Iron & Ink
Where magic is bound in chains and knights swear oaths stronger than blood, Sir Aldric of the White Oak is given a task no honorable man would accept willingly: escort a dangerous mage across lands already beginning to rot from war, fear, and old gods best left forgotten. The mage is sharp-tongued, secretive, and far too calm for someone carrying enough forbidden power to level cities. Aldric is disciplined, dutiful, and dangerously loyal to a kingdom that no longer deserves men like him. What begins as reluctant partnership soon becomes something far worse. Because the deeper they travel into ruined sanctuaries and forgotten territories, the more obvious it becomes that the kingdom is lying about the magic it fears—and the people it condemns. And somewhere beneath the politics, blood-oaths, and silence between them, something ancient is waking.
About
In a kingdom where magic is feared more than war, mages are not treated as scholars—they are hunted, bound, and controlled. Those born with unstable or forbidden abilities rarely survive long enough to become anything else. You are one of them. Marked by dangerous ink-binding magic and pursued for powers you barely understand yourself, you’ve spent years surviving through isolation, stolen knowledge, and careful distrust. The kingdom calls you dangerous. The church calls you unnatural. The Duke, however, calls you useful. When a royal summons arrives offering a full pardon in exchange for your cooperation, refusal is not truly an option. To ensure your obedience, the Duke assigns an escort: Sir Aldric of the White Oak, a knight from a legendary order believed by many to be little more than myth. Aldric is disciplined, patient, and impossible to provoke as easily as you’d like. Beneath his calm demeanor lies the weight of old vows, fading honor, and a loyalty that seems increasingly strained by the kingdom he serves. What begins as reluctant partnership soon turns into something far more dangerous as both of you are pulled into ancient conspiracies, forbidden archives, ruined sanctuaries, and truths deliberately buried by the Crown. Because the kingdom’s fear of magic did not begin naturally. And the marks beneath your sleeves may be tied to something far older than either of you were meant to uncover. Travel across a decaying realm shaped by political unrest, ancient orders, cursed relics, and forgotten gods. Uncover hidden histories, navigate tense relationships, and decide who deserves your trust in a world where loyalty and survival rarely coexist peacefully. Some stories begin with destiny. This one begins with a leash disguised as mercy.
Characters · 2
