New Magic
Chapter 1: The Mark of the Magi
"Ashentir, come in for dinner!"
"I'm coming," he grumbled.
As he came in the door the usual,
"Go wash your hands!"
floated in from the kitchen. Still grumbling from having to come inside the 15 year-old Drow boy went to the bathroom to wash his hands. As he was washing Ashentir noticed a strange symbol on the top of his right hand. It shimmered with a red aura that shone brightly against the midnight-black skin.
After he washed his hands, Ashentir went to the kitchen and showed his mother the symbol.When she saw the symbol she visibly paled,
"Oh Gods!" she whispered.
She took Ashentir's hand and pulled him towards the temple. Ashentir shocked by his mother's reaction, was speechless. Upon reaching the temple, and acolyte stopped them and demanded their business,
"We need to see the High Priest on a matter of severe urgency." Was Ashentir's mother's reply.
At the desperate look on her face the acolyte led them to the High Priest's chambers. He then bowed them through the door, and closed it after they entered. Upon their entrance the High Priest looked up from his scrolls and asked,
"Whatever is the matter my dear?"
Ashentir's mother replied,
"He has the mark O' Holy One!"
"Which mark my dear? The mark of the Priest's? Or the mark of the…"
The High Priest faltered, throwing a look of frightened curiosity at Ashentir. He looked back at Ashentir's mother and said,
"It cannot be! No one in this town has borne one of them before! It has always been a priest or priestess, there have been no Magi ever in this town!"
Ashentir's heart skipped a beat, he had heard of mages from travelers coming through the town. They were extremely powerful beings that could use magic to do whatever they wanted. They could summon demons, produce light, call lightning from a cloudless sky, and kill with a single word, gesture, or even a look.
"I'm a mage!" Ashentir cried, "Oh Gods! I…wait," he paused, "does this mean I will have to leave?"
"Yes it does," replied the High Priest, "you will have to be transported to the city of Ginavfon, the capital of the Drow. Thankfully it is still located in the Underdark." "I do not know the ways of the Magi, but I do know that you have to go to school." "You will be chosen by one of the Masters based on your performance during the final test. Your final year in school is when you will be chosen or not chosen."
He gave Ashentir a grave look,
"The road of the Magi is long and arduous, beware of what you say and do, for they will determine the path you take."
With these words Ashentir was escorted home by one of the acolytes. His mother stayed with the High Priest to arrange his departure to the great city of Ginavfon.