Untold Tales of The Sachakan Years

Chapter One: A Most Ambitious Young Man

There must be an infinite number of ways to start a story. A statement of fact, a pearl of wisdom, a quotation from an ancient text, I could go on. The method an author chooses probably says an awful lot about her. It displays for her entire readership how she chooses to view the world, and upon what she places value. So judge such a decision carefully in your minds when you read it- it may very well mean something beyond the simple words on the page.

Me, you ask, as you tap your foot with impatience as I rattle on in such philosophical terms? How do you plan on starting your tale? Me, I plan on starting this tale very simply- at its beginning.

Let us go right back to the start, further back than we have ever been before together. Forget everything you thought you knew, for it will only cloud your judgement. Forget all the stories you have already been told, because this tale I tell you now may very well alter them beyond recognition. Let us step back and watch the years roll away before our very eyes… Let us begin.

In the second year of King Kalpol's reign, the very same year that the Purge of Imardin's lower classes from the city began, on a frosty morning in early Winter, a child, a boy to be precise, was born at the ancient family seat of the Delvons. The eldest child and only son of one of the most powerful men in the city, let alone the country, the child was destined to rule over the House of Velan with ease. His father was overjoyed to finally have an heir, someone he could mould into his very likeness to take control after him. And, from his earliest days in the crib, his mother had his entire future envisaged in her mind, like one of the great tapestries that hung around the very house in which the child slept innocently. She would marry him off to a noble lady of impeccable breeding and grace, and together, the new Lord and Lady Delvon would sire children to continue one of the most powerful dynasties known of in modern Kyralian history, maybe in the history of all the Allied Lands themselves.

But Fate, she had other ideas.

It reminds me that old saying- what is the quickest way to make the gods laugh? Tell them your plans, of course.

As happened to all children of the Houses of Imardin, the boy was tested for magical ability around the time of his tenth birthday, despite it being common knowledge, even to him, that his parents believed his destiny to lie outside of the Guild's walls. But the boy didn't mind such testing in the slightest- after all, he found magicians to be the most interesting people he had ever come across. They were always held in such high esteem whenever they were seen at court, and in all the stories he read, they were great players, no matter what the plot.

The young purple-robed magician that had come to the house had paled slightly as he had pulled away from the young boy's mind, disturbed by the vast amount of power he had found already stored there. He then gave the boy a look very reminiscent of the one that the boy's nurse gave him when he played one of his many tricks on her: how did you manage to do that? The boy blinked up at him innocently, completely unaware of who he truly was. Well, why would he have any idea?

The boy would remember, remember until his dying day, sitting halfway up the staircase of his family's city home, eavesdropping as the magician told his parents exactly what he had seen. He knew his mother would be furious if he was discovered, but he reasoned he had the right to hear such important conversations regarding himself. What he heard shocked and confused him.

…Great potential…power almost beyond measure…

… never seen such strength in one so young…

…An insult to both the boy and the Guild for it to be overlooked…would you not reconsider your previous decision?

…Already spoken to the higher magicians… they say with such strength he is already a candidate for the highest of offices...

His parents had refused to give the Guild an answer straight away, and the boy was unable to hear any more of their deliberations as the magician was shown out of the house, and the door to the guest room was clicked shut. But the boy was intelligent enough to know, even at the tender age he was, that this decision was one that could change the fate of their Family and House forever. After all, his parents had no other heir. Two children had swiftly followed the son, yes, but both girls, and were therefore clearly incapable of inheriting more than substantial dowries. Clearly. So, what to do? Risk the Delvon name being lost forever, and another of the Velan families take their place? Or use the opportunity to seize even greater power?

It should be noted that the Delvons were never known for caution or prudence. They were renowned risk takers. After only one night of deliberation- they had an answer for the Guild, sent by the earliest courier they could find. The answer was yes. Yes, you may have our son upon his fifteenth birthday. Yes, he may become a magician, and take the vow that future entails.

Whilst the Delvons were known for their political gambling, it should also be noted that they never gambled beyond their means. This was a calculated risk. Yes, their son was supposed to be Delvon's heir, but they knew that, if they played their cards right, he could do even better. Patience reaps the greatest of rewards, after all. So they announced to their awaiting House the almost unheard decision that they were sending their only son to join the Guild, stating that "our son will bring honour to us all through the certain prospect of his ascension through the ranks of magicians due to his intellect, maturity and, above all, strength." And besides, becoming a magician wouldn't stop the son himself being able to produce heirs.

Quite the responsibility to succeed to put on a boy of ten. He, of course, was not consulted on any of this. But, for once, he was indebted to his parents for such a decision. This was all he had never known he wanted. And then every night from the day his father had told him their decision to his last night at his parents' home before he moved to the Novices' Quarters, he dreamt of the day his life would change, completely and unchangeably. And he prayed for the strength to meet such a destiny.

And so, the dice were thrown. And, of course, we know that it was almost the best gamble Lord and Lady Delvon ever played. Almost.

But let us not get too ahead of ourselves, reader- there are many years between us and that eventual conclusion. It is imperative for us to consider how such events were allowed to transpire. Leaders aren't born, after all, they are made. So let us now move forward another ten years, to a warm morning in early summer, to the beautiful grounds of the Magicians' Guild of Kyralia in the East Quarter of Imardin. We focus on a figure in the garb of a Guild magician, the cloth a deep blue, carrying a box of papers under one arm. He is not the man we have met before wearing this colour- this man is stockier, greyer and older- but he wears his age like a statesman.

He makes his way quickly through the Guild's immaculately kept gardens, taking this slightly longer route than necessary to from the Guildhall to his office in order to avoid attracting attention from unwanted requesters- after all, some things never change. He has been Administrator for getting on for a quarter century now, so he has learnt the art of moving quickly and quietly. He does not succeed this time, however, as he brought to a halt by a half-shout in his direction.

"Administrator!"

The Administrator sighed but didn't let the curse that was going around his head escape his lips. He told himself how much he enjoyed his job, that serving the Guild's members was an honour, and managed to settle his face into an expression of polite neutrality, before turning to the caller. He had recognised deep tones of the voice instinctively as one of his fellow Higher Magicians.

"Yes, Lord Balkan? What can I do for you?"

The Head of Warriors was slightly out of breath by the time he reached the Administrator's side. He wore the same slightly concerned expression that he had worn every day since he had been elected as a Higher Magician around two years prior. He had yet to learn that ability of keeping one's emotions off of one's face- still, it would probably come in time, the Administrator mused, as Balkan was still a relatively young man. In his hand Balkan held a folded piece of paper with a broken wax Guild seal, which he gestured to as he finally came to a halt on the gravel path. "I take it you have received the same request as I have this morning?"

The Administrator smiled at him, amused. "I receive a dozen requests every morning, Balkan. You are going to need to be a bit more precise in order for me to be of service to you."

To the Administrator's surprise, Balkan's face reddened slightly, but he continued as if he hadn't noticed. "Oh, of course, I apologise. The one of which I speak is from Lord Akkarin. He has written to both of us to request permission to travel to Capia to visit the Great Library of Elyne."

The Administrator frowned, struggling to put a face to a name. The issue with being in charge of the Guild's administration was that he was expected to know every name and every face at the drop of a hat. Whilst he had worked hard to improve his working memory of the Guild's members, it was by no means perfect. He drummed his fingers on his box as he thought.

Akkarin…Akkarin…why is that name familiar?

Then recognition suddenly came to him in a flash. "Akkarin, he's Delvon's boy, isn't he?" he asked.

Balkan nodded in agreement. "He is indeed, though not much the boy anymore. He graduated just last month."

As Balkan said those words, the Administrator remembered the young man as memory of the Graduation ceremony from last month returned to him. The new Warrior was tall and dark, even by Kyralian standards. He had a grave face, but it was well chiselled, with high cheekbones and intelligent eyes. His new full red robes suited him well. He must have had the female magicians in his class in the palm of his hand, he mused. "Ah, of course, I remember him now. So, I suppose the first question is for what purpose does he wish to travel?"

"He wishes to write a book. A book on…" Balkan opened the folded letter and studied it momentarily. "Ancient magical practices. Whatever that means. He needs access to books that we don't have here, but the Librarian tells him are in Capia."

The Administrator snorted slightly. "That to me sounds more like an excuse to get away from the Guild rather than anything to do else." He considered the request briefly, weighing up the possible consequences of such an excursion. Whilst he didn't mind magicians wishing to travel in other lands, in fact such trips could be of benefit not just to the magician in question but the Guild as a whole, it was important that they remembered their duty to the Guild. Being a magician wasn't just a title, after all, it was a job. The Administrator was also particularly weary of sending off Warriors for indefinite periods of time. Whilst the Guild was under no threat of attack, a good leader knows they need to always be ready. Considering the fact he didn't know the young man nearly well enough to know if this was a good idea, the Administrator decided he couldn't make such a decision without further information. "Well, you know the man him far better than I do, being of your set," he said. "What do you think? Would it be prudent of me to allow him to go?"

Balkan pursed his lips, thinking. "He is a very gifted magician- and very powerful too. He graduated as first Warrior of his year by a clear margin. But like many recent graduates, I believe he is rather restless and in need of letting off steam. Such feelings have lead to graduates getting into all sorts of scrapes in the past, so I think an excursion would may do Akkarin good- after all, five years study here is a long time for the young. And besides, contact and interaction with another culture could be of particular use to him in the long run."

The Administrator raised an eyebrow at such a remark, wondering where Balkan was going with it. "Oh, why him especially?"

"He is a most ambitious young man by all accounts- my own included. He has a particular set of skills that could be…" Balkan shrugged noncommittedly, "of great benefit to the Guild one day, skills which would be well honed through international travel. Diplomacy, negotiation- plus, everyone seems to naturally like him."

As Balkan spoke, the Administrator had begun to remember something about the young man of which they spoke for himself. Akkarin of the Family Delvon, House Velan, how could I forget about you? He remembered the mental communication he had had with Lord Galen, over ten years prior, upon the testing Akkarin's strength as a child. He remembered the awe that Galen had had for the boy's strength. His memory took him forward, and he remembered overheard conversations about the novice in the Night Room. Now Balkan's remark about "skills that could be of great benefit to the Guild" made sense. This magician was going to go places in the Guild, no doubt about it.

Even so, the Administrator was surprised by such a testimonial coming from Balkan of all people, and he looked at the Warrior speculatively. This is unlike him, he mused to himself. The judgment he gives is usually far more balanced… "You think that highly of him, Lord Balkan?"

Balkan hesitated before replying. "I speak of facts, not opinions, Administrator," he said gruffly.

The Administrator decided it would not be of any use to further press the matter, despite the curiosity such a comment raised within him. Perhaps this is something to ponder later. But for now, back to the matter at hand. He nodded, more to himself than his companion. "Very well, Lord Akkarin may travel to Elyne with my consent. However, I will be expecting regular reports of his book's progress sent to me via you, to check he isn't simply wandering around the country aimlessly. I will also expect his final return...well, shall we say within a year, unless he applies for an extension. Also, seeing as he will be travelling as a Guild representative, he may well be called upon by myself or the Ambassadors in Elyne to carry out Guild business on our behalf- state banquets, testing children, that sort of thing. Put simply, he will make himself useful."

Balkan inclined his head once. "I'm sure he would be happy to oblige."

The Administrator smiled- this had been simpler than he thought it might have been. "Good. Was there anything else?"

Balkan referred to the letter once again. "Well, actually the request is a little more complicated than just that," he said slowly, seeming to be choosing his words with care. "He also writes, due to its nature, the research may well take him out the borders of Elyne. He would therefore like open permission to travel beyond to other Allied Lands, and indeed perhaps beyond."

The Administrator frowned at that. "No magician has ever been given permission to travel alone outside of the Allied Lands this side of the turn of the century- from his Warrior Skills studies, Akkarin should well aware of that fact- and the reasons why."

"To be fair upon Akkarin, he did write as much, but he also believes his extensive magical strength will protect him from any problems he may come across."

The Administrator allowed himself a smile at such- well, arrogance. "He could be as strong as the High Lord himself and I would deny such a request. The answer is and will remain no. The simple fact remains that we have no idea how a Guild magician will be received in a non-Allied country. I am happy to extend my permission to say he may go where he pleases in the Allied Lands, with the same conditions above applying, but he is not to set a toe anywhere else that does not display the Allied Lands' flag. Especially Sachaka."

Balkan nodded, seeming to be not a little relieved by such a decision. "Very good, Administrator, I shall write up a response to him and send it to your office for you to add your seal within the hour."

The Administrator smiled kindly at the man. "Thank you, Lord Balkan. I appreciate you taking the time."

As Balkan nodded his politely and strode purposefully away, the Administrator sighed and held back a wry chuckle. He then started to walk through the gardens again, but at a slower pace this time.

Oh, to be so young and bold. To be so free of fear and self-doubt that you would willingly walk into a land that for all you know is full to the brim of enemies and assume you have the ability to get yourself out alive. But, then again, perhaps that was the point of being young- and it was up to the older generation to ensure that you never go too far. That was his job as Administrator, and he wouldn't begrudge Akkarin wanting to enjoy his youth- particularly if, one day, he would be shouldering office that the Administrator knew from experience could be back-breaking at times. Freedom is wasted on the free.

To celebrate the anniversary of my first story, here is my second! How are you? Enjoying the summer? Since we last 'met', I have watched my best friend get married, got myself the job of my dreams and got my first Uber. Good times. Enough about me, here's the plan- twenty chapters telling the story of how Akkarin learnt black magic and became High Lord. So all original content, eek! This idea was given to me by a reviewer, so you really really do make a difference when you sent me your thoughts. Also, thanks to everyone who wrote such lovely things on the epilogue of my first fic- you darlings, I don't deserve you. Lots of love, Cece xox