MORA, SAGE OF DUSK

¶  Mora wiped his sword clean, polishing the silver-lined blade with a silky cloth. When the last trace of blood was free of the edge, he sheathed the sword inside his staff. The design was inspired by an invention on the earth realm, where swords were prohibited; the result was an inconspicuous staff with a deadly core. The staff granted the element of surprise, but the sword had no guard, so defense was difficult.

¶  Mora stood, clapped his hands together, and resumed the journey forward. Once, he turned back to the Jel that had, minutes before, ambushed him from the ground, rising from the bubbling earth with electric tentacles flailing. Now, left was a pile of gelatinous, transparent slop. Mora walked on.

¶  Mora entered the bustling village of Adao, a community of rice and grain farmers. The houses were walled with stone and mortar, and thatched with straw. At least half the villagers were practiced mages, wearing colored robes respective to their talent. Mora's robe was a glossy black lined with gold, signifying sudden bursts of power with low stamina. With time, he would likely achieve red with gold, the highest of his alignment.

¶  A few of the villagers recognized Mora, smiling and waving from their work. Mora returned their gestures, his gold hemming glinting in the sun. He felt as though he was returning home, even though his own was - to say the least - a while from Adao. Still, he found comfort in their welcoming grins. It was this that made him feel so uncomfortable betraying - or, at least, misleading - their trust by concealing a weapon while in their midst... but it was necessary to protect himself and them. Mora knew more Jels were cropping up than ever before, and their elements completely wrong. Lightning elements belonged in harsher conditions, such as in rock fields or oceans. Adao was a forest landscape, and was more than a hundred miles from both the mountain range and nearest coast. Something had disrupted their habitats enough to trigger a major migration. Mora wanted to restore peace without having to kill off all the Jels. Even the extinction of a pest was a loss.

¶  Mora was destined for the Ünhai Dojo, hosted by the the affluent Haiano Kien. Haiano built Adao from the ground, and gave to most of the villagers to poor to support themselves. Mora imagined Haiano felt responsible for the villagers, as though they were under his wing, even though most of them could grow food enough for themselves. Haiano mainly helped with the Emperor Lasset's high taxes.

¶  A massive building at the end of the rice fields was a stripe of bright red rock against the blue sky. Its front was emblazoned with the white paint symbols for "Ünhai". The entire building had a medieval style, which was probably no coincidence. Haiano was an oddball ruler, with a theatrical sense. Even though he himself was no mage, there were plenty who worked for him that could switch realms and find him books on history.

¶  Mora reached for the giant brass knocker on the tall gate. Haiano seemed to like melodrama, so naturally he wanted the castle to be complete. But in a village where the villagers welcomed each other into their homes, heavy gates and portcullises seemed like bad taste.

¶  Mora rapped at the thick oak. After a moment's silence, there was a clatter from atop the castle wall. An armored post soldier peered over the side, and his nasal voice carried down to Mora. "What is your name?" The soldier was younger than Mora, but kept a stern tone and face. Mora suspected that there was either something Kien had to hide, or he had paid his underlings to exaggerate. Mora responded truthfully. "Mora Beckwith." The soldier frowned slightly, leaned backward and muttered something - undoubtedly to another soldier. The first turned back to Mora and spoke. "Your first name is regular enough. I knew a Mora in my graduating armed forces class. But your last name... it is not Solarian, is it?" Mora saw where this was leading.

¶  "No, Beckwith is an Earth name. My father was from America." The soldier recoiled slightly, and gestured with alarm to the second soldier. Another face appeared at the wall edge. Still the first one spoke. "He was... a mage, wasn't he? Only a skilled mage can travel realms, right? What was his name?" Before Mora could answer, the second soldier elbowed the first in the side, then hastily answered, "You don't have to tell him. What business do you have at Haiano's Fortress?"

¶  Mages are not uncommon. As said before, at least half the villagers of Adao were mages, and often encorporated their skills in work. But Earth had spiritually degenerated - nearly completely - and a Switcher from America was unheard of. By the soldiers' reasoning, Mora's first name would be the choice of the mother; but "power attracts power"...