Chapter 1

It was the 25th day of the month of Sunwell that the shouts were heard through the classroom’s open window. It seemed as though everyone in the city of Newbore was suddenly on the streets shouting. And it took a moment for the Tannis to be able to discern the cause of the commotion: Felinland had attacked!

The Felin forces had crossed the border into Onigsberg County and were advancing on the town of Redckingra, seemingly intent on taking possession of a valuable trading port on the River Launley, thus gaining trade access to the Carver Gulf.

A bustle of preparation burst into action across the city. Fighting age men were drafted. The army readied their equipment. And the Academy would heed the call. Tannis’ heart rose when he heard that Year 3 and above would march. A chance to earn glory. A chance to test his burgeoning magical prowess.

But Tannis’ hopes were quickly dashed when he learnt that Year 3 would march East to Southam with a regiment of the city guard, to hold the border in case the Felin attacked on a second front.

And so Tannis trudged dejectedly along with his downcast peers towards Southam, expecting no action or glory. A heavy mist hung in the humid air as the cohort made camp in the marshy land to the south of Southam. Nobody would attack across the Hildreth marshes, thought Tannis, it was near 50 miles of marshy wilderness between Southam and the nearest Felin settlement.

But Tannis thought wrong.

Tannis awakes in darkness. His head is throbbing. Around him is a chorus of moans.

Tannis will take a moment to listen and smell, cautiously trying to get a feel for just what's happening around him. Assuming there are no signs of immediate danger (and assuming he isn't restrained) he will begin feeling around, and he will try to locate his staff (or... a staff? a wand?) to use it to cast light, both as a spellcasting foci but also as the target of the spell. Once his staff glows with bright white light, he will take in his surroundings and get his bearings.

As Tannis takes a moment to listen, one of the nearer sounding groans, descends into a wet gurgle and then... nothing. The smell of blood, piss and shit is thick in the air, coupled with hint of cauterised meat.

Groping for his staff, Tannis feels the familiar and reassuring coolness of the ebony shaft, and props himself into more of an upright position. As he does so, a sharp pain bursts from his left shoulder. He feels dizzy and queasy. Waiting for those feelings to subside, he musters what little strength he has remaining, and imbues his staff with light.

It glows weakly, and yet the spell draws heavily on Tannis' remaining strength. By the dim light, Tannis sees blood covering his torso and an arrow stuck into his left shoulder. Around him, the ground at first looks lumpy. Until he realises the lumps are bodies, or pieces of them. Beheaded bodies. Bodies stuck with arrows like a porcupine. Bodies with limbs at bizarre angles. Bodies with gaping wounds. And blood. Pools of blood. Partially congealed, but still shiny in the staff's light.

As Tannis casts the dim light around him, looking for survivors he sees several members of his class. Udret Oakenmail, the only dwarf in the class, a visiting student from the Wigleteria dwarves, lies on his back a few metres away. He lies unmoving, and as Tannis looks more closely he sees the unnatural angle of Udret's head and the bloody gash across the dwarf's neck. Next to Udret is Florithe, or at least Florithe's head, cleanly severed from her body. In places her beautiful golden hair is still untarnished by blood, reminding Tannis of his classroom daydreams.

Casting the light in the other direction, Tannis sees Zanros the half-elf - the class trickster - always laughing and pranking with illusion magic. But there is no smile on his face now as he lies on his back in a pool of blood. As the light catches Zanros's eye he stirs weakly and tries to sit up. He coughs and partially congealed blood sputters from his mouth. He begins to try to shuffle towards Tannis, remaining on his back. As he does so, Tannis notices that Zanros is dragging his spilt guts behind him, with more slipping from the gaping wound across his midrift.

Zanros drags himself forward another inch or two and rests his head on Tannis's thigh. He closes his eyes. "Remember me..." he whispers.

Tannis finds Zanros's foci clutched tightly in his right hand - a grimy joker from a pack of cards - now covered in blood. Zanros's spellbook is in his satchel, undamaged by the ruckus.

As Tannis rummages fhrough Zanros's satchel he hears movement from beyond the circle of light.

Tannis picks his way across the battlefield towards the sound of movement, his progress impeded by bodies and weapons, his feet slipping on blood.

As the light pushes back the gloom he sees four crouched humanoid figures. They turn with Tannis's approach and Tannis sees four glowing red pairs of eyes set in sunken grey skin. The figures appear to be holding torn human limbs and their mouths are dripping with blood.

Tannis turns tail and dashes away from the four humanoids, making his way as fast as possible across the corpse-littered ground. Pausing briefly after his first burst of effort he can hear no noises of a chase, nor see any movement.

Having taking a moment to breathe, Tannis realises that the creatures he saw were ghouls, lured to this place by the stench of death.

Continuing to look for his classmates, sees bodies piled on bodies. Bodies of the Newbore City Guard. Bodies of Felin soliders, most with diagonally striped red and gold tunics. Some with a raven crest on their chest. None with signs of life.

Amongst the bodies, Tannis sees more of his classmates. Panaziver the forest gnome, his left arm severed, curled in a pool of blood. Anastas, recognisable from her right side, but a mess of charred flesh on her left. Fira the halfing, impaled upon a pike that had been driven into the ground. And then his teacher, Gavarenth, cut in two from left shoulder to right hip, the flesh cauterised by the blow. That left Gavin. Gavin de Mowbray.

Tannis searches the blood soaked bodies for magical foci and spellbooks.

Panaziver's focus, an immaculate telescope lens, is roughly three inches in diameter. It is a flawlessly shaped piece of glass. And where the glass is not obscured by a coating of blood, it refracts the light from Tannis's staff into a rainbow of colors. Tannis had long suspected that Panaziver's focus might hold more magical properties than just being a focus for Panaziver's own power - holding the weighty piece of glass in hand his suspicion is only deepened. Panaziver's spellbook, and the satchel in which the gnome was accustomed to carry it, is nowhere to be seen.

By contrast, Anastas spellbook was easy to find, it's spine clutched her burnt left hand, the pages reduced to ashes. Tannis finds her focus, a pure white feather, on the ground near her left hand. Despite the blood and mud, it appears entirely unblemished.

Fira's ornate hand-mirror focus lies in a thousand shards at the foot of the pike on which the halfling is impaled. Tannis finds no trace of her spellbook.

Finally, coming to Gavarenth's bisected corpse, Tannis's heart leaps to see not only her focus, but her spellbook, whole and untarnished. The spellbook is a hefty tome with a gold-plated metal cover, styled as scales to reflect Gavarenth's lizardfolk heritage. Her focus is a vaguely humanoid shaped wooden game piece, set with a sizeable ruby. Remembering back to their first class, Tannis thinks to look in Gavarenth's satchel and finds the game board and other pieces which make the set.

As Tannis finishes his searching he again hears movement from outside the circle of light.

In reply to his question, Tannis hears the sound of tearing flesh and cracking bone.

Tannis moves away from the sound, trying to not to stumble over bodies and weapons. Having moved about 30ft, the spread of corpses begins to thin. Tannis appears to be at the edge of the battlefield. In front of him he sees only boggy ground, tarnished only by rivulets of blood flowing from the slaughterhouse behind him.

Looking to get his bearings Tannis sees a bent tree that he recalls seeing previously. Beside the tree is the muddy cart track leading back towards Southam.

He no longer hears the sounds of the dead-eaters. The night is quiet. The track looks undisturbed since yesterday.

By Tannis's reckoning it's ten miles to Southam. He follows the path, a rarely used muddy cart track, that's still infinitely preferable to the patches of murky water at its edges. The light from Tannis's staff casts twisted shadows from the occasional bent tree and the patches of reeds. Shadows that play across the pools of water, as if something were moving beneath the glassy surface. The silence of the night is interspersed by the croaking of frogs - the guttural noise almost preferable to the lonely quiet.

Having put some distance between himself and the battlefield, Tannis takes a rest. Eating and drinking to restore his body, Tannis brings forth is spellbook, it's familiar writing and illustrations giving comfort and focus to his mind. He feels a modicum of strength returning, and although aching and tired, he steels himself for the path ahead.

Continuing along the track, the shadows playing across the water appear as silhouettes of fighters struggling and falling in battle, bodies distorted and mutilated. Tannis fights to push away such thoughts and the shadows are soon dispelled by a gentle glow emanating from the horizon. As the light increases, Tannis sees the flat marshland extending as far as the eye can see to left and right. A half-mile ahead, the cart track ascends to higher ground - grass and trees - a welcome contrast to the mud and murk of the marsh.

Ascending the hillock, the cart track leads him to a vantage point. He sees a wide valley, the river Soverbot winding lazily through the valley floor. Southam about two miles to the north on the south bank of the river, the towers of its keep clearly visible in the morning light. The land in between is mostly arable crops, Tannis can make out fields of wheat, corn and soy - numerous farmsteads dot the landscape.

Following the cart track down the gentle slope into the valley, Tannis finds that it develops into something closer to a road, wending its way through the fields towards Southam. The early morning is peaceful. A gentle breeze sways the growing crops. A couple of the farmhouses have lit their morning fires and the smell of wood smoke greets Tannis.

Approaching Southam from the south west, Tannis sees a jumbled collection of two and three story buildings with the Southam keep in the distance behind. Off to his left, Tannis can see the river Soverbot, it's banks adorned with trees.

Tannis recalls the rough layout of the town from travelling through the previous day. The town is bordered by the river Soverbot to the north west, north and east, fitting snuggly in a meander of the river. There are two small wooden footbridges that cross to the north east; the main road to Newbore runs north from the town, crossing the river with a well-built stone bridge capable of bearing cart-fulls of agricultural products. The town has a keep, for the local governor, surrounded by a wall with a circular tower at each corner. The town boasts a blacksmith, and no less than three inns.

Alongside the first buildings of Southam are what appear to be two guards, sleeping on benches beside a fire that has nearly died out. It is still early morning - there is nobody else in sight.

The guards jump to their feet. Tannis immediately sees the distinction between these small town guards and the city guard of Newbore: middle-aged and balding, these men sport well-formed beer bellies, misshaping their dishevelled uniforms.

Pointing a spear at Tannis, and speaking groggily having just been wrenched from a peaceful dream, the taller of the two shouts out: "I've been watching you all the way down the track - what are you doing here at this hour!"

And before Tannis can respond, the other chimes in: "Look at 'im, he's covered in blood!"

The color drains from the faces of the guards as Tannis gives his account of the horrors and carnage that he has witnessed. Their eyes are wide; the reality of war has been brought home to this sleepy little town.

"Elboth", the taller of the two addresses the other, his voice carrying surprising resolve, "you stand guard here and keep a close eye out. Ring the bell if you see anything, but don't tell a soul just now or you'll bring panic down on us all."

The taller turns to Tannis, "Tannis, I must take you to the governor, can you walk?"

"Don't worry too much. We were just posted here to keep the townsfolk calm. The lookout on the tower up there..." the guard points with his left hand, "they can see the whole valley from up there... if there's an army approaching we'll have time to get everyone inside the walls of the castle. I'm Ferrand by the way."

Tannis follows Ferrand through the town, which is just beginning to emerge from its slumber. The occasional chamberbot is emptied on the street with a shout of gardyloo!. Tannis sees a couple of farmers trudging off to their fields, and smoke rises from the bakery's chimney.

Reaching the castle gates, Tannis is introduced to Tobias, the captain of the guard, a stout man with a shock of unruly black hair poking at all angles from underneath his helm. Ferrand gives an abbreviated version of Tannis' account, which is greeted by solemn acknowledgement from Tobias. With the account finished, Tobias leads the three through the gatehouse, stooping underneath a half-lowered portcullis, into the bailey of the castle.

The bailey is dominated by a central stone keep, but also plays host to a number of small wooden buildings butted against the inside of the castle wall. Crossing the bailey, the trio enters into the keep, and ascends a winding stone staircase to the upper floor. Stopping in front of an ornate wooden door, Tobias knocks loudly, shouting "Sorry to disturb your Excellency, I have grave news.". He waits unmoving.

A minute later, the door opens the width of a face. Tannis sees a late middle aged man, his shoulder-length salt-and-pepper hair appears to have been hastily smoothed back. His facial feature are gentle, in contrast to sharp grey eyes - he would be considered attractive, if it weren't for the pallor of his skin. "What is it now?" he growls.

"I'm sorry your Excellency. There's been a battle. The King's forces that passed through yesterday.. they're defeated. This here is one of the soldiers", Tobias gestures at Tannis.

The governor's face does not flinch. "Let's discuss this in my office." He steps out from the room, and quickly shuts the door, but not before Tannis catches a glimpse of a woman lying naked on his bed. The governor leads the way down the corridor, clad in a purple and gold silk dressing gown. Opening a door at the far end of the corridor, he ushers the trio inside, and offers them a seat in red leather armchairs. "So soldier, tell me what happened"

The governor stands, leaning slightly on a large wooden desk, as he listens intently to Tannis' account. His cold eyes appear to be measuring the truth of Tannis' account, watching every expression of Tannis' face, but also taking in his attire, equipment and the blood stain on his shoulder.

When Tannis finishes his account, the governor pauses for though. Silence descends upon the office, the guardsmen not daring even to breathe.

"I believe you Tannis... and I am sorry for what has befallen you."

He turns to Tobias. "I know it is a risk, but we must send out a search for more survivors. Send Ceta, and Luth - Luth knows the marshes - they'll be faster by horseback."

"But with Ceta gone, we'll have no healer if they attack", responds Tobias.

"I know, I know, I know. But how can we leave our countrymen out in the marshes, at the mercy of ghouls, or the treacherous Felin bastards? Send your best rider to Newbore with this news. The king will send reinforcements. Perhaps the attack on Onigsburg was a ruse and this is their main attack." the governor turns back to Tannis "will you stay with me here until you are fully recovered?"

Tobias hurries off to arrange the messenger and search party, leaving Ferrand to escort Tannis to a well-furnished guest room in the keep.

"Denaothun must think highly of you" mutters Ferrand "not often he has guests"

Ferrand departs and returns a few moments later with a tray of food: cold meats, bread and a hardboiled egg, and a flagon of ale.

"I'll be just down the corridor there if you need anything"

Having draw the heavy velvet drapes across the chamber's small windows, there is almost no light in the room as Tannis sinks into the soft bed. The castle is quiet. A clattering of horse hooves from the bailey is muted by the thick castle walls. Sleep takes Tannis quickly.

Tannis is sitting in the classroom. The through the open window the whole city appears to erupt into shouting. "War!" "Felin!" Tannis goes to the window. The city is quiet. He turns. Zanros is there, smiling. Another prank. Tannis goes to give Zanros a friendly clout, but finds he has cut Zanros' throat. Air gurgles and bubbles out of the gaping wound. The gurgling air sounds like speech. "Remember me". Tannis stumbles backwards. The bloodstained dagger drops from his hands and clatters on the wooden floor of the classroom. A pool of blood spreads from the dagger. Tannis steps backwards. He is falling backwards out of the window. Blackness.

Tannis is stood on the steps of the Royal Palace, dressed in the gold-trimmed robes of a master of Alnerwick Academy of Magic. There are crowds of people. Guards in shining armor. His classmates are there. A gentle breeze plays upon so many colourful banners. And upon Florithe's golden hair. Tannis stands in front of the king. The king smiles at him and pins a medal to his shoulder. His shoulder sears in pain. Blackness.

Tannis is standing on the front line of soldiers. His feet are stuck in mud. He has no staff. No spell book. The soldier to his left and right are his brothers and sisters, but they don't recognise him. The enemy forces are charging towards him. He has no staff. No spell book. The mud has turned to stone. His feet are trapped in stone. The charging enemies become a wall of fire. The fire engulfs them. Blackness.

Tannis wakes sharply, sitting bolt upright in bed, covered in sweat. He is in a stone-walled chamber, dimly lit through the cracks in the curtains and under the door. His staff is propped against the wall. Memories force themselves back on Tannis. He is in the keep at Southam. He survived the battle. He is alive.

As Tannis leaves the room, he sees a serving girl, walking away down the corridor carrying a tray of crockery. Her light brown hair is tied with a white kerchief. She turns at the sounds of door.

"Oh hello dear. You must be the young Tannis Tobias told me about. My have you had a long sleep. I guess you must've needed it. I was told not to disturb you with breakfast - but there's a tray of food put aside for you in the kitchen. Would you like me to bring it? Also, the Governor wants to see you in his office when you're ready. Do you know the way? I can show you" she manages to say all of that without pausing for breath.

Denaothun welcomes Tannis into his Office. He is dressed in formal red robes and carries a black, sliver-topped cane. Tannis sits in one of the proffered red leather armchairs in front of the large paper-strewn desk. The room is dimly lit by a high castle window, the light supplemented by a solitary candle in an ornate gold holder on the desk. The room is lined with bookshelves, some of which look to be the records of Southam, and others to be Denaothun’s reading collection. The paper and books give the room a musty smell.

The Governor sits behind his desk and introduces himself formally as His Excellency Kidil Batsk Denaothun, Governor of Southam, the Soverbot Valley, Hildreth Marshes and surrounds.

"I’m glad to see you cleaned up. You have been asleep for more than a day, perhaps to be expected given what you’ve been through. It is now the 7th of Withertide. I trust you feel better."

He continues. "I have news. Danrer of your school. I have met him a few times. He reached out to me with his mind. He had been unable to contact the Eastern Army. He remembered I was nearby. King Brakrel’s forces defeated Lord Nuhmem at Redwick. Nuhmem was taken prisoner and a peace has been agreed. The Felin will forfeit a great swathe of land for their aggression."

"It is interesting that you should ask about going back to your school. I was going to come on to that"

Denaothun pauses. He looks uncomfortable. His aged brow grows more furrowed.

"The King..."

He pauses again.

"The King takes great pride in his victory over the Felin at Redwick"

He pauses.

"A victory that he doesn't want to have overshadowed..."

"I have been asked... Ordered in fact... I have been ordered to keep the defeat of the Eastern Army under wraps. And you likewise. On pain of death..."

"You are not welcome to return to Newbore City. Or to the Academy..."

"Denrar is very sympathetic to your situation, he's a very reasonable man, but the King is adamant. Denrar will contact you... explain it better than I can..."

"You are welcome to stay here for a time... I realise these events will have been hard on you..."

As Tannis stands to leave, Denaothun adds "Ceta and Luth. They went to the marshes. They found the battlefield. There were ghouls still there, picking the bones of the fallen clean of flesh."

"I know you tell the truth." he kneads his forehead with his fingers "I'm sorry it took these events to teach you that the truth often has no place in this world"

After a short time of waiting in his room, Tannis hears a voice in his head. "Tannis, this is Master Sternova. Have you spoken yet with Denaothun? If you have and are ready, I will form a telepathic link with you"

The voice is instantly recognisable as Master Sternova from the times Tannis has heard him addressing the school, or the few times they have interacted personally. From some brief practices in class, Tannis recognizes that this is a Sending spell, and that he can respond with a short phrase.

Although Tannis had experienced the feeling of a Sending spell before, when Arch Master Sternova appears Tannis's mind it is an altogether difference experience. Not words but presence. And a richness of senses.

Tannis sees himself in Sternova's office in the Academy, standing before the large wooden desk. Sternova is congratulating Tannis on being the first in his class to master the Misty Step spell. Sternova is holding a written commendation from Gavarenth. The smell of the office is acrid, one of the master's experiments bubbles away in a corner, belching forth dense smoke that clings to the floor.

The scene ripples as if a single drop of water had landed on Sternova. Tannis sees Sternova sitting on canvas chair in a dark tent. The walls of the tent are made of heavy cloth, dyed purple. Behind Sternova is a camp bed and a small chest.

Sternova looks weary. He was old when Tannis last saw him, but he looks yet older.

"Hello Tannis" the words come from the image of Sternova, and yet echo around Tannis' head.

"I trust Denaothun has been looking after you. And that you have recovered from your injuries."

"These are difficult times we live through. To be attacked so brazenly by the Felin. For you to see battle at such an age. For us both to lose so many friends."

Sternova's face hardens in response to Tannis's outburst.

"I understand your frustration, but it is the cruel hand of fate that has ordained this outcome, not the King. What could he do? The victory at Redwick was already shared with the people when the news of your defeat reached us. Should the king dampen the spirits of the nation? Should he smother the belief of the people? He had no choice but to keep those events from the record."

"But we will find a way to honor those that lost their lives. Few knew where the armies marched. We will add their names to the list of the dead of Redwick. Although their sacrifice was in vain, it will not be forgotten."

The hardness drops. There is pity in his eyes.

"It is the King's decision in respect of you that most troubles me. And I did argue your case... He doesn't like loose ends. He would see it as a liability were you to attend the Academy and freely walk the streets of Newbore City. A potential thorn in his side."

"I'm sure your family would be safe, but you... " he pauses, "you should know that your brother lies amongst the fallen at Redwick. He did his King and country proud, leading the charge on the left flank. He will be greatly honored for his valour."

"I, er.." his voice falters "I'm sorry. I know I have only added to your woes. And perhaps I am not the best person at communicating these things..." his voice trails off.

"There is something else"

"I hope to be able to help you in some way. And I, er, also, er, would have a favor to ask"

"I was very close with Gavarenth." he pauses, looking wistful "She was a pupil of mine. My protégé if you will. I was overjoyed when she decided to become a master at the Academy. It would bring me a measure of closure if you could let me see her final moments." Sternova's eyes become glassy with tears, which he somehow holds back.

"And as to the help I might offer." his voice beginning to break "I am precluded from having you here at the Academy. But if you wish to continue your studies independently, I may be able to offer you some assistance."

"You are probably right. But I do not feel inclined to spare myself this suffering. I deserve to feel the pain I will feel when I see. I will hold on to that pain for the guidance it will bring."

Sternova sits for a moment, tears rolling slowly from his closed eyes. He makes no attempt to hide is sorrow or wipe away his tears.

"Her family live near Teiseiernau, on Newbore's northern shores. I will let them know her fate. You may wish to return her effects."

After pausing for a moment to collect himself, Sternova continues.

"If I am to help you, you will need a way to contact me. If you wish to learn the Sending spell, I will hold this image for as long as it takes for you to note it down. It will take some practice of course."

With that he brings forward an image of a page of a richly illustrated spellbook, the script as clear to Tannis as if the book were right in front of him. Sternova himself is unmoving, he is not looking down at his spellbook - it seems he can recall the page, with its detailed illuminations, perfectly from memory. Tannis sees the page's heading reads Sending.

"Thank you for your time Tannis, and for hearing me out. I am sorry that this situation has arisen. I wish you the best of luck in your next steps."

With that, the image of Sternova becomes cloudy, and then diminishes as steam merges into air, leaving Tannis alone in his chamber and alone with his thoughts.