An unusually hot summer had swept over the capital, bringing temperatures well above normal. First Mage Zaio paced nervously in his study, wiping the sweat from his forehead with one hand.
His thoughts were on Mage Tadashi. Ten days earlier, Tadashi had left for Komori, a small village east of Chushin, to settle a land dispute between two farmers who both claimed a plot of farmland. Zaio had heard nothing from him since. He was not even answering calls through the Magic Denwa Orb. Something must have happened to him.
Worried about his friend, he decided to go straight to Emperor Eien’s study.
Court Secretary Kenzo looked up as soon as he saw him. “Mage Zaio.”
“I need to see the emperor. Is he in his study?”
“Yes. I will inform him immediately.”
Kenzo rose, knocked on the door, and disappeared inside. He emerged shortly afterward and invited the First Mage to enter. “Emperor Eien is ready to receive you.”
Zaio crossed the threshold and bowed respectfully. “Emperor Eien, I am worried about Mage Tadashi. He left ten days ago for Komori, a small village east of the capital, to settle a land dispute. I have heard nothing from him since. It has been too long, considering the village is only a day’s journey away.”
The emperor leaned back in his armchair. “Have you tried contacting him through the Magic Denwa Orb?”
“Of course, several times,” Zaio replied. “He has never answered, and that is what worries me most. I ask your permission to go there and discover what has happened.”
“Go ahead, Mage Zaio, but be careful.”
The First Mage wasted no more time. He went to his room, packed what he might need in a backpack, and headed for the imperial stables. He mounted a komashi and left Chushin, bound for Komori.
Stars dotted the dark sky when Mage Zaio reached Komori. It was too late to ask questions, so he headed for the village’s small inn. He pushed open the heavy door and stepped inside, greeted by the mingled smells of beer and meat stew.
The innkeeper, a friendly-faced woman, approached him with a smile. She immediately recognized the First Mage’s uniform and realized who stood before her.
She bowed. “Welcome to Komori, Mage Zaio.” She raised her head and smiled again. “How may I help you?”
Zaio was surprised to have been recognized. “It’s very late. I would like a room for the night.”
“Of course. Follow me,” the woman replied, leading the way.
The following morning, the mage went down to the common room for breakfast. He settled onto a stool at the counter and waited for the innkeeper to approach.
The woman noticed him and came over. “Mage Zaio, what would you like for breakfast?”
“Some garuna eggs and milk, if possible. Thank you.”
“Very good,” she replied, heading into the kitchen at the back.
She soon returned with a plate in one hand and a bowl in the other and set them before him. “Here you are, Mage Zaio.”
The mage smiled at her, but his expression quickly grew serious again. “I have come to this village because Mage Tadashi was last seen here before he disappeared. Did you meet him?”
The woman glanced around in alarm, then leaned closer to Zaio and lowered her voice. “Yes. He stayed at this inn, but he vanished without a trace. I still have his belongings in the back. I have no idea where he went.”
Another customer called for her attention, and the innkeeper went to serve him.
Zaio had just begun eating his breakfast when he felt a hand brush his arm. He turned to find a boy with tousled red hair standing before him. His face was covered in freckles, and he had striking blue eyes. He wore simple, visibly worn clothes.
“Excuse me, Mage Zaio,” the boy began hesitantly. “My name is Atsushi Nakahara. I may know something.”
Zaio stood and invited him to follow him to a table in the corner of the room. He set his plate and bowl on the table and gave the boy his full attention. “Tell me.”
“Four days ago, I saw the mage you’re looking for. He was about to set off again when two men approached him. I don’t know what they said to one another, but I saw him follow them into a house on the edge of the village.”
“Can you take me there?” Zaio asked.
The boy lowered his gaze to the mage’s eggs. “Yes, of course.”
Zaio raised a hand to catch the innkeeper’s attention. “Please bring this boy some eggs and milk as well.”
Atsushi straightened and gave him a grateful smile. “Thank you, Mage Zaio. That’s very kind of you.”
The First Mage rested a hand affectionately on his arm. “After breakfast, you will take me to where you saw Mage Tadashi.”
The house where Atsushi had seen Mage Tadashi was a simple wooden building with a porch along the front. Zaio followed the boy all the way around it. The house seemed deserted, and no sound came from inside.
Atsushi smiled at the mage, then ran to one side of the house. He picked up a stone and hurled it through a window, shattering the glass.
Alarmed by the noise, Zaio hurried over, but before he could say a word, he saw the boy’s legs disappear inside.
He brought a hand to his mouth, worried. “What a reckless boy! What if someone is hiding in there?”
A moment later, he heard the lock click. He returned to the porch and saw the door open.
“I found Mage Tadashi,” Atsushi announced with satisfaction. “He’s tied up and gagged in a room at the back. Come, I’ll take you to him.”
Zaio followed the boy into a dimly lit room. Tadashi lay on the floor and looked up as soon as he recognized his friend. The First Mage hurried to free him, with Atsushi’s help.
“You came looking for me, Zaio. Thank you.”
Zaio smiled at him. “We’re friends, and I was worried about you. But what happened? Why were they holding you prisoner?”
Tadashi struggled to his feet. “Two men brought me to this house and showed me a small, ancient box covered in inscriptions in the ancient language. They had found it while hoeing a field.” He paused briefly. “They wanted me to open it because it had no locks or visible means of opening it.”
He rubbed his aching arms. “I recognized the box immediately. It contains one of the two black diamonds, ancient stones believed to have been lost forever. Legend has it that the other is hidden somewhere in a temple buried in the Mujin Desert.”
Zaio regarded him with curiosity. “I know nothing of these black diamonds. What powers do they possess?”
Tadashi was an expert on Myoo’s ancient legends. “They can store magic and multiply its power when that magic is released. Naturally, I told the two men nothing. Only a mage can open that box, but they must have guessed it contains something valuable. One of them struck me from behind, and when I regained consciousness, I found myself here, bound and gagged.” He looked at his friend apprehensively. “I don’t know where they’ve gone, but we absolutely must find them.”
They had left the house without knowing exactly where to look for the two men. Atsushi thought in silence while the mages discussed the matter. He was certain he had seen them somewhere before. They did not live in Komori, but in one of the nearby villages, though he could not remember which.
To survive, he often traveled from village to village looking for odd jobs, and he must have encountered them on one of those trips. He kept searching his memory but could not recall where he had seen them.
They had walked along every street in the village when Atsushi stopped short. The two mages continued for a few steps before realizing the boy was no longer following them.
Both turned around.
Atsushi smiled. “I know where to find them!” he exclaimed.
Zaio and Tadashi exchanged a surprised glance.
“How?” the First Mage asked.
“I do odd jobs to survive, here and in the nearby villages. I’m sure I saw them in Tomari, a village not far from here.” He smiled in satisfaction. “Follow me. I’ll take you there.”
Tomari was indeed close, and they reached it in less than an hour on foot. It was a small farming village, much like Komori.
“Do you know where they live?” Zaio asked.
Atsushi turned toward him. “No, I don’t, but at this hour, they’re probably at the village inn.”
The boy led them toward the center of the village, where a modest wooden inn stood on stone foundations. A heavy door led into the common room.
Atsushi stopped at the entrance. “I’ll go in first to see if they’re there. They might recognize you,” he said, looking at Tadashi.
The two mages nodded, and the boy pushed open the door and disappeared inside.
Seated at a table in the corner of the room, the two men were deep in discussion. Between them, on the table, sat the little box Tadashi had described.
Pleased with his discovery, Atsushi left the inn and rejoined the mages waiting outside.
“They’re inside, at a table in the right-hand corner of the room. The little box is right in front of them. They’re talking.”
Zaio rested a hand on Tadashi’s shoulder. “I’ll go in. They don’t know me.”
“Your First Mage’s uniform might give you away,” Atsushi pointed out.
Zaio considered this for a moment. “You’re right, but I’m counting on them being too distracted to notice my arrival.”
“I’m coming in with you,” Atsushi declared, going ahead of him.
The First Mage followed him inside. Just as the boy had reported, the two men were so absorbed in their discussion that they did not notice him until he reached their table.
Zaio reached out and took the little box. “This object does not belong to you. It contains something very dangerous and must be kept safe.”
The two men sprang to their feet. One drew a knife and pointed it at the mage.
“Give it back, unless you want to meet a nasty end!”
Atsushi darted out from behind Zaio and shoved the armed man hard, knocking him to the floor.
The First Mage raised a hand, and both men immediately lost consciousness.
Atsushi turned toward him in surprise.
“A sleep spell,” Zaio explained with a smile.
Then he addressed the customers who had witnessed the scene. “These two men came into possession of a very dangerous magical object and abducted a mage. I have only put them to sleep. They will wake in about an hour. Please notify the village guards.”
The men seated at the other tables listened without intervening and, after exchanging a few glances, went back to drinking their beer, unconcerned about the two unconscious men.
The innkeeper, who had witnessed the scene, stepped forward. “I’ll take care of it,” he said.
Zaio and Atsushi left the inn and rejoined Tadashi, who was waiting outside.
“You have been a great help, Atsushi,” the First Mage said. “You told me you do odd jobs to survive. How would you like to come with us to Chushin? You could work for me. I’m looking for someone to deliver messages within the imperial palace and run small errands. I believe you would be just the right person.”
Atsushi stared at him in disbelief, then threw his arms around his neck.
“Thank you, Mage Zaio! I’ll do my best.”
And so a chance encounter changed the life of young Atsushi Nakahara, who would become First Mage Zaio’s general helper. From that day on, he no longer had to wander from village to village looking for work to survive. Grateful for the opportunity he had been given, he always served the mage with great dedication.