Fantasy Dying Magic {one on one}

[Ranix Aurus]

Thienar watched as the children were escorted by the guards, especially the ones who will be undergoing the ceremony. Wherever they went, the crowds parted, and murmurs praising them could be heard even from the resident hall. When they were finally out of sight, the councilman returned his attention to Sylas, and then beckoned him toward the lounge.

"I'm really sorry about this. I understand that you would prefer to enjoy the festivities compared to having a chat with this old Elf," Thienar laughed. With everyone attending the ceremony, the resident hall was left empty save for him, Sylas, and the guards left to ensure the councilman's safety. Two of them stood tall at the door, preventing others from entering.

"Come, take a seat. What I want to ask is related to your identity, Honored One. But before that, let me ask you something. What do you think of our land?"

The Elf spread out his arms, as if showing the forest itself to Sylas.

"Perhaps you had noticed it during your travel, Last of the Magi. Magic itself is disappearing from the world. The land, the air, the veins of the earth, once abundant of Magic, was drained clean, a process that was too slow to be noticed, but too fast for us to accept as reality. But what do you think of this land? Here, Magic is abundant. Here, Elves are able to live as it should be, since time immemorial. Don't you think it is wonderful? Won't you agree to help us keep it that way?"

 

[FaddedFox]

Sylas looked around himself as the older elf brought him into the secluded hall. What were they going to be talking about? Was everything okay? He frowned as he sat down and listened to the words the man was saying. The more said and questioned, the more a sinking feeling filled him. Was he going to pressure him to stay here like the human lords? He couldn't belong to any one nation. That was what happened to the other blood mages and why they failed their mission. He was truly the last. If he failed, magic would die. It didn't make refusing people any easier. Not many of them took the refusal nicely. He pulled back a little and hugged himself, remembering how a lordling once shoved him against a wall and tried to pin him and force him to swear fealty. He didn't think the elf would do that to him, but who knew?

Be strong in your conviction, Empathy counseled.
Tell him to go fuck off! You have other duties, Passion growled.
Guys, I don't even know if that is what he wants! Let's give him a chance, Sylas implored and swallowed hard. He turned his gaze up to the elf then. "I do love your land. I wish that magic was not dying. I want it to really flourish and make your people whole again. This last stand here is beautiful and I know there is so much more that it could be," he began. "Are you asking me to stay, to swear fealty to your kingdom? If that is the case, I cannot. I am not at liberty to swear to any one kingdom. I am destined to wander and do what I can for all."

 

[Ranix Aurus]

"Eh?" Thienar blinked a few times, seemingly taking quite a while to process what Sylas had just said. He quickly covered his mouth as he had a chuckling fit.

"N-no, no, absolutely not! Rest assured, we have no intention to force you to stay in our land against you will, Honored One. It would be such a blatant disrespect that whoever dares to suggest it would be punished quite severely. What I'm requesting is something very simple."

He waved his hand at the guards, who then quickly exited the lounge. It didn't take long before they returned with a tray filled with flat-shaped bread wrapped in golden leaves, as well as a pot that gave off a calming scent of tea.

"I'm merely asking you to spend some time chatting with me right now, oh Honored One. It's a pity that both of us might miss the Olsasirius, but your knowledge is greatly appreciated. Could you accept this humble request from us?"

He smiled at Sylas while pushing a plate of golden-wrapped flatbread toward him.

 

[FaddedFox]

Sylas relaxed a little. Okay good. He wasn't going to get forced to swear fealty. That was good. He offered a small smile to the man. He just wanted to share knowledge? That was totally understandable. But why couldn't this wait until after the festivities? He looked up as the guards brought the tray of tea and wrapped bread. This was the bread the others had mentioned eating for the festival but also every day it seamed. He was eager to try it. Where were the rest of the council? "I would be happy to share knowledge, but why before the festival? Wouldn't it be more appropriate to to wait until after the ceremony?" he asked and accepted the tea and bread. He unwrapped the foil and broke a piece of the bread before he started to nibble on it. "I really am interested in seeing the ceremony too. I've never seen a coming of age ceremony."

 

[Ranix Aurus]

Thienar unwrapped a bread for himself, taking a small, controlled bite off it. From the way he took his time with each bite, it felt like he really savored the bread's light and fluffy taste.

"Oh, you know, council work and stuff. We will be very busy after the ceremony, so I thought that it would be better to do it right now. I'm not really needed over there anyway. Now then, regarding the issue of Magic and its diminishing supply..."

Perhaps it was due to the habits gained from his work, but Thienar had a soft and lulling voice whenever he started a formal explanation. He was opting to start the discussion by explaining to Sylas about the nature of the land, on how the still-healthy supply of Magic in the perimeter was controlled by the Council to make sure fair distribution over the Elven populace, and how they were taking refugees from other Elven settlements who had fallen to ruin because of the decaying state of the world.

"...That's why, it is imperative for us to maintain the formation that had been put in place for the last thirty years..."

How long had it been since the coming-of-age ceremony started? The street had been empty for quite a while now. The commotion at the central spire had died out as well, replaced by quiet contemplation that could be felt even from this far. Perhaps Esca and the rest were having their ceremony right now, or maybe it had been over with, and they were dancing and playing with the other kids...

...It was as if a sudden bolt of lighting had split the sky apart.

There was a metaphorical pull, the pull that could not be understood by anyone except for Sylas, the last Blood Mage himself. The pull, originating from this unique form of bond, was unlike what he would have known until now. It was not the gentle form of sensation where two people were attracted to each other, as if they were drawn together by fate.

The pull was violent. Choking. Painful. It roars with an anger so great it wanted nothing else but to destroy everything until nothing remained.

"HELPME!!!"

It was a scream for help that only Sylas could hear, coming from the central spire far in the distance.

"Honored One?"

The pull abruptly stopped, and everything returned to silence, as if nothing had happened in the first place.

"Is everything alright?" Thienar flashed the boy before him a gentle smile. A gentle, calculated smile.

 

[FaddedFox]

At first, Sylas was interested in what the elf wanted to say. He loved history. There was so much one could learn from it. But the longer the man talked, the more the tea and bread were eaten, the more Sylas was growing impatient and antsy. He needed to be at the festival. Everyone was going to be there which meant he'd have an easier time finding the person who was a piece of the dragon. Was this elf stalling for time? Had he done this on purpose? How was he supposed to interrupt him without being rude and still make it to the festival before it all ended and everyone went home? He couldn't afford to waste time now.

Before he could do anything else, the pull of the shard and the scream for help jolted through him. He gasped, a hand going to his chest even as he suddenly stood from his seat. For a moment, the world around him faded away. That was them. He needed to help them! To get to them!

"Honored One?" the small question seemed to bring him back to his senses and he looked up startled. What was he doing here? What was that scream? The dark aggression he'd felt was gone but he felt the pull stronger than before. It burned with a new need to be found. It was so close.

"I am sorry," he said even as he rushed for the door of the tent to leave the room and follow the thread before it vanished completely, the lingering emotions and tension putting him on edge.

 

[Ranix Aurus]

Before Sylas could reach the door, the guards quickly unsheathed their swords and blocked his way. Their movement was swift, as if they had prepared to do it from the start. Judging from their expressions, it didn't seem like persuasion could work as well.

"Please wait, Honored One, I know that our discussion is a bit boring, but it is truly important for the sake of our livelihood," Thienar rose from his seat, his smile remained unchanging. "Please understand."

The pull returned, stronger than before, but it only lasted for a fraction of second this time.

"Honored One?" Thienar took a step forward with his hands put behind his back, hidden from sight.

 

[FaddedFox]

"What-" he gasped when the guards suddenly drew their swords on him. He took a step back from them confused. Why would they stop him? He looked back at Thienar and swallowed hard something wasn't right. The pain came again and he clutches his chest, stumbling a moment. He needed to get to them. The shards had lost their words in their frenzy. All he felt was their emotions at the fore of his mind, desperate to reach their kin and to ease their pain and his own. He didn't have time for this.

"You don't understand!" he said to the elf. He drew his dagger then and cut his palm, a spell already on his lips as he rushed the guards again, this time planning to use the magic to shove them aside.

 

[Ranix Aurus]

The guards, as with all Elves, were sensitive to Magic, thus they could sense that Sylas had taken his stance against them, his power building as his blood was drawn and the faint shape of a spell was drawn. Their bodies involuntarily trembled at the presence of such Magic, although they still held their swords as firm as they could while they braced for the pain to come.

"Stop right there!"

Thienar's voice echoed inside the empty lounge as he revealed his hands, gleaming with shimmering golden threads weaved from the very essence of his being. The Magic of the land reacted to his intent, molded by his will to spread the threads over the walls, the ceilings, and the floor, fully enclosing the lounge in a magical barrier.

"I abhor myself, having to resort to this, but I can't allow you to get out of this room no matter what," the councilman's hands glowed once again as he prepared for another spell.

 

[FaddedFox]

Sylas released his magic and the two guards were shoved out of the hall. It wasn't gentle, but it wasn't a force to hurt them either. They were just doing their jobs after all and he didn't want to hurt anyone. His only goal here was to collect the shards and move on. Why were they interfering with this? What were they planning and why was the person he needed in pain? What were they doing to them? Whatever it was, it didn't matter. He didn't stop when he heard the older elf call for him and kept his eyes on the now clear doorway. At least until the magical barrier went up. He slammed into it with a grunt and just remained pressed against it. He heard the elf behind him, felt him gathering magic.

Sylas needed to break through. He looked down at his bleeding palm and quickly used it to make a small protection shield around himself before he did face the elf. "IT is you who do not understand," he growled as he made a deeper cut into his hand. "If you hurt them, kill the one I am after, then your world will be lost! All the magic in the world will die! All of us will die! I cannot let you interfere and destroy us all!" He focused his magic on the elf, intending to bind the man and sap his magic enough that the elf would have no choice but drop the shield around them. "You do not want me as your enemy!"

 

[Ranix Aurus]

The spell was complete, creating blades of golden lights that floats around Thienar, their translucent tips aimed at Sylas. All it took was a flick of his hand to send the blades right at the boy's neck.

"Please, Honored One... we fully understand what we are doing here. Nobody will die. At least, we, will not die," his smile had long been gone from his face, replaced with a pained look filled with doubt and hesitation. However, there was also a crazed belief inside those eyes, a flicker of wicked zealousness. "It is you who don't understand. You're a human, you don't need Magic to survive this world. And that kind of you, is chosen as the Last Magi, the only person in this world blessed by Magic itself. It's impossible to understand our plight! It's not fair...!"

He suddenly froze. The golden blades faded away as he crumbled to his knees, his body paralyzed from Sylas's spell. The glimmering barrier that had trapped Sylas inside slowly dissolved as well.

"What... what did you do to me?! I couldn't detect it at all..." the Elf glared at Sylas.

 

[FaddedFox]

Sylas was panting as he continued to concentrate on the spell and felt the magic wane around him. He looked over at the elf, now on his knees as the magic was stripped from him. There was so much he could say to the man but there was no time and there was no reason to get into a philosophical debate. He would simply collect the shard, save it from whatever it was they were doing to it, and leave. He couldn't stay here any more. They'd proven they were not trust worthy. It hurt, but it was a lesson learned. No matter how friendly people were, you could never trust them. You had to be on your toes and everyone wanted something from you. It was just the way things were.

When he was sure the elf wouldn't be able to pull the barrier up again or immediately come after him, he broke the spell. He turned on his heels and fled the hall then and grabbed ahold of the thread that connected him to the shard and followed it, swerving around anyone he met and not slowing down for idle chatter. He hoped he wasn't going to be too late.

 

[Ranix Aurus]

The pull would start again, and then quickly stopped in the blink of an eye, repeating the pattern in a certain interval. That one just now was the third time. The thread connecting it and Sylas grew stronger the closer he was to the central spire, a gigantic tower piercing through the sky that dwarfed the rest of the building surrounding it. A quiet chant could be heard from the inside, spoken in old Elfish tongue, indicating that the ceremony wasn't over yet.

Another pull, even stronger still. That was the fourth time.

"Stop him!"

"Don't let him enter the Hall!"

The yelling of the guards chasing Sylas grew louder as more and more of them trailed behind him. Thankfully, the entrance of the central spire was left wide open, perhaps to accommodate the guests inside. The interior of the hall was grand, the ceiling around three to four floor high and decorated with dash of twinkling jewels that mimic the night stars. Rows upon rows of marble benches lined each sides, ending with a stage at the farther end of the hall. An Elf dressed in magnificent-looking robe was leading the procession, his hands spread up to the sky while the guests were all seated with closed eyes, their chants filled the hall in perfect harmony.

Perhaps an outsider would find the situation strange. Unnerving. It was beautiful, but underneath lies an uncomfortable sense of dread. For the entire hall was brimming with concentrated magic, trickling from each guests, each chants, all of them contributing to a single waived spell, so powerful as it was constructed not by a single conductor, but from the consciousness of all the participants.

It was at this moment that a scholar of Magic would realize that the entire spire was acting as a large-scale magic circle.

"!@#$$%^&!!!!"

On the fifth time, it was completely different. The pull exploded in a giant blaze of stabbing pain, spreading tendrils of overwhelming hate in all direction before honing in toward Sylas, the only person who could channel its presence. Its will was no longer comprehensible in mortal tongue, its scream filled with unspeakable agony as if its existence was torn to shred at that very moment. It was telling Sylas that it was indeed here, trapped in this spire, but it was nowhere to be found within the hall, or in the innumerable stories sitting above it.

But the pull would give him a clue, as its tug came from somewhere unseen at first sight; underground, beneath the clean, marble floor of the grand hall itself.

 

[FaddedFox]

The beauty and enchantment of the tower was lost on Sylas. He couldn't think about anything else but the desperate need to get to the other shard. Even the chanting and the yelled words of the guards meant nothing. If he failed here, then the world was lost and he might as well just die. He couldn't let any of this happen. He rushed through the hall into the main chanting area, his eyes darting to every single person as he searched for the one that called out to him in desperation. And then he felt it again.

He cried out in agony, a hand going to his chest as he felt the pain radiated from the other as if it were his own. For a moment, he thought he was going to split apart. He dropped to his knees, his eyes staring through the floor beneath him. There the shards screamed in his mind, just as desperate as their brethren being tortured below. He needed to get down there. He needed to stop this ritual. Gone was the desire to leave everyone unharmed. They were hurting him and the world. They needed to be stopped and they didn't have time for a 'please and thank you'. He clutched the dagger tightly and quickly sliced open his left arm, blood spilling from the wound eagerly to fuel his magic. He didn't even know what incantation he spoke; he just followed the need in his heart. The symbols, written in his blood circled him in the air, creating a barrier between him and the others so they could not touch him. He slammed his hands down against the floor. Immediately, the floor around him cracked and rippled shoot away from him to shove everyone back in a blast of energy to broke up the chanting circle. The shattered floor sharpened into points to further prevent anyone coming close. Heard a scream or two as a couple of people were impaled by the sudden spokes in the room. The jewels themselves cracked till they rained down as colored powder. Sylas made the motions again and this time the floor ripped open around him and he slid down into the hole that was created.

He was getting woozy from the loss of blood but he couldn't stop now. He was so very close. "Where are you?" he cried as he hit the ground on the interior level where he felt the tug the strongest.

 

[Ranix Aurus]

"What is the meaning of this?!"

"Stop him!"

The procession leader's angry remark, the guards' hurried shouts, they were all deafened by the destructive spell that had wrecked the grand hall into pieces, shattering the fabricated serenity of the ceremony. The world grew dark as the perpetrator slid down into the gaping abyss below, the resulting hole unveiling a spacious basement devoid of light.

The place was soon filled with lights from torches that flared up one after another, as if reacting to Sylas's sudden intrusion.

He would had felt it, the tug, the pull that originated from above. Jutting from the ceiling was a long, metallic spike, with something... no, someone, impaled through their chest by its sharp tip, their body convulsing and twitching uncontrollably as they was suspended in the air.

It felt wrong. Nauseatingly wrong.

The body that was of an Elf, but there was no shred left of elegance or beauty that an Elf should had had. Its body was heavily bloated, its face contorted beyond recognition. Its body twisted in a strange way, ending at flayed limbs that revealed veins pulsing with eerie red glow.

"So, Thienar had failed. It's a shame. Honored One, we didn't want you to see this. Please leave at once," A female Elf stepped forward, strands of Magic accumulating at the tip of her hand. She wasn't the only one present there. There were at least twenty of Elves dressed in robes similar to the one that Thienar had worn, identifying them as members of the so-called Council. Aside from them, there were other... things, laying on the ground.

Four strange lumps were scattered around the vicinity, two of them no more than jumbles of burnt flesh. The other two had the shape of humanoids that had been torn to pieces, making it hard to determine who they once were. However, the four of them had one similar point: they were covered by pieces of white clothes, some parts still showing exquisite embroideries that reflected the historic Elven culture...

"Aaaah!"

A scream cut through the tense atmosphere. At the other end of the hall, surrounded by council members, was a familiar figure. She was being pushed down by two guards, who were trying to keep her still as strands of red light, originating from where the impaled body was hanging on the ceiling, was violently rushing into her, painfully penetrating through every orifice. When it was done, the impaled body finally stopped moving, the last of its accursed life finally came to an end.

The Blood Mage should be able to feel it, the moment when the pull abruptly disappeared, before once again resuming its tug. However, this time the pull didn't come from above.

It came from her instead. From Esca.

 

[FaddedFox]

Sylas was in utter shock. He was young; his mind had yet to fully fathom and comprehend the cruelty of the world. It was too much for him to take in. He had always been kind and gentle; believing in the goodness of people first and foremost. He had been innocent. What he saw now shattered him to the core. His mind couldn't even comprehend what he was seeing. The person who anchored the shard was in so much pain, bloated with it and whatever spell these elves were using. The pain he saw and felt was too much to take. How could he even save them now without hurting them?

And then his attention caught the bloodied bodies on the floor; if even they could still be called such. They were just heaps of flesh and pieces. Then his mind registered the clothing and his eyes widened. Those had been his new friends! The coming of age ceremony... they had all be so excited to walk down the platform together. They'd been smiling and so full of excitement and joy, just barely breaking the surface of life. He felt so sick and dizzy at the sight. Emotions, his own and that of the dragon's, flooded him and he couldn't make head or tails of it. Despair, hatred, anger, horror, pain, each fighting for supremacy of the other.

The scream narrowed his focus and he turned his gaze to the female elf below the shard bearer. She was alive! But only for now as pain wracked her body. "Esca!" he cried. He rushed forward to step onto the platform to try and save her and the disfigured creature above her.

And then the thread snapped.

Sylas froze as the connection evaporated. The dragon inside him was not strong enough to take shape, but it had enough to force itself to speak through Sylas. He and the dragon roared it fury and pain, the world around him shaking as the dragon gathered its magic. He felt the tug return and Sylas turned his gaze back to Esca. Somehow the shard had gone to her. It wasn't possible! The shard should have been transferred to a newborn to begin the cycle of life again long into the future. It could not be given to another unless... Dark magic. The elves had dabbled in magic beyond their kin and the dragon was furious. Sylas was quick to pull Esca out of the spell they'd use on her, his hands burning at the interference but he didn't care. He set her down beside him so she could rest.

The dragon turned towards the councilman then, shaking as magic seemed to spin around him; a gravitational pull all its own. Sylas's human eye had become a golden hue and the dark one pulsed with magic. He growled, fangs now visible. "How dare you?" the combined voice of Sylas and the dragon reverberated in the hollow room. The torches turned a brilliant blue as the flames rose higher and higher, reacting to the turbulent magic. "Defilers! Wretches! You dabble in forces you do not know yet whisper words of reverence to that which you betray! You destroy the very thing you swear to protect. I curse you! Upon the blood that was spilt this day, I curse you and those that come after you; Never shall your people know magic. Your blatant disregard of life and magic make you barren of it. You who've caused this horror, I strip you of your magic, may the process be a fraction of the pain you caused. Watch your world, burn!".

Sylas raised his bleed arm and the blood that had fallen rose in the air to swirl around him before falling like dust on the elves around him. Those that were touched by it began to burn, the magical fire ripping through their veins to shred their magical ability from within. The sheer amount of magic Sylas used made his own body quake with the effort. He wasn't strong enough to maintain this for long, nor touch everyone as he wished, but it was enough. His nose began to bleed, head pounding. His vision wavered and he swayed before he collapsed beside Esca, utterly drained. The wound stopped bleeding and a new vacuum filled the space. The flames returned to their normal red and shrunk in size. The blood and magical pressure evaporated. Those that had been touched by the curse directly however would feel the effects continue. It would never fade. Curses would not lift or break as easily as a spoken spell. A protective veil appeared over Sylas and Esca, protecting them from harm from the elves that remained from the Purge.

 

[Ranix Aurus]

The world was filled with neverending cries. Within the hailstorm of violent Magic, the Elves shrieked and perished, their essences burnt by the curse that Sylas had brought upon them. Death. On that moment, it was raining death.

Even after the tempest had passed, moans of agony rose from the ashes, with nowhere safe from it except for the protective veil that Sylas had erected.

"...Sylas...?" a meek voice was calling out to him. Esca's hand was trembling as she tugged at his sleeve, treating it like a lifeline. She saw her friends dying one after another as they weren't compatible enough with the ritual. In the end, she was the only one left. Drops of tears fell on her hand as she pleaded to him.

"Please... save me... I don't... want to die...!"

Her words were quickly replaced with a piercing scream.

Raw, uncontrollable Magic seeped out from her body in tremendous pace, bathing her surrounding in reddish glow. The energy grew unfathomable until it exploded in a fiery rage, blasting Sylas away from her as well as breaking the protective veil from the inside out. The flowing strands of Magic began to consolidate into tendrils, visible to naked eyes, which shot off to all directions before lodging themselves at the dying Elves scattered around the ruins of the central spire.

"In the past, before the founding of our city, we were wanderers, exiled from our land of birth by the threat of Death. That was when we stumbled over this land. No, to be precise, when we stumbled upon Him."

The councilwoman who had previously tried to confront Sylas had risen back to her feet, her vitality restored by tendrils of magical energy. The other council members followed suit, their existence tapping into the overflowing Magic as they weaved spells on the palm of their hands. Spears of flame, blades of wind, shards of ice, each of them aimed at Sylas. At the same time, they began surrounding Esca, as if they were trying to protect her. From him.

"He was an anomaly. Us Elves merely use magic, but it was as if He was Magic itself, even though he looked just like a normal human. It was not the land which had abundance of Magic. Precisely because He was there in the first place, that the land could have Magic. That was when we realized that He was, no, He is our salvation!"

"His is a power that could save us, but His Magic is too crude, too dangerous, for us to use. Thus, we decided to subdue Him. This spire that you had destroyed is a part of an ancient spell, a formation created with the collective will of every Elves in this city. It was a spell created by the first Lord of our people, who had been forced to use it to protect us from the invasion of outsiders. It transfers the essence of a person onto another, letting the former to live within the latter. By utilizing this spell, we had succeeded in putting Him inside an Elf's body, which made the Magic that He disperses more suitable for us. This is how we had survived to this day."

The Elf woman conjured a stream of crimson energy, undulating in the air like a soaring serpent, its intent was pure of violence.

"You called us defilers, Last Magi. But you are the one who had trampled over our domain, threatening our livelihood. I don't care if we will be branded as heretics by opposing you. As long as my people could survive, then I will gladly accept that burden!"

She shot her spell off toward Sylas, and the rest of the Elves quickly followed.

 

[FaddedFox]

The elves were low; fighting dirty. Sylas was unconscious and yet they attacked him. Without his protective bubble, he was open to their attacks. His body was weak from the blood loss and the magical expenditure. Not even the shards could wake him though they called out to him to open his eyes. There was little they could do to rouse him from his meditative slumber. Then the attacks came. Instead of harming him over, the attacks changed. They sank into his body like a sinkhole. When the elves had finished their casting, everything was quiet. Sylas was glowing.

The boy's eyes slowly opened and he looked up at the ceiling. They came into focus and he saw what remained of the previous shard's host and it instantly made him sick and angry. He slowly rolled onto his knees and took stock of what was going on. The elves had surrounded Esca. "Magic doesn't belong to you. It belongs to the world. Your selfishness will kill the world. And then where will you be? Dead. Why don't you see your aberrations against Order will doom us all? I was chosen to make it right and that is exactly what I will do," he growled. As he talked, he'd bricked his finger on a sharp rock and made the Mark for teleportation. When one of the elves used Wrath's power to send a flood towards him, he lifted his hand to stop the water before turning it back on the mages and freezing their hands. He rushed forward then and grabbed Esa's arm. He couldn't just take the shard; not after everything she'd been through. He couldn't bring himself to do it though it would have solved everything right then and there. Instead, he yanked her after him and touched the mark he'd scribbled on the floor.

In an instant, the two of them were teleported back into Sylas's home and his room. They dropped to the floor, Sylas panting. "Y-you're safe now," he said softly.

 

[Ranix Aurus]

Everything that had happened felt like a dream. A horrible, horrible dream.

They were told to wait in the basement, told that they would be prepared for the main event. The boys were cracking jokes, while Isha was hugging her without rhyme or reason, just like usual. And then, guards poured in, yanking them by their arms and forcibly separating them. The council members soon arrived at the scene, revealing the sickening visage hanging at the ceiling, before the chanting began above ground. It was the same song that they had been taught to sing five years prior. Such innocent and lighthearted song.

It was the anthem of tragedy.

The next time she opened her eyes, all she could see was the stranger boy from yesterday. She tugged at him, wanting to anchor herself on someone, something, that could make her forget about the things she had witnessed. But even that wasn't enough. A foreign energy was boiling her body alive, shredding the last piece of sanity that she had left. The commotion made by tens of spells firing together blurred in her mind as she began to question her own identity.

Where was she? Who was she? Was she still the same her that she knew?

More screams erupted around her. She could sense the people surrounding her getting smacked away by violent force. And then, she felt someone grabbing her arm.

It was Sylas.

Get aWAY frOm him! HE will KILL yOU!

A sliver of thought furiously assaulted her mind, amplifying her fear, telling her a knowledge that she, by all means, should not have known. Her first instinct was to follow it, tensing her arm to push the boy's hand away.

But then, she decided to grab his hand instead.

The teleportation Magic immediately swallowed them, away from the pained shouts of the desperate Elves. The next thing she knew, they were inside what looked like someone's room.

"Y-you're safe now,"

She heard the boy said so. It felt assuring, and for a moment, she melted in a sense of security which caused her to lose the last bit of her strength. She began sobbing as she buried her face on his chest, her hands clutching tightly on his shirt.

"...F*CK YOU!!"

Suddenly, she erupted, her demeanor changed in the blink of an eye. Her voice grew hoarse, with sharp edges that clawed on the listener's ears.

"TOOK YOU LONG ENOUGH! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT I HAVE GONE THROUGH? HUH?! DO YOU?!? I'LL KILL YOU, YOU F*CKING BASTARD-!"

She pulled away from Sylas. At the same time, Magic flowed through the veins of her arms, accumulating on her palms, and breached out in the form of long trails of searing flame, as if her entire arms were smoldering with hellfire.

 

[FaddedFox]

Sylas was still so very tired and growing a bit weak once more. Even still, he didn't let himself sleep just yet. Poor Esca was hurt and confused and now she had another being inside her. A being that was tortured for ages and ages. It made his heart ache and tears filled his eyes. It was his fault. This was all his fault, if he'd been able to do this in the past and fix the world before it got to this point, things would have been better.

Oh, Sylas, it is not your fault. The mages before didn't know their task like you did. You were lucky you found Passion when you were a little boy. What matters now are your choices in this life. You've started the journey to make this world better. Don't forget that, Empathy encouraged.

Sylas looked up into Esca and Wrath's face. "I am sorry. I am so sorry about what you've gone through. I wish I could make it better but I can't. All I can tell you is that I am going to do my best to keep you both safe and to collect and save everyone else, bring back the magic of the world. You... You've been through so much I can't even imagine. I won't take your shard. Not yet. That way, you can just live beside me until I collect everyone else? But maybe not hug me, I feel your tug in my heart and it hurts a little, and I am sure it doesn't make you feel that much better."

 

[Ranix Aurus]

His words were sweet, filled with honey, and it irritated her more and more. Such empty promises for a broken world. What was the point? She gritted her teeth, seething with rage as she sent a punch right at his face.

"SHUT UP!!!!"

Her fist connected, the destructive flame engulfing it exploded in a blast of glory, the resulting shockwave throwing everything away from the site of impact.

She had missed. The punch was directed downward instead, leaving a burnt crater on the floor.

Huffing madly for air, she sent a chilling glare at Sylas, silently telling him that she hadn't forgiven him yet. And then, she closed her eyes as she finally passed out from over exhaustion. The threads of Magic that was coursing through her body had disappeared without a trace.

 

[FaddedFox]

Well then. That would not have been a fun punch. He was lucky she had missed him and hit the floor. He wondered if that was Esca's influence. He sighed in relief and watched her pass out from all the effort and just... everything that had happened. He didn't blame her. He wanted to as we.. He gently pulled her up into his arms and lay her down on the bed. He started to clean her up then before he covered her with the blanket. Gods he was tired. He ran a hand through his hair and winced. Damn his body ached.

He probably should tell his parents he was home, but he didn't really want to deal with them and their ideas of court. Mom would just dot on him and coddle his injuries. He went to his desk where he kept reserved bandages and antiseptic and began to clean up the fresh cuts he'd given himself. A lot of the small ones healed without scares but this one on his arm... it was going to leave a mark. With it all cleaned up, he quickly bandages himself before he lay down on the floor next to the bed to get some rest.

 

[Ranix Aurus]

"Wait up, guys!"

It was another day of intense lecture from Lord Solvain, the Elvish language teacher. He had been drilling the content of a classic into their brains until they had turned mushy from all the memorization. It wasn't much trouble for a bookworm like Shen, but for her? It was torture.

"C'mon, you're so sloooow!" Valen laughed as he turned back to face her. Iliander didn't seem to bother, but he did slowed his steps significantly so she could catch up. Shen was still occupied with the book on his hands, while Isha had a mischievous glint in her eyes, as if she was about to pounce on her the moment she was within arm's reach.

"You guys are awful..." she huffed as she struggled to catch her breath. Usually, it was the moment for Isha to make her move. She reflexively tensed her arms, ready to avoid her the moment she struck.

However, what she had waited for a long time would never come.

"Huh?"

She looked up. The four of them were looking at her with gentle eyes. Iliander, Valen, Shen, Isha...

"Guys?" She tentatively called, her hand stretching out toward them. Before she could realize it, her cheeks had been wet with tears.

"Don't cry," Isha's warm voice filled her ears. It used to be soothing for her, but now it only made her choke. "If it's you, I'm sure it'll be okay. Good bye, Esca..."

In that place where time seemed to stop, everything was engulfed by a bright light.

"Wait, don't go- Ouch!"

A loud thud reverberated throughout the room as she crashed face-first onto the hard floor. It took her a few more seconds before she finally managed to clear out the haze that was clouding her mind. She looked up at the unfamiliar ceiling, and then at the walls of the room with design so foreign for her.

"Where... is this...?" She murmured to herself. It was definitely not her bedroom. What happened? Her brain was starting to hurt as memories started to pour back in.

 

[FaddedFox]

Sylas groaned softly as he was awakened by the thud. What was that now? He winced as he sat up and looked down at himself. He certainly looked as bad as he felt. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He looked up onto the bed but found Esca was not there. He lay on it to peer on the other side and saw her sitting up on the floor. She looked a little better which was good. Maybe she needed water and food. Ugggh he was going to have to deal with his parents now. They were going to be furious with him.

"Good morning, Esca," he said softly. "Sorry, didn't mean to scare you or anything. Welcome to my home. I... I brought here to keep you safe from the others. I am sorry." There was so much about that situation that was wrong. It made him lose much of the faith he had in people. How could you trust anyone?

Sylas.. Empathy called but he shook his head.

"It's true.." he murmured and sat up. "Are you hungry? Thirsty? I can get you some. Promise to stay here? It would be better if my parents didn't see you. Then we could continue on our way."

 

[Ranix Aurus]

Esca was still processing her new surrounding when she heard someone calling out to her. She whipped her head toward the voice, only to see Sylas. At that moment, a strange feeling washed over her, causing her stomach to churn. It was bad. She hated it. She winced uncontrollably before she quickly regained herself and shook her head to clear away the bad thoughts.

"Ah? Uh, g-good morning..." she replied meekly. Not being in a familiar place was a bit scary. But... his house? She couldn't help but to take another look around. The room was... how should she say it... ordinary? She felt that the bedroom back at the resident hall was still better than this.

He then asked if she wanted something to eat, or drink, but she waved her hand to show him that she was fine.

"It's okay, it's okay, you don't need to worry about me. I don't want to impose-"

She had said it with such confidence that when her stomach began to growl, she felt like the world had come to an end. Her face was boiling red as she clutched on her belly, trying futilely to stop the noise from coming out once again.