The Life of an Illuminator
by A Ranger's Apprentice
Disclaimer: All character's, Names and plot belong to me and are original ideas so don't think of copying it and posting under a different title!
Summary: Satine has just reached the high ranks of an Adept of the Illuminators, a guild which is in a class of it's own. Satine sets of to find her lost Master, and ends up on a journey of self-discovery.
Prologue
My name is Satine. I am 15 years old, have green eyes and thick, red hair that goes down to my waist. My parents left me when I was very young. Ever since then the Magician raised me. I never knew his name, and was told to call him only by the title of Master. That was when I first learnt of the Illuminators. The legendary company of Magicians who everyone thought was gone. The Magicians, who can control the elements, can create everything from nothing, can hit a target with deadly force, but most importantly can manipulate the minds of others to their will.
At the age of 5 I started my physical training to become a Magician Master and to join the Illuminators. I learnt how to throw knives with deadly accuracy, hit a target with my bow and arrow while my eyes where closed, and how to throw off attackers with my bare hands. When I reached the age of 10, Master took me as his apprentice, and taught me the ways of a Magician. The next five years where filled with trials and hardships. I was forced to go beyond the boundaries that I knew. To focus with such concentration that I would be able to control everything, from my face to my deepest emotions, no matter what happened to me. There were times that I wanted to give up, to leave Master and to travel to Cedlos on my own, to find another way of life. But Master never let me quit. He led me on to higher levels; until there was no more that he could teach me.
On the night of my 15th birthday, Master told me that it was time to take the Trials. The Trials were both physical and mental, pushing be beyond everything I had felt before. The best of the Illuminator Masters came to place every challenge they could think of on me. I was put through pain, happiness, jealousy, hate, sadness and even love. By the time morning came, I could no longer fell my hands or my feet. I only had the mental knowledge that came to me through the use of the Flows that they were still there. When dawn struck, I was to face my last Trial. To use the Flows of Power and to summon an image of the one that will either turn me against everything I love and know unless I can turn them to my way of life. The life of an Illuminator.
As I closed my eyes and found the Flows in my mind, I felt a presence touch me. This was the presence that had haunted my dreams for the last 10 years, ever since I started working with the Flows. I opened my eyes, and focused on the ground in front of me. An image started to form in front of me, a man of about the same age, as I am, tall with brown hair and the deepest blue eyes. He turned to look at me, and there on his forehead, was the symbol of the Valanders. I turned cold, and lost the image. The Valanders. The word echoed around my head. The very movement that the Illuminators worked against. Dimly I remember Master pulling me to my feet, saying the words I longed to hear. 'You are now an Adept of the Illuminators, Satine. Go, and rest.'
I walked back to my small room of the Master's castle, and pulled on my white sleeping gown. I fell back onto my bed, and was instantly asleep. The image of the Valander Man haunted my sleep last night, punctured with images of the dreaded Laynos Guards pulling my Master out of his bed, throwing him to the floor. I saw Master trying to stand, half creating an element of fire before being kicked back to the floor. The Guards were on him in a minute, and he was pulled from his room. I woke up with a start, and kicked off my covers. Running through the Castle I reached my Masters room.
Time seemed to freeze. He wasn't in his bed. There was blood on the floor. The room was a mess, as if a mass of winged Thyes had gone through it. My eyes caught sight of a small piece of parchment. I walked over to it, feeling more hopeless with each step. I picked up the paper, and used the Flows to create a ball of fire, enough light to read the hastily scribbled note.
Satine,
Do not try to follow me.
The Laynos Guards will be back.
Take all the supplies you can
and go to the Calynar Mountains.
There you will find an un-likely ally.
Then, and only then, may you come after me.
Stay safe,
Master Theodores.
One name caught my attention more than the others. Theordores. The name of my Master which I had been waiting to find out for so long. However, I didn't have time to work out why he told me now. I must make preparations for the journey. I grabbed my saddlebags form the storage room. Running back to my room, I took out three plain sets of clothes, and one full dress of an Illuminator Adept. I quickly changed into my battle dress – plain brown pants, white knee length undershirt, with a brown tunic over the top and solid brown boots. Over the top of this I placed my colour-shifting cloak. I grabbed all the food that would fit into one of the saddlebags, and placed as many of Master's books in the other. That was all I had time for.
Running to the stable, I saddled my horse Nightdancer. Already I could hear the Guards trying to force there way through the front door of the Castle. I swung into the saddle and fixed by bow into the riding holster, already strung and drew my hood over my face. I nudged Nightdancer with my knees and she took of around the side of the Castle. Using one of the side entrances, I slipped away into the night, and started the long journey to the Calynar Mountains. As I was riding, a thought came to me. I first needed to put the Laynos Guards of my trail. Coming up to a fork in the road, I took the left fork instead of the right. The left lead me on a path to Cedlos, the capital of Therein where I decided that I would rest for a few days, just enough time to make sure the Guards weren't following my movements. I drew on the Flows to create an illusion that the road was empty. It was only needed until I got to Cedlos, then I would seek out other members of the Illuminators and ask for their help. Yes. That was my plan. A plan that I could see no flaw with, except for the matter of the Valander man.
Next chapter: Satine reaches Cedlos and tries to throw of the Laynos Guards
A/N: There's chapter one. I'm not sure where this is going at the moment, or wether it will all be a recount. Any suggestions greatly appreciated. You know the drill. Read and Review. Until next time, A Ranger's Apprentice.