The forest has become so thick it’s nearly impossible to run through anymore. I don’t think anyone is following me, but I can’t be sure. Why is this happening? This doesn’t make any sense. Who would dare attack us?

I’ve been running for so long that the scorching flames are nothing more than an orange glow in the night sky. I can barely breathe, but I can’t stop now. I don’t know who was able to do this, but to attack our house, to be able to defeat our guards and my mother, these are not people I can defeat.

I don’t want to believe it, and if I didn’t see it with my own eyes, if I didn’t feel the heat on my skin, I probably wouldn't. My house, my family, everyone I care about, they’re gone. Everything is gone. My uncle risked his life to save me, even given me a pouch of gold he had, and what have I done?

I’m a coward. Here I am running while my family is being murdered. But what can I do? I’m just one person. There’s no way I could have stopped this. I need to leave. But where to? Where should I go? I don’t know anyone. Should I go to the city? But what if the people who did this track me there?

No, I need to think. I need to figure out who did this and why they did. I can’t just run blindly. But I can’t stay hidden in the woods forever. Think Jayce, where can I go? There’s a lake to the north where I practice water magic, but which way is north? I can’t see the stars with this damn cloudy sky and this forest is making it too difficult to follow a straight line.

Calm down. I need to calm down. I’m panicking and it’s causing me to lose direction. I look behind me and there is no one there. Not that I can see through this forest well anyways. I listen for any noises of broken branches or voices but I don’t hear anything. It’s difficult to hear over my heavy breathing, but I don’t believe anyone is coming.

Is there no one following me? That can’t be possible. Unless they were only after my father. But why would they burn down my house with everyone in it? They wouldn’t wait until night when we were asleep if they didn’t mean to kill us all. This might be a good place to rest and calm down, to gather my thoughts.

I try burrowing into the ground behind a large falling tree to make a shelter, but the tree roots make it very difficult to make a large enough hole. It’s tight, but it will have to do for now. If I can make it through the night I will be able to figure out which way is north when the sun rises.

Now that I can catch my breath I’m able to think a little clearer. Who were those people? That fire mage was using rank nine magic at least. Someone like him would be a high-ranking officer in the military, but the only one I know of is from the Kelburn family, and they are our allies.

This is bad. If it really was someone from the Kelburn family then that means our allies have turned on us. Us, one of the founding families of the Empire, that’s borderline treason. Could it be? Is this a coup? Are the Kelburn’s trying to overthrow the imperial family?

That can’t be. At least I hope that’s not true. The imperial family is strong. Their power is almost at the level of the six founding families combined. But if it is not a coup I can only think it's an order from the emperor himself. With spies everywhere there’s no way he wouldn’t know of an attack. Even if he didn’t order it, at the very least he allowed it to happen.

My father has made many enemies. I’ve seen him arguing with officials and merchants alike, there are even rumors of him killing people who displeased him. Being forced to live in the guest house with my mother I never witnessed it, but from the way he treated my mother, I know he has a bad temper.

Then what about my eldest brother in the capital? If it was an order from the emperor then he will surely be killed as well. That means fleeing to the capital is impossible.

“You see anything over there?”

“Naw, if he went this way I won’t be able to find him in this dark.”

Damnit, so there were people following after all. If I spread my mana out I might be able to feel their movement on the soil, but it won’t be easy with all of these roots. Should I fight them? If they’re fire mages I’ll be at a disadvantage in this forest. I don’t want others to come looking for them either if they don’t make it back.

“We oughtn’t to keep Colonel Oswald waiting. You know how ornery he can get.”

“Well, what is you gonna tell him then? We just up and lost him in the woods? Colonel ain’t the type to let a man go for making mistakes.”

Oughtn’t? What dialect is that? Could they be from Viovia? Ever since it became a vassal state they’ve had to send their mages to the military. But more importantly, who is this Colonel Oswald? I can’t remember any Oswald’s, especially one with a ninth-ranked mage. If the military is attacking us then it must be an order from the emperor.

“Come on, we’re going back. I ain’t running through this forest any longer.”

“Alright, but you’re gonna be the one who tells the colonel why we ain’t killed him.”

“Who said colonel needs to know. We’ll just tell him we burnt him up in the forest. He’s just a stupid kid anyways, he’ll be lucky if he makes it out alive.”

“I don’t know, well, I’ll leave the ‘splaining to you. I get nervous whenever I’m around the colonel.”

They didn’t come this way. If they did, they would definitely see the pile of dirt. I was lucky. I need to put more thought into the places I hide from now on. If they weren’t so careless I would have had to fight my way out of here.

This is a serious problem. If it was the military that did this then I have no choice but to flee. But still, where can I go? West is the Lerith and Viendor Kingdoms, but those aren’t good options. I overheard my father saying the Empire would be attacking them next. Escaping to one of those will just be buying time. I might be able to hide for a while, but the moment I use magic I’ll be found out.

Could I stay in the forest? I doubt they would keep searching for me here, especially if those two say they killed me. But living in the woods… what kind of life is that? No, I can’t do that. I’d rather die than live alone in a forest. The only thing left, the only thing left is the Northern Territories.

A vast expanse of grasslands, high steppes, unexplored forests, and large city-states. At least that’s what the legends say. Could I make it there though? How far is the Northern Expanse? It has to be at least 800 miles from here, possibly further.

I would need to cross the Kundar Mountains as well. Rugged snow-capped mountains with no navigable passes through them. Everyone says people enter the mountains, but none of them make it out. But where do the legends come from if no one ever makes it back?

My mother said those are just lies to stop people from trying to leave, perhaps there is some truth to both stories. I’m not really sure, but if it is true and the Northern Territories isn’t just a barren wasteland, it sounds like a good place to disappear.

***

Escaping north through the empire was extremely difficult. The journey was long, and I was forced to avoid towns and villages. I traveled close to the rail but far enough away so as to not be spotted. There were times when I thought for sure I would be captured, but it’s not as though I’m well known and the military should believe me to be dead.

The entire trip my feet have been covered in painful blisters and sores. It’s some of the worst pain I have ever felt. The shoes I’m wearing are nearly falling apart and provide almost no protection. At night I have to clean my wounds with warm water then soak them in cold water to relieve the pain and reduce the swelling.

Staring at Blockley, I keep questioning my decision to stop here. But I need supplies to cross the Kundar Mountains. I’ve hardly eaten during the past month and the clothes I have are hardly sufficient for such a trip. It’s a risk, but it’s one I think I have no choice but to take.

Blockley was once part of the Alegan Kingdom, but after the empire defeated them it became the northernmost city of the empire. It’s hard to believe it was nothing more than a small town on the Opal River at one time.

After being taken over, Blockley changed from a small town to a small city. There are even buildings as high as four stories. Like any other city they take over, the empire connected it to the rail system and a large number of citizens poured in. With such low-interest loans for people starting a business or buying land it’s no wonder there was such a large rush. Our family should have a large amount of land here, or at least we did.

The empire also constructed a large fortress capable of housing tens of thousands of soldiers to the west on the river. There is a shipyard as well where the empire is building massive warships. I’m not sure what they could be for though. To the east is the Misty Sea and to the West is Serpent Bay.

The Misty Sea is always shrouded in fog with many large and small islands. It’s said to be impossible to traverse and many ships that have tried were never seen again. Serpent Bay is said to be almost the same. Perhaps the empire found a path through? I really hope not.

The city entrance is impressive. It’s not common to see walls like this in the empire. Walls are pretty useless against mages so normally a city will surrender if the army protecting it falls. This is a problem though. The wall was definitely built by an earth mage. I'd like to tunnel under it, but if there is an earth mage here I’ll be noticed. I don’t think I have much choice.

“State your name and the reason for entry into Blockley.”

“My name is Arne Lassen. I heard it was easy to buy land here and start a farm.”

I give the guards the name of one of my servants and the only reason I could think of at the moment. The guards look well trained. I don’t think they’re part of the military, but they may be.

“A farm? Aren’t you a bit young boy? It won't be easy for you to get a loan.”

“I’m 16 sir, old enough to hold land by law and I have money from my family. If I need any more I’m willing to work to save up.”

“Hmm… what do you think Jannik?”

“He’s just another country rat hoping to make a living. Just let him in.”

“Well, I guess if Jannik says it’s alright. Entry is one silver.”

“Ah just let him go. Look at him. He looks like he hasn’t eaten in weeks. You know how to write boy?”

“I can sign my name but not too much else.”

I lie and tell him I can’t write. I’m not sure what level of education farmers have. The empire does have compulsory education for children, but I believe that’s only in the cities.

“That’s good enough. Just sign your name here and head over to the city clerk’s office. It’s the big stone building with the yellow flag down this main road.”

“You might want to clean yourself up a bit though. You smell awful and maybe get a new set of clothes.”

I thank the guards and walk into the city of Blockley. My heart is racing but I’m in and they didn’t seem to recognize me. I’m starting to wonder if I needed to travel the way I did. If I went by rail it would have only taken two days instead of a month.

No, this was the right choice. I just need to buy enough supplies for the trip across the mountains and hopefully leave this nightmare. Up ahead appears to be a general store. I should be able to purchase most of what I need there.

I walk in, and I'm instantly struck by the strong scent of leather. There are all types of leather boots and clothing. Is leather popular here?

“Can I help you with something?”

I can tell she’s not too happy to see me. She doesn’t look much older than me. Blonde hair, which was more common in Alegan than the empire, maybe she’s a native? This store is pretty large though, I think they have most of what I need.

“Yes, I need some supplies. Dry rations, clothing, blankets, boots, and a few other things.”

“A trapper? Well, we get a lot of trappers, so we probably have almost everything you need. Dry rations are in the back, so you’ll need to tell me how much you need and pay up front. We don’t lend on credit, is that gonna be a problem.”

“No, it’s not a problem. I’ll also need a bag to carry the supplies.”

“What kind of bag do you need? We have leather bags, and we got bags of holding. They’re in the back also, and they’re pretty expensive.”

Bags of holding? How do they have them all the way up here? The only place I’ve ever heard of them being sold was in the capital.

“You really have bags of holding? How much are they?”

“Yup, there was a mage that used to live in the military fort. He knew how to make them and sold them to the farmers and trappers here. Well, he’s not here anymore so I only have three left. The price is five gold.”

Five gold coins. I only have 8 gold in the pouch my uncle gave me. But if she really does have a bag of holding I have to buy it.

“I’ll take one. Also, I’ll need two months-worth of dry rations. I’ll pick out the other supplies myself.”

Bags of holding use runic magic. I don’t really understand it myself but it’s powerful. Mages spend their entire lives studying runic magic and very few have the ability to use it. As an elementalist myself I never bothered trying to learn it.

Looking through the clothing I ended up with three sets and also bought two pair of boots and a few blankets. Together with the two months of dry rations and the bag of holding the total was seven gold and six silver coins.

The bag of holding isn’t very large, with just these supplies it’s almost full. Thankfully I can build a shelter and cookware using earth magic and don’t need to store water, otherwise, I would have needed another bag.

I paid a fisherman two silver coins and he ferried me across the river leaving me with only two silver coins in my pouch. Hopefully, I won’t need money for the rest of my trip. This pine forest marks the border of the empire.

The legends say 10 days journey north of the Kundar Mountains is a large city called Freeport. It should take almost a month to cross the mountains. Spanning from the Serpent Bay to the Misty Sea, the mountains are a barrier between our civilizations.

The Candor family of the Eldoran Empire is gone. There’s nothing left for me here. To my ancestors, I’m sorry, but there’s no honor in dying. Right now, I just want to escape.