Chapter One
White Fire

The Gnesin Verdict, is a giant grass plain spanning over almost the entirety of the western side of Decipia. Since the beginning of memory the flat land has been a magnet for hidieous unnatural storms. It is a perilous venture to attempt to cross the Gnesin Verdict, almost all that dared to challenge the renowned danger, had fallen quickly to the absolute power of nature.

The Gnesin Verdict unfortunately split the eastern province of Decipia into two halves, cities resided on either side and it had begun to cause problems with communications between lands. Many who attempt to cross from one side to the other are forced to either find a magical means of transportation or simply take the long, lonely path around the plains. The raging elements were said to be the result of a great battle against Korajinas.

The legend of Korajinas is well-known to all of Decipia's residents, a very sparse handful could actually account for the fight itself. However it was a mighty enough conflict to churn the clouds above into an everlasting fray with the land, those who could tell the story would tell of the evil that turned the sky into darkness, they would speak of the hooded figure that manipulated lightning as if it were but a plaything.

The battle against Korajinas spanned over a number of years, the conflict cost many lives. Wizards, warriors and innocents died to the madness that the enemy spewed across the land. The weakness of The Foul One could not be exposed, for there was no apparent flaw in his power, many tried to approach him directly, only then did it become known that none could defeat Korajinas.

At the brink of defeat The Anrai Order of wizards rose from their cities to combine into a group; they created a spell that could allow their minds to act as one. As a single entity they approached Korajinas' lair and declared his end, as they expected he appeared and mocked their attempt at a resistance. As he spoke of his vile plans to rule all and manipulate the laws of the realm to obey his never-ending thirst for power, the Anrai fired a wave of pure energy that consumed them and Korajinas, along with a large part of the land itself.

The war was over, and the damage to the people and the land was finally coming to an end. It was no gleeful event, however, so many had been lost in the madness that only despair and grief followed Korajinas' end. A titanic swirling maelstrom was left as a reminder to Decipia's populace of the Anrai's power and the overall history of the insane war. Named Korajinas' Rest, the malevolent maelstrom churns even today, continuously eating away at the cliffs around it, as if even in death, Korajinas, the white tiger, was still trying to claim what he believed rightfully belonged to him. The Island.

Near the edge of the northern side of The Gnesin Verdict, a small home stood as a stoic reminder of the people's tenacity in the face of force. A family of wolves resided within, they were well-known for their bravery (or stupidity) to live so close to the Gnesin Verdict.

Solar rays breached one of the home's bedroom windows, calling for dawn once more. A gale of wind rustled through the grass plains towards the dwelling. A howling sounded from afar, the wind slammed into the side of the house. The bedroom window flew open viciously, it swung around and crashed into the wall spraying glass onto the floor.

Haych's eyes flicked open, just in time to witness himself jump straight out of bed and collide head-first into the stone wall in front of him. Haych laid between his bed and the wall, it was a cramped place to be. Dazed and suffering from minor concussion, he climbed up against the side of his bed and knelt facing it. He sighed heavily and rubbed his head with his paws. His white fur was crumpled and untidy from a long sleep. Haych got up lazily and stumbled around his bed to see the destroyed window, it had broken off of its frame and successfully laid glass all over the floor.

A knock sounded from the bedroom door. Zen, Haych's father, opened the door slightly and peered in. He first looked at the broken window, and then switched his gaze to Haych.
"You look bloody awful!" Zen informed Haych, "not a good sleep?"
"No, not at all, I'm afraid." Haych looked down at the wooden floor, feeling pessimistic.
"Don't worry; the sun is shining brightly today. Ayd and Ket went into town early this morning. They should be back soon." Zen said.
"Alright then, have you already had breakfast?"
"Yes, there's plenty left for you though. Take your time." Zen then made his way out of the room and disappeared from view. Footsteps could be heard as he worked his way back towards the other side of the house.

Haych stood looking at the door where Zen had been, he'd been feeling depressed recently, with no real explanation as to why. The weather was typically very harsh this close to the Gnesin Verdict, today for some reason it was quite bright. Perhaps the anomaly was making Haych feel uncomfortable. Either way, the wind had still betrayed their home once again. It had not been the first time windows had been lost to the elements.

That night had been very restless for Haych; he had been suffering from night terrors for the past two nights. Normally he would wake up screaming in the middle of the night. That night had been very surreal; he had a dream regarding the workings of wizards and their magical doings. He had never had an interest in that broad subject, yet after that dream he suddenly felt as if he had to find out more on the topic.

Disregarding his current thoughts he turned towards his wardrobe, opened the polished wooden doors and picked out plain trousers and a black shirt. He stared at himself in the mirror for a moment, noticing how drastically crumpled and lifeless his white fur seemed. His ears were flat against his head; he paid little attention to the mirror as he exited his room and padded down the corridor towards the kitchen. Down the corridor, small wooden doors lined entrances into other bedrooms and a bathroom, the house was more like a cabin in that respect. It had a large entrance room, which also accounted for the kitchen, lounge and dining room. Most of the house had been made of strong blocks of stone to withstand the Gnesin Verdict on a day to day basis. However, the floor was made of old, polished wood.

The strong smell of bacon wafted around in the air, Haych could feel his mouth begin to water as he got closer to the kitchen. When he arrived he sat at the dining table. A plate of bacon, sausages and other various meats were offered in the middle of the table, along with a clay pot, filled with freshly brewed coffee. As he quickly began to eat and drink what was in front of him, a grandfather clock ticked in the background.

The clock had clearly been in its place for a long period of time, small indents in the floor showed where the weight of the antique had depressed the wood to make way for its huge form. The brass pendulum swung from side to side hypnotically, someone had obviously spent a great deal of time creating the clock, it was such an example of splendid devotion and care that it deserved to be referred to as a work of art.

Around the room, various antiques and pieces of art were displayed proudly, for any guest to gasp at. Each display was maintained, oiled, dusted or otherwise kept tidy to slow the effects of age upon the collection.

Zen finished cleaning cutlery in the kitchen, grabbed a towel and went to sit on the opposite side of the table, facing Haych as he ate. Zen was drying his paws and forearms, when he was done he reached over and poured himself a cup of coffee.
"When you're done, you should go and clean yourself up. I'm sure you're aware of how untidy you look." Zen said.
"It's not as if we have any visitors to cater for. Besides, I have something that I feel that I should ask you." Zen tilted his head as Haych questioningly.
"What is it?" He sipped his coffee, whilst looking across the table.
"I had a dream last night; I remember it being about magic. And ever since I woke up this morning I felt as though I needed to find out more about the subject."
"Now. Listen very carefully to what I'm about to say." Zen looked at Haych sternly. He leaned closer to exaggerate his point. "Magic is an extremely respected art. I will answer whatever you want to ask, but just make sure that what I tell you isn't taken lightly."
Haych nodded.
"You shouldn't worry; I know to take whatever you say seriously, you know that I know that."
"Very well, what did you want to ask?" Zen sat back into his chair, coffee at hand.
"I don't know exactly, I just want to know more about it. I guess I could start out by asking what magic actually is and who uses it?"
"Magic is the ability to manipulate energies in the air to do what an individual commands them to do. For example, the most common use of magic, teleportation uses the manipulation of gravity and air to allow people to travel extremely quickly from one place to another. Generally, if the task that the magician has is something to do with the elements, which is rarely not the case, then they can help themselves to achieve that task by using their magical abilities."
"And who uses this? Is there any rules about using it?" Haych questioned.
"You're very interested in this aren't you? Magicians or wizards use magic. They're two different types, magicians are a lot less powerful than wizards, their powers normally only include very limited spells, such as teleportation that I mentioned earlier. But wizards are alot different; they are extremely wise in this topic. Powerful, revered, and most respected too. And as for rules, just don't be reckless. There isn’t any set list of rules, but there are limits to what The Anrai Order will allow you to go to. Magic is about respect, respect the power and you'll be respected yourself."
"Ok. That'll do for now, I need to get cleaned up, I feel like shit." Haych stood from the table. "I'll be back soon." he then walked into the bathroom and shut the door. The sound of the lock was heard from outside.

Zen sat in the main room of their home. He stared up at the roof, eye’s closed. A few minutes passed, until he remembered that Haych’s window had shattered that morning. Zen stood up and, taking his cup of coffee with him, made his way to Haych’s bedroom. He opened the door and walked in to be greeted by a scene that is familiar in the aftermath of many great wars. The room was a complete mess, Zen frowned and turned his attention to the window, which was now swinging loosely by its hinges. Zen walked up to the window, carefully making sure not to step on any of the glass pieces that were scattered across the wooden floor.

Zen ran his paw along the windowsill, brushing off some of the smaller pieces of glass onto the floor; he then rested his coffee cup on the ledge. He straightened and looked out the window across The Gnesin Verdict. The wind rushed through the air, brushing the grass and causing the clouds above to move at astonishing speeds. It was unusual for the weather to be so calm; it was so rare that it was almost a bad omen for good weather to make an appearance.

Zen walked out of the room and into the kitchen. He retrieved a long broom, then begun cleaning the glass off of Haych’s bedroom floor. Just as all the glass was in a neat pile in the corner of the room, a harsh knocking sounded against the front door. Zen propped the broom up against the wall and half-ran, half-walked to the front door.

Zen stood before the door, he reached out for the handle and twisted the brass knob counter-clockwise, a small click sounded; Zen pulled the door open to reveal a wind-swept looking husky, his black and white fur was full of life, bouncing around in response to the gale-force winds. The newcomer gazed at Zen; his eyes had a piercing feel to them, as if they were all-seeing and able to look beyond the obvious. The newcomer wore a pair of grey trousers, accompanied with a long flowing leather cloak, he wore nothing over his chest, save for a long silver chain holding a weapon in place at his side. A hardly noticeable feature from the front view, was a long katana blade strapped to the waist.

“Good morning, Zen. My name is Elite Officer Haze; I’m with the Jehyek City guard. Is it ok if I come in to have a talk with you? It’s quite unpleasant out here.” Haze gave off a very stoic appearance; he spoke with a steady voice.
“Of course, Haze. You are welcome, come inside.” Zen spoke just as calmly as Haze; however the truth was that he was quite worried. The guard never visits a place of residence unless they absolutely have to.

Haze walked stepped onto the wooden floorboards, he stood tall, looking at Zen.
“We should sit, this may take some time.” Haze said.
“Right here then.” Zen gestured towards four armchairs, resting in a semi-circle around a fireplace. They both sank deeply into the comfort of the armchairs. They basked in the warm fire; flames licked the stone that held it.
“I’m sorry, Zen. I have some bad news. I should really tell you as directly as possible. There’s little point in watering down a subject such as this one.”
“Ok, I’m listening; it’s not good is it?” Zen sat back into his chair. Staring at the floor, his face showing that he was clearly listening intently to what was about to be said.
“I’m afraid not. Let me explain.” Haze made himself comfortable before continuing. “Ok. You’re daughter, Ayd. We believe that she was part of a confrontation with a dangerous individual near the cliffs of Jehyek. We sensed potent magical energies were causing freak weather conditions at the site where this was happening. We don’t know where Ayd is, I’m afraid. She went missing after the attack had finished, they likely teleported away to an unknown location.”

Zen stared at the floor, he knew that the situation was dire; magic has only ever been used for the wrong reason exactly one time in accountable history. He looked up at Haze, who was looking at him with a concerned expression on his face, his ears were flat against his head, a tell-tale sign that he was upset by the situation, though Haze remained as professional as before.
“I don’t understand, it’s impossible, no wizard would use their powers for a foul gesture such as this.” Zen still stared at the floor.
“I know it’s very uncommon. All I want to say at this point is that I don’t want you to get ahead of yourself. I know what you must be thinking; only one wizard has ever used magic for evil before. But this could be a different scenario completely.”
“You’re right, it couldn’t be him. That was far too long ago, and he was destroyed.” Zen slumped further into his chair, his elbow on the arm of the chair; he supported his head by resting his paw against his muzzle.

Zen sat in deep thought for a number of minutes; Haze stared at him all the while, as if keeping a watch of the wolf in case he decided to do anything undesirable.
“There is just one more thing I must ask, Ket was supposed to be accompanying Ayd to Jehyek City this morning. They left early if my sources are correct. Very early in fact, why did they leave at such an hour and especially in such a treacherous location?” Haze spoke softly; he sat back after he completed his question as if passively assuring Zen that he had all the time he required to reply.
“They had always been very good at navigating this area; it would make no difference to them if it was dark. They simply don’t do well with staying in one place for very long, and that includes sleep. They often make obscene ventures to keep themselves active, and in this case they decided to take the road to Jehyek to purchase more supplies. It’s true that Ket was supposed to be with Ayd. But I’m afraid I can’t answer that question much further, you’d have to ask Ket what she knows of the situation if she returns.”
“Of course, I suppose I’ll have to do that.” Haze nodded.

A few more awkward minutes passed, Haze showed no sign of leaving, it was clear he was getting ready to stay and wait for Ket to arrive back at the house. Zen sighed, perplexed at the situation, feeling helpless to act. Zen had studied magic before, but was not capable of actually using it; he knew how dangerous it could be when a person feels inclined to use it for cruel intentions. Zen shifted in his seat, slightly uncomfortable from the gravity of the problem and also simply because they had been sitting there for a reasonably long amount of time, and he had just realised how long it had been since they had last spoken.

A click sounded from the corridor, Haych walked out from the bathroom, he was wearing a pair of black trousers and some grey, heavy boots. His fur was slightly damp and was now looking a lot more bouncy, clean and full of life. He emerged from the bathroom, he didn’t realise Haze at to begin with. Haych walked across to the kitchen, he stopped, turned and looked straight at the husky.
“Haze?” Haych wore an expression of mixed surprise and excitement.
“How do you know him?” Asked Zen.
“I was there at Jehyek last year, at the stadium, when Haze came second in the last fight. It was unbelievable; I’ve never seen a championship like that before. It’s slightly odd that he’s sat in our living room though.” Haych looked at Haze for the answer.
“Indeed, after losing the championship I was offered the place of Elite Officer in the Jehyek Guard. I took the position; it hasn’t been long since I joined, admittedly. The championship fight caused me more than visual damage. However, I am here to talk about more important issues, Haych.”
“I’m listening.” Haych said.
It took only a short while for Haze to retell the dire situation regarding Ayd to Haych, at the time the Haze was speaking he realised that Haych was nodding the whole time he spoke, he seemed to be very interested, almost professional about the information he was hearing.
“I see, and Ket still hasn’t come back yet?” Haych asked.
“No, and it’s been a long time. I know Jehyek is far away, but she’s had plenty of time to go and do what she intended, and then return. It’s very suspicious. I’m not accusing her, but, it must be related in some way.” Haze said.

All of a sudden, an extremely potent gale of wind slammed into the side of the house. It created a loud grinding sound as all the concrete that made the structure rubbed together and struggled to resist collapse. Everyone in the room looked up at the roof as he swayed slightly under the natural burden. Haze looked away from the roof and peer at Haych, his face full of realisation.
“That was no natural breeze.” He uttered. He ran towards the door, closely followed by Haych and Zen. Haze flung open the front door and quickly exited the building. He looked to his right as he came out the door to see Ket moving towards them, her hands in front of her face as if to shield herself from the weather.

Haze’s ears pricked directly into the air as he focused his sight on a figure, stood on a nearby rise in the land. The figure rose it’s arms into the air, another strong breeze flew towards the group, they were all knocked onto the ground. Haze managed to look up at Ket just in time to see her turn around, look at the person on the hill and suddenly disappear with a flash of light.
“It’s him! He’s on the hill!” Haze shouted above the roaring wind. The wizard turned its attention to the group, and once again with a flash of light he was gone.

He reappeared only a few feet away from where Haze, Haych and Zen were now stood, the figure held its staff in a fighting stance. Haze withdrew his katana from his side, he held it in an awkward looking stance above his head, poised and ready for combat. He bared his teeth at the wizard. The cloaked figure swung his staff at Haze, Haze deflected it easily and retaliated by stabbing towards the enemies’ torso. The sword punctured straight into the robes and out of the other side. The clothing then became limp and fell to the ground.
“It was a trick; the robes were enchanted to act under a controller’s direction!” Haze growled at the fallen robes.
“You mean, it was just air inside the coat?” Haych asked.
“Exactly, the spell caster could amplify his movements into the clothing and not actually have to be in danger himself. It’s a black trick.” Haze spat on the ground. “Burn the robes, and the staff. They may still be under the wizard’s spell.” Zen ran forward and collected the items from the floor, he then ran back into the house. Haych followed, Haze started walking into the house, he turned around and looked around the landscape, he then sheathed his blade and withdrew back into the home.

“So, was Ket just kidnapped by a set of clothing?” Haych asked, seemingly amused by the idea.
“No. If you paid attention you’d see that the wizard on the hillside had a tail, the robes that I defeated did not. The wizard must’ve teleported away to a different location himself. But he was definitely there at one point. There’s something that troubles me more though. He had a white tail, that mimic'd the look of a white tiger.” Haze looked out of one of many windows around the room; he gazed out towards the hillside where the wizard had been standing. Haze’s face was one of sheer and solid concentration.
“We were just witness to a great failure. The Anrai Order failed. He is still alive, we all saw him here today.” Haze stood with his katana by his side, a dire expression splashed against his face. "...Korin." He whispered, looking down at the floor.