[ WP ] A young Mage rescues a magically adept princess from her uncle , who has outlawed magic . The punishment for being adept is death .

Clara's eyes were wide as she took in the views from the carriage window. I should probably tell her to stay away from the windows but I was exhausted. It should n't surprise me that the sights were so appealing to her this was probably the very first time she'd stepped foot beyond the grounds of the royal estate. She'd probably never seen factories, or the clockwork monstrosities that were becoming ever present here in the city. 
 
 `` Jasper, there's some sort of party going on!'' The excitement in her voice was like a knife in my tired grumpy state. I took a few deep breaths and sat up glancing out of the window. 
 
 `` It's the carnival of the Breaker.'' She looked at me blankly and I continued with a sigh. `` The first Emperor to break the iron rule of magic upon the world. It's thanks to him that people like us are seen as a problem.'' 
 
 The harsh tone in my voice must've upset her and she turned away. I did n't need my magic to know she'd been ready to ask to go. To see the colours, to dance... to be free. I sighed and looked at my pocket watch. We had hours yet and this was as good a place as any to stay out of the attention of the authorities. I knocked on the carriage roof and gathered my hat and cane. 
 
 `` We do n't have long!'' She beamed but I held up my hand before she could speak, `` You do everything I say, when I say it.'' 
 
 She nodded enthusiastically and followed me out of the carriage. A wave of sound hit us and despite my fatigue I could n't help but feel the excitement the festival always caused when I was young. 
 
 `` It's so loud!'' The innocence in her eyes was n't fitting on a girl, no a woman, of twenty. There were a lot of things I disliked about her uncle but the things he'd done to her, even before she'd sparked, seemed worse than everything else he done to my people. 
 
 I forced a smile and gestured to a nearby stall. `` I bet you've never tried a pork pie have you?'' 
 
 Her eyes widened and she shook her head. 
 
 `` If you're one of us you'll have to start eating like we do, they're at their best around the festival, great at soaking up the ale.'' I watched the mix of emotions in her features. `` Ale! You'll never have had ale! See only the royals are allowed wine, the commoners ca n't afford it so most of them, well all of them drink ale. It tends to be safer than the water.'' I did n't miss the look of worry on her face, but I pretended to ignore it and took her arm leading her toward the stall, `` I may even treat you to some dancing, my sister always said I was terrible at it but I tried.'' 
 
 I laughed, harder than usual and used that to scan the crowd. It hardly surprised me we'd been found. She was a princess, the niece of the Emperor himself. I could sense her starting to panic and I placed a calming hand on her shoulder. 
 
 `` Clara, i do n't have much left, but I'll give every drop before they take you!'' I hoped I sounded convincing, `` but you need to run while I do. Follow this street at the end there's a tavern called the burned Mage, tell them I sent you!'' 
 
 She nodded and I pushed her away. I heard her footsteps as I turned and forced my fatigue away. Energy coursed through me, but so did pain. Magic came at a price and the more we used the greater the toll on us, I'd never pushed myself like I had today but I would n't let another adept die. The air crackled as I opened myself to the flow of mana. People screamed and began to panic. Clara would be fine, the others would get her out of the city and to safety. I let loose a blast of energy harmlessly hurling it into a sign on a beer by building. They were hunting a adept, someone confused and untrained who they planned to kill because of gifts outside of her control. I grinned as I saw a number of guards push themselves through the crowd. Let them try and hunt a Mage instead.
