You still have to read them, but please don't judge based on 1-6. I WILL be re-writing them, but not any time soon. Anyway, enjoy! For People Who Get Confused Easily (like me
)Leonee- A person who yields swords. They are typically muscular and tall. Some are 'fluffy' and others are skinny.
White mage- A type of person who can only use magic to heal. They typically have beautiful eyes, but you can't tell what they are right away.
Black mage- A person who deals with destructive magic. They, too, have gleaming eyes, but you can't tell right away. Another way to look at mages is like they're witches or wizards.
Anatolians- People who deal with potions and poisons. They typically have dazed looks on their faces, since the potions they drink can sometimes cause that.
Selkirks- People who use bows and arrows. They are usually tall and skinny, and sometimes a little talkative.
Silver Mage- A mage that comes once every thousand years or so. They have the gift of white magic and dark magic. They can speak to animals and are extremely powerful.
In a world completely diverse than ours, a baby was born. She was a normal, average baby girl, but there was something special about this every-day baby. She had no mother or father, and no place to call 'home.' She was raised by the stray dogs, common townsfolk, and even mother nature herself. By the time she was old enough to walk without falling face first, she could easily lift a bundle of arrows larger than her. By the age of five, her brown hair had grown to her waist. The girl soon found a name: Magnolia. The stray dogs had come up with the name, and called her Maggie. The blacksmith, Morin, had laughed at her when she told him her new name, but, nevertheless, he called her Maggie. She had been raised on Aloria, a stray Collie,'s milk after Aloria's puppies died. Aloria had been quite young then, and it caused her great distress, but she got over the death of her puppies. She knew she had to take responsbility of raising Maggie. Aloria had one other puppy and didn't want to have any more. Aloria sensed that Maggie was special and never left her side. As far as Maggie was concerned, Aloria was her mother. When Maggie was twelve, the age of being apprenticed, Aloria lightly grabbed her hand and trotted right into Morin's shop. There, she barked and stomped her feet until Maggie could translate it. The odd thing about Maggie was that she knew what animals said. So when Aloria came stomping in, dragging Maggie behind her, Morin was appauled. "She says I need to be apprenticed soon, or she'll bite your fingers off," Maggie stated. "Oh will she?" Morin asked, disbelievingly. Aloria barked and growled a little more. "She says to 'read her growl' if you don't believe her." Aloria growled and barked ferociously. Morin stepped back involuntarily, though Maggie would have never let Aloria hurt Morin. "Okay, okay, I'll get Droblek to test you." "What test?" "It's to see whether you'll be a mage, Selkirk, Leonee, or Anatolian." A mage was a person who excelled at magic. They were broken into two catagories: white mage and black mage. White mages healed, and black mages mostly dealed in destructive work. Selkirks were people who practiced archery. Leonees were legendary for being people who weilded swords. Anatolians were people who made potions and poisons. If Maggie didn't turn out to be any of those, she would have to be a maid, taylor, blacksmith, or any other townsperson. Maggie knew she didn't want to be a commoner, but she didn't know which of the five she wanted to be. "I'll have Droblek test you tomorrow." Morin said, keeping his eyes on the now content Aloria. Maggie nodded, still thinking about being an Anatolian or a Leonee. "Be here by sunrise," Morin carried on. Aloria was listening, but Maggie wasn't. Morin caught on, and decided to tease Maggie. "I believe he'll be able to test if you're a daydreamer or not. "Uh-huh." "And then he'll attach wings to pigs and make them fly." "Okay." "And then he'll snatch your mutt and make its fur into a coat." Aloria didn't seem to mind his teasing- she even seemed to encourage it- but Maggie did. "No, he won't! And just because I look like I'm daydreaming, doesn't mean I actually am!" Maggie snapped. "So what did I say?" Morin teased. "You said that I sould be here tomorrow at sunrise. Droblek will be able if I'm a daydreamer or not, that he'll make pigs fly, and you said an extremely rude comment about turning Aloria into a coat!" With that, Maggie stormed away with Aloria at her side. Maggie's temper dropped as soon as they were out of the shop, for she was a supprisingly patient person. "Let's get home, Aloria."
Chapter 2
Maggie arose early, got Aloria, and skipped happily to the blacksmith's. Morin grabbed his coat, (made of leather, not dog fur) and set off for the testing grounds. Morin was almost twice the size of Maggie, so every time he took a step, Maggie had to take two. She and Aloria ended up running to keep up with Morin. By the time they got there, Droblek had gone to take a nap. A woman around the age of twenty-five and a white mage (around the same age) that looked very unhappy, were left in charge. The young woman came over to Morin and Maggie, looked suspiously at Aloria, and held out her hand in greeting. "Welcome, my name is Vessa and this is Vidur. He's the white mage that will be testing you." Vessa had a strange, unhappy voice that was masked by a false, peppy tone. Vidur, however, didn't even try to hide his boredom. Vessa moved to a stool with a few random instruments that Maggie couldn't even guess. Vessa motioned for Maggie to sit on the tall stool. After Maggie was seated, Vessa took one of the instruments and touched the flat part to Maggie's arm. Maggie flinched at the coldness, but it didn't hurt. Aloria watched closely as the tests were performed. Vessa explained as she used the instruments. "This is the test for being a Leonee. It's the easiest test, and next you'll be tested for Anatolian." Vessa looked thoughtfully at Maggie. "You have the slim build of a Selkirk, but your face is more like an Anatolian. Your eyes... your eyes are completely a mage's eyes..." "Move along, Vessa." Vidur said, looking blankly at Aloria. "I think the dog's getting mad." Vessa shot him a look of vengance, but set to work on the last Leonee test. After the last test, Vessa frowned, and they moved onto a small piece of land with a desk, a pencil, and some sort of written test. The questions were odd, like 'would you rather swim or fly?' Maggie gave it to Vessa and moved on to the next trial. They came to a place with targets and arrows. "This," Vessa explained. "Is the Selkirk trial. It is known to be the only trial that makes sense." Vidur, with his annoyed expression, handed Maggie a bow and arrow, and taught her how to hold it and release it. Slowly, Maggie took aim of the small target, and let go. ZOOM! Maggie wondered how it could take so long to get to the multicolored circle. Then, with a deafening silence, it hit right in the middle. Even Aloria knew it was spectacular. Vessa, and even Vidur's, mouths hung open. "About once a year someone hits the middle, but never on the first try!" Vessa murmured. "You are a Selkirk." "No, Vessa, remember what Droblek said? We have to go through every test. Not just stop after a few. She still has one more trial. The mage test." Vidur's voice was firm and full of authority. Vessa nodded, and walked unsteadily to the mage test. Only two chairs were sitting here. "Now Maggie," Vidur began. "Wait! How do you know my name?" Maggie accused. "I'm a mage." He said simply. "Now, this part may feel weird. I'm going to go into your mind and see if you're fit to be a mage or not. I'm going to test it by seeing how much magic you have in you. Ready?" "Yes." Maggie looked at Aloria for comfort and found it in the collie's eyes. Maggie could feel Vidur probing around until he suddenly stopped. Maggie looked at him. His face was pale and his eyes were wide. "Barder!" Vidur shreeked. An old man, who Maggie guessed was a white mage, came dashing in. "What is it, Vidur?" Vidur pointed a shaky hand at Maggie. "Let me try," the old man said, closing his eyes and probing at Maggie's mind. Suddenly, he stopped, turned pale, and fell to the ground. The old man had fainted.
Chapter 3
The only words that came to Maggie's mouth was 'Is he going to be alright?'. Vessa got a few Leonees to carry Barder away. Vidur sat perfectly still, his face pale, eyes wide, and mouth wide open. Aloria followed Maggie, and seemed to be the only calm on there. Vessa looked at Maggie. She smiled. She had no idea what happened, but she somehow knew the little girl's life was going to change. The collie gave Vessa a knowing glance. That collie, Vessa thought, will look after this girl. Aloria grumbled something to Maggie. She nodded. "I know you're worried about Xena. But, Aloria, couldn't you be more patient?" Maggie stated. Xena was Aloria's puppy. The collie and spaniel mix was intelligent and happy-go-lucky. She had beautiful, amber eyes that melted anyone's heart-except for Aloria. "Well, at least tell them to hurry up. Xena's probably torn up the place." Aloria barked. Vessa looked at Maggie questioningly. "She wants to get back home." Maggie explained. "What for?" Vessa asked curiously. "She wants to see Xena, her puppy." "Ah... I once had a dog." "Really? What kind?" Before Vessa could answer, a young Leonee came in, his breathing telling Maggie that he had run to get to Vessa. He panted quite a bit before telling Vessa his information. "Vidur needs you." The boy panted. His green eyes were tired, his light brown hair messy. Maggie guessed he had just been working. "Where is he?" Vessa responded. "In the Infirmary with Barder. He says to bring the blacksmith, dog, and girl." "Alright, tell him I'll be right there. I have to get the blacksmith." Before Vessa could say anything else, the boy was gone. "Let's get your friend." Vessa said to Maggie. They ran off past the tests, to where Morin was standing. He had gotten bored and was cutting a piece of wood with his butterfly knife. "Morin, come quick! Something happened!" Maggie panted. Morin swiftly put the knife and the carving in his pocket. "Where? What happened? Are you okay?" "She's fine. Something happened during the mage test." Vessa inturupted. She motioned for Morin to follow, and the four set off for the Infirmary. The brick building was busy with activity, and the words 'Barder' or 'The old man' were frequent. Vessa seemed to know where they were going, for Maggie quickly found herself at the end of a plain, red bed that held the old man. "Barder! Please! Wake up!" Vidur was saying. "Vidur, I brought the girl and the blacksmith." "What about the dog?" "I've got her, too." "Good. Barder needs to tell the man and the dog something." "She can talk to Shane. He is in the prophecy, after all." "What?" "We'll discuss it later, Vessa. Right now, she can talk with Shane." Vidur murmured, still shaking Barder awake. Vessa motioned to the light brown haired, young Leonee from earlier. Maggie walked over to him, looking into his bright green eyes. "Hello." He muttered. "Hi, are you a Leonee?" She asked bravely. "Yes. I imagine you'll be some kind of mage. Strange, though. The old man is a professional." "Is your name Shane?" "Yes, what's yours?" "Magnolia. Maggie for short." "What's your collie's name? She looks awfully intelligent." "Her name is Aloria. She understand every word you can think of. She said it herself." "What do you mean by that?" "Oh! Yeah, I can speak with animals." "You can do that?" "Yeah, why?" "Do you think you could talk with a few dogs? I think they're sick, but I'm not sure." "I'll talk with them. I can even see if I can get them to take medicine." "Cool!" Shane whistled. Dogs of all shapes and sizes came tumbling in. They moved slowly, stumbling and taking their time. "This is Brendig. He's leader." Shane pointed to the most majestic dog, with darker markings. "And this one is Minn. He was the first one to get sick." He pointed to a small, sickly dog with beagle markings. "Okay," Maggie said, bending down to Minn. "By the way, how old are you?" "Fourteen, almost fifteen, you?" "Twelve." Maggie leaned toward Minn's muzzle. A small, quiet yip came out. "What's wrong? Does your stomach hurt?" She whispered in dog. "Tummy." Minn whined. "Sharp or dull?" "Both." "On a scale of one to ten. Ten being the worst." "Ten." "Yikes! Shane, his stomach hurts like heck and it's both sharp and dull." "Sounds like a nasty virus. I'll have Alaina take a look." "Here comes Morin, let's see what Barder said." Morin looked like he had seen the dead rise. "Morin, what's wrong?" "A-Aloria w-w-will t-ell you." "Aloria! What did he say?" Aloria was silent, her eyes wide. She grumbled something, but the only word Maggie picked up was 'silver', which made no sense. I wonder why Aloria would say something like that, Maggie thought. Even Vessa looked like a ghost. "How's Barder?" Maggie asked to no one in particular. "Fine." Vidur answered. Only he was not white with shock. "Is he going to be okay? What am I? A mage? A Selkirk?" "Barder is fine. You will have to have the dog or blacksmith tell you what you are. My bets are on the dog. The man gets spooked to easily." "Why can't you tell me?" "For one thing, I don't like seeing the look on people's faces when they get spooked or hear something amazing. Vessa and I won't be the ones to tell you, that's for sure." "Please? I want to know now, and those two won't tell me for weeks!" "Don't worry. I made them promise to tell you tomorrow morning at the latest." "You do realize I'm gonna have a tough time sleeping tonight, right?" "Yep." "But why not-" "You'd make a great merchant the way you ramble on," Vidur teased. Maggie gave him her best death stare. The scarey look made Vidur flinch, but he kept his glare. Aloria soon walked over, looking at Maggie. "I'll tell you in the morning. Don't press him for details. It's past your bedtime, c'mon." "I haven't even-" Maggie gave up. The look was too deadly. Maggie hadn't realized Barder had stood up and walked over to them. "Take some horses. When you get to your destination you can sell them." "Where am I going?" "You're going to- to get a... friend." "A friend?" "Yes, a friend. A member of your group. That way Shane and you will have a median." "I don't know what that means, but okay." "You'll understand in time. And anyway, this won't be the only person you get for your group." "Huh?" "Never mind. I think it's past your bedtime, anyway." Aloria nodded and dragged Maggie out of the Infirmary all the way home. Their 'house' was in the basement of a small inn. The basement was very odd. It was lower and deeper than any other basement in town, and actually had a little loft. Maggie knew the architecture of the house was odd, but she loved it anyway. Maggie pushed the familiar inn doors open, letting in the sweet smell of dinner. Islena, the innkeeper and one of Maggie's caregivers, was waiting patiently on the inn steps with Maggie's dinner. The plump woman smiled and stood up, some of her gray hair falling into her face. "Hello, Ms. Islena." "Ah, hello, Magnolia. How did it go? You're back late, why is that?" "We had a rough time with the mage test." "Well, what are you?" "I don't know yet. Aloria's gonna tell me in the morning." "Xena is the most hyper dog in all of Ringa!" Ringa was their home town. "That's Xena for you. Did you try giving her her wudda?" "No, was I supposed to?" "No, but it helps." The wudda was Xena's favorite squeaky toy. It was slimy, slobbery, wet, and smelled like puke. The nasty thing was only brought out on Xena's most hyper days. Unfortunetly, Xena had the pattern of being hyper every other day. It was a bit strange, but it worked for Aloria and Maggie. Maggie ended the conversation and followed Aloria down the stairs. Xena layed behind the door. It took a while to get the door open, but luckily Xena didn't way too much. Xena was the most beautiful dog anyone could imagine. She was a collie-spaniel mixed with a few other things. Her eyes were amber and brown. They could melt the heart of anyone she looked at. She was mostly red, brown, and little bit of black mixed together. Her stomach was white and she loved for people to rub it. Her paws were white and spotted, and her tail blew in the wind beautfully. In all, she was a very look decieving dog. She looked like she would be the greatest, friendliest, quietest dog on the planet. But only one thing of that is true. Xena was deffinetly friendly. She would bite your head off if you intrued in on the inn, but if you were a friend, she would jump up in happiness and lay on her back for a belly rub. Xena quickly got up and began talking nonstop. "Dinner! Dinner! Dinner! Why are you so late? I'm hungry! I'm thirsty! Get me food. Get me water. What are you? Are you a Selkirk? Cause I bit one earlier. Maybe it was one of your Selkirk friends. Whoops! Sorry, I didn't know you were a Selkirk!" Xena never stopped rambling on and on and on. She was a very hyper dog. "Xena, I don't know what I am. Barder never told me." "Who's Barder? You're a Selkirk, duh! You just told me that!" "No, Xena, I didn't. I'm some sort of mage." "If you're a mage, you'd be a white one. You would never hurt anything but bugs!" "Xena! Calm down!" Aloria woofed. "There are other people upstairs." Maggie pointed out. Aloria shook her head. "How is it that I, the most calm dog in this country of Katryu, can have an offspring like this?" "I have no idea, Aloria. But her father must have been very hyper." "I'll get dinner and then off to bed for both of you." Islena had cooked fish and served it with veggies. Maggie wasn't paying attention to the taste very well, but she knew it must have tasted good, for Xena was finished in a few seconds. Xena slept in the main room, while Aloria and Maggie slept in the loft. After tucking Xena into bed, Aloria and Maggie headed to bed.
Chapter 4
"I can't sleep." Maggie complained. "I know. But you don't have to worry about anything. I do the worrying and you do the kid stuff. Like playing and running. I can't do all of that, so you have to." "But I am worried." "You don't need to be. Now go to sleep." "Why?" Aloria gave Maggie the death stare. "Because it's your bedtime and we're leaving tomorrow. If you don't sleep, you won't be awake to find out what you are. Now sleep!" Aloria's sharp tongue was fierce and frequently used. Mostly for Xena, though. Maggie groaned, and tried to sleep, but couldn't. Too many thoughts ran around in her mind, making her dizzy with overthinking. "Aloria?" "Yes, Magnolia?" "I still can't sleep." Aloria sighed and got up. She trotted over to where Maggie lay on a small group of blankets. Aloria hadn't wanted Maggie to be in a high up bed where Aloria couldn't reach her. So they got the most affordable thing-blankets. Aloria curled up next to Maggie and layed there, her soothing breathing making Maggie more and more tired. Maggie didn't know when she fell asleep, but she woke up in the morning feeling refreshed and happy. It hit her after a moment that Aloria would tell soon what she was. Maggie looked at Aloria, who was curled up on the floor looking extremely peaceful. Maggie quietly stepped over to her, putting her hand on Aloria's paw. Aloria did her smile-like expression. "I was awake before, I'll tell what you when you and Xena are together." "When will that be?" "After breakfast. We'll have to see if you can eat, since you're so excited, I don't expect you to eat much." "Do you think I could eat after you tell me?" "Nice try, but no." "Darn! Are you sure?" "Positively sure." Aloria was hard to barter with. Magnolia sighed. "Can we have breakfast now?" "Yes." "Yay!" Maggie dressed in her travel clothes, and ran up the stairs to Islena. "Well, what are you?" "She'll tell me after breakfast!" "Ha! Here you are, then." "Thanks." Maggie juggled the two dogs' plates and her own. She dashed down the stairs-almost spilling Xena's dog food- and shook Xena awake. "Quick! She's gonna tell us after breakfast!" Xena was on her feet before Maggie even said 'quick.' Xena was already a fast eater, so it didn't take long for her to finish her breakfast. Aloria, however, stalled until Maggie couldn't take it any more. Xena and Magnolia stared at Aloria as she ate. "It's rude to stare." Aloria stated. "Hurry, Aloria! It must be exciting! I made a man faint!" "I realize, Magnolia, but you'll have to wait until I'm done. And then we'll go upstairs and talk about it." "Well, please hurry." It took awhile for Aloria to finish, but when she did, they went upstairs and sat down. Maggie sat in the rocking chair, Xena sitting next to her. Aloria sat across. "Well, do you remember the story of the dragon and the dragon slayer?" "Yes." "Well, the blacksmith made the armor, right?" "Yes, and the silver mage charmed it to make it invincible." The silver mage had been part black mage and part white mage. The silver mage possesed more power than any other mage. "Exactly what I was getting at. You see, Magnolia, you are the new silver mage." Aloria let Maggie and Xena's mouths drop. "You mean, I am the one silver mage in the universe?" "Yes." "How-" "Barder fainted because of the power you posses. You have no idea how much power you have stored up inside you." "Me?" "Yes, you. Xena, let's leave her alone for a few minutes to think this out." Aloria calmly got up and dragged the stiff-legged Xena out of the loft. Magnolia sat in silence. "Well, if I am the silver mage, I must have some sort of mage power. A power to blow things up like a black mage, and heal like a white mage." She whispered to herself. She stood up, sensing a strange power she had never noticed before. Maggie picked out a target-Xena's stick- and charged her strange power. She felt herself move on her own, some strange movement, and pushed out with her hands. Her eyes were closed, so she didn't see the tiny green ball of light come out of her hand. With clammy, shaking hands, she reached for the stick. The bark that Xena had chewed off of it had returned. The chew marks were no longer. Maggie hadn't thought of healing it, in fact, she was thinking the opposite. She was hoping blow it up or something. "Satisfied with your powers, now?" Aloria had been sitting near the top of the stairs. "Sorry Aloria!" "Don't worry about it. That's why I left you alone." "So I could practice?" "No, so you could see how well you handle your powers." "Um, okay." "By the way, if you don't like being a silver mage, you can be a Selkirk. You will never be able to lose your powers, but you will have a different proffesion." "Thanks. What exactly did Barder tell you?" "That we must go to Malia." "Where's that?" "Across the river. It is a small city, and a big town. Nobody quite knows what to call it." "What are we getting from there?" "A friend, remember?" "Yes, but who?" "I haven't the slightest idea. Shane will be coming with us, you know, right?" "He will?" "Yes. If you haven't noticed, a little girl-especially the last silver mage-traveling with a dog is a huge target." "Oh, right." "We live in a small town where no one would imagine stealing from anyone else. But in the city, it's fend for yourself." "Alright. So it'll be you, Shane, and me, right?" "Yes, until we find our 'friend.' I don't know who that is, but it must be someone for our group." "When are we leaving?" "Now. Or at least after you pack up. Everything else will be here, don't worry. So don't pack sentimental things. Just neccesities." Aloria went on like that until Maggie was done packing. "Say good-bye to this house. You'll see it in a while." "What about Xena?" "Oh! Right, we have to say good-bye to her, too." So they made a detour to see Xena, who was actually quite calm that morning. Xena was extremely sad when she heard that they were leaving, but after Maggie gave her her newly repaired stick, she was very happy. So Maggie and Aloria said good-bye to all the grumpy cooks, the energetic dogs, and, of course, Islena. They headed to the blacksmith's shop and had a looooong argument with Morin. He had wanted to go with them, but Aloria stood her ground. Next, they went to the testing grounds to find Shane. There, they saw Vidur and Vessa. "Have you told her yet?" Vessa asked Aloria. "She told me, but I'm still in shock." Maggie answered. "Ah, I see, well it's a bit of a surprise. I do believe you are the last one, though." "What do you mean?" "The very last silver mage. They only come once in a hundred years. "Really?" "Yes." "She didn't tell me that." "Well, it's true, and it turns out you are the very last one." "How do you know?" "Vidur did some research, and Barder knows it all. It really didn't take them long to do the mathematics to find out who the last silver mage would be. I didn't think it would take them long, either." "How-" "I have no idea." "Well, what we really came here for was to see if Shane was here." "He's in the Infirmary." "What?" "Don't worry, he's just visiting patients." "Why? He's a Leonee." "He has to have four service hours in the Infirmary." "Oh, well, is it okay to see him?" "Yes, I'll take you there. Last I saw him, he was in the back." So Vessa took Maggie and Aloria to the back of the Infirmary. Shane was in the back, visiting with a little girl about the age of five. Her sickly figure made Maggie want to cry. Then, she had a thought. If I do the same thing that I did with the stick, she'll be at least feeling better, Maggie thought. So she closed her eyes, summing up that will power she had felt before. Slowly, she did her little movement. Magnolia didn't know what she did, but she did it. After pushing the tiny green ball of magic, she looked at the alarmed little girl. It was moving toward her, and she was inching back. "Don't move, let it heal you." Maggie whispered. The girl couldn't move, and the magic eventually came to land on the tip of her nose. It flooded through her face, wandering quickly through the girl's veins. "I-I'm healed!" The girl squeaked. Aloria looked at Maggie in dismay. She obviously didn't know whether to punish her or to praise her. "Thank you so much!" The girl went on. The color was back in her face, and she was sitting up. "That was my first healing spell. I'm surprised it went so well. Well, I tested it on a stick, but not a living person!" Magnolia was shocked herself. "What is your name?" The girl asked. "Magnolia. Maggie for short." "Mine is Gelda. My mother will be so pleased that I am healed. What can I do in return?" "Nothing. I love the feeling of the power rushing through me. It feels so magical." After Maggie said this, Vidur came in. "Is she alright?" He said, looking around. "I am fine. This young white mage healed me." Gelda said, speaking more maturly than an adult. "Mag-" "Yes. I'm sorry, Vidur." Maggie murmured. "Sorry? We've been trying to cure her for months! None of the spells or potions have been working. What spell did you use?" "I dunno. Would you like to see me do it?" "Yes, that way I can identify the spell type." "Is anyone else sick?" "Of course! This is an Infirmary for pete's sake!" He took them to an elderly couple. They were laying in the small bed, looking as if they were dead already. "Here it goes." Magnolia whispered. Once more, she closed her eyes, concentrated, and moved her dance-like movement. She unleashed the tiny ball of magic and aimed it at the dying woman. It touched her wrinkled forhead, moving throughout her veins as it had done for Gelda. The woman woke up, feeling the warmth of the magic, and sat up. "Relg! Where's Relg?" The old woman asked frantically. "Right next to you, ma'am." Maggie answered. The woman's face turned white once more. "He's dead?" She whispered. "No, let me heal him." Magnolia was losing patience, but she healed the man, too. He sat up, color returning to his face. "RELG!" The woman shouted. Everyone hushed her, including Relg. As they had their rejoicing, Vidur spoke to Maggie and Aloria. "What she just performed was a full out heal spell. She used it as powerful as she could get it, and used it on ordinary people. Normally those kind of spells are used with dragons and such. I'm surprised you were able to do that, even if you are special, I didn't know that you had that stored in you. And to do it three times..." Vidur murmured. "You must keep quiet about this, Magnolia. If you tell anyone, they'll hurt you." Aloria said. Maggie nodded in understanding. "You must heal all of the other patients! Please!" Vidur begged. "We have to be on our way, Vidur. I don't know why we're doing this, but we have been told to go to Malia." Maggie informed him. "Fine. But next time you come back, you have to heal some of these people. They are quite sickly." Vidur mumbled.
Chapter 5
The word around Katryu and the surrounding coutries was that a holy god of some sort was supposed to arise. Most people did what they usually did: ignored it and kept living life the way they had. However, some of the holy people, Dostas, still believed in their god arising from the grave or where ever he was. The only problem: Their god was evil.
Maggie tried moving the horse to a trot. The stubborn paint would not move. It lumbered along like a turtle. Maggie watched as a large snail moved ahead of them. "Wouldn't it be faster on foot?" Maggie called out to Shane. "Save your energy. The paint won't listen to you because you don't give enough force." Shane yelled back. Maggie was lagging behind. Even Aloria got fed up with the paint and moved ahead. "He says he's tired." "They all say that. Keep him going, encouragement first, then threat." "Is threat neccessary?" "Yes." They fell silent for a while more, moving through the woods. They had left the small town behind and were heading for the large town and small city. Quite suddenly, Maggie's paint moved faster. "Threat works!" She yelled out to Shane and Aloria. So they traveled on. Their goal was to reach Malia by nightfall. By sunset, they had reached the edge of the trees and could see the small city. Maggie thought it was huge, Shane thought it was tiny. "Well, what do you think about it?" Shane asked. "Wow! It's ginormous!" "It's actually quite small." "Really?" "Yeah, you should see Arella. Now that's big." Shane looked at the big town and continued on with the travel. Maggie slowed down, not because of the horse, but because of her interest. She couldn't take in everything. She stared at the shops and markets. The vendors and merchants pushed their products and cheap souveneers toward her. Aloria stayed close to Magnolia, growling at the vendors and other shopkeepers as they moved toward them. Soon, Maggie had gotten out of the mess and caught up with Shane. "What took you so long?" Shane teased. Aloria barked and mumbled and Maggie inturpreted it. "She says that a little girl is an easy target. Compaired to a young Leonee." "What do you mean by that?" Shane asked innocently. Maggie smiled and shook her head. "Let's get a spot at the inn and wonder around. We're not buying anything, though." He warned. "Fine by me. To be honest, those people creep me out." "You get used to it after a while." So Shane got them a spot at an inn and they wondered around the crowded streets. Magnolia soon spotted an amulet. It was blue and green. It seemed to move around like a little creature. The fat merchant saw her interest and took the oppurtunity. "That is a water amulet. It is said to raise your powers if you are a mage. It's only ninety-nine coins!" "I'll pass, thank you." Maggie knew she did not have enough coins, and quickly walked away from the chubby merchant. But, as she turned around, she could not find Shane in the crowd. She looked down at Aloria. "Where is he?" She asked. "I have no idea. Did you lose him?" "Yes. What do we do?" "We wonder around and see if he is near. Then we go back to the inn and hope he had the same idea." But the two got in even more trouble. They lost themselves. "For a small city, it sure has a lot of alley ways." Maggie muttered. She was losing her patience, which was very rare. She soon felt another prescence. "There!" She whispered to Aloria. They creapt up on the person. Magnolia could sense that it was a girl, tall, skinny, a little older than Maggie, and some sort of mage. "Who are you?" Magnolia asked bravely. "I am Kat, the apprentice Selkirk!" The voice rang out crystal clear. Maggie and Aloria walked forward, Aloria growling, Maggie getting her death stare ready. They cornered the girl easily. Kat was quite calm, actually. She had long brown hair, and brilliant green eyes, like Maggie. Aloria growled and snapped ferociously. "What?" Kat asked sweetly. "Have you seen a boy called Shane?" "No, I'm afraid not. Now it's my turn to question you." "Fine." "Who are you, and what are you?" "I am Maggie. I have no group yet, I have not been catagorized." "Well, Maggie, I sense that you are a mage." "Obviously, you are too." "We'll find your friend, and then we'll talk." "Sounds fine to me." "Hey, since you're a mage, can't you sense your friend?" Kat questioned. Maggie tensed up. I didn't think about doing that! She thought. "I-I couldn't find him." She lied. "All right, let's go then." There was something in Kat's eyes that Maggie couldn't tell what it was. She had a smug look on her, yet her face was gentle and shy. Maggie could tell that Kat wasn't the most easy going person on the planet. She could also tell that Aloria wanted to talk to Maggie. "Go ahead, speak!" Maggie muttered to her. Aloria shook her head and moved on. They got to the plaza, where it was more peaceful and quite. Kat explained that the mayor did not allow vendors and merchants to stay there and set up their stands and markets. So they looked around the plaza and went back to the marketplace. They searched there until sunset, when Kat quickly took Maggie's hand and told her to hurry. Maggie was dragged by panicking Kat into an alley. "Get behind me." Kat ordered. Aloria and Maggie moved to the back. Maggie could see a glimpse of brown hair. She could sense that it was a guy, tall, muscular, skinny, and about Kat's age. Before Maggie could say something, Kat projected a ball of blue magic and sent it hurling at Shane. He was down and not moving.
Chapter 6
"You killed him!" Magnolia accused. Kat laughed. "No, I didn't kill him, but he's not going to be waking up for a little while." "That was my friend!" "No wonder he was chasing after us!" "Yeah, he was trying to get us to find our member-I'll tell you about it later, it's a long story. Let's get him to a resting place and we can patch him up. What did you do to him?" "I knocked him over with a simple spell." "You lied! You aren't a Selkirk!" "You really need to get out more. Lying is a normal thing, Magnolia." "How did you know my full name?" "I'm obviously a mage." "Oh." "You haven't caught on yet, have you Maggie?" "Would you stop saying my name?" "Let's get to my house and set him up." So they moved him to the tiny house that Kat shared with her friend. "My friend isn't here right now. He's traveling around." "What for?" "I have no idea. Some kind of Leonee training." "He's a Leonee?" "Yeah. I have a lot of protection here. Unfortunately, he's the type that would jump at the oppurtunity to kill something." "Oh." "Let's lay him on the couch. He'll be comfy there." So Kat picked him up with her powers and floated him down to the couch. "That was cool!" "You can do it too, you know. I know you're a mage." "How-" "Don't ask questions. Just don't try to fool a mage again." "Fine." Maggie grumbled. Kat got an apple out of the cupboard and set it on the wooden table. "Make it float or destroy it." "Which one?" Maggie asked. "Either. surprise me." So Maggie moved it easily and made it levitate above Aloria. Aloria took a small bite and smiled her dog smile. "There. It's destroyed." "Now heal it." "What? I'm a black mage! Not a white mage!" "You're one or the other, now heal." So Magnolia repaired the apple. Aloria said nothing, but her look of distaste said it all. "What?" Maggie asked. Aloria quietly shook her head. "You're a silver mage, aren't you?" Kat accused, out of the blue. "I-I'm not-But-No, I'm not a silver mage. Those are nonexistent." "You're a horrible liar. We'll have to work on that." "What do you mean?" "I mean there is no use arguing, you are a silver mage and I know it." Kat said. "Give it up Maggie. She knows." Aloria grumbled. "Oh, but-" "Yes, I know. And the reason Aloria was keeping quiet was because she knew that I knew." Kat informed. "So, you knew all along?" "That you were a silver mage? No. That you were a mage? Yes." "But Aloria, why didn't you tell me?" "Because she would have understood perfectly." "What do you mean by that?" "Maggie, think. What is the only catagory that can comunicate with animals?" "Silver mage." "Kat can tell what I said." "So I'm not the last silver mage?" Magnolia was extremely confused. "No, you're not." Kat looked happily at Shane and wondered over to him. "So-" "Give it a few minutes to sink in. Your friend has a fever." Kat informed. "My friend's name is Shane." "I know." "Would you stop that?" "Stop what?" "Saying 'I know' and reading my mind and stuff!" "I'm a mage. There are plenty of them out there. I need to teach you how to protect your mind. I have access to everything. Ooh! You liked a boy when you were five!" "Stop it!" "Your life isn't private unless you protect it." "So?" "Try it." "Try what?" "Protecting it, of course! How dense are you?" "Hey!" "Just saying. Although, you're right at the line of being illerterate, and being smart." "What do you mean by that?" "Magnolia, there is a difference from not being taught about something and being born smart. You were born intelligent, but you have not been taught in magic, economics, politics, and anything else. Except manners. You're very good at that." "How was I supposed to learn that?" Maggie's tempered raised, she felt that Kat was criticizing Aloria by the way she had raised her. Kat laughed. Magnolia's patience was wearing thin. "You weren't supposed to learn it on your own. I'm sure your friend has already begun to teach you. I will help teach you." "But-" "But what?" "We thought we would pick up a new member of our group..." "I am that new member. I've been having spooky dreams about you, Shane, and some others." "What?" "It's a surprise." Kat put her finger to her lips mysterisously. "I don't like the way you said that." Maggie accused. "It's alright. I won't hurt no one." "Doesn't that mean..." "Yes. It's a double negative. It means that I'll hurt everyone. I like to confuse people. That's all." "I rather like this one, Magnolia." Aloria woofed quietly. "Thank you." Kat curtsied dramatically. "After the boy wakes up and heals we'll be on our way." Aloria added. "Where do we go?" "I have a feeling we either get help, or one of us will dream about it." "Get help?" "For you and Magnolia. That way we won't have two untrained silver mages on our hands." "Seriously?" "What?" "Get help?" "Oh, stop it. It's no big deal." "It sounds like we're mental!" "Put up with it and move on. We have other problems." "Like what?" "Like him waking up in the middle of our conversation." Aloria pointed her muzzle at Shane. He murmured something in his sleep and turned over on his side. "How long do you think it will be until he wakes up?" Maggie asked. "Maybe a few hours." Aloria predicted. The room fell silent for a minute, and Kat broke the silence by preparing dinner. "Hawk built a nice fireplace for us." Kat anounced, poking the fire so the flames would grow. "Who's Hawk?" Maggie asked. "My friend." Once more, they were quiet. The flames flickered on Kat's face and the light hovered around the room. She put a pot over the fire, and a few minutes later, a wonderful smell came to Maggie's nose. "What is that?" She asked, still enjoying the sweet fragrance. "My famous cinnamon stew." Kat said it with a note of pride. "How did you get the cinnamon?" Aloria inquired. Aloria and Kat talked for a while about spices and cooking. Maggie admired the flower bouquet on the table. When Shane woke up, no one noticed, and he proceeded to have a little fun by coming up behind Magnolia and saying boo. She screamed. Her scream turned into a laugh. And then a deadly glare. "Why did you have to do that?" Maggie grumbled. Shane caught himself from bursting into hysterics. "You laughed!" "Yeah, right after I screamed." "But you still laughed." Shane teased. Maggie gave him her deadly glare, and Aloria squeezed in between them to calm the tension. "Stop it. Maggie, you laughed. Shane, that was uncalled for." Aloria stayed there for a while, not letting the two shoot accusations to each other. "Kat, this is the time where you come in and say 'enough.'" Aloria growled. "What did Aloria say?" Shane asked. "She said- well, you'll find out." Maggie said. Kat got up, put the ladle she was using next to the pot, and walked over. Shane's reaction was pretty funny. His mouth slowly fell open. His eyes got wide and he gaped at her. "Is she- the new-" Shane stuttered. "Yes." Maggie answered. "I could live with this." He proclaimed. "I'm Kat." Kat held out her hand for him to shake it. "Shane." "I know." "How-" "She's a silver mage. Like me." Maggie butted in. Aloria glared at her. "What?" "Their moment. Not yours." Aloria mumbled. Even Kat couldn't hear. "But I thought Maggie was supposed to be-" "She is a silver mage, I'm one too." "But how-" "I have no idea. I know that I'm a silver mage, though." "Prove it." "Fine." Kat walked over and grabbed another apple from the table. She made it float, twisting it around so that they could see that it was totally undamaged. It wasn't quite ripe, but it was good enough to eat. "First, I'll destroy it." She levitated it away from them, and it exploded into tiny pieces. "Now I'll heal it. Or put it back together." When the fruit came together, it was bright red. "I ripened it a little. Which one of you likes ripe apples. Aloria?" Kat offered the apple to Aloria. Aloria thanked her and grabbed it in her mouth. "Oh! My stew is done!" Kat rushed over to the fireplace, picked up the ladle, and sturred the thick, soupy, substance. "It looks really awful, but it is really good." Kat poured it into bowls and they ate as much as they wanted. "Well, do we head back to the inn?" Shane asked. Maggie hadn't thought of that. "I would offer you a place to sleep here, but there isn't enough room." "Then we'll come first thing in the morning, and we'll leave." "Where are we going?" "I have no idea. But we'd better get you two proffesional training. I'm not looking forward to two silver mages traveling with me. Considering that they are also very powerful." "We're not going to get help." "But you need it! Not saying that you're bad or anything, but you have to have training. I had to train for a year to become a Leonee." "And I've trained myself my entire life." "But-" "The world needs us for something. What it is, I don't know. But they need us now. And if we don't step it up, we'll never make it." "But we need training. Whatever this person or thing is, it had training, and it's waaaay more powerful than us." "How do you know that we'll have to battle something?" "I just know." "You just know?" "Yes." "Did you dream of it?" "Yes." Shane closed his eyes and reopened them a second later. "I suppose you did. Where do we train, though?" "We'll have to dream of that, too." Shane suggested sheepishly. "Great. Well, if one of us doesn't dream of it tonight, we'll be stuck. Get to sleep early, wake up early. Got it?" Kat questioned. They all nodded their heads. "Good, now you'd better go before it gets dark out. Robbers and bandits come out at this time."
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