The Storm Apprentice

Chapter 1

***this is the prologue. It's only called Chapter 1 because some people have a habit of not reading prologues***

Ceylis flitted through the trees near the building, moving quickly but silently. Bats fluttered around him, and the moon shone through the leaves, casting a strange pattern of shadows along the grassy floor. He heard a rustle, and turned to see a small animal, maybe a fox of some kind, draw back into the foliage, its eyes glinting in the darkness.

Ahead, standing suddenly in the thick darkness, illuminated by the silver moonlight, stood a stout wall that Ceylis knew surrounded a small fortress. He slowed to a cautious, crouching walk, keeping to the shadows, as he drew closer. A lone guard patrolled the base of the wall not twenty paces from him, eyes peering alertly into the darkness. Ceylis' breath quickened; it was exciting to go undetected. Grinning determinedly, he stood straight, knowing his dark brown hair would catch the moonlight. He drew his Starrynt, a three foot stayagan copper spike that flattened out into a blade for the bottom eight inches or so.

The guard shouted and drew her own blade: a thick, heavy sword. Ceylis began to guide energy from his internal storage, through his arm, and into his hand, where he held it back, waiting. "Halt!" the guard commanded again in a harsh, dry voice, and Ceylis heard another voice answer her from a ways off along the wall. Quickly, Ceylis thrust his Starrynt forward, and a blast of well-aimed electricity flashed through the air with a bang, striking the guard in the head. She fell, her sword dropping from her hand and embedding itself in the soft earth. Ceylis didn't hide the body, deciding it would waste precious time.

The wall was around 30 feet tall, and no guards patrolled atop it: in the darkness, with the forest to conceal enemies, they would be of much more use on the ground. Reaching once more into his storage, Ceylis channeled magical energy into his legs. He ran at the wall, faster than any normal human possibly could. As his right foot connected strongly with the ground, he shot energy into it and was blasted up, shooting most of the way up the wall. With a deft movement he flipped a stayagan obsidian dagger from his belt, at the same time sheathing his Starrynt, and slammed the extremely hard substance into the dark stone of the wall. The wall was finely constructed and very sturdy, but it was no match for stayagan obsidian.

Ceylis heaved himself upward so he balanced precariously on the too-small hilt. I'm going to get myself killed someday, doing this, he thought. Then, bracing himself, he crouched down as well as he could, with his back still pressed against the rough stones. They dug into him, but he ignored the discomfort as he readied his magic. A guard passed below him, carrying a soft yellow torch and a thick, heavy club. Ceylis waited, watching, until the guard passed around a corner. Then he jumped. He didn't have a running start - he didn't need to have one. The sheer power of his jump brought him falling upward at a terrible speed. He crested the wall easily, flying well past it and plunging toward the green, cultivated courtyard on the other side.

The bright flowers of the garden directly below him rushed upward at an alarming rate, their colors softened by the moon's silver and the surrounding layers of shadow. Ceylis waited for a moment, feeling the rush of the air, observing the beauty of the garden he was descending upon. Then, he reached for his Starrynt, gripping the comfortable leather that had molded to his hand, and he drove it forward, shooting more electricity. The resounding blast blackened the plants beneath him, and he was sorry to see them go, but the raw height of his second jump had brought him too far up to land normally. As the blast streaked away from the tip of his blade, he felt the force push him backward. The sudden deceleration nearly made him black out, but it succeeded in slowing his descent. He gave himself a moment to reorient, but was forced to move again as he heard surprised shouts reacting to the noise. He cursed. I shouldn't of done that. I could have climbed the wall... but, well, I suppose it's alright to have a little fun. He smiled slightly to himself as he raced to the keep.