• To be born a magic user in the kingdom of Triumph meant you would be taken away from your family at the tender age of six and enrolled in one of the many academies. Young boys would train to be sorcerers, girls to be sorceresses. All so that they could serve there kingdom in time of war, the more magic one controlled the more political power they had.

    It was treason and exile to hide a child’s abilities in magic. For the parents it was an uneasy task to give up a child, but all understood it was their duty to their country. One such family went against this willing. The Asaydia’s knew full well what would befall them they the day they hid their daughter’s abilities and they prayed know one would ever discover the horrible crime they had committed. The crime of keeping Seraphina from the Academy.

    They lived on an estate in the Great Bian Mountains. The Asaydias were a rich merchant family with a shipping company in the Bay of Devine. Seraphina was an only child, her mother having died shortly after she was born. Her father, a loving man, tried to spend as much time with her, but business kept him away for extended amounts of time as she was growing up.

    In order to protect Seraphina, they had her home-schooled at the estate in the mountains away from prying eyes. And if anyone ever asked Seraphina was too frail to travel far. It had worked for the past seventeen years.










    The Raven Haired Magic User

    Seraphina lay on the grassy cliff, her dark blue dress and blue-black hair surrounding her like a sea of colour. It was here above the manor on the mountain that she felt most at ease. Here she could feel the power radiating from the ground and drank it all in without fear of being discovered.

    The clouds glided through the sky lazily. Sometimes Seraphina was jealous of the clouds. They could go where they wanted, when they wanted, be what they wanted. Clouds never had to hide who they truly were. They were free.

    With a sigh Seraphina sat up and drew her knees to chest, hugging them tight. Her dark green eyes scanned the valley below. People the size of ants were busy going about there daily activities and duties. There lives were normal.

    The wind picked up and blew Seraphina’s hair around her like a dark halo. She gathered up her hair and pulled it back tying it with a ribbon. The breeze felt cool and soft against her skin.

    “Time to practice,” she murmured as she got up. She had put it off long enough.

    Magic needed to be tamed, controlled, at the will of the user. Only with practice could one achieve all of this. Words, movement and thought were the key elements. A truly powerful magic user needed only to think ‘it’ and ‘it’ would simply happen.

    A lone large rock sat fifty yards away. There was a crudely painted target on it. Seraphina wanted to hit it directly on with a burst of energy or perhaps something more. All past attempts had left the earth around it scorched and ridden with holes.

    With a devious smirk Seraphina pressed her palms together and closed her eyes.

    “Fire, release!”

    She pulled her palms apart and faced them towards the rock, but nothing happened.

    “Damn it,” cursed Seraphina, she could feel it, almost touch it, but she still couldn’t control fire. Control was the key.

    Seraphina closed her eyes again. This time she focused only on her right hand. She brought her hand up and felt the energy flowing in to it. It had a cool tingling sensation.

    “Fire release!” this time when Seraphina opened her eyes the fire was there in her hand. The flames of the fire were cool and soft as the danced in her hand and around her fingers. She drew her arm back and threw.

    “Hit, hit, come on hit the mark,” murmured Seraphina. Sure enough it hit the mark perfectly. “Yes! Yes! Yes!” squealed Seraphina jumping up and down excitedly.

    The sound of horses and clanking armour instantly dissipated her excitement. If anyone saw what she had done! She dare not think of what could happen. Slowly they made there way on to the grassy cliff. They were soldiers of the Academy!

    Soldiers of the Academy were themselves, highly trained sorcerers, so they could catch magic users in hiding. Their black horses, glossy black armour and deep purple capes with the emblem of a bear on it identified them as so. There was five of them, a team that could easily take down even a user with powerful magic.

    One of the soldiers dismounted from his horse and removed his helmet. He had longish brown hair and blue eyes, he was clean shaven and didn’t look much older than Seraphina. He appeared to be the leader of the team.

    “My lady, is dangerous for a young women such as yourself to be alone in these mountains. Rouge magic users prey on beauties such as yourself,” the young man approached her and bowed deeply.

    ‘I am the daughter of the Lord who owns these lands, I know them as well as I know my own manor sir,” responded Seraphina.

    “I suppose so,” said the man as he looked her over in a way that made her uncomfortable, “ I am Sir Everett Duvalt and these are my men, and I am sure you know why we are here my dear sorceress.”

    Seraphina took a step back, “ Wha.. what do you mean?” she stammered, “I am no sorceress. I am merely a normal human girl, I know nothing of magic.”

    Sir Everett chuckled, “Don’t play stupid girl, we know you are a magic-user. You must of knew this would one day happen.” he took a step towards her

    “How?” gasped Seraphina. She took a couple more steps back trying to distance herself from the men.

    “With this handy little tool my dear,” Sir Everett pulled a green gem from a silk pouch at his waist, “see how its green, in the presence of magic it turns a deep blue. All we had to do was wait till you used your magic.”

    It’s all over, thought Seraphina sadly. There was no way she could fight them and escape. Unless…. Seraphina glanced behind herself quickly, only three more steps till the edge.

    “You know don’t stand a chance against us if you use your magic, just give up,” taunted Sir Everett.

    Seraphina stepped back again. Only two more steps till the edge. Now the rest of the men had dismounted and were coming closer as well. She stepped back, two steps this time. They froze- she was at the edge.

    “Don’t do anything stupid girl,” one called out.

    With a smile Seraphina stepped back off the cliff falling, possibly to her death. She closed her eyes and tried to concentrate. It was hard with the falling sensation and the men yelling. If this worked she’d never argue with her father again about using magic.

    “Whispers in the wind, falling freely, swept up to take me somewhere safe!” yelled Seraphina and everything went silent. For the longest time she felt herself drifting but when she opened her eyes all she could see was darkness and then even the darkness turned into nothing.















    A Handsome Stranger


    “Wake up, please wake up,” a soft voice seemed to surround Seraphina. It was warm and soothing and slowly Seraphina opened her eyes. She found herself nose to nose with a young man and looking into the deepest violet eyes she’d ever seen.

    The young man flushed and pulled away. He didn’t seem to be much older than Seraphina and was standing in a garden of some sort. He helped Seraphina sit up on the bench she had been lying on.

    He was handsome, whoever he was. His hair was dark and wavy, his skin golden, and those violet eyes! Seraphina couldn’t help but feel drawn into them. He wore a simple blue tunic, black pants and soft leather boots.
    He spoke again in that soft voice, “ My name is Kayden, I found you lying in my garden. Do you know how you got here?”

    If Seraphina told him the truth would he send for Academy soldiers? Her mind raced as she tried to make sense of the situation.

    “ I um, well I don’t know,” she lied “I was at home and then… well I don’t know, I‘m Seraphina,” she tried to look puzzled, hoping he would believe the lie.

    Kayden sighed, “Well I guess you’re stuck here too.”

    “Stuck….. What?” Seraphina was confused.

    “Yes stuck, come with me and I’ll show you,” he offered her his hand.

    “Thank you,” Seraphina said as he helped her up. Kayden led her through the garden on a stone path. The garden itself was breathtakingly beautiful. Never had Seraphina seen so many different flowers in one place and all enclosed with stone walls. They left the garden and entered a stone tunnel. The tunnel took them into the courtyard of a large castle.

    “Oh my!” Seraphina was at a loss for words. Not because of the size of the castle, but because of the brilliant white stone it was made from.

    “Come,” Kayden gently pulled her along. He led her up a set of stairs to the walkway above the courtyard. Before they reached the top he stopped.

    “What I’m about to show you is real,” his face was serious, “ be careful.”

    Seraphina took the last steps slowly, she followed him to the wall and looked over. Immediately she backed away horror-stricken and nauseous.

    “We, we’re floating!” she finally manage to say. “How? Are you a demon? A sorcerer?” Seraphina flinched away as Kayden reached out to her.

    He looked away, his expression pained, “ This castle is my prison,” his voice was cold, “ and so it has been for the last two hundred years.” Kayden smiled weakly, “ there’s no way off, we’re trapped here for all eternity.”