Embracing Love and Power
Chapter 1 - New world

The sun had started to set as Tillie Amor started her surveillance run around the town. It wasn’t exactly a town it was more a settlement constructed in an old abandoned industrial cite in the middle of the desert. After what people refer to as ‘the big ending’ happened, the world as we know it had been destroyed.

The people who survived, started to rebuild civilization on a city that wasn’t completely destroyed. The capital Levi rose from the ashes. Since Levi was thriving more cities were founded. Not all people were welcome there. Some were blamed for what happened. They were chased out of the cities, they were hunted and killed. Soon the council was formed, a group of power-hungry men that forced and exploited the people in and around Levi. They even organized a structured hunt on some people. The outcasts sought refuge, a place to live. They started a new world here in the middle of the desert, hidden in plain sight far from the original cities, Tillie was one of those outcasts.

Tillie searched the horizon for incoming danger but luckily all was calm, too calm as the silence before the storm. She checked the magic veil that covered the settlement, but everything seemed in place. She walked around until she stopped at the ruins of an old tower near the edge of the settlement. With ease she climbed up and sat down. There was something calming about the evening, the cold of the night dispelling the scorching heat of the day. Although the night surveillance shift wasn’t for her, she knew she wouldn’t be able to sleep and would be much more useful up here. It was a strange and difficult time; Tillie was looking for her place in the world. Meanwhile the people in the settlement were expecting her to lead them into a new future, but she wasn’t sure what that future held.

Tillie dusted off her grey pants and settled into her brown fur coat. She untied her long black hair from her neat bun. It fell in waves on her lap. She fiddled with the ring on her finger, the only memory left of her parents. The emerald green stone cast a warm glow as her fingers brushed over it. When she touched it and closed her eyes, images appeared. Her parents died not long after she was born, they wanted her to have something to remember them of, so they imprinted the ring with magical memories. Tillie watched them meet in a world so different from hers. The great Silver Meadow academy still existed and was used to train the most powerful mages from around the world. The academy’s sole purpose was to defend human kind. Magicians were respected and loved by people.

Tillie smiled as she saw how her father laid eyes on her mother for the first time. It warmed her heart, her father fell for her mother instantly. Tillie studied her mother; she was the most beautiful woman she had ever seen. She had a good heart, filled with only good intentions. People loved her, always sought her advice. Her father was the exact opposite, people were afraid of him. Some whispered that he was purely evil and that his magic was dark and twisted. That may have been true until the moment they met. The problem with mages is that some of them are just too powerful to control their emotions and powers. Instead, they let their emotions run their powers, resulting in chaos and dark magic. But the moment her parents met, everything had changed, her mother became the beacon of light her father needed. She was able to help him keep his powers and emotions in check. Tillie watched them fall in love. Together they became the most powerful magician couple the world had ever seen.

But every good story needs a villain, there was one magician who wanted the rules to change. Humans enslaved or exterminated and the world ruled by magic. His name was Mrithun, he was just as bad as her father used to be. He didn’t have anyone to ease his emotions, nor did he want someone. No one knew how far his power reached. He declared war on the world. And with the magical army he had built, he marched to the Silver Meadow academy. His army consisted of some other mages, magical creatures and humans forced by magic. They all looked fearless and ready to kill anyone. The academy lined up his best and many mages fought side by side with humans to end the evil. What followed was an epic battle greater than ever seen in history. It took years, until Tillie’s father and mother finally cornered Mrithun themselves.

The fight was magical, beyond anything people had ever seen. The power and spells flew through the air, creating a thunderstorm that no one had ever seen before. The air was so full of magic that it became almost poisonous. In the end her parents had defeated Mirthun, but the price was huge. With his dying breath he had cast a powerful spell. Tillie’s mother was hit and died after the fight was over in the loving arms of her father. He was devastated and blinded by the loss and grief. He exploded in a twisted dark magical poisonous blast. The blast washed over the earth and made most parts uninhabitable, most humans and magicians died. The humans who had survived, had seen what magic could do. Instantly forgetting that it was magic that saved them in the first place, they embarked on a hunt from which no magician was safe.

Tillie opened her eyes as tears rolled over her cheeks. Her mother had visions of the approaching war and so she hid her precious daughter with a magician, living far away from the academy. She was only three years old when the hunt crossed her path. Tillie had been really lucky the day they were discovered, the mage had casted a magic veil to hide her and so she saved her life in the process. The mage could have escaped along with Tillie, but she believed at the time that if they thought they had killed a mage; they would move on. Tillie stayed hidden under the veil for a few days until Alden Blake, the former principal of the Silver Meadow academy, finally found her. Alden had taken her under his wings and taught Tillie a lot, he had founded the settlement and helped mages from all over the world escape and take refuge in the new world. Alden had always prepared her for her role as their leader. He had foolishly believed her dying mothers last words, that only Tillie would bring peace amongst the people. Tillie raised her eyebrows and sighed; her mother couldn’t have been more wrong. She turned out to be just like her father, a ticking time bomb. Tillie had steered clear from magic, she had trained her body and mind, but never the magic part. So far Alden had respected her wishes, but she knew it was only a matter of time before he would pressure her into using it.

Tillie looked over the settlement. She didn’t want to sleep because she knew that if she slept the visions or dreams would start to appear again. Tillie heard someone approach and she picked up her sword, she listened intently to the sounds around her and stood up. She approached the person without making any noise. She hid behind some rocks until he was within reach. She held the blade of her sword against his throat, only then did she see who he was. “Easy Breaker, it’s me. August.” The person said. Tillie smiled of course August would come looking for her. “Why are you here? All alone?” he asked. “Someone has got to look out for us.” Tillie replied. “Nobleman is on patrol tonight.” August replied. She looked at her friend as they walked back to where Tillie was sitting. “I know, I just have a really bad feeling and I wanted to make sure everyone is safe.” “Spoken like the rightful leader you are.” He replied.

Tillie stared daggers at her friend, although she and August grew up together, he was walking on thin ice. “Breaker be careful one of these days your look will kill me.” August smiled at her. He was really great at changing her mood, she smiled gratefully at him. When she and Alden had found the frightened boy ten years ago, she never could have imagined that he would become her best friend. It was in the ruins of an old mansion that they had found August. Even though he was older than Tillie, he was too scared to move. She had grabbed his hand with her small hand and dragged him out from between the rocks. From that day on, they were inseparable.

“Stop calling me that. People tend to take over that name.” She said. “Why? It suits you and besides it reminds people of the hero you really are. They can use that hope to get through these dark times.” August answered. Tillie looked up at the stars and studied them. “Do you really believe that things will change, that a better time will come for all of us?” August shrugged. “I am not the one who has visions. But if you want to know my opinion, it won’t be long before humans will revolt against the current military structure, the ruling of the council. Those elite soldiers are monsters and people are hungry. With any luck, they’ll kill each other and leave us to take back what is ours.” He said. “I don’t think it will be that easy. Someone must be pointing out the mages and help defeating them.” “I am glad you have no memories of that night, but make no mistake the soldiers grabbed my sister to blackmail my parents into committing suicide. And after they did, they killed my sister without even thinking about it.” Heavy tears rolled down August’s cheeks he looked bitter in the darkness.

Tillie remained silent no words could make up for such a traumatic event. “But things will change one way or another, I really hope it’s through your guidance and ruling.” He said. “The odds are higher that I will kill all of us first.” She responded. “Probably” he laughed. “I mean you really are a worthless magician.” Tillie looked at her friend. “May I point out that your greatest hope is this worthless magician?” She said with a grin. “I think you are one of the greatest magicians that ever existed.” “Please August.” Tillie rolled her eyes. “It is true, you just need a beacon.”

“What are you saying?” she asked. “You father was uncontrolled until he met your mother.” “And?” she replied. “What if it is the same for you? What if you just need to meet the right person to stabilize your emotions?” Tillie was silent and pocked with her sword in the sand. “Have you never thought that could be an option?” August asked. “I have. And yet I haven’t found anyone to do that for me. Most people just enrage me further.” She answered. “And even if you found him, you can’t tell a single person.” He added. “Why not?” Tillie looked curiously at her friend. “The reason we live this way” August gestured widely around him. “is because your father exploded after your mother died. Alden must have told you.” “No, he hasn’t. I mean, I knew he died of grief and pain. Do you think his emotions just took over and killed everything?” she asked cautiously. “Lots of people think that’s what happened. Tillie, in times of desperation it can be used again.” He replied. She looked shocked at August. “You mean someone would kill my beacon assuming I may found one, just to make me explode?” August nodded his head. “You must be careful; you cannot trust anyone.”

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