Matrim the traveler (Matrim Dermoor)

Matrim was born in the suburbs of Magix and his life was pretty much like any other average life in Magix. Matrim excelled in school in the subjects history, geography and English while being substantially weaker with the beta subjects like math and science. At his sixteenth when his high school time ended Matrim attended to wizard school. He unfortunately needed to stop with his studies very soon since his magical energy was too weak to even determine the origins of his power, let alone that he could actually channel anything useful. However Matrim had to stop training to become a wizard, the school did see the intellect Matrim possessed and let him study on the school anyways to become a scholar, which was all that Matrim wanted. During Wizard school it was also when he met Mark. During freshman year they were assigned a project together in history class.
–
“Gentlemen, This is a two man project, all partner up please,” The teacher said. Matrim rolled his eyes, it was commonly known he was just there as a scholar rather than a wizard in training and that didn't quite make him the most popular kid in class. Everyone was rapidly partnered up and to no surprise Matrim found himself without a partner. He sighed deeply and already prepared himself to do this on his own, as he had to with some of the previous projects since those classes held odd numbers. Yet this class was different, it didn't hold and odd number of people so another one was without partner. “Mark, you partner up with Matrim,” the teacher said.

Matrim could recognize the same thing in Mark as he had thought himself, yet another group assignment that needed to be done alone, and of course the surprise when it turned out it didn't. Matrim approached Mark; “seems like we're stuck to one another,” Matrim stated casually joking and chuckled softly.

“Seems so,” Mark responded tentatively not really knowing how to handle Matrim's approach. Matrim tensed up when he noticed it had set off Mark a little and apologized to him.

“So, we need to make a report about the Solarian royalty four hundred years ago, can you imagine a more boring subject?” Matrim asked to get started with the project.

Now Mark smiled and started: “Don't be deceived with the current status of Soralia. They now know an era of unprecedented peace since house Lunius came to rule. Before that, including four hundred years ago subterfuge, deceit and civil unrest between different groups was ever prevalent. Where there is light, there must be shadow. So on Solaria you have the people of the sun and the people of the shade. These groups used to be enemies, couldn't stand each other until back in the day Lord Lunius united the groups with a truce from which a long lasting peace emerged, the peace now known on Solaria,” Mark explained.

Facinated Matrim listened to Mark's elaboration of the subject and suddenly his interest was sparked. There could be much to be learned from this project, both historically as anthropologically. “Wow, I never would have thought Solaria to have such a troubled past,” he said and smiled. “Good to see I'm not the only one with an interest in history.”

Mark looked a bit surprised at the statement. “Then how come you know nothing about this?”

“Well, I mostly read into the history of Magix and the history of Earth. I'm perhaps a bit narrow,” Matrim explained sounding somewhat ashamed of the accusation, which was right since he did learn rather narrowly.

“Then this project is an ideal way to broaden your view! Everything comes together at one point, sometimes you can only know for instance why something happens on Melody, when you understand what's going on in Lynphea,” Mark said with a bit of a dreamy voice. “You know, I will visit all the realms some day and learn everything there is!”

“Hmm, Hmm, I would like to see more of the world as well,” Matrim mused. “Learn about the cultures of the different realms and how they came to be, it's astonishing to see how diverse people from different places are, isn't it?”

“It certainly is,” Mark said and glanced a warm smile towards Matrim.
–
This was the start of a great friendship that lasted through the entire duration of Wizard school. Matrim expanded his knowledge about history and culture of all the magical realms and also one non magical realm, namely Earth. He saw his friend not only grow in his knowledge but also in his might as a wizard. He had amazing abilities to teleport over vast distances and also to create gateways between different realms. He would travel all the realms, working towards his dreams.

It was near graduation, with the final exams nearly over both Mark and Matrim were sure to get their graduation. Matrim as a scholar and Mark as a wizard. They had agreed to travel the realms together and get to know everything. Right before graduation Mark decided to jaunt to his home realm of Dolona to visit his parents one last time before he would head into the world.
–
“Say hi from me to your parents, even though they don't know me,” Matrim said in a friendly voice as he patted his good friend on his back.

“Will do Matrim!” Mark replied with a smile as wide as a mile over his face. “After tomorrow, we are people of the world!” He stated. He started the process of creating the ever familiar gateway he had cast so many times before to visit home, or some other realm if they wanted to go there, this time was no different, or so they thought.

When the gateway opened it was pitch black. It seemed to suck the light surrounding the portal as well. Both Matrim and Mark looked at the thing until Matrim spoke: “I might not know an awful lot about magic, but that can't be good.”

“You're right, this isn't good at all,” Mark said. He tried to dismiss the gateway but when he tried he got sucked in. Seconds passed before Mark got ejected again, lifeless and completely distorted, he could barely be recognized. The jet black portal blinked out of existence and Mark lay lifeless on the courtyard.

Matrim fell to his knees next to his only friend's corpse. “No, Mark...” he said with a voice strained from grief. His eyes burned as they lost the fight against the tears welling up in his eyes.

Quickly others gathered around the corpse until the headmaster forced his way through the crowd. He looked at the corpse and Matrim kneeling next to it. The man's hard face softened, if only slightly, to show compassion for Matrim. “Away, everyone except mister Matrim,” he said without raising his voice. Compliant all students obeyed, heading towards their dorms.

“The portal sucked him in... and spat him out like that,” Matrim said, answering the question the headmaster would surely ask preemptively.

The headmaster's hard face now softened some more. “Tell me exactly what happened mister Matrim, I know it hurts but I must know,” The headmaster said with a very calm and soothing voice.

“He wanted to open a gateway to Doloma, his home realm. When he finished casting it the portal was pitch black, as if it was sucking up all the light around it. Then when he tried to dismiss it, he got sucked in and spat out like... like that,” He said and on the end he couldn't suppress a couple of sobs and a tear running down his cheek.

“Oh they went to far this time, I'll have a talk with the head mistress of cloud tower. They need to get a handle on those students, rivalry is one thing but not at the cost of a life!” the headmaster spat.

“Let me at them, I'll (...)” Matrim started.

“You'll what, you cannot channel any magic mister Matrim, have not been trained in any forms of combat. We will deal with this, and surely this will get those three thrown into the Omega dimension if even the slightest bit of justice exists in this world!” The headmaster spoke.

Somehow it made Matrim feel slightly better, knowing those who caused it would pay the price, though it would never fill the hole Mark's demise left.
–
At graduation Matrim stood with tears in his eyes on the stage. In his speech he asked everyone present to have a minute of silence for Mark, since he had only died the day before and so they did.

Graduation was hard for Matrim, he lost everything he cared about and now he was a scholar, equipped with the knowledge to gather more. And so a couple of days later, after giving himself some time to mourn Mark's death he started with his journey, the journey Mark was supposed to take with him, though he was no more, only with him in spirit so he decided to visit every realm for the both of them.

And so he did, starting with Solaria. He made detailed documentation of all he saw and took whichever jobs he could do in order to provide for his existence. He had refused Alfea's offer to become their historian, though he always returned to the place in order to leave his documentation. Every time he was in Alfea he told the fairies who studied there the stories of his travels and did whichever services needed to pay for his stay, not that it was required of him since he delivered the documentation which he wasn't really paid for at all.

It was at his first visit to pyros Matrim had started to always carry a quarterstaff around, Which he could often be seen decorating, making carvings of what he had seen and experienced. Ever since his visit to Pyros Matrim had a limp which seemed to be the reason why he had the habit of walking with a quarterstaff. Until this day he refused to say a word about what happened and neither does he allow the limp to be magically healed.

This cycle continues until this day, though his stays at Alfea became longer and longer each time he visited. As he grew older he couldn't ignore the rest for which is weary bones yearned. Nor could he ignore his brain yearning for familiarity. Visiting all the realms and studying their cultural differences enriched the man, but also took their toll. Now he has arrived at Alfea once more, perhaps permanently unless the allure of traveling calls him once more.