🏠 23rd Dimension, Arvia, Acica Kingdom, Lower Realm, Doha.

📆 Year 9,938 after the last Zartonesh invasion.

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The rays of the midday sun trickled through the sun-drenched leaves creating flickering shadows on the foliole covered ground. Small animals scampered across the half-buried animal trails as they scrounged around for fallen nuts and berries. Fat-bellied insects burrowed in the moss-covered trunks of the thick majestic trees that rose from the ground reaching the cerulean blue sky above.

The sounds of birds calling to one another, the chittering of animals and the hum of insects filled the air. Unexpectantly the sound of desperate panting disturbed this tranquil scene as the small girl stumbled and crashed into one of the moss-covered trunks, small animals darted for their burrows, the birds fell silent, and the animals stopped chittering, the sound of heavy breathing sounded in the sudden quietness of the forest.

Jayde Freehold scrambled off the ground. Her legs trembled from fatigue. Reaching out with her left arm she braced herself against the moss-covered truck, her head bowed. Her sticky black hair hung limply covering her face as she gulped in air greedily.

A couple of minutes later Jayde lifted her head. Her eyes were filled with desperation and despair as she looked around her, barely noticing the natural beauty of the scene around her.

Putting as much distance between her and those hunting her was all that mattered to her.

Her small teeth gnawed on her dry, cracked lips drawing small beads of blood as she threw a desperate look over her shoulder. Pushing herself off the tree truck, Jayde picked up her pace as she started running soon she was sprinting through the small forest.

Jayde's heart raced as her fever-bright eyes darted around as she jumped over fallen logs and broken branches. Her hand covered the right side of her abdomen that was aching terribly. A river of sweat streamed down her pale face. Thorny branches had scraped against Jayde skin leaving numerous small red cuts, her muscles burned, but no matter how exhausted she was, Jayde didn't stop running.

Jayde knew that if the party hunting her caught her, she would face a terrible ordeal. Picturing what her second uncle would do to her spurred Jayde to hurry.

As chorus howls, interspersed with barks, growls, and whines reached Jayde's ears, she stumbled and fell to the ground. Small sharp stones bit into her hands and knees. Jayde did not register the burning pain as she scrambled to her feet.

By the gods, she thought with despair, the seeker hounds have picked up my scent.

Maniac energy filled Jayde as she grabbed fistsful of her hair, her eyes darted around frantically. Jayde's scalp stung as she pulled out small clumps of hair. Jayde's mind filled with a strange buzz as panic stole all rational thought, swinging around she raced off.

Her breath came in small spurts, hot and nervous. At her sides, her scar-riddled fingers curled into dainty sweaty fists, swinging forward as if it would make her run faster. Behind her, she could hear the excited howls, yips, and barks of the seeker hounds.

By the gods, please let me live, she prayed silently, as she threw herself forward with even greater abandon. Jayde's lungs burned as her heart raced. She felt as though the air didn't seem to be enough as she sprinted forward, her tired limbs trembled with fatigue and panic.

For the umpteenth time, she cursed her fate. Born in a world where everyone could weave spells, she alone had been cursed with a weak body and no magic. Considered a waste by everyone, for thirteen years she had been told that she should be grateful that she hadn't been drowned at birth.

Many didn't even consider her a human; she was a freak without magic.

In her frantic panic, Jayde ran blindly, her caution thrown to the wind, as she tried to increase the distance between her and the hunting party behind her. Throwing desperate looks over her shoulder, she didn't notice a small animal burrow in front of her, as her right foot fell in the deep hole, Jayde tumbled to the ground.

Sprawled face down in the rotting vegetation, Jayde raised her dirt covered face and tried to lift herself to up. Shooting, stabbing pain in her right ankle made her cry out. Realizing that her ankle couldn't support her, dread filled her as she crawled to her hands and knees, the fear of what lay behind her spurred her on, as she crawled like a baby over the mushy vegetation on the ground.

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An hour later, Jayde's fingers and hands were raw and bleeding, her legs and arms trembled with fatigue and her the sides of her abdomen ached terribly. She barely had any strength left. Lifting her head she tried to gauge the distance to the Dark Forest, it still looked too far away for her to reach safely, the seeker hounds were closing in on her.

Tears slowly leaked from her eyes. Despair and hopelessness grew within her heart and soul. She knew she wouldn't make it to the Dark Forest. Utterly wretched Jayde resigned herself to the dreadful fate waiting for her she rested her back against a broken tree trunk.

With her back leaning against the dark wooden trunk, Jayde stared unseeing up at the blue sky above her; small tears leaked from the corner of her eyes. Jayde knew returning alive to the Freehold Estate would only lead to a slow and torturous ending. Her thoughts darted disjointedly around in her mind as she tried to figure a way to avoid the pain she knew she was going to face.

If only I had a dagger, she thought wistfully, then at least I could slit my own throat or even plunged it into my heart.

As that wishful thought crossed her mind, Jayde let out a short bitter bark of a laugh. Ah, who was she kidding she never had the courage before to take her own life. In the past, she had considered ending her life many times, but every time she chickened out.

Cursing herself for being such a weak coward, she tried to think of some plan to reduce the suffering that she knew was about to come. After discarding numerous strategies and ideas, the only feasible plan that she could think of was to make her second uncle angry. He loathed her, and he was notorious in the family for having the shortest temper. If she could rile him up enough, he would lose his temper and being Silver Fire Sentinel Knight of the 10th Class he would forget that with his strength he could squash her like an ant, he would kill her instantly.

Jayde hugged her drawn up her knees. Bowing her head, she thought back to earlier in the day to the events that had led up to her current disaster.

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📆 6 hours earlier.

Jayde day had started like any typical day, rising before the sun rose, she had left her tiny shack to bath in the small lake in the Freehold Estate. After putting on a clean robe, she hurried over to the main family wing and entered the large family kitchen, happy it was Restday.

Every Restday she was assigned to work in the main kitchen as most of the slaves were given the day off. Jayde preferred working in the kitchens; it was better than workdays when she was sent to the pits.

The large kitchen had stone floors, with multiple racks with various size pots and cooking pans dangling from them. Multiple counters were set up around the kitchen against the wall for the preparation of the numerous dishes the kitchen staff had to prepare. Every window ledge was filled with pots of growing herbs.

As Jayde strolled into the kitchen, she could hear the sound of sizzling dire-boar, the quiet chattering of the slaves as they toiled over the hot stoves, and the noise of knives hitting wooden chopping boards. Jayde's mouth couldn't help watering smelling the delicious smells that hit her as she entered. It was a mixture of cooking meat, baking bread with the unmistakable aroma of herbs.

Working in the kitchens was the best day of the week for Jayde, not only was the work light compared to what she usually had to do, but Jayde had the opportunity to 'liberate' some food. Restday was the only day during the week when she wouldn't have to fight the beasts and other slaves in the estate for rotten leftover food.

For three hours Jayde slaved away in the kitchen helping the kitchen staff prepare breakfast for the leading family. After the servants had fetched all the dishes and delivered breakfast to the various family wings, Mama Dee the head of the kitchen sent her off to rest, ordering Jayde to return within an hour to help prepare lunch for the Freehold family.

With her apron pockets bulging with 'liberated' food, Jayde cheerfully waved goodbye to Mama Dee. Mama Dee had been in an excellent mood that morning and had rewarded all the servants and slaves for their hard work. Mama Dee had handed a fresh scone to Jayde, she could feel the slight warmth from the scone against her leg through her dress.

Feeling the weight of her apron, Jayde was happy with her harvest this morning. If I am careful then these overripe fruits and pieces of bread will be enough food for me for three or four days, she thought, humming a happy tune under her breath.

Jayde snuck through a rarely used small courtyard. She was looking for a quiet spot where she could eat her scone. If any of the other slaves or servants saw her eating the scone, they would immediately beat her and steal her food.

Jayde was small for her age, and although she had just turned thirteen years old, due to malnutrition, she looked as though she was only nine or ten years old. While she looked frail and weak, she was physically strong for a magic-free human.

Jayde had built up a lot of physical strength doing manual hard labor around the estate. The chores assigned to Jayde were tasks most adults would have found exhausting. While strong compared to a human without magic, on Doha, she was weak and fragile. The lowest rank magic user could crush her like an ant.

On Restday, most of the maids and servant left the estate to either visit the shopping district or one of the numerous temples erected for the citizens to worship. Slaves were resting in their quarters, and the estate guards were patrolling outside.

Entering the small secluded garden in the courtyard, which was hidden from view, Jayde sat on a small stone bench. Taking out the precious scone from her apron, she slowly nibbled on it. Enjoying every single bite — she was trying to make the scone last as long as possible.

At that moment in time, while Jayde was sitting on the stone bench, eating her scone, Jayde experienced a moment of happiness.

For the first time in a long time, her stomach wasn't crying out in hunger. Mama Dee had only smacked her once this morning for being too slow, and no one else had beaten or kicked her. For Jayde, today was one of her better days.

After dusting the crumbs off her hands, Jayde prepared to leave the small garden. She calculated she had just enough time to run back to her shack and hide the rest of the food she had 'liberated', leaving her enough time to return to the kitchen to start preparing lunch.

If I am quick I might be able to steal even more food, maybe even some meat, Jayde thought, her mouth filled with saliva just thinking of tasting some meat, Jayde got to her feet and left the garden.

Following the stone path which led to the slave pits, Jayde rounded the corner and entered one of the formal gardens that the family used for entertaining. Since the garden was only used when there were guests, it was usually deserted, and Jayde would often use it as a shortcut.

She had just entered the garden when she heard voices. Recognizing the voices Jayde cringed, it was her third sister Saphira and her younger cousin Edvard. Saphira was fourteen years old and was considered one of the most talented youngsters from this generation, she was a Fire Sentinel, Silver Ranked Knight of the 4th class, while Edvard who was the same age as Jayde was a Water Enchanter, Silver Ranked Knight of the 3rd class.

On Doha, every person was born with the ability to manipulate the magical energies around them. The difference between Sentinels and Enchanters was how they were trained from young. Sentinels concentrated on improving their physical bodies while Enchanters trained their minds.

Since everyone could perform even the most basic of magic, your position in society on Doha was based on how strong your magic ability was. From first class to four class you were designated a slave, while from fifth to twelfth class you were classified as a servant. It was only once you broke through to the thirteenth class that you were considered a mage, and earned your first title, Knight of the 1st class.

Jayde should have been a powerful mage just like her third sister, but life sometimes likes to play cruel jokes, and Jayde was one of those unfortunate jokes.

Jayde father Za'thul was the clan leader of the Freehold Clan, which was one of the four great clans in the Lower Realm, their clan size number in the hundreds and if one were to include their branch clans, then the Freehold clan numbered in the thousands.

The Freehold clan controlled the city of Arvia, located in the northern kingdom of Acica with the Freehold branch clans controlling the surrounding towns — Sochilov and Mogomel.

Jayde mother Shyenho was the eldest daughter of the clan leader of the Starglaze Clan another one of the great four clans in the Lower Realm. All in all, Jayde should have led a pampered life, being the first born princess of Freehold and Starglaze Clans, her bloodlines were impeccable, her father was the clan leader, her mother the daughter of the main wife of clan leader of the Starglaze Clan.

Za'thul and Shyenho were both Silver ranked mages, with Za'thul being a Fire Sentinel Knight of the 11th class and Shyenho a dual Wood and Fire Enchanter Knight of the 12th class.

Shyenho broke tradition when she wed Za'thul — she married for love, she had been betrothed to the Gold ranked second son of a mid-ranked clan from the Mid Realm. Rumor had it that the Starglaze Clan had to pay out an excessive fine to break the betrothal, but Shyenho had insisted that she would only ever marry Za'thul.

Shyenho gave up her dreams to further her studies in the Mid Realm and settled for being the clan leader's main wife.

Shyenho was close to breaking through to Bishop of the 1st class. She would have been one of the few Bishop class mages in the Lower Realm. Few Bishop mages would remain in the Lower Realms, staying meant curtailing your cultivation as spiritual Qi in the Lower Realm was sparse compared to the Mid Realm.

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