ASH POV
"Digero," I murmured under my breath, the soft incantation rolling off my tongue as my dirty, cramped room—its peeling walls, scattered papers, and cluttered furniture—seemed to rearrange themselves. The clutter vanished as if it never existed, replaced by the spacious, polished stone floors and towering walls of the castle's grand training room.
I walked across the gleaming floor, my boots clicking softly on the stone, heading towards the far side of the room where I found my master. Master Aginor, a man who exuded power, wisdom, and control, stood in front of a tall, dark oak chair. He was a figure of quiet strength, his dark robes flowing effortlessly around him. His long silver beard and piercing eyes, as deep and unsettling as the ocean, made him look every bit the formidable Archmage he was. Despite his immense power, it was his calm demeanor and unmatched wisdom that I respected the most. To me, he wasn't just a master, but a role model—a beacon of what I aspired to become.
I bowed my head low in respect as I approached him, saying, "Good morning, Master Aginor." My voice was soft, but steady, a reflection of my respect for him and the trust I placed in his teachings. Normally, when I entered, Master Aginor would use his staff, tapping it on the stone floor to gently push himself back from the chair and signal for me to sit. But today, something was different. As I approached, I could feel the tension in the air, a strange, almost palpable unease. His usual calm gaze was clouded with concern.
His eyes, always sharp and calculating, flickered to mine, and for the first time, they held a deep, unnerving worry. His intense, blue eyes—studied me for a moment before he spoke in a low, grave tone.
"Sit down, Ash," he commanded. His words weren't sharp or angry, but there was an urgency to them that made me hesitate.
I slowly lowered myself onto the chair across from him, feeling an unfamiliar weight settle on my chest. I could sense that something wasn't right, that the usual calm of my master had been replaced with something far more serious. I studied his face, searching for any clues, and then, unable to hold it back, I asked, "Master, what is wrong?"
Master Aginor was never one to show vulnerability. He had faced countless dangers, challenges, and even battles with a calm certainty that inspired awe in those who knew him. As an Archmage, he was the pinnacle of magical power—no spell or enchantment was beyond his reach. If something had shaken him, it was something dire. He ones destroyed a whole camp of dark ogre with a single word of magic when he was sixteen years old.
His gaze softened for a moment, and I could see the concern deep in his eyes. He opened his mouth to speak, and when he did, his voice was even lower, tinged with a seriousness that I had never heard before. "Tell the king that he should prepare for war," he said. His words hit me like a physical blow, and I felt my heart tighten. "The kingdom of Kadia is preparing an attack on us."
I froze for a moment, trying to process his words. Kadia, a neighboring kingdom known for its ruthless warriors and treacherous politics, had always been a looming threat, but for Master Aginor to speak of war in such a direct way meant that something had shifted. I knew the weight of what he was asking me to do—deliver such a message to the king wasn't a simple task. It was fraught with danger and responsibility, but I couldn't afford to hesitate. I mean anything can happen.
I quickly bowed my head in respect, feeling the gravity of the situation settle on my shoulders. "Yes, Master," I said, my voice firm. "I'll tell the king." I rose from my seat, feeling a mixture of fear and determination surge through me. The fate of our kingdom rested in the balance, and I would do whatever it took to ensure its survival.
My master brother, Mage Zaroth is the most devilish mage in this century. He and my master are opposite. Where Master Aginor exudes control and serenity, Zaroth is a whirlwind of unpredictable violence and cunning. His appearance is unsettling, marked by sharp features and eyes that burn with an infernal, fiery glow. His dark, ragged robes seem to writhe and shift, as if they are alive, woven from the very essence of shadow and flame. His skin, a sickly pale hue, bears the faint markings of ancient, cursed runes that seem to pulse with dark energy.
Unlike my master calm and measured approach, Zaroth's demeanor is often cruel and taunting, his voice low and dripping with menace. He rarely speaks without mocking or threatening, always seeking to manipulate those around him, drawing power from fear and suffering. He is not a mage of knowledge, but of destruction—able to twist the very fabric of reality to unleash torment. Where my master used his magic for guidance and protection, Zaroth's power is a tool for sowing chaos, destruction, and control.
Zaroth's intellect is twisted by his lust for power. He thrives in the shadows, weaving deceit and torment into the hearts of those around him, pulling strings from behind the scenes. Unlike my master who values discipline and mastery, Zaroth revels in corruption and decay. His magic is often fueled by the anguish of others, and his spells, while less refined, are devastating in their brutality. He is not interested in the purity of his craft; his goal is to break others and bend them to his will. Where my master speaks with wisdom, Zaroth speaks with venom. Zaroth is an Archmage of Dark Magic while my master is an Archmage of Sky magic although he has certain different abilities.
My masters spies says that Zaroth killed the king using his daughter. I think of all this as I run to the king chamber.
King Elyas is a striking figure, tall and broad-shouldered, with a body that seemed to have been carved from stone. His muscles, sculpted and defined, radiated an aura of raw strength and power that commanded respect from anyone who laid eyes on him. He had taken possession of the kingdom at a young age, only twenty-one, but it was said that the kingdom flourished under his reign, and his name became synonymous with unrivaled might and influence. Even at fifty years old, King Elyas showed no sign of slowing down. His dark hair, now streaked with silver at the temples, framed a strong, chiseled face, and his eyes, the color of a stormy sea, burned with unyielding determination. His presence alone was enough to make one feel the weight of his authority, and his reputation as the most powerful king in the land was known far and wide.
As I approached his chambers, the large oak doors were slightly ajar, and I could hear the sounds of soft laughter and whispered words spilling from within. It wasn't unusual for the king to entertain visitors in such a manner. He had a penchant for the company of women, and it was well-known that he surrounded himself with beautiful courtesans, each more captivating than the last. Yet, this moment was different—something felt off. Hesitating for only a moment, I stepped into the room, and what I saw took me aback.
King Elyas, as regal and imposing as ever, was seated on a lavish velvet chaise lounge, his muscular form draped in rich, royal robes of crimson and gold. His handsome face was alight with the joy of his indulgence, yet his expression twisted in annoyance when I interrupted his moment of pleasure. He was locked in a passionate embrace with one of his women, a young and striking beauty who seemed completely captivated by the king's every move. Her hair, a cascade of golden curls, framed her delicate face, and her sapphire blue eyes were half-lidded in the throes of the moment. She wore a flowing gown of deep purple, its fabric hugging her lithe frame, accentuating her curves in a way that seemed almost deliberate. Her pale skin shimmered in the dim light of the room, as though she were some ethereal creature, existing solely to serve the king's desires.
I knew better than to interrupt him during such intimate moments, but the urgency of my message left me with no choice. I bowed deeply, hoping to show the respect I still owed him despite the circumstance.
"Your Majesty, forgive my disobedience and stupidity, but I come with an urgent message," I said, my voice steady despite the discomfort I felt intruding on his private moments.
The king's expression darkened as his eyes shifted from the woman in his arms to me. His lips curled into a slight sneer, the annoyance clear in his gaze. His reputation for hating interruptions during such moments was not without merit. However, when he saw the seriousness in my eyes, the air around us shifted, and he slowly withdrew his embrace from the woman, though he didn't seem pleased by it.
The woman, still fixated on the king, shot me a cold, venomous glare, but she said nothing, her lips pursed in irritation as she straightened herself, adjusting her gown. I could see the irritation in her eyes too, but the king's mood was shifting. His temper, known to flare unpredictably, was something I had learned to navigate over the years, though I had never seen him look so agitated when interrupted during his most cherished moments.
King Elyas's eyes narrowed at me, the stormy depths of them betraying no sign of mercy, but then his gaze softened, albeit slightly. "Speak, Ash," he said, his tone firm yet tinged with curiosity, as he stood and moved away from the woman's lingering presence. "But know this—I do not take kindly to being disturbed when I am with... her," he said, gesturing vaguely toward the woman. "You have one chance, and one chance only."
I nodded, fully aware of the consequences if I did not deliver my message quickly. As I spoke, I couldn't help but think of his son, Regal. Regal, who had been absent from the kingdom for several years now. The prince had left the kingdom at the age of twenty and had not been seen since. It was rumored that Regal was off training in distant lands, seeking to become more than just a mere royal figurehead. Some said he had been sent to forge alliances with other kingdoms; others whispered that he was on a journey to prove his worth and prepare for his eventual claim to the throne. Whatever the reason, his absence had left a gap in the royal court, and Elyas, though still fiercely protective of his legacy, seemed to grow increasingly concerned about his son's prolonged absence. I am worried to. Regal is my best friend, the only one to best me in sword fighting. We learnt together from the same master swordsman and assassin – Wolf. Its weird he was name wolf maybe its because he is a wolf shifter or maybe that is his nickname because of his stealth.
While the king thrived in his reign, Regal's departure had begun to stir the court's curiosity—and perhaps some discontent. There were those who whispered of a rebellion in the making, though no one dared to speak openly of it in front of the king. The kingdom, under King Elyas's rule, was strong, but the question of succession loomed large, especially if Regal did not return soon to claim the crown that would one day be his.
"Your majesty, my master says that you should prepare for battle against the kingdom Kadia" I said and looked at him and to my surprise, he looked at me as if he expected it. I was surprised that while my masters face was etched with worry, the king face was etched with expectant. I am personally scared. Kadia recruits mages, sorcerers, wizards and other magic wielders from different countries. Then, they shape them into warlords. Dangerous warlords; they assassinate different kings, queens, monarch, and princes just for the growth of Kadia. Kadia once a little kingdom is now a kingdom that brings fear to even the greatest kings.
"Ash, if I tell you to kill yourself just for my personal gain, would you do it?" king Elyas asked. The woman beside him is looking at me with hatred. I don't know why, but she is holding a dagger her cold eyes locked onto mine. My heart raced as a dark thought entered my mind—Is she here to assassinate the king? Or worse, is she after my master? My grip tightened around my staff, my pulse quickening as my suspicions grew. The staff appears to me in time of trouble. It makes me channel my magic easily. It is covered with runes
Suddenly, the dagger in her hand glinted in the light, and that was all it took to make my decision. Without thinking, my voice broke the silence as I shouted the incantation.
"Ignis!"
A blazing sphere of fire shot from my hand, streaking toward her with deadly precision. She barely had time to react before the ball of fire collided with her dagger. The metal hissed and screamed in the searing heat before evaporating into a cloud of steam. The force of the explosion sent shockwaves through the room, and I saw the flicker of surprise in her eyes. Her plan to assassinate the king was interrupted, but she wasn't about to back down.
She didn't even flinch as she quickly raised her other hand, and with a smooth motion, she whispered something under her breath.
"Luna protego!"
She spoke the words with authority, and the moment the ice gust hit her, the entire attack disintegrated into steam. The mist swirled around her, dissipating into the air like a conjured illusion. It was clear now—she was a moon mage, a practitioner of illusion magic. That explained her effortless defense. A cold chill ran down my spine as I realized how dangerous this encounter had become. Moon mages were rare and unpredictable. They could deceive the senses, creating perfect illusions that made it nearly impossible to distinguish reality from trickery.
The king, panicked and unsure, was moving in the background. He was scrambling toward the door, his eyes flicking from me to the assassin. He must have realized that his safety was compromised, and I knew I had to act fast. But there was no time for hesitation. I couldn't let her take the king's life. With my focus completely trained on her, I glanced over to see the king still stumbling, looking back at me with a mixture of uncertainty and curiosity.
In that split second, I made a decision. I would not let her win.
I turned to the king, eyes locking with his for a moment. He met my gaze and seemed to understand.
"Get down!" I shouted, as I grabbed him by the arm and with a swift motion, hurled him out of the window. The guards were just outside, but it would take them a moment to react.
As the king fell, I muttered another incantation under my breath, weaving my elemental power together in a fluid motion. A rushing wave of water shot from my hands, surrounding the king in a cushion of liquid that broke his fall, guiding him safely to the ground. The guards rushed to meet him, catching him as he landed softly on the ground below.
I didn't have time to watch them; the battle was still raging. The assassin was on the move again, and I needed to stop her before she struck.
The air around me pulsed as my powers surged. I wasn't just an elemental mage. No, I was far more than that. I could control all the elements of the world, something my master and the king knows about and in that moment, I unleashed everything. Every element coursed through my veins—fire, water, earth, air, lightning, and more. The sheer force of the magic flooded my senses, making my body hum with untapped power.
I whispered softly, and sharp, crystalline ice formed at my fingertips, each shard glistening with the promise of destruction.
"Glacies Vesperum!"
The ice formed into jagged, deadly daggers in my hands, cold to the touch, gleaming like razor-sharp knives. The room seemed to freeze as the temperature dropped once more. With one fluid movement, I hurled the frozen daggers at the woman. They flew through the air like missiles, aimed at her heart.
But she wasn't caught off guard. Her moonlit powers flickered again, and a shimmering barrier of illusion flickered around her. The daggers, instead of hitting their mark, passed through an illusion, vanishing into thin air. She smirked, her eyes glowing with the light of her deception, but I could tell she was starting to feel the pressure.
I wasn't about to give her another chance. I advanced toward her, my hands crackling with energy.
"Thunderex Ignis!"
I combined the might of lightning and fire, conjuring a cloud of vapor in the air above us. From within, thunder cracked and fire exploded, raining down in a devastating storm of heat and power. The thunder hit her first, followed closely by a fierce torrent of fire that whipped toward her. The sound was deafening as the room shook with the fury of the strike. The flames lashed at her body, but she raised her hands in a desperate attempt to shield herself.
"Luna Protego!" she cried once more, her illusion magic flickering as a barrier of moonlight surrounded her. The fire collided with the shield, but she couldn't hold it. The force of the impact pushed her back, the light of her barrier flickering before shattering.
But she wasn't done. She summoned a wave of shadows, twisting them into a shield of darkness, barely managing to deflect the remaining blast. She staggered, smoke rising from her robes, but she remained standing, her eyes narrowed in determination. She was injured, no doubt, but she was far from beaten.
In that moment, I saw the fire in her eyes, and I knew—this wouldn't be the end of it. She was dangerous. But so was I.
Then, I look around and noticed that the room I was fighting in is all an illusion. Dang it. How am I such a fool. Jeez. I looked around and saw the assassin advancing toward the King. I conjured a ball of fire and waited as she moved to the King a look of sureness on her face. Then, I threw the ball of fire on her shoulder just below her pretty neck. She screamed and with a look of hatred, she attacked me. That was what I planned. Unbeknownst to her, I had placed some runes my master thought me how to create on the floor. She ran there and stepped on a rune. A root like a snake advanced to her. She tried to fight them all but with no avail.
"Glacies Vesperum" I murmured, and a sharp dagger came to my fingers. I curled it with my hand. I have killed before when fighting a battle with the King but I have never killed when my enemy is tied down. I moved to her swift as water.
"Who are you?" I growled, the sound of death in my voice. The kings master assassin has taught me some skills to make my enemies tremble. Then, I had laughter and clapping. I looked around to find king Elyas and my master moving towards me.
"I told you that he was ready" The king told my master.
My master looked troubled and said
"Ash, you have passed the test. I am deeply sorry for making you do this"
Now that I thought of it, I knew that it was true. Even though King Elyas loves his women, he is still a warrior by heart. He is deadly and dangerous but not blood thirsty. He could have ended the assassin easily.
The lady loosed herself and said
"You can control all the elements of the world. You are a powerful mage. Many have failed to win me in a fight, but you did. Great" She said and looked at my master.
"Gwen, you may leave. There is going to be a battle today. I don't want you to get in trouble because of us." My master said
"No Master, I am not going. I will not leave you alone." Gwen said sounding enrage. Master, I thought. Wow.
"Very well" my master said.
Gwen left with a huff.
"Typical Gwen." My master said.
"Well Ash, I want you to go get your weapons and eat. Learn some spells and practice. There is going to be a great battle today. Go. Your master and I need to talk" King Elyas said.
I left without complaining.
Let me explain about mages. Mages have the ability to control the six element. We have the sky Mage. A sky mage controls Air, Wind, Thunder, Lighting, and flight. They can fly channeling the wind to lift them. Then, we have the moon Mage. They can control illusions like Gwen. They draw powers from the moon. Then we have the Sun mage. They draw power from the sun and can control fire. Earth Mage can control the ground, give life to plants and cause earthquakes. A water mage controls water and feels animals, and a dark mage controls all the elements but in a darker way that involves incantation, blood, sacrificing, and potions. That is six. We have a brands that do not exist. The star mage. They control all the elements. Even the dark magic. I control all elements. My master thinks that I am a star mage but I think I am not. I learnt some new spells from Gwen and as I went inside, I see my master packing some things in a bag.
He looked around as if sensing my presence.
"Ash, I might not survive this battle. If I do, you will run away and not come back." He said. I looked at him and laughed. His face told me that it wasn't funny.
"Master, you are a --------" I stuttered but he held my mind and said
"Promise me"
"No"
"I said promise me" He roared
"|No" I roared back and a powerful gust of wind came.
I left and said angrily
"You wont die. You will survive and tomorrow, we will all have a good laugh."
"Very well." He said calmly and quietly, hurt in his eye.