As I walked along the familiar dirt path through the forest, my thoughts had turned from my patrol to thoughts of what I would do when I finished my patrol and had finally arrived at my little homely cottage, located on the outskirts of the forest I had to patrol. I knew that the first thing I’d do when I walked through the door would be to fix myself a simple bowl of soup. Then I’d kick off my boots after taking off my leather armour and relax in front of my now lit fireplace whilst sat in my favourite seat as I drank my soup. I’d snooze there until the fire died out, forcing me to seek the comfort and warmth of my bed.
My thoughts were so focused on home that I hadn’t realised I’d wandered from my usual path until, as I was about to enter a clearing in the forest, I heard the sound of a woman speaking in a rough, archaic tongue, making me freeze just as I entered the grassy clearing. But it wasn’t the tongue she spoke in that made me freeze but the constant hum of magic in her voice which I could feel.
Her chanting stopped as we caught sight of each other as she stood there in the centre of the clearing, twenty yards in front of me. My blood went cold at the sight of her due to the black robe she wore, as black as coal. Her head and face were masked by a shroud of darkness, permeating powerful evil magic that whispered things to me. She was stood at five foot five or so but her body was petite and muscular with nary a woman’s curve. I had a feeling that she was not a normal Mage.
Suddenly, she raised her hands in my direction, clenched into fists, and I saw flames starting to flicker around them as if eager to be released. I knew that she was about to cast a Firespell at me; a Tier 4 spell that only a Tier 4 Mage and above could cast. It was a deadly spell and I knew just then that I was about to die as, once she cast the spell, I could run but the spell would hunt me down and burn me to death. My mind tried to fight against the sudden realisation as she cast the spell, making time seemed to slow down as the spell flew at me, a ball of flames heating up the air as it sped towards me in the direction of my chest. I braced myself for impact and a moment later, it hit me.
Only later on could I describe the pain that ripped through my body as the spell set me on fire but what I could describe then was the feeling of something cracking inside of me. I felt power flowing through my body as my skin burned and blistered in excruciating agony until it expelled out of me with such a force that it stunned me.
Unknown POV
I was sat on the hard, cold stone floor as I searched throughout the land for the enemies of the guild, my magic reaching like invisible tentacles to snag pictures and feelings from animals that were nearby when the magic was used, creating anger and chaos in nature.
I was aware of a swelling of immense magic near a forest I was familiar with because of who lived near it. But I thought nothing of it until the magic Surged; sending out a huge wave across the whole of the land like a tsunami. The seemingly unstoppable wave took my breath away as my magic was shunted back into me by the wave. I’d never felt such powerful magic and it far surpassed even the most powerful of Mages at the Academy.
I knew that all of the Mages and any creatures that had any magic in them, no matter how small the trace was, would feel the immense power that seemed to be more powerful than a Tier 5 Mage.
“Oh gods!” I breathed as I felt the magic start to recede to a steady pulse in the forest.
An Hour Later
“Amelia,” a familiar voice brought me out of my shock. “Are you okay?” I was sat in my chair while the Council, the ruling body of the Academy, convened to discuss what had happened. I had been right in thinking that the other Mages would feel the Surge as the response had been rapid.
I was worried about the person I knew who lived near the forest as I didn’t know if he’s been caught in the Surge or not. I dearly hoped that he hadn’t as he had no magic in him, giving him no protection against the Surge as it was impossible for him in any case. I shuddered at the thought of what the Surge would do to a person with no magic in them.
I looked up to see the worried face of my mother looking at me as she stood there watching me. She knew what was wrong and I could tell that she felt the same worry as I did.
“I’ve sent word to him to see if he’s okay, my dear.” She said. “So we should hear back from him soon.” I smiled softy in gratefulness at her for that.
“Ladies,” the head of the Council called out as she stood up. “The Council has now convened!” Everyone took their rightful seats around the circular table that was used, mindful of the seat at the head of the table as no one here could sit there.
But it seemed my rival thought otherwise as I saw her walk towards it as she looked at me. She then stood in front of the chair as everyone looked at her in disgust and sat down on it. My mother sucked in a breath as we expected the chair’s reaction which it gave a moment later.
My rival cried out in pain as the chair glowed a pure white around it, pure power pouring out from it and throwing her from it and onto her ass and the stone floor. She knew, like the rest of us, that there was only one who could sit in that chair.
“Please make a note that another student has tried to sit in the King’s chair, Alyssa,” the Council head called aloud to the scribe.
“Yes, Lady Cooper.” The scribe called back as she started writing in the Council Book, detailing what would be discussed and any events that occurred for later reference.
My rival was taken out of the room a Healer to be checked for any injuries she may have gotten from the chair. The power that had surrounded it then receded but it still gave it a faint glow in the ancient metal that it was made of.
“Now then,” Lady Cooper said. “Why the Council has convened is because of the immense magical Surge that we all felt an hour ago. The power behind it is worrying as it went off the scales.” That caused the Council to talk among themselves in shock and I looked at Lady Cooper to see fear in her eyes as we and the rest of the world knew that she was the most powerful Mage at Tier 5.
"We must find who has this power before our enemies do," she declared with a determination in her voice that made the younger Mages look up in surprise. The hunt was on.
