A Mage's Wrath

Chapter 14

The rolling hills blurred past Ignacia as Harmony sped along the path, her claws clinking on the cobblestone in a rhythmic pattern. The light was slowly growing as the sun rose above the hills in the east, casting either great shadows or wide patches of sunlight from the position of the hills in its wake. The sky became bluer, and the stars of night disappeared.

But Ignacia's only focus was getting to Ira and seeing her family.

It was about two hours in her journey from Lingred, and the hills finally were leveling out, transforming into tundra as she got further to the north in the center of Zertima. Before long, the mage saw a long stretch of water ahead, recognizing it as the river. The stone bridge was ahead, as well, the pathway leading directly toward it. Although she wanted desperately to keep pushing, she knew that Harmony had to be worn out from her hard work, so she steered the beamra to the river's edge as they neared it and allowed her to get a long drink and rest for a moment. Ignacia nibbled on an apple from her bag as she rested.

Thoughts on what her family may be doing and where they might be once again swarmed Ignacia. Were they all right? Were they content with her being gone? Or were they haunted with nightmares of her leaving them to potentially die just like the last Fire Mage?

She turned her attention toward the tundra on the other side of the river, trying to have positive thoughts. Yes, they are all fine. They continued with their lives and are happy, and will be ecstatic when they see Ignacia appear as if out of nowhere, think that they were all dreaming.

Everything will be fine, she assured herself.

With Harmony rested and Ignacia's hunger slightly sated, she mounted the beamra and set off at a trot. The sun was over the horizon and shone down on the tundra, but a slight breeze picked up and sliced across the landscape, eliminating its warmth. She estimated it would take about another hour for her to get to her home from here. Her mood rose as she made it across the bridge, leaving Cynemolt behind and entering into her homeland Ira. Leaving the Elemental Mage within her behind and becoming a normal young mage with a loving family.

She urged Harmony along.

~

An hour had passed, and Ignacia and Harmony were still traveling, although Ignacia knew she was extremely close to her home.

It's almost like I can feel it, she mused excitedly.

The terrain sloped upward slightly. She followed the slope on the path, and as she reached the crown of it, she gasped and then urged Harmony to full speed. Up ahead was the house she had grown up in, where her family lived, her home. She approached it in no time and quickly dismounted Harmony, tied the lead to a wooden post, and rushed into the house.

"Mom, Dad!" she yelled. "Thahn! I'm home!"

But when she waited for a response, she heard nothing.

And then she noticed the wreckage in the house.

Tables and chairs were splintered and knocked over, vases and expensive decorations were all broken, and there were burnt spots on the walls and floors that were evidence of there being harming spells cast.

Ignacia's breath caught in her chest and she fell down to her knees, tears instantly pouring out of her eyes and everything good she had hoped for crashing down and breaking just like her mother's favorite bowl had done with the ruins. "No..." she wept. "No, this can't be happening - couldn't have happened!"

She forced herself up and slowly, on shaky legs, walked around the rubble to her parents' room, where the door was already open. She hesitantly peaked around the doorway. The room was a mess, just like the living room and kitchen were. Thankfully, she did not see any dead bodies, though it left little comfort. She was about to return to the main area when she noticed a piece of paper lying on the unmade bed. Cautiously, she forced her feet to move forward into the room and closer to the bed. She reached out and gingerly took the paper, reading what was scrawled across it in fierce, quick writing.