The village of Ilmar lived in simplicity.
Its stone houses stood close together, their balconies open, their doors closed only when night fell.
Its people woke with the sunrise, worked the fields, and rested before darkness descended, confident that nothing threatened them.
It was not a great village, nor was it protected by high walls, but it was peaceful...
and that was enough.
⸻
In the nearby forest, that peace was being torn apart.
A hooded sorcerer ran between the trees, his breath ragged, his dark cloak snagging on branches as he leapt from trunk to trunk.
Behind him thundered heavy footsteps and the shouts of soldiers chasing him without mercy.
He did not look back.
He raised his hand swiftly and murmured a short incantation. (Valmor Kael) A magical wall suddenly erupted in the path.
The soldiers crashed into it violently; some fell to the ground, while the others were forced to stop for a few precious moments.
Those moments were all he needed.
He kept running until the trees began to thin, and a sight appeared before him—
one that had not been part of his plan.
A village.
He stopped at the forest's edge, watching from afar.
A simple wooden gate, two guards chatting casually, as if the world beyond Ilmar did not concern them.
The sorcerer glanced at his trembling hands and whispered softly:
"I don't have much magic left... only a little."
He approached with quiet steps, assuming the guise of an ordinary man worn down by travel.
When he drew close to the guards, he spoke in a low voice:
"Sleep spell..."
Moments later, yawns overtook them, and they collapsed into a deep slumber.
The sorcerer entered the village.
The night was quiet.
The houses were lit with a dim glow, and soft sounds slipped through the open windows.
He searched with his eyes for a place to hide temporarily—any corner that would grant him a moment to catch his breath.
He stopped near a lit window.
Inside, a young woman sat, exhausted, her head tilting from sheer fatigue.
A woman's voice spoke gently:
"Rhea... go to your bed. Don't fall asleep here."
The girl slowly lifted her head, her eyes half-closed, then stood without protest.
Rhea.
The sorcerer did not know her name, nor did he realize that this fleeting moment would become the first thread tying him to a fate he had never planned.
He moved away silently until he found a small animal shed at the edge of the village.
He slipped inside quickly and closed the door behind him.
He breathed deeply.
At dawn, the farmer Harun entered the barn carrying food for the animals.
The sounds were familiar, the movements slow, just like every morning.
There was a small ostrich chick, newly born, barely able to stand on its legs.
Its feathers were soft, its movements hesitant, and it was no different from the others... except for its clear fragility.
The sorcerer woke to the sounds, peering through the gaps in the wooden boards, and whispered in alarm:
"My God... I'm hiding among animals..."
He watched as the farmer led the animals out one by one.
Before leaving, his gaze paused on the small ostrich.
He saw nothing unusual in it.
It never crossed his mind that it would one day become the center of everything.
At that moment, the sorcerer's stomach let out a faint sound from hunger.
The ostrich suddenly turned toward the noise.
The sorcerer froze in place.
The farmer said as he moved closer to it:
"Come on, little one... don't wander off."
He picked it up and left, leaving the barn empty.
At that moment, the entire village woke up.
People began their daily work, children ran through the alleys, and laughter filled the air.
But the calm did not last long.
The pursuing soldiers arrived at the gate of Ilmar Village, exhaustion clear on their faces.
The village guards tightened their grips on their spears, and one of them stepped forward cautiously.
Guard:
"Who are you? And what do you want?"
The commander of the soldiers replied in a formal tone:
"We are pursuing a dangerous thief. He passed through this area."
The guards exchanged quick glances.
Guard:
"No one dares enter our village like this. Ilmar is protected."
Faces hardened, and the tension grew heavier.
One of the guards hurried off to inform Rhea.
At the same time, the sorcerer slipped out of the barn cautiously.
He crept between the houses until he entered the farmer's home, took some food, then returned to his hiding place before anyone saw him.
As Rhea began heading toward the village gate to face the strangers, fear seeped into the hearts of the people.
For the first time...
The people of Ilmar felt that their peace was no longer as safe as it once was.