The Legend of Mageria

Chapter 1

"Damn it! I'm super late for class."

The weather's nice today. I felt the warm breeze as it played on my skin. I looked up as I ran frantically on the stone-paved sidewalk. The sun was shining brightly and over the skies were little streaks of clouds. Wow, it really is the first day of summer. People were all around the streets, getting ready for their work and other daily routine. Horse carriages and old belching cars zoomed in past beside me as sweat beads formed over my body, drenching my newly-ironed uniform bearing a mark PAMS. I surveyed the brick buildings and infrastructures that are made of wood and stones as I strode by. Other houses and commercial structures were wholly or half-destroyed. Fences were down, planks of woods scattered, windows broken, trees fallen, and debris were everywhere. The past few months have been tough around here. Harsh winds, never-ending downpours, and of course unpredictable attacks of nature shake our little town, Philistia. Other towns around us and our own belong to much bigger scope of terrain known as Mageria, the land of magic and sorcery. Because of people's over-usage of who-knows-what magic, you can never know what will happen on this day at the exact moment.

"First day of summer, huh," I said to myself, "that means I'll get to see my sister pretty soon after—"

I never got to finish with what I was thinking of. I reached my head to stop it from spinning but it throbbed in pain. As I tried to absorb what had happened, I found myself sitting on the ground and thinking I bumped into a wall. Things were scattered around me and it took me a whole minute to think that it was mine. I had left my backpack unzipped the entire time. I scurried to collect my things. Then I heard a growl or I thought a cute little snarl in front of me, only to see a well-built muscular man in a dirty white undershirt and blue jeans with showing biceps and triceps and wide chest. Okay I take back that cute little snarl and just stick with the growl. His face was so full of tattoos that even a pimple would not be visible. I could make out a snake in those black art shapes. His mouth was curved into an upside-down U and I saw rage and angry expressions in his eyes and his head was cleanly shaved with a bit excess of wax. Behind him were men dressed in black, most likely idiots judging from the faces they made at me. Then I realized I was already late in class and I accidentally bumped into this man as I turned at a corner. He pressed his hand against the other and made a knuckle sound. I'm so dead.

Based on the situation and the circumstances around me, I could make out an escape route on my mind. A crowded street on the way ahead with people busy buying and selling in the early market, a road on my right, a lady entering her old Bufori and starting its engine, a metal railing on the other side, and an alley across the road leading to a dark part of the town. I got it all planned out. The only thing I needed to do was—

"Sorry," I bowed at the tattooed man as I words came out of my mouth, "I'm so sorry I bumped into you accidentally, Mister. This is the only thing I could do after all. And I still got class to attend to."

"'Sorry' doesn't mean anything around here, kid," the mean replied angrily, "And I don't care about yer stupid class. Why don't ye skip it and fight me head-on? That was what yer looking for in the first place, was it?"

His goons laughed and chuckled nosily. Their taunts and insults echoed around the corner. It didn't bother me even one bit though. I was expecting that kind of response from him and them.

"C'mon, punk. What're ye doing bowing yer head? Don't tell me yer crying. 'Oh mommy, mommy, help me. This man is picking a fight with me'," he said and those idiots behind him burst into laughter. Soon people were staring at us, discontinuing what they were doing and fell their gaze towards our direction. Others didn't mind at all.

"Shine upon this unholy land, blind those who dare to stand," I whispered.

"What? What're ye muttering under yer breath, kid?"

"And graze down this pitiful sight—," I continued. I stood back up, put my foot backwards and raised my right hand parallel to the ground. Then a yellow magic circle appeared directly under my feet. The circle has two inner rings with a pentagram in the middle. It shone and glowing particles enveloped my body. Power was surging through me and it was being controlled by the circle below me. I closed my eyes, getting ready to recite the spell I was practicing all throughout summer. I felt it vibrating in every part of my body. And it was the time to release it.

I opened my eyes.

"BURSTING LIGHT!"

A light emerged from below, blinding the tattooed man and his men, and the people around us shielded their eyes from the strong light. It rose until it became a pillar that reached the sky. The next thing I knew I was scurrying past the road and jumped above the railing. The gang was in a state of shock but the big man quickly recovered from it, pointing his finger at me.

"Get him!" he ordered his men as they ran towards me on the other side of the road. I pushed aside the people in the way and apologized along with it. I turned at my pursuers and saw that they have already crossed the road. They were gaining on me. I saw the dark alley and made a turn at it. It smelled like rotten food and dead rats around here. The moment I entered this alley I knew there was trouble. But I was not expecting this kind of trouble. The alley guided me to a dead end. There was no turning back.

I sighed. "I've got no choice but to do this. The old bag-head's going to kill me, though." I heard the shouts and voices of the group. "This will be my first ever one-phrase spell. I hope it works," I said as I picked up speed and ran to the blocking wall.

"AIR WALK."

I stepped on the air and a magic circle appeared supporting my foot and making me go upwards in motion as I put another foot in front of me. It was like going up an invisible stairs with only the mysterious circles acting as the stools. I saw the tattooed man and his goons at the entrance of the alley with shock and angry expressions. By then, I have reached the top of a bricked building. I stopped halfway only to hear their cursing at me. I smiled.

It's time to reach my class now. That was fun.

Oh yeah, I have not introduced myself yet. Let me have the chance to state my identity while I'm running on the rooftops of buildings towards the academy. I'm Jason Ridgey, 17 years of age, and a 4th-year student at the Philistia Academy of Magic and Sorcery. You want to know what I am? *Drum rolls* Wait for it, wait for iittt, waaaaiiitt—

I'm a spellcaster.