Prologue
Truth and Lies by MaryWhite
66 2 2
X
Reading Options
Font Size
A- 15px A+
Width
Reset
X
Table of Contents
Loading... please wait.
PreviousNext
Justice. 
 
Is it something tangible? Can it be eaten? 
 
The lavender cloaked woman suppresses her senses as she walks beneath the blazing sun in the middle of the wafting smell of several dishes. For a hundred years, eating was something she had thought a lot but not something she cared enough.
 
She was destined to be part of history no matter how much destiny denies her.
 
As people and buildings pass her, she is aware of every corner around even the tiniest rock beside the garbage can which is in the alley she passed. She can also see certain traces of any magic used today or even used half a year ago. 
 
For the entire last week, she was sleeping in her room to recuperate mana after overusing it using the same overseeing magic in the entire Norden for three days. That was for compensation and it was good to know that her scope of finding it is narrowing down.
 
Mana consumption was something she cared about the least for fifty years. It was the price for her life's purpose. Justice might never fill anyone's stomach but certainly, it is something that will feed her hungry soul. 
 
A girl in her youth suddenly rushed past her to the boy standing before a sweets shop. This startled the woman undoing the overseeing magic. 
 
“You didn't come last night, did you?” the girl frowns while the boy retreats. “You better didn't.”
 
Youth these days are so contemptuous, the woman thought as she resets her magic and continues her walk.
“Anyways, there was this new restaurant in Trayl.” The girl continued, “The owner came from the country but unusually knows how to piano. Also, when they opened yesterday His Majesty, Prince Thomas, personally came unannounced.”
“They must be close friends.” Their voices are now slowly disappearing.
“That's not the case. I was there when it happened and I really didn't care about it. The food! The food they serve is absurdly deli—”
“—were killed.” Two women are chatting as they walked past her. The other woman replied in fear, “Oh my, hope it stops, though. That's the third time, right?”
She bites her lips till it bleeds. Victory is not witnessed before a war starts, it is after. Everything is already in motion. All that's left is the key to achieve victory. So, there's no room for happiness not until it happens.
 
The woman turns left in the next street which leads to Trayl. There are now lesser people compared to the main street. However, she could see a couple of disguised Mage Guards dining in a restaurant in the next block.
The Mage Guards are probably not simply dining but are also investigating the area for any irregularities and suspicious entities. The woman is not an exception to this. 
 
Their magic sensors are not as wide as she has yet if she's not careful enough she might step in their range which will surely give nothing but trouble. Stopping her overseeing magic would certainly make her avoid them but she is not prepared to risk. 
 
New businesses are currently arising in Trayl as Prayne, the main street is filled. This means there are surely new people from all-over Aldea coming here.
If it is not here, then she should go to another place. It should help knowing there's nothing here.
She decided to observe the Mage Guards and avoid getting in contact with their sensors.
Suddenly, someone bumps her shoulder from the back. “Excuse me!”
The woman sees the girl previously running in haste. “I'm really really sorry, auntie.” The boy with the girl humbly apologized for the girl's mistake. “Charlie! Come on!” The girl shouts from afar. After he motioned another apology, the boy runs to follow the girl.
 
They pass across the street and enter a restaurant.
 
Impertinent creatures. The woman makes a fist to express her anger towards them. She slowly releases her clasp as she lets go of her anger.
“Excuse me, ma'am.” The Mage Guards are now standing behind her. She failed to notice the Mage Guards coming at her when the girl bumped her and making them get on her nerves. The woman slowly turns around acting like she's oblivious of what's going on.
 
“Would you care to have a coffee with us in our office?”
She wants to frown from the sarcastic treatment but avoids doing it, though. “Is there something I can help you with, Sir?” she asks while putting her hood down showing her bright green eyes and pale yet beautiful face.
“We just like to get to know more of you, if you'd like.”
She bits her tongue. Like there's some sort of choice I have.
She had risked her life to achieve her appearance right now hundred years ago but it seemed men of this age are not familiar with any sexual attraction towards her face.
“Then, I would love to decline your offer, Sir.” She begins to step away, “I'm in a hurry so I'll be on my way.”
A hand bigger and stronger than hers grabbed her shoulder. As she glances the other Mage Guard who had been silent all along looked fiercer than before.
 
“We can't have you go, ma'am. We need you to come with us.”
Now, there is no way for her to get away with no fuss. Disturbing this place would make her unable to enter the Empire anymore. And, getting into trouble with the guards would end up similarly.
She quickly teleports away from Trayl leaving her clothes and disguise magic to make an air clone of herself which only lasts for a couple of seconds. Her platinum bob hair and pointy ears become apparent beneath the sun as she walks naked on the household roofs.
As she reaches on the roof of the inn she currently stays in, she climbs down to reach her room's window. Pushing the window with her foot, she arrives inside her room. She chooses a dark dress and a cloak in her wardrobe and changes into them.
 
Wandering further in the streets is to be avoided for the next few days for the Magic Guards will surely search for her whereabouts. One of her clone magic, teleportation, and disguise magic were suspicious enough to search. Her search is even now delayed.
Nonetheless, she prepares her satchel putting in a bag of salt, two teaspoons of incense, four red candles, and a glass and a water bag. In her wardrobe, she tears a piece from one of her dresses and puts it in her satchel.
Placing the satchel around her, she gets the broom and the sharp hat hidden in her wardrobe. She rides on the broom facing her window. As she sets off into the sky, she closes her windows and flies with the clouds.
She meets a flock of birds on their way to the next continent. If only the world is as peaceful as flying in the skies, she thought. Such wishful thinking often crosses her mind but this never failed her determination.
 
A village is across her west while she is entering the Forest of Dinarr. She slowly flies down into the deepest part of the forest and lands on the forest floor filled with grasses. The traces of the Circle she made this dawn and in the previous days are still visible.
The oranges of the sky reached the forest floor which alarmed her. She immediately sets her broom beside a tree. She places the four red candles on the north, east, south, and west forming a circle. The salt is placed on the north, incense on the east, the small patch on the south, and the glass of water on the west together with the candles.
 
As soon as she finished preparing, she steps into the middle of the candles and starts singing a chant and raising her arms to the sky.
Fire suddenly draws the Circle around the candles lighting them, burning the patch, and initiating the incense. The incense wafts around the Circle while the salt moves into the glass of water until it dissolves. She, then, transfers a fourth of her mana to the salted water, incense in the air, and to the burning patch.
Strong gushes of wind go back and forth around her while the sky turns to violet and red. She sings faster that no one could ever understand her words. A sudden gale crashes on the Circle and the wind slaps her hat into the forest.
 
Strong energy coming from above envelopes her. The leaves and the branches of the trees are blown away by the strong wind current. The birds nesting on the nearby branches screeches and flies away as they feel fear. 
 
All of a sudden, the woman notices a sudden surge of strong magical power emitting from the magic sensor she built in her room which spans half a kilometer around it. 
 
The wind begins to slow down and the fire extinguishes on its own. As she stops the chant and puts her arms down, the glass of salted water spills on the grasses and the incense dissolves in the air. On her right hand, she quickly summons her broom.
 
She sets off hastily into the sky leaving the unfinished prayer. 
 
The woman was never fond of worshipping the Dragons. She hates them but she is part of the Craft. It is a duty to fulfill the laws of the Craft. No matter where and who she is, it shall be done so. 
 
Leaving the prayer unfinished will lead her to doom, however as egoistic as she could get, her priority is her purpose. 
 
She is now called to cook for the destiny of the world. 
 
She had found it.
2