hannah-and-the-wizzards

[hannah-and-the-wizzards]

It appeared suddenly, as if the desert had conjured it from nothing. One moment, there were only the endless dunes, and the next, a cluster of palm trees and lush greenery shimmered on the horizon. The air grew cooler, and Hannah could smell water—fresh, clean water—mixed with the earthy scent of foliage. It was a stark contrast to the barren wasteland they had just crossed, a hidden paradise in the middle of nowhere.

The oasis was surrounded by tall date palms, their fronds swaying gently in the evening breeze. A small, crystalline pool lay at its heart, its surface reflecting the violet sky above. Nearby, the ground was carpeted with thick grass and soft moss, offering a welcoming respite from the harsh, burning sands. Flowers, rare and radiant, bloomed along the edges of the water, their petals glowing faintly in the dim light.

The wizards wasted no time setting up camp. Kaedan barked a few orders, and soon, tents of shimmering fabric were erected around the perimeter of the oasis, glowing with subtle enchantments to ward off the dangers of the night. Eldra conjured fire from her fingertips, lighting a central hearth where the others began preparing their evening meal. Senn, ever silent, summoned water from the pool with a flick of his hand, filling their vessels without disturbing the stillness of the oasis.

Hannah lingered on the outskirts, careful to avoid the center of activity. She crouched by the edge of the pool, dipping her hand into the cool water and feeling its refreshing touch against her skin. The heat of the day began to melt away, and for the first time in hours, she could breathe freely. But she knew she could not relax. Not here. Not yet.

She watched the wizards as they worked, her eyes tracing the symbols woven into their robes, the artifacts they carried, the way they spoke in arcane tongues. It was a delicate dance, her staying close enough to them to remain under their protection, but distant enough that they would not question her presence. She had overheard Kaedan earlier, speaking of something ancient buried deep in the desert—a relic of unimaginable power, one that could change the fate of the world. It was what they sought, what they had crossed this forsaken wasteland to find.

But Hannah knew more than they did. She knew where the relic was buried, and why it had been hidden in the first place.

As the night deepened and the wizards settled around the fire, their voices low and laden with the weight of their journey, Hannah slipped further into the shadows. The oasis was a sanctuary, but it was also a place where secrets could unravel in the quiet of the night.

And she had no intention of being one of those secrets.

With a quiet sigh, she leaned against the cool bark of a palm tree, the sound of the rustling leaves above her lulling her into a rare moment of calm. But her mind was sharp, calculating, always planning the next move. Tomorrow, their journey would continue deeper into the desert, and soon, the time would come when she could no longer hide in plain sight.

But for now, under the watchful gaze of the wizards, the oasis was a fleeting refuge, a pause before the storm that would inevitably follow.

Hannah sat at the edge of the palm tree grove, her breath shallow, her hands trembling. The night air was thick with a magic she could not fully understand, yet it pulsed through her veins. The fire at the center of the magicians' circle burned higher with each beat of the mystical drums, its flames reaching toward the dark sky like fingers of molten light.

The murmuration of the magicians had started softly, just a whisper carried by the wind, but now it had grown into a haunting melody. Their voices wove together like strands of ancient magic, harmonizing with the rhythm of the drums.

Their eyes glinted in the firelight, and their movements became more fluid, more entrancing with each passing moment. Hannah wanted to run, to turn away from the overwhelming energy surrounding her, but something held her still.

The dance had begun slowly, the magicians moving in time with the beat. But soon, the rhythm quickened. Their feet pounded the earth in sync with the rising tempo, their arms flowing like the flames that crackled in the center of the circle. It was a dance that carried power—wild, untamed, and ancient. 

Hannah could feel it now, pulling at her, a magnetic force wrapping itself around her heart and mind. She tried to step back, but her body betrayed her. Her feet moved without her command, stepping towards the fire. The magicians' chant swelled, and the ground beneath her seemed to vibrate. The drumbeats echoed in her chest, matching the rhythm of her heart. She felt her fingers twitch, then lift, as if some unseen force had taken control of her limbs. Before she could grasp what was happening, she was dancing.

The firelight cast strange, shifting shadows around her, and her senses blurred. The sounds of the night—the whispers of the desert, the crackling of the flames—faded away, leaving only the heartbeat of the drums and the song of the magicians. Hannah's movements grew faster, more frantic, yet graceful, as though her body had known this dance all along, buried deep within her spirit.

She twirled and spun, lost in the trance. Her thoughts scattered like leaves in the wind. Time dissolved. The world outside the circle no longer existed—there was only the fire, the music, the dance. She didn't know where the magicians ended and she began. For a moment, she was no longer Hannah but something else—something primal, ancient, and bound to the earth.

Then, suddenly, the fire roared, flaring higher, and the magicians' voices reached a fever pitch. The drums pounded so loudly that she felt the vibrations deep in her bones. Her body moved faster, her limbs no longer her own. Every sense, every thought, every emotion dissolved into the rhythm.

And then, in the heart of the fire's light, something shifted. It wasn’t just her dancing anymore—something within the flames, something vast and powerful, danced with her. It was as if the fire itself had taken shape, and Hannah could feel its presence, warm and alive, swirling around her. She was no longer just a part of the dance—she was the dance, and the flames danced with her.

Hannah's mind surged with questions, but they disappeared as quickly as they appeared, replaced by the overwhelming sensation of unity with the magic. She felt it now, fully. She wasn't just a bystander; she was part of something much larger.

And then the dance reached its peak, and the fire blazed one final time, a brilliant flash of light that lit up the entire clearing. 

Hannah lost consciousness completely and she slipped into a realm in which all sensual perceptions merged into pure energy.

When Hannah woke up the next morning, she was lying completely naked in the hot desert sand. The sun was already high in the sky and the hot desert wind blew grains of sand across her skin. She stood up, completely dazed by the magical night, and looked around.

The magicians, the oasis, the palm grove, all of that had disappeared. As if the desert had swallowed everything.

Then she discovered something shiny and metallic, half-hidden by the desert sand. Hannah reached for it, freed it from the sand and held a compass in her hand. She looked a little perplexed. Did the magicians lose this compass here or did they leave the compass behind for Hannah?

Perplexed and lost, she remained in the desert.

[hannah-and-the-wizzards]

The Oasis

The sun hung low in the sky, a molten disc that bathed the endless desert in hues of amber and blood-red. Hannah squinted against the blinding light, feeling the heat radiate off the dunes as if the sands themselves were on fire. They had been walking for hours, the oppressive silence broken only by the shuffling of boots and the occasional murmured incantations from the wizards around her. She kept her hood pulled low, her face obscured by the heavy fabric to blend in with the group, unnoticed.

The wizards traveled with purpose, each one an enigma wrapped in layers of enchanted robes. At their lead was the Archwizard Kaedan, a towering figure with a silvered beard that shimmered like moonlight.

His eyes were sharp, constantly scanning the horizon as if he could see through the very fabric of time and space. His staff, an intricately carved rod of obsidian, glowed faintly with magical energy, though he rarely spoke unless giving orders. Beside him, the younger acolytes walked in reverent silence, clutching their own staffs and muttering in a language older than the sands themselves.

There was Eldra, the storm-breather, with hair like crackling flame, her sharp green eyes darting restlessly. She carried a leather-bound book strapped to her waist, filled with incantations that could summon lightning from a cloudless sky. Then there was Senn, quiet and stoic, his presence marked only by the swirling patterns of ink that danced across his skin, shimmering with hidden magic. His words were few, but his magic was powerful—whispers in the air, bending nature to his will.

They were an imposing group, and Hannah, though no stranger to power, knew her place. She stayed in the shadows, her role as "Hannah, the common traveler," a guise she had perfected over the past few weeks. She could not afford to draw attention, not here. Not yet.

Finally, just as the last light began to fade from the sky, the oasis came into view.

[hannah-and-the-wizzards]

Prologue

The sun was high in the sky, dazzling and relentless over the endless expanse of the desert. Thin shimmers of air danced over the hot sand dunes and deceived the senses of the travelers. But even in this almost indomitable wasteland, one could feel the traces of magic - an ancient, mystical force that ran through the desert and attracted magical creatures from all corners of the world.

A colorful caravan moved forward slowly but determinedly. They were wizards and magicians from the farthest lands who had set out to reach the legendary goal: a magical city that only appeared for a short time as a mirage in the middle of the desert. This city, called Gorin, was the meeting place of the most powerful and wisest magicians, and ancient secrets and hidden powers were guarded within its walls.

In the midst of this illustrious company was Hanna, a young woman with a determined look and a heart full of hope. Hanna was not a sorceress, at least not a real one. However, she had posed as one, hoping to find the answers she had been seeking for years in Gorin. Her sister Justin had disappeared without a trace long ago, and Hanna was convinced that the city of magicians was the key to her whereabouts.

With every step through the hot sand, Hanna felt the weight of her secret. She was surrounded by powerful beings who could shape the universe with their magic, while she herself was armed only with courage and cunning. But her goal was clear, and her determination unbroken. The hope of finding her sister again drove her on, through the burning heat of the day and the icy cold of the night.

So began Hanna's journey into a world full of magic and mystery, a journey that would not only lead her to the legendary city of Gorin, but also deep into the heart of the secrets that the desert hid. And as the caravan moved on and the sun slowly sank behind the dunes, Hanna knew that this was just the beginning of an adventure that could change everything.