short interlude to attack their weaker prey. Those despicable beings were unable to move during the day, so their only opportunity came when the three suns ceased for a moment to illuminate the world. Vigilance was therefore at a premium as soon as the three stars were simultaneously absent.

As usual, Luka headed for the southern entrance, where he was accustomed to wandering alone or with his friends. He stopped near the watchtowers manned by two soldiers in bluish armor, and waited with them until it was safe again to wander through the green surrounding hills.

As time went by, only one star remained visible in the sky: Lo, the smallest of the three suns and the one that had illuminated the continent alone for the longest time. Many theories circulated in the village as to the reason for this sun's smaller size, but no one knew why it was so much more frail than the other two. It was also the village's favorite star, for reasons as illogical as they were personal.

One of the soldiers yelled at Luka from his modest watchtower:

“Are you planning to roam again once daylight comes, Luka?”

“No, I have business in Fay-Ilis, but I couldn't sleep and came here on reflex,” Luka half lied, shrugging his shoulders without conviction.

“Very well, but don't leave the village before daylight. I don't feel like running after you to save you,” teased the soldier, who knew the boy wouldn't take it badly.

Luka smiled and nodded in acceptance as he waited for night to fall, enjoying the last glimmers of Lo in the sky, which gave way to a different scenery. As soon as the sun disappeared, not a sound was heard in the village, the people remained awake, staring up at the sky as if the slightest movement could be fatal. The soldiers had instinctively drawn their glaives from their scabbards and Luka, still a little disconcerted by the realism of his dream, had begun to accumulate mana at his fingertips. He wasn't thinking of a specific spell, so nothing would go off, but it would reduce the time needed for the incantation if necessary, as he was still tense from his strange dream.

Several minutes passed in absolute silence when a heart-rending scream rang through the air. Few had encountered the creature before, but all knew it was a wyvern, a kind of giant bat blacker than night with sharp fangs and skin almost as hard as steel.

It only took a moment for the motionless villagers to rush towards the buildings to escape the wyvern, and the guards rushed towards the source to confront it. If it were alone, it would cause nothing but panic, but if there were several of them, the result could prove catastrophic.

Luka wanted to help the soldiers, but a strange feeling he didn't recognize pinned him in place.

The wyvern finally let out a long, shrill moan several hundred yards away, daylight was about to break and, in the shadows that lined the village, Luka caught sight of two small gray anthropomorphic beings whose size corresponded to that of a starving child.

“Why are vriths so close to this village?” he thought, recognizing their specific characteristics.

No sooner had this thought ended than one of the antagonists rushed towards him. There was no doubt; it was an enemy seeking to take his life, and he saw the dagger held by the enraged creature coming towards him like an unleashed bear. Almost by reflex, he transformed the large dose of mana he had accumulated over the last few minutes to unleash it on the creature, which was charred on the spot and stopped its run, turning into a compact pile of ashes before his stunned eyes. His fireball had been much faster and more powerful than he had anticipated. He didn't even remember seeing its color or feeling its heat.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

He'd just eliminated a vrith, but there was still one left, he couldn't afford to relax his concentration, he regained his composure and tried to find his opponent, in vain, he wondered if he was going to be skewered without being able to defend himself? He wished he'd mastered a shielding spell so as not to end up slashed too quickly. But nothing came. For what seemed like an eternity, no one attacked him. At last, the first rays of sunlight appeared and visibility increased accordingly. No vriths were present. No attack had come.

A noise was heard behind him and he turned, ready to attack a second enemy, fortunately, he quickly recognized the two guards who had gone off to hunt the wyvern a few moments earlier. They recoiled when they saw the young mage's eyes, full of murderous intent on a face ready for assault, but were reassured when it became clear that he had recognized them at last.

“What happened here, Luka? We heard some sort of bang after the wyvern left and came back as quickly as we could.”

“You didn't get rid of the wyvern?” Luka questioned, trying to find it in the sky.

“No, it never attacked, it just made a series of screams and went away,” replied the second guard, who had remained silent until then. He was anxious, but was trying to hide it in order to get information from Luka. He went on to ask for an account of what had happened, to which Luka replied without lying, his voice sizzling, his eyes still searching for his next adversary.

“The night is over Luka, vriths and their mounts can't circulate during the day any more than they can. You can relax for now. continued the first guard, trying to calm Luka down in the same way he had been reassured after his first battle years earlier.

Luka looked again at the two soldiers, their immaculate armor attested to the fact that they hadn't had to fight, their faces were still hard and troubled, he didn't know their names or ranks, there were too many soldiers and he hardly spoke to any of them, he felt a brief twinge of sadness" as he realized that if they'd had to perish that day, he wouldn't even have had the privilege of knowing their names and he asked them without further ado.

The two looked at each other, confused, and began to laugh before answering the question:

“My name is Arth Mikour and my colleague here is Nimas Zoln. Don't forget us - we're the wyvern hunters of Mystria!” he said, raising his sword to the sky in victory. The two soldiers then laughed, and you could feel all the tension of the previous minutes melt away. Luka was stunned at first, before joining them in their candid exultation.

Nimas was a tall soldier with fairly long blond hair for someone in the military. He was rather quiet, his green eyes always seeming to look away even when he was staring at you, while Arth was a fair bit shorter, His hair and eyes were a dark black, and unlike his colleague, if he stared at someone he gave the impression of peering right into their soul. His brown skin also contrasted with Nimas's whiteness, although their imposing armor made it difficult for most people to see.

“Luka, can you report to Fay-Ilis for us? We're supposed to let them know if there are any special circumstances, but we're not allowed to leave our posts until we've been replaced either. You've been at the heart of the action and can explain it better than we can, if you don't mind,” asked Nimas, looking again at the pile of ashes that was gradually beginning to dissipate with each new breeze, revealing a poorly crafted dagger.

About to accede to the soldier's request, Luka was startled by a man who appeared behind Arth and Nimas. He had an imposing stature, standing at almost seven feet and almost as wide as he was tall. His short-shaven black hair and adventurer's beard gave him a dangerous air, but Luka rushed towards him and into his arms. Jey was there. He wore a sword on his belt. Attesting to the fact that he'd participated in some way, Luka understood and hugged him as tightly as he could.

Jey was still asleep when the wyvern was heard, as he was woken up, he immediately looked for Luka, whom he couldn't find, grabbed his old sword and headed for the source of the noise. The other villagers were taking cover, so he was slowed down and didn't arrive until it was all over. He heard a strange bang on the way but paid it no heed, only to realize later that it was obviously a noise resulting from the invocation of some magic, and so he headed for the southern entrance of the village to see Luka laughing with two soldiers in a disconcertingly carefree manner. He caught sight of the battle scars and his clothes burnt in places before Luka rushed towards him without question. For the first time, Jey felt like the father of this atypical kid.

“I'm going with you to Fay-Ilis, Luka,” Jey said, leaving no room for his potential refusal. “This is not a normal situation, our village is too far from the vriths' advanced strongholds and there are no entrances to their territories in the vicinity. The magi have failed in their duties and must be warned to correct this anomaly before the night falls again. Considering your reports, it was either a lost group or scouts looking to test our defenses. The fact that a wyvern was used as a decoy and that one of the vriths escaped leads me to believe that this was a test on their part. I didn't know they were so smart. Those vriths are dangerous. We've got to act fast.” Jey explained, sounding like a commander without even realizing it.

The guards nodded in agreement, and Luka didn't protest either, although he had to admit he was reassured not to have to go to Fay-Ilis alone.

Luka and Jey set off north on horseback. Most villages kept horses for cases like this. On the way, Jey explained to Luka the implications of the attack and tried to teach him the rudiments that were hidden from children and young adults.

“Vriths are malicious, devious creatures who never attack alone. They are notorious for capturing and slaughtering other species after dark. No one knows why some are captured and why others are executed, as no one has ever escaped from their nests. They always live deep in caves that appear and disappear over time. If three of them have gained access to our village, it can only mean that such an entrance is close at hand. We call those places ‘forbidden entrances’ and warn all villagers to stay as far away from them as possible until they disappear. I don't know what their disappearance entails, but I'm sure the magi of Fay-Ilis have something to do with it. Since they're the ones who map the forbidden entrances.”

“Why hide this from us? Isn't it more dangerous to ignore the existence of those places?”

“Because children are fairly stupid, Luka. If we forbid you to go some place, you tend to rush in to prove your courage, strength, resilience or some other nonsense. Do you remember the kids who ventured into the Ti-Tam forest to the south? We never saw any of them again, but the kid who refused to venture there told us it was a ‘test of maturity’ for them. Imagine what you'd do if you were told not to go into the evil caves where the vriths are holed up? You'd stampede into their lands and go further and further until you were captured. Or worse.”

He had always preferred to avoid those places, but he and Nyto had often talked about going there one day. However, the day the kids disappeared into the forest, they stopped talking and realized the danger it represented.

“Some magi are idiots too, Luka,” Jey continued, “that fault isn't exclusive to the young. When you make your report, tell it to the teacher you trust most. Many of them prefer to hide behind their walls and let things deteriorate until it affects them. Don't ask me why I know this, but if you feel that your teacher isn't listening to you or isn't interested in your story, go and see another one. We've got to act fast, Luka.”

“What if nobody listens to me?”

“It's unlikely, even if the idiot magi don't realize the dangers, there will be some smarter ones who will act, but if nobody listens to you, insist until you convince them of the urgency of the situation.”

Luka assimilated this information and silently pondered which teacher would be the most likely to act appropriately. Naalthin was the first he thought of, his friendliest teacher being a man of action as well as being very gifted in his chosen field. The dean was the second to come to mind; in theory, he was the most powerful mage, but he couldn't manage to trust him, so he crossed him off his list for the time being. Professor Yook was also a good choice in Luka's opinion, as he was an intermediate mage specializing in pyrotechnic spells, and he got on well with students who had ambitions in the various fire-related magics, inspiring confidence in them. It was decided that he would talk to Naalthin first and then Yook.

The great gates of the university presented themselves to the two men on horseback, and a guard approached Jey, declaring:

“You are not authorized to pass through these gates, Jey.”

Luka was astonished that a guard would recognize a simple carpenter, but his proximity to Mystria must have been the reason, he concluded.

“We're bringing an important message, can't you make an exception?” retorted Jey without much conviction.

“We cannot, I'm afraid. Only Fay-Ilis magi and soldiers are allowed beyond the gates. Luka is of course free to enter, but you and the horses are not. As we have no stables inside.”

“I'll leave you to take care of the rest then, Luka, inform them of the situation, but don't say too much or too little. I'll wait here for you for as long as it takes,” Jey affirmed with a comforting smile, resting his hand on Luka’s shoulder.

“I'll be back soon,” said Luka, more determined than ever as he ran towards the building he was dodging most of the time.

Luka entered the beginners' library, which was much smaller than the one reserved for initiate magi, with only two rows of shelves full of books. He had hoped to find one of the two teachers on his list, but at that very moment there were only six students immersed in books and meaningless thaumaturgical discussions. He didn't recognize anyone above the rank of initiate.

To be honest, he didn't recognize anyone. He'd never taken the time to make friends inside Fay-Ilis.

He then headed for the library reserved for initiate magi, where he immediately spotted professor Naalthin lecturing to a small group of students.

He watched him from a distance and thought for a moment about what he was going to say and Jey's warnings: “was he the right choice? Or was it the easy choice?” The questions raced through Luka's mind as he was called by his teacher, who never missed a beat of what was going on around him:

“Tell me Luka, have you come to attend another one of my classes reserved for beginners?”

Luka's serious eyes were instantly perceived by Naalthin, who then observed him more carefully, he noticed his clothes bore the marks of a fight. His gray shirt was burned, and several of his fingers were scorched in places. A shadow passed over Naalthin's eyes as he raised his wrinkled old hands before declaring:

“Lesson over. We'll continue tomorrow.”

He grabbed Luka by the arm and directed him to an office adjacent to the library, which served as an individual study room for those who needed peace and quiet.

A young girl was currently using it and was ousted without warning by the teacher.

She obeyed with a pout.

Luka recognized her, her name was Mira, he didn't know why he knew that.

“I recognize the marks of a fight on your clothes and hands, who was it? WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?” shouted the professor, who didn't seem to understand the situation in its entirety.

“Professor, vriths attacked my village. First a wyvern and then two of their race. One of them attacked me when I was alone and I... charred him. The second and the wyvern then disappeared. All during the night. My father thinks it's a new forbidden entrance that has sprung up near the village.”

Reassured, Naalthin regained his composure, sat down and rested his elbows on the table strewn with sheets and books Mira had left behind, resting his forehead on his thumbs as if to assimilate the information he had just received.

“First of all, you shouldn't know about the forbidden entrances, not yet. I forbid you to tell anyone. Adult or child.” Imposed the old man, staring at his pupil until he accepted this instruction. “Secondly, the idea of a forbidden entrance so close to your village is a considerable risk not only for you, but also for Fay-Ilis, so it must be remedied and sealed as soon as possible. Unfortunately, most of my colleagues won't agree, so we'll have to proceed without them for the time being. Are there any of your acquaintances who you think might be able to help us?”

Luka hadn't expected such a question at all, and he couldn't hide his surprise. He had thought all the magi at the university to be on the same page, and that if one of them said there was danger, they would all come to his assistance, but it seemed things were different.

“I'm not going to explain to you why I can't trust my colleagues on this matter, it would take too long and it's none of your business. However, we can't solve this problem on our own. If you know of any soldiers, magi or even villagers with even the slightest fighting ability whom you can trust completely, we'll be in a better position to solve our current problem.”

Luka thought as quickly as he could, hating to find himself under pressure, before announcing, uncertainly:

“My father, Jey, is trustworthy, I think. My friends Tim, Nyto and Fleur too... and maybe professor Yook?”

“I know all of them, Jey is a good choice, without a doubt, Tim is one of the soldiers on his way to becoming captain, I believe. Fleur is the girl who showed a predisposition for healing magic who was dismissed by the university a few years ago and Nyto is her brother, if I'm not mistaken? I've heard he's a good boy but quick to indulge in mischief. Am I correct?” inquired Naalthin.

“He has that reputation, yes, but we can rely on him. Also, I believe that Tim already is a captain.”

“Even better! Then we'll ask them to assist us. However, Yook is out of the question, Luka. He's pernicious, pushy, dislikes me and is disgustingly weak. We won't invite him. And you're not to mention the forbidden entrances to the other members of our party. Do you understand?

“I'd rather not have to lie to them…”

“It's for the best, trust me.”

Luka didn't like the idea of deceiving his friends, but he accepted Naalthin's conditions.

He also didn’t understand why Yook was so despised by Naalthin, most of the students liked him, but he accepted his absence. Naalthin must have had his reasons.

It was decided that everyone would meet at the southern entrance to Luka's village four hours later. The mage had to get ready, and Luka had to inform his friends and father of the situation.

Worried, Luka asked the question that had been on his mind for some time:

“Can we seal a forbidden entrance, professor?”

“Yes, I most certainly can.”