Chapter 1: Awakening

The three spookily shining rings on Trace's fingers were a contrast to the inky streets of Holdinberg. He walked into the haven of a bun stand as light showers began to fall. Gathering information was proving even more fruitless than initial impressions. Thoughtfully, he looked at the few raindrops which manage to fall before than their companions raising wisps of dust. Today marked the seventh day of Central Holdinberg visits to collect information.

Before long, hit with a realization he thought, maybe it is rude to only stand here. Turning towards the bun maker he ordered two hot buns. The old bun maker slowly opened his eyes, nodded, and began heating the buns.

Trace looked around the street exhaling foggy breath. Densely packed Holdinberg street with houses, a few fancy stores, all emitting a strange feeling. His eyes then focused onto a nearby store with a see-through glass. Form here the store was not as bright as, when he passed by, few minutes ago. It was as if the glass was absorbing the light back which passes through, holding it back.

The sweet smell of buns interrupted Trace's thoughts. Very warm and comforting, unlike this part of the world. He paid a silver coin for two hot bun and began nibbling one. The weather was dark all year which made it difficult to predict the rain. If one could look down from where the rain fell, they would see the streets coiling the earth like chains.

Something feels off, seems like they are here again today. Trace hurriedly thanked the old bun maker as he stepped into the rain. It was rare for him to leave his master's place which was in North Holdinberg. Striding, he closed his left eye and chanted a Scouting Spells. Three auras closing in, each with two distinguishable halos, filled his vision. This trio came in earlier than usual today, something felt off. Trace sped up, sometime, slowed down to keep the distance in check.

For ten years, Trace was the only one who went out of the castle. It was the only way life slipped by for him. Suddenly distracted from alchemy, he looked out of the window. Holler winds knocked calling out for the obscured. It was two weeks ago, final days to the ten years of stabile life.

"Trace, I will be back in a day or two, don't worry. Do not step outside the castle and here! Contact me with this spell if anything happens".

"Yes master…."

Three days passed in a flash. At the end of the day, Trace looked at the rattling window. The howling weather washed him with uneasiness. He chanted the spell to check if everything was alright. To his dismay, the spell did not work despite his numerous efforts.

Communication spells require the users to sync their mana with the natural mana veins. The spell itself did the work of encrypting and decrypting the message. Frantically, Trace spent the rest of the night learning every nitty gritty of the spell. Just before he passed out the realization that hit was cruel. It was a modified spell made easy to use. Everything worked from his end but there was no one to receive his messages.

Next morning, Trace woke up with a heavy heart. The only time he saw his master out of the castle in North Holdinberg was when the later took him in. Why would master suddenly go out? Why did he not keep his word?

Heading out to find leads was the only thing left to workout with. Trace went out of the castle and spent the next few days scrambling North Holdinberg. Gaining no leads, he made up his mind and entered Central Holdinberg. The trio sniffed his arrival and followed him every day since then.

A chase that would start sometime after his entry in Central Holdinberg and end with Trace using Scouting and Hinderance spells to lose his pursuers. Trace increased his speed. Now was the time to lose them and go back to North Holdinberg. He saw the three auras slowing down, through his left eye.

"Seems like they gave up".

Unexpectedly the spell received disturbance and his left eye bled. Trace staggered but continued forward. Today his fears were staging. His mood hit rock bottom. Over the years his cowardice developed into an accurate misfortune alarm.

Suddenly a figure closed in. As Trace looked back, he was greeted with a punch that sent him spinning into a lamppost. The figure was of a middle-aged man wearing a rob etched with symbols resembling magnifying glasses. Two pesky looking girls followed him.

Trace's mind and body was in turmoil. This was his first time being hit so badly. Tears flowed down his eyes and his thoughts sunk into silence.

Trace rarely left North Holdinberg. Excluding this week, he only left his home region one time. Central Holdinberg was an independent region so was the North. Trades and travel between the two regions were little to none. Rumours in the Central said that that North is an unpleasant place with a suffocating aura. Although many things were unclear, some facts were clear. Central was ruled by Yuushine family and the North, despite being lawless, gained no attraction from major powers.

"Go easy on him, what if you damage the prize"?! rebuked one pesky looking girl.

"I wonder if he is dead, sis", said the next girl but her expressions said otherwise. The girls looked exactly the same except one of them had shorter hair than the other. They also wore identical robes with golden embroidery. In contrast to the middle aged man, who fit perfectly in glum-berg, the girls appearances were out of this world. Perhaps, the golden ivy symbols were the only thing could make you shine in Holdinberg.

"Get up boy", said the middle aged man with a huge build. He was satisficed by the impact of the punch but the result left him jumpy.

"What do you think of my new spell Dorry? Even a level three Sorcerer cannot stand after one hit", bluffed the man. A smile escaped his lips which annoyed the two sisters.

"Hmph! You just got lucky there. Remember our deal, we split the profit three way. Right Lorry?"

"Sister is right, know your place Darkseal. Even if you were a level 3 Magician, without our duo tracking spell this opportunity would have slipped right under your noses".

Darkseal walked towards Trace, with a grin like a scorning wolf. He was well aware of his status. Being a level 2 Sorcerer did not help in front of the two level 1 sisters. The two sister were the last remaining scion of the Yuushine family, royalty, along with the current leader. But he still tried to inflate his part in this mission. Beating a level 3 Sorcerer as level 2 was unheard of, he was still jumpy about it all. But unfortunately, the sisters were clueless. And Darkseal wasn't going to start an unwinnable argument.

He picked up Trace like a rag doll, prostrating himself like a hero. In case the sisters learn more about the Sorcerer world in the future, they would definitely favor him more. Perhaps, look back at this moment in awe. But he knew the sisters were idiots and it was very unlikely. Whatever, investing two seconds for the future was definitely a good trade off.

"Give us the treasure we sensed, you can keep rest of the trash", Dorry said, impatiently.

Darkseal carefully examined the three dim rings on Trace's fingers and then looked at his own, two bright, rings. He put Trace down and began searching Trace with a solemn expression. The uneasiness was settling down. Only helplessness made him grin. Maybe everyone was mistaken about level 3 being 100 times as strong as level 2. After all, Central Holdinberg only had two level 3 Sorcerers.

The girls saw Darkseal keeping the hot bun from Trace's pockets and their faces filled with contempt. But as soon as Darkseal pulled Trace's left sleeves up, their expression changed. They saw a wide bracelet with complex runes. The runes were pitch black and gave an illusion of swimming about. All three of them could not take their eyes away from the bracelet and gulped together.

"Shall we take it out"? Darkseal was the one to break the silence.

Darkseal came back to his senses and read the situation. A magical treasure could not be taken by ordinary means, pickpocketing did not help, even the death of the owner was not enough. A treasure was classified as magical only if it gained the ability to recognize its owner. This was a fairly simple concept, imprint the treasure with your magical mark and it will forever be yours.* However, if the transfer of ownership were to occur, it was possible only by two ways. The owner willingly removes his mark or if someone forcefully replace his mark.

Dorry snapped and hastily signaled her sister to remove the bracelet. Clearly, she wanted Darkseal to have no part in it anymore. Although, they were working together the sisters were part of Yuushine bloodline whereas Darkseal was only a recruited outsider.

Daskeal and Dorry quietly looked at the bracelet while Lorry positioned herself in different angles to pull out the bracelet. Disregarding her valiant efforts the bracelet did not budge even a centimeter. After giving it her all, she looked at her elder sister with teary eyes in response Dorry helped her up. Ignoring the sisterly moment Darkseal closed in to the bracelet as if it was his turn. Perhaps, a sign from the heavens.

"Darkseal don't you dare betray the Yuushine family", shouted Dorry frantically, when she saw Darkseal sending his magic into the bracelet. The fastest way to imprint a magical treasure was to send a lot of magic into it. Although, the sisters did not know about the magical imprint they knew that sending magic into a treasure will make it recognize an owner. Both of them were level 1 Sorcerers so they just planned to take the treasure home and later bargain it for a better position in the family.

"Hahaha! I, Darkseal, will never be held down by your family nor by Holdinberg".

Darkseal grinned. He sent nearly fifty percent of his magic into the pendant but received no response. Perceiving no alternate choice existed he could only increase the rate of magic transfer. If he could claim the treasure the sisters coveted, the profits would be unimaginable. What if he could breakthrough to level 3? Leaving Yuushine family and Central Holdinberg would no longer be a dream. Perhaps, he could also join a rival family receiving status and fame.

The sisters could only watch Darkseal crazily sending magic into the bracelet. Darkseal was on the verge of becoming a level 3 Sorcerer. The amount of magic he possessed was greater than the two sisters combined. He used both hands to transfer magic resulting in the formation of a vortex. Dorry's robes were fluttering wildly, she had her hands wrapped around Lorry. The sisters were forced on their knees and could bearely see Darkseal and Trace floating in between the vortex.

Everything was turning brighter, the glasses on the doors, windows, were at their limits to absorb light. But before the light from the vortex could shoot towards the sky, an unexpected blast broke the vortex. Trace and Darkseal were sent flying in opposite directions. The sisters arduously looked over and saw Trace coated in a green light and in the opposite direction, Darkseal covered in rubble and smoke.