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Salyn Silverthorn

A Journey Begins

By Jauren RiloskiPublished 4 years ago 6 min read
2
Salyn Silverthorn
Photo by Cosmic Timetraveler on Unsplash

Today was going to be an unusual day. These words were always the first to enter Salyn's mind when his eyes first opened.

Salyn found himself on the fringes of Watervale, a small hamlet that has been prospering as of late. Nestled on a babbling brook, Watervale in appearance appears to be the ideal place to live. Sturdy homes, hearty soldiers, and an expansive farm. Spring always brought an ample supply of Salmon for the younger residents to fish out. Bright rays tanning those who stayed outside for to long and burning those who were lulled to sleep by the gentle song of birds. It was peaceful, just like Salyn liked it.

As a young mage of 99 years strong, with long flowing brown hair and a slender toned build. Salyn has found that the peaceful days of Kelorah are often the most unusual. Magic is still largely misunderstood, and the slightest bend of a finger while casting a spell can turn a simple illusion into a summons for Pestilence. Never again will I have a date with that disgusting horse rider... Salyn mentally told himself while preparing his desired spell. His dark blue covered spell book sprawled open to page 15, detailing an elemental summoning ritual. "Three black roses, four rocks. A vial of blood." He reads aloud the ingredient list and how to place them within the summoning circle. A couple of the towns guards standing by to assist Salyn in his efforts. After last time, he thought having some help would be beneficial. One guard grunts out of boredom, while the other draws obscene images in the dirt.

Taking a deep breath, Salyn begins his ritual. Magic being as old as Kelorah herself, most incantations were derived from the first elvan languages of the time. "A ussta wiles, usstan lar lil' har'dro ulu valbyl ulu ussta orn!" The words roll of his tongue as thick honey, and he holds out his hands open palmed to the circle. His blue eyes glowing brightly as he bends the natural chaos of the world into order for a brief moment. "What did he say?" One of the two guards grunts, rubbing his temple. Damn mages. The winds begin to pick up, and both guards rest their hands on the pommel of their swords.

Vibrations spring up from the center of the circle. Growing in intensity the closer the spell came to completion. Winds converge on the epicenter while a visible aura of magic begins to form. It's coming, just a bit more. Focus Salyn! His hands weave in an intricate web. Left and right, up and down, over and under. One could swear that he was performing some obscure mating dance as opposed to spell casting. His foot swiveled right, then swung around. "Come forth!"

Those final words completed the spell. The magical aura ball expanded, and out stepped a humanoid figure completely made of stone. He was sluggish in his movements, and had his brow furrowed. Within in an instant, both guards sprang into action. Drawing their simple iron swords and wailing on the creature... to no avail. Swords on stone is rather ineffective. The creature swings his heavy arms and knocks both guards away. The first crashing into a tree. The other, landing in the creek for an impromptu bath. Not good.

Salyn's hand raise up, his eyes glowing once more as he casts another spell. He had learned from last time, not to give an earth elemental the time of day. Or they will cause a headache akin to a hangover. Two large stones that was on each side of the mage rose up, and flew towards the elemental. Swiftly being broken by the creature.

Shit shit shit.

His hands begin weaving. Lightning, yes, that will work! Magical infused fingers begin to pulse, veins forming on the man's neck and blue eyes swiftly turning bloodshot. A loud crack of thunder followed as the lightning bounced from fingertip to stone construct. The arc hits with a flash, shattering the construct into an uncountable amount of pieces. Cheat heaving, Salyn takes a victorious step forward. Only to find his face and the dirt now getting rather intimate with one another.

***

Caw! Caw!

"What in the... gah, how long was I out?" Salyn rubs his temple, brushing a few ants and dirt specks from his face. His body felt heavy. Stones must be placed a top him, just like last time. They weren't. A lone raven rests on his back, and as he stirred, it flew off, cawing out. Why does the natural call of such a beautiful birds always sound so angry and annoyed? He thought to himself, rising to his feet.

The mess he made still there, and the two guards have left to get a drink. They weren't paid enough for this... in truth they weren't paid at all. They only agreed to help out of pure curiosity as to what the resident mage was up to. Dusk was setting; the creatures of the night would soon prowl. Salyn made his way over to the mess, his tired eyes perking. A core, yes! Shakily, he reached down to pick it up. An integral ingredient to his project. It only nearly cost him his life.

Nestling it within his pouch, Salyn proceeded to head home to his small shack. Having a hunch, that if he went to the tavern he would get harassed by not only the guards, but the the curious children as well. I nearly died, I need to rest. If there is one thing Salyn is known for, is his desire to take care of himself so that he can always be ready for when unusual situations arose. Being the resident mage has its perks; and drawbacks. Everyone always expects you to have an explanation. More often than not, Salyn never had an explanation other than one phrase, controlled chaos.

Reaching his home, he enters, locks the door, and flops on his bed face down. The core in his satchel vibrates with magical energy. As his eyes drift close, words form in his mind that were not his own. Speaking to him in a voice unrecognizable. "I am not yours." Those words resonated over and over. Exhaustion preventing him from awakening, or even to form a reply. The core hums louder, and the words grow more vivid as a result.

Those words repeated over and over again throughout his slumber. So much so that his dream began to reflect it. Images of creatures bound to oppressive masters flooded in from all corners. Penetrating down to the very core of the mage. He thrashed in his bed, beads of sweat formed; but still he did not wake. "I AM NOT YOURS!" The last time was the most prominent, and it shook his entire body. A loud boom of thunder resonated from the sky, finally waking him in a harrowing scream.

"Well, today has certainly been unusual." The mage removes his satchel and sets it to the side. In doing so, the voices stopped, and he was able to find some peace to contemplate his next move. He had a goal in mind. One that no mage has done prior to now. Least, to his knowledge it has never been done. I will master all of the elements, starting with earth. A lofty goal, but one he was determined to complete in his life. His parents always disapproved of his inkling for magic. Both having served as farmers for the town, they wanted their son to follow in their footsteps. For a time, it had appeared that he would. Then, his parents were murdered before his eyes; and his entire world changed.

fantasy
2

About the Creator

Jauren Riloski

Hello Vocal! My name is Jauren, a recent graduate from college who is plagued by the burden of student debt. I have a passion for telling stories, and taking people on adventures that they will remember. Let's all tell stories together!

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