Arthur and The Kingdom of Magic: Part 1

The kingdom of magic was a small one, and so when the people discovered that they could create magical things with their hands, and then turn those creations into real objects, it sparked quite a bit of excitement amongst them. Many of these people decided that there must be something special about their own hands to produce such marvels, so they began experimenting.

They built their own wooden ships, made new kinds of toys, and even tried building an actual horse. When this didn’t work out, they invented machines which were able to make themselves. But all of this was only temporary. After a while, many people grew bored with these inventions and wanted something better than what they had. In desperation, they turned their attention back to magic and found themselves with another way to accomplish their dreams.

Magic was still considered the most mysterious of powers by some people in the kingdom. They called it ‘the magic’, but no one truly knew how this power worked or what it did. What they did know though, was that if you used magic to create new life, that meant you also could create magic itself. That knowledge alone drew in the young children from across the country, who sought it out.

The children would come to the capital city and look around for ways to make something bigger and better, hoping that one day they might discover more about the mysteries of the land. Then one day, a little boy dressed in rags, wandered into the kingdom on his own terms, searching for an answer to what he could do. He was dirty and hungry and had lost nearly everything; nothing left except his name. He looked up at the great palace of the king, and felt as though he had been transported back in time to the time before magic existed, as he stood before the grand gates of the castle and stared up at the magnificent building. It was beautiful and imposing, but for once the child did not notice any of this. Instead, his gaze fixed on the golden crown upon the head of the man sitting at the bottom of the steps leading up to the palace doors.

There was a momentary pause as the man took in the boy's appearance, but he soon regained himself.
"Welcome to my court," he said softly, standing and moving down the stairs slowly. The child couldn't believe his luck. A king? This man was really here!
"I'm sorry your highness, I didn't realize anyone else was inside!" cried the boy, suddenly feeling nervous.
The king smiled gently.
"Hmph... Well it was my fault for being stealthy." he replied.

"Say, why have you come to my palace? Even more so, the kindgom? You don't strike me as a royal." The king said to the boy rather inquisitively. "Tell me now, just who are you and what is your purpose here?" The king asked.

"Well, your majesty, my name is Arthur and I have come from the outlands to learn Magic". The boy replied rather confidently.

"Hmm... Magic you say?... Very well, come with me." The king said quite skeptically before gesturing to the boy to follow him.

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The boy nodded eagerly and followed the man into the castle and past several large hallways until they reached a room where several people were gathered. There seemed to be a mix of men and women in that room as well, including several children, and they watched silently as the king approached a group of people who seemed to be discussing something. The king then stopped short near the middle of the chamber, and gestured to the little boy:

"Here he is," he announced. "His name is Arthur, and he's come to ask permission to study magic."
The crowd both in confusion and disgust to see a commoner little boy from the outlands wishing to learn Magic, all gave a loud and hysterical laugh that frankly, made little Arthur feel very uncomfortable. But it wasn't until when a young woman in an all black attire, stepped out of the crowd to address the little boy, had the entire room gone silent.

By the grim and stern decorum of the countenance she wore, it was undeniable that this young woman commanded a very high sense of dignity and fear in the hearts of the people of the kindgom - even the king.

The lady then bent over to the little boy and spoke softly:
"Hmm...You wish to learn magic, then?" the woman asked.
"Yes ma'am," replied the boy earnestly. "Please don't be afraid. I won't hurt anything and I promise I won't steal."
A few laughs echoed around the room, and the woman gave a nod.
"Very well," she declared. "If you are willing to travel this far and go through all the trouble, then, who am I to say no? We welcome you to the family of the King."
"Oh thank you... thank you your grace!," said Arthur gratefully then he bowed respectfully to both the king and the strange lady. As he straightened up, he noticed that all of the people in the room, including, the king, had retreated a couple paces away from them, leaving alone only the strange lady and himself in the center of the room. And as he continued to speak with the young woman, he could notice, from the corner of his eyes, the aweness, surrealness, and fear in the faces of every single Soul that stood in thatroom.

"You're welcome," she answered, returning Arthur's bow. Now, follow me. I will take you to my tower were we can begin your first lessons in magic".

As Arthur turned to follow her, he saw the king give a brief glance in his direction, as though warning him against doing something foolish, but Arthur paid him no mind. Instead, the young magician turned and walked right up to the strange lady and gave a polite curtsy.
"Thank you again, ma'am. Your kindness means the world to me", he murmured. "But say, you grace... Oh ever so why do the other kingdom people, including his Majesty, seem to fear you so?" the boy asked inquistively before then realizing how intrusive and insensitive his question might have been. "Oh dear, please forgive my foolish questions ma'am!"

This was apparently the right thing to do, as the strange lady let out an amused chuckle.
"Ha! You mean those terrified little royals?Well, to put it straight my boy...they all fear that I will turn into Moldak and devour them! Haha..." The woman chuckled with a large smirk on her face.

"Pardon me your grace... Moldak? You mean like the legendary dragons of the early days? How is that even possible? There's only been one sorceress in history to hold such power... Wait a minute!... are you saying you're?..." the little boy spoke in sudden amazement

"That's right Young Arthur... I am Elyxia, the one whom you may know as the dragon sorceress". the lady spoke with confidence and prerogative.

Arthur completely marvelled now by what he had just heard could not help but feel not only an overhelming sense of respect for the young woman, but also a dreadful feeling of fear which chilled the very marrow in his bones. He knew very well that just one step out of line, could result in the complete termination of his self....

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