A Mage's Wrath

Chapter 5

22nd of Temper's Rise, Year 764 - One day later

Loud knocking was heard.

"Ignacia, it's time to get up," called Veata from the other side of the wooden door. "Breakfast is ready."

Ignacia slowly opened her eyes. She rubbed them to get rid of the crust that formed at her eyelids from her tears last night and sat up on her bed. The red-haired girl gazed aimlessly around her bedchamber, feeling as emotionless as the stone walls that made up the room. Not bothering to fix her bed or light the candles to chase the darkness out of the room, she exited her chamber and sauntered down the hallway toward the dining area. Silently, she sat down in her chair, where all three of the Elemental Mages and Master Agha were waiting. They then went through the usual thanks before the meal.

As everyone began eating, Ignacia picked up her fork and solemnly shuffled her scrambled eggs around the plate before taking a small bite of them. She continued that routine two more times before looking up at Master Agha and asking, "May I please be excused, Master Agha?"

She was aware of everyone looking at her then, but she didn't care. She continued gazing at Master Agha, awaiting his answer.

"You've only taken three bites of your eggs, Ignacia," he stated, somewhat confused. "And you still have your sausage."

"I know, but I'm not that hungry," she replied simply.

The Keeper gazed at Ignacia for a moment longer. "Very well," he eventually answered. "You are excused."

The Fire Mage murmured a thank you before setting down her fork and getting out of her chair. Walking back towards the Mages' bedchambers' hall, she was stopped as Master Agha spoke again.

"Don't you want to go to the library, dear?"

Ignacia looked over her shoulder at him and the other Mages staring at her. "I will go sometime later," she plainly responded, and then began walking down the hall, leaving the smell of eggs and sausage behind in the central room.

Her lack of emotions continued as she went to the end of the hall toward the door that led out into the courtyard. Once the doorknob was within reach, she settled her hand on it, turned, and pushed the door open, stepping out into the outdoors to meet a gentle breeze. She took in a deep breath as she gazed in awe at the courtyard for the hundredth time; it was as beautiful as she always remembered it.

Sheer, towering stone cliffs formed a large circumference of a circle. About ten feet from the door was a small river cutting through the land from a waterfall on the far left side of the courtyard. The river continued across the circle as it flowed to its right and into the edge of a forest, which covered two-thirds of the land on the other side of the river. The rest of the land across the river was a sandy clearing used for the Mages' training and practicing when they wanted to do so outside. To top it off, a stone pathway from the door led to a similar stone bridge that allowed easy-access to cross the river and then continued toward the sandy clearing.

Ignacia strayed off the stone pathway toward the edge of the river bank and sat down beside it, taking off her slip-on leather shoes and then hanging her feet in the water, allowing the current to gently tug at them. Before she knew it, her cheeks were wet, and her tears were dripping down into the river below. Awful thoughts were overflowing in her mind.

We could all die when we go to fight the Venom's Curse. What if I died? The previous Elemental Mage of Fire died from the Scourge of Life. What was his name... Edon? Is that a sign that I will die from the Venom's Curse?

Her panic gradually rose, but before she could think of anything else, she sensed someone walking up behind her.

"Ignacia, are you -"

"Leave me alone, Kaj," she murmured without turning around to look at him. The thought of his and Salil's conversation she had eavesdropped on instantly returned to her mind.

"Something's wrong," the Earth Elemental Mage pressed. "What is it?"

Right as he laid his hand on her shoulder, Ignacia yelled "I said leave me alone!" and pushed herself up, shaking Kaj's hand off in the process. She then grabbed her wand from her belt and cast a quick spell on herself, sprinting as fast as a fleeing elk. As she crossed the stone bridge, leaving her shoes behind, she sent a wave of fire towards the other side, not caring to see if it hit Kaj or not as she ran into the forest. Only when she was sure that he wasn't following her did she slow down to a walk. Before she let her thoughts and emotions take over again, she cast an awareness spell to make sure she'd hear anyone looking for her long before they will find her and then replaced her wand in her belt.

I can't fight the Venom's Curse. I never asked to be an Elemental Mage! I want to be just a regular Zertiman mage, not one where the entire mage world depends on her! And I've only been here not even a month and I'm being treated poorly by the three people I'm supposed to work together with.

She stopped in her aimless wandering in the forest and raised her hands up to her head, pulling her hair, stress pressing around her.

"I can't do this!" she said to herself, beginning to hyperventilate. "I can't risk my own life when I could do so much more with it. Why couldn't some other person be the Elemental Mage of Fire? Someone who would actually be proud of it? I'm practically going to get myself killed at age fifteen!"

She went to a nearby tree, sat between two of its roots, and leaned against the trunk. Quieter, she continued her rambling, "I know Master Agha said that it mostly depends on teamwork, but how is that possible with where I am now? Why doesn't he just find a different mage who is willing to risk their life for Zertima, even if they aren't the Fire Mage?"

Ignacia sat in silence for a moment before returning to her thoughts. Maybe I should just run away if I don't want to be here. Go back home and live with my family. I don't know how they would react, since they know I am supposed to be here in the Mage Sanctuary, but I cannot do this. I have so much more to live for in this world, and I can't do that when I could possibly die while fighting the Venom's Curse.

But I know nothing about Zertima and its landscape and villages, she countered herself. I'd be so lost if I left.

She sat in silence again and thought over it.

Then I will wait a year until I leave. I will be fourteen then, so we wouldn't have left to fight the Venom's Curse yet. During that time, I will study maps of Zertima and try to memorize as much as I can, or take a map with me when I leave.

I know it must be my destiny to be the Elemental Mage of Fire and to defeat the Venom's Curse, but who said I couldn't attempt to change it?

~*~*~*~*~*~

And so this is basically what fully sets the book off! ^-^ Do you agree with what Ignacia is going to try to do according to her plan stated in this chapter?

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