The Battle of Centarium

Aeysu shot his eyes open, and took quick quivering breaths. He sat up and tried to calm himself. He was having frequent nightmares nowadays. Nightmares of his father, broken and betrayed by his only son. Of himself dying in the battle he didn't want to fight on, and the nightmares of killing another human being.

All of them were tearing at his mind, but the ones that cut deepest were those of his father. The man who had raised him, who had loved him. The man who stayed strong when his wife died so that he could not show weakness to his offspring. After all Berlamag had done for him, he left him without a word of truth and a empty promise.

He wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and tried to drift away again. It was a failure, as his mind wouldn't slow down enough for him to rest. So many thoughts were running through his head at once. The battle he had to fight in, the sword he always had nearby, and the thought of Verathor returning if he failed to live long enough to die by the right hand.

He sat for at least an hour before the door swung open. The old mage stood there holding a bowl, "Your up, good. Eat the venison stew here," he handed him the bowl, "and when your done come down the hallway and to the room in the back. We begin your first lesson."

Aeysu nodded, and went to eating the stew. It was, he thought, the best he had ever eaten. This old mage was a lot of things, a cook was the most surprising.

After he had finished, he set the wooden bowl aside and got out of his bed. He tied his green tunic on both sides, tighter than usual. After, he glared over at the sword he had carried for the better part of a month. The red dragons stretching their necks in a vain attempt to reach the top of the blade. After pondering a moment, he decided to take it to his mage's training.

He then left the room, and cruised into dark hallway. Having to slide his fingers on the wall to help guide him in a straight line, Aeysu walking on. Until he felt a wooden door, one that felt new and chiseled.

He pushed it open, and was blinded for a moment at how bright the room within was. After a few moments of squinting his watery eyes, Aeysu adjusted to the brightness.

He looked around, and what he saw left him dumbfounded. The room was a perfect rectangle shape, and was stone on all walls and the ceiling. On the floor was a majestic hardwood floor, one you would see in a temple. Even more amazing, was the light source.

In each of the four corners, hovered something that Aeysu could not explain. It was if four moons the size of fists lite the room. It was so illuminated, that not a single shadow covered the walls, ceiling, or floor. He pulled his hair behind his ears, and went to examine one of them.

Upon closer inspection, he realized that they were spinning. He marveled at the one closest him for a moment more, then slowly outstretched his hand to touch it.

"I wouldn't do that.", advised an unknown voice behind him.

Aeysu spun around to see the old man, dressed in a long blue robe. His hands were concealed within the sleeves, and the bottom looked as if it would drag behind him. His ran his fingers through his long grey beard, and took a step forward.

Aeysu, embarrassed at the fact he didn't notice his new mentor before, dropped his head in an apologetic fashion.

"The light of the mage, usually only used by adventures who explore late into the night. Me on the other hand, prefer them to lanterns or candles.", he explained.

Aeysu looked up to see him smiling. He then walked to him, and was curious as to how the lesson would begin. The soft clanking of his boots on the wooden floor was a relaxing sound.

"Sir," Aeysu started as he came closer, "how am I going to use magic? I thought only people who were born mages use magic."

The man continued smiling, "It was all a lie. Deceptive mages starting rumors so shopkeeps like you could never realize their potential. Everyone is born with a small amount of magic in them.", he looked then into Aeysu's eyes, " You, however, were born with a miniscule amount. It would take decades for you to build it up to a usable amount."

Aeysu blinked, taken aback. Cocking his head to one side, he announced the obvious, " Decades? I have but two years! Whats the point of this training if I can't do it!" Anger started to build, anger that was brought on by wasted time. He didn't want to do this battle, even if he did this was pointless.

With a stern look, the mage pointed at the sword strapped to Aeysu's side.

"The crimson Dragon sword. It is more than just a simple blade, you dull boy. It is a part of you, and from the moment you touched it you were given an enormous amount of magical abilities. Half of Ayden Centarium's limit to be exact."

He altered his gaze toward the sword, and watched it glimmer in the miniature moon's light. Aeysu didn't think he could have respected the craftsmanship of the blade any more than he already did. He had never thought of any of abilities it could posses.

Turning back to his mentor, he asked, "So what happens if I lose the sword? Does that mean I couldn't use magic?"

Turning away, the old man lifted something from inside his robe pocket. "No, the magic is apart of you now. These, however." He turned to show a pair of black, slick gloves.

"You will need these in every offensive use of magic.", he finished. Lifting them to in the air and slipping them onto his hands. He examined them for a moment, and then looked back at his trainee.

"Anything that uses fire, water, ice, or thunder will destroy your hands. If your, for example, casting fire."

He snapped his fingers to emit a small flame at the tip of his finger. "You might as well be using a double edged sword. Without these gloves, I would have melted my flesh by now." He made the flame dissapate with a blink, and took the gloves off.

"They are magically protected, and will never tear. Alas, this is not the basis of your first lesson."

With a step forward, he placed his hand on Aeysu's shoulder. Aeysu in turn looked up, curiosity eating at him more and more each passing moment.

"I need you to try and move this" he took his hand off his shoulder, and showed him a small pebble.

Frowning, Aeysu examined it closely. Could it be a magic pebble, a flaming rock, a small thunder boulder? No, it was just a pebble.

Disapointed, he looked up to see the old man smiling. "Did you expect to cast a ring of fire on your first lesson boy?"

Gritting his teeth, he sat on the floor, "How do I move it? Is there some incantation or something?" Again laughing, then old man laid the pebble on the wooden floor, directly in front of him.

"Incantations? Another assumption of magic. Some things require you to speak words, but mostly its all up here.", he explained while pointed at his temple.

Confused, Aeysu looked at the pebble. It was the only thing on the floor, so it was easy to focus on.

"Do I just think 'move' Or 'hover' ?", he asked, determined to understand.

"Just imagine it happening, and try to make it happen. I will give you a few hours.", he finished and walked towards the door.

His departure indicated that this would take a while, so with a hard look he stared at the rock. He tried thinking 'fly' or 'float', but nothing happened.

He then did as he was advised, and imagined it floating. Again, nothing. With a grunt, he readjusted his seating position.

He felt as determined as he had ever been, starring at this small rock. He wanted it to move, to fly, to hover. He closed his eyes, imagining it float up in front of his face. Then, as he shot open his eyes, it happened.

He gasped as it shot up and became eye level with him. He watched it hover there, spinning ever so slowly.

"Sir! Sir!", he blurted out, not knowing if the old mage had already left. He heard him turn at the doorway, and then there was silence.

Aeysu dared a glance at his mentor, and saw he was possibly more suprised than he was. Aeysu gave a cheeky smile, frantically looked back and forth between the stone and his tacher. He was, for the first time since this ordeal began, proud of something he had accomplished.

The mage walked forward, and stared at the rock. He then turned to Aeysu with a look of astonishment on his face.

"How many times?", he piped out before turning back to the stone.

Confused, Aeysu squinted his eyes and wondered what he meant. Seeing this, his mentor made it more clear.

"How many times did you try before it rose.", he said, now not taking his gaze from Aeysu.

"Oh! Uh, three I think. Yeah, three. Is that good?", he asked, joy immulating from his tone of voice.

He shook his head and smiled, then sat in front of Aeysu on the floor.

"The most powerful mage in history, Ayden Centarium, discovered this was the best way to begin training in magic", he grinned in excitement, "this same feat took him a week to accomplish."