Magicfall: A Study In Magic Chapter One: Night and Stars (Press space or click the screen to learn about the realms and mages) I laid in my bed, shivering. It was early in the morning and very dark, but I could still see snow blowing outside of my window. Crystal-like icicles hung from lanterns and rooftops. Everything was always so pretty when the first snow broke through. Especially the Shrouded Forest, with its magical Silverleaf trees and exotic Frostdragons. Oh, right. I haven’t introduced myself! I’m Tourmaline. Tourmaline Hemlock. I live in the very beautiful Realm of Night and Stars. Specifically in the capital, Zethrena. Zethrena is a huge city that spans on for miles. It’s also home to the most prestigious academy in all the realm, Euclyptia. Me and my family live on the edge (somewhat) of the city. My father, Koran, is a combat instructor at the academy. My mother, Flora, is a minor healer and at one point, she set up a botanical shop for healing plants, but it got shut down by plantkeepers. Neither of them have magic, so we live pretty far from Euclyptia. Magic is a finicky substance. It created and holds the realms together. And for some people, it runs in their blood, giving them the ability to wield it. These people are called Mages. It’s not as common to be a mage. Luckily, I’m more than just a common person. I have magic. Or at least a little bit of it. I discovered my power a year ago in the Shrouded Forest. As I mentioned before, there’s lots of Silverleaf trees there. Anyway, silverleaves are magical leaves that heal minor cuts, bruises, and headaches. My mother needed some more silverleaves, so I headed to the outskirts of the Shrouded Forest to find some. It’s dangerous to go too far into the Shrouded Forest, but no one knows why, probably because anyone who goes in too far does not come out. So I was smart enough to stay on the outskirts. Anyway, I found a huge silverleaf tree and I began to climb it. Eventually, I climbed high enough to grab a handful of silverleaves. Now, I would have climbed down without any problem, but one of those stupid, tiny frostdragons caused another pile of snow to fall down on me, and I lost my balance and fell down. I would’ve hit the ground really hard, but I suddenly just stopped in midair, near the ground. I awkwardly hovered there for a few seconds, then fell on the ground. Long story short, I figured out I had magic. I can freeze time, which I guess makes me a Timebender. I had been so excited to tell Mother and Father, but they hadn’t exactly shared my enthusiasm. Mother just frowned at me and continued her work, while Father told me how much he disapproved of magic. It’s probably because they were lucky to get jobs without magic. Combat training is one of the only subjects that doesn’t include magic, alongside History and Arithmetic (which are always filled). And Mother can’t be anything more than a minor healer because she can’t heal with magic, not to mention her botanical shop was completely overlooked just because she couldn’t grow plants with magic. Wow, I got really sidetracked. Anyway, today was the perfect day to explore the Shrouded Forest (not too deep, of course). I pulled out a rough piece of paper, folded up. I’m creating the first-ever map of the Shrouded Forest. I bring my favorite pen, a quill taken from a darkfeather. Before I leave, I change into simple, brown leggings and strap my map to them. I throw on a white tunic and a green shirt, plus my leather boots. Once I was ready, I popped open my window and climbed out, then jumped to the ground. I didn’t bother telling my parents I was leaving. If you can’t already tell, I have a complicated relationship with my parents. I was okay with them until I developed my magic; Father taught me how to fight and Mother taught me botany and healing. But now that I have magic, they’ve distanced themselves from me. They already didn’t exceptionally like me, and having magic was just the last straw. But, whatever, it doesn’t really matter. Someday I’ll attend Euclyptia, become a full-fledged mage, and take on a magical profession, like mapkeeping or being an ambassador to the other realms. But for now, I’m a semi-normal person very far away from Euclyptia and any kind of magical education. I shiver, chilled to the bone. With the brisk morning air and the fresh downfall of snow, it’s amazing I haven’t turned into an iceblock. I have been turned into an iceblock, of course, by a frostdragon. The trick is to avoid the first stinger on the ends of their tails. It doesn’t hurt to get stung, but it does freeze all the blood in your body for a little bit. But they’re also the reason our realm gets snow, so I don’t really mind them. Soon I’m at the edge of the Shrouded Forest. The huge trees are covered in snow, making the forest seem brighter than usual. I pull out my quill and my map. (Continue Below)
It’s not done yet, but someday it will be. I venture farther into the forest, and find a large, icy creek that I haven’t seen before. I quickly sketch it on my map. I notice small, glittering green scales in the water. Huh. Forestscales must come here a lot. I’m a big fan of forestscales. They’re adorable. The only thing I don’t like about them is how slimy they are. Their scales are valuable though, since they’re used in jewelry. I hop into the creek and grab as many as I can, then stuff them into my backpack. Ugh, my hair keeps getting in the way. My hair is a light green, just like my mother’s. I wish I was as pretty as my mother. I’m a bit skinny, with bright, blue eyes and pale skin. My mother has perfect skin, a perfect shape, and beautiful blue eyes. I don’t know a whole lot about my mother. I know she had a twin named Fauna, who’s dead. I never knew her, but I did find a picture of her hidden in Mother’s bedroom. She looked just like Mother, except her hair looked like it was on fire, with orange and red mixed in with yellow. Then I realize I’ve been staring at this creek for, like, five minutes. I think way too much. I start to head back, when I see something metal gleaming in the dirt. I pick it up, and brush the dirt off of it. It’s a circular pendant, with a strange symbol on it. There were three pillars with a flame on each one, and an arrow shot through all of them. I didn’t know what it was, but I pocketed it. Who knows? Maybe it was worth something. Chapter Two: https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/1323605844
