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A Random Story: 1
It was only but a simple choice, as he said. He did not know how big it was for a girl like me.
I walked through the town during the evening dusk. The sun set behind the hills in the distance, throwing orange rays across the whole land. The houses turned yellow in the setting sun, as shadows became dark reds. I walked the dusty road to the outskirts, passing all the people heading home for dinner, or to the market for last minute shopping. I did not notice them, or cared; my whole world was turning into a blur.
The bottom hem of my white skirt turned brown from the dust in the road, kicked up by my sandaled feet. My loose, white top fluttered in the dying wind of the evening, and my long, black hair lightly lifted off my shoulders. I moved to the edge of town, my black eyes staring forward, not paying attention to the sounds, the people, or the evening. I did not see them; I did not hear them. My mind was fixed on this one place.
I left the town, and strode down the hill; I did not notice the lack of noise. I was heading to a field of tall grass, yellow in the light of the sun, with dark dirt unseen through the multitude. I hesitated a moment, looking back towards the town; the sun was still setting behind it and the hills. In front of me, was the field; the crescent moon was rising, almost as a guide for my destination. Night would be soon, to darken the world into a mystery.
This small moment seemed so majestic, almost like time slowed. I walked through the field, taking in everything, from the dirt, to the grass. I held my hand out to feel the grass as it passed by me, feeling the fibers of the stems and the flowing of each individual stalk after another. It was like wading in a yellow, shallow sea. It was my favorite spot, so serene and peaceful; I came out here to play and rest everyday when I was young, before studies took more precedence.
And just as I was basking in the silence...
“So, have you come to a decision?”
It was the sound of a man nearing his elder years. He did not sound actually old; he sounded commanding, as if he was a wise leader rather than a headstrong one. He dressed in dark colors, contrasted with his own white hair. His cloak was loose, showing a man old with age, but young in fervor and spirit. I did not notice his sudden appearance behind me; he is a man whose presence demands attention while seeming shadowed.
“Why me?” I asked, the same question I had been asking for a year. I met him here then, and he asked me something; something so out of this world, I could not contemplate it. “Why not someone else?”
“Because,” he replied, “You have potential. I told you this already. We did not meet by chance.”
I guess it's true. For a while, I found weird things happening. They seemed so minor, but it felt the world bent around me: water rippling without touching it; grass bending towards me like soldiers; temperature itself changing at my whim. They were unexplainable, and he appeared at the exact time to explain them.
“I will say it again,” he continued. “You are a gateway for forces outside this world. Some people are, and many learn to be. It is nothing evil, or even religious. It is only a hidden force that binds the universe, and sometimes a being will become a conduit. We all have that potential, but some are better paths than others.”
I did not look at him, but at the sliver of moon in front of me. It glowed brighter as the sun glowed darker. The scenery was beautiful on a full moon, but now, only a new moon would rise the next day.
“I do not want to leave.” But if I did not...
“Which is why I gave you the choice. You will come back, I am sure. However, your future will be different than the people here could comprehend. A town it is, but a small one with no options.”
I did not need him to tell me that. The 'potential' he claimed was magic. He called me a potential mage, someone who could wield the elements like they were its plaything. He even said if I became even more skilled, I could become an archmage, those holding a government position on magic councils.
I liked it here, I truly did. But when I think about the future he tells me I could experience, my heart soars. To see things no one in my town would see, important people, and a unique ability not many in the world get to master. I could have it all. But it is so complicated, and what would I miss out on if I did go?
“So?” the wizard said. “What is your decision?”
My future changes with one word. Live here and live in beautiful silence, or move on and become influential? Stay in my grassy field between sun and moon, or touch the sun and moon?
What choice did I have?
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