MAGES: The Introduction
The Prologue, Part 1:
South Island, Ringfield Zone.
As Earth's sun rose over the Ringfield Zone, Ringfield Village bustled into life. As busy market workers advertised their products, stressed citizens rushed to buy them, it all seemed like just another average day. Little did anyone know, today would be far from average for anyone.
Silvyr Porcupine sat down next to her husband, Khamus. They smiled warmly at each other, and returned their gaze to their children.
Lightstrike, 6, and Ruby, 5, played happily with the other youngsters in the public sand pit just outside the village. Ruby, being the younger of the two, was having trouble fitting in, and her maroon fur was almost gold from being pushed over in the sand so many times. A taller child, Brook, a 7 year-old bulldog, advanced on her menacingly. The other kids had had their fun, now it was time to teach this newcomer a real lesson.
As Brook bore down on Ruby, her brother glanced up, his dreadlocks framing his face. His dark green fur made him stand out even more than Ruby, but the other kids in the pit had known him long enough to know to stay well away from him.
As Brook prepared to push Ruby over one more time, Lightstrike's maroon eyes flashed yellow. A spark of lightning flowed between his hands, and leapt towards Brook. It wasn't a powerful charge, but it did sting Brook an awful lot. He turned to the offending porcupine, who stood up, hands still sparking. Lightstrike's voice was uncannily deep for a child of his age, and it gave Brook the shivers.
"Now that I've got your attention, Brook, you'd better use whatever brain you have for listening. Now, will you and your friends leave my sister alone, or do I have to shock you again?"
While Silvyr didn't exactly like her son's form of negotiation, she had to admit, it worked. Brook backed off, muttered an apology, and walked back to his friends, while Lightstrike walked over to his sister and brushed most of the sand out of her fur. Silvyr turned to her husband. "Khamus, are you sure that was a wise move? What if Brook."
"Brook won't do anything, hon'. You saw how he backed down when Lightstrike stood up to him. He's just jealous 'cause Lightstrike and Ruby have developed Magic earlier than him. This is. what, his third. taste of Lightstrike's Magic (and I swear, Silvyr, the kid gets stronger every day!) but he keeps coming, because he knows Ruby's weaker."
"How does he know?"
"Simple, honey. She's younger than Lightstrike, and hasn't shown she can defend herself yet. Oh. looks like I was wrong, here he comes again." This time, Brook sneaked up on Ruby from behind Lightstrike's back. He was about to shove her over, when Ruby yelled, "Just leave me ALONE!" Her eyes flashed gold, and the sand under Brook burst upwards, throwing the bulldog up and dumping him on his back. Ruby got up and walked back over to Lightstrike.
"Damn." Khamus muttered, "I never expected her Stone magic to be THAT strong."
"Well, Rainbow Mages have always been the strongest magic users, even if they do lack the spells of the higher circles," Silvyr explained, " In fact, the only weak Rainbow Mages are robots."
This last word had heavy irony attached to it, though neither Silvyr nor Khamus would ever know it. A little further from the sand pit, where the Ringfield Zone bordered Green Hill, cracks appeared. They widened and deepened, splitting Ringfield off from the rest of South Island. The villagers and the Elders ran to the split, and gazed up in shock at the huge warship hovering above them.
The Prologue, Part 1:
South Island, Ringfield Zone.
As Earth's sun rose over the Ringfield Zone, Ringfield Village bustled into life. As busy market workers advertised their products, stressed citizens rushed to buy them, it all seemed like just another average day. Little did anyone know, today would be far from average for anyone.
Silvyr Porcupine sat down next to her husband, Khamus. They smiled warmly at each other, and returned their gaze to their children.
Lightstrike, 6, and Ruby, 5, played happily with the other youngsters in the public sand pit just outside the village. Ruby, being the younger of the two, was having trouble fitting in, and her maroon fur was almost gold from being pushed over in the sand so many times. A taller child, Brook, a 7 year-old bulldog, advanced on her menacingly. The other kids had had their fun, now it was time to teach this newcomer a real lesson.
As Brook bore down on Ruby, her brother glanced up, his dreadlocks framing his face. His dark green fur made him stand out even more than Ruby, but the other kids in the pit had known him long enough to know to stay well away from him.
As Brook prepared to push Ruby over one more time, Lightstrike's maroon eyes flashed yellow. A spark of lightning flowed between his hands, and leapt towards Brook. It wasn't a powerful charge, but it did sting Brook an awful lot. He turned to the offending porcupine, who stood up, hands still sparking. Lightstrike's voice was uncannily deep for a child of his age, and it gave Brook the shivers.
"Now that I've got your attention, Brook, you'd better use whatever brain you have for listening. Now, will you and your friends leave my sister alone, or do I have to shock you again?"
While Silvyr didn't exactly like her son's form of negotiation, she had to admit, it worked. Brook backed off, muttered an apology, and walked back to his friends, while Lightstrike walked over to his sister and brushed most of the sand out of her fur. Silvyr turned to her husband. "Khamus, are you sure that was a wise move? What if Brook."
"Brook won't do anything, hon'. You saw how he backed down when Lightstrike stood up to him. He's just jealous 'cause Lightstrike and Ruby have developed Magic earlier than him. This is. what, his third. taste of Lightstrike's Magic (and I swear, Silvyr, the kid gets stronger every day!) but he keeps coming, because he knows Ruby's weaker."
"How does he know?"
"Simple, honey. She's younger than Lightstrike, and hasn't shown she can defend herself yet. Oh. looks like I was wrong, here he comes again." This time, Brook sneaked up on Ruby from behind Lightstrike's back. He was about to shove her over, when Ruby yelled, "Just leave me ALONE!" Her eyes flashed gold, and the sand under Brook burst upwards, throwing the bulldog up and dumping him on his back. Ruby got up and walked back over to Lightstrike.
"Damn." Khamus muttered, "I never expected her Stone magic to be THAT strong."
"Well, Rainbow Mages have always been the strongest magic users, even if they do lack the spells of the higher circles," Silvyr explained, " In fact, the only weak Rainbow Mages are robots."
This last word had heavy irony attached to it, though neither Silvyr nor Khamus would ever know it. A little further from the sand pit, where the Ringfield Zone bordered Green Hill, cracks appeared. They widened and deepened, splitting Ringfield off from the rest of South Island. The villagers and the Elders ran to the split, and gazed up in shock at the huge warship hovering above them.