Fifth Immortal

Prologue

The village of Konzant sat near the border of civilization and the rest of the world. To the south was an estuary and the southwest was a theocracy. On really bad days the village flooded and their were worse days.

Walls of buildings were stained with black marks where the water had touched them. Many buildings sat in ruin. There weren’t enough people in the village to keep it repaired.
The teenagers ran to an old house. It had sat abandoned since the owner died. They were both in their early teens.

“Do you like my dress?” asked the girl. She pulled the front of her dress down so he could see the tops of her shoulders and chest.

“I would like it more if you weren’t wearing it,” he said.

“Maybe, I won’t be,” she said. She ran to a stable. He caught up to her and tackled her into wet straw. He held her down as she struggled.

“You started this,” he said. He tickled her ribs. Before the summer arrived they had been close friends. More there seemed to be something between them.

He pulled he up and reached behind her back. He fumbled around trying to undo the knot. He became frustrated and stitches tore.
“Damn it, Erik. I just made this. She reached behind her back to untie the knot. The dress dropped down further. Erik gritted his teeth in anticipation.

Horns blew. Then the church bell rang. Erik stood up.

“I think we’re under attack,” he said. Erik saw a scythe hanging on a wall. He pulled it off. “Anya stay here.”

“There hasn’t been a raid in twenty years,“ she said. She tied the back of her dress. He then saw a dust and straw covered blanket hanging on the same wall. He threw it on her.

“Hide. I‘ll come back for you,” he said. He ran out of the stable.

Men ran towards one end of the village. Two carried swords, but the majority carried farm implements. Erik walked through town. It was quite. Fights occurred outside of it.

He crossed the narrow central street to the next house. Several screams came from across town. Erik looked around the corner when he heard footsteps. He resisted the urge to turn around and swing the scythe. He knew Anya could be behind him. She didn’t like being told what to do.

Erik turned to look, but something hit him on the head. He passed out wishing he swung blindly.

___________

“Why do you want to come here?” asked the boy. “Alicia let me catch up.” He ordered the girl as he followed her to the village.

“Remember hearing about how this village was destroyed by raiders,” said the girl. She walked ahead of him. Both were tall with light brown hair. Unlike most girls her age she kept it cut short barely to her shoulders. “Most of the people were either killed or carried off.”

“That was thirty years ago, back when dad was a kid,” said the boy. He walked to the side of an abandoned barn. Vines crawled up a stone wall. Like all buildings in the area of the kingdom, one wall of a building was always stone, whether or not the rest of it was made from stone as well.

Workmen demolished abandoned buildings and used stones from walls to complete a central building. He checked to see if the church was being demolished. The stone building sat untouched since the it was burnt years ago.

“They’re building something, Alex,” she said. She snuck around the building and watched as the men worked.

“Let’s go,” he said. “I still don’t know why you had to come here,”

“I just had to come here,” she said. She looked back him. A hand grabbed her by the shoulder and pulled her around. Alex ran around the wall.

“Let her go,” said Alex. The huge man looked at Alicia and shoved her down.

“The mistress doesn’t like spies,” he said.

Alex looked at the man’s olive complexion and black uni-brow. He wasn’t sure where he was from, but he knew he was a foreigner. The man threw a punch, Alex ducked and hit the man in the stomach.

The punch staggered him. Alex prepared a second punch when a couple of armed men ran up. They held short swords and large round shields. Alex stepped back.

“Stop,” said a woman in a loud voice. It was almost a shout. Everyone, but Alicia flinched. “What brings you here?”

Alicia stood up. She looked at Alex expecting him to say something. He only glanced at her and moved his head, pointing with his chin, suggesting she should speak.

“I wanted to come here,” she said.

“Why?” asked the woman. She had bright green eyes that seemed to stare right through them.

“I don’t know I just felt like coming here,” said Alicia. She looked at the ground and tried to ignore the woman’s gaze. “I was drawn here.” People looked at her.

“She’s been asking me to come with her for over a week,” said Alex.

“Interesting. What are your names?” asked the woman.

“I’m Alex and she’s Alicia,” said Alex. He tried to relax.

“Well, Alex I have a task for you,” said the woman. “Return home and find your father, chief of village elders and come back here with them. I have a proposition for them.”

“What about Alicia?” asked Alex.

“She will be safe here,” said the woman. After Alex left she signaled for the big guard to come over. “I think she has the gift. She might even be greater than me.”

Alicia knelt on a cushion on one side of the short table. The mysterious woman sat on the end with the big guard standing beside her. Alex and their father sat on the other side of the table. Alicia’s mother stood beside Alex’s mother outside the building.

“I am Michael Truscent. I’m their father and the richest man in the village,” said the stocky brown haired man.

“I am Lady Elana Frost,” said the woman. Michael took the time to look her over.

“You’re a lower elf,” he said.

“Yes, as my people call themselves the Lo Dels,” said Elana. “As part of the treaty with your kingdom your ruler is allowing us to place an abbey in your area.”

“Will there be soldiers?” he asked.

“Only a couple of guards,” she told him. “She isn’t going to be married anytime soon?”

“No, something happened to her years ago and that if people found out men would not marry her,” said Michael. “I was hoping to find and understanding man for her.”

“I’m sorry to hear that. I am willing to help you with that,” Elana said.

“How so?” asked Michael. He was concerned.

“I require an apprentice to pass on my knowledge,” said Elana. Michael relaxed. “How many people know what happened to her?”

“Just me and my wives and Alex. I don’t know if her other siblings know what happened or even understand,” said Michael.

“Good. I don’t know how you do it here, but when our order takes an apprentice we usually pay the dowry for women,” said Elana. “As a sorceress she won’t be allowed to marry.”

“I have to talk to my wives,” said Michael.

“I will wait for your reply,” said Elana.

The discussion lasted only a half an hour. They easily reached the same conclusion. If Alicia won’t be able to find a husband then she can become Elana’s student.