"The fruit cost 7C, mister. Pay or leave," twelve-year-old the told off the man in rich aristocratic robes covered by a small, grey, weirdly patterned cloak, he had dark hair with aqua blue eyes that brimed with young life, He was not extremely handsome but to little Maho he was one of the most good looking she had met . He carried a wrapped parcel behind his back as Maho jumped, fluttering, kicking up her dirty brown hair to prove her point.
Maho, a young girl with a slender, wiry figure, had dark brown hair that framed her face and deep blue eyes that seemed to hold untold stories. She wore simple gray garments, showing signs of wear and tear from years of use and careful maintenance.
"Hey there, calm down, little lady. The price of your brown grapes is just too expensive. I'm new to this settlement. You just have to give me a little discount. No one has to know, kid," he said, winking suggestively.
Maho grinned at him mockingly and replied, "I've never seen a poor noble before. Guess life is full of funny surprises." She leaned closer, staring directly into his aqua-blue eyes, and said slowly, "My papa doesn't give handouts to beggars, so scram."
The robed man had never felt so humiliated in his entire life. He felt his pride shatter like glass within him. His fists clenched at his sides, trembling with barely restrained fury, as his glare burned hotter than an erupting volcano. It wasn't the words that enraged him but how they were said. He felt beneath her and vowed to make her suffer for it. Filled with rage, the man attacked, manipulating the surrounding oxygen with magic. As he did so, he felt their energies clash, and Maho could feel the euphoric sensation of magic. It was as though she could touch it. The robed man sensed her connection to it as well, but his fury clouded his judgment. He was out for blood.
He yanked her out of the stall with a rough grip, disregarding her desperate attempts to wriggle free. "We'll see who the beggar is, farm girl," he sneered, raising his hand to formulate another spell. But to his surprise, Maho sensed the spell he was creating in advance and dodged instinctively.
"You have a talent for magic", he said in surprise at what he saw. "You're full of surprises, farmer girl," he admitted grudgingly. "But you'll still suffer for insulting me." He charged forward, preparing a new spell in his hand. Before he could finish it, a ball of fire streaked past Maho's cheek and struck him squarely in the chest.
"Soplat, stand down and stop bullying her," a feminine voice commanded from behind Maho with authority. The voice belonged to a woman of about fifty years, her blonde hair cascading down her shoulders like a golden waterfall. Her brown eyes, deep and enigmatic, held mysteries akin to the stars. She wore elegant gray robes over a light, flowing dress, cinched at the waist with a delicate belt. Her presence was one of exquisite beauty, radiating a timeless grace that captivated all who beheld her. By now, the whole market square had been watching the confrontation and had surrounded them."Maho!" a coarse male voice shouted from behind the crowd. A frail, ragged old man with dark ebony skin and unkempt black hair embodying the very definition of human frailty appeared. From the crowd he pushes his way through the center of the commotion.
The robed sage recovered from the attack. His kept hair scattered and in disarray, he picked himself up off the ground. "Master Ioana, pardon me, but I must teach this farm girl a lesson," Soplat said in heavy breaths, still seething with rage. "Oh yeah? Come fight me if you can", Maho shot back.
The frail man immediately fell to his prostrating himself. "Please, great Magus, spare my daughter! "She's just a foolish child," he pleaded desperately, fully aware of the dire consequences that could befall them. His daughter, however, remained defiant, ignorant of a Mages' true strength.
"Father, stand up! This poor man wanted to freeload off our stall. For someone of noble status, he was asking for a discount!" she snapped while trying to lift her father from the dirt ground.
"You—I will kill—" Before Soplat could finish his sentence, another ball of fire struck his face, knocking him backward to the ground. Ioana stepped forward, addressing the market crowd."We humbly apologize for the commotion and will pay for any damages incurred due to my partner's misstep. I hope the people of Loctus can forgive us," she said. After her speech, she helped Soplat to his feet, and the two departed from the market.
After they had walked a considerable distance from the market square, Soplat asked, "Why did you stop me from teaching that brat a lesson, Master Ioana?"Ioana looked at him for a moment before sighing loudly. "Though she's a feisty one, she's but a child," she said, pausing before adding, "A child with magic talent at that."
Ioana stopped abruptly and turned to Soplat. "I want you to approach the girl at sunset."
"To do what? I'm not going to apologize to someone who insulted me!" Soplat retorted stubbornly.
Ioana burst into laughter. "No, my foolish disciple. I want you to recruit her into the Citadel."
Loctas was a peaceful settlement between the Bakel Empire and the citadel. It had no affiliations and was founded by nomadic tribes from Noture Empire who settled there.
There was nothing extractive about the settlement, their was a daily market in the middle of the settlement for daily travelers that were commuting to Palates or Regna.
Night winds had already begun their journey to the west, kicking up a little dust. Had night begun to encroach on the settlement, had most households begun preparing for the moonless night, as the sunset bathed the settlement in hues of gold and amber, casting long shadows across the quiet streets.Maho walked home from the market. She spotted Soplat ahead of her, standing as if waiting for someone.
Deciding to ignore him, she kept walking. Her father had warned her not to clash with mages from the Citadel. "Their roots run deep," he'd said. But as she passed, Soplat called out, "Hey there, little lady."
Still ignoring him, he grabbed her arm. "Can I have a little of your time?"
"You know, Lord Magus, we're in the middle of the village square. I could scream," she replied. Soplat, realizing he was being too aggressive, immediately released her arm."Sorry, I wasn't trying to hurt you. I just wanted to talk," he said. "Let me reintroduce myself. My name is Soplat Para Celius from House Celius."Maho cut him off immediately. "Well, sorry, Mister Soplat, but I'm not interested in marrying a noble."
Soplat grinned. "Don't flatter yourself, child. I prefer much older women. That's not why I'm here. You felt it too, didn't you? You can sense magic."Maho remained quiet for a moment before responding. "So what if I can? What can that change? I'm still stuck here in this backwater village."
"You can follow us to the Citadel and learn to use magic," Soplat offered.
"As if."
"Look, kid, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to escape the backwater you call home. It's up to you to decide."
Maho looked at him sincerely and said, "It's not that I don't want to leave, mister. But I can't. Where would I go? How would I survive? Who will take care of my father? I have no backing and no power. So tell me, Mage, how can I leave?"
Soplat was speechless. He couldn't believe a twelve-year-old girl from a backwater village could have such thoughts. Dumbfounded, he struggled to find the words to convince her.
"I will give you all that—power, protection, and a means to survive. All you have to do is follow me to the Citadel," Ioana said as she emerged from the shadows of a small cottage. "I promise you will have everything you need."
"You're forgetting something, Lady Magus. What about my father?"
"Arrangements can be made. But will you follow us?"
"Yes, I will come. But we have to convince my father.
"We?" Soplat asked, confused.
Maho started walking away. "But you have to come tomorrow morning for that."
"The date is fixed, then," Ioana replied, leaving Soplat dumbfounded by how quickly things had progressed.
Morning in Loctus was the most important part of the day for its residents. Most spent their time in farms and shops or preparing for the day's market. The two magi made their way through the maze of wooden cottages to Maho's home to convince her father. Along the way, they had a brief conversation about how to approach the old farmer.
When they arrived at the front door, Ioana knocked with two short wraps. The door creaked open slightly, and Maho's father peered out, his dirty brown hair sticking out through the small crack as he inspected who the unexpected visitors were.
"Who is…" he began, but his voice trailed off as he realized who stood before him. Quickly, he stepped outside to greet them properly.
"Forgive me for my rudeness. How may I be of service to my lord and lady?" he asked nervously. Maho also stepped out of their small wooden cottage, curious but unsurprised by the visitors.
"We are here on a matter concerning your daughter," Ioana said firmly. Her words immediately deepened the fear in the old farmer's eyes. Overwhelmed, he fell to the ground, prostrating himself before them.
"Please, forgive my daughter for…" he began to plead, but his words were cut short. A large, life-like object plummeted from the sky, followed by a deafening explosion. The impact crushed the frail man, splattering his blood and entrails across the ground and covering the horrified Maho and the mages.
The scene turned deadly silent, save for the faint crackling of energy lingering in the air. Maho froze, her wide eyes fixed on the remains of her father. Ioana, shaken by what just happened, exchanged a grim look with her apprentice, Soplat, shouting commands to prepare for combat, as the reality of the violent act began to set in.