Test Chapter: Support Your Local War Mage BK1 C1 (Patreon)

So, here's my secret project. I told you a little about it, but now I want to show you how it looks. This isn't something I'm necessarily going to be writing at the same time as QuestWright. It's more of an "If I find the time," or "My Beta readers are taking too long" situation.

Let me know what you think, and please be as honest as you can be. This is a rough draft. Annddd here's the rough draft for the cover.

A dark-robed figure on a weary horse plodded down a dirt road. The horse's pace matched the speed of the man’s mind, somewhat close to glacial and with a stilted edge to it. 

They’d traveled far, having passed through the great cities of the north, the mid-sized cities of the center, and those smaller and ill-named ones in the south as well. For years now, they’d moved from place to place, always in search of something the man didn’t truly believe he could find.

Some peace and quiet.

Though his robes shimmered, they did so under a caking of dirt that would make any laundryman or woman whimper to see. Though they’d traveled long together, the horse itself seemed to have no affection for him. It performed its role as his mount, but its eyes rolled across every mile they still had yet to travel with an awry cast. However, forward progress was called for, and the animal knew its place, even if it didn’t like its reluctant passenger.

As they crested a small hill, a wooden signpost pressed to the ground came into view. Spotting it in the light of day, the man slowed the horse and gracefully hopped off. Taking the reins firmly in hand, he stalked forward, grinding his teeth. 

His walk was a study in what any hunter would recognize as animalistic. There was a feral feel to it, with its head-down, forward-pressing manner. Like he could only hold one objective in his mind at once and wouldn’t stop until he saw it through.

Stopping in front of it, he looked upon the first written words he’d seen in weeks.

Clusterfield, five miles ahead.

Best Inns and drinks for the end of civilization

“The end of civilization,” He said in a low, soft voice. He chewed on that for a moment, considering all the distance he’d already traveled. With one look back the way he’d come, he sighed. “Good a place as any, I s’pose.”

Pulling the horse closer, he gave it a stare when the animal shied away, then mounted up when it calmed. Two taps on its side, and they continued their ride downhill.

Minutes became an hour as they traveled together down the long hill, twisting and turning as the path took them on their way. He couldn’t help but note, as they turned around a sharp corner, that a drastic transformation had come over the areas beside the path.

What had once been plains and grass shifted to nothing but trees. Stopping the horse, he turned it around and went back to investigate. Passing an unknown marker, the change occurred again. This time, the trees had disappeared in their entirety as only grass met his eyes. 

The man shook his head, “Fairy magic.”

Sitting upon his horse, Ryan considered what he wanted to do here. Clusterfield could be the place he was looking for. A location to stop at and consider what he still wanted to do with the rest of his life. Maybe even a home.

But with Faeries, there was always some kind of trouble. It was simply their heritage. The magical race couldn’t help but stir things up, no matter where they went.

Maybe that’s specieist, I don’t know, but I’ve never met a Fairy without some kind of problem ghosting after it.

Ryan looked at the grass behind them and the memories that went back even further. 

“Can’t be any worse than what I’m coming from, right horse?” The animal flicked its ears at him, but as always, didn’t respond. “I mean, you’ve gotta consider that life has to be better down this hill, right?” He waited the polite amount of time for a response, then shook his head at the animal.

They passed the corner and continued down the hill. He’d made his choice, for good or for ill. Now he had to live with it. 

The twisting, turning path eventually straightened out. What’s more, the greenery on the sides took on a deeper hue. There was an energy here. A life. Something that put a small bolt of energy into not only his body, but based on the speed it moved and the way it took its steps, the horse beneath him, too.

This is nice. This is a good feeling. Yeah. I haven’t felt something like this in a long, long time.

He couldn’t see much with how thick the forest was, but he kept his wits about him and his senses attuned as old memories tried to come forth. With deep circles under his dark brown eyes, Ryan pushed them back, reveling in the energetic feel circulating through his body and keeping his personal demons at bay.

He wasn’t that man anymore, and he didn’t want to be. In fact, he was only a week away from his birthday. Ninety years had come and gone since he’d first drawn breath. 

That was enough for most, but he still wished to see many, many more.

The horse began to sidle to the side as several nearby tree branches began to rattle. Ryan looked over at them, his staff unhitched in a blink, the sturdy wood warm in his hands. Holding it out, he leaned back in his saddle to free up movement for his arms when several small creatures flitted out from the forest.

Ugh, faeries. I knew it.

The dark purple one in front looked back, four small wings flaring to keep it aloft as it bared its undeniably sharp fangs. She spoke in the language of her people with a trilling voice, “That’s enough! I already told grandfather, and you can’t stop me, I’m off to see the world, not to get married to the first jackanape that asks for my hand.”

“Iria, you know the Whistlebrook family has waited decades for you to be ready.” A yellow Fairy said with her hands on her sides. She angrily threw her hands into the air, “The Kingdom needs you to marry Aloris or-” Her eyes grew wide as she finally noticed Ryan sitting placidly as his horse chewed on a nearby bush.

“Who is that and why can he see us?”

“Don’t mind me, just passing through,” Ryan said in the language of the Faeries and with his very best smile. “I’ll be outta here in just a moment.” He pulled at the reins, “Come along, horse.”

“Hold it right there!” The yellow Fairy screamed. She and two others backing her flew out and directly into Ryan’s line of vision. The town of Clusterfield seemed very far away as her cheeks puffed out. 

“Give us your name.”

“No.”

A blue Fairy behind her flitted forward, “We want your name.”

“It’s not mine to give, fae.” He replied, and this time, he wasn’t smiling.

They must’ve seen something in his eyes, because after a very brief pause, all three of them started to shake and back up. A laugh sprang out behind him.

Ryan turned the horse to look at her, “What’s so funny?”

“You are, you big duffus. And how do you know the language of the Fairy people? That’s a closely kept secret.”

“You pick up a few things when out and about in the world. Now, if you don’t mind me, I’ll just-”

Before they could react, Ryan kicked the horse in the sides, hard, and flew down the path. Of course, he and the horse weren’t really flying, but the Faeries were, as they easily kept pace with him.

“What’s your name?”

“How do you know our language?”

“How are you seeing us through the glamour?”

“Why-”

“Enough!” Ryan yelled back, “I’ll not give you power over me. Begone!”

He rolled the old rule about Faeries through his mind as they continued to pepper him with questions. 

An answer given, a rule forgiven.

A long tale told, a soul grabbed hold.

Let not the Fae know you true, 

Lest they pull the spirit from you.

Every answered question would lead to more and more, until he was suddenly spilling every secret he had with no memory of having done so. And Ryan had all too many secrets to keep in the dark.

The dirt road passed below him at a speed many would call reckless, but in his plight, he was more than a little uncaring. Naturally, the animal couldn’t see the Faeries springboarding around him. If it could, it would’ve likely panicked. 

But eyes trained in the magic of the world could see many such things, and Ryan was already cursed with such power.

A few miles down the road, the trees began to thin. That, along with the increasing loudness of the Faeries, told Ryan one important thing. Clusterfield was approaching. 

Faeries tended to live within reach of a mother tree. Their leader, the Grand Fairy, was often considered the father of their society. Some lived within a matriarchy, but that was rare and tended to be an aberration in this world, just as Ryan himself was.

Because he hadn’t been born here. That is, he had been born here, but only for the second time. His original world, Earth, was likely very, very far away and currently unreachable to his power set. Though he’d lived here for a little over thirty-five years, he never forgot his real home.

And just now, he was searching for a new one.

The trees continued to fade along the sides of the road, and just before the path rose up to a specific height, they turned and flew away.

Good riddance. Damn Faeries, always causing trouble.

Ryan paused the horse to let it catch its breath and looked down the road. In the near distance, no more than a mile, he caught eyes on civilization. Smoke rose from chimneys, and even from there, he could tell several buildings had people moving in and out of them. From this distance, he could see lively bodies stepping here and fro as they went about their day’s business, seemingly uncaring that someone like him had shown up at their metaphorical doorstep.

Once the horse had calmed down and given him its trademark surly look, Ryan pushed it forward. As it plodded along, Ryan did something unusual. Reaching as if to scratch his shoulder, he overextended his arm and snatched something off his back.

Then, threw it at the ground.

“You bit me!”

“You touched my naughty bits, so it’s fair!” The purple fairy yelled back. “Who taught you how to handle a fae?”

“Why were you on my back!?”

“You answer first!”

Ryan snarled, “I’ll not answer a single question you ask me.”

She looked at him, four luminescent wings flapping as she moved beside his head, “Seriously, who are you, and how do you know about us? Wait, wait, I can see that just makes you angry, even if it was an honest question with no attachments. Fine.”

Her wings lit up with purple brilliance as she raised a hand in the air, “I promise, upon the Grand Fairy and the home of the tree, to not curse you by day’s end. There, is that-”

“Week’s end,” Ryan replied with a glare.

“Fine,” Her wings still lit, she repeated it with the change. “There, happy?”

“Haven’t been happy in years, but that’ll do, Fae. As for who taught me, her name was Ruwina Lomdopple. She was a friend of mine.”

“Never heard of her.”

“I’d imagine not. She’s dead and gone for years now.”

“Ah, life is so fleeting.”

Ryan grumped as they continued plodding forward. He looked askance at her, “What's your name?”

She smiled, “Iria Glenmark, you?”

“Ryan Hightower.”

“Nice to meet you, Ryan,” She said with a bow.

He returned it, “Not quite the same to you, Iria. So tell me, why are you leaving your home tree behind, and why did those other Fae chase you?”

“It’s a long story, Ryan, and we’re going to be at Clusterfield in just a moment. Can we save it until after we settle down for the night?”

He looked at her, then nodded, “So be it, I’ll not pry. Say, do you know why this place feels so good?”

“Why it feels so…oh! You don’t know? There’s a Leyline opening here. Dungeons are around this spot for miles and miles. That’s why my family settled here long ago. I’m surprised you didn’t notice.”

“Must’ve slipped my mind,” Ryan said through clenched teeth.

God, I miss having access to magic.

Soon enough, Ryan, with Iria tucked into a robe pocket and upon a surly horse, rode into town amidst loud laughter and the clatter of weapons clashing. Clusterfield looked to be a lively place.