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      The Kingdom of Wizards

      The Seals of the Altior

      1

      The Key to Magic

      Gabriele Pratesi

      Translated by Salma Moussafir

      Gabriele Pratesi

      The Key

      to

      Magic

      Translated by Salma Moussafir

      Copyright 2019 All rights reserved Gabriele Pratesi;

      https://www.patamu.com/certificate/169357-92d

      First edition 2021

      Publisher Pratesi Gabriele

      Dreams decide the goal

      Reality traces its path

      Introduction

      A warm and loving greeting to all readers who have chosen to follow the fantastic adventures of the Kingdom of Wizards.

      The first chapter is titled "The Key to Magic" and is part of an ambitious project; the creation of a series of fantasy stories with the desire to free the imagination and bring the reader with the author elsewhere from this world. A world where heroes and evil characters with powers; thirsty for ambition and success, knights errants, invincible warriors, wizards and sorcerers. A world where there are terrifying and wonderful creatures; colorful, rich and flourishing landscapes and arid, cold lands in which it is impossible to survive. There are many ways to start an adventurous journey that lead to victory or defeat, to find or lose the desired object.

      A world where fate, fortune and Gods often write the history of heroes and their antagonists.

      Breaking out the monotony of everyday routine and fly with your mind wherever there is no boredom.

      This is the purpose of the Kingdom of Wizards, to wrap the reader with the cloak of curiosity of the imagination or sitting on the couch of it.

      “I decided to write down the adventures of these supernatural characters in black and white because, I don't have the capacity to explain it to you,but it's like they are alive in my head. After reading some fantasy novels or watching movies and TV series they would emerge in my thoughts. Often I'm not satisfied with how other authors' stories end, so I decided to write what I imagine, and give the ending I want to be. It wasn't easy to transfer in words my imagination, but I enjoyed it a lot.

      Then I discovered the possibility of self-publication and after getting informed, I decided to try this path of sharing my story with the audience.

      And here we are: the Key to Magic is the first chapter of the “The Seals of the Altior. "

      The Seals of the Altior 1 - The key to magic

      The Seals of the Altior 2 - Hombros' carousel

      The Seals of the Altior 3 - The Altiors

      The Seals of the Altior 4- The Eternal Forest

      The Seals of the Altior 5 - The Grimoire

      I recommend reading to an audience over 13 years of age as there are descriptions of battles and some scenes that can be gory.

       The author

      Gabriele Pratesi was born in Arezzo in 1985.

      He graduated with the title of electrical engineer and works in an automation company.

      He volunteered as an emergency animator at the Don Bosco Salesian Oratory for over ten years.

      He is an amateur writer at first experience and has chosen the path of self-publication. The desire to start writing came by chance from reading some novels and watching television series inspired by them; he was not satisfied with the plots, often repetitive and obvious, or the endings.

      He is passionate about the genre of Fantasy, adventure, science fiction and everything that stimulates the purest human emotions linked to imaginary, epic, chivalrous universes, far from the normal lifetime.

      It is inspired by the great literary masterpieces such as "The Lord of the Rings", "The Hobbit", "Harry Potter", "The Knight of Eron" and by the classic and epic poems, so he is looking for a different story, original with an unexpected ending and therefore not obvious and not trivial, trusting in his characters and their adventures.

      Previous History

      Dream of a hundred years ago ...

      -1-

      B

      ehind me the great door of the red city of Ignis, capital of the kingdom of the Magicians of the Circle of Fire was moving away.

      I had been instructed by my brother to go to the city of Hombros, the capital of the Princedom of mankind, to buy some handicrafts in iron and steel.

      I travelled around by Orius, a thoroughbred black mantle, and my cart.

      My brother was older than me and he used to give me duties like these. I always believed he did it to empower me, rather, he did it to keep me away from him and his business. I was barely sixteen-years-old, and each month I had to face a ten-day trip.

      Honestly, I was happy to travel too. Life in the city was boring and the history classes… were even worse.

      I had reached the plateau on the southern border. From that point I could see the city in all its greatness.

      …

      An Echo of an explosion and a cloud of black smoke rose from the southern walls of the city.

      The sound of Drums was keeping the time to the march of an army occupying the whole area of the Red Valley. I had never seen such a large army, nor had I read any in the history books, if I ever had the chance to read them!

      I could not distinguish the colors of the banners and the coats of arms. The armour was dark green but I didn't recognise who it belonged to.

      More explosions and more smoke rose from the city.

      I couldn't stand there and watch.

      I wished to come back to the city, trembling with fear of not knowing what I should have done, rather I wished to be there with my friends and alongside my brother to fight the enemy.

      The enchantment of the circle of Fire had been summoned to defend the city. I could have seen it very well. A fiery red dome was protecting the council tower and the fortified city. I couldn't see anything else.

      I tied Orius to the roots of a tree, releasing him from the cart and walking back. While I was approaching I noticed that the army had already passed the valley. The whole city was under siege. My magic was weak and I didn't know spells powerful enough to take on even a soldier. From that side I couldn't see much, so I gave up and went back to Orius. I felt useless, helpless.

      I stood staring at the city through the darkness of the night. Flames of black fire rained down from the sky and dented the shield of fire.

      Immediately after ... the darkness, the silence and everything else seemed motionless.

      I hugged Orius. And I fell asleep full of sadness and fear and foremost unable to intervene.

      The first rays of dawn reminded me to get up. I looked out to see what had happened to the city. The council tower was still there. The fire shield was nearly destroyed.

      I start hearing new explosions. Flashes of light were almost subtle with the presence of the new sun. I was not able to continue my journey to Hombros, I had to find a way to return to Ignis to fight. I secured Orius to the root of the tree and walked back towards the valley. I had to be careful. There might have been