《The Banished Monologues, Book 2- The Geoptics》
Hunters and those Hunted
Mud splattered her trousers as she walked. The lower city was never well maintained it seemed more like a place for a rat to die than for people to try and live. King Harold liked it that way. The Red Keep was a fractured city between mages scurrying away and the Red Knights trying to step on them. Isadora was the former. Her geoptic emerald eyes were hard to disguise and she could feel her spell waning like the midsummer sunlight. Hurrying from alleyways to narrow streets panic began to set in as her surroundings warped into unrecognisable territory. If she was out after dark then-!
¡®Isadora?¡¯ A familiar voice called from the dusk.
¡®¡ Veyra¡?¡¯ Her frail voice called back.
Out of the shadows stepped another geoptic. Her eyes were not disguised so bright opals were in her eye sockets, skin slightly grey like rock.
Isadora¡¯s own spell finally gave up as she ran to her, emeralds shining in the dark as they embraced.
¡®I got lost.¡¯ She stated dumbly.
¡®I can see that.¡¯ Veyra brushed some short hair from Isadora¡¯s child-chubby face. She told her to always keep it short, least it be grabbed in a brawl. She looked into her complex, emerald eyes. She¡¯d be caught and killed looking as a geoptic. By association alone Veyra would be killed no matter her race¡ Was there anything harbouring more ruination than family? ¡®Pay attention on the way, you¡¯re not that far from the entrance.¡¯
¡®Ok.¡¯ She smiled despite the streaks of worry across her face. If a Red Knight was down in the lower city they¡¯d be put to the spear immediately. Kill on sight- it was something a poster, as large as the wall it was suck to, admitted proudly. There were countless posters all about the evil of magic. It made her head throb to see bloodstains on some of them. She felt her amulet around her neck, the Goddess of Battle. Veyra had a near identical one but it lacked a gemstone stuck under it. She had gifted the necklace to Isadora, saying the gem was lucky and to not take it off. However, she didn¡¯t seem like the superstitious type.
Twisting and turning through allies like a rat in a maze they eventually make it to the correct one, a small door jammed at the very back, a river of mud like a mote to stop them. Isadora clung to the teenager like she could dissipate. It was dark, the sun had long set. She hated the dark. Sinking in the mud they walked over to the end of the alleyway and Veyra hit her knuckle against it with coded knocks. A few heartbeats later some metal scraped away, two eyes were hidden behind enchanted spectacles to detect falsehoods but unnecessary the geoptic eyes were a dead giveaway. He didn¡¯t bother with the password and after clanging of gears and metal did the door silently open. Isadora followed Veyra to a common enough trapdoor, nearly every house had one, but no other house had one like this. With a thud she opened it to show a ghostly outline of stairs descending into the dark.
¡®Forsa.¡¯ Veyra whispered and a potion corked in a glass bottle began to glow a sweet orange. It highlighted the steps in the void of darkness as Isadora focused on not falling off the edge of the sheer drop. The steps were softened and morphed from the thousand-thousand footsteps taken on them, making them smooth and even worse to walk on. ¡®This is so dangerous.¡¯ She squeaked.
¡®Don¡¯t worry yourself Isa.¡¯ Veyra fetched a different potion from her belt ¡®I have this, and just like I said before and before, I haven¡¯t needed to use it yet.¡¯ She pocketed the levitation spell and silence returned between the slap-sounding steps.
A hundred and one, a hundred and two, a hundred and three¡ Isadora counted, and once on one hundred and five Veyra vanished in front of her. The girl was unfazed. One hundred and six, one hundred and seven¡ eight- suddenly sound, light and warmth struck her. The shield accepted her as they walked into the Trading Cavern, the heart of all sorcery!
There were so many people the ground flowed like merging rivers as people soared through the air on brooms like birds. A band was playing nearby, strumming her with lively, joyous music. She struggled to make out the stall they wanted in the firelight, as she reached the bottom of the staircase. Veyra took her hand before walking into the dense crowds of people.
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¡®No matter what, don¡¯t go far from me.¡¯ Veyra warned, like she had warned every time before, speaking loudly over the conversations of the crowd, shouts of joy from fliers, screams of spells going wrong and roars of caged animals.
¡®I won¡¯t-.¡¯ She cut herself off from saying sister. ¡®Veyra. I never do.¡¯ She reassured and squeezed her hand three times to symbolise the words: I love you.
Veyra¡¯s face softened before they walked in. Of course the stall they wanted was buried in the crowds but Veyra followed the route she had taken countless times before. Isadora passed all manner of people- not one the same! People wore tight metal for fire spells, pirate garb, long green robes, stone armour, colourful furs, while they carried long wands, crooked staffs, gemstones hung about them, feathers in their caps, boots stained with foreign soil, swords scabbard, creatures perched on their shoulders or chained to their wrist¡ but the one thing they had in common was the red symbol on their temple.
Everyone possible of magic was assigned a single class for them to learn freely, the tattoo symbolised the magic class. This was to control them, so no one could become too powerful. They naturally were a neutral black and it only shone red if the mage had betrayed one of the most serious laws¡ when she was younger she assumed they would all eventually glow red. She had been signalled with naturalistic magic, the tattoo on her temple remained ink-black.
Naturalistic magic, put bluntly, were potions and spells made from plants and the natural world. Geoptics were naturally skilled with magic, capable of using wands or just their words, but she was¡ unlucky, she wasn¡¯t as good as the rest of her race. She had one thought the tattoo had somehow locked away the rest of her magic¡ but that¡¯s not how it works, it was created from the skills one already has in their blood.
Her eyes focused on Veyra¡¯s wand tucked into her belt and felt a pang of bitterness. With the newfound fear of magic nowadays a wand would cost as much as the person itself! Veyra could create potions and do Isadora¡¯s more simplistic ingredient-based magic, but Isadora could never use a wand. Her magic was never strong enough. ¡®It¡¯ll take time.¡¯ She¡¯d always say.
Reaching the stall the smell of wet soil was pungent, the merchant was dripping wet. That meant his supplies were fresh! Isadora watched as Veyra collected the ingredients for eye changes. Her eyes focused on a magic tome and her stomach fluttered. A real tome! They were getting so rare nowadays! If anything could help with her magic it would be one of those. It¡¯s said the magic of the writer is infused into a tomes very pages and ink!
¡®How much for the tome?¡¯ Isadora shyly asked Veyra who looked to the ornate, thick book, an enchanted latch wrapped around it like a coiled snake.
¡®Oh, we can¡¯t afford something like that-.¡¯
The merchant cut her off ¡®for a power like that¡¡¯ He removed the pipe from his crooked teeth ¡®a few psy spells, a thousand gems or bone from a sea beast the size of me!¡¯
She felt a sinking feeling.
Veyra ushered to the small pile she had gathered. ¡®All this for spell ¡®all this for ingredient com¡¯nation 1.567.¡¯ She said. A unique fireball spell, but being naturalistic magic meant it wasn¡¯t worth much.
The one eyed merchant looked at her and snorted, some ash falling from his pipe, ¡®nah, no. All those for the earth spell 3.850.¡¯ The ability to form stone into spears.
She tightened her lips, ¡®we don¡¯t have enough magical strength for mind magic, how ¡®bout the combination 2.76?¡¯ She was hoping an earth spell for manipulating stones would suffice.
¡®That¡¯s for wands ¡®n¡¯ staffs- you¡¯re a geoptic! You¡¯re¡¯ll psy!¡¯
¡®Geoptics are incredibly skilled with magic but it¡¯s not all innate, I¡¯ve never had a teacher so-.¡¯
¡®Right, right, whatever. 2.76 will do!¡¯
After a relieved breath Veyra began to share her knowledge.
In a land where magical knowledge was becoming more and more restrict spells began to replace money. A coin wouldn¡¯t stop a Red Knight from decapitating you, but a shield spell might¡
Gathering the flora in a sack they walked to a slightly less crowded area. Sitting on the dirt Veyra began to go through the instructions for the hundredth time- ¡®I know, Veyra, let me.¡¯ Isadora took the pestle and mortar and began to mush up the eyeball with riverside soil.
His Spellbound School
With this fractured land there were suffering. However, there was those privileged from such torment and those who where blissfully unaware: Humphrey held three book tomes in his chubby arms. He was the latter. He spilled them across his desk before battering back some locks of blonde hair. Sitting at the front of class he listened intently to the teacher whose writing feather moved with a mind of its own over the board in front. The students around him doodled on their parchment or stared out the snow-suffocated window. It was snowing heavily walking back to his room would be unpleasant. Another rubbed their temples from the headache of a lesson, finger rubbing over the block Arctic God tattoo. They belonged to the school of Arctic magic, only ice or snow magic was taught. ¡®Does anyone know where magic was originally sourced?¡¯
Humphrey put his hand high in the air. The teacher¡¯s eyes cast about the room for a few moments more. No¡ no one else raised their hand. ¡®Yes, Humphrey?¡¯
¡®Fae blood.¡¯
¡®No, it was from geoptic crystals. The fae were falsehoods to scare children a little younger than you all. They do not exist.¡¯
The ink scratched across the board, drawing a diagram of the geoptic homeland.
¡®Geoptics have similar crystals in their bodies, such as their eyes. Can anyone tell me how this affects them?¡¯
Another kid spoke up ¡®it gives them greater magical abilities.¡¯
¡®Correct. It is from these crystals even felden can create spells.¡¯
Humphrey, sitting at his dorms desk, stared into one of these crystals. His homework was to make a potion. But the look of the dead insects caused his nose to crinkle. Disgusting. He slipped on the silk gloves provided, there was no chance he would touch one of those things with his bare hands. He was one of the few felden in the school. Geoptics would have no issue with spells. The same design for wands, wood with a core made of a gemstone rod, mimicked geoptic biology of having gemstone bones and eyes. Feeling nauseous from the look of it all he turned his chair to his window to look out at the snowy mountains. It was a school forgotten in the mountains.
People use to travel home every now and then but due to ¡®circumstances¡¯ they were no longer allowed. He wondered what it could be¡ certainly not the weather. The teachers were incredibly skilled with tolas (staff or wand magic) they¡¯d clear any turbulence with ease¡ Not that he had anyone to go to. He was happy to hear everyone else would be trapped in the school over the holidays, it got awfully lonely when everyone left.
His eyes flickered to his own staff above beautiful, golden awards clogging the shelves where books could not. He had an icy blue crystal with near white wood. The blue of his eyes shone in the shining crystal. He looked at his own palm and whispered the word for fire: ¡®fosla!¡¯ Nothing¡ but not forever, just not now¡ One day he would not need his staff. With a new sense of drive he turned his chair back to the mess in front of him, held his nose, and took the pestle and mortar and began crushing up the puc-juice with the claws of birds¡
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Annoyance gnawed at him. The spell wasn¡¯t working! He had mixed it all correctly, he was sure!
As he walked the empty corridors to clear his head he heard a clock hand tick. It was nearing midnight- no teachers would help him at this hour. Usually he wouldn¡¯t dare disrupt his sleep like this, but he knew he wouldn¡¯t be able to sleep until the problem was conquered! Fortunately, the library never had a closing time. Walking across the ornately decorated corridors it resembled a castle more than a school from the golden chandeliers and white marble floors blanketed with deep coloured carpets, the colour depending on the area of the school. Across a green rug he approached the dark wood of the library doors he heaved one a crack open and slipped in, his belly catching the corner. A dozing librarian perched at her desk so he shut the door as gently as one could. From the rows and rows of books it was more like a maze than a library, but he had been amongst its pages more so than his own room. In the comforting darkness he lit a candle, the amber flame warming the area and highlighting the spines of the books closest to him. Naturalistic magic was a simple practise as long as one could be precise. Too much venom, or chips of stone, and the entire thing could explode, implode, vanish, all of the above, or more. He found the correct section quickly and slid a book free of the rest he didn¡¯t doubt he¡¯d already read. Releasing the candle it remained hovering in the air as he skimmed the pages of naturalistic fire spells. But then another cover caught his eye. THE DRA-CAST it read proudly of itself. Putting the other book on top of the rest he picked up the thin one. Easily to be missed from how miniscule it was¡ ¡®The Dra-Cast, considering legend¡¡¯ he mumbled aloud before rolling his eyes. It was a fairytale book. But despite his desire to return it he didn¡¯t, instead he kept reading¡
¡®Excuse me.¡¯ Humphrey looked to see the librarian wide awake, ¡®aren¡¯t you¡¯re classes starting?¡¯
Humphrey looked around, finger on the final page of the fairytale, and spotted the clock! ¡®Oh my!¡¯ He had read throughout the night! Slipping the book back he grabbed the still hovering candle and hurried away.
In class he was provided the ingredients fresh in the snow. He hated the cold. He hadn¡¯t bathed nor changed, feeling and looking unkempt he groggily tried to the spell despite not finding the solution in the storybook he read. But he wasn¡¯t as irritated with himself as he thought it was a very good book, about the blood of God-worshippers creating stronger magic than ever before! A pipe dream. But more importantly, the protagonist whom saved the entire city from dragon fire¡ a Dra-Cast, with the power and soul of a dragon with the blood of a God, one could only dream of such strength¡ He wondered if there ever would be another¡ Geoptics were creatures of magic, perhaps if there was a Dra-Cast it would be a gem-eyed. Alone, they could conquer the world. He was only stopped by a Banished God. Yes, it was a fairytale and thankfully so. For one to have such power was a terrible thing. He felt his temple, the black tattoo to symbolize he was learning Arctic magic and nothing more. It would glow crimson if he began learning different spells and then killed for it. The worst crime of all.
The Sanguine Army
Isadora scratched her knuckles. Her new white wrappings, only around her hands, were starting to itch. Looking up she stared at the poster on the wall of the upper city:
Ruling 0: Geoptics are to be killed on sight
Ruling 1.A: Any practice of naturalistic magic is punishable by death
Ruling 1.B: Any practice of tolas magic is punishable by death
Ruling 1.C: Any practice of psychic magic is punishable by death
Ruling 2.A: If you see any mages and do not report them immediately this will result in imprisonment
Ruling 2.B: If you discover any magic items hand those in to the local guard, failure to do so will result in imprisonment
Ruling 2.C: If-
She turned her head away and followed Veyra to buy some food. Terrifying. All manner of new recruits would read it today and feel pride. Trainees would be trying outing for Red Knight positions. They¡¯ll be worsening The Red Kings ruling to kill every mage and geoptic possible. Speaking of, her eyes caught a foreigner, looking like he just stepped off the boat. The felden stopped his trek and admired the same poster. His amber eyes bored into the first ruling to kill geoptics and a flutter of joy coursed through him.
Suddenly a teenager, not much younger than him bumped into him. Veyra quickly apologized, her amulet reflecting sunlight, before hurrying off and vanishing into a crowd.
Damn Droconions. He thought. He curled his lip at the thought of worshipping a God. Disgusting mages. Everyone back home said he was stupid to travel to Drocon for a war that didn¡¯t affect them but he was never so sure of a choice before. He unfurled his map and tried to find where he was¡
¡®Sill-sow Street?¡¯ He mumbled to himself before looking for the sign.
¡®I think it¡¯s this way.¡¯ His brother pointed up the hill-city to the very top, where the castle resided. The walk would be a good warm up, he decided. Beginning the walk he only had to lug himself, armour and weapons were provided, but he did bring his years of training. He had beaten everyone in his tiny village countless times and he had the calluses to prove it. The only one to match him was his brother. But village-folk weren¡¯t enough. They would go up against mages! The very concept of fighting was different against them. He had done whatever research he could, about pairs, a Sword and a Shield, but it all still eluded him so he would have to learn quickly.
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Striding higher a few kids ran past, chasing after their ball, but due to the slight decline he had a feeling they would be running for a long time, which made him chuckle.
Finally reaching the upper most part of the city it was completely different to the lower city filth he had to walk past. Light brick shone in sunlight which was reflected by paint stained windows. Blooming flowers clung to the chalky rock, his shoes clinking against stone paved streets, tiny blades of emerald grass poking through.
His nose twitched at the smell of sweet baked goods and his mouth watered. On instinct he reached for his coin purse, only to feel air. He violently tapped his belt and hips- he had been robbed! Rage bubbled through his slight hunger- no, it wouldn¡¯t ruin his day. He had worked too hard to pay for the boat trip and trained too hard to fail now. His dream was being achieved some missing silvers wouldn¡¯t change that! Chest swelling with pride he turned to where to go next¡ where was the sign ups? He scratched his head, there were no more signs, the map simply read upper city in a circle of grey. He looked to his brother, who shrugged helplessly. Helpful. Wandering through the streets he followed a few groups that looked knight-worthy but that led nowhere. But on turning his blood ran cold. A knight. Not a Red Knight but similar to a walking shadow. Pitch black armour covered them completely, a sword nearly the same height strapped to his back, blades tied to their legs, face covered by a sheet of metal so their eyes didn¡¯t even shine through. How could they see? He went toward him, shrugging off Garrisons clutches to keep him away from the stranger.
¡®Excuse me.¡¯ He forced a deep voice. Someone like them must have known the way. ¡®I¡¯m looking to sign up to become a Red Knight.¡¯
The dark one nearly insultingly looked him up and down, and then titled their head to the end of the street.
¡®This way¡?¡¯ He asked before going down the alley, Garrison keeping very close, and nearly bumping into another felden in the blinding sunlight. A long line of people stretched away, facing a large stall titled SIGN UPS. He turned to thank the stranger but they were already gone.
Bullies
As Humphrey chewed on his lunch he was reading for an answer for his magic problem, alone at his table. The professor had asked him a question on one of the first spells created. He gave the answer of capturing the weather, which of course was correct, but had failed himself in not giving any greater details like the dates or who was recorded in doing this. He was brought out of his reading by whispering behind him at another table. He couldn¡¯t avoid them for long. He ignored them and flipped the page telling himself they were just jealous of his accomplishments that he a felden was better than the geoptics. That he was better than them.
One swore to him, but use to the mockery he took another bit of his meal. Suddenly he felt the hit of something on the back of his head, wiping it saw jelly on his fingers. Sadly to admit he was use to this bullying. It started years ago at the yearly awards ceremony. He was called up to collect a reward four times in a row. That put a target on his back. Rubbing the food from his hair tried his best to block them out. However, it was hard now that they were talking louder. He took a breath in, focusing his mind, continued to read.
He recalled the Dra-Cast book he had read. In childhood the felden was too bullied, but stopped it quickly with a few choice blows to the face. Revenge. The word rang in his mind. It sounded good. He began his plot as he drifted to sleep on his sofa.
His leg bounced repeatedly up and down unable to focus on anything but time. One hour before he could go down, half an hour, he got changed into fresh clothes, fifteen minutes¡ Thirteen¡. Eight¡.. Five. Close enough, slamming the book shut jumped off the sofa and hurried down to the hall. Going to their usual table and splashed the potion he had onto the wood. Sitting at his table he began to wait¡ Only a few minutes felt like forever, the anticipation was killing him. Suddenly the rowdy group came in of five felden. He held his breath, having a sudden, deep desire they would not choose another table and clenched his fists in anticipation. After the group got their food it felt like an hour passed before they finally sat down at the correct table. With butterflies in his stomach he mumbled the spell words under his breath, suddenly aware of his volume worried they would hear him. Mind filled with the steps to complete and focus on the ice¡ He covered his face with an arm to look conspicuous. Glancing over as subtly as he could, he watched the table jitter and shake slightly, the group seemed to not notice, causing a jolting feeling within him. The emotion cut off his concentration of the spell. Taking a moment he tried again and suddenly the table shot up. The groups food was thrown at them before it smashed to the ground as their chairs few away. Laughter erupted as the five sat in their mess, broken chair and table parts around them, shocked at what happened. He felt a strong smile form on his lips, making him overjoyed. His chest swelled eyes wide. He did not know it tasted this good and joined in the mocking laughter wholeheartedly!
Humphrey felt the sense of victory as he walked through the corridor, like his chest was puffed out, like he was taller, like he was stronger.
But then his blood ran cold when he saw the bullies sprint towards him. He turned around and walked hurriedly in the opposite direction but they caught up before he could go far. A red faced felden with small, dark eyes grabbed his collar and spun his around. ¡®Did you do that?!¡¯
His lips were stiff, like he couldn¡¯t talk, ¡®w-what?¡¯
Another with eye emeralds grabbed his shirt and shoved him into the wall. ¡®Only you could do a spell like that, freak! It was you, wasn¡¯t it?!¡¯
A knot formed tight in his throat. ¡®N-no!¡¯ He willed himself to say as hot flushes covered his skin and felt like he was being cooked in his own clothes.
¡®Liar!¡¯ Spat the geoptic and grasping his top and threw him to the floor. Before any of them could attack he jumped up and shoved hard past them!
He ran to the first place his sluggish mind thought of: throwing himself against the library doors he squeezed through them and hurried down the first bookcase he could. The library was always dimly lit from the sheer size of it compared to candles they could burn so the darkness would work to his advantage. His eyes caught the Dra-Cast book poking out from the folds and cursed it. Stupid ideas getting in his head and in trouble! How utterly stupid of him!
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Thumping himself against a dead end his heartbeat hammered horribly, waiting with battering breathes, unable to fill his lungs enough! He could hear them run down the corridors in search for him. Suddenly a flicker or movement- ¡®found him!¡¯ One shouted. His hands clutched themselves and screwed his eyes shut, wishing to be anywhere else as a terrible dread slithered deeper under his skin. He needed to get away, to vanish, to- suddenly he was weightless as he fell back into darkness¡!
His gasps echoed. He slowly realized the pressure on his back was simply the floor. Dazed, it took him a moment to understand he had fallen¡ fallen¡ fallen over what? Sickly tired from the run and fear he slowly sat up in the darkness, dust swirling around his face as he moved. Legs shaking kneeled and felt the wall which he slipped through¡ it was solid stone. He had fallen through the stone wall into a sealed off room. How would he¡? A lump formed in his throat as he suddenly focused on reality- the second he was living in. For now he wasn¡¯t trapped in a tomb, he was simply lost. Just lost. Which he would find his way out of and back to his room in no time¡
Daring to turn around his eyes strained against the darkness as he pulled himself to his feet. His shoes scuffed against bare stone floors as the air was thick with newly disturbed dust. His fingers brushed rough, splintered wood, some spikes almost wedging in his fingertips. Quickly retracting his fingers he noticed a candle on the side and with a quick flick it spluttered with life. Amber light revealed it to be a study. Papers were scattered about, some were layouts of the castle. The room must have been walled off a long time ago until the new teacher didn¡¯t know of it. Then his heart fluttered at the wall of books covering an entire wall. Their spines disclosed they were not school-warranted. Forbidden magic. Picking a pristine one up it read Sir Spikes Phantasmagoria. He lit a few candles dotted around and sat on the chair- which shattered under his weight. Now he wasn¡¯t that fat. This room must have been truly old. Flickering through every paper he could they were broadly about a more hidden location within the heart of Drocon. Reaching for some more he rusted key clanged against the floor. It was old and heavy, leaving muck on his hands for whatever resided in the centre of the land. It had a nice ornate design scratched into it. Suppose it could be a good paperweight. The writings continued to explain how it was off limits which he scoffed at. His school was beside the edge of the map within treacherous mountains. Whoever made this room clearly liked walking more than he did. But eventually worry did set in, so flicking through books for enchantments he needed to find a way to free himself from the room. Hours upon hours later he found the correct chapter. It was simple enough. Approaching the wall he imagined it splitting like a waterfall and instilled himself with the desire to leave¡ªand just like that he pushed through the solid stone!
When his disorientation subsided he was back in the dim library. He was all alone apart from the heavy key in his hand.
He could not believe he was in trouble with the school. The boy sat sheepishly on a chair too large for him. His legs were nimbly swinging and scraped just above the ground. A sapphire geoptic with a far too long nose for her face sat opposite. The tea cup was warm in his palms but not as hot as his ears. ¡®You know why you¡¯re here?¡¯
He nodded as his throat was too dry to use. It was about the incident yesterday.
¡®You have gone against our school policy. You will move to the Southern Wing for a few days as punishment.¡¯ His eyes watered. Humphrey mumbled something but she could not hear him. ¡®Remember, magic is not a tool for violence. This school is about knowledge.¡¯
He tried to speak up but clamped his own mouth shut.
¡®Go.¡¯ The professor signalled to the door.
Bootcamp
¡®STRAIGHTEN UP!¡¯ The instructor yelled as Rexford felt like back weaken during press ups. Training was intense. It had been a near month since he enlisted and his body had never been so battered.
Once in pairs they were both given a sword and shield. He was against his brother. Understandable, they were similar builds. He looked like a skinner, paler version of him. Nearly identical apart from Garrison having brown eyes while he had sharp blue.
He smirked at the prospect of his first victory. Throwing the dulled blade forward with a blood thirsty yell the weaker one threw up the shield for metal to clang against wood, before a shock of pain staggered him back into the dirt. Clutching his gut the whelp had won- and quickly at that. Anger seared through him before clutching his blade tighter. Moving quicker he put more force into his swing, but his arch was greater and even easier to read, so the opponent blocked each blow with the shield, and waiting for an opening, there were ample, once more smashed the metal into his side. Rexford staggered at the pain, the people in his village near hit that hard. Granted, they were all his friends and probably didn¡¯t wish to hurt him. It was apparent this was all different, he wasn¡¯t home anymore it wasn¡¯t make-believe anymore¡
¡®Don¡¯t hit me!¡¯ A memory flashed behind his eyes. It was Garrison, not much older than seven. Both their builds were so much thinner. They were comparatively tiny.
¡®It¡¯s a part of the training!¡¯ He pressed.
¡®But¡ where¡¯s the evil monologue? Sir Grayson does that big speech.¡¯
¡®That¡¯s a story. We actually want to fight, not stall!¡¯
¡®But I don¡¯t.¡¯
¡®Then you monologue. I want to win!¡¯
¡®Isadora, you¡¯ve got to be faster!¡¯ Veyra instructed as the girl struggled to mix the ingredients quick enough as her tongue mumbled a prayer, instilling the Goddess of War¡¯s aura into the magical plants.
¡®I¡¯m trying!¡¯ Her voice echoed in a small tunnel in the trading cavern where the two would get the most privacy. Her white hand wrapping were becoming stained with ingredients since she never took them off.
She kneeled beside her. ¡®It¡¯s ok.¡¯
¡®No- I have to do this!¡¯
¡®Isa.¡¯ She placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. ¡®It¡¯s okay we¡¯ll start with something easier.¡¯ She took the pestle and mortar from the girl. Isadora began to fiddle with her amulet, feeling the smoothness of the gemstone stuck on the other side of the engraved steel. ¡®Instead of making potions in combat we¡¯ll start with a different class and learn as slow as you want.¡¯
¡®¡ A different class¡?¡¯ She felt her temple, the tattoo. She was trapped into the Greater Gods class of fire. If a mage strayed from the class they were given at birth then their tattoo would glow red to alert authorities. Changing classes¡¯ unauthorized meant one mage was learning and growing stronger than the average mage, which meant they would become a threat. It was one of the most dire laws to break. ¡®Don¡¯t I have to learn new prayers or rituals?¡¯
¡®Yes, but it is simply done. Desert magic is ¡ fine. You can change temperature¡¯s, create fires, but it¡¯s quick and dangerous. Ice magic will be an easier start.¡¯ She handed her a small blue sack filled with fresh ingredients. ¡®Listen well.¡¯
She clutched her amulet, the Goddess of Battle. In short, she could use any class learnt in order to be instilled with chaotic power and make dangerous spells. However, if one primarily worships a Lesser God, any spells learnt from Greater God rituals will be weaker. If Isadora learned new arctic powers, their strength would somewhat be diluted from the filter of the Lesser God, but the spells would be more specialized to what she wanted to achieve: lethality. Therefore, the primary spells she would create would be explosive or dangerous snow and ice magic.
If a mage primarily only worshipped a Greater God their spells would be stronger. Like Humphrey solely worshipping and learning the Arctic God. His spells would be stronger, but more generalized from combat to daily application.
Lesser Gods are mental constructs, included but neither limited to hunting, with animal tracking, or sailing, with current control. These Lesser¡¯s have existed for a shorter time. Greater Gods belong to concepts already existing and to be found anywhere, like rock or light.
Humphrey found the correct corridor and approached the empty wall. With a breath he walked through the stone as if it wasn¡¯t there to reveal the study. Only now the dust and mess was removed, a few pillows were added and a filthy window was covered by a curtain.
Humphrey was learning multiple classes, worshipping multiple Greater Gods. This meant his power with spells wouldn¡¯t be diluted with every God he would believe in, but the time taken to worship all the Gods would gradually increase. This is because he would have to do the rituals for each one individually.
He picked out a book from the shelf and placed it on a golden book holder in the near centre of the room. He flicked to a spell he was brimming with excitement to use. Spell 2.44- firelight. Learning an entirely new class made his chest flutter it made him grip his staff tighter. The idea of creating a fireball with a wand he made him wake up at four to practice this forbidden magic before classes. He was haggard but holding together. He looked at his own notes, of the spell triangle. Magic required three base powers: a source of strength, his own magical power as well as a few crystals, a conduit, his staff, and a divine source, which would be the God of Flame. He opened another book in devote worship of the God to get a clear image in his mind of what the God would look like. He took a breath. He could do this and slammed his staff against the floor.
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He could do this. Rexford gripped the sword tighter as his eyes flickered to the fully armoured man, people had nicknamed him Shadow, but he was the General to The Red King.
He worshipped no God. A long time ago he would¡¯ve been a great oddity. A ¡®Godless¡¯ and shunned and feared by everyone. For what is so evil which lurks in a Godless mind for it to be hidden by every entity? However, nowadays, it was a growing norm as magic became more and more feared by the felden which lacked any major magical abilities.
He stood on the sidelines of the training grounds, watching in silence like a grim reaper. Rexford was embarrassing himself! Anxiety began to gnaw at him, imagining the Shadow was analysing him at every second for every mistake. His movements became sluggish, until after a swing the opponent hooked his arm, spinning the tired attacker around and kicking him away. Rexford stumbled and felt suddenly sick when he heard a bang as his head made contact with metal. Thudding onto the ground he saw the Shadow standing over him. In a shock he forced his dizzy self to his feet. ¡®Apologises.¡¯ Rexford began, staring into the reflective helmet. The air stiffened. He slowly turned away and picked up his dulled sword, feeling unnerved.
Isadora, kneeling in the dirt, stared at the potion in front of her, ready to be activated. ¡®Will it explode?¡¯
¡®No, just a simple snowflakes.¡¯
She stood up and took a few steps back and cleared her throat ¡®flistos.¡¯ The mixture shook and spiked up and suddenly exploded into smoke.
¡®Oh¡¡¯ Veyra began and sighed, taking out more ingredients ¡®let¡¯s try again.¡¯
Humphrey gripped his staff tightly, staring above the crystal where the flame would be created. ¡®Fosla!¡¯ the staff began to glow an icy blue- but it flickered dead. He sighed and leaned on the wood, letting himself deflate for a second, before snapping back into action. He just had to try again.
Rexford battered the shield, making the felden stumbled and in a quick flurry almost battered the shield from him! Quickly he went for the first opening he could- his ribs! But they sidestepped him and smashed the shield into his back as he stumbled over, crumbling to the floor. It¡¯s fine. He would try again.
Isadora, hands stained from ingredients mixed the sixth potion together. ¡®Why isn¡¯t this working?!¡¯ She whined.
¡®It¡¯s a brand new class,¡¯ Veyra reassured ¡®potion magic, although it doesn¡¯t seem like it, does still effect the mage. You¡¯re mana is still adjusting.¡¯
¡®But this is a simple spell¡ and it¡¯s taking so long¡ I¡¯m not that good, what if there¡¯s an emergency and I have to learn a new class?! I¡¯m useless!¡¯
Veyra put a hand on her shoulder. ¡®That¡¯s why we¡¯re training now, you¡¯re very young Isadora, and you can¡¯t drag yourself down for things like this because I know you will get better!¡¯
She wiped away frustrated tears ¡®really?¡¯
¡®Of course!¡¯ She smiled bright. ¡®Come on, it¡¯ll work eventually, you must be patient.¡¯
¡®¡ But¡ won¡¯t I use this to¡ kill? Truly¡¡± Isadora slouched and wiped mud off her face ¡°I¡¯m not eager to use magic to kill, or fight.¡± Veyra brushed a strand of hair from her eyes, ¡°you may not get a choice in this world.¡±
An eerie-ness settled between them. ¡®But, not now. Not for a long time. Hopefully, never. I believe you won¡¯t. I haven¡¯t. This is defence, maybe to kill a wild animal or two? But it¡¯s important that you can.¡¯
With a shaky breath Isadora looked back to the potion ¡®¡ flistos!¡¯ She demanded.
Humphrey spun his staff as the books movements told him to before his energy fizzled and he fell to his knees. Outraged and exhausted he threw his staff against the wall. Tears welled as he wiped his nose on his sleeve, his eyes drifting to the scattered books. He imagined how hard the authors must have worked on discovering new spells, how impossible his reality was compared to a few hundred years ago. He couldn¡¯t cry, not when it would eventually work! He hurried up and grabbed his staff. He could do it!
Rexford gripped his sword light on his feet he used precise movements, no longer having the energy for brute force, only to realize his shield opponent was fumbling! He had to do this, his eyes glanced to Shadow HE HAD TO! He hit the shield to create and opening, but instead of going for it he continued to batter them down. Shouting with effort he smashed the shield into the ground, the man undefended!
Isadora watched the mixture, the colour shifted to blue as the air cooled. ¡®It¡¯s¡¡¯ Unblinking she watched it take shape- but suddenly turned grey and splashed back into the bowl. ¡®DAMN IT!¡¯ She shouted, hitting her temple, the tattoo still black and smashed her foot into the wall, making her nearly lose balance.
Humphrey could feel the air warm around the staff as hope fluttered and made him feel light. But in a blast of blinding white light the room went pitch black. Blinded, he shuffled around stupidly to relight a candle in the void. He sighed and sat down, feeling haggard and sick.
Rexford rushed the dulled sword tip into the man¡¯s ribs, but he sidestepped him with new agility. He swung at him again but the man dodge every strike before making it back to his shield and smashed the corner into Rexfords face! Dazed he collapsed to the dirt as hot pain flustered him. DONG! A bell rung out- training was over.
He failed.
¡®Sorry.¡¯ Garrison offered a hand.
He forced a smile. ¡®Don¡¯t apologise. Well done.¡¯ Rexford took it.
3 Years Later...
Isadora thanked the merchant as she piled new spell ingredients into her bag, her tattoo a blazing an enraged red.
¡®Whatcha got in the bag?¡¯ She felt it be ripped from her shoulder.
Sharply turning she snatched it back, ¡®the usual, Bane.¡¯ Rolling her eyes she slung it back around.
¡®Boring. Check out what I got!¡¯ The cephalon, a snow white skinned race with bright hair, grabbed a few items from his deep pockets, including explosive powder and fire toad blood. She noticed is Battle Goddess tattoo on his forearm, slightly concealed from his red hand wrappings which, unlike hers, went all the way up to his elbow. Once again he got another tattoo. If one didn¡¯t know the Goddess¡¯s face they¡¯d think it be his wife with how devoted he was.
¡®Wow, you can lose even more fingers with those potions!¡¯
The cephalon, only a few years older, narrowed his eyes as he pocketed the vial with a three fingered hand. ¡®Whatever. You seen ''Ra yet?¡¯
¡®Not for a while. I¡¯ve been up top.¡¯ She gave a sly smile before flashing gold.
¡®Damn!¡¯ He instinctually went for it but she clamped her hand shut too fast for him.
¡®You¡¯re trying to get a wand?¡¯
¡®I¡¯m a geoptic, I shouldn¡¯t even need one!¡¯
¡®Yeah, yeah, I¡¯ve heard to whine about it enough.¡¯
¡®Veyra said she¡¯d give me hers but yet another year and nothing.¡¯ She began to chew on the chain of her amulet.
¡®Well¡ she said she¡¯d give you hers when you actually earned it, you¡¯re still terrible with potions.¡¯
She spat out the metal. ¡®I¡¯m¡ I know¡¡¯
¡®You¡¯re the first and only geoptic I know stuck on the basics!¡¯
¡®You¡¯re on potions too!¡¯
¡®I¡¯m a cephalon! Duh! It¡¯s a miracle I¡¯m learning at all.¡¯
¡®Whatever- is Zane around?¡¯
¡®At his stall like always.¡¯
The two pushed through the crowds until a burst of blue crackled through the air, Zane¡¯s voice filtering through the general thump of chaos. ¡®Ice magic- the truest beauty of any class!¡¯ He had a bold, blue tattoo of the Arctic God on his neck which contrasted well against his white skin. The cephalon unfurled his hand and bright blue ice flakes flew out like birds, into the air and exploded like a firework. The geoptic spun his palms together and a greater, brighter explosion cast snowflakes onto the enthralled crowd. Psychic magic was without a doubt the most impressive class to any other race but geoptics. But for geoptics intense spells could be cast with whimsy. Every geoptic but her it seemed. ¡®With my ice-power infused crystals!¡¯ He held up a cold blue one, ¡®potions to wands to hands- everything is stronger!¡¯ He mumbled a spell word and ice shot out of it only for him to reshape it into whatever he wanted like clay. On the third reshape of an intricate, massive snowflake he threw it in the air and it shattered to cast a light, refreshing snowfall onto the mages. The majority walked past but a few dozen purchased some of his crystals until the crowd thinned enough for the pair to approach. ¡®Mmm, pretty.¡¯ Bane dismissed.
¡®¡¯ould I-?¡¯ Isadora began but he already handed her a free one.
¡®Yeah, yeah.¡¯ Zane dismissed her and shook some snow from his near white hair. ¡®I¡¯d like to hear back you actually made the spell work this time.¡¯
¡®My¡ magic is still-.¡¯
¡®Adjusting. It¡¯s just a matter of time. I know.¡¯ He echoed Veyra¡¯s words.
A forth voice chimed in ¡®it¡¯s not like she had a bad teacher.¡¯ Isadora and Zane looked to see Veyra who smiled on her approach. Isadora beamed at Zane who walked out to kiss his fianc¨¦e. They both had the engagement bracelet around their wrists to prove it. One strand of blue twine was interlaced with white to represent Zane¡¯s sapphire eyes and Veyra¡¯s white opals. Usually it was done with real gems and silk rope, but such luxuries weren¡¯t for people sleeping in the dirt.
¡®Gag.¡¯ Bane voiced his distain of his brothers¡¯ attachment loudly. But looking at his hands he didn¡¯t like attachments either- like his fingers. Isadora scoffed at her own thought before pocketing the ice crystal.
¡®Guess what I have.¡¯ Veyra slipped a packet from her bag. Isadora recognised it instantly. ¡®New cards?!¡¯ She stepped closer with a smile.
Veyra smirked at Bane. ¡®Considering someone burnt the last pack.¡¯
¡®It was Zane.¡¯ Bane mumbled with an eye roll.
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Veyra sorted the cards. ¡®I figured a new one was needed eventually.¡¯
Zane looked at his ticker for the time. ¡®I¡¯ve got time for a round.¡¯
The quadrate on the floor of Zane¡¯s tent surveyed their hands. Isadora¡¯s mind glazed to mages wandering on by. The majority held wands or staffs. Those didn¡¯t were geoptics who didn¡¯t need aid in spell casting¡ Every geoptic she knew. So why couldn¡¯t she get it right? Veyra was a fine teacher¡ what was she missing to still be stuck on potions?
Humphrey clicked his fingers and every flame in his secret study lit. A well worn chair was pushed up against a paper-choked desk. ¡®Tiso¡¯ he extended a hand and a tome flew into it, the sound of the spine cracking open filled the room as an earthy scent wafted from its pages. Plant magic. His chest fluttered at the thought of a new class as his eyes admired the drawings of plants and forests¡ The Forestry Goddess. She had rituals to be done three times a day.
Sitting in his well worn chair he pushed from some forgotten corner of the library he glanced at his schedule. An ice summoning test was in a few days. Everyone was terrified the next academic year was depending on the test. He rolled his eyes, realizing he had to study for that. Mumbling a spell word and spinning his palm a burst of ice exploded from his palm before furling back into itself and reshaping effortlessly into different shapes. Every time he cast freely, without a crystal or staff he felt all his muscles freeze up, lungs stiffen. The more complex the spell, worse the paralysation was. Mages have even suffocated to death in some cases. To be unable to move when casting psy spells was a terrible drawback for combat. Luckily, that wasn¡¯t a problem of his. Anyway, now that was affirmed and done he could continue with his own works¡
Isadora poked her head out from the alley, on the verge of the upper and lower city and spied a felden practically dripping with gold¡ and felt her grip tighten on a steel pipe, breathing heavier.
Isadora counted the rings and necklaces she had taken, the pipe thankfully not bloodied¡ yet.
¡®Hey!¡¯ A voice demanded, making her turn. ¡®Hand it over.¡¯ Isadora looked the geoptic up and down then scoffed. She was at least a few inches shorter, weaker build, younger¡ She held shattered glass fashioned into a knife.
¡®Really?¡¯ She rolled her eyes before spinning the pipe. ¡®Get out of here, Zoe! This is mine!¡¯
¡®I need that gold! Frankie¡¯s boat is almost full!¡¯
¡®Why do you think I need it!?¡¯ She gripped the gold tighter.
¡®Give it over!¡¯
She took a step forward. ¡®Make me.¡¯ She smirked, coldly.
Isadora wiped the dripping blood from her cheek. She had angered herself for going so soft and getting hurt. A simple whack with the pipe and she wouldn¡¯t have gotten scratched. But the drawback of Zoe using glass meant she shattered it with her iron. Her pipe wasn¡¯t too bloodied but her knuckles were sore.
It didn¡¯t matter, she looked down at her gold and it was as if the pain vanished. Suddenly, she was shoved as a few geoptics smashed her into an alley wall. ¡®Give us your haul!¡¯ One demanded. Two were slightly older as one was significantly younger than her.
She looked between the three. Without warning she threw a punch at the one pinning her, but another jumped at her and hit her hard back into the wall! A fist landed hard into her gut, winding her. She threw down the metal pipe, connecting with another¡¯s nose! Suddenly, a blindingly dizzying hit made her drop to her knees. It took her a moment to realize she must have been hit in the back of the head! With her vision tunnelling she saw the trio take her rings and gems. ¡®St-!¡¯ She coughed on the dirt as she could feel warm liquid drool down her neck. Her eyes fluttered shut. She woke up in only what felt like a blink later. Breath returned to her and as she stood, yet the few geoptics were already gone. She tried to follow but she had already stumbled and fell back onto her knees. Her crimson blood mixed with the filthy slosh of the ground. Damn it¡ She picked up her pipe between limp fingers coloured with her own blood. Her back thudded against the rough wall, saddened. Sorry Veyra¡
A shadow eclipsed the fading sun to leave her in shadows. No¡ it was someone¡¯s shadow. She looked up to see a Knight. All remaining colour drained from her face. The land darkened as the sun dipped below the horizon. His blue eyes were as sharp as the spear which was levelled to her throat. She battered it away and sprinted for - but he kicked her into the wall and everything went black!
Consequential Horrors
¡ She was alive? Her vision cleared and realized her wrists were shackled to a wall. Breath uncatchable she was dreadfully sick. Real vomit threw up onto stone floors as the Knight which took her walked off. It was a corridor of people just like her- starving, filthy geoptics. She couldn¡¯t breathe. One shouldn¡¯t be misled by her still beating heart she was already dead.
She felt her sore knuckles, her hand wrappings were taken as a precaution. But her amulet was still under her shirt, the cold gemstone was pressing against her skin. Then her shoe scraped against something¡ the Red insignia. It was stamped into every title. She was somewhere within the Red Empire. But she couldn¡¯t recognise anything. It was some forgotten corridor. Harold the Red King was killing
geoptics¡ the posters always said ¡®kill on sight¡¯. Why was there so many locked up?! She noticed something else. Every geoptic she could see had emerald eyes, even those with the disguise spell.
Everything felt twisted and dark, the very walls swelling with hostility as fear choked her¡ was she going to die? Or something worse? Panicked tears pricked her vision and stamped the floor. They were so close! So close to getting on a boat and leaving. She hit her elbow against the wall and tugged her wrists red on the restraints in a snap of anger. She had to get out! Veyra! She mind screamed- she had to get out! ¡®LET ME OUT!¡¯ She cried, not entirely conscious of her words.
¡®Oh shut it!¡¯ She didn¡¯t see who said that from the hot tears blurring her vision.
Her body went limp as she huffed against the wall, numbed... The chains were cold¡
Humphrey had passed his exam with flying colours! With a proud step he entered the library and like he had done a thousand times before walked down the corridor to his secret stu- a teacher was waiting for him. Arms crossed. ¡®Miss.¡¯ He greeted, pretending to look for a book. ¡®Humphrey Heath Halefall, come with me. This is a grave matter.¡¯
He suddenly felt very cold. ¡®Why?¡¯
¡®Come with me.¡¯
Isadora whispered to the geoptic closest, an older geoptic woman. ¡®How long have you been down here?¡¯
¡®¡ A few weeks¡¡¯ Her voice wasn¡¯t soft but fragile from fear.
¡®What¡¯s going on?¡¯
¡®I don¡¯t know¡ they feed us and leave us here.¡¯
¡®That¡¯s it¡?¡¯
She asked a few others, all with the same story. Not one had stayed longer than a few weeks. Her mouth went bone dry. Only a few weeks¡ That means she would be moved or killed with the rest of them any day now, or would be left the standard few weeks. Either way, it didn¡¯t look good. She knew her life was hard¡ but it now felt like hell. No, this was
hell.
Humphrey tried to drink the tea he was handed but he couldn¡¯t get the liquid past the lump in his throat. ¡®It has come to our attention you may be practicing magic not authorized by the school.¡¯
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He felt like the room was caving in. ¡®I¡¡¯ He couldn¡¯t breathe.
¡®This is a serious matter Humphrey. If proven there are grounds for expulsion.¡¯
¡®What¡?¡¯ He squeaked, head snapping toward the window at the snowstorm outside. ¡®But I¡¯ve never been outside the walls. Where would I go?¡¯
¡®That is not the school¡¯s issue. Practicing multiple classes defies the Gree convention. You should know this, you do know this you¡¯ve attended the classes.¡¯
¡®I haven¡¯t been practicing other magic!¡¯
¡®In the most recent tests¡¡¯ The teacher flicked through some sheets arbitrarily. ¡®You¡¯ve surpassed our most complex tests. You¡¯ve got a mastery over spells beyond your years.¡¯
¡®I study hard.¡¯
¡®Yes, you often can¡¯t be found in the library. Even after hours.¡¯
¡®I study hard¡¡¯ He tried to drink but his hands were shaking.
¡®The most recent health exams have found the slightest irregularities in your blood. Different mana¡¯s besides ice magic of the Arctic God.¡¯
¡®¡ Such as¡?¡¯
¡®Fire. Desert God magic.¡¯
He looked away. ¡®I haven¡¯t done anything of the sort.¡¯ But his voice betrayed him, shaking and weak. Was this hell? It felt like his life was ending.
Her life was ending. Isadora could have been anywhere on Drocon. It was not like Veyra, Zane or Bane would dare try and find her. She looked at her wrists. They were now red raw from trying to free herself. She was doomed¡ Isadora pulled her legs to her chest and buried her face in her knees¡ maybe it was all a bad dream? By the Gods, please wake up!
It all felt like a bad dream. The professors reviewed his case of denial, discussing what would happen to him. They were muttering just in earshot. His face was burning red. Eventually he was told to go to his room¡ With feet has heavy as lead he spotted one of his old bullies he had humiliated years ago¡ He had a smirk and glint in his eyes that Humphrey didn¡¯t like. A shiver went through him¡ Did he figure it out? Did he see him fall through the wall all those years ago and finally took revenge on him? He felt sick at the thought. He had dared consider hiding out in his study¡ but what good would running do?
He felt dizzy as he sat on his bed, eyes glazed over he watched snow roar from his window. At the best he¡¯d be banished. He hated the cold. At the worst- killed.
Isadora watched as another geoptic female with green eyes was shackled up. It was the same Knight that had taken her. In a snap she tried to lung at him, and the restraints pulled on her arms. ¡®Sit down.¡¯ The knight spoke too casually. ¡®He¡¯ll be coming soon enough.¡¯ There was a light tone of pleasure in his voice. People suddenly began shouting and demanding answers but he ignored them all and left.
Humphrey wasn¡¯t hungry. He couldn¡¯t sleep. He was doomed. They were still discussing his case, but for now he had to attend class as normal, but everything had changed. He didn¡¯t have a hope¡
Chained
Isadora felt sick, her head thumping in pain. She didn¡¯t assume she¡¯d survive the next few weeks without some sort of aid. The smell of her own blood was becoming nauseating, yet somehow one of the better smells in such a hellish place.
¡®Today¡¯s just another day.¡¯ She heard some Knight mumble before splashing each prisoner with fresh water and a rag, telling each one to wipe clean. The fabric was rough, like cut from a burlap sack. For whatever reason a bath was not a good sign, like dressing up pigs for the slaughter.
Isadora dared open her eyes. Through weak vision a tall figure entered the hallway, his crimson robe brushing the floor behind him. Her eyelids grew heavier as pressure grew on her chest. She felt cold. Blood loss. Pushing herself up against the wall she tried to see who had entered. The felden had red hair and pale skin¡ could it be¡ the Red King?! The very man ruling the Red Empire- the maker of the Geoptic Genocide!? She should¡¯ve felt petrified but she had lost that emotion in the second day of her head wound bleeding.
She saw the blurred one shake his head and the geoptic he was looking at. She was unchained and taken away¡ then the next¡ then the next¡ All taken away and getting closer to her¡ An advisor hurried in an spoke words that slurred in her ears. With a frustrated ¡®yes¡¯ the robed one hurried out. Trying to breath in she let her eyes shut, the darkness far more favourable.
¡®Isadora- Isadora!¡¯
A voice pulled her back to reality.
Two white eyes began to come into focus as a familiar face etched into her vision. ¡®El¡?¡¯ There was a tightening around her skull and slowly realized they were bandages.
¡®It¡¯s okay, we¡¯re getting you out.¡¯ She smiled and it somehow warmed her. Bane took the shackles and broke them off with a quick explosive spell. Given water filled with all manner of spells to aid with pain and blood loss she near water boarded herself in desperation to drink it. As she handed back the water-skin her mind was already being to clear. Veyra flung Isadora¡¯s arm around her shoulder and pulled her to her feet.
¡®How did you find me?¡¯ She managed to say.
¡®It was easier than one would think.¡¯
They hurried out as people began to demand to save them too.
¡®Why aren¡¯t we saving them?¡¯ Isadora managed to step with Veyra, but Zane answered.
¡®More room on the boat for us.¡¯
She frowned and looked to ¡®¡ Veyra?¡¯
¡®It¡¯s true, Isadora. The last few boats won¡¯t come back this time, and they¡¯re filling up fast.¡¯
¡®¡ But they¡¯ll die¡¡¯
¡®Yes. They will. Come on¡ and try not to think about it. Don¡¯t look at me like that, we don¡¯t have a choice.¡¯
They left the rows of the dead into a new corridor. The prisoner¡¯s panicked demands had reached the ears of Knights who suddenly burst into sight throwing spears.
¡®Flistos!¡¯ Zane summoned an ice wall which the spears jammed into it! Bane broke through it with one explosion, throwing the shattered ice at the knights and then with another burst of fire he threw the Knights back.
Rushing down another corridor Isadora was feeling stronger by each step, but more Knights rushed in their way. Isadora¡¯s eyes widened on seeing the sharp blue eyes of one of the Knights. The one that took her! ¡®Hurnwoe.¡¯ With a flick of Veyra¡¯s hand they kneeled in agony as psychic pain cut through them like daggers. Isadora smiled gleefully to see him groan in torment. She had to end the spell to keep moving, Isadora could hear her sharply breathe in to catch her breath.
¡®I hear more guards.¡¯ Zane warned.
Veyra looked around ¡®In the direction we have to leave!¡¯
Bane fumbled over his own words ¡®sowe¡¯retrapped?!¡¯ His words would always fumble together if in a panic, or excited. It was hard to tell from the explosive-psycho he was.
Isadora, standing on her own, looked down the corridor, ¡®I¡ there¡¯s a sewer- this way!¡¯ Hurrying down another corridor she forced open a door to show an empty wash room. Isadora pulled the grate for the rushing water running through the room. ¡®A way out?¡¯
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Veyra looked down it, ¡®seems so- let¡¯s go!¡¯
With a quick breath Isadora felt icy water rush past her as she pushed herself into the black!
¡®That was too close!¡¯ Zane paced the room.
¡®It¡¯s over, Zane.¡¯ Veyra watched her beloved pull his hair out as she rung out a shirt.
The four sat around the kitchen, living room and bedroom. They had found a small abandoned shack in the lower city and made it home over the years.
Isadora didn¡¯t bother speaking. She was too exhausted by the whole thing. Bane tried to help her with her bandages which was a strange decision for someone with only eight fingers¡
¡®A few more guards, a few more wrong steps and we would¡¯ve been caught- what if we were followed?!¡¯ Zane pressed on.
¡®We weren¡¯t! But it doesn¡¯t matter. A few more coins, rings, whatever, and we all have enough for tickets out of here!¡¯ Veyra gulped down a potion to help with her headaches. She often got them after spell casting. Zane had told her to do a reviewing spell to see if she had done any permanent spells which was still taking her energy. Yet she refused to do so. Always the worrier he was. It was someone she adored about the man but it could get on her nerves sometimes.
Isadora zoned them out as she fiddled with a potion with fresh, white hand wrappings comforting her once more. She had tried to make an ice spike spell. Yet, it didn¡¯t work if she was still watching the ingredients swirl around, not yet dissolved. Once more, she had made another dud. ¡®What happened down there?¡¯ Bane asked as he tried to tighten the fresh wrappings around her head wound.
She was surprised by the fragility of her voice. She wasn¡¯t entirely present from what Veyra said earlier. It was replaying in her mind like a broken record: more room on the boat for us. The words still made her gut clench. Of course, she agreed with the logic. But seeing their faces¡
¡®Isa?¡¯ Bane pressed.
¡®Down there? Where was I?¡¯ She put her amulets chain in her mouth, the metallic staining her taste buds.
¡®In the Red Castle. The dungeons.¡¯
¡®Oh¡¡¯ She talked with the chain in her mouth. ¡®You saw it all didn¡¯t you? The prisoners against the walls?¡¯
¡®Yes.¡¯
¡®That was all there was. Nothing happened. We were all just waiting¡¡¯ She spat out the chain. ¡®The King came in once, shook his head a few times and whoever he rejected was forced out.¡¯ Her insides knotted again at the thought of everyone they abandoned. There was no difference between her and them. Did she have a right to still be alive?
He noticed her guilt-stricken look. ¡®Hey, with what happened, you were there but, like, you weren¡¯t in it. You were just following. Well, you were with Veyra so more like dragging along? But, point is, you weren¡¯t in charge, we were, so don¡¯t let all that get to you? You know?¡¯
¡®¡ Not really.¡¯
¡®Just don¡¯t worry about everything that happened. It¡¯s just a bad dream, don¡¯t worry about it all.¡¯
¡®Ok¡? I think I just need some time alone.¡¯ She felt sick.
¡®Ok.¡¯ Bane gave her a single, strong hit on the back before stepping away and joined the other two¡¯s conversation about their next steps. Her eyes glazed over the knickknacks they had gathered over the years. Bane had purchased a silly figurine once which cost him far too much to talk about.
Veyra bought a book which ended up being a scam and cursed, which now remained locked up in chains under her bunk they were all too scared to touch.
She lightened slightly at the empty creature container Zane had promised he could keep safe, yet still forgot to lock the cage and Bane woke up with it suffocating him.
She herself had liked the look of a fake crystal figure of a mage on a broom, which ended up reflecting the sunlight and burning a hole through one of Zane¡¯s date shoes. He was less than pleased when he found it, after Isadora tried to hide them from him. She was only ten at the time and fake crying softened his heart enough for her to escape punishment.
Isadora lied down on her small bunk and caressed the smooth gem and amulet. The wood of the bed frame squeaked as she curled up, staring at the wall¡ it was just a bad dream¡ at least, hopefully, it¡¯ll eventually feel like so¡
So-called Savior
Still pale and pained from her head wound the other three warned her from going out, but after a few long days she needed fresh air. It would help clear her head, she said. Taking rest by the bakers her tired eyes spotted a young boy cowering by a wall. A tingle of fear went through her- he hadn¡¯t disguised his eyes! A geoptic, simply out in the open. It was like he wished to die! Pulling her heavy body from the wall she hesitated¡ It wasn¡¯t her problem. More room on the boat for us¡ She shook her head- no. The sight of him reminded her of herself all those years ago. She wouldn¡¯t dare turn away. Hurrying over to him in the growing dark she tried to smile at the boy. ¡®Hi.¡¯
He flinched and backed away quickly.
¡®I¡¯m here to help. I know of a place where you can be safe.¡¯ His eyes were emeralds, and a ball was suddenly lodged in her throat. ¡®Trust me, I can help.¡¯ She noticed the pendent on his wrist- The God of Fate, Itha-Shaw. Well, he was in luck, Itha must have been watching over him.
With a fear-struck look he slowly approached her. ¡®Ok¡¡¯ He whispered.
Keeping the boy close with her arm tight around him they walked briskly through the maze walls to the well-trodden alleyway. She knocked on the door and like always two sharp eyes glared at the two. ¡®Hey, Kenso.¡¯
The glasses he wore revealed no deception so the door creaked open as a welcoming mouth. She smiled and held the boys hand as he walked down the abyss stairs. Isadora informed him of everything, the stalls, and the trading system as they walked. She chuckled from the look of his face when everything was revealed. She wondered how she first looked when Veyra showed her it.
¡®Thank you!¡¯ He hugged her tight. ¡®You saved me!¡¯ Slowly the weight on her lifted slightly and hugged him back with a weak smile.
¡®¡ It¡¯s ok.¡¯ She didn¡¯t feel so tired anymore.
She creaked open the huts door. Veyra and Bane had gone out as Zane looked over some scrawled papers. ¡®Feeling any better?¡¯ He asked without looking up.
¡®Yes.¡¯ She sat beside him and slid a book off the side. Quillon¡¯s Phantasmagoria it read. She mindlessly flicked through the pages, eyes catching pictures of dead or none-existent creatures. The Eternal Library caught her eye.
¡®If we take the Trading Tunnel to Northscotts, that¡¯ll get us close enough to the shore line.¡¯
She flipped the dog-eared copy shut. ¡®But we¡¯d have to go through the forest.¡¯
¡®¡ Yes, that¡¯s the primary issue for now.¡¯
¡®Can we survive in it?¡¯
¡®Not for long. Especially not overnight¡ Some speed boost?¡¯
¡®Which cities haven¡¯t been taken over yet?¡¯
¡®Owanpolar, but that would add¡ four days onto the journey.¡¯
¡®Better than being mauled by some crazy animal.¡¯ She huffed, too drained to think critically. She stood up and found a forgotten sandwich left on the side. The crude cutting suggested it was Bane¡¯s, so she proceeded to munch on it- he always forgot to finish his sandwiches.
¡®Someone was taken¡?¡¯ The Red Advisor sat across from the Red Knight who had reportedly brought in the geoptic that escaped. Rexford. His eyes shone blue, helmet off to show his unkempt dark hair.
¡®Yes. A group of three broke in and escaped via the sewer system.¡¯
¡®This is grave.¡¯
¡®Why must we kill every geoptic except green-eyed females?¡¯
¡®That is need-to-know. Describe the one which was taken.¡¯
He shrugged. ¡®Like all the rest. Filthy and weak and-.¡¯
¡®Hair colour?¡¯
¡®Dark blue.¡¯
¡®Eyes?¡¯
¡®Like¡ green.¡¯
¡®What type?¡¯
¡®¡ Green?¡¯
¡®Hunter, tea green, emerald, sage¡?¡¯
¡®Like a dark green.¡¯
¡®I¡¯ll note down: forest green. Height?¡¯
¡®5¡±7? I didn¡¯t measure her. She had a slightly clipped ear.¡¯
His pencil stopped scratching on the paper and his eyes snapped up. He flicked through a few notes before shaking his head slightly. ¡®Thank you¡ Do you know where they went?¡¯
¡®No¡ they¡¯re probably still in the city though, it¡¯s not like any mage would dare go into the forest.¡¯
The knight noticed the advisor circle a word: spy. ¡®You can go, McFleen.¡¯
¡®You lost your own prisoner?¡¯ A Knight smirked as McFleen as he removed his armour for the day, more than ready for dinner.
¡®Shut it, Garrison.¡¯
¡®It happens. You were there right?¡¯
¡®Yes. A few geoptics and a cephalon broke her out.¡¯
¡®¡ Do you know why?¡¯
¡®How could I?¡¯
¡®Do you know why we need those sorts of geoptics?¡¯
¡®No.¡¯
¡®Well I¡¯ve never found one so I¡¯ve never had to go down to the dungeons.¡¯
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¡®It¡¯s grim. Be grateful you haven¡¯t.¡¯
¡®¡ You hungry, too?¡¯
Rexford seemed to deflate ¡®¡ yes.¡¯ He huffed out. He looked tired.
Isadora smiled slightly every time she remembered the geoptic boy she had helped, even the trader asking for psy spells didn¡¯t bother her when trying to trade for magical items. She had to explain near daily how she couldn¡¯t do such advanced magic. ¡®But you¡¯re a geoptic!¡¯ It was like a broken record¡
She spotted her brothers in the crowd, Bane and Zane, trying to buy the final tickets to the boats. She smiled and waved at them, and they waved back. But then there was a thud on the cavern ceiling. In a burst of dirt a great silver orb was lowered down. Isadora couldn¡¯t move, as if icy fear dug her feet into the ground. People were already running from it and flying down tunnels on brooms¡ Isadora just stared. Suddenly the pulley system released and the orb fell. She watched it drop like a pebble.
¡®Isadora-!¡¯ Zane grabbed her arm and began to pull her. Bane ran beside them, shouting profanities!
The silver orb connected with the ground and a loud, deep BANG exploded across the cavern! Blue light shot out of it! Isadora froze. Suddenly overwhelming pain burst her, everyone, EVERYTHING, off the ground! Blue light exploded throughout the entire cavern- destroying everything!
She felt sick.
Isadora¡¯s mind swam as she twitched amongst the shattered wood and bones. She had no idea how long she had been lying there. She titled her head slightly for her family¡ and the sight of Bane¡¯s bloodied hand made her ears ring.
She looked for Zane whose head, faced away, and was near buried in stone. A breathless gasp-scream fumbled out of her as tears wetted her cheeks. She tried to crawl over to them but a new voice echoed through the massacre. ¡®A successful fall.¡¯ The advisor scribbled away on some paper.
Isadora saw the blurred figure again¡ Harold¡ The Red King. But she blinked and tried to pull herself up. Her eyes went into focus. She could suddenly see his blue eyes and red hair, sharp features. There was a scar near his eye.
Pure evil.
¡®Well done.¡¯ He voice was deep and filled her with disgust. He flicked his robe as he turned to a small geoptic boy¡ Isadora couldn¡¯t believe it. It was the boy she saved! ¡®You¡¯ve found the Trading Tunnels within a week. Here.¡¯ He tossed the boy a coin purse. He opened it to see glimmering gold.
She¡ Everything seemed to blacken. Colour drained into a black void. He was a spy¡ A real geoptic and still a spy.
¡®But¡¡¯ The King kneeled by the child, not even a preteen yet. ¡®The deal was every geoptic dead.¡¯ A knife was plunged into his throat! Isadora¡¯s eyes widened as the child, choking on blood, collapsed dead! The purse thudded into the growing red, staining the gold. ¡®This was a good start, but the Tunnels go on for miles.¡¯ He spoke so casually¡ ¡®The Empire would be too thinly spread and the weapon has been designed in the city itself. It is not built for movement.¡¯
¡®Yes, the scientists are working on making it portable but if you just told us how the orb worked-.¡¯
¡®You don¡¯t need to know such things. Figure it out.¡¯ He spoke so coldly. Psychopath. ¡®It will be vital for the next location.¡¯
¡®Yes, the mountain school. A scout has discovered the precise location.¡¯ He showed some folded paper- a map.
Isadora, dead already, suddenly ran from the rubble toward the Red King! There was his advisor and the few Red Knights around him! She picked up Bane¡¯s potion and it exploded, casting smoke over the party she snatched the paper! Running out the smoke she bolted to the closest tunnel! ¡®Take her alive!¡¯ He demanded! The Knights rushed at her. She took out the crystal Zane had given her, already charged she shouted ¡®flistos!¡¯ as a wall of ice smashed into the attackers. She fumbled into the tunnel. ¡®TAKE HER ALIVE!¡¯ King Harold shouted again.
A knight grabbed her by the throat and lifted her up, her eyes catching The Kings. They¡ looked terrified, almost¡ sad¡ Panicked she thought quickly- she needed magic! Struggling her hand brushed against the tunnel wall, feeling the embedded crystals. The Tunnels were hundreds of years old. The majority of that mages were casting spells and creating potions constantly. The very structure of the cavern was infused with magic over the centuries! ¡®DORAKI!¡¯ She grabbed the wall and pulled the earth over the Knight holding her. It was so infused with the energy any spell caster could contort it.
Suddenly, dirt began to spill out! Like a burst water pipe earth gushed out like a wave. It pushed Isadora and she freed herself of the Knights grip and sprinted away as the dirt came down!
In the silence of the tunnel she dragged her feet out of the soil on bloodied arms, the map in an iron grip. Tears fumbled down her face¡ Zane and Bane¡ a cry of agony filled her bloodied ears and beat her fist against the ground. Gone! Veyra¡? She looked back but the cave in must have been meters and meters more thick. She wasn¡¯t getting back. But her grip tightened on the map. She couldn¡¯t, she had others to save! Another scream broke free: ¡®I¡¯M GOING TO KILL HIM! HIS EMPIRE WILL BURN!¡¯ She cried alone in the tunnel. ¡®BURN!¡¯
Lone Wolf
The weapon had killed everyone in the cavern.
At least a thousand or so people¡ dead¡ Her geoptic skin was damaged and itchy, her gemstone bones made her whole body ache and thump with each heartbeat. Her eyes were burning like the sun but she was the only one to walk away¡ She was the only one to live. She had to believe Veyra wasn¡¯t down there at the time. She dropped to her knees, exhausted. Forcing herself to look down at the map again fresh hate drowned out the grief. She had time, especially if they had to make whatever that orb was portable. The blue still burnt, replaying behind her eyes whenever she blinked. The feeling of Zane¡¯s hand on her shoulder¡ Gods¡ How could it all be over? Vomit rose and before she could stop it, it spewed out onto the dirt.
It took a near day of shuffling, pained, until the tunnels lead to a village. She pled and people were kind enough to offer food and water and took as much rest as she could before continuing on to the mountains.
The shop is where she shared her knowledge of an ingredient spell for food and clothes. The clothes were itchy and its fuzzy brown colour would make her stick out. Yet, it was better than hyperthermia.
So, she began her trek. Alone with only her map and compass. She looked up at the mountains, the coming clouds covering the tips of them and Isadora felt smaller then the specks of snow she trodden on. I have to be crazy to be doing this¡ She rolled up the map. Battle Goddess __ watch over me. She gripped her amulet tightly.
At least she wasn¡¯t cold from the exertion of running up the gradual forming mountains. The more she walked up the more she saw these mountains gave Drocon another level, like an entirely new floor. It reminded her of the second floor of a house. The towering mountains separated any clouds which passed over the top. They weren¡¯t just cone shaped but stretched outwards, disfigured-like. Every mountain was different and connected through natural bridges. There were new forests with branches thin as straw and bark grey and lifeless-looking as grass collected under it. While some animals dug dens of snow for their offspring with their huge, heavy paws other animals charged through power white. It would have gone up to their neck if not for their shapely paws, wide and thin so they glided, propelling them forward with their strangely shaped tail and body weight.
The cold hit her head as snow tumbled off a ledge from a bird-like creature landing on the edge of it. Isadora felt boxed in from these strange formations and had never been somewhere so alien, everything was a bright white, with few trees dotted around and heard animal calls grow faint- a lethal beauty.
At first the rocks were flat enough to easily walk up, the snow slowing her down, but the higher she went the steeper it became. The rock became walls which she struggled to climb, catching sharp points on her clothes at times and left her red in the face from effort, her fingers had grown numb but, for now, she had enough energy to keep moving to keep warm.
She continued her journey across the snowy desert while following the map while the sun travelled across the sky like it was walking with her. She gripped her amulet around her neck. God guide me, she thought. Once night had fallen Isadora grew concerned as darkness brings danger. However according to the map she was not far, and Isadora thought that if she stayed out here for a night, without moving or any fire for heat she would die from the cold. Sleep would have to wait.
She took in a deep breath, concentrating herself. Sprinting forward as fast as she could bolted upwards, higher than anyone normally could. With her legs a blur, arms flailing like she was crazy and mind in full panic from the danger of the situation. Her arms grabbed at anything, feet hitting into the rocks natural gaps. Thankfully her toes were too numb for her to feel the pain she extended a hand to the top of the ledge. But then the enchantment wore off. The ledge was taken away from the drop her but se grasped of some rock below it. Heart hammering she didn¡¯t think and immediately starting climbing up with great effort. Her hand shot over the edge, digging into the snow and hauled her over the sharp rocks, cutting her clothes. ¡°Yes!¡± She yelled in victory as she rolled away from the edge. She wasn¡¯t sure if she was going to make it over, she thought to herself as her face flushed red.
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Her skin was starting to hurt. The gemstones within her geoptic body were making the situation worse. She noticed a short, bony creature with its antlers spinning like a ton of tiny fans. It stood on its toes and its feet were comparatively long like a ballet dancer on point. Its nose was elongated and had the same colour as the grey, dead trees. She didn¡¯t have the energy to stand, like the cold was feeding off of her, and she let it bound away. She would need to find a place to rest soon.
The Red Soldiers were strapping their armour on, holstered their shining swords and after stuffing themselves with all manner of meats they continued on their journey. Walking onwards as snow replaced the trees Isadora¡¯s small footprints, easily miss-able, was crushed by steeled feet as the army went to the mountains, ready to split heads!
Isadora¡¯s eyes slid open. A fresh coating of snow covered her. In a daze she thought she saw a tall, bearded figure. He had his back to her with a long leather cloak. ¡®Hello?¡¯ She groaned. In a lazily blink whoever was there was gone. Looking around the white desert she barely had the strength to move. She didn¡¯t know how her heart continued to beat but wished she had such resolve.
Dusting off the thin layer of fresh snow the sunlight did nothing to warm her skin. Shaking and pained and numb she opened the map and walked forward.
She tried to focus on anything else but the growing pain of icy needles, like her breath in front of her but it was futile.
It took hours but when she managed to haul herself up another small rock wall, ripping her clothes more so, she saw it! Her eyes settled on a castle. Hurrying, she pulled out her map- yes! That was the exact location! It was more then she could have hoped for. In there she would be warm. Perhaps someone could help her. No, she was getting ahead of herself, first she had to find a way in.
With a quickened walk from the new surge of hope, no longer praying to a map but certain she could make it, she limped through the snow and past the rocks towards the castles bridge.
Fog hid the ground far below the bridge so she couldn¡¯t tell how far down the ground was but the bridge was grand and she wouldn¡¯t fall. Her feet slapped against the brick as she hurried herself along, but stopping to find any hints of why this castle was so important to Harold the Red King, to discover why he wanted it destroyed. Considering his coming genocide of everything magical, it would be related to that.
Once at the front gates, golden patterns dancing along the stone caught her eye but sharp pains in her fingers brought her back to reality. She wasn¡¯t safe yet.
Locked. Looking to her left she saw a small window in the wall, thanks to years of malnutrition she may be thin enough to squeeze herself through. Pressing her back to the wall she shuffled her feet along the ledge to the window. Her mouth went dry her heart pounded so hard she thought it would pull her off the edge. The ground swallowed in fog appeared bottomless.
First foot she shuffled along¡ second foot shuffled along¡ the first food again. She tried to sink into the wall further. Suddenly her hand slide inwards to a window, but felt no triumph yet. Sliding her arm through slowly turned and stuck her head in, and it hurt against the rock but managed to get both arms in. She gritted her teeth as she pulled her body through, her hips and chest hurt the most against the grating rock. Pushing on her numbed fingers didn¡¯t let the tightening of her chest stop her and forced to breathe regularly. Letting out a quiet squeal as her legs slipped through. Now she felt relief, falling back onto the snow. Pained, but she had made it into the castle grounds!
His World and Her
Catching her breath she looked toward the sky, the sheet of white cloud above her. Slowly, little flakes drifted down. One landed on the tip of her reddened nose. She would have loved to rest but thinking like that had never helped in the past.
Once the shock and fear faded enough, staggering up, Isadora looked around the courtyard and weakly walked towards the door. There was a massive drawing of the Arctic Gods star sign. She looked up to notice his stars were visible from the schools location. The closer one was to the God¡¯s constellation the stronger they would be. There was a more detailed drawing of the God engrained into the doors wood. He looked mighty.
She shivered. It was like she could feel blood pulse to only her brain and organs as her body sucked it away from her legs and arms, her chest was feeling heavier by the second. Was it possible to be this cold?! Trying to suck air into her lungs with effort pushed her body up to the door. Locked¡ She had only a few minutes left before the cold got the better of her. Slapping herself across the face it didn¡¯t give her the adrenaline she wished it would. I¡¯m too close! She yelled, brain fogging, I have to get in! She spotted a window with the ledge wide enough to even stand on, and decided to go for that, following it she saw a tree, with thick branches. She¡¯d use that.
Staggering over got her footing on a tree branch and began the easy climb from how close and thick each branch was. Edging her way forward headed for the concrete ledge above the window, it was thick enough for her feet. Getting closer¡ ¡®Aaah!¡¯ The branch snapped from her weight, ¡®ow¡¡¯
Trying again on another branch jumped for it and after a lot of wobbling managed to balance on the ledge. She shuffled left toward the shut window. Looking in through the glass saw no one there and with her last bits of energy she pushed it open.
Falling through, exhausted and starved flopped onto the carpet floor. The warmth gave her strength as her mind decided to wander off. She used a nearby stand to pick herself back up. ¡°I made it!¡± She whispered to herself as she could hardly believe it.
She wandered through the hall. Green, rough carpet was underfoot without a speck of dirt in sight, a few small tables were around with flowers or a mirror to give a homey feel. She walked down stone, spiral steps into a large hall-like room, to the left the room narrowed but stretched further while to the right it lead to a square area with a different floor pattern- like a dance floor.
She walked forward to a massive floor layout and studied it. Finding the dining area the ceiling was some sort of illusion of space focused on the Arctic Gods constellation. She only glanced at the marvel as she hurried across the clean floors, which she now dirtied, and shoved all type of food from the many tables into her mouth.
Once satisfied she saw a sack filled with potatoes and dumped most them on the floor before filling it with all manner of food. Mind cleared of cold and starvation she finally looked around the place. Was this a school? That¡¯s why he wanted it gone. He¡¯s killing everyone he can.
It would soon be destroyed.
She then went to the library, to learn some spells. She would kill the king with knowledge stolen from here.
She¡¯d alert them later, revenge came first.
Far too early for anyone to be awake wandered to a map again to find its location. It was a spectacular place. Huge and so shiny the floors reflected her face like a mirror. Looking closer saw precious gems buried into every pillar or wall. Automatically she went to take them, but stopped herself. That was not why she was here. The warmth fully restored feeling to her body and mobility. She knew she couldn¡¯t go back out without more effective apparel, or to be weighted down with gems. She would perhaps take just a few. Digging in her nails there was no use, so getting a knife from the dining hall pried them off with sacrifice of the knife. She pocketed a few precious gems.
Turning down corridors and up stairs this place was like a maze, but her eyes widened when she read the golden letters of ¡®LIBRARY¡¯ above large doors.
The doors were heavy than she thought, but once opened they revealed nothing but relief. Totems. Reading the spines knew they were all genuine; these books could go for thirty or forty gold a piece! One bookshelf could make her rich! A slight smile on her lips went to section after section picking out books she thought relevant for destroying the Red Kings weapon. With books piled high in her arms she put them down before walking to another section to choose some more.
Her ears pricked up when the door opened. Her blood ran cold and darted for the cover of a bookshelf but knew if it was them they¡¯d already know she¡¯s there, getting ready to kill her- ¡®studying?¡¯ Her fear decreased from how weak, or soft, it was. It was hard for her to tell. She slowly sank away from the shelf. It was a boy.
Humphrey froze up- Dear Gods it was a girl! She let out a sign of relief; it was nothing but a student. Letting her tired legs drop back down to the floor where her books were and looked up to see who had found her. He was certainly young enough to be a student. Chubby, with blonde hair so shiny, immaculate and straight it was almost impressive. He wore long robes, not mage clothes but a normal dressing gown, which failed to hide his belly. He held a candle in its holder in his right hand, a well-worn book in his other and a staff pinned between his arm and body. He had dull-looking brown eyes and soft looking skin which probably never saw the sun for more than half an hour.
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¡®Yeah. Studying.¡¯ She realized to him she must have a slight southern accent, for to her he sounded northern. She took advantage of this moment. ¡®I¡¯ve¡ been looking through these books. I can only take one more,¡¯ Gesturing to the few laid in front of her ¡®Which is one which is the best for beginners psychic magic?¡¯ She asked.
The boy hesitated, even perplexed, but after a brief second he came closer and crouched down to mutter the cover titles. His staff rolled a little when he placed it on the floor. Why would he need his staff at this hour? Was he suspicious¡ or just a loner? Perhaps she reminded him of someone. Either way she found his suddenly tense body language off putting, he practically emanated how uncomfortable he was. He leaned closer to a look at all the covers shining in the candlelight. ¡®None.¡¯
He joined her on the floor, kneeling. Carefully putting down the candle and showed her the book he was carrying. ¡®This is the best for a first year.¡¯ He handed her the book. It had a green-yellow front cover which shone fantastically with bright yellow words: FIRST YEARS PSY SPELLS and then in small writing and none-caps at the bottom it stated what it contained.
Isadora felt a wave of disappointment come over her as she read, thinking even if she was able to do it would it be enough to stop the king? The boy felt her disappointment but decided to not ask anything. Feeling self conscious he rose to his feet to spot the pile of books behind her. He began taking some books out before replacing them. Isadora just watched. Quickly, he was done. ¡®There, now that¡¯ll help you relearn the first year.¡¯ He wanted to ask why she even needed all these books, by her age she¡¯d be a year ahead of him.
¡®Thanks.¡¯ She felt a weird sensation go over her and it made her sick. She disliked it significantly. She squashed the feeling easily and admired her new pile of books. ¡®So, what are you doin¡¯ in the library?¡¯
The boy walked to another shelf. ¡®I always wake this early.¡¯
¡®But why come to the library?¡¯
¡®When I am awake I work.¡¯
She scoffed and rolled her eyes. ¡®For the entire time you¡¯re awake. Wouldn¡¯t you get bored?¡¯
He took a while to respond, Isadora for a second thought he didn¡¯t hear her, ¡®no, I have much to do.¡¯
He sounded like he was only half paying attention, maybe if he wasn¡¯t he¡¯d realize how suspicious these questions were. Bundling up the books in her arms she dumped them into the sack of food. The boy left at the same time, nose in a new book, candle in hand, dressing gown dragging behind as his staff was held in his elbow.
She realized when he approached her he didn¡¯t arrive at the direction of the front doors, he emerged from somewhere else. However there was no one in the library when she arrived- did he teleport himself in?
She mulled this over as they were walking through the corridor. However he seemed more interested in the book than her. Yet, little did she know he was far too petrified by her presence to be capable of focusing on reading. She noticed his tattoo on his temple. It was the Arctic symbol, ink black, and it wasn¡¯t red, unlike hers.
Clearing her throat, asked, ¡®I¡¯m wondering where I could learn unique spells?¡¯ She noticed all the books in the library were more practical, like how to build a house or how to tell your pet to use the toilet.
¡®Do you know of a place?¡¯ She asked louder, thinking he wasn¡¯t listening.
His ears reddened, never having socialized with someone this long who wasn¡¯t a teacher. Slowly the book closed softly, he said, ¡®Umm¡ yes I do.¡¯ She waited for him to elaborate- but he never did.
¡®Well?¡¯ She asked through gritted teeth, his shyness begun to grate on her nerves. He looked away but her eyes were so pretty. He quickly glanced around to ensure they were alone. ¡®I found a secret section in the library, with directions. I don¡¯t think the teachers even know of it. Before it became a school it must have belonged to researchers or something.¡¯ The boy leaned in and they stopped walking, face slashed with newfound fear of what she would do with this information. ¡®To something hidden. Some sort of powerful weapon.¡¯ He leaned back.
They went back to walking ¡®you know of its location?¡¯
¡®Well, yes-. Wait, why do you wish to know?¡¯ With the book shut, the boy concentrated on the girl more. She had quite dirty short hair, covered in filth, bloody scratches and bruises. Her clothes looked disguising and emitted a fowl odour. Water pooled because her shoes were filled with melting snow. Large rips of her coat made its way up to her elbows and slashed across her entire body from climbing the sharp rocks. She walked slowly, too, as if injured. Isadora saw the boys eyes dart this way and that and knew he was getting suspicious. Very suspicious. ¡®What¡¯s your name?¡¯ She asked, desperate to divert his attention, ¡®Humphrey. Humphrey Heath Halefall.¡¯ He said, preoccupied. His eyes flickered to her amulet and his eyes widened! ¡®You¡¯re an intruder!¡¯ He said with surprise.
Isadora, if not filled with panic would have laughed- it was pretty obvious. The boy, Humphrey, began to greaten the distance between them, eyes darting to a velvet rope hanging on the wall. Isadora lunged for his hand, the books tumbling from the sack. With a firm grasp the boy started wriggling, ¡®let go!¡¯ He tried to weasel free but Isadora kept her eyes on him and grabbed his shoulders.
¡®You don¡¯t understand: I¡¯m a not just a common thief¡ this time.¡¯ Her grip tightened as he moved,
¡®Ow! That hurts!¡¯ He tried to wriggle free. All this noise was going to attract someone, if they went on alert while she was still inside she feared what they¡¯d do to her. ¡®Calm down!¡¯ She yelled, certainly not helping herself. She had to do something quick. Her eyes latched onto a decorative plate on the wall!
With the boy unconscious on the floor she dropped the plate with a clatter. She took a few breathes to try and calm herself. Her eyes fixated on the limp mess in front of her. So, he knows of the exact location? She smiled sickly.
Shooting Star
Humphrey didn¡¯t lie; there was a shop next to the entrance.
She grabbed everything she could as fast as she could. Slipping on the thick coat, gloves and a hat looked back at the unconscious boy and doubled everything she took, for him.
The speed of her actions squished some food from her frantic shoving. His staff was heavy and she stabbed it through the sack in her panic. The end of the crystal was sharp.
She then put the coat on the boy, realizing it was too small got a larger size but then her fingers brushed something in his pocket and found a heavy iron key. She left it in his pocket. He could put on the rest once awake. Feeling snug shoved a roll of bread into her jaws. She was just about to hoist the boy onto her back but her eyes caught on the window. An army was coming over the hill with the setting sun. Her chest tightened painfully.
With the boy unconscious on her back she looked to the velvet rope with a plaque which read Warning Bell. ¡®Perfect.¡¯ She grabbed it and tugged downwards. Loud, echoing bangs rung out across the mountain side. Chatter echoing down corridors she felt much lighter, she did all she could. She had warned them, helped these people live instead of dying with them like when in the Tunnels. She gave them a fighting chance. Perhaps only a few extra minutes but she could now say from experience, even one minute could¡¯ve saved so many lives.
He was going to protect her through the uncharted forests. He could handle it as a trained psychic mage and take her to the library where she could get her hands on that powerful, magical force, revenge her family and finally end this coming genocide! Isadora shoved some of the boys¡¯ new clothes into her sack for him.
Hurrying tried to open the heavy doors but they were still locked! Mind an alarm looked wildly for something- anything! She saw silver keys hang on the wall. Unlocking the front gates she hurried across the grounds as fast as she could as had to drag the fatty. Shoving another key in the lock jiggled it around, wrong one! Wrong one! She screamed at herself, fumbling to find another. This one clicked in and the gates opened.
No longer trying to contain her panic she picked up the heavy boy and managed to slide him onto her back, crushing her and the sack slightly, and sprinted as fast as her little legs could carry her (which turned into more of a stumbling run).
The alarms kept blaring as only the few dots of the army turned into many, spotting catapults and weapons. Sprinting, Humphrey was slipping from her grasp but her legs still pounded. She was already tiring, her arms were weakening with every passing second, and her breath began to burn her lungs. Once she got onto the natural ground she slowed down having to rest, but only felt sick as her heartbeat pounded loudly. Gasping her lungs felt like she had just breathed in fire. The army was getting closer.
Heart beating in her throat she speedily tried to sneak away. ¡®Wha¡¡¯ Humphrey¡¯s eyes opened like slits, soaking in the surroundings he suddenly thrashed around, smacking her in the face. ¡®What are you doing?!¡¯ He dragged himself away from her, head shooting with pain.
¡®We have to go!¡¯ She tried to grab him but he elbowed her in the jaw. Stumbling, landed on her side as she was far too tired to fight back. ¡®See that?!¡¯ She pointed to the army getting closer and closer and even able to makes out each individual spear in starlight. ¡®The Red King sent them to destroy your school! I¡¯m saving your life!¡¯
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¡®N-no.¡¯ he stammered, shaking. ¡®I¡¯m their best student! I can help.¡¯ Weakly he rose to his feet, ¡®I-I¡¯m going to h-help. Where¡¯s my staff?¡¯
¡®No you¡¯re not!¡¯ She jumped onto his back and his legs gave out. As she grabbed his arms suddenly a deafening blast pressing on their eardrums, like a gunshot, silenced the kids! It echoed through the mountains. Blue arced through the sky like a shooting star, away from the black mass of the army.
Cutting through clouds revealed white twinkling stars behind a void of black. Isadora hated that colour blue, images of it burning through her, killing everyone, flickered behind her eyes. Humphrey had never read about such a thing nor read about anything close to it.
Both fixated on the lightening it smashed into a school tower and exploded in a red, fiery inferno with an echoing crack, rumbling the ground!
Stone dropped into the fog below silently as Humphrey¡¯s eyes watered in shock. A large, bubble-like shield began to grow upwards. ¡®NO!¡¯ Humphrey¡¯s voice was manic as he was getting locked out of his own school. Isadora would not let the potentially last magic user for miles go off to die! So with all her might she pinned his arms at his sides and lifted him up, legs flailing as tears began to stream down his face.
¡®I¡¯m not letting you kill yourself- you wouldn¡¯t have made a difference!¡¯ She yelled and tried to walk backwards, glancing back to try and move safely. He heard the warning bell faintly. The knight turned and saw him as Isadora¡¯s foot touched nothing as she stepped and the pair toppled over a side onto a steep decline, vanishing from the blue-eyed knight¡¯s view. Humphrey was too fearful and overcome with emotion to scream as Isadora scrambled wildly to try and stop herself but the ground was speeding up!
She was barely able to keep up with her own momentum. Every roll felt like a kick as she repeatedly smashed into the ground. She desperately scrambled at the snow in pointless effort to halt, grabbing the boys hand, too. She began to slow down. Isadora looked over to see Humphrey whose eyes were clamped shut. She managed to get the rolling into a slide and could feel the snow build up in front of her. At least she was making great time in getting down the mountain. Strengthening her grip on the boys arm looked if she was being followed but saw nothing but white snow. Yet it turned out she was on a ledge. Her stomach was in her throat when the ground ran out.
She smashed into the ground! It was so thick with snow she was completely unharmed but in too much shock to release it.
Eyes going into focus saw something fall towards her- ¡®ahh-!¡¯ Humphrey landed on her. She flung him off. Shaking she stood and brushed the snow off while dazed she looked around. A sharp, almost stabbing pain shot through her left side when she tried to walk, biting her lip stumbled but regained her footing. But she couldn¡¯t stand for long; her body was ruined from the earlier events and gratefully relaxed on the snowy ground, noticeably warmer now closer to ground level. She turned her head to see the sack still swollen with her steals.
Professors to Pitilessness
With the enemy breeching the school the professors knew the action necessary. Together they said ¡®doraskii¡¯ and the bridge cracked like thunder. Suddenly the stone toppled, cutting the school from the rest of the mountain- and the rest of the army.
Countless men fell into the abyss. Rexford grabbed his sword and ran inside. The carpets dirtied with army boots he hurried, stopping to read the map. He saw The Shadow charge in, one mage blasted at him, but he spun his sword so fast it deflected the spell. Then to quickly close the distance he ran fast, in a sharp turning pattern to avoid their spells. In the corner of his eye he saw a figure run past. Following it, it was a teenager deciding to defend their home. He sprinted toward them, the emerald eyed one saw and with a yell fired earth at him, which he battered away, grabbed them and blasted through a classroom door. The person was thrown to the ground and he unsheathed his blade!
He met her eyes and he saw his sword hand shake. Despite his position of power he felt very small, like he was looking up at her.
This was wrong. He wanted to kill geoptics because of the terrible things they¡¯d do as adults, the children still had a chance. No, it was in their blood, why wait for the crime to be committed to punish when he could just punish it now?
He sliced for her, but she jumped away and relentlessly fired bricks around them at him. Battering them away step by step got closer to the geoptic and grabbed her throat and raised his sword, but suddenly saw his own eyes in her¡ Was this right?
He had never been confronted like this- he thought the situation would feel great, to do his duty. Every story he read the hero did their duty, but should he blindly follow a story? The geoptics fear slashed face suddenly turned to rage and with a scream blasted him away with a pillar of ice, breaking into his ribs! Kneeling she ran out the room and way as he gasped for air.
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Running into another corridor saw an even younger child, confused and scared, face tear-stained, having leaved their room. The Walking Shadow had cornered him and without hesitation sliced down!
Rexford felt breathless in a new way, and then bile rose in his throat.
Suddenly the ground rocked and cracked between The Shadow and him. A section entirely of students¡¯ rooms, it was the policy to never leave, began to levitate away. The lightening weapon fired again! The glistening blue sliced like a gods¡¯ dagger and caused another explosion of blood-red. Entire sections cracked away. A teacher ran to him, before he could collect himself they blasted him with ice, throwing him off! He crashed through already crumbling stone, through levels until crashing onto the ground floor in a cloud of filth. The Shadow sprinted up a staircase to the top of the castle then back peddled¡ Aiming for a crooked ledge sprinted! The black figure flew through the sky, the surroundings slowed. The glowing white snow glistening like the stars, all against his pitch black armour. He fired a bolt from his gauntlet before landing, straight through the professors¡¯ head. He landed into a roll into the escaping structure. Another blue burst coated the rock as he broke down doors, killing whatever moved. Black figures, mages on brooms, flew out desperately and he shot a few people dead and slipped off limply. The crystals underneath the rock were levitating it. So he jumped off the edge! Firing a metal wire into the ledge he swung to the underside and with a spiked boot smashed it into the crystal, shattering it like a thousand diamonds! Swinging away he jumped back to the ruins of the school as it tilted and broke apart, rumbling the mountainside.
Snow Surfing
What only felt like a few minutes for Humphrey ended when the girls voice cut through the crackling fire to say ¡®time to go,¡¯ she grabbed his wrist and forced him to his feet. His legs was feeling weak from the walk it was already a struggle to stand and he was about to complain but the words seemed to die in his throat, his desire to speak up fizzled out.
As time passed she wondered what this felden could do, ¡®Humphrey,¡¯ she stated strongly and she looked behind her to see his nervous expression, ¡®what spells do you know?¡¯
Despite everything he didn¡¯t wish her to know the extent of his powers. He licked his cracked, dry lips, ¡®¡ for build-d-ding,¡¯
¡®Buildin¡¯?¡¯
¡®Yes, useless for violence. I k-know naturalistic spells and ice¡¡¯ His voice was getting quieter until she could no longer hear it.
¡®What?!¡¯ She snapped, annoyed of his pathetic nature, purposely loud to psych him out and he jumped back slightly and stumbled down onto the snow. She couldn¡¯t help the snigger. After a few fast breathes he said, ¡®ice and snow are for safety¡¡¯ (as the school was in a snowy place) but he was under too much pressure and could no longer formulate words. A part of her was tempted to ask why he didn¡¯t run back but didn¡¯t want to put ideas in his head. Snow control? ¡®Could ya create stairs? Or float rock down with us on?¡¯ Shaking and obeying he knelt down and after a few moments said ¡®soeen,¡¯ but it took him a few tries to say it correctly as his voice was shaking so much. It wasn¡¯t from the cold, however, but the fear of the girl¡¯s gaze. ¡®I need my staff to do so.¡¯
¡®Like Shaw I¡¯m giving it to you.¡¯
¡®Do you want the stairs or not?¡¯ He asked softly.
¡®You¡¯re not getting the staff. Try it without.¡¯ She new it was a near impossible ask. He was a felden he had little chance of doing anything with the staff. What idiot put their felden kid into a geoptic school? The snow began to vibrate before suddenly bursting to life and began to formulate stairs. Some stairs formed, the snow solidifying to ice, but after a few more all of them melted to water and splashed uselessly down. He gasped as sweat forming on his brow, slumping forward onto his hands. ¡®I¡ I¡¯m not strong enough.¡¯ As if, if he did not have a good enough excuse she would scold him.
¡®Can¡¯t do anythin¡¯ right.¡¯ She mumbled to him and he felt something snap.
¡®Why are you like this? You¡¯re so horrid!¡¯ His voice was loud but it sounded weak and fragile and he was unable to meet Isadora eyes as tears made his own shine.
¡®You know nothing!¡¯ She grabbed his shoulder and spun him around to face her but he refused to look up from the ground. ¡°I-!¡¯ There was a sharp stab to her chest. She gripped her fists so tight the nails threatened to puncture her skin. The faces of her dead brothers blinded her behind her eyes. She couldn¡¯t scream the words out; if she did she¡¯d break down into a horrific mess.
He squeezed his eyes shut and arms stiffened to his sides, waiting for some sort of punishment.
¡®I¡¯ll find ¡®nother way.¡¯ She leaned away from him and he felt like a weight was removed as her presence became more and more distanced.
A few minutes passed. ¡®Why did you break into my home? You travelled all this way alone just to leave with some books?¡¯
Did he always ask so many questions? ¡®I thought my silence would be a good indication that I want you to shut up.¡¯
He was taken aback by her coldness. And so he did- for a few minutes. ¡®W-why?¡¯
That seemed to get her attention, when she looked behind at him he was surprised by her sudden shift in eyes, to a more green state before it flickered back to normal. But he already saw the emerald gemstones shine through the illusion- she was a geoptic! She turned back around, ¡®magic is outlawed. The Red King is destroying any city or kingdom that stands for magic, as well as spreading lies about its corruption. You only don¡¯t know about it because you were so isolated.¡¯
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Tears filled his vision and his knees felt weak. ¡®Everything was fine until you showed up! I could have done something! You stopped me! I could have saved everyone!¡¯ He stamped his foot like a child, voice loud but shrill, strained, like a crying toddler.
¡®I saved your life! You should be grateful you¡¯re not dead like everyone else!¡¯ She yelled. ¡®Plus, you can avenge them, that¡¯s why I was there¡ To kill that bastard. An¡¯ I¡¯ll obviously keep you long enough alive until you lead me to the weapon!¡¯
He tried to speak again but his voice was too shrill, and wiped away tears and snot with his sleeve as his legs shook, barely standing. After a few deep breathes said, ¡®you c-can¡¯t promise that.¡¯
¡®Eh, your right I can¡¯t.¡¯ She turned back around but turned after a few steps, ¡®but I¡¯ll try¡ I promise.¡¯ She sneered. Only a few steps later her foot caught on something, causing her to face plant into the snow, ¡®ow.¡¯
Humphrey looked down to see a piece of shiny wood stick up from the ground. Isadora wiped snow from her face before her vision focused on the oak wood and began digging, revealing more and more of the structure.
Humphrey rested his legs, glassy eyed at how upside down his life was and felt a wave of exhaustion. Next to him his kidnapper, of who he didn¡¯t know her name, digging something rather large out of the ground. It had a sail and was about the size of a canoe, thinly shaped with only one seat. Grabbing the sides she hauled it out. ¡®A Snow Sailor.¡¯ He said, surprised. It was an outdated sport.
¡®Can we ride it down the mountain?¡¯ She looked forward at the slopes and segmented rocks. Humphrey shook his head, ¡®no, no, no.¡¯ He said weakly but she was already forcing him into the back of the sailor. ¡®It¡¯s this, starvation or freezing to death.¡¯
Humphrey was so pale his complexion was so white he looked like a cephalon. She tightened the backpack around her and angled it correctly before clambering in herself. I¡¯m going to die¡ He thought as, shaking.
Isadora, behind him, began to push speeding it up until it met the decline. It sailed through snow like a boat on water. The air began to whisk by and Humphrey let out a shriek as they sped up.
Isadora held on tight, Humphrey crawling to the below the seat and covered his eyes with trembling hands. Isadora spotted a rock up ahead, ¡®Ahhhh!¡¯ She grabbed the side and pulled as hard as she could and the boat well avoided it but she overcorrected! The boat leant so heavily to the side it took a complete right- where there was a drop. Humphrey poked his head over, saw the coming edge and let out an ear splitting scream.
Isadora put all her weight and forced the thing to correct, it swerved into the other direction. ¡®Hold on!¡¯ She yelled with a voice specked with excitement, a smile forming on her lips as the racing snow reflected in her emerald eyes as the first gap in the ground approached. She tried to pull up on the front, and aimed for a snow-covered boulder which threw it off the ground! Skimming the surface of the snow and landed securely on the other side.
He poked his head up to see the boulder rise. No, an animal. ¡®Animal, animal!¡¯ He shrieked so loud Isadora thought her ears would explode. The animal was living snow and jumped out of the sailor¡¯s path and batted them with large paw! Spooked the creature sprinted off. It no longer seemed fun anymore as they soured to the edge at break neck speed, spinning uncontrollably! ¡®Jump!¡¯ She grabbed a balled up, frozen Humphrey by his collar and jumped off into the snow.
Slowly, Isadora looked over the edge of the cliff to see the thing break into splinters as it made contact with some jagged rock. Hu¡ that¡ didn¡¯t work. There was a loud cracking sound as it collided into another part of rock. Damn! ¡®Damn it!¡¯ She punched the ground over and over in anger. ¡®We¡¯re going to die!¡¯ As she beat the ground Humphrey was recovering from his shock and looked around.
¡®Actually,¡¯ he interrupted her rage to point to the real, solid ground, only a few feet away. They had made it out of the mountains.
¡®Oh.¡¯ She said, coming out of her anger.
Wild Rides
They had been walking for a while, the snow was lessening and there were just enough trees to call it a forest. Humphrey slumped against a trunk, gasping for breath. He certainly was not the fittest. She shoved some things she ripped up from the ground into her bag and brought out the map. He had marked on the map where to go, and with her finger traced a route to get there, involving stops at small places for resources. She noticed something shine through the map, reflecting the fresh sunlight. She folded the map away and smiled at her find. Sliding a crystal, as big as her palm out of the loose dirt admired its shape and colour. ¡®Perfect.¡¯ She whispered to herself, ¡®here,¡¯ she forced it into Humphrey¡¯s hand, he recognized it as a geoptic homeland gem. It was able to hold magical energy.
¡®Try and charge this gemstone with your magic. As much as it can ¡ take.¡¯ Her voice trailed off as her ears picked up sound. Footsteps. ¡®An animal.¡¯ She whispered, turning around to face the noise. ¡®Get down.¡¯ She grasped his arm and pulled him down into the snow.
Out from the trees leapt a deorg, a deer like creature with intricate horns in such a pattern its used to hypnotize the enemy into peacefulness so it can get away. Humphrey had never seen one in real life, only from pictures in books. He couldn¡¯t help but stare; it was so elegant and seemed so peaceful. His eyes looked up at the horns; suddenly it¡¯s all he could see. He snapped back once he realized what was happening and looked away from it. Deorg¡¯s could hypnotize targets with their spinning horns. Blinking Humphrey looked around for Isadora.
Very slowly she stepped between sticks and roots. Although she had never hunted wild animals before she did have to follow strangers without being detected. Slowly she went down and picked up a heavy log, ¡®no! Stop!¡¯ Humphrey yelled, getting up from the ground. Rage twisted Isadora¡¯s¡¯ features as the deorg bounded off and out of sight. She threw the log down, hard and stormed off, idiot, idiot, idiot! With a moron like him around I¡¯m going to starve to death. She could hear his feet as they followed her. Not bothering to look around walked faster. He basically had to run to keep up. ¡®I¡¯m sorry.¡¯ He breathed, realizing his mistake.
In a snap her fist was raised, but the knuckle wouldn¡¯t move for a second so turned it into a grab by the front of his collar, toes just touching the ground. ¡®Don¡¯t do that again, Darius!¡¯ She demanded through gritted teeth with a cold evil. It caused a harsh shiver race through him.
¡®Darius?¡¯ he inquired.
¡®What?¡¯ She spat.
¡®You called me Darius, my names Humphrey.¡¯
¡®Humphrey, that¡¯s what I said.¡¯ Releasing him back to the dirt she mumbled as she left ¡®we have a long walk ahead of us.¡¯
¡®I¡¯d be more helpful with my staff.¡¯ He admitted to the ground.
¡®Like hell.¡¯ He¡¯d get it back when she was dead.
Minutes turned to hours and Humphrey had sharp pains in both sides breathing heavily. ¡®I require¡ a break¡¡¯ He gasped, Isadora, with a dark look on her face, began to slow down to a stop. He¡¯s so useless¡ Yet she didn¡¯t sit down much like how Humphrey flopped onto the floor but kept looking around. She frowned and she walked away to check. ¡®There¡¯s a river.¡¯ She said to Humphrey, pointing behind her.
¡®It looks frozen,¡¯ he observed, still shocked he was out here, shaking and sniffing.
¡®Can ya make a fire ball?¡¯ She said, short-tempered, as if just his presence irritated her. He nodded; grabbing him by the arm dragged him to the frozen river, ¡®melt it¡¯ and shoved him to the ice.
Taking a deep breath changed his stance and extended his right hand, ¡®firorsoa¡± he whispered to himself and a yellow flame exploded form his hand and melted the ice. She told him to stop before he evaporated the water. Taking off her gloves cupped her hands she drank and let Humphrey have some, but he didn¡¯t look eager to do it again. ¡®I can be more effective with my staff¡¡¯ He eyes it still in her supply bag. She ignored him, grabbed his arm again and pulled him down to the ground. Cupping his gloveless hands slurped the water and he spat out some dirt, sneezed and shivered but Isadora kept drinking like a pig. Once done ¡®melt some more¡¯ she ordered as she wiped her wet hands on her trousers and put her gloves back on. He complied.
While in the dead brambles Humphrey¡¯s leg was getting stiff. He glanced over to Isadora, she looked tense and her eyes were wide, her fists clenched white. His presents put her on edge. Her eyes didn¡¯t move from the puddle now a few meters away, following her gaze saw a loseraka, a six legged animal with straggly orange fur the size of large horse. It had large; bug like eyes the size of boulders with a long head. It looked like skin and bone, having knobby legs and a bony head. ¡®We can¡¯t-.¡¯ She automatically put her hand over his mouth and gave him a stern expression. Careful not to make noise she edged away slowly. Looking back at the creature Humphrey saw it extend its long neck into the fresh water and its tongue lolled all over the place. He moved slightly in attempt to get comfy, a twig breaking. Its neck rocketed up, and looked around. Isadora, off to the right, froze, a snarl on her lips, angry he just blew it. But once its head lowered down she relaxed slightly and exhaled. Edging closer and closer while behind the creature she threw herself up landed, hard, on its spiny back. It began to kick and twist. Isadora had to wrap her arms around its neck just to hold on, startled at how powerful it was.
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It threw its head back, knocking the blood out of her nose. ¡®Do something!¡¯ She demanded, the animal going crazy. He tried to think but his mind froze; ¡®now!¡¯ She yelled, her grip loosening. She considered throwing him his staff but ultimately didn¡¯t. Suddenly the animal turned, throwing Isadora to the front of it making her legs scramble at the floor. ¡®Help me Humphrey!¡¯ Her voice high but harsh, like stone grating against itself. Tossing this way and that Isadora flew off, and smashed her shoulder into a tree before falling onto the floor in a heap so forcing him to concentrate yelled ¡®chirsta!¡¯ Before throwing his arm forward and the animal slowly laid down. Looking over to Isadora saw her stumble up, dazed. He was shocked she could even stand. Geoptics, they¡¯re strong. She went over to the unconscious creature, ¡®what did you do?¡¯ She asked, catching her breath. Humphrey had a hard time concentrating.
¡®What did you do?¡¯ She repeated the question.
¡®I performed a spell,¡¯ he said dryly, ¡®sleeping.¡¯ He asked with a frown, coughing and hoped she wouldn¡¯t hurt it. ¡®We¡¯re going to ride it. We¡¯re going to follow the river until you sense a village nearby.¡¯ She was already untying her shoe laces, Humphrey tried to respond but was speechless, certain he could not cope with another ride¡
The wind was sharp against her skin as the loseraka thumped through the forest, the river close to her on her right. She fashioned the shoelaces into reins which she held tightly, Humphrey¡¯s arms tight around her waist and buried his face in her back from fear of falling off, teeth gritted so hard he would¡¯ve thought his teeth would crack. ¡®Can you sense anything?¡¯ She asked Humphrey who had his eyes tight shut, terrified. ¡°Humphrey!¡± she yelled, trying to get him to respond, ¡®nothing¡¡¯ His voice was thin. He had never gone so quickly, and sure he was on the verge of a heart attack. ¡®Turn right,¡¯ she pulled on the reins, forcing the head to move, sprinting over the icy water and out of the forest to a large clearing, built on the slight hill. The animal got spooked by the people it threw its head back, the kids falling off. Rubbing her shoulder Isadora got up, ¡®we got lucky,¡¯ she said, seeing the sun lower in the sky. ¡®You do not want to sleep in the forest over night. But I¡¯ve only heard stories, thankfully.¡¯ Humphrey got up clumsily. ¡®We¡¯ll stay here over night, I¡¯m quite sure this place wasn¡¯t on the map,¡¯ she continued as they walked to the small village, ¡®perhaps too small. We¡¯ll regain supplies and head out tomorrow.¡¯
Humphrey looked wounded, ¡®What¡ Why are we leaving so soon?¡¯ Struggling to keep the annoyance out of his voice as he was so fatigued, ¡®this place is perfect¡¡¯ Isadora ignored his voice, it was like pins spiking her ears, and continued to walk, Humphrey spoke clearer, ¡®why are we leaving?¡¯
¡®Humphrey, I understand you want to stay, but, simply put, we can¡¯t. Or do you want me to tell you of what happens if I¡¯m caught, and you¡¯re are brought along for the ride.¡¯
¡®¡ I thought you said you¡¯d protect me?¡¯
She turned around, walking towards him. ¡®Try. And obviously I¡¯m not that likely to. You¡¯re so- PATHETIC! Just shut up and do as I SAY!¡¯ He stumbled back, heart speeding. She grabbed his wrist and forced his legs to stumble after her but they gave out. Isadora looked back to see the boy hunched over up into a ball, quietly but rapidly breathing saying over and over how he couldn¡¯t ¡®do it anymore¡¯.
Isadora frowned, for the first time the fire within her, burning with seemingly endless pain from the inside out, couldn¡¯t be felt. She crouched by him and moments pasted before she reluctantly put a hand on his back. Trying to find the words her jaw opened and closed. ¡®¡ I¡¯m sorry that your home is gone.¡¯ Suddenly she felt quite deflated, unable to ignore her own loss. A tight ball suffocated her as endless tears streamed down her own cheeks. ¡®It was a fantastic place where you always felt safe and it¡¯s where you belonged. And now you¡¯re out here in a chaotic place, scared, with a stranger. It¡¯s a lot¡ but you will be okay,¡¯ she brushed away a clump of dirt from his hair ¡®at the end of it all.¡¯ Humphrey looked up at her, his big brown eyes were sore. He suddenly jumped forward and wrapped his arms around her, causing her to stumble as his weight threw her back. The ache within her lessened and lessened, before she realized, she was hugging him back just as tight.
It was a small place, the homes looking cozy as the lights glowed inside from the candlelight, brightness strengthening as the sun set with purples and pinks. Finding a sign motionless from the windless day, the word INN hand carved into the wood but halted in her steps. Without communication he was dragged around to a window. ¡®You first.¡¯ She made a hold with her hands for his foot. He obeyed. She flung him up and almost fell off the wooden horizontal beam. She followed, looking through the pains of glass to see an empty room. She tightened her hat around her fist and broke the glass, fumbled for the latch and swung the window open with a soft squeak. Dusting off the sharp edges of glass told him to enter first and he did, clumsily. He checked himself for cuts while she locked the door and shut the curtains.
The room was beautiful to her; dry, with no gaps in the walls and an olive green rug and soft single bed, lit candles dotted the room. However for Humphrey it was awfully basic and the some floorboards even squeaked and the dust! He couldn¡¯t help a sudden attack of sneezes, despite Isadora¡¯s complaints, telling him to stop or they¡¯ll get found out. Wiping his nose whispered ¡®why did you sneak in, you have plenty of gold?¡¯
¡®I don¡¯t want any record of me being here on paper. Even if this place seems isolated.¡¯
Forcing Humphrey to sleep on the floor she took the bed, throwing him some blankets and a pillow and she happily settled deep within the covers.