CHAPTER ONE: AEON….

The sounds of chariots and horses running around made the boy who was sleeping under the shed open his eyes and he had to cover his eyes from the scorching sun and get acquainted with the environment for a moment.

His forehead creased into a frown when he saw himself in an unfamiliar environment, what was he doing here and how did he get here? Was it a dream in a dream?

He didn’t have time to think much because the sound of horses made him turn and he could see everyone hastily kneeling down and bowing to the man who was on the horse. He was dressed as a soldier and the boy was wondering who it was.

“This is a decree from your god” the heavily built man allowed the words to roll out of his mouth and he could see all of them cower in fear except a particular boy who was not more than twenty years and he was staring deep into his eyes.

“You” the man on the horse pointed at the still dazzled boy, “come here”

The boy still sat, he didn’t know if he was the one being referred to.

“Aeon '' someone prodded him from behind and he turned to see an elderly woman behind him. This surprised him the more, how did she know his name and how the hell was he here?

“Bring him to me” the man on the horse yelled again and this time, the soldiers who were not on horses ran up to Aeon and ceased him.

“Let go of me” he tried struggling but they dragged him and made him fall on the floor in front of the horse.

“What is your name, boy?”

He didn’t respond for a while because he was trying to comprehend what was happening. He was having a nap in his room a while ago right? So how did he come here and what was this place? Why was everyone dressed like this?

“Should I chop off your head?”

“The general has asked you to talk” one of the soldiers yelled and kicked him in the stomach which made the boy groan in pain.

“My name is Aeon,” he finally answered while studying his environment. Everyone still had their heads down and he could feel fear radiating from them.

“Are you from here?” The general asked again.

This time Aeon stood up and dusted his clothes, why the hell was everyone scared?

“And who are you to ask me that?”

A silent murmur escaped from the crowd but they all still had their heads to the ground, no one dared to raise it.

“A sharp witted one huh?” The general’s lips curled into a smile, “cease him” he ordered and the guards grabbed a hold on Aeon.

“Let me go” he was still struggling, “how dare you treat me like this?”

“Take him and lock him up, I will deal with him later”

After he was done talking, Aeon was led away amidst his screams.

This was general Zander, the army commander of the persian army and he was one hell of a ruthless man. Everyone in persia was scared of him but they were a man they were all scared of more than him.

“A decree from your god” he began again and the people cowered in fear the more, “all the people who are able to control their magic abilities have been asked to come to the palace by sundown, failure to come results in your death. This is the decree of your god”

After talking, he held onto the reins of his horse and galloped away. The people could finally breathe and stand up.

This was Persia, a land that was made and ruled with magic. In persia, everyone had special magic capabilities but they were not allowed to use it without the permission of “their god''

The land was ruled by Bane, the Magnus with the highest level two power and boy was he ruthless to the bane of his own existence.

“Who was that boy?” A woman asked the elderly lady but she shrugged.

“He is Aeon” she answered.

“Aeon” another girl who was almost the same age with him allowed the name to roll out or her lips, “he is not one we know around here”

“Don’t involve yourself with what does not concern you, Ayita” her mother warned, “you have to prepare and go to the palace later”

The girls forehead creased into a frown and she gulped some water from the gourd which was tied around her stomach, “even if I don’t go, he will not know I have mastered the art of my magic mother, he doesn’t allow any of us to use it anyways”

“Shhh” the woman immediately reprimanded her daughter, “the walls of Persia have ears and there will not be the death of you”

Ayita rolled her eyes and stood up, “I will take a bath at the river and go”

She didn’t wait for her mother’s response and made her way out of the market.

This was the famous Persian market that was known for its richness. The traders sold all kinds of things and it was the richest empire around but they had to give the Magnus three quarters of their wealth every month of the grain, this was how they lived.

Not everyone was scared of the decree made because most of them could hardly access their magical powers, Magnus made sure he didn’t leave any of them with as much power as making rain but for those who he couldn’t take all their powers, he turned into slaves.

****

The moment Aeon was thrown into the dungeon, he was stunned to see the kind of people there. They all looked malnourished and unkempt while most of them or all of them hadn’t had a bath in a long while.

“What did a young lad like you do?” An old man asked beside him.

“What did I do?” Aeon asked, “ i didn’t do anything that ugly looking man just wanted to keep me here for no just cause”

A silent murmur went up from the crowd but no one said anything. How could they when the walls of Persia had ears?

“I suggest you don’t say more than you can defend boy” another man suggested but Aeon would hear nothing of it. He needed to get out of here and find out how he magically got to this place.

“What level of magic are you on?” The old man asked him again and Aeon creased his forehead into a frown.

“Magic?”

Before Aeon could open his mouth to say anything, the huge iron bars were opened and two men rushed inside and dragged him out.

“Let me go, you dimwits” he kept yelling until they brought him to a large hall. There the general was seated on a silver coated chair while a harem of woman surrounded him while being clad scantily. Typical of the way Persian women dressed at that time.

Aeon was once again stunned, what was this place?

“You are the foul mouthed boy I saw in the market right?”

“And you are the big ugly man who makes the people cower in fear right?” He asked back and a heavy slap turned his face away, one of the soldiers standing nearby had given him a slap.

“You don’t dare to speak to the general like that” he spat and Aeon rolled his eyes.

Instead of general Zander getting angry, he found this boy more interesting and he wanted to know more about him. This was the first time In his entire life that someone was standing up to him. It was disrespectful but yet he found it amusing.

“You are not one from this side”

Aeon’s face lit up, finally someone recognized it.

“How did you know?”

“Someone from here would know it is a death wish to talk to me like that”

“Why? Are you a god?”

“What level of magic are you on?” The general inquired again.

Now everyone was asking him about magic which he knew nothing of, what the hell was actually happening?

“I don’t know?”

Who are your parents?”

“I came alone here”

“From what empire have you come from?”

Aeon shrugged, “no idea”

Even as he was talking, he could see the ladies silently make gestures at him and that made him cringe. He was aware of his own handsome face and well built body but these Persian women made him want to cover himself the more, what perverts.

All this time the general kept studying him, there was something about the boy that kept him intrigued. A young boy who was this fearless meant everything in Persia because everyone under the leadership of Magnus Bane had sold their soul to him.

“You can go”

“What?” The guard near him said, “are you sure general?”

“Can I really go?” Aeon asked to be sure.

“You should come to the palace at sundown”

After talking he dismissed him with the wave of his hand while the guards led him out of the large hall and the gates of the general’s house.

Outside of the gates were busy as usual and Aeon had to find his way in the large crowd. He didn’t even know where to begin his journey but before he moved far, someone tapped him in the crowd and he turned to see a lady who was maybe a year younger than him.

“Aeon?” The girl asked and he raised one brow at her.

“Who are you?”

“What did the general do to you?” Did he take your magic to Magnus?

Now Aeon was speechless, what was actually going on?

“What are you all saying about magic and what is this place?”

Ayita sighed, was he a fool?

“Come”

Not bothering to wait for his reply, she took a hold of his hand and led him through the crowd until they came to an empty space just outside the market. It was more like a mountain and Aeon used that opportunity to see the whole of the empire.

It was vast and he could see the beauty of the whole empire from there, even the palace looked so beautiful with gold coated railings gracing the walls.

“It seems you are not from this side” Ayita said to him, “this is your first time in Persia?”

“This is Persia?”

“It seems you don’t even know your way around” Ayita retorted, “is that why you spoke to the general anyhow?”

The boy didn’t answer and continued to explore the empire with his eyes, this was the largest he had ever seen and even the book of history didn’t do justice to its dominance.

“I am Ayita by the way”

“Call me Aeon”

“Aeon” she allowed the name to roll out of her lips, “where are you from?”

He finally turned to her and sat down, “tell me more about this magic driven society”

She scoffed, “now you are interested?”

He shrugged, “I just want to know”

Ayita studied him for a while before she began to talk,

“My mother always told me that Persia had always been the land of the gods and the free. When it was first created, it was inhabited by gods and humans and they lived happily. Even the humans were given liberty to perform magic tricks just like the gods and it was the one empire on earth that everyone wanted to be among, as you know, the greed of man always supersedes his ability to make most of the situation. A few people became greedy and wanted to convert these powers for themselves which obviously they did but it came at a price”

Aeon was listening with rapt attention and he seemed to be interested, maybe this could help him find his way home.

“So what happened?”

Ayita shrugged and continued, “the gods became angry and decided to punish them. Their ability to make magic was taken away and man had to suffer to achieve his own magic. In the end they were only allowed to reach level two and that’s the highest level anyone has ever reached in the last thousands of years even the Magnus that rules us now operates on level two”

“Hmmm” Aeon nodded, “so what level do you operate on?”

Shs laughed, “now this is too much information for me to delve into”

“I think you should tell me”

“Why don’t you tell me your level first”

“I don’t know”

“What do you mean?”

“I don’t know my level and this is my first time in Persia”

Now Ayita was stunned. Was there a man in Persia that didn’t know his magic level? No one could pass level two and Magnus Bane made sure he took anyone who could perform magic on level one and make them into his minions while he left those who could perform a little.

“This land is ruled by magic, you know that right?”

“I no now”

She laughed, he was unusually hilarious.

“So, tell me about you”

Aeon stood up again and looked far off, he saw something which caught his attention and he pointed at it.

“What is that?”

Ayita followed his line of sight, “that’s the magic core that keeps Persia together. If it breaks, everyone is gone. Magnus controls it”

“This magnus must be a great man then”

“Well, you could also say the opposite”

“Is he that bad a man?”

Without saying anything, she stood up and dusted her clothes. Just like other Persian women, she was scantily clad but her clothes covered a bit more while her hair did justice in covering her lower back. Shs had a kind of beauty that Aoen could not fathom.

“Where do you live?”

“I just magically woke up here” he answered with a smirk and she couldn’t help but smile at him, “people come into Persia everyday so you don’t have to be ashamed to tell me where you came from”

After talking, Ayita began to walk down the mountain while he followed.

“You can come stay at my house if you don’t have anywhere else to go”

“Can I do that?”

“Yes, but it’s not for free though”

“I see” he paused while studying the area around him, the land was sure rich in everything.

“What are the conditions though?”

Ayita smirked, “let’s leave that for another day. For now we should get prepared”

“For the decree?”

“Hmmm” she nodded.

“Why do you have to go though?”

“Even if I don’t, Magnus will find me”

This piqued Aeon’s interest, “what level are you?”

“I mastered the art of my magic at a very tender age Aeon, i have just being hiding it well”

She didn’t say anything again but one thing was for sure, even Aeon was looking forward to what would happen at the palace.