Description:
Ruthel Nitram is just a faithful son who doesn't want to disappoint his father. He was going to school, minding his own business when certain events happen that causes him to change his path. However, once on the new path, he finds that many things have gone off track. Encouraged by his friends and mentor, he starts a reformation that will change the lives of every one in Lydior.

Ruthel Nitram walked down the path to his home. He had just finished the required school years that the kingdom insisted all the children take. Five years was the limit, albeit you could go on if you wanted...or needed. But Ruthel didn't need it. His family his well cared for; his father was a blacksmith, every one always needed those. He was finally free of what he came to think of as a prison.

"You are going back to school," his father said later that night at the dinner table.

Ruthel nearly spewed the water he was currently drinking. "What?!"  He did not like the idea of going back to the school he had just escaped.

"You are going to become a magician," his father continued. "Since Nosaj will be inheriting the forge, you need a profession that you will be able to make a living on. Magic will do just that."

"But-" Ruthel tried to say.

"Also, since you are the youngest of five, that doesn't leave much for you to do now does it?" Ruthel's father said.

"No, but-"

"Great! Then it's settled," he interrupted again.

"This conversation is feeling very one sided," Ruthel commented.

"You'll go to the magicians school in three days time," the man said. "It's a boarding school so you'll need to pack up."

And so the conversation ended. Ruthel's father had the last word, as always, and Ruthel was going back to prison. Which meant another two years of school. Fun.

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The first day at school three days later were the same as any other school, just more focused on magic and how it works. By the first few days, Ruthel had made it known to all the teachers and students that he didn't want to be here just by his punk actions. He would blatantly refuse to do the work while still getting top scores in class. (He didn't want his father all up in his face about not trying very hard to earn a living) However, Ruthel not only didn't want to be there, he didn't agree with some of the principles of the magic that they were teaching. For example; they expressed very strongly that those with magic have different classes, those who are natural at it (which Ruthel was, but that wasn't the point), those who have to work extremely hard at it and those who don't have any potential for magic so they learn combat. These classes are discriminating and most in Ruthel's class act as if they are better than everyone else. Ruthel was the exception.

Another problem was that the teachers had emphasized that those who graduate have the liberty to use their magic to do what ever they want with out any fear of consequences. However if they could not pass their classes, they are kicked out and forbidden from using their magic. Ruthel had the feeling that that is where most of the kingdom's problems come from.

Then one day everything changed, Ruthel had had enough and decided to do something about the problems he was seeing in the Order (the group of magicians that created the laws for the magical world)

The day had progressed just like any other, Ruthel was making his way to the lunch tables, trying to stay out of harms way ('trying' being the key word) when harm came barreling straight at him by way of a large boy by the name of Kajson Ycrep. ( pronounced: Krep...the y is silent)

"Watch where you're going punk!" The large boy shouted, getting a little red in the face.

Ruthel paled. This boy was the largest boy in their class and is studying a little martial arts to the side of his magic training. He had muscles almost as big as Ruthel's head and calluses on his hands, as if he worked out often with a sword.

"Sorry, I wasn't paying attention to where I was going," Ruthel explained in a whisper.

"Next time it happens kid, I'm gonna make you go into the..." Kajson lowered his voice and bent down to get close to Ruthel's face, presumably for a dramatic effect and to make Ruthel more scared. "...girl's bathroom."

It took a second, but once it sunk in, Ruthel scrunched his brows in confusion; there was no girl's bathroom, this was a boarding school for boys only. "Um... Kajson?" Ruthel asked timidly.

"Yeah, I realized it right as I said it," Kajson said in frustration, rubbing his face wearily as he stood back up.

"Yeah, so do you want to try that again?" Ruthel asked kindly. "I'll pretend that it never happened."

"Nah," Kajson said, waving his hand in dismissal. "I was faking it anyways."

"You...were?" Ruthel asked, still confused.

"Yes," Kajson said before he fell silent for a few seconds, standing with his hands behind his back and his feet spread out. He looked like he was always in a ready position to fight.

Ruthel waited, expecting him to say more. They stood there in an awkward silence (for Ruthel) for a few minutes. Then after what felt like ages to Ruthel, Kajson said, " So what's your name?"

"Ruthel," he answered, still quiet.

"Ruthel?" Kajson asked. "Is there not a last name for that?

"S-sorry," Ruthel said, stuttering. "It's Ruthel Nitram."

"Nice to meet you, Ruthel," Kajson said, offering his hand. "I'm Kajson Ycrep, but you already knew that."

"Yes," Ruthel nodded in confirmation.

"So do you want to hang out sometime?" Kajson asked suddenly.

Ruthel was taken aback so it took a few seconds to answer. "Sure, when do you want to meet?"

Kajson let out a breath and relaxed visibly. "Um, how about tonight at my dorm?"

Ruthel nodded and opened his mouth as if to say something more. However, just then, the bell rang for them to go to class.

"See you later!" Kajson called over his shoulder as he ran off to his class.

"See you," Ruthel muttered under his breath.

Ruthel stared after the bigger boy for a little bit before running off to class as well.

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"Ruthel can't you run any faster?" Kajson yelled over his shoulder. "They're going to catch us!"

Ruthel was too out of breath to answer so he just pushed himself to run harder. He knew Kajson was right, that the guards of the school were much faster and the sorcerers are much more experienced than what little training the two boys had. He knew that if they didn't get out of the area quickly, the sorcerers would be able to find them on their scrying orbs. They needed to get to the forest.

"How far in do we need to go?" Kajson asked, now panting as they reached the tree line.

Ruthel still couldn't speak so he just waved into the woods, indicating that they needed to keep going. The small boy was not really good at physical activities, he was at the school to learn magic. Kajson was the one who was learning the sword play and physical fighting. Now Ruthel was regretting not taking at least one class to keep him in shape.

The smaller boy was cut out of his thoughts as he tripped over a root. While he was a little grateful for the small respite, he knew they had to keep going, he could still hear the soldiers behind them. They weren't far enough behind.

Kajson didn't wait for Ruthel to get up- not that he would have been able to- he went back, picked Ruthel up around the waist and put him on his back. "Come on, dude, we can't stop now," the larger boy said, his breathing became laborious, his chest heaving with the effort. "You started this whole reformation, you need to finish it."

Ruthel didn't answer, he was still having a hard time breathing but he did roll his eyes. It was not just his fault, Kajson was the one who got physical, all Ruthel did was open his big mouth. Of course that was all that was needed to offend some of the higher-uppers and he would have been thrown in the dungeons if it weren't for Kajson defending him. Now, they were both in trouble.

They ran into the darkest parts of the forest, the forest that was rumored to house the darkest monsters in the realm. The part that no one would even dare to step foot in. The soldiers would not dare to follow them in.

"Ruthel, are you sure about this?" Kajson asked as he ran deep into the dark wood.

"Yes," Ruthel breathed out, having regained some of his energy from his run, "the Order has gone astray and need to be put back on the right path. Did you get the books?"

"I did," Kajson said, slowing a little now that they were in the forest, "I don't know why you need them, you basically memorize what ever you read anyway."

"I need proof if I am to gain the support of the magicians and sorcerers in the realm," Ruthel answered. "No one listens to a boy."

Kajson conceded the point with a nod and finally stopped running. "Do you think we lost them?"

They listened for a while but only heard the noises of the forest, the birds and the wind in the tree branches. "I think we did," Ruthel answered.

"You may have lost them, but you have trespassed," a new voice said, followed by a tall, dark figure stepping out of the shadows with a bow nocked and ready to fire pointed at them.

"Woah, where did you come from?" Kajson asked before Ruthel could stop him.

"I will be asking the questions," the figure growled. "What are you doing here and where are you from?"

"Um..." Kajson started.

Ruthel rolled his eyes and fell down from his friend's back. He was definitely not good with words, something that was proven time and time again. "We were running from the school and the Order," Ruthel answered. "I said something they don't like and Kajson here decided to defend me when they started to attack."

The figure eyed them carefully. "What did you say?"

Kajson snorted and Ruthel whacked him over the head. "He called them wall-berries because they say one thing and do another and wayward sinners because they do not follow the Old Ways. That and he posted posters everywhere of a list of everything they are doing wrong." (AN: wall-berries are fruit that look sweet and juicy but have insides that are rotten and dry). Ruthel rolled his eyes again but didn't say anything because he was still exhausted from the run. Kajson snorted again. "For once he's speechless."

The figure eyed them again. "Follow me."

Ruthel made to follow him but he didn't get more than two steps in before he almost fell over. Fortunately, Kajson caught him. Then the jerk laughed at him. "Careful, brainiac, we don't want you to fall over dead from exhaustion."

"Shut up," Ruthel weakly jabbed his larger friend in the ribs as Kajson slung him under one arm and carried him that way.

They walked a few more feet to where a camp suddenly popped into view. Kajson was too stunned to keep walking and stopped where he was, mouth hanging loose in his shock.

"Welcome to the Rebellion," the hooded figure said, gesturing to the camp before them.

It was unlike anything Kajson or Ruthel had ever seen. Instead of tents, like you would expect, or tree houses as the alternative, the camp was hardly a camp in the first place. It was a full on village. Houses obviously made of the pitch black trees of the forest and stone paths winding through the middle of the village and around the houses like an actual city. The houses were well put together, definitely not an overnight job or half done, it was as if the people who first escaped to here knew they were going to be here a long time.

"Woah," Ruthel said breathlessly (literally, he was still trying to catch his breath from the run).

"All of us here are magicians and sorcerers, knowing and seeing the truth of the ways of magic," the figure said, leading them through the village. "Many of us here do not want confrontation and chose to remain here peacefully. Others are a part of the raids."

"You teach the right way of magic?" Ruthel asked, he felt it was important to clarify this point before they went any further.

"If you mean that magic is a free force and can and should be used by any who possess the ability to use it then yes," the figure said, "we do teach that."

Ruthel nodded, relieved. At least they have that out of the way.

"What about non-magic users?" Kajson asked.

Ruthel looked up from his awkward position under Kajson's arm. He knew this was a sore point for his friend as Kajson had often been the butt of many condescending jokes on the fact that he could not use magic.

"What of them? They are human are they not?" The figure said, almost defensively, "what does it matter if they use magic or not? I have no magic ability my self and I am the one chosen to defend our borders."

"You forgot to mention that you are one of the leaders in our community, Brisa," a feminine voice suddenly said, making Ruthel tense as he could not see from which direction the person was coming from. He pat Kajson's arm to let him know he could walk now.

As Kajson carefully put Ruthel down, the new voice, which now Ruthel could see belonged to a dark blue haired lass asked, "Is your friend alright?"

"I'm fine," Ruthel said before Kajson could say anything about his weak physic.

"Zara, could you take these two to the bunks? I need to return to my post," the newly christened Brisa said gruffly.

"Aye, aye sir," Zara said, smirking as she came to attention. "Come along boys, you're going to love it here."

Kajson looked down at his smaller friend, a small smile playing on his lips. "It seems almost too good to be true," he commented quietly as he followed the blue haired girl.

"I have a good feeling about this place, Kajson," Ruthel said back. 

"If I've learned anything in my time with you is that your feelings are always right," Kajson said happily as he followed Zara with a new skip in his step.

Indeed, they seemed to have found just the right place for them, free of the Order and their families.