"Fine be that way. See if I care. I’m not staying around you infidels for any longer.” With that I stormed out the house. I’d had another argument with ‘her’ again. It had been a hot summer and that day was no exception.

I was wandering through the sacred woods that lay to the back of my house. These were believed to have been the home place of the ‘gods’, but I didn’t believe any of that absolute rubbish. It was supposedly disrespectful to the ‘gods’ but I didn’t care. At the time I had no respect for any thing on the face of the Earth. Why do I have to marry some one I don’t love? Why I thought you married for love, not gain. So I was angrily forcing my way through the dense undergrowth when I discovered what could only be described as a hovel, more like a rough collection of miscellaneous materials. I had never noticed this, but then I had never been this far into these infernal light consuming woods.

I immediately began to explore this mess because it looked like it had — some kind of — organised chaos about it. I pressed the fear to the back of my mind and began to look around. I rummaged for a while before deciding that someone had just dumped some spare materials they had into the woods so no-one could accuse them of waste. I’m surprised anyone had gotten the courage to do this because, if caught, they would be fined heavily for the misuse of the badly needed materials. I discovered my rage had almost completely subsided, so I turned to leave and discovered, to my amazement, that there was a girl of about my age standing behind me, glaring at me.

"Hello,” I shouted my greeting. "Who are you?” Nothing, only silence. "Is all this yours?”

"So what if it is?” she replied sharply.

" I was only wondering.” I decided to take up the same uptight attitude to her that she had taken with me. " So what’s your name?”

"Crystal.” This was going to be hard to get a whole sentence out of this girl.

"OK, my name is Centin. Where do you live then?” Crystal pointed at the pile of assorted odds and ends. I couldn’t believe that anything could survive in a mess like that! Then Crystal took me completely off guard and asked, "Want to come in?” I was a bit unsure but then decided that it couldn’t hurt. Besides this girl lives alone so she must get lonely.

"Yeah, I’ll come in but not for long because I have to go back home soon.” My new found friend walked straight forward and pushed on a plank near the bottom of the mess. It sprung open and she ducked inside. I hesitated a bit and then went in. Looking around the room didn’t look anything like the outside. I think it used to be a house but it must have gradually crumbled away and was reinforced with all the rubbish on the outside. All the furnishings on the inside remained and the place didn’t look that bad. She gave me the short tour of the tiny house without a word uttered. We ended up in what must have been the old living room. Once again she surprised me by talking,

"So I bet you’re wondering why I live alone here” It was true that I was wondering this.

"Yeah, do you want to talk about it?”

" I don’t mind,” she said with an air of mystery. "My father left my mother when I was about 2 and my mother died about 2 years ago when I was 11. I resent my father for leaving when he did. I don’t know where he went but he left a letter for me saying ‘I have been called away but I will be back.’ That was my last communication with my father.” Her language had surprised me as I had thought she was just an uneducated slob.

"Why haven’t I ever seen you around town?”

"I don’t go near town, I would be cast away. Anyway what’s your story?” I gave the brief story of my life which must have been terribly boring, but she had asked. Then I got onto my prearranged marriage.

"I can’t see why I should have to do this because I am not in love with the one chosen for me. The only reason she was chosen was because her father has a lot of land and money. We frequently row about the matter but that doesn’t help anything. It still stands that, unless I find a more suitable wife, I will marry this beast of a woman.”

"What is her name? I can’t believe she is all that bad.”

"Oh she is and a lot more. Her name is Terrefana and I despise the look of her.”

"Isn’t there any way you can decline?” She simply asked.

"You truly do not know of our settlement and customs. We have prearranged marriages so that the family can make a profit. My parents will gain from it because when Terrefana’s father passes away all the land will become mine and part of my earnings go directly to my parents to repay all of my debts to them for raising me and supplying me with everything I owned. It’s an unfair system but it works.” All through this Crystal had been nodding. I don’t think she actually understood but it made me feel better. I felt at ease with my life while I was talking to this slightly enigmatic girl. Now I had a dilemma. I couldn’t leave this poor soul here by herself but surely I couldn’t stay here. My parents would be worried about where I was. But then screw them for their meddling with my life! I would stay the night here just to spite them and their customs. I couldn’t leave someone in a state like this, it would be monstrous. I had a great feeling of excitement about being the only person that this poor girl had to trust and, even the only one that, perhaps, knew of her existence. Then Crystal completely surprised me by saying "Of course you can stay!” How on Earth could she know my thoughts. This was truly something special. I just had to ask. "How did you know what I was thinking!?” She giggled at me and answered

"I thought everyone could do that!” I was astounded. This girl could read thoughts! This was truly one of the people you hear about in childish fairy tales. This is what could only be described as a mage!

This was the point at which I decided to stay after all. I actually get to talk to an actual mage! This is the stuff dreams are made of. I finally got the courage to ask the question, "How did you manage to read my mind?” A stupid question I know but I got the answer I wanted.

"Well It’s easy. All I have to do is look at you and your face says it all. But why are you so amazed? Isn’t this normal among your people?”

"Well no. People like you only exist in fairy tales as far as the normal people know. You must never let anyone other than me to know that you’re a mage. You would be taken into captivity and show off as a freak of nature!” Crystal’s cold front crumbled. She fled from the room sobbing. I later found her in one of the bedrooms with her face in a pillow still sobbing heavily. I slowly put a comforting arm around her. She shifted away and screamed at me,

"Leave me alone. I’m not a freak. I thought we were friends. I hate you. I hate you.” She turned and went to fall asleep. I decided she needed some time alone and left to go home. I decided I would return the following day with a plate of food and a smile.

As I made my way through the woods and onto the road outside my house, a lone horseman rode up. The man on the horse was built like a brick wall and he was wearing full armour and the horse was also wearing full battle gear. His hair was a great bush of flaming red hair, this was beginning to go grey at the temples. His eyes contained a glimmer which showed great intelligence. This man wasn’t all seriousness, although many lines across his face were from pain and knowledge there were many lines of mirth marking his face. I was shaking as this awesome man rode steadily up to me. I thought it must be the start of an invasion or a war. I was ready to turn and flee when the man spoke my name.

"Centin, where is my daughter?” I was astounded and wasn’t sure what to say. This man knew my name yet I didn’t know him. With my voice aquiver I asked, in the boldest voice I could muster,

"Maybe you should answer my questions before I answer yours. Who are you stranger and what do you want with this town?” The stranger only sighed and drew his sword. He raised it over his head in a great arc until it was completely vertical. He uttered a few words in a language unknown to me and the sky completely clouded over. I couldn’t make out the words being spoken until the last word which he shouted, "KASASH!” This signalled something in the clouds and they began to boil and glow slightly in a pure white colour. When the clouds finally became completely white a huge beam of light shot down from the centre of the clouds and met with the sword in a fierce some clamour. The whole sword was pulsating with electrical charge. The stranger, who was no doubt a mage, heft the huge broadsword behind him and swiped the air in front of him with no effort at all. A white beam shot from the tip of the sword and snaked through the air to meet the woods. The trees disintegrated immediately and a clear path was carved through the trees to the little house I had just returned from. When the beam hit the pile of rubble and rubbish around the house, it vanished in a burst of white light and there stood what must have been the original house.

"That daughter,” he said in an almost triumphant voice. Without even as much as a word he rode through the ‘tree alley’ to the house. I ran in hot pursuit after him and got there in time to see him opening the door. He was now clad in humble clothes. Only a tunic and breeches, he must have left his armour with his horse. I ran into the house and found Crystal standing there with her father. There were red streaks down her eyes, showing that she had been crying earlier, from which she had obviously made a complete recovery. She now seemed happy and content when earlier she had been racked with sorrow. Her father had placed a protective arm around her, I think the only thing that stopped him striking me down like he did the trees was Crystal’s outburst, "No he’s a friend. Leave him, leave him.” As she said this she dramatically leaped in the way of her father which apparently wasn’t needed.

"I know my poppet. I’m a mage too, my love.” He proffered his hand. "Hello, my name is Xandile. I am the great warrior who fought in the Scontain campaign. I slayed a thousand heathens that day. But enough about me, tell me about yourself.”

"I am Centin from the village down in the valley. I live in one of the houses in the outskirts near here. I met your daughter here not long ago and she seemed upset. I comforted her.” Xandile smiled, which was the last thing I expected him to do. I took his hand and shook it. His handshake made my fingers crack it was so strong. He then said, "You are now a friend of the true mages. You are welcome to join our ranks nearby. We will armour you, train you and feed you. Do you wish to fight the war against the evil in this world?”

I was absolutely amazed. I had only just met the man and he was offering me a place in an army regiment. I was too polite to decline and this was perhaps the best decision I ever made in my young life. " I’ll do it! But don’t I need to know magic, sir? I am but an ordinary man. I have no skill in magical warfare.”

He smiled at me and said, "Ah, but you have talent. You could be trained up to be a fearsome fighter. You have great potential and you won’t fulfil that here. Now come here. I have some presents for you.”

We walked outside to where the horse had been tied up. He reached into the huge saddlebags that hung beside the horse — which at the time was eating his share of grass. He pulled out a bottle of strange looking liquid. It changed colour and opacity. I took this reluctantly as I knew this to be something of great magical value. He then reached to the side of the horse. He brought out a large iron shield with an emblem unfamiliar to me imprinted on it. This was obviously a piece of great workmanship.

"I have instructions to give as well. This potion is a sleeping draught and will let you make your parents sleep and when they wake from this enchanted sleep they will remember nothing of your presence in this town and they will convince the other townsfolk that you didn’t exist as anything more as a dream, a fantasy. This shield was crafted by dragons in the heights of the Forchay mountains. These are worth more than anything you will ever own. Now run home and give the draught as I wish to be off at once.” Without even stopping to give my thanks I was off running for home with the potion gripped tightly in one hand and the shield slung over my back. When I got home, dinner was being served and I managed to sneak the vial into the soup. I went straight into my room and picked up all my possessions. These were 20 gold pieces, a few items of clothing and a ring given to me by my late grandmother. Her last words to me were, ‘This ring is the key to your soul and your future. Keep it safe and never leave it.’ I had believed my grandmother then and believed her now so that was slipped on my finger as I went out of the door. I went straight round to the stable at the back of our house. We all had a horse and mine was called Henkel. He was a string horse, bred from a family of war horses and another family of strong work horses. I knew he would be of some use. I saddled him up and we were off galloping through the woods, back to my future.