The Journey Begins

Messages for the Enchanters' Guild
Maezia
Posts: 7
Joined: Mon Jul 09, 2018 2:30 pm
Guild: Enchanters

The Journey Begins

Post by Maezia »

I love thunderstorms. One in particular, I will never forget. The rain was coming down in sheets, so heavy it pounded upon my scales. Even when the lightning split the sky, you could barely see. Well, except for the steel. You could see the steel arcing through the downpour without a problem. That blade, coming down with such power and certainty; it glowed in that light.

I’m getting ahead of myself. My family is a small clan of dragonkin, usually about twenty members composed of four or five families. We live deep in the mountains of the Wyrm Spine, in a place few adventurers can travel. There is, however, no shortage of orcs up there. With the rough terrain and constant attacks, the clan has excelled at fighting. We’ve even learned to smith weapons, creating our own forges and trading with dwarves for ore. We still get our best weapons from the dwarves, but we are learning.

My birth into the clan was completely unremarkable. My coloring was a bit odd, seeing as my deep blue scales seemed to have been splashed with liquid silver. A few dwarves I’ve met have compared the markings to the flowing lines of mithril in their mines. Still, the clan encompasses many different colors, so it was assumed to just be an odd ancestral artifact of some kind. I was seen as fairly beautiful as a young child; likely to attract the attention of many of the males as I grew.

There was a problem, however. No matter how I tried, I absolutely could not master a weapon. By the age of four, when most of the children were moderately proficient, I was still stumbling over my own toes, constantly dropping the wooden practice blade. I was tall, lean, gangly, and completely lacking in grace. Goodness knows I tried my hardest at training, but my body seemed determine to betray me. No matter what I did, I couldn’t pack on the muscle like my peers. My parents, bless them, still loved me, but there were late night discussions when they thought I was sleeping. What were they going to do with me?

By the time I was eight, pretty much everyone had given up hope that I would ever master a weapon. Still, I made myself useful gathering wild fruits and vegetables, and learning to trade with the dwarves. I became an exceptional flier, my lean frame allowing me to cut through the air with a speed beyond most of my brethren. There was some teasing from the other children, but that was only to be expected. The elders all protected me as they could, and tried to help me be useful and live a productive life. Truly, the clan was very forgiving of my shortcomings.

Which brings us to the storm. The orcs had decided they wanted to attack that night, using the rain for cover. The heavy downpour grounded us and made our flame all but useless, so it was just blade against blade. I’d been staying back, out of the way, like I was supposed to. No one wanted me to die in an invasion. Somehow, though, one of the beasts got through the lines and caught sight of me. Apparently, I looked like an easy mark. Well, I guess I was. Unarmed, drenched, and lean as can be. The orc ran for me and I ran away, trying to find some cover. I tripped, of course, like I always do. I turned in time to see that blade coming down, glowing in the rain, straight for my pathetic hide.

Lightning chose that moment to split the sky, suspending the rain in its flash. I felt it crash across my scales, blinding me with its brilliance, crackling across the silver lines of my hide. Unbidden, it leapt from my outstretched hand, snaking across the space to blast the orc. The beast was launched away from me, howling and smoking in sizzling pain. The smell of ozone permeated the air, heavy and powerful. I was shocked. Somehow, I’d been struck by lightning, even cast it…but I was unharmed.

The clan drove off the orcs after that, but some of them had seen what had happened. We’d heard tales of those who could harness the power of magic, even seen a demonstration or two put on by the dwarves. The clan, though, had never had one who could cast the power in their ranks. There was some speculation as to what had happened, if it was really true, if I had really thrown lightning at the orc, or if it had all just been some sort of accident. Perhaps the rain or my scales had protected me, and it was all just coincidence?

Over the years, when the storms came, I’d stand out in the rain. Eventually, I learned to call the lightning. Eventually, there was no doubt that I could summon sorcerous magic. I finally made my parents proud, and while my control was not great, I clearly had my own form of power. We spoke to the dwarves, asking them where the best place to train would be. They spoke to us of the Guilds of learning where my natural talents could be honed to deadly efficiency. I heard tales of the dark power of the Warlocks; power that could cost a user as much as it gifted. The Wizards who stood in defense of their city in the sun. And of the Enchanters, who sought knowledge and became masters at applying magic to weapons. Seeing my clan and their growing ability to forge, there was no question where I would go. We would need new weapons in our fight against the orcs in time, and once I was trained, well, I could enchant their blades with power. Perhaps, in time, we would be free of the orcs.

When the time came, the clan gave me their blessing, and I journeyed to the frozen north. I completed Tauber Greenleef’s quest and was granted entry. And so here I am, learning rapidly under the guidance of the wonderful tutors. There is so much more to magic than I ever imagined, but I am ready to learn.
anerausa
Posts: 227
Joined: Wed Nov 12, 2014 4:03 am

Re: The Journey Begins

Post by anerausa »

Maezia,
I trust your studies are progressing well. I am sorry for the situation that brought you to our halls, but know some of the most powerful Magic’s in the lands were born from sorrow and loss. May you be strong as the skin of the gargoyles and rise like the astral Phoenix.
Image
Runescribe Anera
Erilaz of Dragons

Return to “Enchanters' Guild”