Second Chances
By Alisandra Denton

A final letter from Madeline Aldrich to Isabel Lenning.

Dear Isabel,

As you know, tomorrow I will perform the last spell of my life, my past and my future cannot mix and I cannot allow myself to be distracted any further from my calling. But before I erase my own memory I’m writing this brief history so that, should something go terribly wrong, there is a starting point for the reconstruction of my self. I ask you to hide this letter so long as all goes well, as it will be no more than fiction to me and I’ll never achieve my calling if I cannot forget my past. You’re the best ever! I can’t thank you enough for everything.

Born as an illegitimate child to a merchants daughter I was hidden away for years until at maybe seven I ran away to find my father. A scam artist easily fooled me into believing we were related and adopted me into his retinue of thieves and tricksters. His current consort was a magician and she mentored me for several years. I learned little real magic, but she was able to teach me how to read magic and from there I taught myself. Learning the secrets of illusions and memory bending I was a great asset to the group and became rich off of other people treasures. It was only when I decided to invade the minds of my “friends” that I realized I’d been taken advantage of and my “father” had originally been hoping to sell me as a prostitute. In a fit of anger I cursed them with a years worth of nightmares and jumped on the next ship to the Elven islands.

There I fell in with a group of immoral casters (similar to me) exploiting the wars. They taught me ways to empower spells from the life’s blood of dying soldiers, and I adapted these to power spells through the draining of soldiers sanity. On my 18th birthday I awoke to the pain I was causing. I realized and suddenly cared that a mad soldier was apt to turn on his companions killing healers, by standards or brothers. I became hateful of what I was but addicted to the power I wielded. Finally, I turned on my friends, taking their thoughts in an attempt to order mine. It didn’t work, of course, and I broke down mentally, becoming a imbecil.

You, Isabel Lenning, devotee of Pelor, heard me screaming when you were searching the battlegrounds for wounded that could be helped. Back at the temple I was “raised to the light” and slowly after more than a year of frustrations was reincorporated into the decent and law-abiding world. As my mind healed from the damage of my misguided spell my sudden conscience grew into a calling and I knew I must devote my life to trying to equalize the damage I’d caused to this world with good deeds. In becoming a paladin and honing my body and will, I struggle to become the antithesis of who I was. But my addiction to power and the minds of others remains strong, always distracting me even though I long ago stopped giving in, and the shadows of my past thievery and cruelty cloud my vision of the light.

Tomorrow I remove my past from my mind in order to devote the rest of my life to countering the effects of my past on this world. I know my decision seems strange to you and I’m sorry I won’t be able to remember everything you’ve done for me, but please understand that it is the only way I can see fulfilling my destiny. Perhaps it would be best if you sent me away to another temple for starters, so I can’t find reminders of who I was in the surroundings and no one is tempted to tell me anything. There’s a fine temple in Odwin that I visited once long, long ago, and the region would give me an opportunity to hone my skills in the protection of the people.

Best of luck in everything. May the grace of and order of the stars and the brilliant goodness of the sun’s light be with you.

Madeline



	Second Chances By Alisandra Denton A final letter from Madeline Aldrich to Isabel Lenning. Dear Isabel, As you know, tomorrow I will perform the last spell of my life, my past and my future cannot mix and I cannot allow myself to be distracted any further from my calling. But before I erase my own memory I’m writing this brief history so that, should something go terribly wrong, there is a starting point for the reconstruction of my self. I ask you to hide this letter so long as all goes well, as it will be no more than fiction to me and I’ll never achieve my calling if I cannot forget my past. You’re the best ever! I can’t thank you enough for everything. Born as an illegitimate child to a merchants daughter I was hidden away for years until at maybe seven I ran away to find my father. A scam artist easily fooled me into believing we were related and adopted me into his retinue of thieves and tricksters. His current consort was a magician and she mentored me for several years. I learned little real magic, but she was able to teach me how to read magic and from there I taught myself. Learning the secrets of illusions and memory bending I was a great asset to the group and became rich off of other people treasures. It was only when I decided to invade the minds of my “friends” that I realized I’d been taken advantage of and my “father” had originally been hoping to sell me as a prostitute. In a fit of anger I cursed them with a years worth of nightmares and jumped on the next ship to the Elven islands. There I fell in with a group of immoral casters (similar to me) exploiting the wars. They taught me ways to empower spells from the life’s blood of dying soldiers, and I adapted these to power spells through the draining of soldiers sanity. On my 18th birthday I awoke to the pain I was causing. I realized and suddenly cared that a mad soldier was apt to turn on his companions killing healers, by standards or brothers. I became hateful of what I was but addicted to the power I wielded. Finally, I turned on my friends, taking their thoughts in an attempt to order mine. It didn’t work, of course, and I broke down mentally, becoming a imbecil. You, Isabel Lenning, devotee of Pelor, heard me screaming when you were searching the battlegrounds for wounded that could be helped. Back at the temple I was “raised to the light” and slowly after more than a year of frustrations was reincorporated into the decent and law-abiding world. As my mind healed from the damage of my misguided spell my sudden conscience grew into a calling and I knew I must devote my life to trying to equalize the damage I’d caused to this world with good deeds. In becoming a paladin and honing my body and will, I struggle to become the antithesis of who I was. But my addiction to power and the minds of others remains strong, always distracting me even though I long ago stopped giving in, and the shadows of my past thievery and cruelty cloud my vision of the light. Tomorrow I remove my past from my mind in order to devote the rest of my life to countering the effects of my past on this world. I know my decision seems strange to you and I’m sorry I won’t be able to remember everything you’ve done for me, but please understand that it is the only way I can see fulfilling my destiny. Perhaps it would be best if you sent me away to another temple for starters, so I can’t find reminders of who I was in the surroundings and no one is tempted to tell me anything. There’s a fine temple in Odwin that I visited once long, long ago, and the region would give me an opportunity to hone my skills in the protection of the people. Best of luck in everything. May the grace of and order of the stars and the brilliant goodness of the sun’s light be with you. Madeline

Second Chances By Alisandra Denton

Second Chances
By Alisandra Denton