“He’s crazy.”

“He could be. Crazy or not, his plan worked. We were so busy watching our backs we never thought he would try to escape in the middle of this war.”

The young soldier frowned. “He’s a warlord, well, he has the makings of one. With his magic and family background, he’s going to be the greatest threat to our people.”

“He already is. The prophet had told us ages ago to keep our eyes on him. Their plan to keep him incarcerated to keep him from his destiny failed. If his anger leads him to it, we will all soon be dead.”

“Shall we search for him?”

“What’s the point? He could be anywhere in the realms. It will be like looking for a needle in a haystack. We’ll just have to prepare for his return.” The bearded man sighed, rubbing his eyes wearily. “Alert the elders. If we can catch him before he leaves this realm, we just may have a chance.”

...

The old gate was years out of date.

Dejan frowned and traced a finger down the etchings. They were nearly gone with age, moss growing on the stone. It didn’t really matter, his magic will still awaken the gate, but it was annoying. Time that he could be using to flee would instead be used to awaken it. It would help him, though. They would never think to look for him at a gate a millennium out of date.

He hoped.

He needed to get far away from this realm. He needed time to gather his magic and to plan his revenge. For the past twelve years they had kept him in their prison, away from his family and loved ones. Even now, free as he now was, he could never return to his family. They were sure to search for him there. If his family didn’t give him up.

He wiped sweat from his brow and glared at the sky just peeking between the leaves. They would pay for their injustice. The villagers that foolishly believed anything the prophets told them. The politicians that controlled their lives, his life. Everybody, including his own parents that gave him up to the prison.

His chin firmed as he waved his hand over the gate, awakening the magic within the stone with a trembling of the earth. He’d have to pour his magic into it, but not yet. He’d wait a bit, until the gate was fully awake. The less magic he used on this side, the more of a chance he had of surviving on the other, wherever this gate led him to.