Before the Way Chapter One

[Alexander Silverback]

Out of Character:

So since I like you guys Alot! I've decided to give you a preview of the book I'm writing and hope to get published before the end of next year... This is the first Chapter and I would like to see what you guys think about the plot/ story so far... it still needs some editing/proof reading so please ignore any grammatical errors...

Chapter 1: Red Sunset

Part 1


Hours before the battle that the two brothers shared, before the small village of Eden’s Hollow was left as nothing more then burnt buildings and destroyed lives, a girl was waking up ready to begin the day as she always had. This girl was named Madeline and she was not an ordinary girl but she wasn‘t very extraordinary either at least not at the time. Both her parents had lived normal enough lives, her father was a tailor and her mother a stay at home grew things in the garden while taking care of her. They were not tall or fat or different in any way other then the fact that her mother had bright red hair and her father dark brown though they blended in with the village quite normally, despite the fact that the rest of the villagers tended to have black or blond hair.

Madeline had learned how to read and write from her father who had falling in love with her mother years before and had taught her how to do the same. Reading and Writing was important for men but deemed as something women didn’t need to learn. Young girl’s were taught how to sew and cook along with other motherly things that were thought of as feminine, some girls rejected the notion and while not shunned they were also not admired outside the big cities. Madeline had heard stories from her father about such female heroes who traveled the world and saved people, these heroes did not seem to have anything stand in their way whether it be adversaries or simply gender. Madeline herself dreamt of one day becoming one of these types of people that were talked about in stories or in everyday conversation, that is once a traveler came around and told them which did not happen everyday.

For as long as Madeline could walk she would often try and leave the home running off to the small woods that were behind her house and while she did often get a scolding for doing so she loved the idea of being free. The other girls in the village did not understand and therefore were quick to dislike and mock Madeline but she didn’t care because she was mocking them just as easily for not being as adventurous as she was. Even many of the boys seemed reluctant to follow the young girl as she delved deeper into the woods in search of wild animals, for they, like Madeline had heard about the dangerous creatures that lived in the shadows and did not wish to meet them. Madeline however lived for it and didn’t show fear to anyone but this was perhaps because Madeline herself had never experienced true fear, never saw anything in the woods that would harm herself or her family.

It was one day only a few months prior that Madeline had met a boy in the woods, she had taken to playing in the woods as she always did. Tying her auburn hair into a pony tail the short pale skinned girl ran throughout the trees falling only a couple of times and smudging the dirt on her face as she tried to brush herself off. She was ten and five months and she had the rest of her life ahead of her as she walked around calling for danger to come and get her imagining Dragons or Bastions or even Werewolves for her to smack down like the great Briar Thornwick. In her hand was a large stick that she would use to hit trees as she ran by. “Take that Dragon!” Madeline called out with a giggle as she imagined the great dragon of Eden’s Hollow falling to the ground with a loud thump. Nobody understood her and how could they she was simply different and wasn’t about to change just because people wanted her too.

“What are you doing?” came a voice from behind, Madeline paused and slowly turned around. She had been seen before a couple of times while playing make believe in town and had been horribly mocked and while she had at the time shrugged it off, she had also felt deeply embarrassed at having what was a private moment so rudely interrupted as it had this time. She had expected to see John or Daniel or any number of boys that had finally grown courageous enough to enter this part of the woods but instead she found something quite odd. It was a boy no older then herself with brilliant blond hair so that it looked almost white and bright green eyes. His skin was as white as parchment and there was not a bit of dirt on him, which would have been thought impossible considering how much Madeline had on her. The boy was wearing simply peasant clothes, a light brown and thinly made shirt with the same type of trousers to match. He also had a dark leather vest that seemed a bit worked in and was even torn in a few places.

Madeline looked at the boy with curiosity, because she had never seen this boy before which instantly brought about a wave of questions to her mind. Madeline didn’t know which to ask first but decided on asking a basic question of “who are you?” as she flattened her plain dress down . The boy simply smirked taken a step forward while looking her directly in the eye “My name’s Tom, who are you?” the boy named Tom asked without a second’s thought.

“My name’s Madeline” she replied trying to figure out just who Tom was, “where are you from?” Madeline asked bluntly knowing full well that the boy couldn’t have been from Eden’s Hollow since the town was small and everyone knew everyone which was both a comfort and an annoyance. “I’m from here” Tom said with a smile as he began looking Madeline up and down causing the young girl to feel a bit nervous as she quickly took a step back and flattened her dress more. “You can’t live here” Madeline exclaimed as she took another step back “It’s rude to stare you know!” she said with a snap, feeling more then a bit annoyed with the boy and his staring. Tom simply took another step forward as he continued to look at the girl as though he had never seen one before.

“Of course I can live here, besides it’s not rude to be curious” Tom said with a smile as he picked up a stick from the ground and began knocking a tree with it. “Where do you live?” Tom asked as a few leaves fell from the top of the tree towards him. The air however moved and the leaves missed him and continued to fall gently towards the ground. Tom wasn’t even looking at Madeline as he continued to bat the tree as though it was nothing. Madeline was even more curious since she figured everyone knew about her village, it may not have been big but they did get a decent amount of traveling sales merchants per year so as to keep it from being completely unrecognized. “I’m from the village” Madeline said with a bit of annoyance in her voice as she walked over to face the boy, “It’s rude to turn away when someone’s talking to you” Madeline added feeling even more annoyed and curious about this wild child that seemed to have no manners.

“Who say’s it’s rude?” Tom asked with a bit of annoyance in his voice as he turned and faced Madeline. “Adults do” Madeline replied with another snap as though it were a simple enough answer that everyone should’ve known about. Madeline wasn’t a perfect child but she knew enough to have a proper conversation with someone, something this boy obviously wasn’t use to. “If you live here then where exactly do you live?” Madeline asked as she put her hands on her hips with the stick in her hand pointing downwards. Once again Tom looked at Madeline, examining her as though he had never seen a girl before causing Madeline to glare at him.

“Near a pond on the other side of those trees” Tom said with a bit of a smile as he pointed his stick over towards the East going even farther away from the village. Madeline followed the line of the stick trying to look through the trees that were in the way so that she might see the pond that he was talking about. “I’ve been over there before, there isn’t any pond” Madeline said as she dropped the stick that was in her hand “It’s rude to fib” she added with yet another snap in her voice, if someone had been talking to her in the same manner she would’ve easily thought that they sounded like her mother however she was oblivious to this fact. Tom looked her straight in the eyes once more though this time his own eyes were filled with an indignation that may have made other little girls move back a little. Madeline however stood her ground determined to not give any superiority to this boy.

“I’m not fibbing” Tom said as he allowed his own stick to fall to the ground “It is over there” he added as he continued to look at Madeline with the same eyes of anger at having been described as a fibber. “No it’s not!” Madeline exclaimed taking a step towards the boy, Madeline knew full well that arguing could easily lead to a fight and she was more then prepared having been in a few on a number of occasions. “Well then Miss Smarty Pants, how do you think I’m so clean?” Tom challenged giving know indication that he was going to start throwing fists despite the look in his eye that told otherwise. “I don’t know but it’s not because of some magical pond that’s just appeared!” Madeline said angrily her voice raised higher then what was proper.

“Well come on then, I’ll show you the pond and then you can feel stupid about calling me a fibber” Tom said as he brushed past her and began walking towards the trees without turning back to see if she was following. “Fine but when it’s not there you have to admit that you were fibbing” Madeline said as she turned and began walking behind him not saying another word. Madeline knew she was right and didn’t even entertain the idea that there was a pond close by, she would’ve found it ages ago if it had existed considering she had gone so far before that she had gotten lost and spent several hours trying to find her way back, her parents had punished her severely that time. Madeline did however look around for the pond just so that her point could be set in stone and was already thinking about what she was going to say to the boy once she was proven right.

The pair walked in the same direction for only a few minutes not saying a word when suddenly Tom stopped and began looking around since there was no pond anywhere in sight. Madeline simply smiled as she placed her hands on her hips once more, she was very pleased that she had indeed been proven right as she stuck out her tongue “See, you are a fibber!” Madeline said with a bit of venom in her voice that sounded like the other girl’s in the village when they were tormenting her.

“No I’m not, I just can’t find it” Tom said though there was definitely a lack of conviction in his voice not as he continued to look around. “I know it’s around here somewhere…” Tom muttered as he walked behind a few trees for a better look a somewhat desperate look in his eyes. Madeline however decided to lean back against a tree as she waited for the boy to find the pond though she knew it wasn’t going to appear and so was actually waiting for the boy to give up so that he could take his punishment for making up things. After more then a few minutes Tom didn’t seem any closer to giving up despite the fact that there was no pond. “Look Tom, just admit that you were fibbing” Madeline said as she sighed already bored of doing nothing.

“I’m not!” Tom said with annoyance in his voice as he continued looking around for the pond that wasn’t about to appear anytime soon. Madeline however looked up at the sky and began to notice that it was getting late. “Well then Tom, you have until tomorrow to find the pond otherwise be prepared to be punished!” Madeline said with triumph in her voice as she turned to leave the boy to his pond finding endeavors. As if he had just noticed the girl leaving Tom looked up towards her and called out “Are you coming back tomorrow?” Madeline simply continued walking as she said loudly “yep, gotta punish you for fibbing!” and that was how their friendship began. Everyday Madeline would go back to the forest and see Tom who was always clean stating that he had found the pond the night before even though during the day it was nowhere to be found.

Tom never went towards the village and in fact nobody from the village ever saw him and so nobody believed Madeline when she told them about him. In the beginning she was very upset with this fact however as time past Madeline began to feel special of the fact that she had a friend nobody else had. On the day of the Red Sunset one month before Madeline‘s eleventh birthday, the day Madeline would never forget she had gone to see Tom late in the afternoon and had sat with him on a log. “Tell me another story Tom” Madeline said with a smile, she had found out that Tom had traveled all over the world and knew just about everything though she also figured that he was simply fibbing even though his stories were quite enjoyable.

“What do you want to hear about?” Tom asked as he looked up at the sky and began to count the birds that could be seen. It was a nice day and it seemed like it would only get nicer as the two friends sat eating fruit that Tom had managed to find from within the woods. Tom looked at Madeline with his face red from the juice the fruit had left over him. He smiled at her because she truly enjoyed listening to his stories even if she didn’t really believe them. It didn’t matter to Tom since he was happy to have someone around , so that he didn’t have to be alone all the time.

“I don’t know, tell me something about Capital City” Madeline said blankly as she took another large bite, she had never seen this type of fruit before and didn’t know what it was called. She did however enjoy the fact that they were juicy and sweet and would have to remember to bring some back to the village since she was sure that nobody else had ever had this fruit before either. Madeline felt as though she could eat them all day and never get full. It was strange how used to being with Tom she had gotten, It seemed like he had been with her all of her life and yet they had only just met each other not that long ago. Madeline enjoyed being with Tom and as the day’s went on she forgot more and more what it was like when she didn’t have him to look forward to.

“Well the Capital of Kenta is Thibes” Tom said simply enough as he had been there on several occasions and so he knew it quite well. “Kenta is an old word, much older than we are” Tom said as he began to think about what it’s meeting was “Oh yeah! Kenta means ‘To Behold’” Tom said with a smile glad that he hadn’t forgotten the meaning. “Thibes being the Capital of Kenta means “Shining Light” and so together Kenta, Thibes means “To Behold the Shining Light” Tom said as though he were a scholar teaching a pupil something new. “The Shining Light of course is the Nexus, which is located in between the three Towers of Thibes and connects everything together” Tom said once more as though he was the authority on the subject.

“I know that Tom” Madeline said impatiently “The Nexus was created 1000 years ago when the Divine One threw the Stone of Chaos at the planet ending the old world and creating the magi’s, elves, fairies, witches, and anything else that wasn’t here before” Madeline said repeating what she had learned from her father when she was younger. “The three Towers are based upon Kenta’s Government, The Tower of Law, the Tower of Magi, and the Tower of Prophets” Madeline said as she checked the three towers with her fingers. “Each Tower get’s one representative and the three of them represent the Triad, they decide the laws that each of us have to follow” Madeline said matter of factly.

“Well you know more than I do then!” Tom said bashfully as he quickly took another bite of his fruit with a loud crunch. Tom looked up and saw that the sky was beginning to change. “Madeline, I don’t like to be alone” Tom said as he looked down at the ground since being afraid of the dark was something to be mocked even back then. Tom looked at Madeline with pleading eyes “We’re friends right?” Tom asked watching as Madeline nodded her head though she had initially uttered a laugh at him when she heard that he didn’t like to be alone. “Well then from now on will you stay with me until the sun goes down, just so that I know that your close by?” Tom asked knowing that it was likely he would end up getting Madeline into trouble if she agreed.

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Chapter 1: Red Sunset

Part 2

The sun was setting in the East as it always did, the blue sky had turned to gold with a glimmer of pink beginning to fill it’s empty void. The grass was green in the small valley that was surrounded by both forest and hills as a small village laid nestled quietly and undisturbed. Children were heading home from a long day of play as grownups finished what work they had and wives called out for supper. On the outskirts however hidden by a few large hills a man waited. This man was not very old only in his mid twenties and was nothing the people of this village had ever seen.

He had dirty blond hair that reached down to his shoulder though had not been kept and so was a little messy in some areas. His eyes were crystal blue and gave the sharp impression of a lover or a dreamer, almost like a poet waiting to tell his tale. He wore black robes that were made solely for him as they had been lined with a thin sheet of steel that would be durable yet easily to move. Large pockets that could carry many things however not be seen by passerby’s. Underneath he wore a simple black tunic and some black pants that matched his heavy steeled toed boots and armored knuckle gloves.

This man was named Scion and he was a Magi from the Tower in Thibes. He had traveled far in search of someone and knew that he would probably get into trouble for not going back to the Tower to report in, however he was on a personal mission and knew that he needed to complete it. Scion had gone through a lot in the past few years and knew that his journey could only end when he’d finished his mission and while others may have disapproved, Scion was never the type to take that into consideration. He watched the sun as it slowly moved downwards wondering what would’ve brought his brother here of all places. It simply didn’t make sense, though nothing Maverick did these days seemed to make any sense.

As Scion continued to pace looking around for any signs of Maverick he continuously watched the sunset and all of it’s grandeur. The colors seemed to merge together eloquently as though some grand artist had painted it again and again and yet each sunset was it’s own picture of perfection. Scion couldn’t help but feel a bit of jealously and impatient as he watched it, knowing that no human could ever match this grand design. The wind was blowing, strong enough to move his hair slightly but not strong enough to penetrate his dueling robes, something he was grateful for since it meant that they were as tough as he would need them to be. Scion turned suddenly as he saw the figure he’d been waiting for appear in the distance, at first a small dot but the dot quickly grew larger until he saw the outline of a person dressed in a very similar fashion.

Maverick’s outfit looked almost identical to Scion however his appearance was not. Scion had the look of a dreaming young man, youthful and idealistic. Maverick however was one of cold experience and while he was only a few years older he seemed to have lived hundreds of years more. Maverick had short black hair that always seemed to be nicely kept and ice cold eyes that while blue definitely seemed to contrast Scion’s. His skin seemed a bit whiter then his younger brother and his eyes a bit darker as though he hadn’t been sleeping in days possibly even weeks. If he hadn’t been sleeping then he definitely didn’t let that show as he walked with an aura of strength that matched his unbreakable will and determination.

“Why are you here Scion?” Maverick said, his voice matched his eyes as both cold and dark as he continued walking towards his brother.

Scion was a bit taken aback at first however was quick to regain his composure as he remembered his anger towards his older brother. He would never forgive Maverick for his crimes which had at first shocked and disbelieved Scion until now when he had finally gotten to see his brother face to face.

“You know why I’m here, all those people you’ve killed!” Scion said the anger was clear in his voice as he glared at his brother with the same unbending will.

Maverick simply stared back with what appeared to be humor in his eyes of all things. Scion himself couldn’t understand why Maverick would look this way after what he’d said, murder was a serious and grave offense to be charged with however Maverick seemed to shrug it off as though his brother was merely asking the time of day. It was more then that though, Maverick was staring at him at him with a glimmer of light as though he had done those horrible things and was glad to have done them. Scion didn’t recognize his brother at that moment as his own anger seemed to intensify.

“Do you know why the sun sets red?” Maverick said with a slight smirk as he began to circle Scion, knowing that he would probably already have the text book answer at the tip of his tongue.

Scion was caught slightly off guard with the nonchalant way his brother was acting, he was asking a question that every magi grew up knowing. The elements were something that you had to learn if you ever wanted to be a decent magi. Scion glared and began following his brother as they both now moved in perfect sequence keeping each other on opposite sides.

“Light is based off of color, red is the color that reaches the farthest” Scion answered feeling very annoyed with his brother, had he expected Scion to answer incorrectly?

Maverick continued to smirk at him making him more angry. The rumors he’d heard about his older brother seemed to be true, Maverick had lost his mind and was nothing more then a homicidal maniac that had to be stopped at all cost. Scion didn’t know why the magi elders at the Tower didn’t stop him themselves, surely they were strong enough. It seemed however that he would be the only thing that could stop his brother from killing. Scion didn’t particularly enjoy this burden however he would not turn it down, Maverick was his brother and it seemed only fitting that he would be the one that had to defeat him.

“I knew you would say that” Maverick smiled as he stopped and stared at Scion as though he had gotten the answer correct but to the wrong question. “This world’s dying and it’s because of the people in it, they neither deserve to live nor have the courage to” Maverick said coldly as black dust moved from his pockets and began to take form.

Merging together they formed a black sword engraved with silver writings that Scion couldn’t understand perhaps it was a form of ancient elfish, Scion didn’t know. At the end of the black blade was a slight crescent that seemed covered with the silver writing. The handle was all silver with black writing on it, Maverick took the blade and held it aloft in one hand as though showing his prized weapon to his brother however holding it in a manner that would still allow him perfect striking capabilities. Maverick was no longer staring at his brother with the same expression, like his weapon he had become colder and very sharp. Scion was left a bit stunned by this display as he quickly pulled his own sword from inside his robes.

“This world is not dying!” Scion said angrily as he held his weapon tightly in both of his hands; a plain sword smaller then Maverick’s however it was strong and reliable. “Your not going to use some righteous motive for killing people!” Scion yelled his anger now greater then anything he had ever felt before in his life.

“Trust me little brother” Maverick said with the same smirk he’d had before, “I’m not, I was simply telling you what it said on my onyx blade”. With that he seemed to move faster then any normal human should as he charged his opponent head on while holding his weapon still with only one hand.

Scion was surprisingly ready for this as he quickly blocked Maverick’s assault, moving backwards to give himself leverage as he charged back Scion was a thankful with how well he was trained but was also curious with how much strength Maverick‘s blow had considering it was only one handed. With all of his rage Scion struck at his Maverick who seemed to parry his attacks with great ease. Scion wasn’t about to give up however as he continued striking aiming for Maverick’s legs with the tip of his blade, if he couldn’t hit him directly then perhaps he could injure his older brother and give himself an advantage in this duel that seemed like it would be to the death. Maverick however was a very skilled fighter and was able to block the strike as he punched Scion directly in the face. Scion was instantly knocked back by the blow as he felt the bones in his nose break.

Maverick could have ended it right then and there however he took a step back. “Come on Scion you have to do better then this” he taunted as he looked not at Scion but at the village that was behind them. The hills blocked the village from direct view however both fighters knew that it was there, it’s inhabitants going about their business getting ready to settle into their small houses for the day, as the red glow of the sunset shown brightly behind them. “If you don’t stop me Scion, all of those people are going to die” Maverick taunted as he glare turned back towards his brother. “They will all burn and you will have done nothing to save them” Maverick said as he prepared himself for his word’s consequences.

Scion wiped the blood that was flowing from his nose as he tapped into magi, he felt the pain dissipate as new strength and speed began to flow through his body. Adrenaline was pumping through his veins however it had been aided by his magi powers allowing each second to feel like a minutes as even the sun itself seemed to move slower in it’s decent. Scion knew that Maverick’s words were true, he had never been one to lie and even in his madness seemed to have held onto that virtue. “I’m not going to let you kill them!” Scion roared as he moved with the speed of twenty men towards Maverick with the full intent of killing him.

Scion waved his blade upwards and sideways towards Maverick’s neck feeling the clashing noise as his sword struck Maverick’s blade. Scion was quicker now and more keen as he moved his blade towards the other side of his opponent’s neck in less then a millisecond. Had he been fighting an ordinary opponent the battle probably would’ve been over by now however he knew that this opponent was far from ordinary as he found his strikes parried once more. Maverick was better then Scion and he knew it in his gut, it didn’t mean however that he was going to stand by and let this evil destroy an entire village. Scion needed to think of something that would end this battle for good and he had to think quickly.

Moving the blade of his sword upwards Scion quickly made to strike the top of Maverick’s head knowing that the skilled warrior would be able to block it. What Maverick wasn’t counting on however was that Scion was doing this with only one of his hands. In his other hand a large fire had appeared burning fiercely as it gave off immense heat. Scion jumped into the air higher then a normal person, as his sword was knocked sideways by Maverick’s blade. Increasing the fire in his hand he threw it down directly at his brother, Scion was blasted back by the explosion he had created and landed on the ground hard. Looking up as he got to his feet at the small crater that had appeared where his brother had been standing.

Scion looked around, there were no remains of his brother inside the crater which meant that he had somehow missed his target. Maverick could not have gotten away, however he wasn’t around as Scion quickly began looking for any sign of his brother. Before Scion could do anything however he felt the sharp pain in his chest, looking down Scion saw his blood ooze out as the onyx blade was stuck inside him as Maverick stood before him. Scion felt the world begin to go dark as his body tried to heal itself despite the fact that he was quickly fading into unconsciousness. Scion looked up at his brother with some shock on his face “I failed?” Scion said as Maverick pulled the blade out. Scion fell to the ground and fell into darkness unable to continue the fight.

“Don’t worry little brother, you won’t die yet” Maverick said with a smirk. “I have big plans for you , just not right now” Maverick said as he turned and began walking towards the village, ready and willing to destroy it despite his little brother’s attempts to stop him. Maverick watched as the blade broke apart returning back to his pockets as he left his brother bleeding on the ground. Everything would go as planned, Maverick would shake the old people that stood behind their ivory towers in Thibes. This small village would be one of a few that would have to be sacrificed in order for justice to prevail. Within mere moments Maverick stood in the center of the village and less then ten minutes after that several people were screaming as it seemed the end of days were upon them.

Madeline sat with Tom unaware of the horrors that were awaiting her when she returned to her village. If she wasn’t so busy talking with Tom she may have noticed the smell in the air, however perhaps she had simply mistaken the burning village for firewood as she was already beginning to feel a bit chilly despite the summer heat. “Tom how much longer do you want me to stay?” Madeline asked as she looked at the sky, the red was almost gone and now the darkness speckled with bits of light seemed to be all that remained. Madeline looked towards the village and then back at Tom who was surprisingly asleep.

It was a strange thing to see Tom sleeping and for a quick moment Madeline thought about waking him up and telling him off since it was of course very rude to fall asleep when you had guests over. Thinking about the time however Madeline decided to leave Tom as she made her way back to her family. Madeline’s journey was slowed some as she had to make her way through the trees and could not see very well. It was a bit scary for the young girl as she shivered from the gust of wind that blew by, Madeline’s senses seem to grow sharper by the second as she peered into the darkness and waited for her eyes to adjust. She had a strange feeling she was being watched by someone or something.

Walking very slowly so as not to be seen Madeline made her way towards her village turning around every few seconds so that she could get a glimpse of the thing that was watching her because now she was sure that she was not alone. “Tom?” Madeline asked fear beginning to grow in her voice as she looked around seeing nobody and yet feeling their presence. “Tom this is not funny so if your playing some type of trick!” Madeline called out as she took a deep breathe regretting that she had stayed out so late as she was still unable to see anyone however that was when she noticed the scent in the air.

Something was burning in her village and it reminded her of the festivals they had every year in which a giant bon fire would be created in the center of the village. Madeline turned and could see a slight glow coming from near her home, it was not alone however as Madeline began moving towards it. The girl’s movements were seemingly the only sounds in the forest however as she moved quicker and quicker towards the fires Madeline began to hear the footsteps of another. She was sure that someone was following her, had been watching her the entire time and yet the sounds of footsteps were coming from towards the village and as the young girl got closer she began to hear the crying of those were soon to depart this world.

Panic filled Madeline as she moved as quickly as she could through the trees towards the smell that was beginning to grow stronger every second. Her site was obstructed by the mixing of the darkness along with the flaring light that was growing brighter and brighter as she got closer to it. Before she reached the village however Madeline frozed, someone was leaving the village and coming into the forest towards her. Madeline didn’t know what to do however something inside made her run towards a tree and hide behind it as tightly as she could so that she seemed to be apart of the tree itself.

The crying that she heard began to fade as slowly Madeline peeked her head around the side of the tree what she saw terrified her to the core. A man dressed in black surrounded by a few tress that failed to block the image of her village burning violently behind him. It seemed as though the demon in her fairy tales had appeared before her as one by one the trees began to light on fire. Madeline was terrified as she began to think about what to do. Madeline waited as the man got closer towards her, if he found her she was sure that she would not survive and so crouching as low as she could the small girl began to scrabble along the ground covering herself with dirt while praying the none of the twigs and sticks she was breaking would alert the demon.

Before she knew it she was very close to being surrounded by flames as the forest began to burn quicker then anyone could have guessed. Madeline decided to make a break for it as she got up and began running, she thought she heard the man behind her however fear kept her from saying anything as she beat the fire and ran out of the woods along a path that would take her away from the horror that was surrounding her. Madeline ran until she couldn’t’t any longer falling along the ground because she had stumbled and began breathing heavily. Slowly she looked down and saw only the part of the woods that she had just ran out, roaring with fire. Madeline knew that her village was suffering a similar fate and as she continued watching, panic filled her heart.

Madeline could hear the noise of someone coming towards her from behind as she turned and began looking out at the darkness for the demon that seemed to be able to be in more than one place at the same time. Instead of seeing a demon however Madeline could see someone different lying on the ground not far away from her. Madeline didn’t think that it could be someone dead as she made her way towards the figure tears streaming from her eyes as they began to act on their own the impact of the last half hour was still not touching her as she was simply acting on adrenaline. She could see the blood dripping from him as she turned his face and looked at it, “please don’t be dead!” Madeline cried as she began trying to shake him “please wake up and help me!”.

Self healing was a technique that all Magi’s are trained in and as Scion laid on the ground unconscious his blood was already rapidly moving in order to clot and reform the skin in his chest. This process while faster then normal humans still took a lot from the magi and while it happened Scion found himself dreaming. Scion’s dreams were filled with sadness as he was sent back into the past when he was just a small boy, Maverick and him playing in the fields near their house outside of Thibes. It was hard to believe that in only a few years they would both be chosen as Magi’s and would begin their training in the arts. It was even harder to believe that Maverick would soon betray them all and begin hunting the Magi with the intent to exterminate them and take over the world. Scion wanted to stay in his dreams where peace ruled and the dark future stayed where it belonged; somewhere far away.

Scion woke suddenly, staring into the face of a dirty girl crying and shaking. Scion was still hurt as some blood was still leaving his body however the wound was a lot better and would no longer claim his life, something Maverick had made sure of when he had injured him. It was annoying to think that his life was only his because the one who had stabbed him had decided to allow him to live. Those thoughts however were for another time, right now he had to help this girl as he struggled to get to his feet. It seemed that the thought of him still being alive was enough to comfort her slightly though as Scion looked into the sky he knew that something terrible had occurred while he was incapacitated and it was his fault for not preventing it.

“We have to run, before he finds us!” Madeline shouted at the man frantic and afraid because she knew that the demon was close by and that it would only be a matter of time before he was upon the two ready to finish what he had began when he had slaughtered her family and friends. Madeline could see that the man was hurt and though she had never seen him before she was simply glad that there was someone else out here besides him. “Please let’s go!” Madeline said as she began trying to help him up even though she was not nearly strong enough. Madeline didn’t want the man to die, she didn’t want to be left alone out here in the dark.

“What happened?” Scion asked though his voice was deeply strained as he felt a wave of sleep wash over him, it seemed as though the effects of his healing had not completely subsided. This was perhaps due to the fact that he was still injured and did need to rest if he was to regain his powers. The girl however did not answer him as she continued to try and get him to his feet, Scion used what little strength he had to help her as his clothes tattered slightly and definitely in need of a good wash seemed to weigh hundreds of pounds. “We won’t get far” Scion said as he stumbled yet managed to get on his feet. His head was pounded and he was ready to fall again however he was determined not to as he tapped into his Magi abilities, stopping the healing but allowing him to move with the young girl who was obviously not able to talk.

For what seemed like an eternity the two moved away from the remains of the village, the young man weak and hurt and the young girl constantly turning around as though the ground itself might swallow her up should she slow down even for a minute. It was quite outstanding how much fear and determination could get you despite being hurt, tired, and hungry however the two continued to move until at last they were on the other side of the forest having traveled along the outer rims so that they could hide themselves more effectively. Most of the forest had been burned to the ground allowing her even more cover as they moved up and down the hills, finally however Scion’s strength finally faded as he collapsed near a tree. “I’m sorry I can’t go on, I need to rest” Scion admitted as he looked at the now terrified girl and passed out, his healing abilities once again taking over however not nearly as effective as before due to the exhaustion.

Madeline tried to calm down however that was not possible, everything seemed to terrify her and with the man now back asleep but thankfully still alive Madeline found that all she could do was stand vigil over him. Hours began to pass as Madeline too fell into a very uneasy sleep as the forest animals began to return to see what remained of their home. Every single noise seemed to wake Madeline as she would look around a full circle and then at the man to ensure that everything was still okay, she was very hungry but was still unable to leave him since it would mean making both of them vulnerable. Finally Madeline gave up on sleep as the sky began to turn pale blue, the worst night of her life seemingly passing by Madeline looked at the man more clearly. He was definitely not from the village and seemed to have a sophisticated yet noble look about him that was quite fascinating yet startling in it’s own way.

As the son slowly began to rise Madeline looked around once more, not seeing anyone she decided to leave the man in search of some berries or at least something edible. Madeline was worried at first that the man wouldn’t be safe considering he was still fast asleep however after a loud grumble and pain from her stomach she decided that it might be safe enough for him. Madeline began walking around tired and hungry searching for something however she wasn’t sure she would be able to find anything as it was still quite dark out. Madeline looked up at the sky seeing as it became bluer with more light, Madeline wished there was a merchant or something around even though she didn’t have any money on her. She didn’t think about her parents or anything from the village, such thoughts were too painful and would simply cause her to simply sit down and cry. Madeline did want everything to end however, all of the pain and suffering she felt inside to simply stop. She had someone who needed her now, just as much as she needed him and so continued in vain to find some food.

After about an hour of searching Madeline returned back to a sleeping Scion, still hungry and still tired “at least you look happy” Madeline said deciding that while he may look a little beat up he still looked better then she had originally thought. “I’m sorry for your loss Madeline” came a familiar voice nearby, Madeline turned and saw Tom standing before her dressed as he always did. “TOM!” Madeline cried as for a brief moment her worries washed away, Madeline ran towards her friend the last remnant of what she had once had. Embracing him in a great hug Madeline was happier than she had been in a long time grateful that someone was still alive.

“Madeline, I’m sorry for what happened but I saw your village” Tom said with grief deep in his voice, he did not hug Madeline back and simply looked towards the ground. “Madeline this man will help you, stay with him” Tom said as he took a step back leaving her staring at him. Madeline was confused “Tom you should come with us, the forest is burned down and you don’t have anywhere to live” Madeline explained however the man was beginning to stir as she said these words “He’s awake, he can help us now” Madeline said happily as she turned towards the waking man “We need your help, are you okay?” Madeline asked as she looked into his opening eyes.

“I’m alright” Scion said as he looked at the girl from before more clearly now, his wounds were now healed though they were still fragile and could easily reopened if he did anything too strenuous. “Who are you?” Scion asked feeling the hunger in his stomach as he began looking the dirty child up and down to see that she too was okay. The girl answered quickly and with full of energy that definitely surprised Scion considering all that she had been through the previous night. “My name is Madeline Grain and this is Tom!” As she turned around however she was stunned to see that they were all alone, Scion himself had not seen anyone else. “Are you sure your okay?” Scion asked realizing that perhaps the girl’s damage was more mental than physical.

“I’m okay but Tom” Madeline said worried as she looked around for her friend though he was nowhere to be seen. “He’s gone” Madeline said feeling the sadness return to her, she didn’t know where he could’ve gone. Perhaps he really was gone and she had simply imagined him in her tired state, though he had told her to go with the man, on first glance he seemed nice. “Where are we going to go now?” Madeline asked the man as she quickly added “I’m really hungry”. It was all she could think about right now as her stomach continued to make noises and everything she had known was lost.

“Alright Madeline, I’m hungry as well, let’s see if we can find something around here to eat until we get to the nearest town” Scion said realizing that it was probably the only thing he could do to comfort the little girl that he had failed. At first glance she seemed normal enough but a night out in the woods had been enough to change something in her appearance, Scion couldn’t help but feel as though there was something for lack of a better word; wild. The girl didn’t seem to enthused with his idea claiming that she had already looked around and was unable to find anything. “That’s okay” Scion said as he looked around himself using his Magi eyes.

The girl was indeed correct that most of the berries had already fallen off and were not going to grow again anytime soon at least not without some help from him. “Well I wish I could say I found something but I haven’t” Scion replied as he looked around still in an attempt to find something. “I’m not good with making things grow otherwise I would just replenish some of the fruits and berries but I think I can do something else” Scion replied as he continued his search. “I need you to wait here a moment and I’ll be back with some food, alright?” Scion asked knowing that the girl would indeed stay put, she was obviously too tired and too hungry to do anything else and so Scion moved out into the open plains.

Within moments he had returned with several small but clearly dead animals, his power was drained considerably but it was survival so he would have to take the necessary risks that involved using one’s Magi powers when they were depleted. Scion had grabbed some dry wood and after ten minutes of skinning the small animals they had meat over an open fire. Scion watched as the girl took a seat amazed with what seemed like everything about him. After a few moments the girl finally said what was on her mind “You’re a Magi aren’t you?” Scion didn’t smile as he merely watched the fire “yes but I’ve used too much power so unfortunately we’ll have to do everything the slow way for a little bit” Scion explained though he was sure that the girl wouldn’t understand what he meant.

“Magi’s don’t have an unlimited power supply just like you can’t go running for ever, if we deplete are power too much we can even cause damage to them” Scion explained. He had heard stories of Magi’s that had gone past the limit receiving damage not only to their powers but to their physical bodies as well, such wounds could never be healed . Once the meat was finished Scion placed them on sticks, he frown at how little there actually was as he handed the first kebab to the girl and began making his own. The girl began eating the meat very quickly forgetting to blow on it and had burned her tongue more than once, however she continued to eat while Scion began thinking about what they would do next. “We’ll walk to the next village and explained what happened, I’m sure someone will take care of you from there” Scion said as he took a bite from his kebab. Scion was expecting the girl to agree however she did not, “I’m supposed to stay with you”.

“I’m sorry but that won’t be possible, I’m going after a dangerous man and I don’t want to risk you getting hurt” Scion said while in his mind he simply didn’t want the girl to get in his way. Scion was tough even though he had been lucky to survive and knew it, if the girl was with him however he knew that he wouldn’t have a single chance of taking down his brother. Madeline dropped her kebab and stood up “If your after the man that destroyed my village than I have to come” she said defiantly as though there was clearly no other option. “You shouldn’t have done that” Scion said referring to the somewhat wasted meat that lied on the ground, “pick it up and blow it off” Scion instructed as the girl did so reluctantly. She was full of defiance just as Maverick had been when they were younger yet hunger had won the battle over her will. After they were finished Scion pulled out a jar from his cloak, it was a small jar that he gathered with his bare hands, and stored a piece of the flame inside. Closing the jar the flame went out and he put it back in his pocket. “Why’d you do that?” Madeline asked watching him, Scion looked up at her “The jar has been enhanced the flame is now inside the glass and can be brought back out” Scion explained as he felt a slight numbing in the tips of his fingers.

The two were clearly whether worn however they would have to bear with it and Scion would have to use his power as little as possible until they recovered. They began walking in the direction of Alms the nearest village, as they walked Madeline kept trying to start conversation however Scion kept quiet. After a day however he finally opened up telling her about his family, he had an older brother and a younger sister his parents had been writers but died after Scion joined the Magi’s Tower in Thibes. “Do you miss them?” Madeline had asked sullenly staring at the food that once again Scion had prepared. “Everyday Madeline” Scion said knowing that the pain she must’ve felt for her family must be even worse.

Scion figured that at their pace they would reach Alms by the day three, however things were slowed down as they moved uphill more. The girl Madeline tripped a lot and was only able to make it up the hills after Scion had taken her shoulder in his hand and guided her. On the second night Scion began to have strange dreams, no doubt due to his lack of power which were going to take much longer to return than he had originally thought. The dreams were twisted between his childhood an older man with great powers and meeting Madeline, when he woke up suddenly a few hours before dawn and could see that Madeline was having bad dreams as well. She had been having them for the last two days and Scion knew why, burdened with her until they reached Alms he wished that he could’ve given her a better blanket than simply his tattered cloak.

Scion moved over towards her and looked down at her, she was young and yet he couldn’t help but feel that she was older. The girl turned violently and began mumbling something, Scion began brushing his hand through her hair whispering that everything would be okay just like he had done for his little sister when she was sick. It was then that his hand twitched and a vision came to him in a flash, Madeline stood in darkness with the old man from his dreams behind her. They seemed to be playing a game, throwing a ball of light back and forth while glowing brightly. Scion shook himself out of the flash and understood what he had felt, Madeline Grain had Magi potential inside of her, the power didn’t come from her parents though and from what Scion could decipher they had come from her grandfather. It was strange though that he should have dreamed about the older man when he had never met him before though he was clearly connected to her.

The next day when Madeline woke up, Scion decided that he would confront her about her Magi powers. Someone in her family had been one and more importantly had developed their powers otherwise it would’ve died out in her genetic line as was the case with many Magi Potentials. As they ate their breakfast Scion wondered what would be the best way to ask this little girl a personal question about the family she had lost. “We’ll be in Alms soon” Scion said with a smile trying to start up some small conversation even though he wasn’t good at it. Madeline merely nodded while she took a large bite of squirrel, Scion was always surprised by how much a the little girl could eat, “So Madeline, who in your family was a Magi?” Scion asked rather bluntly causing Madeline to begin choking on her food.

Scion immediately ran over to her and began performing some life saving maneuvers that were effective enough as she finally was able to remove the piece of meat from her throat. After a minute of recovery Madeline began looking at the ground. “I know it’s a personal question” Scion began but Madeline was quick to cut him off. “Nobody in my family was a Magi, my father and mother were normal” Madeline said simply as she looked up at him. “Why would you ask such a silly question, don’t you think if either one of them was a Magi they would’ve been able to save everyone?” she asked with a somewhat awkward smile on her face. “Good point” Scion replied a bit embarrassed however he was still determined to find out the origins of Madeline’s powers “What about your grandparents, one of them could’ve been a Magi”

“I never really knew my grandparents but my parents never mentioned anything special about them so I’m going to say no to that as well” Madeline said as she recovered her food and began blowing on it so as to remove the dirt that had ended up on it. “Why do you think someone in my family was a Magi?” Madeline asked as she took turns blowing and picking the dirt before she took a bite. “Well, you have Magi Potential, quite a bit in fact” Scion tried to say casually, knowing already how she was going to react, he wasn’t let down. “Magi Potential!” Madeline exclaimed loudly as she got to her feet “Your going to train me aren’t you?” Madeline said happily as though everything that had happened over the last few days were not a series of unfortunate events and were actually her destiny calling. “I didn’t say that” Scion mumbled slightly however the girl was already going off, “You have to train me, you can’t just tell me I’m a Magi and then leave me” Madeline said shocked by his words. “Your not a Magi yet, you simply have Potential to become one” Scion said leaving out the fact that she had the potential to become a very powerful Magi.

“Please Scion, train me or at least take me to the Tower in Thibes, maybe they’ll train me” Madeline said hopefully. Madeline wanted this more than anything in her life right now, to become a Magi so that she might be able to go after the man responsible for killing everyone. “If I become a Magi than everything that happened wouldn’t be for vain, I can make sure it never happens again” Madeline said simply enough hoping that Scion would understand and agree to train her. It was a long shot, she knew that but it was still something that she had to try to do. Madeline looked at him hoping that he would understand her position and give in.

“The Tower won’t train you, they scout out for children when they are little and recruit them when they are eight, your too old” Scion explained though there was definitely a hint of sadness in his voice. Scion understood what she meant and a part of him wanted to help her but there was really nothing that he could do. “You are strong though” Scion admitted wondering where her powers had come from if not her relatives, “If you promise to do what I say and learn quickly then I’ll try to train you, I’m not a teacher though” Scion said wanting to make it clear that he might not be good at it. “Hopefully when we get to Thibes you’ll be far enough that we can present your case and you can be accepted” Scion explained, from there she would be the Tower’s responsibilities.

Madeline was quick to agree though worried that they might not accept her even with the training she would receive with Scion. He assured her however that it would not be the case as long as she studied hard and proved her worth. Scion also made sure that she understood that once they get to Thibes, whatever the result they would go their separate ways, Madeline reluctantly agreed. Scion and Madeline walked for most of the day hindered by Madeline’s curious nature as she asked several questions about the Magi order to which Scion would have to stop and draw pictures so that she could understand some of the completive rank structure. By the end however they were in the Town of Alms where Scion would buy some books albeit a little old and out of date and begin training Madeline Grain on how to be a Magi.