A Report of My Absence

[Yuumì]

She snuck into the graveyard during the early hours of the morning, ignoring her fear as she moved among the grave markers. The town was drearier then what she remembered, the cemetary larger, with the majority of space occupied by those who had died nearly ten years before. There was nothing she noticed, under five years old, as if death or at least burial had stopped completely at some point. The house at the end of the road, which had been brand new on her last visit now looked like a worn down shack, barely better then any other structure still standing within the town. she clutched her staff tightly as the shadow of a large dog crossed the fence, waiting until the danger had passed before moving among the stones again to squint at the older engravings. She found her mother at thirty years, mixed in with a number of other graves that same date and mostly soldiers. This was still a relief in some way because it still meant that her mother had lived a long life and there was no proof the war itself had killed her. She layed her hand on the headstone and whispering a few words she moved on to find her father. He had died ten years before mother and she hoped her family had not suffered the years after. Further inspection at least revealed none of her siblings, a mixed blessing as she still had questions remaining. She found her own grave easily, even sixty five years in age it was still one of the finest in the cemetary, proof at least that her parents had not afforded it alone. Instead of granite it was polished marbel, modest in size and shape but meant to last far longer then the expected lifespan of a marker. Her fingers traced the engraving carefully, the date of birth to assumed death. She wondered what they had buried in the ground and hoped it hadn't been too troubling. She sat down with her back against the stone and took a deep breath.

What Happened To Me A Documentary Report On Why I Misplaced Sixty-Five Years of HistoryWhy I'm Not DeadAn Explination of My Absence

I am very sorry for how troubling this must be to sort out and if it will make things easier I can try to keep myself dead or come back alive...but I guess that's the same problem. I realize how confusing it must be for records to have someone back who has been declared dead for a long time and not be dead and not undead and I am very sorry for making so many problems for everyone. I have been asked by a lot of the mages to give a report on why I was missing for so long so I will try my very best to keep it short and not be a hassle.

There is a gravestone in the cemetary of Brill, the name on it reads Yuumi Giyami Caytel Conjuror, Apprentice, Daughter 545-564, it is my grave even if I was never buried in it. I was the oldest of three children a middle bother and baby sister and my parents kept a small farm where we grew wheat and kept a few chickens. I was fourteen when the mages came to Brill.

"Reginald Flynn told me they took children away....and they experimented on them..."

Giyam Caytel shut the fence, wiping his hands as he stared his daughter down. She had his hair, the thick ebony locks that dominated all three of his children and accentuated by the blue ribbons they had bought her at market on a good year. The blue beaded necklace a splurge on his eldest child for her thirteenth birthday. She was small, delicate, the fair skin of her mother and his own brown eyes. He didn't like it, but that was the father in him. "Now you know better then to listen to Reginald Flynn, that boys a liar and a troublemaker and he'll be in the gallows before he's twenty."

Yuumi bowed her head. "I'm sorry."

Giyam didn't say a word, lifting a feedsack as he continued working. "You need to have a little more conviction on these things. I don't like you just going on with what anyone tells you, I didn't set out to raise those kinds of childrenchildren."

"That's why you yelled at the Earl Vetcher?"

"No daughter of mine is going to play housewife to some mean spirited lazy son of a greedy troll. You're smarter then that."

"Yes sir."

His face softened briefly and he nodded in approval, satisfied with the response. "Okay, go find you brother and make sure he doesn't get himself into trouble. I expect to see the both of you back before sundown in timefor dinner or your mother will have all our hides."

"Are you sure you don't need any help here?"

Giyam snapped his fingers, hefting the sack on one shoulder as her glared and pointed in the direction of the down. "Get."

Visitors were always a very special occassion so, we all got the day off. My brother was really excited about it. Two mages and one apprentice not much older then me.

"Now you see young Kel, There are so many different schools of magic it is impossible to generalize it all into one singular thought. "

"Kethalas, you're confusing the boy, I'm trying to work with him one principle at a time."

The older mage smiled knowingly, ruffling the apprentice's hair and leaning back on his chair as he waited for their meal. He gave the small boy standing near the table a knowing wink and stroked his beard as a young girl appeared near the doorway. "Some days I just thank the gods I am not a priest."

The other mage covered his face with his palm, he took a moment to thank the waitress as their soup was brought but otherwise kept his attention locked on his older travelling partner. "Oh not again...She could be your grandaughter."

"Oh just lightening the mood Morwin, this isn't the priesthood." He kept on grinning. "Hello dear! Is this your little brother we have for a pageboy?"

Yuumi hesitated before nodding nervously. "Yes sir." Her back was agains the wall and she hid her hands in attempt to conceal her unease. Brill was small enough that seeing an official Lorderon Guard was an event, three mages were almost unheard of. They were varying ages, Kethalas being the oldest with a stark white beard, thinning hair at the top of his skull and a face that had to be glamoured to ease the signs of aging, his eyes were pale blue and there was a spark in the eyes that held a continued mirth. The second sitting across from the old man was Morwin, middle aged with a paunch that indicated a healthy appetite. His hair was black, streaked with grey and unkept from the look on his face he seemed the more serious of the three or at least the most embaressed. The third sat next to Morwin, almost a boy and by far the most conciencious of the three, quiet and almost as insecure as Yuumi.

"Name?"

"Yuumi, this is my brother Ferris."

Kethalas grinned. "Lovely names! Do you know why we're here?"

Yuumi shook her head. "No sir."

Morwin leaned forward, giving the young girl a steady look. "We're here to find a mage."