Page 3 of Xarius (Shunned Mages #1)

Niam

“Seriously!?” I exclaimed indignantly. The portal had taken me to a forest and I had zero clue how far I was from civilization.

I guess it was safest to dump me somewhere no one would see a freaking portal appear.

But I was still angry at them. But mostly, I was resigned.

I would make a new life for myself here.

Find real friends and maybe start a family one day.

I started walking straight ahead, thinking it was best to start walking before it got dark.

The temperature was comfortable for now, which was at least something.

I went over my preplanned survival guide in my head.

Step one would be finding a place to work.

If I didn’t escape the forest before it got dark, I would have to sleep somewhere safe until the morning.

I really hoped there were no bears here…

The forest around me was filled with pine trees, huge, tall trees, making me feel even smaller and insignificant.

Had my father spoken with the council after I disappeared?

Were they talking about me now? Did they even care I was sent here?

I sighed. It didn’t matter. I wasn’t a part of their world anymore. I wasn’t wanted there.

Please, please, let me be wanted here , I silently begged, urging my cheap sneakers to stay intact as I began what I could only hope was a short trek.

Ever since I’d turned fourteen my parents had stopped investing in me, which meant cheap clothes and shoes.

Because why would they waste their money on someone like me.

An hour later and I was over walking. There were no tall buildings or anything in the distance, only mountains and trees, so many fucking trees.

The mask of confidence I’d put on back in my home world was long gone.

I was lonely, afraid, and honestly, starting to get tired of it all.

I had used so much of my energy these past few days, mentally preparing myself for getting banished, that now, I had nothing left.

My stomach growled and I hugged my arms around my waist, willing the tears to retreat. I would not cry. Not yet. I refused to give into the tears. I was stronger than that. However, when the first tear escaped, I gave up the fight, allowing the rest to follow as I continued walking.

I had no idea how long I’d walked when I could finally see past the trees.

A road was near and that had to mean I was getting close to civilization.

I hoped. Quickly erasing the distance, I reached the road.

It was a two lane and I started walking alongside the one where the cars would be coming towards me.

I liked seeing cars approach instead of them sneaking up on me from behind.

But maybe they did things differently here?

I shook my head. There was no time for worrying about that.

I finally had a road I could follow, and it looked like the sun would set soon.

I had maybe two hours, three if I was lucky, before it would get dark.

The road had forest on both sides, and I saw a few signs with deer on them, alerting drivers to be cautious when they drove past. Only five minutes of walking and the first car came into view, thankfully from the direction I was headed, allowing me to think about my possibilities.

Should I wave and ask for directions? Or just keep walking and hope to reach a town or a city soon?

The car slowed down as it approached and I started panicking.

Was I going to die? Stranger danger was likely a thing here, too, and I had nothing to defend myself with.

I realized it was a van, and it only made me more afraid for my life.

The driver rolled the window down. It was an old woman with grey hair and a kind smile.

“Hi there, hon, you need a ride to town?” Would a grandma want to kill me?

I wished I could say that all grandmas were sweet, but all serial killers grew old eventually, so maybe…

“You won’t be able to get there before it gets dark,” she informed me, looking slightly worried about me being out here.

I decided I could trust her enough to give me a ride.

I could likely defend myself against her if it came to that. Maybe.

“Thank you,” I said, walking around to the passenger side.

Once inside I offered her a smile and gave her the fake story I’d so masterfully come up with while I’d planned for this at home.

“I’m not from around here,” I started, hoping I sold the lie perfectly.

“My boyfriend wanted me to move in with him after having dated long distance, but then he broke up with me and left me on the side of the road, and I have no idea where I am.” I held my breath and begged for my lying skills to work.

“You poor thing,” she shook her head. “ Men ,” she muttered, and I tried not to get offended by that.

I’d never dated a man so I couldn’t really speak about that part, but I did know I was only into men.

“Oh dear,” she said, slamming her dashboard, then sighed.

“We need to stop at the gas station. I swear this thing is leaking or something. I had a full tank just yesterday!” I couldn’t help but smile at her.

I was glad she’d been the one to find me.

“My son works at the gas station so it won’t take long at all.

He’s also the one who gave me this van, so he’ll be the one who has to deal with it,” she muttered.

I could only smile at her, feeling more at ease having met my first person here.

I knew we spoke the same language but I feared I would end up somewhere I couldn’t be understood.

The council didn’t seem to care what happened to us anyway so why would they bother picking a good location.

But I was pleasantly surprised. For now.

“I’m Betty, by the way,” she said after a few seconds of silence. “What’s your name, hon? ”

“Niam,” I said, not bothering with the fake name I’d come up with.

It seemed so dumb now that I thought back on it.

I had this idea that I would need to change everything I was to be accepted here, but I was aching to just be myself and be good enough.

I didn’t think Betty deserved the fake me.

She hadn’t killed me, yet. So, I believed she deserved the real version.

She nodded. “I’m glad I found you, Niam.

Bears often stay clear of people, but many mama bears are with cubs, and they don’t deal well with anyone who gets too close.

” I swallowed. They’d dumped me in a bear infested forest. I must’ve done something right to survive the hours of trekking I’d done without spotting any.

Five minutes later we arrived at a gas station. There was forest on both sides, making the big parking lot secluded. Betty rolled up just in front of the store and honked the horn three times, then got out. I quickly followed, thinking that would be my best option right now.

A tall man came out, shaking his head. “Ma, again?” He wore a plaid shirt and worn jeans. His facial hair was a mixture of brown and grey, his hair mostly brown with a few greys in between.

“Don’t you Ma me! It’s leaking, I’m tellin’ you. Stupid thing,” she muttered .

He shook his head again, his shoulders slumped in defeat. “I’ll look at it,” he sighed. I came into view then, not wanting to hide on the other side of the van. “Oh,” he said, looking between his mom and me.

“I’m Niam,” I said, quickly offering my hand in greeting.

“Jerry,” he replied, shaking my hand. He looked towards his mom with a questionable look.

She waved her hand. “Niam was dumped and left on the side of the road. He’s not from around here and I offered to take him into town.”

“I see,” Jerry said. “Would you mind watching the van while we grab my tools?” I had no idea why I should watch over it, or why it took two people to grab his tools, but I just nodded, grateful that I hadn’t been killed.

They went inside together, and I leaned against the van, looking around the empty parking lot, begging silently for the bears not to see me. I could hear their voices, and if I really focused, I would be able to hear clearly what they were saying. I listened in, not able to stop myself .

“He said it was his boyfriend,” Betty said, her voice filled with sympathy for my cover story. I should’ve felt guilty, but I really couldn’t tell her the truth.

“And he came from where?” Jerry questioned.

“I don’t know, just that they’d been seeing each other long distance. He’d moved here but was left on the road side.”

“So, the boy has nowhere to go?”

“I was going to drive him into town. Hopefully he can get a room at the motel and return home in the morning.”

The rest was too muddled as they moved further away. They returned a few minutes later, both giving me kind smiles. I took that as Jerry’s approval of my fake story, too.

“So, where’re ya from?” Jerry asked as he opened the front of the van. I froze, not knowing their countries or anything. I decided to give the real town I had been from at home and hoped it would be answer enough.

“Prenins,” I said, grateful to finally tell something that wasn’t a lie. “So, I’m really far from home,” I tacked on, hoping they wouldn’t ask more questions about it .

They looked at one another but seemed to think it wasn’t worth asking more questions about it. “Does your family know you were left here alone?” Betty asked, still with a sympathetic look.

“My family disowned me,” I said, feeling a lump in my throat over that truth.

“Oh,” she said. “So, you have no one to return home to?” I knew she was asking because she was a good person and truly cared, but I’d been on my own for so long it was hard thinking anyone would care about me now, especially a stranger.

“No, I sold everything to come here,” I said, still feeling like that was the truth.

Everything I owned back in the Realm of Mages had been sold.

I had even asked my father if the money I got could be changed to the currency they used here, but he’d said that would be for my mother and him to use, having spent a lot of money raising me, only for me to amount to nothing in the end.

I hadn’t wanted to disagree, silently nodding and leaving my money behind.

“Oh, honey,” she said, holding her hand over her heart. Then she looked to her son, speaking with him with just a look shared between them. Something only people who truly loved and understood each other could do. Something I’d never had .

“I need an extra person helping me out here, if you’re looking for work,” Jerry offered, giving me a smile.

“I could work…. Here?” I asked, a little stunned. I had accomplished the first thing on my list! And it hadn’t even turned dark outside yet. He nodded with a smile.

“I would love that!” I answered happily. “Thank you!”

He laughed, “don’t thank me yet, I can be a strict boss.

” I could tell from the gleam in his eyes that he was teasing me.

It felt nice. They were nice. To me . “About your living arrangements,” he continued, and I felt the rush of getting a job take a back seat as the reality of not having a roof over my head hit.

“I’ll figure something out for tonight, so no need to worry about that right now.

” I breathed easier after hearing that. I did need a place to stay, but for now I had a job.

I chatted with Betty as Jerry worked. He swore and it sounded like he hit the car from where he was working. I had no idea how to fix cars, but it didn’t seem like it was going too well.

“Ma,” Jerry sighed and moved away from the van. “I think it’s done.”

“You fixed it?” She beamed, moving closer .

“No,” he sighed. “It’s not the amount of gas it had; the light indicated it was the motor. It can still drive but from the look of it, it’ll shut down any minute. I don’t want you driving it anymore.”

“Well, that sucks,” she muttered. “I had this whole thing planned with the flowers and everything.”

“I know, but I basically got it for free so we can’t be too mad about it.” Betty shrugged at his words, likely thinking he was right. “I’ll drive it over to the parking lot, then have it removed tomorrow.”

I had an idea, but I needed to see the inside first. “Can I, um, look in the back before you move it?” They looked confused but Jerry nodded. I opened the back doors and saw the inside was empty except for one cardboard box. This would work.

“Can I have it?” I asked. “I’ll pay for it with my first paycheck,” I quickly added.

“Why do you want it, hon? Do you know how to fix it?” Betty asked.

I shook my head. “No, if I did, I would’ve helped out before.

I was thinking of living in it.” I was smiling, getting more used to the idea as I pictured a mattress and some insulation.

I could get it done before the winter if I saved up all my money.

I could eat once a day and work on improving the van in my free time.

“Oh,” Jerry said, looking inside it, too. “I hadn’t even thought about that. I guess with some changes it could be livable.” I smiled at them, feeling excited. I had a job and a home! And it was only my first day on Sutiner.