Chapter 3: The Kingdom of Glass

The horse ran for some time, its hooves biting deep trenches into the ground. The day passed into the night, and it kept running. A touch of magic alleviated any temporary discomfort I felt.

I passed through green lands that became more rocky and treacherous, yet the horse ran on. Up a path that trailed through rocky mountainous terrain covered in snow, yet the horse ran on, seemingly uncaring of its changed environment or even what normal animals should be capable of.

Throughout the distance I traveled, I saw some signs of civilization split off from the road, but then I finally got a view of the largest city I had seen yet. In the dark night air, it glowed with seemingly a thousand lights spread out below the mountain that I was on. The city itself spiraled up into the sky, the center of the city, a great castle seemingly standing at height with the mountain I was on.

The horse beneath me snorted as it began to wind its way down over the snow and rock that covered where we were. My breath literally fogged the air, yet truly, I felt no colder than I had since we had begun our way up the mountain.

It was unclear to me how much distance we had covered, only that I was certain that it was quite a bit.

The horse beneath me snorted, and for some reason, my mind interpreted it as a question, ‘Shall we, my lord?’

I shook my head, rubbing my temples, not sure if I was imagining things because of the length of time I had been awake. Only a couple of sunsets and sunrises had occurred, I was sure of it, but this strange body felt no more tired than if I had freshly woken.

“Sure,” I murmured; talking to horses wasn’t any weirder than talking to trees, realistically speaking. Some would say that made slightly more sense. However, that was back home, a place that felt increasingly further away as we made our way to the next city.

Sara had not spoken to me since I had left the previous city. Though with nothing but my own thoughts and my surroundings to focus on, I could feel a kernel of something else sitting in the back of my mind watching and observing.

Disapproval was something I could deal with if that were how Sara was feeling. I knew she was still probably upset at my leaving. Still, you couldn’t make everyone happy, and her life was literally on the line.

The horse picked up the pace galloping down the mountain path. We passed into the valley below, falling under the shade of a few trees, and now that I was below the city, I was struck by its scale. That and how it seemed to shimmer and shine in its own light stone, looking like glass.

Farms spread out on every side of the path, tall plants shading either side of the road. The horse had slowed to what would have been a gallop for any other horse but noticeably slower than we had been going.

The city became closer and closer till I could see large metal gates that stood open, letting the light of the city through even as the massive walls to their side blocked the rest of the light. Guards stood surrounding the gate, and they looked up at my approach before they went back to their discussion amongst each other.

The horse came to a stop some meters from the gate, ‘No further. I will come when you call.’

Well, that was pretty definitive. I hopped down from the horse and patted its flank.

“Thanks,” I murmured.

The horse shook its stunning deep violet mane and then turned to gallop off away from the city. I made my way forward to the gate, where one of the guards stepped forward, waving me down, “What’s a young boy like you doing at the Capitol, especially so late at night?”

Well, wasn’t that the question? Sara had directed the horse to me, but why had it brought me here?

To find.

If reluctant acceptance had a feeling, I was pretty sure that was it. If I had to guess at Sara’s meaning, it was either I would find another White Mage here or something here would allow me to find another White Mage.

Either way, given how the last city had reacted at the discovery of my identity, it was probably best to be a little cautious.

“I’m looking for someone,” I said.

“Well, aren’t you a cryptic child? I’d say you’d found someone already. I suppose that’s not my problem either way. You’re one of those spirit’s accursed mages judging by that strange beast that brought you. You’ll find the University further in though they don’t usually take ones as young as you though. Certainly strange enough to fit in, I suppose.”

I blinked at the man who seemed to be trailing off into his own thoughts, “So I can go in.”

“Aye, suit yourself. Rather not get set ablaze or wind up on top of a tall building. You’re no Golden Legionnaire.”

“Right, uh, thanks,” I muttered, caught off guard by this blasé man.

I walked through the gate and was caught off guard by the sheer number of people about. The previous city hadn’t been exactly empty, but there were more people here by far. Lampposts with warm flickering light illuminated the way as I walked through the city, eyes wide at its beauty.

I had never really had the chance to travel before. I had gotten sick fairly young, but I imagined this would have been comparable to a big city at night though perhaps there weren’t any neon lights and billboards here.

The streets were fairly clean, though, and I made my way through the crowds of people for once, thankful that my new body looked so many years younger. As to these people, I was just an unaccompanied child let loose upon the city.

That sounded worse than it was. I was technically a teenager.

I continued wandering through the streets beneath the notice of everyone around me. I saw some elves, but for the first time, I also saw humans who lacked pointed ears; well, at least, I assumed they were humans.

Humans? Sara’s voice intruded on my thoughts for the first time in a long while

‘I think so,’ I responded back in my head. They certainly looked the same as they did in my previous life.

There were also shorter people, maybe a little shorter than me, with thick beards and heavy clothes. They also seemed to confuse Sara, but that was a felt emotion, not words.

Besides these superficial differences, though, it was like any other big city. Minus the fact that there were no cars, though the plus side was that being a pedestrian felt much safer.

I kept making my way through the crowds edging my way further and further up the city. It was a stereotypically medieval city, at least in the sense that stylistically it seemed inspired that way. In many other senses, it wasn’t. The buildings were tall, well-built, and were made of smooth stone rather than brick. How, I had no idea.

My first sight of the magic that wasn’t meant to be sent at my face was rather lackluster. A man was juggling fireballs in the street and would occasionally blow fire outward to create another fireball.

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

It was interesting enough to have a crowd of other citizens around him admiring his talent, but I couldn’t help but feel a little let down as, in this case, it felt as if the fact of realizing it was magic detracted from the performance.

Though when he made a dragon out of the fire, that was pretty cool. I kept walking through the streets of what the guard had referred to as the ‘Capitol.’ Out of the long list of things I needed, a map was becoming one of them because following the roads would only take me so far, especially if I needed to get to this Empire of Gold.

It was as I was passing through the streets, I smelled something strange. It was not truly describable as a scent, really, but it was something my brain interpreted simply as death. It was cold, alone, a warm light circling the abyss. I frowned and, despite myself, began to follow the scent through the streets.

I arrived at a massive stone building with large stained windows depicting on one side four figures, a bearded dwarf in full armor clutching a massive hammer, an elven woman with long blonde hair holding a twisting wooden staff, and a human woman in full armor with a twisted golden crown holding a spear over her shoulder. They were facing a man with long silver hair and silver eyes who was holding his palms open, cradling a shining white star.

A White Mage. I was sure of it. I looked at the other window and frowned at what I saw.

It was the same figures from the previous window, but they were positioned differently, with the White Mage lying on the ground, obviously wounded, and the other people gathered around him.

After a moment of indecision, I walked inside the open doors. I was greeted by shelves upon shelves of books. They were arrayed in an orderly mannner, but the massive quantity was amazing. Cautiously I moved further in, following my nose.

Through the shelves, I walked, the scent my only direction. It became stronger and stronger as I walked until it was overpowering. The light of yellow crystals, my only guide, I exited upon what looked like a study area judging by the assembled tables upon which I saw a grey-bearded short, stocky man collapsed, mouth desperately searching for air. What should have normally been dark-toned skin had blued against his finely wrought, silky dark clothing. His frantic gaze locked upon me, and he reached out desperately as if to tell me something.

The number one indication that he wasn’t all right was a crude black dagger sticking straight out of his back.

Indecision seized me for a moment. The last time I had healed someone, it had gone poorly, to say the least.

Disgust welled up inside my gut at myself. I was afraid to heal someone. Afraid to help someone as they were dying.

I rushed up to him, and the smell became omnipresent as I grasped the black dagger, and as I grasped it, I felt a strange sensation like a sharp blade pressed against my skin yet unable to cut. I pulled the dagger free and threw it to the ground before pressing my palm against the dwarf’s back.

Heal.

I felt the gash beneath my hand seal closed, but strangely I felt more energy escaping me and looking at the wound, I saw traces of what almost looked like ink burning away from the white light. Still, as I pushed more of my strength into the man, the ink-like substance disappeared, and a healthier pallor returned to the man’s face.

“It, It’s over,” the man said, his deep voice reverberating in the silence, “I’d been like that for hours. My charm held back the worst of the curse.”

At that, he pulled out a necklace with a number of silvery charms on it, except a blackened one that looked like it had been set aflame.

“Ah, I should have known that a Black Magic curse of that power would destroy it,” the dwarf said sadly.

Was it just me, or did he seem more worried about his charm than his life?

Against my better judgment, I asked, “Are you all right?”

“Me?” The man said, rubbing his brow, “I’m fine, but would you look at the state of my charm? I can make another, I suppose, but I’d had that one for a good century. It outlasted all the last wars with the Empire and kept me safe when the Black Blood was ravaging the Kingdom…”, the man mournfully stroked his beard.

I looked at him befuddled, “I’m sorry, I suppose.”

“It can’t be helped,” the strange man said, “Suppose I should introduce myself. I’m Lord Balar, Green Mage and Professor of the Royal Academy. Have we met before, young man? You look familiar, if a little young, to be one of my students.”

“Uh, no, we definitely haven’t,” I replied with a wry quirk to my brow. “Are you certain you’re feeling all right you were impaled a few moments ago.”

“Quite all right, young man, you healed me up perfectly…” The man trailed off, stroking his beard before fire lit in his eyes, “Wait, by the Roots of the World, you’re a White Mage.”

“Uh…” Ideas flashed through my mind as he tried to figure out how to deny the accusation given how last time had gone, “No, I’m not.”

Nailed it.

“You are; I’ve been around long enough to have met others of your kind,” the man gestured vaguely at his lengthy braided beard, “But I thought you all died fighting the Black Blood.”

Lord Balar trailed off, fiddling with his beard and muttering under his breath.

Well, that cat was out of the bag, still, “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

The man stopped fiddling with his beard looking directly at me, “You don’t? Are you telling the truth? How old are you? I suppose you don’t look that old, but it’s always hard to tell with you White Mages?”

“Uh,” I thought for a moment; since coming to this world, every sense of time had been skewed for him, “I have no idea. I think young.”

‘You don’t know?” the man seemed to gather himself, “Well, I suppose I should explain a little bit. Around seventy years ago, a plague emerged that swiftly spread and was incredibly deadly in its effect. Symptom-wise, it seemed to put people into comas where they slowly wasted away. The only other thing notable about it was that the patient’s blood slowly turned black, thus leading to the name Black Blood. The only people able to fight back the plague were the White Mages, but they were spread thin, and one by one, thousands of them overused their magic healing people and died themselves. Nowadays, there’s only a few of them left, and the only ones that are really known are Generals in the Empire’s army.”

I felt an overwhelming feeling of sorrow, not my own, surge me as Lord Balar spoke. It took every bit of emotional control I had to not break down and weep.

“Right,” I said softly, “I had gathered a bit of that.”

“But you’re here, a White Mage unaligned with the Empire. This changes everything!”

I felt a horrible feeling of déjà vu.

I shook my head violently, “No. I’m not interested in getting involved in a war. I need to find the other White Mages.”

Lord Balar frowned, “I’m sorry, but that seems an impossible task. That is unless you joined the Empire of Gold.”

“I’m not going to,” I bit out forcefully, trying and failing to reign in my irritation, “I don’t want to join anyone.”

Lord Balar sighed and picked up a pair of glasses from the table fiddling with them for a moment.

“Young man, I understand, truly I do; I have no love for war either. The remaining free rulers of the Northern Continent cannot afford to understand, though. Even if you would claim independence, this world has seen that White Mages will oft listen to each other above all others. Wandering free without allegiance and, worse, seeking out the remaining White Mage will not be looked upon kindly.”

“Yeah, I think I’ve found that out recently,” I muttered, rubbing my forehead, “Look, I understand why that would upset people, but this is important; I need them.”

“Why?” Lord Balar looked searchingly at me, and I struggled with myself for a moment.

I settled on half the truth, “Someone back in the Great Forest needs their help. They’re in such bad shape that I’m not able to heal them myself. Without other White Mages, they’re going to die.”

Lord Balar’s brow furrowed, “Someone in the Great Forest. I wasn’t aware there were any people still living in the forest since the Elves were banished and the White Mages were wiped out. Though I suppose, given that you’re here, you would know better than I.”

I just hoped he wouldn’t press more. I didn’t distrust him, but I hadn’t distrusted Lord Silverleaf. Knowledge of Sara’s condition was best kept secret, especially with how little I still knew.”

I felt a faint sensation of something running over my scalp, comforting and a whispered word of approval.

Well, at least Sara agreed.

“Well, young man, you saved my life. To a dwarf that means something; I will do all in my power to assist you.”

“You believe me?” I asked, hating the faint feeling of hope that welled up within me.

“The eldest among the dwarves have a good sense of people, you at least did not believe you lied to me. That’s all I need right now. Not to mention I don’t have so little honor to not do what I could for the boy who saved my life.”

“Thank you,” I really meant it.

“If you’re truly seeking the remaining White Mage, you have two options. One is to go to the Eastern Continent, where one of them works within the Empire of Gold. The second option is closer but perhaps far more dangerous. The other White Mage is currently serving on the frontlines leading and healing the Empire’s soldiers. I believe the second option is at least marginally less dangerous.”

“Right,” I nodded.

“Before we seek them out, though, I’m afraid I will need help from you; the dagger was driven into my back, I assume, was due to some information I have recently discovered.”

“Information?” I queried.

“Yes, you see, I was researching an illness that has struck our King of the Kingdom. Since we have no White Mages, I was looking through the journals we have to see if they left behind the notes to a possible cure.”

“Did you find anything?” I asked a feeling of unease building in my gut, I did not like where this was going.

“Yes and No, you see, the only cure I found I cannot make. I am not a White Mage.”

“But I am,” I sighed, rubbing my forehead.

“I see you get my meaning precisely,” Lord Balar chuckled wryly, “As I am duty-bound to help you for saving my life. I am duty-bound to save our King. The only issue is, if you are discovered, I doubt King Greymar or his parliament will be happy about you leaving.”

“Right, so what’s the plan?”

“Why you’ll pretend to be my apprentice, of course!” Lord Balar chuckled, his eyes gleaming.

“That is a terrible plan.”