Lucas felt shocks go through his body as he had realized what he had done. The green field had turned golden in the blink of an eye, and so did his emotions subside. His knees buckled under him, unable to support his own body as he saw his father and heard the man shout. It was true, that must have been what he had done, but that was far too great a truth to accept.

'It doesn't make sense… how could I have magic, how could I use it?' his mind panicked trying to understand the meaning of what had occurred. But his father's words broke him out of that cycle.

"We need to hurry, you have to get out of here Lucas! I am not going to have another son taken away by those people," his tone was rough and direct. Lucas could see on his face there was no use for arguing, but that didn’t deter him.

"Dad, you know I can't do that, they will kill you all! It's not worth it that I live freely if I know I will be hunted and you're gone. I have to go admit what I did and hope they allow me to keep my life, and stay in contact…" Lucas had trailed off, he couldn't let anything happen to his family, no matter what.

‘Even if I never see them again, I would rather die than know I doomed them to the king’s executioner,’ he had already decided what to do, in a single moment of determination, it was his only true option.

His father stared at his face for a while, as if trying to decipher the thoughts running through his son’s head. A few minutes later, he spoke again, “fine, but I’m going with you. There’s no chance I let those bastards take you away without saying goodbye to my son,” he reached out to Lucas and took him in his arms, hugging him strongly. The young man tried to push him away, but he couldn’t manage it, “I know you will be alright, you can make a better life for yourself learning to be a mage than you can here. You don’t have to be concerned about us,” his voice was shaking, just enough that Lucas could hear it.

‘He already knows what I want to do,’ the young man was sure of it.

“I don’t want to leave any of you! The Comet damn it…” Lucas said, his voice shaking just as much. Unlike his father, however, he cried for what he had already known he had lost.

It was only a few hours to the duke’s town by foot, and by the time the sun was half way through the sky they were there. The duo had left their home in a hurry, barely saying goodbye to Lucas’ mother as they rushed to the east and through the forest. They walked at a steady pace, both of them silent, not knowing what to say to the other.

‘Why did it have to be me that got magic? Why now?’ Lucas found himself continuing to ask that, but there was no answer to it.

Some time after they entered the forest they found themselves standing against a group of knights which flanked them on all sides. Each one of them was armored in plate and mounted on a warhorse. Lucas could see their various house sigils on their armor and shields. Four flanked them on one side and another four on the other. These were very different from the knights he was familiar with. They were not common thugs in service of the duke and responsible to no one. A crest on the shoulder of each of them showed who they were truly loyal to, it was the blazing crimson comet on a field of blue that symbolized the church.

“We’re here to bring the mage to the church’s agent in the nearby town. If you let us do that, we won’t harm anyone,” one of them stated clearly, his tone authoritative. He was a man in his thirties, to Lucas’ approximation, whose face was marked by his experiences. His expression, however, was somehow still kind.

“There’s no need for any of that, my son will come peacefully,” Lucas’ father returned. Lucas knew that he was trying to keep his tone as calm as possible.

“Then we will escort you there,” the knights then turned around and began leading them towards the town again. It wasn’t long before the group reached the edge of the forest, and through it they saw the duke’s main domain.

As they walked through the main street, which was half paved with hobbled stones and half made of dirt, he took the opportunity to look around. The town itself was fairly large, the largest Lucas had seen, containing dozens of houses and at least a dozen other buildings. Which were all spaced around a central stone keep, where the duke lived, and the barracks nearby it. From the edge of the town the light was glaring off the buildings around them, with the keep standing tall and hiding the sun from direct sight. A commotion was made as the men and women of the town heard the knights returning and they watched as the large group walked in. Despite the distance, Lucas could hear them gossiping.

“That must be the mage they found!” one man said angrily, from one side of the main street. Lucas could hear the rest join him in similar theorizing, and the further they got the larger and more active the crowd became. Luckily, the knights turned to their real target before long. A great church stood before them, a round building with a glass ceiling whose walls were almost entirely built of marble and with a golden symbol of a comet adorning its front. In front of it stood a single man in long blue robes. His whole body was covered by them, and his face was similarly hidden. Lucas could only make out that he was grinning.

‘But the church’s robes are white?’ Lucas thought to himself at first confused, then the man spoke.

“Knights, I am a representative of the order of the Crimson Mages. Have you delivered the suspected mage to me?” He turned to the knight which had spoken for the group before. Lucas saw his grin expanding as he seemingly recognized the man.

“Yes, we escorted him here. The young man is a son of a local farmer and came with us voluntarily,” the knight looked to Lucas and signaled him to move forwards as he got off his horse, “Robert, we’re gonna be escorting him inside,” he turned to the knight next to him, who wore a sigil of a wolf on a field of green. Robert got off his horse as well, “the rest of you get back to the barracks!” the other men soon rode off towards the keep, two of them taking the reins of the now lone horses.

Lucas walked slowly, unsure of what situation he was being placed into. The robed man waited for him until they were both in front of the building’s doors. Carved into the metal were graphic images of the comets landing, and its famous discovery. Its color was of rusted metal, and its structure utterly foreign to the young man. When he turned around to find his father walking a few meters behind him he heard the doors open with a screech.

Inside the church it was quite grandiose. The glass ceiling filled the room with sunlight at every point, and it glowed off the gold and marble decorations that were carved into the walls of even this small church. Stretched in front of them was an aisle in the middle of the room flanked by wooden seats, on the floor was a blue carpet leading to the altar. Lucas had heard stories of the cathedrals of the capital, they were supposedly so unmatched in size and riches that even lords felt nervous walking into them. Next to him, however, stood a representative of that church, and he could now see a lot more of the man.

His face was kind, and the grin he seemed to wear under the hood was a true smile. When his head turned right to meet Lucas' gaze his eyes lit up with curiosity and wonder.

“So you are the mage? I’m glad to meet you!” his tone sounded genuine, and he was clearly searching for something on Lucas’ face, “oh, you must be wondering who I am in more detail than I gave those knights. Well, you deserve to know, my apprentice! Oh, but I’m getting ahead of myself.”

‘Wait, apprentice? What in the name of the Comet does he mean?’ Lucas was only getting more confused by this eccentric mage’s actions.

“My name is Brand, Brand Edward Schmidt. I was visiting here for a few days as part of some help this church required, and that’s why I was called in to talk to you. Usually I dwell in the capital, in our order’s main cathedral, but it was lucky I was here! This all could have gone down much worse,” Brand half ranted, speaking so quickly Lucas only barely understood him. He had removed his hood by now and his face was now clear to see. The man was still quite young, not old enough for Lucas to notice the marks of age on his face, but the marks of stress were clear, “oh, I’m already rambling, what’s your name?” he asked, his tone almost gentle.

“Lucas,” he said immediately, not knowing what of his thoughts he should vocalize.

“Ah, Lucas! That’s a fine name, and your father looks like a fine man as well. I assure you, no harm will come to either of you while I’m here,” Brand turned back, looking straight at Lucas’ father and making sure he heard every word.

"And what guarantee do we have of that but your word?" his father stared at Brand, his expression clearly showing anger.

“You don’t really have many options, either of you,” he turned back to Lucas and spoke softly, “but what I’m offering you is an opportunity far greater than that! Given to you by the Comet’s power itself. After all, you are a mage now, same as I am. And if you learn to channel that I’m sure you’ll find out how interesting our life can be,” he continued, his eyes now more focused than before.

“As you said, I don’t have much choice. But what did you mean by apprentice?” Lucas asked, at least hoping he would get some questions answered. They had still not reached the end of the church’s aisle, but somebody was now clearly waiting for them near the altar. A priest dressed in white robes instead of the mage’s blue.

“Well, if you come with me back to the capital... As you should, of course! I will be the one teaching you about magic. What you experienced was probably your emotions flaring up massively and causing your unconscious mind to operate it. That’s how most mages are discovered. That’s all I’ll say for now,” the priest had clearly noticed them, and was approaching them as the group finally reached the altar. With a motion of his hands he signaled the knights and Lucas’ father to stay behind as he led Lucas and Brand to the altar itself.

"So what are you to do with the boy," the priest asked a moment later, his tone rough and direct.

“I will take him back to the capital and train him myself. No need for the barbarics of the usual methods,” Brand retorted back, his tone much colder to that man than to Lucas before.

“Barbarics? You insult me Brand,” the man laughed, but through it Lucas felt something else creep into his tone, “regardless, I will arrange your departure then and send the message back to the capital. When do you wish to leave?” he continued, choosing his words carefully.

“In the morning, he should get to say goodbye to his family at least.”

A few hours later his family was released. Brand himself had gone to meet the duke and came back with Lucas’ brother and sister. There weren't many words to exchange between them after he told them what had happened, they all knew what it meant. But they did say goodbye.

“I can’t believe I won’t see you again,” Thomas looked away from him when they met outside the church, his expression hidden but Lucas could see light reflecting off his wet face, “it won’t be the same without you…” he said, before grabbing Lucas and hugging him slightly, still hesitantly.

Christina was even less talkative, but she did not hide her face when crying. She did say one thing before Lucas had to leave, however, “we’ll all miss you Lucas,” her tone was almost comforting, if it wasn’t so obvious that she was trying to be.

“I’ll miss you too, but at least you all will be ok… That’s more important,” Lucas was sure of that, if he wasn’t he would have ran away, just like his father had told him too. His own tears streamed down his face as he spoke.

“Lucas, you’ll do well there, I know it. And we will be alright, even without you,” his father spoke to him.

“I know.”