Chapter One
The sun seemed to flicker through the forest close towards Lake Calenhad. The trees let a the bone-chilling breeze through, letting it slap the creatures and humans a like to wince and shudder. The orange and yellow hued leafs seemed to cling to their home, not wanting to get dragged off by the wind that slipped its way pass.
One of the three siblings could agree that their effort was meaningless, since soon after the wind blew and they flinched, the leafs drifted and floated off.
Something Boots Knox wished he could do.
His two siblings next to him were talking to one another. His elder sister, Lyida, was pushing his younger brother, Remni, to the side after a comment he made about her and her obvious lack of lover.
Boots couldn't help but to roll his eyes at this, muttering under his breath. "You know, if you're worried about her being loveless, then find her a suitor." He was used to needing to fit his way into a conversation. Especially one about suitors.
"Just because it worked on you, Boots," His sister started, hands on her hips and cheeks puffed. "doesn't mean it'll work on me. By the way, how is he anyway?"
Boots couldn't help but to feel a heat on his tanned skin, fist clenching as he glared at his sister. "She is doing fine, thank you very much." He grumbled under his breath, his younger brother laughing.
"Regardless," Remni slipped the conversation back onto the subject beforehand. He seemed to be a more mature one out of the siblings. His thin body structure and lean arms proven to be weak and near worthless in battle, unlike his siblings who were a tank and an even tankier warrior. "We should head towards town soon; mum and dad would start to think that Boots killed us in a rage."
Boots glared at his younger brother, and Lyida nodded in agreement, adjusting the bag on over her shoulder and patting the dirt on her dress. "He has a point, Boots." She looked towards her brother, with a smile on her face that clashed with his frown.
Boots just huffed, crossing his arms and glancing towards the Circle, which was visible through the top of the trees.
Today was going to be long.
The Circle tower was busier than ever, as Mages and Templar ran about. Mages quickly gathered their books as the Templar ushered them into their corridors.
Apparently, a Mage had escaped a few hours ago and the whole Circle was under lock down. Or something along those lines. Aki never had gotten a straight answer no matter how mange Mages and Templar she asked. Once she was ushered into a room with a bunch of other Mages, she sighed and brought a hand down her face, grumbling an odd cruse in Elvin.
Her ears twitched behind her as a hand fell onto her shoulder. With a quick glance, she couldn't help but to smile at the taller, leaner male before her. His grey-purple eyes showed a great amount of kindness and care.
"We're going to be stuck here in a while." He said, gently pushing her away from the door and the cluttering Mages who stared at each other in panic. "It's best that we sit down and relax for a while."
Aki couldn't help but to nod in agreement, getting out of his grasp and rubbing her pale-green eyes. The man who dragged her away from the door was her long time friend, Companion. Of course, 'Companion' wasn't his actual name, which was actually 'Niththal Narésryl', but it was a name he preferred.
Once the two Elves managed to find a spare bed to sit on, Aki flopped onto her back, her orange bangs falling onto her face like a cloud. "We're going to be stuck here for a couple of hours, aren't we Companion?" She asked, her eyes glancing towards him with a soft smile on her lips.
The older elf nodded, exhaling noisily as he nodded. "Sadly, we are." He leaned back, his dark-purple dragging up as he moved. "You're Harrowing is tomorrow, right?"
The question caused Aki to frown as she turned around, facing away from him and grumbling like a child. She loathed the ever so popular Harrowing and the anxiety that came with it. It was a thing that every Mage needed to do before they reach eighteen, and it sadly fell on her birthday.
"Mhm." Was the only response she gave him before he shook his head and looked towards the group of Mages talking and worrying about which one of their kind escaped.
The town was in as much of a panic as the Circle was when the Knox siblings entered it. People were looking wearily whenever somebody walked by their shops, home or even family. Neither of siblings could blame them, for most of the Apostates that fled the Circle were Blood Mages, but it they couldn't help but to feel their stomach turn. Especially for Lyida whose frown was as noticeable as their tan skin.
Some of the village folk, the few who knew the Knox family by name, stared at them in anxiety and panic shutting all doors and stalls nearly instantly.
That couldn't be good.
Lyida cursed through her teeth as Boots took a step forward, a stern frown forming on his face. An older stall owner quickly sped his way towards the siblings, a worried look on his face.
The man before him was an old family-friend, Walter, who bared a scar that laced across the bridge of his noise down to the bottom of his chin. His gery-green eyes showed worried as did the frown that formed on his lips. His walk was hobbled, showing which legged was still injured during the great Rebellion many years into his past.
"You three should get going here," The old man said, putting a hand on both Lyida's and Boots' shoulders, Remni being glad to be left out of this one. "There'll be Templar a foot here, and knowing you Missy," He looked towards Lyida, his eyes shining with concern. "There'll be trouble."
Lyida just had a look of panic fall on her as she nodded, listening to Walter. She looked back towards her brothers, Remni who stared off and Boots who had a frown curving on his face.
"How do you know they'll be...?" Lyida asked, her voice low and her look stern towards the old man. Her body was nearly shaking under his weak grip, which wasn't something she liked.
"I just know, missy." Walter said with a stern look, forcing them towards the entrance of the town. "Tell your mother and father I bid them well."
With his soft shove, Lyida gestured her siblings to follow, both of them sighing and following along. They knew they couldn't linger in a town expecting a group of well trained Templar coming to rip it a part for an Apostate, only to find their sister.
But as they hurried their way away from the city, both Boots and Lyida couldn't help but to get a turning feeling in their chest and a bitter taste in their throats. Something was going to happen, and they both knew it.
The trees around them bared a secret that kept the Mage hidden, and Ser Cuán Fehér wanted to know it. The wind whispered through the branches and leafs, but none of his Templar behind him even shivered. They were on a mission. A mission, Cuán had hoped that would send him through the ranks as the Knight-Commander of the Circle's Mages.
This mission was simple, and as he glared towards his Templar behind him, one that he needed to remind the simple minded idiots.
"Men!" He barked, causing them to tense up and stare start at him. Cuán could tell from how their eyes wander that they were afraid of him, and that's how he wanted it to be. "We need to find the Apostate that fled not even 5 hours ago. She should be noticeable from her white hair and purple markings."
His men nodded, the one in front pausing and frowned. He seemed...At ill-ease. And Cuán judged that as a weakness. His near-white eyes narrowed at the Templar before him, his stare connecting with the Blighted fool's eyes before he broke connection.
"If any of you let her free," His voice was stern and his glare showed that he meant every word he was saying. "I'll lunge this very blade into your heart." He un-seethe a mighty Great-Sword, letting his men take a good, hard look at it. "Understand?"
The Templar before him gulped and nodded, some of them in a panic. Most of them in fear. Cuán turned away from his men and marched on towards the small village.
That village always held Apostates once they fled, Cuán time and time again demanded the Knight Commander and her Grace to them to burn that village down to ash, but each and every time they just shook their heads at him. Saying that he could be a great Templar if he learned about feelings.
Feelings were the reason why every Mage escaped after all, they were scared of the Templar, which they should be, and Cuán wanted nothing to do with them. For her Grace or the Maker.
He brought out hid Great-Sword once an old man with a scar down the bridge hobbled towards them. He was the village leader, Cuán had assumed years ago. He was always the one to meet the Templar and try to talk them out of the village in fear.
Cuán bared no pity for him or the village, something he believed his fellow Templar lacked. Once the old man made it up to them, he didn't waste a moment trying to defend himself.
"Serah Fehér!" The old man said with a smooth smile on his face, causing the scar to ripple. "Might I ask why you and your Templar are out on such a chilly day as this?"
Cuán had his eyes narrowed and a steady frown on his face, as he grabbed a hold of the old man by the collar of his shirt and thrusting him into the air to his level.
"I'm not here to fool around, old man." Cuán's voice was as unsympathetic as his glare and over all appearance. "You and I both know why I'm here – spill it out. Where's the girl."
His men seemed shock over his behaviour, some of them stepping from foot to foot and others looking at the old man in sympathy. None of them wanted to be at the end of Cuán's blade.
The old man didn't even flinch, just hung there with a calm smile on his face. "Serah Fehér, you know we stopped holding Mages since the year of the-"
"Stop lying oldman." Cuán snarled, his Great-Sword coming closer to the old man's throat. "I'll murder you and this whole town if you don't let out her out." His blade was pointed towards his throat, it just lightly touching the skin and causing the old man to gulp.
Beads of sweat were dripping from his forehead and down his chin, and his throat bubbled against the blade. The scar'd old man needed to keep them safe, the warrior and the spirit crasher.
Once Cuán realized he wasn't going to get an answer out of this old bastard, he slid his blade through his throat. Blood squirted out of the man's neck and onto Cuán's amour before he threw him onto the ground.
Glaring towards his men, Cuán pointed his sword towards the village. People were already trying to rush out, their eyes wide and screams silent. "Burn this town to the ground." Cuán growled, his near-white eyes sending straight out hatred for this small place.
His men hesitated before Cuán threw his blade towards one of them, the sword going through the small space between his helmet and amour. Once the Templar was down in gasping for air, the rest ran towards the buildings and trashing through the doors.
Villagers were screaming and grabbing their children, the Templar setting flame and trashing the homes. Chickens, dogs and cats fled their homes as well, dogs barking and children crying.
Cuán just watched this play out, yanking his blade out of his fellow Templar. A young Elf woman managed to run away from a group of Templar, her clothing in rags and her bright turquoise eyes shining with tears and fear. She made her way to the source of this problem and fell onto her knees, gasping from tears and terror.
Cuán just stared at her with a blank look, turning around towards the girl with his Great-Sword in hand. "Speak, Elf." He hissed, blade pointed towards her in a threatening manner.
The Elfen women just nodded quickly, breathing in sharply. "The Ma-Mage," She stammered out, her body trembling. "Sh-She went to the m-mansion outside of Lake Calenhad – on the h-hill side."
A small, entertained smirk grew on Cuán's face. He brought his blade away, causing the women to breathe slowly before he slammed it against the back of her head- killing her instantly.
So, the Knox were holding illegal Mages? This caused his smirk to grow as he waved his men to stop their range of terror. Things were going to get rather interesting...
The smoke and orange flame was noticeable from the Circle, and many of the Mages were crowding around the windows in a mess of anxiety and awe. Some were murmuring about the escaped Mage setting it, while others thought it was just a wild fire that over took the village. Even Aki had a few opinions of her own about this.
She thought it was the Templar who wanted to fish out the Mage and any other they forgot during the years. The other Mages were raising a brow at her theory and saying how it was only causing the younger ones to get even more afraid.
This caused the orange hair Elf to flop back over on the bed Companion was sleeping on, sighing rather loudly. Her Harrowing was tomorrow, the woods were on fire and everything was crazed. Just what she needed.
Swinging her bare feet back and forth lazily, Aki's ears caught the sound of the doors handle opening. Were they about to be let out soon? The room was getting rather stuffy.
Just as everyone were hurrying towards the door, hearing the noise Aki did, the swung open with the Knight Commander and the First Enchanter side by side. The Mages stopped in their rush to the door, the elder ones whispering to one another in discomfort.
The Knight Commander forced his way through, Templar following on foot as the First Enchanter looked down in disappointment.
"Where's Lithos?" The Knight Commander barked, causing human and elf Mage alike to look towards one another then towards the back of the room where she sat. Companion roused from his sleep minutes ago, and had a defensive hold on Aki. The pale-eyed Elf just gulped when Templar and Commander came closed – one yanking Companion off of her in a ruthless fashion and the other jerking her up by her wrist.
Before Aki could scream out her questions, the Knight Commander had a demanding glare, his eyes burning into her's. She trembled then, her ears lowing. She suddenly lost her voice right then, and as the Knight Commander ordered his Templar to drag her with them, all she could do was look back at her friend in fright.
What did she do now...?
The Knox siblings ran through the forest once the flames started to tower over them, Lyida shouting demands at them and urging them to go one. Both Remni and Boots listened, neither of them wanting to argue when Templar were this close.
Pushing her way through branches to leave the main path, Lyida's blue-grey eyes stung. Looking behind to her siblings, she barked at them to keep up, holding into her own gut as she did so.
"We can't just run away from the Templar, Lyida!" Boots yelled his breath heavy. "They'll think we're hiding an Apostate on us!" His comment caused his older sister to finally slow down and pant, her body shaking with fear.
"What would you say if we took them home? Mum and father would bitch us out and-" Boots was quickly silenced by a heavy-handed slap. He stared at his sister, his eyes wide from the shock of it all.
"I know what mum and father would do, Boots!" Lyida snapped gesturing to herself. "They'll bitch me out after they figure out why they Templar are even at our doorstep!"
Before Boots even had a chance to response, Lyida kept on her outburst, her fist connecting hard against a tree. A cracking sound was herd, but it was too loud to be her fist shattering.
"Just shut up and be quite like Remni and perhaps we'll listen to what you have to brood, got it Boots?"
All he did then was nod, never seeing his sister act his way before. He didn't know if he should react how he usually would or be sniffing child. As his sister storm off and Remni gave him a glare, he kept his mouth shut and followed.
The footsteps and shouts of Templar were heard from behind, and that caused Lyida and Remni to speed up. Boots followed along in silence. He would suggest going another way, the tree Lyida somehow cracked obviously showing the way they went, but he choose against his thoughts.