“Master, what do we do? There are too many of them and only two of us.”

“Are the escape routes cut off?”

“Yes, I can see some of their army marching through the mountain pass even from here.”

“Of course.” The master Sage scratched at their chin, looking around as if perplexing over a rather interesting riddle, and not the fate of their lives.

“Master!”

“Yes yes, I get it. Enemies surround us, we are out of allies, and we are likely to be making our last stand. All very exciting I’m aware.”

“You don’t seem all that bothered.”

“My dear apprentice, if something like this was enough to bother me, I would have never reached the pinnacle and become a true Sage.”

“Is now the time to be flaunting master?”

“It is always the time to be flaunting.”

“Whatever you say, master. How are we getting out of this?”

“Well, do you trust me, my young apprentice?”

“Not really.”

“Wonderfu- excuse me?”

“You were saying, master?”

The older Sage eyed their younger apprentice before shaking their head. “I will do you the favor of ignoring your comments. The answer is simple. We are cut off from the world, are we not?”

“Yes?”

“That is where you are wrong. We are cut off from the physical space of the world in the here.”

“Are you suggesting-”

“Yes!” The master Sage raised their arms in excitement. “If one is trapped in a singular point in time, then simply travel to a different point in time where one isn’t trapped.”

“Time… travel?”

“Well, not quite.” The elder sage turned to their apprentice, the first sympathetic smile they had shown in a long time. “This might hurt.”

Before the younger of the sages could react, a knife was buried into their neck as they slumped over on the ground in a puddle of their own blood.

“Forgive me. The issue with reincarnation is one must die first. I’ll treat you to a nice meal when we meet again.” The master Sage looked out the window of their tower one last time, holding back bitter feelings as they watched the world burn. “Well, what is one to expect from such short-minded souls?”

Twirling the same knife that had just taken the life of their apprentice, the Sage pressed the tip against their neck, wincing only slightly.

Well, I sure do hope I did my calculations right.

With a final plunge, the knife was driven into their neck, and hitting the ground the Sage could feel as their lifeblood flowed freely from the mortal wound, the world fading to darkness.

Ahh, I never did let Vol out of that cage did I?

Smiling, the Sage uttered a single word before being swallowed by the darkness of death.

“Whoops…”

------------------

“Rook, are you coming?”

“Give me a moment!” I shouted from my window, watching as Sarah sighed before tromping off to the side to sit on a nearby log outside my house.

“Why’d she come so early anyways?” I grumbled, hastily throwing on a shirt and pulling on my trousers. We had agreed on half past noon, but here she was, the sun showing it was barely noon.

She always does that, I don’t know why I’m surprised.

Finished pulling on my clothes, I quickly bolted from my room, past my mother in our small kitchen.

“Rook, where are you going in such a rush?”

“Sarah is here.”

“Oh.” My mother’s expression changed instantly, a coy smile appearing on her face. “Well, tell her she can always come by when she pleases.”

“Yes mom, you tell me to tell her every time the same thing.”

My mother shrugged before turning back to kneading what looked to be some dough bread. As I was about to dash out from the room, I heard my mom call out to me once more.

“Oh, and Rook?”

“Yes, mother?”

“If you two head into town, make sure you tell Jorgsin that if he doesn’t bring me the money he owes me I’m going to be taking everything beneath his knees as payment instead.”

Scary.

“Will do ma’am.”

“Good, now you go have fun with Sarah!”

“Mom it’s not like that.”

“I’m your mother, I’m allowed to tease you like it is. Now go!”

I didn’t bother to say anything back as I finally made my way out the door of our small house, waving at Sarah as she waited for me on the same log she had sat on before.

“Took you long enough.”

“Took me long enough? You’re the one showing up early.”

“What do you mean ‘early’?” Sarah was up on her feet, I could see a vein in her forehead as her annoyance towards me grew. “I keep telling you, I can’t tell the time from the sun like you!”

“And I keep telling you-” I pointed up towards where the sun hung in the air, “-that where it is now, is clearly noon!”

“It looks exactly the same as it will in half an hour!”

“Not at all!”

“Yes, it does!”

“No, it doesn’t!”

“Yes it do-” I was cut off as the face of my mother appeared before us, disembodied and ghostly, but still smiling pleasantly.

“You two, it is such a nice day. It would be a shame if I had to go get my hands dirty. Do you understand me?”

“Yes ma’am.” Both Sarah and I chimed in unison.

“Good.”

The ghostly visage of my mother’s face vanished like a balloon popping.

“Your mom scares me.” Sarah looked at me from the corner of her eye, a smile creeping up on her face already.

“She scares everyone with any sense. I just happen to lack that sense.”

“Alright tough guy. Talking a big game won’t convince the captain any better than your sword will.”

“Hush.” I shook my head as we quickly began to walk away from my home, a small wooden thing nestled next to a field directly in front of the woods. It was nearly a two-mile walk from our home to Junaper, the village to which we ‘technically’ belonged.

“Hey, did you hear about what happened?”

“What do you mean ‘did I hear’? I don’t live in the village like you.”

“Well, I figured your mother would know.”

“What, you take my mother as some all-knowing wizard?”

“Isn’t that basically what she is?”

“No.” I said, laughing it off. “If that were the case, I would have never been able to hide anything from her as a kid.”

“Well, anyway, I heard that Tallin, you know the bakers’ kid, was recently scouted!”

“No way.” I said with a dismissive shake of my head. “Tallin is what, thirteen? What could he have been scouted for, other than complaining about the other kids playing unfairly?”

“No really. I heard he showed signs of Kin magic.”

“What? No, no way. His family has no magic users in it in the first place. How could he have any Kin magic, the entire point is that it is magic that’s passed down through your family.”

“Just the rumor I heard.” Sarah kicked at a nearby rock, her blonde hair shimmering around her face from the sudden movement.

“He probably just ate something bad and has a stomachache if anything.” I waved my hand about, gesturing at nothing in particular.

“Whatever. Didn’t know you were the all-knowing wizard.”

“Of course-” I said, puffing my chest out. “-now bow before me.”

“Uh-huh. Sure. Maybe I’ll consider it if you beat me there!”

Taking off, my friend darted forward, running ahead of me towards the village that was still the better part of two miles away.

“That’s cheating!” I yelled out, before taking off after her.

All the while, never noticing the tracks in the ground next to us.

----------------------------------

“I win!” I huffed, doing my best to not look as out of breath as I felt.

“No.” Sarah clocked me on the head, puffing her own chest out. “That was clearly my win.”

“Do you even have eyes? I got here first.”

“No way, you’re delusional.”

I was about to spit out my counter when a woman in her early thirties began making her way towards us, an unimpressive sword strapped to her side.

“Why is it every time I see you two, you’re bickering?”

“They started it.” Both Sarah and I pointed at each other in-synch with one another, earning a bellyful laugh from the woman.

“I would ask if you’ve sent Sarah’s family some engagement gifts yet Rook, but honestly I’m not sure between the two of you which will be the breadwinner.”

I felt my cheeks flush, and a quick glance to my side told me Sarah was feeling the same.

“It’s- it’s not like that Yeera.”

“That’s Officer Yeera to you two while I’m on duty.” Yeera swatted me in the back of the head, eliciting a quietly whispered ow from me as I rubbed at where she had smacked me. “Anyways, I’m assuming you’re looking for the captain?”

“Maybe.” I answered, trying my best to not be so plainly obvious.

“You’re painfully obvious.” Yeera winked at me before pointing further into the town. “Last I heard, he was at the Gilly’s Head.”

“Gilly’s Head? It’s like, noon.” Sarah said, voice filled with exasperation.

“Well, some like to start their day earlier than others.” Yeera gave us a shrug. “In my opinion, it’s a 50/50. Either he will be in an extra good mood, or he will be a drunken mess already.”

“Is that really very… captain-ly?” I questioned.

“Trust me, he knows he doesn’t need to be sober to judge a bunch of Green Roots. Now, get, I’ve got things to do.”

“Like?” Sarah asked, egging Yeera on.

“Guard stuff.” Yeera answered, not bothering to think of anything more creative. “Keep bothering me and perhaps that will involve locking you up so your parents have to come to get you.”

“What about Rook!” Sarah shouted as I shot her a victorious grin.

“I’d rather not have his mother torch him, or more importantly, me, alive.”

Before Sarah could protest I grabbed her by the hand, pulling her along as we made our way through the dirt paths in between the houses of the village. There were only about two hundred people here, nothing compared to the major cities I’d heard, but it was what I had known all my life.

Which is why I want to leave.

Of the buildings, we soon saw one that stood out, the building listing slightly to the side as if it were the drunk one, fitting given it was the only tavern in the village.

Sarah and I looked at each other, and as one we nodded before turning towards the door of the tavern, pushing it open and entering.

Inside was dimly lit, candles scattered at random within sconces or such. There were several tables, but most were empty, still too early for the general populace to be gathering here.

Well, that was except for one table where five individuals sat.

“That must be them.” Sarah leaned in, whispering in my ear.

“Obviously.” I said, rolling my eyes.

Just to make sure I caught the eye of the tavern tender, a wiry man in his forties who pointed towards the table in a way that those seated wouldn’t see him there.

That settles that.

I tugged at Sarah’s wrist, and the two of us quickly made our way in the direction of the occupied table, drawing their attention as we were only a few steps away.

“Oh boy.” I heard one of the seated individuals' mutter, her auburn hair bouncing as she nodded towards the man next to her, grabbing his attention.

The man looked up from his drink, eyeing us as we stood before him silently.

This is it.

I felt my fists clench, trying to subconsciously hold back my own excitement.

This is it.

I waited for the man to say anything.

This is it.

At last, he raised an eyebrow at us, before redirecting his attention towards his drink, taking a swig that didn’t seem to end.

Sarah’s patience must have reached its end, she gave a loud cough before pressing her hands to her hips.

“We want to join the Theronhold guard.”

The man continued drinking.

“We are of age.”

The man kept drinking.

“And we-”

“We get it .” The auburn hair woman shooshed Sarah, taking a quick drink of her own ale. “I’ll be straight. We are only here because we must be, recruiting from these tiny villages is always a slog. Now, I know what you want, you two want an out from here, that it?”

I tried not to react as she guessed it perfectly.

“Judging by your reaction, or lack thereof, I hit the nail on the head. It’s not like Theronhold needs more guards, but it’s the yearly dance so we are forced to play along. We will make this quick then. If you can beat-” The woman turned to look at her comrades, arching an eyebrow at them. “Which of you is sober enough to go a round with some kids?”

“Guess I can.” A man grumbled after the rest simply eyed each other.

“-If you can best Charlie here, there, you’re in, we will bring you back with us to Theronhold. Otherwise, well try against next year I guess.”

Once more Sarah and I looked between ourselves, before nodding. “We’re in.” We answered at the same time.

“Jeez, you two sound like you’ve rehearsed this.” The woman scoffed before waving towards the man who was to be our opponent. “Head outside, out there back with Charlie. If you win come grab a drink with us, if you lose, well you don’t have to bother coming in to talk to us again.”

We nodded, waiting for the man, who was smaller than I had expected, to pull himself free from the table he was sitting at, heading towards the backdoor of the tavern as we followed along.

This is it.

I shielded my eyes as the door was opened and the sunlight shone down on us once more.

“Alright, so here is how we will do this.” The man, Charlie, turned to look at us after taking a moment to shield his own eyes. “No weapons, you simply have to knock me down once. You can decide amongst yourself who will go first.”

I looked at Sarah before giving her a quick smile.

“I’ll go.” I looked back at Sarah, my friend beating me to the punch.

What? That wasn’t the plan.

I was supposed to go first, give Sarah the chance to figure them out. Of course, we both wanted to pass, to succeed, but we both knew she had the better chance.

That was just how the world worked.

Except, for some reason, Sarah felt the need to go first and ruin our plan.

“Well, good to see you have some motivation.” The man stretched his arms out before walking several steps away. When he turned back to face Sarah who had taken up a spot across from him, his face had changed, steady and lacking in the red hue of drunkenness.

Wait a second…

“Begin.” The man gestured at Sarah who shot forward, palm outstretched.

“A forward charge, a bit reckless if I say- Woah!” The man ducked out of the way as an invisible ripple of force whistled past where his head had been moments before.

“Damn.” The man stood back up, looking towards Sarah with an impressed expression. “Didn’t expect to see a magic-user your age here.”

“Scorz!” Sarah shouted, no point in muttering the magic under her breath anymore now that her element of surprise was gone.

The man whistled as a cloud of fire shot from a funnel formed by her hands over her mouth, engulfing him a moment later.

Sarah looked at me with surprise, but it was washed away a second later as the man’s voice came out from the cloud of fire.

“You know, the point was to knock me over, not kill me.”

Inner Magic.

Sarah caught on as I did. “Rentar!” She shouted, lashing her hand out as a spike of earth shot towards the man.

“Good changeup, and usage of three different fields of wild magic. Not bad.” The man never bothered to avoid the earthen spike, instead backhanding it, exploding it like it were a loosely packed ball of dirt.

I inwardly cringed. Inner magic was a form of magic that existed solely within a person, capable of granting normal people strength and speed like hardened warriors. In the hands of a trained guard, that was only further increased, granting resistance to direct magical attacks that wild magic specialized in.

“Aulous!” Sarah thrust one of her palms upward, and as she did a torrent of water blasted out from under the guard, soaking him thoroughly.

“Now that’s just rude.” The man said, folding his arms one over the other. “But I stand corrected. Not three, four types of wild magic.”

Sarah wasn’t done though, her ace in the hole prepared she finally swept both hands forward as if trying to fan the man with a breeze. “Frezess!”

The world turned frigid, and the guard soaked as he was, was at the mercy of the invisible subzero talons of the plummeting temperature.

She had him, I was sure of it.

“Scorz.” The man whispered, flicking a finger upwards as a flame suddenly exploded between himself and the rushing gust of frozen wind.

The two opposite forces met with a hiss and a pop, but the fire proved too strong, drying out the wet area and warming us to the bone.

“Well then.” The man had barely moved an inch, still smiling at Sarah whose shoulders had begun to slump in exhaustion. “Anything else? Having access to all five forms of wild magic is rare. Maybe have some Kin magic while you’re at it?”

Sarah finally shook her head. “No.”

“Ahh.” The man seemed disappointed for a moment before shrugging. “So, is that your loss?”

“That’s my loss.” Sarah once more huffed out, before looking at me with a smile as if she were trying to tell me she wasn’t bothered by it.

Liar.

“Your turn then.” The guard looked at me as I switched places with Sarah. “Your friend there can throw out all five forms of wild magic. What about you? Maybe have some Kin magic under your sleeve?”

I tried to keep my expression neutral as I took my place across from him.

I was screwed.

Rook Baster, son of the famous, or perhaps infamous, Asalyn Baster. Witch of the Phantasmal Flames, Warlock of Ghost Ice, so on and so forth. Her fame was gained from her specialty, while she could utilize small amounts of wild magic, it was her Kin magic, illusion magic that directly assaulted the mind, that had garnered her respect.

And I, as her son, had failed to inherit not just her Kin magic, but even the slightest bit of affinity for magic in general.

I was screwed, and I had known it since the moment it was made clear that our trial would be based on magic alone, even if the man hadn’t directly come out and said it.

I knew why. Theronhold wasn’t just a hold, it was the hold of our region, the unofficial capital for every other stead, village, and hold in several hundred-mile radii around it. Perhaps for a smaller hold or a village one could cut it as a guard with just physical talent alone, but for a holdhelm like Theronhold, they would have more than enough applications with magical talent that there would be no point in bothering with a simple swordsperson.

I was screwed.

So why?

Why had Sarah chosen to go first? She had to have come to a similar realization, that there would be no shot for me the moment Charlie had made this a magic-based trial.

So why?

I shook my head. Even though her behavior didn’t add up, I couldn’t just back down now. The test givers would come by only once a year, and we had been training for years now to qualify, this would be the year we were supposed to finally leave home.

My pride wouldn’t let me surrender. Regardless of if there was no point if it would be a waste of time.

I had to try.

“Ready when you are kid.” The test giver gave me a nod, a look of tentative excitement and curiosity on his face as he waited to see just what I would throw at him, only logical that the one with the better shot of passing to go second.

Sorry, about this.

Nodding towards him, I took a moment to suck in a single breath, clearing my mind.

“I’ve heard different takes on sword fighting or fighting in general. Some say you must clear your mind, be flexible like a flowing river. Others say you need to have a mind that can analyze and think, thought and intention to give form to reckless motion.”

“What’s your opinion then?” Young me asked the cloaked figure, an old adventuring friend of my mother’s who had visited us out of the blue.

“Well, I’m no expert, no legendary swordmaster. In fact, I just happen to be fast and quick enough to cut it out there in the wide world. But, I say having a set idea of the do’s and don’ts is already a mistake. What’s the point of a flexible sword if you have a rigid take? Switch it up, try new things.”

“First style.” I whispered under my breath, before lunging forward, hands instinctively swinging from the side as if I were holding a sword. I saw as his eyes widened for a moment, before narrowing just as quickly, in his mind suspicion of my sudden frontal assault that was distinctly lacking in the magic department.

While I didn’t have my training sword on hand, I kept myself flexible, modifying my attack into a side chop rather than a slash. My chop, intended for his ribs, never even got close as he thrust an upward palm into my wrist. It was like being struck by a hammer blow.

Crap.

He was still using his Inner magic. I wasn’t sure why I had been hoping he wouldn’t immediately rely on it, but he hadn’t even given me that opening. Half jumping half shuffling back, I quickly went over my options.

First style was out of the picture. It had been a style of swordplay I had self-taught myself with the idea of being fast and flexible, but if he were using Inner magic the lighter strikes would be like a gentle poke at the best.

“Second Style then.” I grunted, charging forward again, this time swinging down at him as if I were bringing a sword to bare at his head. Without a sword to use, I instead wrapped my hands around each other, bringing my fists down like a sledgehammer blow, generating as much force as I could.

If I were lucky, perhaps the sudden switch from a fluid strike to a heavy hit would catch him by surprise, maybe make him take a step or two back.

Hah. A step back, forget knocking him down.

The suspicion had faded from his eyes, and almost nonchalantly he put one of his forearms in the way. Even grunting with effort as I swung down with all my strength, but rather than the feeling of hitting a person, it was like I had swung down at a boulder intending to shatter it with my bare fists.

“Right, kid, don’t waste my time. Do you have any magic or no?”

The words stung at my pride, and for a moment I felt heat behind my eyes, angry, frustrated tears threatening to appear.

No!

I wouldn’t cry. Swept up in my own feelings of anger and frustration, I let out one more yell as I forgo every style, everything I had learned, and swung at him wildly.

The next thing I knew, I was lying flat on my back, stunned as I stared up at the blue sky above.

“Well, that was basically a waste of my time then.” The man sighed, and I could hear his feet shuffle as he turned towards Sarah. “You have potential. Come back next year, and you honestly might have a shot.”

“What-” I was surprised to hear my own voice as if I hadn’t been aware of the words coming from my mouth. “-what about me?”

I swept my gaze away from the sky, looking towards the man standing slightly off to the side now.

“Easier to crush a dream than let it crush you. Give up kid. I can see some potential as a sword tutor, I can tell you are used to holding one, or maybe a guard in a smaller hold, but give up on Theronhold.”

Give up on Theronhold.

Give up.

If I weren’t already laying on the ground I would have hung my head in shame.

Give up.

My shot at leaving Junaper behind, of starting a life away from this small slice of a bigger world, gone. Sure, I could always just leave after I left home as an adult, but at that point, I would be traveling down some other path, maybe a baker, or just a simple guard living in a small village like this for the rest of my days.

Give up.

I heard as our test administrator went back inside, leaving Sarah and me alone in the patchy shade behind the tavern.

“C’mon Rook. Let’s get something to eat then. No point in wallowing in it, right?”

I could hear the forced cheer in her voice, trying her best to make me feel better.

“Easy for you to say.” I finally sighed.

Give up.

“Oh don’t be an ass about it.” Sarah kicked me gently in the ribs, before extending a hand down to me. “C’mon. I’m hungry and I don’t want to see those jerks inside.”

Give up.

“Yeah.” I exhaled, telling myself I was fine. “You’re right.”

She hauled me to my feet and dusting myself off, we made our way out from behind the tavern, walking down the dirt paths towards the bakery.

Give up.

“Yeah. Maybe I will.” I let out one more sigh, looking up at the sky.

“Will what?” Sarah looked at me in puzzlement, the comment had come out of the blue after walking for a minute in silence.

“Nothing.” I lied with a shrug.

No point in fostering a dead dream after all.