War of the Sisters Chapters 1-4

Chapter 1

A cool, winter breeze, with a touch of spring swept past the busy harbor city of Palicidan. Sweeping through the bright clothing, hanging from lines between apartment windows, it continued into a crowded throng of adventurers leaving the city through the city gates. The gates themselves made the adventurers pause and stare as most newcomers to the city do. Made out of adamantium, they were priceless artifacts from the Age of Wonders. Jewels inlaid in the gates glittered a myriad of colors as the suns rays above shone down upon them.
“Thank you for your service, Master Cressane,” Therigis, the leader of our band of adventures told me. “Without your lock picking we would never have got past the first entrance to the tomb.” Reaching into his coat, he withdrew a fat purse full of gold and silver marks. “This should more than compensate you for your time and money that you put into this adventure.”
“Yes, I believe it shall,” I replied. Money is thing that I treasured above all else and the only real way to my heart v~ through it. “If you are ever back in our neck of the woods, give me a call.”
“I shall,” Therigis replied.
Saying our goodbyes, we each went our separate ways. He south out of the city so that him and his band could find new adventures and me back into the city so that I could find more adventurers looking to make a name for themselves. It was a win-win situation for all of us.
As I walked down the crowded streets, I could not help but marvel at my city. Unable to do even the simplest of magic, magic that all Elven children could do, I was constantly amazed at what could be accomplished with magic.
There were gardens that held flowers as tall as normal trees and some gardens that had trees as small as some flowers. Entire rivers went upstream instead of down and the weather could change at any second. From the Undercity to the High City, evidence of life was in abundance. Welcome traveler to the city of all Elven culture; the city of Palicidan.
An abrupt change in the air temperature made me grimace. I have been taught to hate the heat because heat means sun. Sun is bad for me. Albinos must always make sure to be heavily cloaked if the sun is out, I however was not. Looking up, I saw that the clouds still wreathed the blazing inferno. Looking around for the cause of the heat, I saw it was just a Pygmy Dragon letting out a small breath of fire. The owner, a short, balding man, frantically put a muzzle over his pet, but to no success. Moving on, I continued to my destination; the Palicidan Rogues Guild.
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Spying the “Lucky Women”, the pub that are guild met at, I quickly entered. Immediately I saw two Minotaurs fighting and the whole room smelled like fresh puke. It was only mid-afternoon and already the whole pub was tipsy. I had been hoping to have a mug of ale myself, but decided that under the circumstances, it could wait. I would though be going to the backroom later and getting a bag of silverdust. Silverdust is an addicting habit and one that I need to stop, but every time I try I end up going through horrible withdrawals. The whole reason I had become a thief was because after my
parents died in a fire I had taken up silverdust as my means of escape. It had soothed my pain for a while but now it seems it’s just giving more pain. Every time I trip now, I have flashbacks of my childhood and the fire that killed my parents. As I said earlier though, if I don’t have it then I go through horrible withdrawals that make me feel like I am dying.
Heading to a trap door in the floor, I inserted my gold key and lifted the door up.
“You’re early for a change,” The guilds mage, Devan, told me. “I thought you might have purchased a girl from upstairs before you came to the meeting.”
“I probably will later, but I figured that I should be here on time for a change,” I replied. “I just got paid from the last group of adventurers and so I have a lot of money to blow.”
“Chances are you will have it all gone tonight, what with the drugs and the girls,” Devan shot back.
“Seeing as how we’re all here, why don’t we go ahead and start the meeting,” I told the group.
The meeting lasted an hour and half, in which I was given a new job from Devan. He requested that I steal a set of Wizards books from their owner at the Mages Guild. The owner, Allen Ursone, was a talented offensive, or Ji Wizard. Devan, our wizard, used defensive, or Han magic.
“How much will you pay me, Devan?” I asked.
“I will give you a pair of excellent adamantium knuckles. I know that you can complete the job, so I will even give them to you in advance.”
“That sound like a fair deal,” I replied as he handed over the knuckles. Strapping them on, I found that they were a perfect fit and well balanced. “These are the best knuckles I have ever owned, thank you.”
“I new you would like them,” Devan replied smugly.
“Well, it’s getting late and I think I am going to get my silverdust and enjoy the night with a female companion.”
“You will have to rent a room, because no high class prostitute will want to go sleep with you at your home in the Undercity. You are still living there aren’t you?” Devan asked.
“That I am,” I replied. A brief puzzled expression flashed across Devan’s face. “What’s wrong?”
“I though I sensed a magical presence briefly but in is only you and I in this room. You can’t do magic so I don’t know where it came from.
“Maybe you are just mistaken,” I replied.
“Maybe,” Devan said unconvinced.
“Well, I will see you tomorrow when I come by and get the disguise and my supplies for the burglary.”
“Remember; don’t stay out to late tonight.”
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“I need to buy a bag of silverdust,” I told a young man who was in the back room of the pub.
“It’s going to cost you. This stuff is becoming harder and harder to get. The new customs officials are no longer taking bribes to have it shipped in.”
“How much is it?” I asked.

“10 gold marks,” was the answer.
“Fuck, it was half that a month ago. Next week it will be 20 marks.”
“Probably, but if you want it that bad you will pay for it.”
“Actually, I think I am going to try and quit one last time. I cannot afford this kind of habit,” I replied.
“Whatever,” was the response. “You will be back here tomorrow begging me to sell you some.
That night was one of the worst nights of my life. It had started all right because I had hired a girl to keep me occupied but as soon as she left the spasms started. I did not get any sleep that night and spent the whole time paralyzed and in a cold sweat. He was right, that morning the first thing I did was go and buy some silverdust and snort it up.

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Right after I was done getting high, I once again found myself in the guild’s meeting hall.
“Have you got my disguise?” I asked Devan.
“Here it is,” he replied as he handed me midnight black robes with silver stitching embroidered into the cuffs and a black alabaster staff. “This is also a map of the Mage’s Guilds compounds,” he said as he procured a thick and fading parchment. “I guess that’s it.” So saying, Devan seemed to go into a trance. The air thickened in the room and a fiery ball expanded to occupy the space in between us. The fire grew to a large size, but curiously did not burn me at all. Then, slowly the fire started to swirl. As it stopped, a fiery, metal portal stood in its place.
I briefly saw a wooded forest with a small cottage before Devan entered the portal as it made a small pop before disappearing.
“Showoff,” I muttered under my breath. Now that I had my supplies and had taken my medicine, however bad the effects would be later; I was ready to make my way to the Mages Guild.



















Chapter 2

Walking out of the “Lucky Women”, I continued walking to the back alleyway. Opening up a porthole, I cringed as it made a loud screeching noise. Looking down, I revealed to find a dark and seemingly never ending abyss. “Fuck,” I thought. I had forgotten a torch and could not use magic to light my way. Oh well, this was not the first time I had been in the Undercity. After all, this was my home.
As I climbed down the rusty, iron ladder and descended into the sewers, a powerful and overbearing odor washed over me. It almost caused me to ascend back up to daylight. However, glancing down at my new knuckles, I decided I could deal with it.
Reaching the bottom, I saw I was standing in shit. “Great,” I thought, “this is really making my day better.” I was comforted to find that I was at least in a part of the Undercity that I knew. The Undercity is larger than Palicidan itself and much more diverse. It was known mostly for its crime operations that existed down here. It was known too for its bazaar. Anything and everything could be bought there.
Continuing down the street, I finally made my way out of the manure and into the Magicians Corner. Somewhere around here, a black dragon made its home. One day, I vowed, I would find it and kill it, but today was not that day.
Looking around I found the Mages Guild cellars. Picking the lock, I entered the room. Finally, I could see without squinting. I found that I could make a nice profit just by stealing the artifacts I saw just in this room. Maybe I would get some things on my way out. Right now I had a mission to complete.
Opening the cellar door, I entered the Mages Guild. Sensing another presence in the room, I immediately entered my fighting stance. Warily, I scanned the room.
A man sitting in a chair at the far corner of the room caught my eye. He did not appear dangerous. In fact he looked quite the opposite. The stranger was in all snowy white robes and appeared to be in his mid thirties, just a few years older than me. His chin had a faint wisp of a black beard growing on his otherwise hairless head. Something about him made him seem older than he looked though.
“Who are you?” I asked.
He had obviously been waiting for me because he replied, “I expect you are young Master Assylian?” He had a soft, earthy voice that commanded my attention even though I fought hard to ignore him.
“I am. But who are you?”
“I am Kologhan. Kologhan Ursone. The twin brother of Allen Ursone, whom you plan on stealing from today. You see, I have been tipped off by a fellow wizard that you are going to try and steal my brother’s magic book,” he replied. “Is this true?”
“Yes it is. I expect that you won’t had them over to me, will you?”
“Alas, I will not,” he replied.
“Well, that makes you and I enemies,” I told him. “My enemies usually have a nasty habit of dying.” Reaching into my jacket, I snatched my dagger and as I sprinted towards him, I extended my arm and threw the dagger with a flick of my wrist.
Kologhan went into a trance as soon as I had started running and as the dagger came flashing through the air and when it seemed inevitable that it would strike the wizard, it came to an abrupt stop about an inch from his face.

An invisible force turned the dagger until it was facing my direction. It was then thrown with such incredible strength that I had no time to get out of the way. The dagger whizzed through the air and plunged into my gut.
Looking down, I saw that blood was gushing out of the perhaps fatal wound. Grabbing the alabaster staff from my back I fought to stay upright. Suddenly, I felt it!
A wall felt like it had crumbled inside me and manna came rushing forth. I could finally do magic. Not knowing what kind I could do, I pictured my wound closing up in my mind. Pushing the thought through my staff, I instantly felt healed. Acting on instinct I then pictured a fireball in my mind. Flinging it from my staff, I was overjoyed to see that it worked. Only the strongest of wizards could use both kinds of magic. That when it hit me, the feeling of weakness. I had read enough about magic to know that magic came from the user’s strength. I was not yet very strong, thus I could not do much magic. Fighting to stay standing up I saw that the wizard had put up a shield to block my fireball. Then I embraced the darkness that was fighting to overtake me.
































Chapter 3

I awoke with a nauseating dizziness, almost forcing me to black out once more. I was able gain control of myself and managed to refrain from puking all over myself. This was fortunate because I was going to need my health later.
As I stepped out of my nice, warm bedding, I was suddenly very cautious. Where was I? I was definitely not in my moldy bed in the Undercity. The last thing I remembered was fighting a Ji Wizard. Had I really produced magic?
The thought was both exciting and frightening. All my life I had to struggle to survive. Only a very few people in the land of Shira are born without magic and most never make it as far as I have. With magic, I would be unstoppable. The world of crime lay before me and I was actually excited. All my life, I had struggle to survive, now I could become someone; be something.
“Where the fuck am I?” I shouted at no one in particular.
The thick, wooden door opened in response and in walked Kologhan. His entire body was covered in fiery, red welts and places where the flesh was scabbing over.
“Your fireball almost had me there,” Kologhan announced. “Fortunately I was
able to set up an ice wall that took the brunt of the force before it exploded into my body. If I hadn’t, it would have completely annihilated me.”
At the moment, I could care less that he had blocked my attack. I wanted to kill him. Knowing that I was in the middle of a mages compound and knowing that I could not kill them was the only reason I did not. Also, and the more important fact, I found that in reaching for my magic, it would not obey my call.
“Why did you let me live?” I asked curiously.
Kologhan obviously not wanting to answer the question evaded by asking his own, “Would you rather I hadn’t?”
“That does not answer my question, why?” Knowing that he could not distract me, he answered, “because, I am hoping you will join the Mages Guild. The fact that you can do both kinds of magic, Ji and Han, means that you can e a very talented wizard. Evan though you have tried to kill me, and steal from my brother, the Lady Eldar, who run the Guild, believes we should be you teacher. That is of course, if you accept.
“Can I still be in the Rogues Guild?” I asked.
“You can,” was the reply.
“What happens if I don’t?”
“Then you had better hope you can find another Wizard to teach you to use both kinds of magic, otherwise they will drive you to insanity.
“If that’s the case, then I will accept.”
“Great, we thought you would, but it’s polite to ask,” Kologhan replied smugly.
“The only question I have is this, how did you know I was coming? Was it a foretelling or something?”
“Laughing, Kologhan replied, “No, it was nothing as complex as that. A mage named Devan tipped me off.
“That can’t be possible,” came my automatic reply. I knew Devan, and knew he would not set me up like this.
“Oh, can’t it?” Jeanses shot back. “Devan sensed a few nights ago that you had magic. He even brought it up with you. He set it up with my brother that you would steal

the books and get caught. That way I could catch you and make you use your magic. Then you would be forced to join our guild. We don’t like rogue Wizards and thus knew that we had to make sure we taught you. I was not lying when I said you would die if you did not get someone to train you. The only way though someone will train you is if you leave our city. We know you enough that we know you will not do this. We have a monopoly here and are not willing to let you jeopardize that”
“Is he in this compound,” I asked.
“Yes, he is. However you two will not see each other until you have become a wizard. That will be in a couple of years, and perhaps you will no longer be as angry with him.”
“I don’t think so, but only time will tell. I will get my revenge though. No one sets me up and gets away with it,” I threatened. I knew realistically that he was stronger than me know, but the only reason I would study with the Guild was so that I could get stronger and make him pay. This I vowed.
“To cool you off~, let’s go down to a bar and grab something to drink,” Kologhan replied. “I will even pay for it.”
When we got to the bar I ended up getting pretty drunk. I found that the drunker I got the more I could sense my magic. I remembered that I had been high when I first used magic and wondered if I had to be on something all the time in order for it to work. Maybe that was why I could not sense it earlier today.
“Have you ever tried silverdust?” I asked Kologhan.
“No, I do not do that kind of stuff. You shouldn’t either. That is jail time right there.”
“I have been to jail for five months,” I replied. “It wasn’t so bad.”
“Well, it’s your but on the line if you do it, not mine.”
After he left, I reached into my pocket and took out the last of my silverdust. Laying it out in a line, I then proceeded to snort it and make all my troubles go away.



















Chapter 4

A few days after this discussion, I started my first lesson with Allen as my instructor. Walking into his classroom, I was instantly dumbstruck. Everywhere magic showed, from the ceiling which depicted a bloody battle being fought, to the floor, which was a green moss. The walls had a flaming sword hung on it and magical scepter of all shapes and sizes, the torches that hung from the wall were a bright blue flame that gave off an incandescent light. In the center of the room, a black cauldron was giving off a psychedelic smell and large bubbles of neon orange kept oozing off the sides.
“This is quite a room,” I said in astonishment.
“Thank you,” Allen replied. “I have put a lot of time and effort into it. Unfortunately, we will not be using any of these things in today’s lesson. I will instead be teaching you the very basics of magic.”
“Like how magic works?”
“Precisely.”
“Is there any questions you want to know before I start the lesson?” Allen asked.
“How does magic work?” I replied.
“At first,” Allen began, “we thought magic came from our own life force and in part it does. But then, the Lady Eldar, who runs our guild, determined that it in fact comes from crystals. There are two types of crystals, Ji and Han. Each person can only use one except in rare cases, such as yours and the Lady Eldar’s, were they can use both. We are able to use them because they send out an aura that most races in the land of Shira can sense and in turn use. There are a few of these crystals scattered throughout the land, but most come from the Terran world, Earth.
“Don’t Terrans fear magic?” I asked.
“Yes they do, that is why we try to keep peace between us, but we believe they are destroying the crystals sot that we cannot use our magic anymore.
“Could there be a war between us if this continues to happen?” I asked.
“You will have to talk to the Lady Eldar about that topic,” Allen replied.
“Yes, sir,” I grumbled.
“Now, I want you to draw forth you magic.”
I tried, but when I opened the gates that held back the manna, only a trickle came sipping though. “I think my magic is not as powerful when I am not high or drunk,” I told Allen.
“I have heard of cases like this,” Allen replied, “usually when one fears magic when they are young they set up a natural defense against it. It will only come out when the user is not in control of themselves our when a life threatening situation arises. We will have to set up an appointment with the Lady Eldar to see if she can fix your problem. I for one will not have you high or drunk when you are in my classroom.”
“When do you think she can try and help me?” I asked.
“I will see if she can’t do it today. I cannot guarantee that she will though, however, I will try my best,” Allen replied.
“Thank you Allen,” I said.
“Your welcome.”

“I just got done talking with the Lady Eldar and she said that she is busy today but will help you with your problem tomorrow,” Allen told me. “I suggest you take the day off and just wander around the city.”
“I’ll do that, thanks,” I replied.
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Stepping into the shop, I immediately felt out of place. The women there all looked at me as if I was crazy. Maybe I was, but if I wanted to go to a beauty saloon to get my hair done then by damn, I will go to a beauty saloon and get my hair done.
“Sit done dear,” an old crone snapped at me.
“Yes, Ma’am,” I replied.
“How can I cut your hair today?” she asked.
“I don’t want my hair cut. All I want done is to have it dyed. I would like red streaks in it.”
“That will look very handsome,” a woman next to me said.
Turning around I was startled to see that it was Delilah. Delilah and I had been dating for a while and I was surprised she was even talking to me now. We had not broken up on very good terms, something about my drugs being more important than her. “Thank you,” I replied. “You are looking quite well today yourself.”
So have how is your life going right now,” she asked sweetly. A little too sweetly.
“As good as can be expected, I replied.”
“Making much money?”
“Why?” I asked. Something was definitely not right here.
“Because you have a seven year old daughter that needs to be taken care of,” she replied.
“I do?” I said shocked. “Are you sure its mine?”
“Are you calling me a whore? I am not like all the other women you date, Assylian. I was a virgin before we started dating.
“No, I was not saying that,” I stammered. How could I have gotten a child? We had only had sex once when I was 16.
“If you want you can take her home for the weekend so that she can get to know her father better. In fact she’s sitting down right over there. Go and introduce yourself. I want her back home on the Monday though.”
“Sure,” I said, “no sweat, I will take care of her. I had always told myself I would be a great parent and if now was the time that I had to start being one then now would be the time. “Why have you been taking care of her for the past seven years though?” I asked.
“I could never find out where you lived and every time I went to the guild they told me not to bother you with it and never gave you any of my messages and I just could not abandon her.
“Oh,” I said looking abashed.
“I’m all done, how does it look?” The old crone asked. “It looks fine ma’am,” I replied without even looking in the mirror. Paying the lady, I proceeded to walk over to meet my daughter.