Fantasy Story Capter 3

Welcome to the third chapter of my book. If you want to read the previous chapters or follow along as I write it, go to this link. Please comment and provide feedback.

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Chapter 3

Zane woke to Ed shaking him awake. He snapped open his eyes and looked around; it was still dark.

“It’s still dark out. Let me sleep,” he groggily said.

“We need to go. Now! Gadyar has sent out soldiers to go searching for you. You may be good with that sword, but you’re still no match for hundreds of armed soldiers. Let’s go.”

“Fine.”

They rapidly grabbed all their gear and ran into the woods. They ran until sunup. Finally, they stopped.

“It looks like we can’t take a direct route to the castle. They will definitely be guarding the roads. If we travel through the forest, we will reach the castle in around six days assuming no further complications. For now though, I will teach you a spell that will be useful. I couldn’t use it myself as I am not a half wizard, but I spent a lot of time learning about magic and can easily teach you. This spell will be a simple masking spell that should make our gear and us invisible. You will have to speak words from the ancient language of magic itself, like we did at the fire place. This time, however, the words are Factus latet.”

Zane instantly understood the words’ meaning. He remembered in summoning the sword that he spoke some words as well. Maybe that was a spell too. He chose not to tell Ed yet because he didn’t want to be embarrassed.

“Now, practice. You need to picture us disappearing as you speak the words. Never speak them without the intent of a spell as it could cause magic to escape. Now picture us disappearing and speak the words.”

Zane followed the instructions exactly as told and soon felt the magic wash over him. He knew that the spell had worked without even needing to look for Ed. He suddenly felt something on his back as a disembodied voice spoke.

“Well done. I didn’t think it would go that well on the first try. It took me a while to find you. We should proceed through the forest masked. This guise should help us in hunting; We need food. Also you should practice with sword fighting. That sword may amplify your abilities, but you should still be well trained in all kinds of combat. Your first practice will be to go get us some food without using your sword. Use you hands, traps, my dagger, or whatever else you come up with. Now go.”

Ed took Zane’s sword and sent him away. Zane wandered into the forest a bit and came across a deer drinking from a river. He tiptoed up to it and drew the dagger. Just as he was about to attack, snap, he broke a twig and the deer ran. He tried again and again, but still succeeded in catching nothing. After numerous failed attempts, Zane started to get frustrated. He tried to collect his thoughts and was preparing to summon a bow when he felt the presence again.

“I was wondering when you would start getting frustrated. I influenced Eduarow to send you out on this difficult task. He doesn’t know the half of how to train a wizard. To train a wizard, you must let the wizard learn on his own. You must show him hardship and have him overcome it. You however have been rushed into this, and already know some spells. If you want to be a fully trained wizard, you must allow the spells to come to you. You can use them as much as you want after that. Now you must resume your task, and don’t use a spell unless it enters your head as the only option. Also, the road to my dwelling is guarded heavily. Your only hope is to travel through the dust sea and approach my castle from behind. I fear our enemy has a warlock among him. I won’t be able to contact you again until you reach me. Tell Eduarow all I have told you and he will understand. If you need some extra help from now on, track down my associate in the town of Jerfud. He will help you. Goodbye.”

Zane felt the presence leave his head. That sure was a lot of knowledge he had received. He decided to do what the voice said, and resumed in his hunting task. Eventually night came, but Zane kept on trying. Finally, he spotted a small rabbit sitting in some brush and decided to pounce on it. Just before he did however, he felt some words enter his head. He instantly sensed their meaning to bend flame to his will. He focused on the rabbit and spoke the words.

“Flammam Parere”

The ground under the rabbit was set aflame. The rabbit almost instantly died and was cooked as well. Zane retrieved the rabbit and was about to return to camp when he saw a bright flash of light and heard a scream. He ran back to camp as fast as he could, completely forgetting about the rabbit. He arrived to see a bunch of soldiers looting their camp. He also saw someone dressed quite peculiarly. He was wearing a dark brown robe and was carrying a staff. This must have been the warlock. Zane remained hidden in the bushes. He considered using the hiding spell, but remembered that the voice had told him not to use it.

He remained crouching in the bushes while he snuck back into the forest. As soon as he was out of sight, he ran as fast as he could. He blazed through the forest, leaving Ed behind. He couldn't believe Ed was dead. Suddenly, he heard something. Looking around, he saw a soldier pursuing him. He started to run even faster. He jumped over roots, ducked under branches, and evaded the soldier at every opportunity. He looked back to check how far ahead he was, when the ground was pulled out from under him. He had tripped over a root.

The soldier arrived before Zane had a chance to get back up. He grabbed Zane by the shoulder and yanked him to his feet. He tied up Zane and started marching him back to camp. When they arrived, the warlock cast a spell on Zane and the world faded into oblivion.

He awoke to the voice speaking in his head once again. “It is a shame that happened to Eduarow. Luckily for you, they wanted you alive. I know I said not to accept outside help, but this is life or death. If no spells come to you in a time of need, then use one you already know. You will lose some of your training, but it will be worth it. Also, always try to use spells you learned by yourself before you try a different one. You will still need my help to escape. Allow me to fully enter you mind so I can persevere your surroundings better. Clear your mind and look around the room; I will do the rest.”

As suddenly as it arrived, the presence vanished. Zane took the instructions into heart and followed them. As he complied, he recognized the room. He almost always arrived here in the dreams. He almost never came out.

Fantasy Novel Chapter 2

Welcome back guys. I've been working on this while still waiting for comment on Silvius' story. You can find it here: Silvius' Story.  If you want to read the first chapter of this Fantasy novel here: Fantasy Novel Chapter 1. Thank you and enjoy.
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Gadyar and Ed walked into the corner and started conversing. Zane couldn’t hear what they said, but he got the feeling that it wasn’t good. After a while, they came back and took him upstairs like nothing happened. They entered a big, empty room. That’s when it happened again. He had a flashback to his dreams. They were going to do a test of magical ability. This must have been what the conversation was about.

“We’re going to test you for magical ability,” Gadyar said, right on cue. “This normally doesn’t happen, but because of your performance in the vision, we think it’s necessary. If you pass this test, you will forgo all others.”

“What will we do?” Zane asked even though he had a good idea already.

“You will lie down on the ground and focus on a weapon of your choice. It can look like whatever you want and be whatever type of weapon you want. If you are magical enough, then the weapon will appear and never leave your side. Half wizards are rare, so a summoning hasn’t happened in over a millenia. However, you will still be trained with this weapon, and will never use any other.”

Zane followed the instructions as the dream faded from his memory. When he attempted to picture the weapon however, he was at a loss. He tried to remember what he pictured in the dream, but he couldn’t. He had no training in fighting whatsoever, so he had no preference. He decided he would just close his eyes and let the image come to him. Numerous images flashed through his mind, but none seemed right. Until a image of a highly ordained sword appeared. It was made of a shiny metal that he intuitively knew to be stronger than any mortal one. The hilt was inlayed with all sorts of gems. He got the feeling that this was an ancient weapon designed for him specifically. Suddenly, he heard a voice in his head.

“You can sense the power?” The voice intruded. It sounded more ancient and wise than anything he had ever heard. He didn’t want to speak aloud, so he attempted to answer with his mind.

“Yes,” he thought, and was startled when the voice answered.

“I thought you might. I sent this image of the blade to you to see if you could recognize it. The tests Gadyar had planned for you will prove nothing if you can produce this blade. It has been lost to the ages for uncountable eons. Since before the great war. You must focus on the image, and then say the words I send to your head. Understood?”

“Yes, but who or what are you?”

“I can’t tell you now, but all will be revealed in due time. After Gadyar accepts you, you will go to train with the soilders. I will tell you what to do from there when I contact you again.”

Suddenly, the presence vanished. Zane was left with only the image and the words, alva cal. He attempted to follow the instructions, so he focused on the image until he could resolve it in great detail. The hilt was carved with engravings of dragons. The blade itself had ilegible characters older than time itself. He felt the power of the blade rush through him as he spoke the words.

“Alva cal”

His eyes snapped open against his own discretion. A blinding light flashed through the room. The light went out. The only thing left in the room, was the sword and Zane. He looked around, but saw no one. He was quite startled, but shook it off, walked over, and picked up the sword. He felt the incredible power of the sword wash through him once again. He got the feeling that he shouldn’t carry the sword out in the open, so he sheathed it. He walked over to the door, but before he could reach it, Gadyar walked in. Gadyar failed to notice him, and walked into the room along with Ed.

“Where did he go?” Gadyar asked.

“The magic might have ate away at his body completely,” Ed responded.

“Well, I guess that means no cleanup.”

“Yea, but I had such high hopes that he would be the one.”

That’s when Zane walked out from behind the door.

“What are you guys talking about?” he asked.

“What are you doing here?! We thought you died. It’s been over a day.”

“What do you mean. I pictured the weapon, and summoned it.”

“The feat of magic must have drained you, but if you summoned it, then let us see it.”

Zane set his hand on the hilt of the sword, and once again felt the power rush through him. He drew the blade.

“Is that—”

“It is.”

“But it can’t be. That weapon is just a legend.”

“You said I could picture whatever weapon I wanted.”

“Yes, but...but let me hold it. Verify its authenticity.”

Zane sensed that Gadyar had bad intentions, and allowing the blade to enter his hands would be a bad idea.

“I’m afraid I can’t do that,” Zane said.

“Why not. I am the one who will host you. Train you. It would be common courtesy!”

The voice came to him again. All time froze, and he was left with only the voice.  “I was wondering when you would wake up. It has been a day as they said. You must not allow Gadyar to get the weapon at all costs. He will use it to take over all of Algasia. I can’t believe I didn’t see if before. A dark power has corrupted his mind, and he will stop at nothing to win. He is the great evil you have come here to destroy. Take Ed. He swore an oath to protect you, and he will. You must learn how to use the sword. As I’m sure you guessed, it is not an ordinary sword. You must figure out most of the secrets yourself, but I will tell you this. The sword will guide your movements, and requires very little training. Let it take hold when you fight, but maintain power over it or you will corrupt. Now I will unfreeze time. You must seek me at the castle you saw in the vision. Ed will know how to get there. Now go.”

Time snapped back. Gadyar started getting more and more angry.

“Give me the sword!” he yelled.

Zane charged at him and slashed. He felt the sword guiding his movements as the voice had said. But Gadyar seemed invincible. He would not go down. Zane gave up with the fruitless attempt, and snatched Ed.

“Go, GO!” he screamed.

He led Ed outside the house, where they were greeted by a group of soldiers. Zane attacked with the sword like there was no tomorrow. He slashed, stabbed, parried, and dodged. The soldiers put up little resistance. Zane and Ed ran out of the town and down the road. They didn’t stop until they reached the cover of the forest.

“What happened?” Ed asked, gasping for breath.

“Gadyar has been possessed. He is the evil I am hear to fight. He wanted the blade. We need to get to the castle.”

“You’ll have to be more specific.”

“The one we saw in the vision. Someone there contacted me, and told me to come there. They also told me about this sword, and Gadyar.”

“Okay. Now calm down. We can make camp here for the night, and continue to the castle in the morning. I will also try to train you in magic as we travel, but for now, have a good night’s sleep. You’ll need it.”

Zane made a bed out of some pine needles lying nearby and was soon asleep.

Fantasy Novel Chapter 1

Hi guys. While waiting for you to comment on Silvius' Story, I was working on a fantasy novel. Here is the first chapter. I would love feedback.

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An ancient, all-seeing eye snapped opened in the dark cave. Servius had awoken from his millennia-long slumber. His rider was coming.

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   Zane awoke in a cold sweat. He had had that dream again;the dream he had been suffering for the past year. He wondered what it meant, if anything. It was always the same story.

He began the dream in a gloomy chamber with a single torch in the middle. Around the outside were thousands of pathways. He always picked out a different one, as he remembered what was down the others. However he still died in many ways. Down most of the hallways, he died in combat. In others he died to dragon fire. In still more he fell or was knocked off the back of his own dragon. But no matter what, it was always the same result. He died.

Zane walked out of his bedroom and down to the bathroom, where he splashed cold water on his face. He couldn’t figure out why he kept having the dream. He had talked to his dad, who just said that it was nothing. He had even spoken to people about how to stop having the dream, but those people merely said the dream meant something. He debated about the dream a bit. This time he had been walking up to a huge castle before he was struck by lightning, even though there wasn’t a cloud in the sky! He walked out of the bathroom, and started getting ready for school.

By the time he got to the bus stop, the dream was still bouncing around his head. He sat next to his friend Sam on the bus.
“Have that dream again?” Sam asked.
“You betcha. I can’t figure it out.”
“What happened this time?”
“It started out the same, so I went on an awesome adventure like most times. This time I died to a phantom lightning bolt.”
“That sounds astonishing. Not the dying part I mean, but the adventure part.”
“I know, but dragons don’t exist, and we aren’t in the medieval ages anymore. I merely wish I could stop having it.”
“Yea. At least we have something to think about during the lecture today.”
“That’s always fun. Mr. Denholm has the worst lectures.”

They promptly moved on to lighter topics, and soon they arrived at school. As they predicted, Mr. Denholm gave a boring lecture, and Zane thought about the dreams the whole time. He mostly thought about how to stop them, because they were interfering with his sleep schedule. After class he was talking with his friends in the hallway, and Sam brought up the dream once more. That led to Zane explaining his dream, and then another friend, Lukas, said he might be able to do something about it.

“About that,” he said, “my uncle-in-law just recently returned from his trip. He is an expert at figuring out dreams. He could help you at least figure out why you keep having this dream, if not stop it.”
“Excellent,” Zane responded. “Can I come after school?”
“Sure. I’ll let my uncle know.”

The remainder of the day passed uneventfully, with the thought of finally figuring out the dream filling his head. He knew it was likely false hope. He had been to countless others, and was still no nearer to figuring it out. But even so, there was that tiny part of him that thought this might be the time. Time appeared to slow down as the end of the day drew near, but eventually the bell rang. He met up with Lukas after school.

“My uncle’s house is walking distance,” Lukas told him. “Let’s hike there.”
They walked down the road, talking about many things, but most notably the dreams. Before long they reached Lukas’ uncle’s house. His uncle greeted them at the doorway.
“Welcome,” he pronounced. “Come in. We have much to talk about. My name is Eduarow, but you can call me Ed.”
“Has Lukas told you about my dreams yet?” Zane inquired.

“Not much. Only that you were dreaming of going on adventures in a fantasy land. I need to take you to a private room where we can sit and talk about the dreams.”

They walked upstairs, and entered Ed’s office.

“Stay out here Lukas,” Ed said. “I need to talk to Zane in private if we are to figure out this dream.”

They walked inside the room, and it was surprisingly bare. There was only a small wooden table with two chairs. The walls were pure gray, as were the ceiling and floor. It was hard to tell where the corners of the room were. They walked over and sat opposite at the table.

“Tell me about your dream,” Ed commanded.

“Well, it starts out in a gloomy chamber with tons of passageways around it, and down each of those passageways is a different adventure. But I die down all of them.”

“Have you tried them all yet?”

“Not even close.”

“Okay. There is something I need to tell you. Don’t interrupt me, no matter how unbelievable it is. Understood?”

“Yes.”

“The place you are dreaming of is a real place. It is a world that exists alongside yours. It is that world that is an inspiration for almost all “fantasy” books. The authors of those book all scratch the surface with their subconscious minds. The realm they see is called Algasia. It is a realm of magic and adventure. The place you start your dream is called the chamber of the oracle. In that chamber, you can see all the paths you can take in Algasia.”

“Okay. Umm, I have tons of questions.”

“Fire away.”

“How do you know all this? Why did you call it my world? Why am I in the chamber of the oracle? And most importantly: Why aren’t you in an insane asylum yet?!”

“Calm down, Calm down. I know that it sounds crazy, but to answer your questions I’ll need to take you way back....

Our world started in a strange way. It was inhabited by nothing but dragons. They warred among each other with their unfathomable magical abilities. The most powerful of them could take the shape of a human to concentrate their power. The problem was that it made them weaker. So the true wizards created a whole race of humans to inhabit the world, thinking they could hide in the masses. But the wizards made one mistake. They used too much magic. Some of the humans inherited the extra magic, and they came to be known as half wizards. These half wizards were hundreds in number, and they fought against the dragons who turned their world into a wasteland. The wiped out the dragons, and slowly half wizards filtered out of the population. Now a half wizard is a rare sight, but people soon discovered trans-dimensional gateways that led to this world and others. One of the trans-dimensional gateways slowly solidified into the chamber of the oracle. A prophecy came floating out of of the portal at the last second. This prophecy said that one day a dragon would return. He would be would be one of the ancients who created our race. He would fight alongside us with a person from another realm to help defend against a great evil. It said that we should watch the gateways until someone dreamt of the temple of the oracle. They would come to us and we could take them into our realm. I was appointed the warden of this realm. That is all I know.”

“How can I be sure you’re telling the truth? And even if you are, I can’t do all that.” Zane inquired while looking around for hidden cameras.

“I’m not sure either. There is no immediate threat, and you seem quite young. But nevertheless, I can show you Algasia. That is why this room is so barren. It exists trans-dimensional.”

“Okay,” he humored, “let’s go.”

Suddenly everything went dark. 10 seconds later the lights came back on. The room looked exactly the same.

“Wowww, the lights went out. That’s amazing.”

“Be sarcastic if you want, but let’s go out the door. Shall we.”

Zane trudged out the door and was surprised to walk out into bright light. He looked around and noticed he was standing on a hill. There was a large sign post at the base of the hill, and a small village situated around. He saw a couple horses on the horizon and the road was not paved. He was obviously not in modern times.

“Now do you believe me?” Ed said snapping Zane back to consciousness.

“Yea.”

“Let’s head down to town. We need to introduce you to everyone and get you trained at the soldiers' camp. You should also pick up some gear. I’ll help you.”

“What about Lucas. Won’t he come looking for us?”

“I forgot to tell you. We can return to the instant we left no matter what. Just don’t die and you’ll be fine.”

Zane suddenly had a huge flash of deja vu. This was where all the dreams started. He didn’t doubt anything anymore.

“Then let’s go.” He responded.

They walked down the hill and Ed schooled him on the currency along the way.

“Our currency is unlike yours. We use things of actual value. Most people use copper coins, 10 of which equal a bronze. After that 25 bronze is a silver, and 50 silver is a gold. You’ll need to know this so you can buy supplies. I have plenty of money so I will give you some before we part ways. For now, I’ll cover your purchases. You will need a weapon, a horse, and some other things. We will need to figure out what type of warrior best suits you. To do that we can go to the soldier training camp. First though I’ll need to talk to the lord of this town. Tell him the prophecy came true.”

They reached the village and were stopped at the gate.

“State your business,” The voice at the top boomed down.

“I am the warden of Earth. My name is Eduarow and I have the prophesied one. I will need to talk to the lord. What is his name these days?”

“I apologize, you haven’t come to town in centuries. I didn’t recognize you. The lord’s name is Gadyar. He will be happy to talk to you right away.”

“We will also need accommodations while we buy supplies. We would prefer them to be in the soldiers' camp so Zane here can learn.”

“That can be arranged. Welcome to our town.”

They walked through the majestic gates and were greeted by another guard. He took them to the residence of Gadyar where they waited outside of the small tower for him to be ready to see them. After what seemed like hours, Gadyar walked out the door.

“Welcome back to town, Ed. I see you have the prophesied one. Hopefully he’s not a mistake like the last two. Come in. Let’s test Zane.”

“Hold on a second,” I recoiled. “What mistakes are you talking about?”

“Ed didn’t tell you? There have been two others that were said to be prophesied that failed the test. One of them was from earth.”

“What do you mean by failed?”

“Killed. Now let’s go on in. It’s a long test.”

“Wait! What? You just expect me to go along with a test that could kill me. You must be crazy!”

“I’m afraid you really have no other choice. I thought Ed would have explained this to you. You can’t enter Algasia if you don’t take the test. Our universe is not for sight seeing. Now you can take the test or be executed.”

“You can’t do this to me! I have rights!”

“Which you waived by entering Algasia. I’d like to see you take a different dimensional being to court. Now take the test for a chance of dying, or die anyways!”

“Fine.”

Zane reluctantly trudged into the house and they sat him down in front of the fireplace.

“This part won’t hurt a bit. We will perform an ancient ritual that will show your most beneficial future to Algaisia.”

Servants carried a bowl over to the fireplace and sprinkled the dust in it all over the logs. Then they took out two impossibly clear crystals and struck them together once for a flurry of sparks. One of the sparks caught the wood into a bright purple flame. The flame then started to change colors, flickering between green, yellow, red, black, purple, and invisible. Gadyar started chanting.

“Ofel kadyar Ofel kadyar Ofel kadyar Ofel kadyar Ofel kadyar.”

Ed joined in and Zane saw the colors flicker faster. He also felt inclined to join in, and soon the words overpowered his will and he joined in. Now all three of them were, faster and faster, chanting the words.

“Ofel kadyar”

The fire blazed hotter than ever and took a deep shade of black.

“Ofel kadyar”

The fire sunk to the logs and disappeared.

“Ofel kadyar Ofel kadyar”

The logs started shimmering.

“Ofel kadyar Ofel kadyar Ofel kadyar Ofel kadyar”

The shimmering hardened into a image.

“Ofel kadyar Ofel kadyar Ofel kadyar Ofel—”

Suddenly, the air of magic in the room vanished. The image became one of Zane walking along a meadow. There was a huge castle wall in front of him. He recognized this scene. This was where he was right before he got hit by lightning in last night's dream. It seemed like years ago. This time though, the bolt came down and was simply deflected by a wave of Zane’s hand. He kept walking in spite of being pelted by deadly objects, and reached the wall. He walked into the castle and the image stopped.

“Wow!” Gadyar exclaimed as the vision ended.

“Yeah,” Ed replied. “Turns out our little friend here is a half wizard. I don’t seem to recognize that castle though."

“I did,” Gadyar replied. “It was the castle of Servius-The Creator of Man.”

A Horrible Daydream

He's walking toward you with his dreamy eyes, your heart starts beating faster and faster, but then it stops. He hands you a note... You watch him walk away before you unwrap it, and you read.

Dear Alexandria Mayflower,

     I have been crushing on you for a few weeks now and thought it would be time to spill out my heart. I would like it if you would accompany me to the dance, and I will tell you how I feel when we are there.

          Love,
                Cameron Johnster


You look back at him and nod your head up and down.(Meaning yes)!

It's the 9th (aka.the day of the dance).
You're in class watching the seconds tick by, tick, tock, tick, tock... Then sending a wave of shock through your body, the bell rang. You stood up and raced to the door, but something stopped you in your tracks, actually someone. They yelled your name. It was Mrs. Korowal. You turned around and felt 23 beating eyes looking your way. Mrs. Korowal stuck out her pointer finger and used it to beckon you  over to her desk. She then looked at the rest of the class and said the two words you should have waited for, "Class dismissed." As soon as the room was dead silent again, she looked at you and demanded, "Where do you have to be so soon?"
"Umm... I am going to my friends house before the dance... To get ready together!"
"Okay, have fun! Oh, and don't make that mistake again!" She declared.


You turned around, to see nothing but Cameron waiting for you. He grabbed your hand, and pulled you along his side.
You led him to your locker, grabbing your stuff and careing it outside. You two hadn't spoken that whole time. He walked you out, and you hopped into your friend's car. He watched your car fade away into the distance.

 You then arrived at the dance in a baby blue dress, and him in a navy blue tuxedo. It was the last song of the night. You wanted to dance with him, but he hadn't asked you. Your favorite song came on- Fresh Eyes.You saw the spotlight on you. He wrapped his arms around your shoulders, and you danced together. Then he pulled you in real close... But he said, "Alex, Alex, Alex." Then you felt something grab your shoulder, but no, someone. It was Mrs. Korowal shaking your shoulder trying to wake you up. You were sitting in class and everyone was looking your way.

That's not even the worst part, the worst part is...

you talk in your sleep.

Silvius' Story Pt5

Welcome back guys. It's been awhile, but I'm back to writing again. If your not caught up then read Pts 1, 2, 3, and 4 here.
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...but I went with him anyway. I instantly became an eagle, but Grudle seemed to stall.

"It has been a long time since I have used my power." he said, "I need to get a feel for it again. Pretty soon I should be able to use magic without effort."

That's when I realized that magic had, in fact, become easier. I don't even think I said anything the last couple times I morphed. Before long Grudle was an eagle too, and we took off into the valley. We flew for a very long time until Grudle set down. I joined him.

"We should rest here," he told me. "It's a long hard flight over open ground to the wizard training area. If we stopped there we would instantly be found by the king's many scouts."

We stopped there and made camp. He didn't know fire magic and wanted me to practice some more, so I lit the fire. It was the first time I summoned fire since the battle, but it was very easy. Then we went out and hunted for food. With our combined magic, we easily brought down a deer. We brought it back to camp and ate dinner. Grudle was smart and smoked some deer so we could have food on our way. Eventually, we went to sleep, ready to fly in the morning.

I woke to Grudle shaking me awake. He said we had to leave while it was still dark, so off we went. This time I was sure I didn't say anything to morph. We left the valley and flew over a great grassland that soon gave way to desert. We caught our first glimpse of soldiers a little over an hour into our voyage. They had no reason to suspect some birds, so we flew without bothering to hide. I slowly entered a trance-like state as we flew over the desert.

I was snapped back to reality when I felt a searing pain in my left wing. Some soldiers were hunting for dinner, and they shot me. The pain was very distracting as I spiraled downward, and a felt myself become normal. I hit the ground just as I fully morphed and heard the soldiers coming to get their meal. I was too weak to move when they appeared.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here," they said, "Come to steal our food have you?"

I looked at myself, and saw there was no blood, only pain.

"Are you deaf!" they yelled, "What are you doing here?"

I couldn't think of anything to say, and they just took me hostage.

"Already stole our food," I head one soldier say, "I think we should kill him."

"Wait," the other soldier said, "We should test him for magical aptitude first. King's rules."

"Oh all right, but hurry up."

The soldiers set me on the ground and but a weird black rock on my chest. The rock slowly turned bright white.

"Wow!" the first soldier said, "He has more aptitude than most."

"Well then let's take him to the academy. Maybe we'll get a good size reward this time."

They drugged me, and marched me back to their horses. I tried to become an insect, but the words wouldn't come. We spent many days getting there when it would've taken me a few hours. When we finally reached the academy. They took me to one of the trainers.

"We found this guy stealing a bird we shot down," they stated, "We tested him and found a surprising aptitude."

"You idiots," the trainer yelled, "He didn't steal your food, he was your food. He has been trained already. I can sense two elements in him right know. Take him to the quarters and we'll find out who trained him."

They marched me down to the quarters, that looked more like a prison, and put me in my own little cell. I had gotten my wits about me a bit more and tried again to morph out of their grasp. I felt the works coming to turn into a mosquito, but when I spoke them a torch over to the side flickered. I got the words coming, but not the right ones. Luckily the guards didn't notice, and just threw me into my cell. They also threw some food in.

I didn't eat right away and instead focused on the words. The right ones still wouldn't come and I was very hungry. I ate a bit of the disgusting slop, and then the words slipped away! They had drugged the food. I vowed not to eat until I could leave, but it was too late. Someone was coming for me. They took me out of my cell and down to a interrogation room.

"We know someone trained you," the man barked, "If you will just tell us who, then we will train you even more. You will learn the other magics that you haven't been taught yet. You will also get a familiar to be your pet."

That's when I remembered Nova could still save me. I didn't have access to the words yet, but I could always call him. I focused on Nova and imagined him appearing. A small blaze started in the corner and Nova appeared.

"You already have a familiar I see.  Well, we can still teach y—"

He was cut off by Nova swooping at his head. Nova's talons raked across his skull, and he started bleeding. We rushed out the door and into a hallway. We reached a fork. There were a couple soldiers blocking the way to free the wizards, but the way to the door was clear. I looked left. I looked right. I couldn't decide. Another soldier started rushing at me from behind. I had to choose...
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A decision yet again for you readers. Should Silvius go to rescue the wizards, or escape. Let me know in the comments as well as give me feedback, and I'll be back for Pt6 soon.