[WOW][Story] Sávian - Not the beginning nor the end

The streets of Stormwind were bustling with activity as usual. Around noon, all the citizens had awoken from their slumber and the squares before the various markets, auction houses and banks were filled with goods vendors, traveling salesmen and heroes on a break from adventure or who just flew in for a quick visit to whatever shop they required goods from before moving on again.

Among the people, busy chatting and laughing, one man seemed in a remarkable hurry. He sped across the pavement, seemingly coming from the direction of the flight masters and heading towards the Mage District.
His robes slightly dirty but not stained in a horrible manner, his staff sheathed on his back like only a mage’s can be, magically sticking in place by way of arcane magic unknown to the common people. As he ran, visibly out of breath and aiding his rush by teleporting a few yards forward every dozen seconds or so, he had to brush his hair from his face because it kept obstructing his view. Which is quite dangerous, when Blinking ahead.
He appeared quite young overall, in his early twenties, though the look on his face did not fit that of a twenty-something. It was worried, and quite stern as well, as if events had mentally aged him beyond his years. His hair was long and black, parted in the middle into locks that framed his face and the majority of it was tied together in a ponytail that swayed rapidly from side to side on his back as he moved. All this was topped off with a decently sized, slightly pointy beard that covered his chin.

Tired and breathing heavily, he finally reached his destination: the top floor of the Mage Tower in the center of the district, high above the houses and shops of the city. There, he walked into the room slowly but surely, trying to make it appear as if he was just strolling along, totally relaxed.

The elder wizard, standing in front of his class, robed students seated on the floor, glanced at him for a moment and then finished his sentence. ‘....and that is how you conjure a Mana Gem. I do surely hope that everyone wrote this down, because you will be using this spell often in battle. No mage should ever find his mana depleted in a dire situation. Also....I hope that your fellow apprentice over there, *coughs* Sávian, will not be there when that happens, or you will all be doomed!’

As the wizard let out a small cough, covering his mouth with a wrinkly fist, the class had a hearty laugh while looking at the man who just entered the room. Still panting, breaking out in sweat and finding it difficult to explain his tardiness, Sávian turned towards his mentor. ‘I am really sorry Master, it will not happen again! You see, I woke up late and th—‘. The old teacher cut him off mid sentence, ‘Save your excuses, youngling, I have heard them all before. You might be gifted, but no mage has ever reached his peak by slacking and loitering!’. This time, he looked right into the young man’s face and for a moment their gazes met. The elder one’s filled with hesitation as if he found it difficult to utter the words he spoke and also slight disappointment at the situation he found himself in once more, the younger’s trying to keep his cool as he hid his own disappointment with that typical sternness.
‘I know this Master, thank you for your advice’.

The other students got on their feet, bowed for their teacher with respect and started to make their way out of the room, passing their peer by from both sides and slapping him friendly on his shoulders and back. ‘Nice going Sav! You missed another class, now you’ll never pass your exams haha!’ The group grinned and chuckled, the last one out closing the door behind him leaving just Sávian and his mentor in an uncomfortable silence.

‘Sit down, friend. You know what I am about to say, don’t you?’
The mage nodded, sat down with his legs crossed and leaned forward while supporting his face with his hands, resting his elbows on the floor.
‘Why do you insist on squandering your talents young one? You have a gift, I can tell. My superiors can tell, even your fellow apprentices can tell. Yet still you choose to disregard our directions, our advice. You fail your exams, you show up late for classes or not at all’.
Sávian wanted to reply but a swiftly raised hand stopped him immediately. ‘I am not done yet, so silence’, the wizard continued. ‘If you do not show results soon, you will be expelled, you know that right? No matter how promising you might be, one who does not seek to improve for the good of himself and others, is not worth time and effort’.

A few minutes passed as the man took in his teacher’s words while being gazed down upon by the frowning elder. ‘You may leave now, I have nothing further to say and it appears that you don’t either’.
He stood up and walked to the door, his fist clenched tight and his face grimaced in both anger and sorrow. Before he closed it behind him again to go back the way he came, the last words his mentor would ever speak to him rung in his ears, where they would forever keep echoing as a memory of how things were before they changed.

‘Please, Sávian. Please, take better care of yourself. I know you will be a great magus some day, some day soon perhaps. Don’t throw it all away for the past. What happened, happened and you cannot change it. Let it go, live in the time that is now and grow strong. That is all I wish for you and deep down, that is all you wish for yourself as well. I know that to be true in my heart’.

The sentence ended with a higher tone than it started, as if the old man was trying to suppress his emotions for the boy. The boy he saw than more as his student, more than a slacking apprentice.
The door slammed shut, pulled against the frame by the force by which the young mage closed it and the sheer weight of the massive oaken boards and cast iron hinges that it was made of. An echo chimed through the empty halls and down the ramp the mage descended, slow and determined, never to return in the state he currently was in.

In the classroom, now empty for all but the wizard, no sound except his own breathing kept him from sinking into deep thoughts he would never snap out of. He too knew, things would never be the same again.


To be continued

I so loved it, cant wait for the continue..

when are gonna do the background story for him and such btw? planning something wicked? ^^

I have a background in mind! We'll have to get working on that soon But first I'll post a teaser for upcoming 'content'!

As long as the main hero doesn't become over-important god-like smasher of the unverse I'm in favour of the story. So far I enjyed reading it:] Would be also nice to see if the hero has any regrest or past failures that make him want to try his best more and more not to fail again. This way things would look quite organical:]
Gogo, I'm looking forward for more.

When Things Turn Around, and Around, and Around
(a teaser for the full thing)

He leaned his back against the wall, or what was left of it. His head sank between his knees which were pulled up to his chest, in an attempt to filter the suffocating air through the fabric of his robes.

Various thoughts ran through his head. Bits and pieces of his life, memories of times past and visions of a future he once hoped to have. Even that face...HER face.....Oh how he wished he could see it again.

Nearby the sound of something hard and something soft thudding on stone. Rotten flesh, sinew and bones he knew. ‘I should never have come here. Why did I think this was a good idea?’ he thought to himself as the foul stench mixed with the scent of ever burning wood, cries of anguish (or delight?) filling his ears. They must be getting close now...

It had been a foolish venture from the start, doomed to fail the moment he thought of it. Sneaking into the burning city of Stratholme on a crazy bid to prove his worth to....to whom exactly? To his teachers? His peers, his mentor? To her maybe? More likely to himself. An impossible goal set for the sole purpose of either failing and showing everyone they were right about him or succeeding and claiming a hollow victory. For when someone is born with natural abilities, they surely can do everything they set out to do.

It didn’t feel like that right now, as his mind drifted further and further away, his senses becoming numb and the light in his eyes and heart slowly fading.

Then. Another image of her in his mind. Not a thought or wish this time, but actual contact. How was this possible? He had no time to reflect upon this strange turn of events, his brain nearly exploded from the loud sound of her voice and her image filling his head.
‘What do you think you’re doing?!’ The tone of her voice was unlike one her appearance would make you think she was capable of. It had a slight bit of worry in it but it was mostly anger or perhaps passion. ‘You get back here right now before I come get you myself and make you feel real pain! How dare you run off like that, just leaving me a vague idiotic note! Grrrrr, when I ge—‘ Her words stopped mid sentence when her Mind Vision spell finally grasped the location and predicament Sávian was in. ‘By the Light! You are in Stratholme! But..why? No, not important! You must get out, get out before you fade away like the lost souls who rule those forsaken ruins! Fast, while you st—‘

Once again, she was cut off mid sentence, only this time she didn’t speak anymore. The link was severed and he was alone again. At least, alone as a living being among the thousands of undead creeping ever closer. How would he get out of this situation? No one would come to save him this time and it was surely a bit more grave than hanging from a roof in Stormwind or chasing a ball into a shallow lake in Lordaeron....He didn’t know the answer to that question, so he did all that he could do.

He closed his eyes and let the thoughts that swirled in his head overwhelm him completely....

To be preceded and continued

ohhhh loved it so looking forward for the continue, its like reading a great exciting book! greatly done hun.

time to continue now honey! i want to read more!

Don't worry, I'll get on it as soon as I can!