The city was in uproar for an annual celebration. A new day was on the horizon, and with it, came a new year. The various populace of the merchant-city of Iris rejoiced in this, the prospect of a new start, another chance. The local guild of mages within the massive city held a denizen readied for a journey. The building itself was modest, if not well maintained. Despite its reticent appearance, even the inhabitants of the mages' guild held the new year as a time for celebration, though mostly apprentices were engaged in the festivities of the night. Among them was one about to be released from apprenticeship, as a full-fledged mage, Kael Meleth. Thus despite his normally taciturn behavior, he was doubly obliged to join in the revelry. Of course, his very own nature made this difficult, and he found himself associating with a fellow apprentice, one of the select few he would call a friend. But as Mark dismissed himself to retire, Kael found himself doing so as well. He ascended the stairway in a sleepy haze, years of apprenticeship his guide to his room when his body had all but ceased to function. Entering his room quietly, he collapsed upon his bed, and without further struggle, fatigue overcame him.
He awoke to the sun's impertinent gaze, its bright rays awakening him from his restless sleep. Kael Meleth crawled out of bed to perform his morning rituals before heading down for breakfast. It was a simple meal and finishing quickly, he promptly dismissed himself from the dining hall traversing the building's complex pathways to an unmarked door. The door would have been indistinguishable from those surrounding it, had Kael not lived within the confines of the guild for years now. The door opened with an audible creak, its hinges having been unkempt for quite some time. The inhabitant of the room busied himself with much more important things, or so he said. The room itself was much worse than the state of the door hinge. Books were scattered across the floor with various vials, empty or otherwise randomly placed around the room. A single fine wooden table, now worn due to previous misuse, was currently serving the uses of a surprisingly large man. There was a perpetual scowl on his features and his blue eyes contemptuously stared at a single object, or rather person.Kael Meleth's master gazed at his student with unhidden annoyance.
"Your inability to obey even the simples of commands greatly irritates me. Even on the day that I am to tell you that you are competent, and, mind you, barely at that, enough to dabble in the arts of the arcane you show up long past the given time. I doubt myself in telling you that you are indeed able to perform your spells adequately enough to be released from your apprenticeship. Nevertheless, I am sick of holding your hand. No matter how half-heartedly, I congratulate you, Kael Meleth," his gruff voice boomed coupled with undisguised irritation.
"Thank you," Kael replied simply, purposely forgetting to add master at the end of his sentence. He continued, his voice heavy with sarcasm, "Have you no parting gift for your beloved student?"
"But one," his master paused, "a letter not intended for the likes of you. Deliver it to the Guild of Mages located in the fortress-city of Unum. Surely even your meager talents can accomplish this task I set before you?"
"Yes," Kael replied curtly, before promptly taking the letter out of his master outstretched hand eager to depart this home he loathed. Leaving his master's room, he heard his master's rough voice call out after him, "Don't get yourself killed! I still have more chores for you to do!"
Kael left the building he had called home for many years of his life, giving a bitter mental goodbye to the horrid place. He fumbled with the straps on his traveler's bag as he haphazardly placed the sealed letter inside. He had no chance of examining the contents of the letter without the receiver learning of his tampering due to the seal. Kael outwardly sighed at his failed attempts to learn more of his master's interests. He cast one, last contempt filled look at the building before stopping by the tavern he had visited the night before.
He was not surprised to learn that some of the night's previous occupants still lingered in the tavern, or, rather, they lay strewn about the room in a drunken stupor, some with half-empty mugs still in their hands. Kael strode uneasily among the unaware bodies toward the half passed out barkeep. The early hour did not inhibit Kael in any way as he ordered a single drink. The barkeep eyed him perplexedly.
"A good luck drink, if you will. I've a long journey ahead of me," Kael answered the man's unspoken question.
Kael Meleth left the tavern wordlessly, his body mechanically aiming its footsteps towards the City Square. Even in the early morning, merchant's cries rang out among the mindless conversations of the public. Two trains of linked wagons led by teams of horses stood in the middle of the square, advertising their presence to all who would pay heed. Kael eyed both caravans before choosing the one on the left, mimicking his handedness. He approached the leader carrying his long, bulky quarterstaff in his left hand.
"Excuse me," Kael called out above the noise of the general public. The man regarded him and responded, almost hurriedly,
"What do you need? We're about to set off."
"Just a question, where is your caravan headed?" Kael queried indifferently.
"The city of Unum, we are to deliver a cache of weapons to the military there," the man responded, his voice still rushed.
"It appears you may have need of a guard, care to have a wizard watch over your caravan?" Kael proposed, ensuring that he hid any trace of hope from his voice. There was no need to let the man know more than he needed.
"We've many men already, all of them trained. But your presence would be helpful." The man regarded him a moment longer, a thoughtful expression on his face, as if torn between two decisions. After a moment, the man continued, "Sure. I can't promise you that the pay will be good." The man responded uncertainly.
"That will be fine, I will accompany you…" Kael paused, having no clue to his current employer's name.
"Achard Breen, captain of the caravan guard," Achard stated almost proudly.
Eyeing the ragtag bunch, Kael surmised that the so-called captain had a low standard for excellence. He resigned himself to walking alongside the long train of wagons, which would soon likely be under the merciless sun, and his only company would be some idiot yokels playing soldier. A pity, that.
The day travel was long but difficult, the many hills and twists and winds of the forest path causing difficulties for those in the caravan. At nightfall, the group set up camp and ate amongst each other, Kael avoiding any other members of the caravan. He felt no need to associate himself with those so far below him and made his opinion no secret. Within a day, he had set up his reputation as a recluse, and soon all within the caravan made it a point to avoid him and his biting comments. This process repeated for several days, but at noon on third day this peaceful cycle was abruptly ended.
Having traveled for several hours already, adjacent to the slowly trudging caravan, Kael was genuinely surprised when the caravan abruptly stopped. Urgent conversation caught Kael's interest and he hurried forward to understand the source of the stop and the newfound commotion. He quickly reached the front of the long train and noted the creature that situated itself directly in front of the caravan's path. A large brown bear eyed the caravan warily. Although it was not openly hostile, the massive creature was clearly on edge. Within moments the situation promised to escalate into worse. Kael quickly processed the options viable to him in his mind. If he could enter within arm's reach of the creature and the mutter the right incantations, he should be able to understand any language it spoke. If it spoke any, Kael realized. On the other hand, he could openly confront the bear with hostility in the attempt to kill the obstacle in the caravan's path. That'll do, Kael decided. As he walked forward to execute his plan, ignoring the guards' frantic warnings, a grim smile formed upon his lips. He felt no fear, only a sense of unrivaled exhilaration as he spoke the words of magic, their mere utterance charging the air with power. Kael's left hand was suddenly consumed in lightning, though the eldritch energies did not harm him, and, without hesitation, thrust the lethal energies at the unsuspecting bear. There was a brilliant discharge, and Kael allowed himself a moment to revel in his might.
A thunderous blow crashed into Kael's ribs, the force of the blow lifting him from his feet. The pain was extraordinary. Landing hard upon the ground, his body numb from shock, Kael could only stare incredulous at the object that had caused him such grief. The bear still stood, quite very much alive, with only a patched of singed fur giving any indication it had suffered, if it had at all, from Kael's spellwork. As the darkness sought to claim him, Kael could hear the panicked rush of his fellow guards' feet as they came to aid him. He cursed his current ignoble position, gladly welcoming the peace of unconsciousness.
He awoke laying in one of the caravan's many wagons. He urged his body to move, but in return only received sharp stabs of pain that ran across his entire body. He resigned himself to lie back down and his eyes caught sight of Achard Breen. The man regarded him mockingly.
"Quite the display, wizard. Truly, we were all amazed out how brilliantly your hand glowed; I am sure you have impressed many children with that trick. However, I suggest you take it easy for the rest of the journey, and leave the fighting to more… able bodies. By the way, you owe Lox a beer; he saved your life back there."
"What of the cursed bear?" Kael Meleth asked, unable to hide the vehemence in his voice. A sharp stab of pain ran through his body, Kael grimacing as he realized the true extant of his injuries.
"Dinfar and Gybol brought the beast down. I've no idea what you were thinking confronting the beast by your lonesome."
Neither do I, Kael thought. Unwilling to continue to face the shame of his failure, he allowed his eyelids to slowly fall in place over his eyes and let sleep claim him once more. The rest of the journey past without note, not that Kael had anything to note but the wagon he inhabited. Only near the end of the journey could he move about on his legs again and even then, it ached to do so.
The caravan entered through the outer gates of Unum, guards inspecting each wagon separately. The caravan passed the second and inner wall similarly. Even from within, the city seemed to sprawl many miles and still appeared like a mighty fort, Kael noted using his quarterstaff to support his still recovering body. The caravan rolled to a stop in front of its destination, a large building with several armored figures standing watch outside. Kael approached Achard Breen.
"Would this be the destination?" he inquired.
"Aye, you are free to go, Kael Meleth," Achard answered, his gaze never leaving the impressive building in front of him.
"And of my pay?" Kael questioned further.
"You traveled with us, consumed our supplies, took up valuable space after failing to stop the only obstacle we faced. There will be no fee for you, if that is your question," Achard said, regarding Kael with an amused expression, as if daring Kael to object.
"Fair enough," Kael responded before leaving the caravan, mentally cursing it as he left its presence.
"Wait, mage," Achard called out. Turning, Kael barely caught an object that had been flung at him. It was a single, copper coin. "That should be enough for your services." Furious, Kael flung the coin to the ground, yelling out an expletive to the guard captain in regards to his mother's sexual habits, before stalking away. Low-life scum, was all Kael thought, his cheeks burning.
Recollecting his thoughts and memories, he recalled the time his master spoke about the Unomian Museum.
"It contains artifacts of many years past. The knowledge and history within its well-guarded walls is a show of Unum's well-kept history," was what the old fool had thought.
Accompanying it, though unwelcome, were thoughts of his childhood here in Unum. He remembered his family before dismissing the thoughts with an unintentional spoken curse. Many of the commoners on the street eyed him cagily. He returned their stares with a foul glare causing them to return to their tasks.
He traversed the well-kept path and realized that around him, everyone seemed aimless. They lived with no purpose, it was almost sickening. Why I left the damned city, Kael realized he had spoken out loud again. He hurried his pace to avoid further misconceptions searching for the familiar walls of the museum. The building easily caught his gaze and he composed himself upon entry.
The same large double doors of fine wood greeted him before he entered the safety of its confines. Paintings, weapons, instruments, and other trivial appearing things adorned the walls and stands, each holding a sum of knowledge beyond that of any human's ability to hold. Despite its popularity, Kael frowned as he noted that there was no one inside today aside from himself. He looked up from examining the sword of the first grandmaster of the Fire Angels to see a bloodied and battered Unomian guard who had just turned the corner.
The man looked at him pleadingly. The man's words rasped against his throat as they barely came out.
"Vault, broken, guards, help." The man collapsed, his strength having left him, his blood quickly forming a pool around him.
Kael rushed down the hallway the guard had emerged from to aid any remaining Unomian guards. He reached the end of the vast corridor to see the steel door not open but torn apart. Inside, the corpses of dozens of guard lay scattered across the chamber. Their blood painted the walls and floors like something out of a crazed man's mind. In the center of the room a single stand lacked whatever it previously held. The entire scene disgusted him, and he felt his insides churn. His afternoon meal escaped his body through his throat, he himself slowly losing awareness of his surroundings.
Kael had barely reached the room when he heard footsteps behind him. He turned to see several guards, too many to count in his state, rushing at him their weapons drawn, gleaming under the torchlight. Kael raised his hands, quarterstaff clattering against the floor. He did not resist at all as the forcefully dragged him away, more guards filling the carnage-decorated room. The image of the bloodied guard that had warned him entered his mind. He eyed the wall where the guard had fallen, his mind barely comprehending what he saw. There was no pool of blood, or a body where the man had fell. The wall was spotless as if that man had never been. Kael kept quiet about his new discovery, unable to answer himself as to why.