Balthazar, the Aspiring Magician
Chapter 1: Ascension
Trumpets blared, and fireworks popped in the air. Colored smoke and confetti wherever you turned, and the smell of hot food being made at stands lining the streets. The Liberation Day festival was especially energetic this year, the heat of summer not yet fully upon the people of Linia, and the past year having been especially bountiful. Today was special, even among celebrations of Liberation Day. In a show of patriotism, the Royal Academia and its branches had made an effort to see their students graduate just prior to the festivities, a show of new strength in time for the eighth celebration of Liberation Day. To the people of the Kingdom of Deponess, it could not be said to be anything less than their most important celebration of the year.
Graduates from the Academia roamed the city, attempting to show themselves as dignified, but finally at ease after a hard fought year of studies and combat training. Most students at the Linia branch hailed from the city itself, knowing the best vendors by name, and the best locations to rest and relax. Among them, strolling the familiar cobblestone streets, Balthazar sighed in relief at his newfound freedom. Like the rest of his classmates, his uniform consisted of a white, button-up shirt beneath a gray blazer, emblazoned with various crests and markings denoting his status over his heart. With gray slacks on to match, it wasn’t exactly a color scheme one might call eye-catching or impressive, but as soon as the day was past, he would never have to wear it again. Not according to uniform though was a satchel he wore at his side, which he patted, checking its contents out of habit. Balthazar was on the shorter side of average, roughly 5’5, with piercing gray eyes, and messy hair colored like a gray sandstone. At nineteen, he still had a face one would describe as cute more than handsome.
Balthazar made a sharp turn into an alleyway, finding a ladder leading up the side of a bakery to the tile roof. He readjusted the satchel he wore so it wouldn’t fall while he climbed, peeking up as he reached the roof to find Locke and Alice sitting on the roof, waiting for him. Alice smiled warmly and gave him a light wave, before looking back over the city and its festivities. She patted the tile next to her, inviting him to sit next to her, an invite he gladly accepted. She was quick to grab snacks from Balthazar’s satchel, before passing the bag onto Locke. Alice was a rather free spirited young woman, and the oldest of the three if only by a few months. She had a gentle smile, with eyes that shone with a fiery energy, the color of milk chocolate, just as with her hair, which was slightly wavy, in contrast to the spiky messes her friends had, and fell past her shoulders. Of the three of them, she was the tallest, if only by an inch in Locke’s case, or half a foot in Balthazar’s. Just like them, she wore the same gray unisex uniform. As Balthazar settled down, she leaned over to rest her head on his shoulder, munching on her sweets all the same. She had a playfully smug face, knowing Balthazar was a blushy mess, even after having known her their whole lives.
Locke had his focus on the skies, nervously eyeing the airships hovering about the city on propellers and wings and sails. He kept glancing at one ship in particular through his binoculars. Locke’s appearance was a far cry from the rather timid spirit Balthazar and Alice knew him as. He had a rather handsome face, gentle eyes of amber, and locks of majestic silver hair. He was a fair bit taller than Balthazar at that, standing at a solid 5’10. His uniform was similar, though not quite the same in design to Alice and Balthazar’s, he was still a Royal Academia graduate, if only in different branches. The biggest distinction at hand was the family crest Locke wore on his shoulder, a roaring lion emblazoned in a bright yellow. “Eight ships, all of them military.”
“That seems a tad excessive. Not that I can blame them.” Alice wasn’t familiar enough with the ship designs of the Deponesian military to identify them, not her and Balthazar’s branch of expertise. “Any clue on who?”
Locke pointed to the ship on the outermost point from Linia’s center. “There’s no question, that’s the Leonidas.”
“Oh, that’s the one your brother’s in charge of, right?” Balthazar realized he probably shouldn’t have asked a bit too late, but Locke didn’t seem to mind. Alice, on the other hand, gave him a light jab with her elbow. “Sorry.”
“It’s fine. Yeah, that’s him alright.” Locke was no stranger to having the expectations of his family on him, be it his brother who commanded the newest ship in the Royal Fleet, or his father, a legendary knight, for whom the ship was named. He and his brother though could hardly be said to have the greatest relationship ever though. His friends understood him at least on the front of expectations, at least. It had been part of how they’d met, and part of why they’d stayed friends all these years. “He’s not the showman type, but someone’s definitely making a show of him being on the vanguard of the city’s defense.”
Linia was, technically, an independent city-state that existed within the Kingdom’s borders. Time should have seen them properly annexed, but time also did not forget the fierce battles that the Linian people waged to defend their home. Now, they were a sibling state, and true brothers-in-arms with the Kingdom, to the point where few acknowledged the difference in being a part of the Kingdom or not. Within the Kingdom’s borders though, even aside from the fleet that patrolled it on that day, it was perhaps the most fortified city aside from Castle Deponess itself. The fleet to an outsider would seem overkill, but to Deponess and Linia both, nothing was too much in defense of their homes.
Linia was a near perfect circle, the walls surrounding it were said to have been called up and sculpted from the earth itself by a single man countless years before. Considering the inhabitants, this was certainly believable. Linia was known for its highly well practiced magicians, masters of the elements, and among the best healers one could ask for. In the very center of its circular shape lay the Great Temple, one of three in the world dedicated to the study and teaching of magic, though this Temple also served as a branch of the Royal Academia. Certainly, nearly anyone could muster up some level of magic given the effort, but there was little doubt that Mages from places like Linia were head and shoulders above the rest.
Balthazar leaned forward and turned to face Locke. “I know King Escalus visits every year, but why the extra from last year? Normally it’s only four or five ships.”
Locke seemed hesitant to share at first. “Outside of the Castle town, it’s been pretty hushed, but Prince Escalus XIII and Prince Atma will both be in attendance this year as well.”
“Ah. Well then.” Balthazar glanced over to Alice, whose generally brighter disposition dimmed, as her eyes drifted back down to the streets. “That hasn’t happened in a long time.” An awkward silence permeated the three of them. Balthazar made an effort to reach out to Alice, hesitating for a moment, though she turned slightly to him and smiled to reassure him she was alright.
“We should probably get moving before the crowds really start gathering,” she said, building her voice up as she spoke. “I’m not getting yelled at by Principal Maia now of all times, after we’ve graduated.” Balthazar shuddered at the thought, as he made his way back to the ladder and down, he could almost hear the witch hissing the command that top graduates were to gather for a special ceremony. It always felt like she had a particular disdain for him. Not that he ever gave her a reason to.
The trio took a familiar back route to the meeting point, an outdoor amphitheater close to the city center, just outside of the Great Temple. Balthazar waved weakly to the others as they arrived, feeling Maia’s overwhelming presence glaring at him as the three split based on field and school. He took note of them as they formed up according to their department head’s instructions, roughly eight graduates of each of the three major departments were lined up. Locke was put near the centerpoint of the Squires, certainly a hot commodity, given his heritage. Alice was on the far right of her group, Light Mages, who generally specialized in healing and support magic, but could hold their own in battle all the same. Balthazar, though, belonged to a group that had an affinity towards Dark Magic, which leaned far more heavily on their offensive ability. He didn’t feel the least bit surprised as Maia put him on the far left, marking him, in her eyes, as the worst of the best.
The Principals of the two major Academias spoke quietly with one another concerning the cadets, as they were so fond of calling them. “I only regret that this is what I must present…” He heard Maia grumbling under her breath, her gaze not so subtle. The Royal Academia made a longstanding goal to prepare students for the military, even if not all enlisted afterwards, though most certainly did. After all, it was generally encouraged to do so in defense of their home. Principal Maia could not be more disencouraging, though not out of any concern, so far as Balthazar could read her. The crowds gathered more and more, and fully armored soldiers began to gather, blades and spears at attention. The cadets were marshaled to the back of the stage, as the public filled in seats and stands amidst the soldiers. Balthazar, being near the edge of the stage, could make out several nobles, their personal guards and gaudy clothing giving them away. His eyes snapped back at attention as he heard soldiers behind him parting way to let someone through.
At the front of the group, Regulus Helion, Third Seat of Deponess’ elite Knight’s Council, and Locke’s older brother, strode intently before the cadets. He was marginally taller than Locke, with a slightly more muscular frame. He wore the Deponesian officer’s uniform, rather than his more typical armor, consisting mostly of black; his pants, leather boots, belt, and trench coat. On his chest, like Locke, his family crest, in red, a roaring lion. Likewise, his cuffs, alongside rank markings on his shoulder and collar were also a bright red. His hair was a dusty shade of brown, as compared to Locke’s silver hair, though they shared the same eyes of amber. At his back, he wore a massive blade, almost more akin to a giant piece of iron than a conventional blade. He wore a harness at his chest that kept it to his back, an enchantment holding the blade in place. All the same, simply walking with it was nothing short of a great show of strength. Balthazar however, had trouble seeing the legendary hero that so many people proclaimed the man to be.
Regulus had a generally cold demeanor, not speaking unless necessary, far from the friendly warmth Locke had. Maia, for all her prattling, fell silent in the knight’s presence. Though he only paused for a moment while inspecting Locke, it was a fair bit longer than the rest of the cadets got. He turned back to where he had come from, nodded, and stepped back, standing opposite of the cadets, observing them all the while. His eyes didn’t seem to break from any of them, if they so much as twitched, he noted it. Balthazar found himself frozen solid.
Love what you're reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.
“At ease, Sir Regulus.” From the far end of the line, King Escalus stepped into view. At either side, his twin sons, who Balthazar had difficulty distinguishing between. One however, wore a crest signifying that he had been a graduate of the Royal Academia in Linia, this would have had to have been Prince Escalus, who had inspired a fair amount of clamor in his attendance. The royal family were often born with blue eyes, and blonde hair, the princes being no exception, the two even sharing a longer lock of hair that hugged the left side of their faces, just barely avoiding their eye. The King’s hair had grayed out with age, while he had once been a strong warrior king, time had withered, though not broken him. He still stood tall all the same, though not quite to the extent of his sons. Balthazar guessed they were a couple inches over 6’ as they passed him, to cheering crowds. Prince Escalus seemed to take particular notice of Balthazar, his forward gaze diverting for a second to make eye contact with the young mage. In that moment, his heart skipped two beats, and he felt as though he might topple over, zoning out as two more of the Kingdom’s Knight’s Council passed by him, fully armored, and difficult to identify.
Balthazar felt his classmate next to him nudge him, signaling that it was time to move. As they marched in order, Balthazar felt his chest pounding harder and harder as he followed the line of cadets, to his increasing horror, to stand directly at the foot of the stage before the royal family. He tapped his heel up and down repeatedly as he heard cheering crowds welcome the royals. He was somewhat relieved to see the Paragons, a pair of highly ranked and valued leaders of Linia’s mages, one Light Mage, and one Dark. Among the council of elders and mages that governed the city-state, they were usually seen as the greatest in a generation. They bowed on greeting the King, who bowed in turn to them, his sons following suit.
“Your majesty,” Dark Paragon Crowe spoke first, a somewhat ragged middle aged man, who wore a black robe and mantle, marked with silver. “It has been far too long, I am proud to welcome you back to our home.” He smiled warmly, and extended his hand to King Escalus, who firmly shook it.
“It is good to be back, Sir Crowe, on a day far happier than last.” He spoke compassionately, “For all of your valiance all of these years, I wish you much, though I fear to you, I could offer little.”
Crowe nodded somberly, still trying to hold a smile. “And I thank you for fighting alongside us to protect our home.” Crowe was silent for a moment, stepping away for Light Paragon Anne to give her formal greeting on stage.
She gave her counterpart a knowing look as she stepped up. “Your majesty.”
“Milady.”
“I trust you’ve been staying in good health?”
King Escalus laughed rather heartily. “I am not so old as to be frail yet.”
“Then I pray you stay strong for years to come.” More cheers from the crowd, citizens from Linia and greater Deponess in a clamor at the sight of such figures of strength standing together. The Paragons and King turned to the crowd, a silence spreading in anticipation for what came next.
“To the glorious people of this Kingdom, to our brothers, the people of Linia, I thank you for standing here today with me,” King Escalus started, his voice powerful and commanding, but not without a calming sense of compassion. “Today marks eight years since the Liberation of Alexandria, since the end of the Ranzian border war. Today marks the beginning of the lives of a new year of our nation’s best and brightest. Today!” He paused, spreading his arms to the people. “Today, I am proud of the peace that every man and woman has fought for.” Again he paused, his tone changing. “I have come here today, in remembrance of the battle that started the war, which hurt so many people here and took away our loved ones, a scar upon us all for time immemorial.” A somber silence spread.
Balthazar had barely been old enough to remember what he was talking about, even then, it wasn’t clear; sensations, emotions. Cold fog fighting the warmth of flame, screams, terror, someone holding him close to them as they ran through the streets to escape the fighting, crying.
“Time and time again since, we have fought to prevent such a tragedy from occuring again, while our wounds have healed, we have remained vigilant. It has been my honor to fight for and keep the peace for all, so that our children may never have to know such a thing again. For our futures, and theirs, we have stayed strong, but now, it is their time to claim their places in the world, to be strong, carve their own futures, and fly free of the nest. As such, my beloved subjects, brothers and sisters, the time has come to make an announcement I have been in anticipation of for 23 years now.” Murmuring and realization spread across the crowd, Balthazar putting together why they had gathered new graduates for this event. “I am to name my successor, to guide the nation when I pass or fall unfit.”
Balthazar’s attention turned to the twin princes, Prince Escalus seemed less surprised than his brother, Prince Atma, who almost seemed about to protest his father, before catching himself.
The King took a deep breath, unnoticeable but to those closest to the stage, a moment of weakness as he turned to his beloved sons. “To see you both grow has brought endless joy to me. I ask now that you two vow to continue to support one another, loyal to one another, to our people, brothers united, as our ancestors were.”
The more composed twin knelt first, followed shortly by his brother. “I swear, father.”
“As do I.”
“Rise, the both of you.” The King closed his eyes, and stood in silence for a moment. To his more off guard son, he turned slightly. “Atma Sigurd Ornicius, I entrust the fate of this kingdom to you when the time has come for my reign to end.” A mix of gasps and applause came from the people, Balthazar taking note of some nearly drowned out outrage seeming to come from a nobleman behind him. Likewise nearly drowned out, the King turned to his other son. “To you, Escalus, I entrust the fate of your brother.” He placed a hand upon the shoulders of his sons, drawing the two of them into his embrace for the moment a public display would allow him. Balthazar could see his eyes slightly redder when he turned back to the crowd.
Anne raised her hand into the air to signal for silence once more, waiting for the commotion to calm down before she spoke. “In respect of tradition to both Linia and Deponess, Prince Atma is to begin his right of passage, a pilgrimage far across the ocean, to our ancestral homes of Arcana and Arcadia, and ultimately, the final resting place of the first King.” She turned now to Prince Atma. “The journey is long, and you will receive no aid from the Kingdom or Linia, save what you take with you and your chosen.”
Balthazar found his heart pounding, once in a generation, the royal family had a pilgrimage, and on that pilgrimage, in honor of one of their greatest king’s legends, they would send three companions with the chosen heir, a young knight, and two mages, Light and Dark. To see the world, and the honor of taking part in something few could ever claim to have even been considered for. This was something out of a dream. He found himself grinning from ear to ear.
“With your chosen, you are to guide them, learn with them, lead, and protect them, and together, prove your strength, wisdom, and worth,” Crowe added, as he gestured to the line of graduates. “To you, and our nations’ continued friendship, we offer our best and brightest to accompany you.” Balthazar again followed the line of cadets, as they rose to the podium, standing before the royal family and Paragons. As Atma stepped up to them, the line saluted.
“At ease, everyone.” His voice was gentle, with a warm strength behind it, just like that of his father. Maia presented him a scroll, from what Balthazar could make out on a section that curled back towards him, it was a run down on the candidates before him. Atma first walked before each of them, observing their demeanor before he referred to the scroll. Among the squires, he was quick to come to Locke. “Squire Locke Helion.”
“Sir.” Locke once again saluted, before returning to his at ease position.
“I’m all too familiar with the strength of body and heart your family has presented throughout the years. All who know you speak of you in a similar fashion.” The prince smiled warmly. “I would be honored to have you as my first companion. Will you accept this calling?”
Locke smiled proudly, a rare sight that Balthazar, who peeked out slightly to see, was glad to see his friend have. “It would be my greatest honor.” He knelt, as Atma drew a blade from his belt, and tapped it gently on either of Locke’s shoulders.
“My first knight, Locke Helion, arise.” As Locke stood, a wave of applause swept the people once again, proud in the choice of a companion from such a standing. Atma turned now to the Mages of Linia, first skimming the list of Light Mages, but immediately returning to the top. His eyes turned sad for a moment, steeled again once he paused, and came to stand before Alice. “Alice Nocturne, I understand that your father is Paragon Crowe Nocturne?”
“That is correct, sir.” An atypically formal answer from her, Balthazar noted, but one he could understand.
“And, impressively, the very top of your class.” Atma glanced over to his brother, briefly. “I admit, I’m not as familiar with magic as my brother, but given your history,” he paused, almost tripping over his words, but catching himself, “and your performance, I would ask you to be my second companion.” He turned back to his twin. “Any objections to this choice?”
Escalus stepped forward to review the same document, looking to his brother briefly, and turning the scroll. “I have no reason to complain.”
Balthazar was beyond ecstatic, both of his friends being requested by the prince felt nothing short of miraculous, he had to do his best to contain himself. ‘Maybe,’ he thought, ‘this scroll mentions the three of us working together, and that’s how we’re being picked.”
Alice was silent for a moment, unnoticeable in the noise of the crowd, taking her time to answer the prince. “I accept, sir.”
Balthazar could hardly contain himself now, as the Prince walked before the Dark Mages, himself included.
“If I may brother,” Prince Escalus spoke before Atma could fully re-read through the section pertaining to the Dark Mages, and gestured to Balthazar. “I rather like his potential from what I read. Does it not also-”
“If I may be so bold,” Maia spoke up.
‘No,’ Balthazar thought, ‘no, no, no. Don’t you do it you old bat.’
“As their educator, and member of the Linian council, might I advise a different candidate?”
“As their educator then, do you not have faith in them,” Prince Escalus asked her. “If they are your best, then any should do.”
Anne was about to speak in turn, only to be cut off once more by Maia. “But of course, I only wish to see the best accompany the prince, and young Avelus, while certainly holding some potential, is not quite at the same level of some of our other candidates.”
‘You’re seriously going to ruin this for me, aren’t you?’ Balthazar was powerless to say anything, as Maia guided the prince elsewhere.
“Might I recommend our Paragon in the making, Miles Valentine?” Miles. Of course it was him. Teacher’s pet, generally excelled without trying, the envy of most students in the Academia.
Atma reviewed the scroll one last time. “I must agree, his ability presented so far has been nothing short of excellent.”
Balthazar wanted to scream, cry, whatever, but stood there, silently, motionlessly, as his chance was torn away by a vindictive witch. That he’d been given a chance was a miracle. That his friends had their chances go through even more so. Still, it stuck with him. He hadn’t known it was coming, but he was utterly heartbroken.