A Mage's Wrath

Chapter 7

7th of Blazing Sun, Year 764 - Two weeks later

Ignacia sat in one of the cushioned chairs in the library, reading from a large book containing the history of Zertima. She had been studying that book and many others over the past two weeks. On a table next to the chair, she had a few maps of the land spread out, showing the provinces, main paths, and towns of the landmass. Even though it's only been two weeks, she had already learned a lot about Zertima.

And there was plenty of time left to learn more.

"Oh, there you are, Ignacia."

The red-haired girl looked up from her deep focus on the book to see Kaj walk up beside a bookcase toward her.

"Master Agha wants to see you in his bedchamber," he informed her. "I assume that he wants to see how you're doing since it's been one month since you were Founded. Do you know where his bedchamber is?"

Closing the book, setting it on the table, and getting up from the chair, she replied with a - almost forced - smile, "I have seen him coming and going from a door I assume leads to his bedchamber. Thanks for getting me." With that, she left Kaj behind, her neck hair beginning to prickle at her slight discomfort.

Ever since Kaj had so kindly entered her bedchamber and coaxed her to talk to him, he and Ignacia have been becoming decent friends. Or so Ignacia makes him think. During the past two weeks, she had been as friendly as ever to him, but cautiously hid what she truly felt and thought from him. She had been finding herself fighting in her mind over the decision to leave the Mage Sanctuary or not once again due to Kaj's oblivious words and actions. However, the girl remained to stick to the firm belief that she will leave, but with a cloud of doubt fogging up her true decision at times.

Ignacia left the library and went down the hall a short way until she came upon the door to Master Agha's bedchamber. She raised her clenched hand to the door, paused to take a deep breath, and then resumed to knock.

"Come in!" called a voice immediately from inside the room.

She opened the door and stepped into the bedchamber for the first time. She gazed around at the room which held the usual furnishings a bedroom would have. However, she did not see Master Agha.

"Over here, Ignacia."

The girl swiveled her head toward the voice and saw that there was an archway leading to a smaller room on the side. She made her way over there and saw Master Agha sitting behind a desk with an open book in front of him. The Keeper set down the quill he held in his hand as she approached him.

"It was nice of you to come, Ignacia," he greeted her with a smile. "Please, have a seat."

She sat down on one of the chairs on the opposite side of Master Agha, sitting straight and with her hands clasped together on her lap. "I couldn't ignore a summons from you, Master Agha," she replied, returning the smile.

Even if I wanted to, she left out.

"Why did you want me to come here?" she asked.

"Oh, I just wanted to see how you are doing. It has been a month since you've came here, after all. Do you feel you are fitting in all right?"

Ignacia held back the wince she would have shown and tried the best she could to keep her emotion friendly, polite - anything other than what she truly felt. "I am one of the four Elemental Mages, after all; what better place could I be rather than where I am supposed to be, and with the people who I was born to be with?" She was slightly surprised at how smoothly that lie slid off her tongue, and she could see that Master Agha believed it with his glinting, golden brown eyes.