The White Mage

Chapter 21

"Zander, you need to train. You're going to be the head of the Erimoor family one day. We need to maintain power or those black mages will take it." My father said.

"Why can't I just be a normal kid? I'm only seven! No of the other kids in my class have even started their magic training."

"They aren't going to decide the balance of the whole country!"

"Honey, just let him have one day off." My mother said.

"Fine, one day!"

"Go outside at play sweetie." My mom said, patting my head while trying to settle my little brother.

I nodded and ran outside. I wasn't supposed to, but I ran into the forest anyway. It separated the the biggest white mage families and black mage families. I came to a stream at the same time another child did. It was a girl with black hair and blue eyes about the same age as me.

"Hi." She said timidly.

"Hi, I'm Zander. What's your name?"

"Miranda."

"Let's be friends!"

"But, I don't know what family you come from or what color you are."

"Let's not worry about that. We'll be friends but we won't know last names or families or colors. We're just Zander and Miranda here."

"Okay, we'll be friends."

*****
"Until tomorrow, my love."

"Don't forget me while I'm gone, Miranda."

"Yes, because it's so easy to forget someone with naturally white hair." Miranda said sarcastically.

"Oh, I'm such a terrible influence on you."

"And I'm a good influence on you. Now go, you don't want your father to get mad."

Miranda kissed my cheek before running off to her side of the forest. I hurried home, smiling like an idiot the whole way. I sat down at the dinner table and my brother gave me a look.

"What?"

"You've been meeting a girl in those woods, haven't you?"

"What's it to you, shrimp?"

"Very funny, you're going to reget calling me names one day. But hide that ridiculous smile before sees it. You're almost 13 and dad's already thinking about who you're going to marry."

I lost my smile immediately. I already knew who I wanted to marry, but I couldn't argue with my father. He may have been a little extreme, but everything he did was for the betterment of our people. I sighed.

*****
"What do you plan to do when you get older, Zander?"

"I don't have a choice. I have to be the head of my family and take care of my people. But if I had a choice, I would open up a magic school. One where it didn't matter about the color of your aether and everyone could learn."

"That sounds like a wonderful dream."

"Miranda, I have something to tell you. I should have told you a year ago when my father started looking, but we won't be able to stay together forever. I'm going to be married, probably to someone I won't met until I'm at the alter. I don't want to, but it's what's best for my people."

"Why does it matter about your people? What about your choice?"

"I don't have one."

"Zander!"

"Daniel!?"

Daniel came crashing through the underbrush, followed by my father. Two people came on the other side of the stream as well.

"Dad? Christian?"

Miranda ran to the two people while my brother pulled me back. Our two fathers glared at each other.

"Erimoor." Her father spat.

"Mako." My father spat back.

"You're an Erimoor!?"

"You're a Mako!?"

Our families were the heads of our respected color. Erimoor's lead the white mages and the Mako's lead the black mages. We were enemies to the highest level. We were pulled away taken to our homes, but not before our brothers could growl at each other.

*****
"You want me to gst married already!? I'm only sixteen!"

"It's what's best for our people! You have a duty to protect them!"

"What if I don't want to be the head of the family!? What happened to my choice!? I wanted to open a magic school where pdopld could learn that color doesn't matter! Maybe we could end this stupid feud!"

My mother gasped and my brother stared in horror as my father struck me. I didn't say a thing, just glared at him.

"Color does matter."

*****
It was my wedding day, and I was only there for my people. I was almost ready to thank god when they decided to crash the wedding. Almost. They had broken in and Daniel immediately jumped up when he saw Christian. Their battle was short lived and ended with a hole through my brother's chest. All the candles went out, frost covered the windows, and thunder sounded overhead as I stalked towards him. I was stopped however by a pair of small hands on my chest.

"Zander, please don't do it." Miranda said. "He will face severe punishment. Please just don't get unnecessary blood on your hands."

It had been almost two years since I had seen her. And of course I was hit with the stupidest and most brilliant idea at that moment.

"Miranda, marry me. Right now. We can join our families and start a better world. We can open that school. All you have to do is say yes."

Miranda smiled with tears in her eyes and nodded.

"Yes."

*****
"Miranda...."

I touched her hand, but it was already cold. Tears blurred my vision and created streaks down my face. They had killed her quickly and painlessly as she had been one of them, but left me to bleed out. This isn't the way I wanted to die. I wanted to grow old with Miranda and see Anyssa grow up. I wanted to see grandkids. Now that was all taken away from me and Anyssa would never have her parents. I pulled out a crystal recorder with shaky hands.

"Anyssa...I'm so sorry. Your mom said we shouldn't have come to this battle, but I told her we were needed. This is all my fault. Your mom's already gone and I don't think I'm going to make it. I'm so sorry. Just become the great woman and mage I know you'll be one day. Remember that we'll always love you and I'll always be watching over you."

The crystal fell out of my hand and I feared it would break. But someone caught it. I turned to look at the person. It was a young woman with white hair and blue eyes.

"I thought all the Erimoor's were gone." I said weakly.

"They are." There were tears in her eyes. "I'm the last one. I'm the last Erimoor, dad."

"Anyssa?"

"Yeah, it's me. It's me, dad."

My vision started to grow dark.

"Anyssa....I'm sorry....."

"Dad!.....Dad!....Please!.....No, I can fix you!.....Dad!.....