Sytravious: The Lost Warlock Of Moruz (The Oathbreaker Book 1) by E.B. Acevedo

had ordered.  He took the platter from the child’s hands and promised he would tip him later.  He closed the door behind him, and then set the platter of food on the vanity in front of his mother.  He stared down at the broiled chunks of meat and potatoes.  It was not quality food, but before Sytravious began pickpocketing, the most they could look forward to was stale bread and leftover meat from the kitchen.
                  When he set down the food, he noticed her hand was in her apron pocket, probably clasping an amulet she always carried with her.  Like Sytravious’ welfare, she was fixated with it, but he knew better than to question her about the strange habit.
                  “Well enjoy, mother.  I am going to the forge now.” 
                  Out of curiosity, he hesitated in the doorway for a moment, looking at her reflection.  Her eyes were closed and she was whispering a foreign incantation as she held the now glowing amulet to her mouth.  Not wanting to interfere with whatever magic she was commencing, he shut the door behind him. 
                  Sytravious needed to get away from his irrational mother.  One moment she was cautioning him against using magic where they could be caught.  Next, she was screaming, telling him that if he was a better fighter and sorcerer, they could live a luxurious life that he was somehow depriving them of.  Then he saw her practicing the exact type of magic that the claimed would get them all in trouble, in the open, where anyone could see her.  She was a walking, talking contradiction. 
                  How careless could she be?  She was always worrying about him instead of herself.  Sytravious stewed in his hidden rage as he headed to The Dew Drop Inn to join his stepfather.

 
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Chapter 4
    A Look Into The Past
     
     
     
     
     
    S ytravious shot up in bed, covered in a cold sweat, his vivid dream still fresh in his mind.  He looked around the obscurity of the room.  There was no way of knowing what the hour was in the windowless basement.  He assumed it was very early morning.  With a quick exhale, he collapsed backwards onto his pillow.
     “Am I correct in assuming you still have nightmares that haunt your slumber?”  Nyxseous asked as she emerged from the dark shadows of the room. 
    Still in a state of unease from his dream, he jumped at the sound of his mother’s voice.  “Do you never sleep, and instead choose to lurk around my bed and stare at me all night?”  
    Nyxseous sat down at the foot of his bed.  “I can get plenty of sleep when I am dead, but for now, answer my question.  You know Sytravious, your nightmares have increasingly become a distraction in your life.  You are a grown man, not a little boy.  You should be beyond these childish nightmares.” 
    She produced a handkerchief from her pocket and wiped his damp brow.  As usual, her actions contradicted her words, but it was something Sytravious had learned to accept from her. 
    “Son, whatever fears are plaguing your mind, conquer them and move on.” 
     He pushed her hand away from his face, “It was not a nightmare, just a pointless dream.” 
    “Well maybe if you explain it out loud, you can make some sense of it, and it will ease your mind.”
    Accepting her suggestion, Sytravious told her, “It started at the base of these massive mountains, which were so huge they jutted through the clouds.  However, it was not a coincidence I ended up there.  It was as if I could feel a strange energy from within, calling me to enter the depths of the territory.  Terrified, I tried to escape and felt as if a giant claw kept pulling me back.  Then all of a sudden, I felt the sensation of flight, as if I was a powerful, giant bird soaring through the sky.  Only then was I able to escape the mountains and fly south and it was there I saw a large army.” 
    “I saw that they