The lightning whip thrashed through the edge of Haven destroying all houses in its path as it mercilessly sought out Remi. Each time a house fell there were drowned screams. Many of the people were fleeing out of their homes hearing the destruction. The weaker or slower citizens were quickly caught up in the lightning. There were some that attempt magic as a defense, but the time required for them to gather enough meant that they died easier.

Remi avoided detection from the townspeople moving too fast for most to even see him and otherwise keeping a darkness spell cast over him to make him impossible to recognize. He had been easily avoiding the attack from the unconscious Eris, but it was quickly becoming more accurate starting to pick up on the constant magic emissions from the spell he was maintaining. ‘This is becoming curious…’

Dozens of houses were now leveled with a semi-circle forming from the limit that the whip could reach. Those that were inside area were dead already with the survivors fleeing away to safety where ever it could be found, in other words as far as possible from the fighting. The abandoned section of Haven left Remi and the unconscious Eris free to duel.

The darkened figure of Remi’s masking spell flickered in the wind as he stood up looking down at Eris in the distance. ‘There is something that does not make sense about her. Unconscious and attacking with this accuracy. That strange life force I sensed…’ He watched the lightning whip undulating in anticipation of the next strike. When the attack came Remi was already finishing preparation extending his palm out sending pulsing waves away from him in direction of Eris. The whip continued undaunted by the harmless waves taking the final blow against the man. The ground exploded around Remi as the lightning struck before a brilliant light burst from the whip dispersing it into particles.

As the dust settled Remi was standing calmly with a frontal barrier up protecting himself from the debris. The lightning whip was gone, broken down by the waves that Remi had produced. Each wave caused the magic forming the spell to lose its bonds and focus creating progressive degradation until it could no longer to be sustained. Now that he was freed from constant assaults his defensive stance could be changed. A burst of speed brought him within reach of Eris once again as a barrier went up around her.

Remi placed his hand through the barrier shattering it without an effort. “All magic has been disrupted, you’ll need a lot more concentration if you expect to fight me. Though it makes it difficult for me, there is no more needless resistance from you.” His hand touched her stomach starting the work that had been interrupted. The threads began to flow into his arm draining out of Eris. However, he suddenly stopped turning his head towards the town staring through his narrow eyes. “The fighting stopped…whoever the victor is will undoubtedly investigate the magic used here.”

Retracting the hand, Remi walked away from Eris stopping for a moment looking back at her. “You’re a curious one. Perhaps allowing you to live will be more fruitful.” Parting with those words Remi disappeared from the site of destruction. Silence returned to the field as two figures appeared near by.


The dirt road led into the west as one of the last trade routes along the Jumin border. This land had exchanged sides countless times that there were numerous roads undulating north to south through the war zone. It made travel difficult for directions, but easy as it was almost impossible to block travel.

Marching soldiers from the northern region were making their way to west. The growing border tensions with the Kithurans staring from their side were making the king uneasy. They were already losing the war in the north barely able to keep a defense together and now they were being threatened on a new front. Everyone believed that Kithur’s forces were too focused in the north to attempt a second front, but their displays of force on the border had everyone second-guessing that belief.

No one knew what was going on in Ithure anymore with all contact cut now. The last report that was received from the agent investigating the incident said that was it a magic user that had awakened in the village that did the destruction. The message came down from the intelligence division, but it was difficult to believe that it was a single individual that caused it all. Magic was used that was all that was completely clear and the formations of Kithur were looking suspicious.

General Ulric Qui Fonbre knew the strength of magic from the battles in the north. He knew far too well how powerful that they were, but those were military trained mages. The level of destruction that was said to have been witness would have to be that of a military trained mage. He had never heard of an awakening user to cause such devastation. Even so, he would prefer it to be the case as much as he hated the thought. They could not keep up a two front war with Kithur with their military strength as it was currently.

The fourth army had been on the march for the last day after camping to the north of the village waiting the arrival for their magic attachment. Ulric had been able to avoid the need for mages in his command since he took over the fourth army, but it was becoming standard for military mages to be assigned to the standard military. He had protested the decision fervently, but they simply told him he was living in the past. The words held irony as he was praised in his battles against magic users as being the most adapt in changing his tactics against magic users. Fighting with magic seemed inelegant on the battlefield almost barbaric, but he knew that he could not survive the battlefield with that sentiment. The technology of war was advancing and he would be left behind if he remained stagnant like the other generals who still thought that they were going up against normal soldiers.

Once they reached the outskirts of Ithure the men halted. Ulric could see smoke rising from the village in the distant creating an ill omen. ‘I don’t like the looks of this. Something is not right.’ He signaled for his scouts to advance on the village to determine the condition. Before he sent the scouts ahead he had one of the mages from the attachment go with the scouts. The unknown was ahead in the village and it was already attacked by magic once, the support could be necessary.

Using the tree line at the edge of the fields of crops as cover the scouts quietly approached the edge of the village. Kethyir Ghiyon was drawn as the support for the scouts from the attachment. He was not pleased to be leaving his unit since much of the men had not accepted him. The scouts were the same ignoring him and leaving him behind if he was too slow. The thick foliage before the field made it difficult to quietly approach. He could not hear a sound from the village.

It was almost night with the sun dipping below the horizon. The coming darkness was not being fought back with lanterns or fires in the village. Ithure was still, far too silent. Kethyir could see the expression on the others in the scouting party. They were all thinking the same thing as him. However, they were soldiers and could not let that cloud their judgment, the squad leader rose up from the ground to his feet while keeping close to the ground. Everyone moved closely around him to receive orders.

“Groups of two,” he began, explaining who would be in the pairings. “And magic boy with me. You’ve got your orders, meet in the center of the village. Move out.” The others nodded and quickly disappeared into their separates directions. There were two other groups moving to enter the village from the north and south while Kethyir and the squad leader went straight through the eastern fields.

The two slowly walked through the fields using them for cover until finding it end abruptly. Everywhere before them the crops were bent over or burned down. There were even parts of the field that still burned faintly. “This looks recent…” Kethyir said softly. The squad leader was remaining quiet moving forward cautiously. Neither of them knew what was going on, but the uneasy feeling that had been a light veiled fear began to grow stronger. It was becoming clear that not all of the destruction was caused by a single magic user.

Kethyir reached the first house of Ithure or where the first house would have been a few days ago. All that remained now was ash and crumbling wood. As they walked in further dead bodies began to be found out in the road. Their blood was spreading through the dirt. As far as Kethyir could see there was no one left alive in the village. Something had happened to everyone; someone or thing did this to the village after the incident a week ago.

At the center of the village the other two groups eventually met up with Kethyir and his squad leader. They all looked at each other with the same eyes and expression. “Report.”

“It appears that everyone is dead and nothing of the village was left standing.”

“Same as what we saw.”

“Alright, team two go back and make your report to the General. We’ll stay and check for any survivors. If anyone is still alive we will need answers from them. And magic boy!”

“The name’s Kethyir, sir.”

“Can you see any traces of magic use?”

He had been looking around the entire time and while he skills in seeing the magic particles in the air was not as refined as others there was nothing to be seen. “Depending on how long ago the attacked happened the magic might have dissipated to the point that I can’t see it. The smaller the spell the less of a magic signature it is going to leave behind. If they did use magic, it was very sparingly. This looks like it was done mostly with standard weapons.”

“The Kithurans…” one of the others said.

“We don’t know that yet,” the squad leader said trying to keep rumors to a minimum. “Everyone split up and look for survivors. If you don’t find anyone in an hour meet back here at the center.”


Pilner was slowly coming to an end with the border only guarded by the mountains before him. Wihnem wiped the sweat from his forehead as he looked upward at the mountains in the distance. He had picked up a lead from someone traveling south that there were strange lights and sounds in the mountains recently. Whenever someone saw something strange these days it was usually the result of magic being used. He knew that it could have easily been a landslide or some campfire, but there was nothing else to go on at the moment. The thought of trudging through snow did not appeal to him; he was barely wearing warm enough clothes for a hike in the mountains.

He pulled the collar up close to his neck suddenly feeling a cold draft from staring at the mountains. There were still several miles in front of him before the mountain began its steep climb, but steps of the mountain were already introducing themselves to him. His breathing was still calm waiting for the exercise to begin. Out of the corner of his eye he caught the glimpse of two figures on horseback.

The sunlight shining off their armor made him realize that they were Pilner knights. He would have preferred to take cover and avoid being spotted, but the land was barren but for wild grass that proved to be a poor cover. Wihnem continued to march towards the mountain pretending to ignore them. However, he could see that they were not ignoring him. The knights had changed their direction looking to intercept him.

Knowing that he could not avoid an encounter he prepared himself for them. Once they reached a distance that he knew any normal person would have taken notice he looked over acknowledging them. Wihnem slowed down his pace allowing them to meet him. In his best Pilner accent he greeted them warmly, “Good day!” As they continued to approach he took careful notice of a third with them. He could not see them well hiding behind the two, but it was clear that they were not a knight like these two before him.

“Good day, citizen,” the woman knight said. She looked over at the other as though signaling him.

Wihnem remained calm hoping that they were not here to cause trouble. He could see in their eyes that they had a motive for the appearance before him, but he did not know what it was. When the second knight turned it was then that he saw the insignia on the side of the armor, the mark of the Holy Knights. They were a part of the magic hating religion that was flourishing in Pilner. ‘Must be inquisitioners to be out here alone. Not what I needed.’ However, when the third figure he had seen stepped forward in worn tattered clothes he became confused.

The young woman stepped forward looking at Wihnem for only a second before having her eyes suddenly roll back. Her knees gave out on her as her body quickly collapsed to the ground. “He has the strongest…gift…I’ve felt…” she said before passing out on the ground. The two knights quickly drew their weapons pointing them on Wihnem without hesitation.

Wihnem stepped back still confused by what was going on. He did nothing to the girl, but they were acting as though it was his fault. He could not use magic against them and risk the chance of being seen or alerting other knights that might be with them. They had him at a disadvantage as he barely had something to call a weapon on him. His small dagger was all he could afford to take with him and still look like an innocent traveler. ‘Magic may be my only choice…’

“Nature Heretic, by the blessing of the gods I shall strike you down,” the woman said taking a swing at Wihnem followed by the male knight thrusting with his lance.

Wihnem was able to dodge the attacks, but his skill was quickly revealed to them as a result. ‘Nature Heretic, but how did they know? This doesn’t make any sense.’ He was left with no recourse now, but to fight and end it quickly. The two knights charged at him on their horses taking up opposite sides. He was able to avoid getting hit seeing the charging animal coming well in advance, but it made it difficult for him to do much to them. There was little time to focus a spell at the speed they were coming at him. If he tried anything one of them would have run him through before he had time to finish. ‘There is only one choice left, guess I’ll have to risk it.’

The charging horses came for another round against him the first one was already past him as he missed. The woman was next and he was ready for her. She was held her sword out wide knowing that he would be avoiding it again. All she need was a glancing blow, but Wihnem was not moving this time. She narrowed her eyes pushing the horse faster. When the horse was within feet of him he rolled over in front of the horse clearing to the opposite in time making it impossible for her to reach him. Wihnem brushed his hand against the horse’s thigh as it galloped passed. A moment later the leg of the horse had a spasm and in the full sprint tripped over itself throwing the woman from her horse.

The other knight approached the woman to see her condition. However, Wihnem did not wait and began to focus for a quick lightning spell. He thrust his palm out throwing a thin bolt of lightning from his palm that hit at the ground startling the horse. The horse threw the knight off and darted off leaving to the two knights laying on the ground in their heavy armor. Wihnem gathered electricity in his palms as he walked over to them making the hair on his arm stand on end. He placed his hand on each of them sending enough electricity through the metal and their body to knock them out. “Now I can take my time…” Wihnem withdrew his dagger from his back kneeling down with the first knight.

Before he could slit the woman’s throat the girl that had passed out charged him knocking him down. The dagger flew out of his hand and the girl fell on top of him looking down at him. Wihnem looked into the girl’s eyes. All he could see was an empty void with life barely present in them. “Why did you stop me?” The girl had no response. She just continued to stare at him.

He did not have time for her and easily removed her from holding him down and searched out his dagger. When he found the blade reflecting the sun he bent down to find the girl clinging to him trying to hold him back. Wihnem sighed quietly and threw her off his leg trying not to completely kick her away. He walked over to the woman to start again, but caught a glimpse of someone on the path in the distance. ‘Out of time, have to finish…not again.’ The girl was leaning on him again stopping him from killing the two and now he was out of time. “Fine, I won’t kill them. Can’t stay any longer. I’m going to regret this, I know.”

Wihnem ran off towards the mountains leaving behind the scene. Once the knights woke up they would come after him again along with the strange girl. He looked back to see the distance he covered to see the girl following him. Wihnem pushed himself harder to put more distance between them seeing the girl disappear into the horizon. Once he felt it was safe he rested at the foot of the mountains. He would need his rest before trekking up the slopes.

He was ready to continue when nightfall hit. Wihnem looked up the dark forest that lined the foot of the mountain trying to eye his path. There was only moonlight to guide him now, but he started regardless. However, there was the sound of a branch snapping behind him alerting him to a presence. He turned around to see to his surprise the girl that had caused him so much trouble. “You again…how did you find me? You a tracker?”

“I followed you.”

“So you do speak, but your answer is too vague. Who are you?”

“I followed you…”

Wihnem signed out loud. The empty voice of the girl seemed to match her empty head. He did not know how far he was going to get with her. It was either an act that she was putting on or she had the dumbest luck he had ever known. “Yes, we’ve been through that already. It still doesn’t answer the question if you repeat yourself.”

“I followed you…by your magic.”

“My magic, but I was not using any. That’s impossible. There is no trail to follow.”

“I can feel your magic…I followed you.”

‘Great…she is making even less sense.’ He could not be certain that she was not a threat to him, but if she had actually followed him as she said there would be no getting rid of her. There were only two choices for him and he did not know which he preferred. They both held risk of the unknown.