A Mage's Choice (Amaria and Kolath)

For thousands of years the people of Jirdess have been separated by a mage guarded wall from the Kordians, a cruel race of people that had embraced the darker magic in order to become stronger and conquer their enemies. Though the Wall, built and maintained by the mages, had kept them at bay for centuries, Maris, a young mage notices a growing weakness in the wall...

~~~~

She tried to ignore the cricket on her neck, the fact that it was there added more to her theory. Her magic searched deep within the Wall touching each corner... searching for more signs of weakness.

The Wall was weakening.

Shaking off the little trespasser she rose from her spot against the base of the Wall. In this small area she could see small blades of grass springing up here and there. None of which should be here. The foundations of this Wall were built with the blood, life and power of the Seven Mages of Jirdess centuries ago, nothing should be growing within twenty yards of this Wall. She stared at the few blades of grass barley visible in the dim moonlight. It was late and she needed to get back to her quarters before she was noticed. The last thing she needed was to be caught reading the Wall without the accompaniment of an Adept...again.

Maris pulled her cloak tighter around her and quickly began her long jaunt back to the trainee dorms. She could bring no horse nor use any magic to get her there any quicker. She was not skilled in covering the use of magic to the degree an Adept wouldn't notice. Just past midnight she finally slipped into the side entrance and began making her way up the stairs to her room.

A cloaked figure moved out of the shadows of where she had been. â??This could be a problemâ?¦that young apprentice is getting into too much for her to handle.â? Sighing he tilted his head to one side as though listening. After awhile he nodded, â??Yes sir it will be done.â? He cast a simple teleportation spell taking him back to the dorms pushing back his hood having arrived just a little ahead of her. with a simple spell he dried his clothes and waited for her to come in.

The moment she entered the a hand fell on her shoulder and forced her to turn to face the man. It was the headmaster of the wall training academy. Callar was a older balding man that wore a simple plain brown robe but his eyes were such a intense dark brown that they could quell any student. â??Miss Maris what were you doing out at this time of night? You know the rules of this academy leaving the dorms alone at this time of night is strictly not allowed.â?

It was too late to back out of the room. Only seconds before the hand spun her around had she felt a presence. Only a higher mage could conceal himself that well.

"I..I just wanted some fresh air, Master Callar, I was restless and couldn't sleep I know it was against the rules but I didn't go far. Just to the gardens." It was a lie but it held some truth...she had sat in the gardens for some time before she decided to risk a quick trip to the Wall alone. She looked down, not able to meet his gaze much longer. She stared at her wet boots, she had hastily slipped into them and thrown on her cloak over her gown. Her cloak was wet along the bottom and she was just now beginning to realize how cold she was. She trembled slightly from the cold and from his presence. It was not the first time she had been caught but it was the first being caught by him and she was hoping he didn't know that.

â??Indeed interesting that they garden was where I was just coming from and I did not see you there.â? He shook his head trying to hide the fact that he knew full well what she was doing. â??What does this make the fifth time that you were caught out when you shouldnâ??t be?â? he wasnâ??t really asking just making a point so he continued without waiting for her to answer. â??I believe that we will need to take some drastic measures to see that you learn to obey the rules.â? His hand holding her arm roughly he pulled her down a corridor heading down toward the isolation cells.

She frantically tried to think of all possible options. Lies were no good, he had apparently been taking note of her little adventures to the Wall. It was not surprising that she was being watched, it only sealed in her mind how deep this deception ran. Panic turned to anger and anger to boldness. "How long do you intend to hide it?! The Wall...you know about the weakness too don't you. We train everyday strengthening it but at the same time there is someone...a group, working against us..actually breaking it down...the spell is growing weak... I'll hold my tongue no longer on this matter!" She made every effort to pull against him but she was no match for his physical strength either. All she had managed to do was rip the sleeve of her cloak. Stumbling along behind him, the grip on her arm forcing her to lean at an awkward angle, their surroundings grew darker. The torches on the wall grew less and less til they stood at the entrance of the holding cell hallway. "You cannot possibly think to drag me in there? Reading the Wall, leaving quarters after curfew,..these are not crimes that call for such punishment!" she pleaded with him.

He pulled open the door to the isolation cell and pushed her into it roughly. â??You are correct but it is late and the council can not be called together to discuss your case tonight. So for now you will stay here.â? He slammed the door shut and turned to leave. He knew that he would need to take more drastic measures later but for now she was secure. All he had to be sure of was that he came back down to the cells before the keeper came to check on them. The keeper was the only high level mage that was not in the group of mages to bring down the wall. This could be a problem.

Stumbling into the small room she bumped into a table. That and a small chair the only furniture in the room. Maris had wished to speak with the council but not like this. There was no way for her to know who she could trust and who she couldn't. "Please! Wait, master Callar! You can't leave me here. This is not right and you know it!" Her voice rang through the dark hall. She lowered her voice and added "You are a direct descendant of one of the seven mages, how could you allow this to happen? The blood of your very kin discarded as if it meant nothing."

The head master shook his head as he walked away from the isolation cells. That girl was too smart for her own good. Taking a quick look back toward where he had left her, her mind could be a great asset if he could convince her to join them if notâ?¦she would have to die.

Hours passed the night passed into the deep watches and still no one came down into the isolation cells. The gloom was oppressing and seemed to speak to her of the fate that awaited her. fortunately for her the keeper was making his rounds earlier than normal. The keeper was the eldest of all mages now one truly knew how old he seemed to come from nowhere. He walked slowly down the cell block till he came to the locked one, â??Oh what have we here?â? he held the lantern up to peer into the bar covered window.

Maris hated the dark, but using magelight only made the room even more dreary. The cell was not as gruesome as the dungeons were but fell short only by the lessor degree of filth. Isolation cells were more like abandon bed chambers used mostly to hold minor offenders and the occasional drunk trainee. Maris, tired from pacing the small room now sat in the chair with the both feet on the table edge. Tilting her head back she stared at the lines in the ceiling, the cracks reminding her of the weakening wall.

The sound of shuffling foot steps slowly drew closer, till a light shown at the door. She squinted at the darkness but asily recognized the keepers aged voice. She rushed to the door.

"Keeper! You must ..." she hesitated. She wasn't sure who she could trust after her encounter with Callar. Changing her tone she continued. "It's me Keeper, Maris, a trainee." She could not lie to him, it would take little for him to sort through her mind for the truth. The truth. It would be a risk but one she would take based on his years as Keeper. "I was put in here simply for breaking curfew Keeper....I went to..the Wall...alone. Something is not right I fear...the Walll is not as strong as it should be."

Even before she had finished speaking the Keeper had opened the cell door and stepped in. â??Be careful girlâ?¦who have you told that you found this out besides me?â? there was a look in the keepers eyes one of concern and fear for her and what she said. There were many things that people did not know about the keeper and he would like to remain that way. He pulled the door shut locking it again so that they were both no locked inside.


((sorry about it being so short I had more but wasn't wanting to godmode so here is the shorter version.))

The keepers concern startled her. She stuttered a bit under his gaze, feeling ashamed of letting so much slip in her anger.
"Only master Callar knows, he is the one that caught me and brought me here. I..I've been caught a few times after curfew but none knew I went to the...where I went, Keeper."
Callar's intimidation caused her to fear him but the Keeper made her feel more feel like a child. He watched and took in everything she said..and didn't say.

((no problem. ))

His hand reached over and brushed a finger against her forehead. â??I can see that there is something amiss here. Come child.â? He didnâ??t lead her to the door instead heading to a back corner of the cell. He touched a few stones and then spoke one word and the wall seemed to fold in on itself. There was a long passageway leading up toward the great tower of the council. â??Come we must hurry before the head master comes back. I need to hear your story unfiltered.â? He quickly began to lead her through the tunnels going ever higher.

It was not uncommon for a secret passage to exist in a mage dormitory but to actually walk through it, with the Keeper of all people, astounded Maris. She followed him as quietly as she could, going over in her mind what she would tell him and wondering how much he already knew. They reached another wall and he repeated the same maneuvers as before. She tried to follow the spell but it was much to complicated for her. The wall swung open into a small well lit room with two doors on one side of the room and a third one on the other.

He didnâ??t lead her to any of the doors instead he walked right between the two on one side. not opening another passageway just walking through the wall. If she hesitated his head would pop back out of the wall. â??Come along girl we havenâ??t much time before other will be up and around.â? the wall was a illusion behind it was a long stairway climbing up sharply which he was already climbing. At the end was a large circular room made out as a combination bed room sitting room study and many other things all rolled into one. There were windows all around that showed they were at the very top of the tower at the highest point of all. The keeper motioned to a chair, â??Have a seat my dear we need to talk.â?

The hidden stairs, enchanted walls and now a fake doorway. Maris could hardly keep up with the amount of skill he so casually displayed. She made her way to the chair and sat down. "I...I'm not sure what more I can tell you that you don't already know, Keeper." She nervously rubbed her hands on her legs. "I just know that the Wall is weak and any mage could tell if they looked close enough. I believe some already know and say nothing. I don't understand sir." She spoke vaguely hoping he had some answers for her, someone that would do something about it.

He nodded hearing her words and sighed. â??Then you have seen what I have.â? He stood slowly walking over to a large magic tome and leaning against the table it was set on. â??My dearâ?¦are you a loyal servant of the king and the land? And to which do you hold your loyalty first?â? he already could see her answer but he needed to ask. The correct answer was the land since that was the first duty of all the subjects including the king he just hoped to see some passion for the land in her answer.

Little thought was needed to answer that question but she hesitated anyway. She felt as though this was a test of sorts, so she chose her words wisely, she chose words from her heart. "Land and King, in that order, Keeper. For the King is nothing if he himself fails to show loyalty to the land." The land, the will of the people, both have been long forgotten she feared.

The keeper nodded, â??Well said my dear. For the king himself is nothing but a servant to the land that he rules.â? He turned to her, â??You have found out one of the greatest kept secrets in the kingdom. Only a select few know of it and most of those I fear mean harm to our land.â? He sighed coming over to her kneeling in front of her. â??The land needs you Maris will you answer the call?â?

Her pleas had fallen on deaf ears til now and she wasn't sure how to respond, or more where to start. So much needed to be done. His words were true, the country, the people were deceived, the land in danger. "My life for the land, Keeper. I will answer the call. I am just a novice, but I will do whatever I am able." her words sounded so small she did not feel worthy of such a duty but she would face it, if no one else would.

He nodded then pointed to a wall. â??Through that wall is another passage that will lead down a secret stable set aside for the time of great need. There will be a spirit horse waiting to take you to where you tell it too faster than the wind. The way to the stable will always open before you but be wary I cannot come with you and you must not be seen by anyone. When you reach the stables tell the horse to take you to the great library and look for the royal records keeper he is one of the few people close to the king that I trust. Be careful you may be pursued by creatures of dark magic but I will do what I can.â? He closed his eyes and nodded, â??The way is open hurry quickly.â?

Secret stable, spirit horse, the royal records keeper. Maris could hardly keep up with what he was saying, each sentence more impressive than the next. She managed a nod and reigned in her nerves. "I don't know how to thank you, Keeper, I shall not let it be in vain." with that she left, through the wall and on to the stables.

She reached them without much trouble nor being seen. The stable was better than any stable she had ever been in and though all six stalls were occupied only one horse stood in the middle, the spirit horse was waiting for her. He stood still as she walked close and boldly ran a hand along his side as she mounted. "Well boy, here we go. To the great library." before she could finish her last sentence the horse bolted off faster than she thought possible. The stable, the dormitory and tower were a blur before she managed her first breath. Soon she came to the looming walls of the west wing of the castle. The spirit horse stopped in a courtyard near a side entrance and Maris quickly lighted off the horse and slipped through the archway. It was still dark but looking back, she could clearly see the form of the spirit horse. Hoping he would wait she hurried to the first door and entered.

Maris had only been inside of the royal library twice. One time for a ceremony, which was in the main section. And another time through this same entrance, delivering a rare book to a librarian. But she had never met the royal librarian. She stopped on the stairway leading to the offices. It just dawned on her that the royal librarian was none other than the Kings brother. A novice mage, visiting the Kings brother this late at night?! It seemed absurd but what she had to say was important, even the Keeper agreed.

She moved past the smaller offices and headed to the room at then end of the hall. Surprisingly she saw a narrow shaft of light under the door. Maris knocked lightly and waited just outside the door.

Willfrum Benedict Augustus the third was seated at his desk looking over a old manuscript that the Library had just recovered in the last week. The pages were yellowed and cracked and threatened to crack as he turned each one. How ever this did not stop the flame redheaded man from continuing. He was gentle with the pages but he continued reading. This type of story was a lost art for the book was just that a story. The ancient writers had away about how they wrote this kind of story, it was of knights and adventures dragons and sorcery. Something had been lost in the time between the ages. He continued his reading loving the adventure his unnaturally bright green eyes flashing in excitement at every word.

He was always the last one in the great library because he was the head librarian. When his brother had taken the throne from their father he had offered Willfrum any position that he had wanted and he had chosen to be this. It was his dream come true and he would never wish for anything else. Even though he had always loved adventures in books the thought of being in one himself was just too much for him to think about.

He turned at the knock raising a eyebrow there should be no one around this time of night. He reached over picking up the sword belt that he always carried with him. just because he was a librarian didnâ??t mean he wasnâ??t still a prince and needed to be able to defend himself. He was fit and had long thin but powerful muscles the kind you get from honest work not weight working. He stepped over to the door and opened it a crack looking into the dim corridor. â??Who is it that is in the library at this hour?â?

((sorry about how long it took me to get this out. been going through a bit lately.))

Your highness? Prince? How do I address him!? A thousand thoughts flew threw her mind as the door suddenly cracked open, and a figure, shadowed by the light of the room, spoke into the hall.

"Maris , my Lord, a mage novice. I was sent by... the Keeper. If you please, my I have a word with you?" her voice was a shaky whisper. "It should only take a moment of your time." she waited in the cold corridor for his response, hoping he didn't send her away. That won't happen, I must trust the Keeper.

She felt a strange presence in the hall with her and prayed that he would quickly open the door. As soon as she was in she could at least put a seal on this door, so what ever is creeping behind her in the hall won't be able to follow her. The presence drew closer. She looked but nothing was visible. It was most likely a searching spell but if she did not allow it to touch her all would be well.

He stood there for a moment blinking, â??The keeper? But I have notâ?¦â? he stopped realizing what it meant that he had not received a magic message from anyone at the academy. The keeper was the only one that lived that still knew of the secret stable. He opened the door and though there was nothing there to see by normal vision he as one born of royal blood had been gifted with some special powers that were beyond even magic. There was a searching spell coming toward her and grabbing her arm quickly Willfrum pulled her in just a moment before it found her. â??You may not enter!â? his voice had a slightly far away quality. The magic was barred from continuing it path of progression toward her and there was no magic to be countered it was merely the authority of a member of the royal family.

After closing the door he turned back to her smiling, â??So my dear care to explain first how you came here so quickly and second why if your first answer should prove to be what I think it is?â?

((hope you don't mind that power I gave him as a royal family member.))

For the forth time she was jerked into a room. "This is becoming a regular occurrence." she mumbled under her breath. Remembering who was in front of her she cleared her throat nervously and spoke up. "I came by way of the stable...on a spirit horse. Keeper opened the way and told me to come here. He wanted me to tell you what I knew of the Wall."

Realization hit her harder as she considered all that had just happened. She was only a novice and in one night she had a private audience with the Keeper and the the Kings brother. It was all becoming too much for Maris and her legs began to tremble, she was sure her knees would give out soon.