The cold night sent shivers down Ion’s spine as he lay beneath the tall oak. The night air carried the smell of burning flesh as well as the laughter of those who had brought an end to his tribe only hours ago. What was he to do, sure he had escaped but he was beginning to wonder what exactly he was escaping too. Did he escape from death only to die in the wilderness?

          Curling up under the oak he closed his eyes and thought about the happenings of that day. the day had started with the Ritual of passage which symbolizes the coming of age in the order of the sacred sun. When a person turns 16 they are sent into the wilderness in search of devil’s shoestring a plant which holds great power and is used in the ritual of passage. if devil’s shoestring is found then the boy or girl who finds it is allowed to finish the ritual and study the art of arcane or magic. however if devil’s shoestring is not found then the boy or girl becomes a warrior and has their magic bound.

          Ion had ventured into the wilderness in search of devil’s shoestring but had had no luck finding it. of course it would have helped if they had showed him what he was looking for. He spent hours hunting for the herb and was getting ready to head back and except his fate when he heard a loud scream coming from the village. running as fast as his legs could carry him he made his way back to the village. kneeling behind a tree on the outskirts of the village he could hear the screams of his people as he watched the smoke bellow from the huts.

          He had wanted to help but a voice inside of him kept him from leaving the safety of the tree. He set and watched for a few more minutes before slipping farther back into the forest.

          The night air was cold against ion’s skin and it caused goose bumps to form on his arms. ” I have got to find somewhere to sleep, somewhere where I can get away from this wind,” ion thought, as he huddled beneath the old oak.