EXTRACT FOR
Mordfhey Magus
(Donovan Deleware)

Her father was Tenthallys Whylathannen, former General of the Mordathion Army, Captain of the Royal Guard, and decorated hero of Qualeth'Dorien. He had taught her how to survive, to take in her surroundings so she would always know where she was. He had taught her to be clear-headed so she could learn as much as possible about any given situation. Her mother, dead since Marrel was three, was a magician of great power and served as Court Magus, and advisor to the royal family at Iladrien. It was from her mother that she inherited the magic, but the strength to carry on in the face of adversity, the ability to survive came from her father.

Marrel closed her eyes and listened. She listened to the sounds of the birds singing in the distance, breathed in the smells of the trees and patches of flowers. The sweet smell of the yarnak fruit filled her nostrils and she smiled. The yarnak fruit was her favorite and she was addicted to the cinnamon-flavored treats made from them. She focused her hearing and concentrated on the conversation the slavers were having. 

"I can't believe you let a child blind you like that," Galifor laughed. "Oh damn!" he said grabbing his gut "it really hurts to laugh."

"Well then don't laugh," replied Haldorien bitterly. "It wasn't funny anyways. I'm just glad it wasn't permanent. Besides, you didn't fare so well either now did you? Another inch and we'd have to call you Galifina."

"I'm doing better than that damn shopkeeper." He started to laugh again, but stopped before causing himself any more undue pain. "You did make sure the girl was bound tight, right?"

"She's not going anywhere."

"I'm not worried about her escaping you fool! She has magic, and if her hands are free she can use it! She'll fetch enough on the slave market to tide us over for a few years, and I don't know about you, but I'd rather be in one piece to enjoy my coin."

"Don't worry, she's not going anywhere."

Galifor was right. Marrel did have the gift of magic, and to her it was more precious than anything in the world was. Her parents taught her that magic was a tool meant to help people, never to harm them unless there was no other way. She was young, only in her second year at the Eldemere Academy of Magic, but already had a healthy respect for the gift. Her knowledge and skill of the arcane arts was limited to say the least, but she was determined and on occasion, such as blinding Haldorien, she exploded in remarkable displays of power beyond anything a girl of her age should have been able to produce.

They tied my hands behind my back, she thought to herself but they didn't blind or gag me. I guess they don't know I can use magic without my hands. Opening her eyes, she looked around at the narrow path winding through the forest like a long, flat snake. If there was one spell she excelled at it was prestidigitation - minor magic tricks used primarily to teach children the fundamentals of magic. Changing the colors of things was her specialty. I may not always get the colors right, she thought, but at least I can changes them. She was also good at creating signs and symbols.