~Betwixt two islands of nigh unfathomable scope, lie the Caverns of Crouwlit: An extensive labyrinth of underground tunnels; sheltered, guarded, and restrained by the Siren Seas. Although seemingly impossible to reach due to the unpassable depths and unconquerable roils that plague the water’s surface, there are other means of accessibility.
This page is for the purpose of listing these methods:
….~
Unfortunately for Alan, the words ended there. The space where the scrap of paper should have continued, instead held an absence of the expected high quality papyrus. Black, flaking burn marks crowded across the jagged edge of the journal entry, rendering the aforementioned information all but useless. In fact, it was almost comical that the flames that so hungrily devoured the near priceless object ate away only the valuable parts, leaving the rest for a poor soul to find and lament upon.
‘I finally found the way to my destination, and it’s ruined. Figures. 6 years of searching? Down the drain.’
Although Alan was currently eyeing the piece of scrap with a calm and indifferent look, he could not restrain the seething frustration from creeping out. The air around him shook, and his hair briefly flickered from a Chestnut brown, to a darker gray. The quick moment of change passed by, completely unnoticeable unless closely inspected. Alan once again looked at the object in front of him, before taking a deep breath and calming his restless mind. His type of magic required a clear, concise image along with a disciplined and calm attitude. He could not slip into the habit of instability, even if it was outside of battle.
‘If it was 30 years ago, I wouldn’t lose my cool. It’s getting worse.’
He slowly drew his fingers inwards towards his palm, bending the paper towards itself and lessening it’s already dwindling sturdiness. A crackling sound emanated from the papyrus.
Alan let out an exasperated sigh, ceasing all movements enacted upon the scrap of paper and stopping himself before he ruined it. No need to desecrate such beautiful writing. Although one wouldn’t guess, he certainly had an eye for the arts.
Folding the paper back into a neat square, ensuring the charred edges were bent in a way that protected them; he slowly stood and strode out the open door of the library.
~~~
Iceare is one of two islands bordering the Siren Seas. Although called an island, Iceare’s width easily surpassed that of the sea’s. The terrain is so vast and expansive, that over half the population calls it a continent.
And on this massive body of earth, in a small kingdom that commands a harbor on the seas, lives an ordinary faced young man. Chestnut Hair, chestnut eyes, medium build and height, and nothing standout-ish on his face. His skin is lightly colored, indicating decent, but not excessive exposure to the sun. His looks suggest he is in his mid twenties, but his calm disposition hints at an older age.
The man, seated at a small table in the middle of a large glorified room, was reading a leather bound book. He always liked books. Just as others, he used them to escape reality. Unfortunately, unlike others, each book he read brought him closer to the end.
‘Just as I near the end of the book, so too does my conscience wea-’
*Knock Knock*
The sound of knuckles on wood reverberated through the room, interrupting his “profound” thoughts.
The young man lifted his head from the book, startled from the noise. Slowly setting it down, he prepared himself for his visitor, before pausing.
‘Did I just… Lose my concentration over such a trivial sound?’
To most, this would be no problem. Normal people at his age should react almost instinctively to the sound of someone knocking on the door. The young man was not normal though. To him, reacting in this manner was proof enough that he was in deep trouble.
*Knock Knock Knock*
“Yes, yes! It’s open! Come in!” He shouted, caught in a storm of thought, his face noticeably paler than before. In this brief moment of panic, he ignored the guest as he entered.
The visitor looked around the room in awe. It seemed to be something straight out of the royal palace. Velvety purple, the color of royalty, weaved with golden thread coating the floor in the form of an enormous carpet. An overwhelming amount of precious metals, from Enchanted Aurum to magic infused Silver, swirled in delicate patterns across the room’s faces, tantalizing in nature. Light gleamed off of the decorations, flooding the room with just the right amount of light: Not too bright as to be overdone, but enough to display the room and be practical.
Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.
Mesmerizing.
Overwhelming.
After gaping at the sight he beheld, the visitor straightened himself out. He now resembled a proper messenger of the Royal Palace. And that, he was.
Straightening his back, he displayed his impressive height. Dirty blonde hair parted to reveal a charming face, a canvas to his shining blue eyes.
“Alan Carinus, I presume?” He spoke, still baffled by the grandeur of the residence.
The young man broke away from his thoughts, and met eyes with his guest.
“That would be me. But it’s a little rude to enter someone’s house without an introduction.”
“I apologize for my behaviour. I am Jackson Aebutus, messenger of the Royal Palace. I come bearing a message for you addressed by the magician of the court, Kas Morrigan Sheria.” The young visitor spoke, bowing his head in apology. After mentioning the sender’s name, his eyes briefly revealed a look of reverence.
“... She’s not retired yet?” Alan responded, half joking, half honest to goodness baffled, “She’s Ancient! Should step down before she croaks.”
“With all due respect to Kas Sheria, her age seems to hinder her little when it comes to magic. And although she is older than even I know, she retains her youthful looks -- Much like you.”
Alan narrowed his eyes, showing displeasure, “...You either have a good eye, or more knowledge than you should... Scratch that, if you have a good eye you already know too much.”
“Forgive me for being rude once again, but I took the liberty of looking through your information. I find it best to know who I am confronting.” A slight smile started to form on the messenger’s lips.
“You make it sound like I’m an enemy. Also, good try, but the specifics of my age is classified. the only way to access my personal information is to look through the royal archives.” Alan’s eyes narrowed even further, pressuring the other man with his intensity.
‘It would seem he is not all he appears to be’ He thought.
Jackson’s grin cramped, but he kept in control. “I have a-a key.”
“You most certainly do. The only way to enter is with a key. Of course you have one. The real question is, do you have permission to hold that key? I’m sure only high ranking officials have the authority.”
‘I wonder how he attained one? … Well, some mysteries are better off unknown, right?’
Jackson hesitated, and the seconds in between Alan’s query and his unavoidable response seemed to stretch. After an uncomfortable staring contest, his shoulders drooped and he bent into a full bow.
“I must sincerely apologize. I overstepped my boundaries.”
“Yes, yes you did. However, I’m willing to look past this incident in exchange for some...Favors.”
“Of course. Anything you need.” Jackson stated, wiping the sweat from his palms and attempting to fix his posture once more.
Infiltrating the Royal Archives was considered an act of High Treason. Such overflowing amounts of raw information could be enough to take down the whole country if in the hands of someone very clever. The punishment was never delivered before, because the security was extremely tight. Either that, or no one was caught.
‘This man is really not all that he seems.’ Alan affirmed in his head again.
“So… what does the hag want with me?” He resumed the previous conversation.
“Kas Morrigan Sheria wishes for your audience. She has acquired information on Crouwlit.” Jackson recited, his aura returning to that of a dignified professional.
Alan’s ears twitched, and a grin began to spread across his face.
‘Maybe this day will yield results after all.’
---------------------------------------------------------------
Hello there. I hope you enjoyed the prologue. I am a very busy person, with many health problems. That means, when I release, I release slow. In fact, I'm not sure if people even will enjoy what I write. So, I guess I'll release a few chapters and see if anybody cares. Also, I'm perpetually tired, so I make mistakes. Many of them.
Some notes:
Kas - A way to show respect to a senior magician. Kind of like Ma'am or Sir.
"" speaking
' ' thinking