The Phoenix Mage

A knock on her door startled Seidy awake. It was still dark, and even under her blankets, she could tell it was freezing. Of all the times to have a birthday, hers had to be in winter. Grumbling to herself, she blindly shoved her feet into her slippers, and reluctantly left her warm bed, throwing the warm blankets aside to shiver in the cold air.

If there was one thing she hated, it was being cold. Unfortunately, her tiny little room had not even a coal brazier to take the chill out of the stone walls. Nor was there a rug on the flagstone floors.

Not bothering with a candle, Seidy straightened the blankets so her bed at least looked tidy, before venturing out in the hideous nightgown made of lovely thick cotton, that helped keep the morning chill away. The things she did just to try and stay as warm as possible.

From the moment she entered the hallway, she could see the dull refection of light from hearth, and could hear the low murmur of voices. It didn't take long before she came across her father and her two twin brothers, dark heads bent over at the table with a diagram in front of them, no doubt discussing whatever building they were working on now.

They all looked up as she entered, and she could tell by the crinkles at the corners of her father's brown eyes had that he was dying to make his usual morning wisecrack, but for once managed to refrain. Seidy supposed she could thank her birthday for that, at least.

She could smell porridge from here—warm, oaty, and creamy—and wished she could grab a bowlful, spoon sugar all over it, add a dash of milk, and eat.

For almost 24 hours now, she'd only eaten fruit. A person only ever comes of-age once in their life, but it still annoyed her that she had to make do with apples, dried apricot, sultanas, and orange juice. At least it was only for a little bit longer.

Seidy ignored whatever project was been discussed as she ate. The world didn't stop just because she was turning 16; the party would come later, when work was over, and family and friends would come around with food and presents to celebrate.

As breakfast came to a close, at least the three of them had to decency to wish her a happy birthday, and that the coming-of-age ceremony went well, before they hurried off to work. Seidy deeply wished she could just go back to bed or stay near the fire, but the tradition was that she presented herself to the temple, so that the ceremony could be performed at the moment of her birth. At least she wasn't born at 1 AM like her twin brothers, but they at least had been born at the end of spring.

Seidy made her way back to her room, and lit her candle before pulling out the thick wool dress she wanted to wear. It was dyed a lovely, earthy red colour that went well with her reddish-brown hair, and seemed to highlight her brown eyes. It also had a nice, thick cotton underdress, so the wool didn't itch at her skin.

She wore a pair of cotton stockings under her black wool stockings. The more layers she could put on the better—thick gloves, and the knobby white wool shawl she crocheted herself, and she felt well-dressed against the day. A comb through her wavy hair, a quick wash of her face and brush of her teeth, and all she had to do was pause at the front door long enough to put on her heavy leather winter boots, and complete her outfit with her favourite hat.

Feeling as ready as she could, Seidy made sure the door was locked behind her before walking towards the centre of town. The streets were still dark, and the chilly breeze was enough to try and freeze her nose and ears. Having been born and raised in Bute, Seidy knew every bump, hole, puddle, and hill in her way. The smell of baking bread as she passed the Bakery was almost enough to stop her in her tracks. She also knew the faces of the few people already up and about this early in the day, braving the cold mornings on their way to work, for the most part. Some waved, and even wished her a happy birthday as she passed, and she made sure to thank them in return.

The temple sat in the very centre of town, like they did at every town and city. At the front sat a large stone pillar, and Seidy took a moment to take a closer look. Four sided, the glossy black stone had intricate carvings on each side. The ancient language was long lost in time, but the stone pillar still looked as if it'd being made yesterday. Nothing chipped it, nothing scratched it; it didn't even appear weathered.

There were thousands of these stone monoliths across the land, all spaced evenly apart, creating an enormous grid. Each one, at 20 miles apart, had its own temple and at least one priest or priestess, each one the same. Not a lot was known about them, but everyone knew what their purpose was.

They kept the magical creatures at bay. Somehow, they repelled the dragons, fairies, trolls, centaurs, dryads, mermaids, unicorns, and all the others, protecting the people and communities from any sort of attack or danger that these creatures represented.

It was the creatures that looked like people that everyone was afraid of, though. You wouldn't know they were any different from normal people unless you saw their fey mark: the mark of magic which always appeared on a forearm. It was instant death if one was discovered, burnt, drowned, or beheaded. The options were many, and magic of any sort was forbidden, so the idea that these stone pillars themselves were magical wasn't something Seidy would realise until much later.