Heliopath’s World: Ildieu: Ixia: Leaving Town

[k_a_webb]

There had been nothing written about what would happen if a man reached black level. Some had said that their lack of knowledge put them at a disadvantage and it turned out they were right. Ixia looked back at the building she had called home for her entire life. No one had been sure that he could even become a black mage. Very few people actually managed it. Everyone knew that if he did it would change the world forever. She sighed, holding tightly to her bag strap. They just couldn’t know how it would change and she didn’t think it had ever crossed anyone’s mind that he would learn death magic.

Death magic was mentioned in some of the history books. Unfortunately there had never been any detail. Ixia had been one of the people doing the research to see if they could find out what would happen, so she knew it had been used badly in the past. Almost all the references had been about two of the main magic groups at the time using death magic to remove their enemies. It had been fascinating and terrifying at the same time. Soon after he had reached black level, which made him the most powerful magician in the house and automatically made him the leader, she left.

It wasn’t because Ixia didn’t think she could work under a male leader. Given time she was sure she could get used to him and the changes he was in the process of implementing. She left for the same reason some of her fellow magicians were also leaving. Fear of him, of what he might do with death magic, and the experimentation he would have to do in order to get any sort of understanding of it. Leaving didn’t stop her from being scared. The books had often mentioned the use of death magic over great distances, so she knew that it was possible he could still use it on her or any one of the other magicians who had left.

All she could do was push it to the back of her mind and keep going. Ixia had no idea where she was actually going to go. She just wanted to get away. Before she had never had any reason to leave the town she had been born, so she didn’t know what she was going to find when she walked through the gate. When she saw a magician she recognised, and knew was one of his supporters, she stepped into an alleyway. They would find out that she had left soon enough, but she didn’t want them to know while she was still in town. Leaving at night would have been the better plan if she had any idea what the world was like outside town.

Ixia waited until she thought she was safe. She stood in the entrance to the alleyway and looked around. When she didn’t see the magician she breathed a sigh of relief. Tightening her grip on her bag again she started walking toward the gateway, hoping that she hadn’t been seen. It was unlikely but that didn’t stop her from worrying. One of the new rules that had been put in place was that no magician could leave town without permission from him. That had after two of the greys had left, followed by the only white, and he knew he needed to put a stop to it.

Being an orange meant that she wasn’t exactly important, and Ixia didn’t plan on gaining any more levels. Getting to orange had been difficult enough. She was born the child of a two magicians, so everyone believing she was capable of more, but she knew she wasn’t. Her level didn’t make her exempt from the rules because he believed that every magician was important, no matter what level they were at, which was one of the things she did like about him. It did have an effect on what her punishment would be. As an orange level magician she would be town bound for the rest of her life.

Learning about the history of the world had made Ixia want to explore and see some of the places that had been mentioned. She had a list of those places in her bag. There was no guarantee that any of them still existed, but just seeing the land where they had once been would be enough. Not having a map of any kind would make it difficult and she knew that the world would have changed since those books were written. When she’d found a book on the creation of her town it had been hard for her to believe that there had once been nothing there. Three steps before she reached the gate, and freedom, she felt a hand on her shoulder. Her heart sank. Slowly she turned to look at who it was.

“Ixia, normally, especially under these circumstances, you would never be offered a deal like this, so I want you to think about it,” Astrid said, frowning. “I don’t want you to leave, but I do understand why you feel you have to.” She sighed. “He’s not a bad person and I don’t think he’ll use the death magic in the way that some magicians have in the past.”

“Maybe he won’t.” Ixia shrugged. “I just… I’m not sure I want to find out what he will do.”

Astrid nodded. “We talked about it. You’re orange level and he knows you think that makes you expendable, but you’re not. No one is. He also knows what you plan on doing when you leave. Learning more about magic is something he has always wanted to do, but he can’t now that he is the only black magician and has taken charge of the house. I am to give you all the information you need to get to those places if you agree to write back to him about what you found out.”

Ixia bit her lip and stared at Astrid. “Why would he offer that?”

“He understands your fears and doesn’t want to keep you somewhere you wouldn’t be happy.”

“I don’t trust him.”

“Ixia, he was my friend before he made the decision to attempt reaching black level. I know him in way that very few other people do and I trust him. Would that be enough for you?”

“Why did he decide to try to reach black level?”

“He wanted to know what what happen.” Astrid sighed. “No man has ever been a black level magician here and he wanted to know why. We talked about the possibility of it being because a male black level magician gained a different form of magic to a female black level magician, but neither of us really believed it.” She shrugged. “Obviously we were wrong.”

“Why me? Why not one of the other magicians who left or are planning on leaving?”

“You have the same thirst for knowledge that he does.” Astrid looked at Ixia for a moment. “I probably shouldn’t be telling you this, but it’s important that you know if you’re going to be exploring the world. There are other groups of magicians out there. None are as big as ours or as organised, but they are out there. Most of the magicians who left have gone to find them and we think it’s because they want to get rid of the mistake they made.”

Ixia thought back to the books she’d read. “That could start a war.”

“I’m not sure they care. Getting rid of a dangerous magician with death magic is more important to them than the bigger picture.”

“One male magician with death magic is dangerous, but…” Ixia bit her lip. “If I was in a position like that and I thought that I might come under attack then the first thing I’d do is teach more males in the hope that some would also become black level magicians.”

Astrid smiled. “Bigger picture.” She shrugged again. “I don’t know whether that has crossed their minds but it has his. During his experimentation he found that he could create spells that can be used when needed by people that he trusts. You will be given some of these spells.”

“How does that work?”

“Basically, he makes a spell, puts it in stasis and then attaches it to something. It’s still in the experimental stage but we know that it works. He gave me some to give to you, if you agree to be help.”

“What will he do if I don’t agree?”

“I have to take you back to the house and key you out of the wards so you can’t leave town.”

Ixia nodded. “What will you do if I make the decision to join with one of the groups after I’ve left?”

“I asked him and he said he didn’t believe that you would ever do anything like that. When you had made a choice you would stick by it.” Astrid smiled. “I think he likes you.”

Mirrored from K. A. Webb Writing.

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No typos found.

[natalief.livejournal.com]

Before she had never had any reason to leave the town she had been born,

This should be 'to leave the town in which she had been born,'