《Tale of the Star Chosen Villain》


 Conversation with a star and mana poisoning

    I went to sleep last night, a man on the cusp of going out into the world and being acknowledged as a man of my own worth. Tomorrow was supposed to be my first day at a local college where I would set up myself for a nice, quiet, hard working life.


    But I was killed in my sleep. Not by a home invader, an accident, war, the paranormal. No, nothing that normal.


    I was killed by a god.


    ¡°My name is Fata Stele.¡± A girl made of space, litreal space bows in a curesty in front of me as I stand in a plane of space. Everywhere the eye could see there are dazzling stars lighting this world like the most brilliant of crystals. Stars of every color the eye can see paints this scene like pieces of art made by master artist leaving the surreal feeling that you are at the center of this universe, ¡°I beg for you to be hero. I am sorry for stealing your life, I am so sorry¡­¡±


    I finally acknowledge this piece of walking space. Hey body looks like a woman barely graced with womanhood. Her height is not noteworthy, her figure is modest, her face is beautiful in a way that something of myth could only be. Hauntingly beautiful. The outline of her body is that of the color of pure space. Only seen because she is standing in front of the stars behind her giving an outline where I could tell her figure along with her height. Every star inside of her body is bright and brilliant, even more so compared to the stars all around us.


    Her hair is a simple, breathtaking nebula, her eyes stars. Bright red stars that feel oh so massive, leagues beyond anything that I have even seen and only seen to scale to the sun of my old world. Red giants at the end of their life, ready, of so ready, to explode with such force that it will shape the universe itself in its outburst. There is something unnatural with how I know what her face looks like, burned into my mind like a lovers.


    ¡°I am going to a new world are I not?¡± The goddess of the stars nods, her nebula like hair floating behind her in graceful waves uncaring for the rules of the world around it. It''s very beautiful. My eyes are locked to the gently dancing whips of cosmic gases dancing around her like a shroud.


    ¡°You are¡­ We gods made it inbetween the other worlds so we may host these games¡­¡± She seems ridden with guilt, an unwilling contest of the games of the gods, ¡°I''m so sorry...You were just one of the few that I could find that fitted into the game...Or my choice for this one.¡± She looks up and meets my eyes. The stars that make hers up are active in a way that seems like tears. A being beyond my understanding, taking form of something that I know but twisting it till it screamed of influences of forces beyond my grasp and understanding. This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    I finally feel my minds haze, a daze like I have gotten high on some new, wonderful, relaxing drug. I notice that I am sitting on a chair and asking the next question in my mind, ¡°Is there magic in this new world? I would very much to summon stars in my hands and toss them like grenades.¡± I relax deeper into the comfortable chair, laughing at the mental image of forging miniature stars in my hands and watching them go supernova in enemy forces. My laughter soon grew to a mad cackle, ¡°I wish to be a mage, a terrible mage! I wish to forget stars, sinks in space where time and space twist into something I can not understand. I get a gift? Make me a mage. A powerful mage and I will happily wear your banner in this world oh beautiful goddess.¡± I feel a warmth spread through my chest. The warmth and farther haze that comes with wrath and glee, ¡°Put me down there and I will kill each and every disgusting hero those gods try to field. I want purpose, I want a life I can look back on and think, ¡®I shaped this world with my own two hands.¡±


    ¡°I think I understand you my her- no villain¡­ You''re going to walk into the world and make it utterly yours...With me as the goddess of choice?¡± This poor, beautiful, misfortunate goddess. Gods! They are real! I let out a louder cackle. I just notice with each breath I take I feel my body grow energized but oh so heavy. Like a mixture of a muscle relaxant and caffeine bottled up together. God, or gods, I can get addicted to this so easy.


    ¡°Of course! Of course¡­ I''m blessed, so utterly blessed to have the lady of stars as my patron. In all terms of magic you would be unmatched. Fire, no, plasma to rend to world down to glass if I wished. Gravity so intense that Atlas shoulders to break, the world collapse. Beauty unmatched, colors unbound, a goddess of creation. A creation before the creators of the world.¡± I struggle to stand up. My body wrecked with shaking as if on some type of drug. I struggle to walk towards her, swaying and stumbling as I walk.


    ¡°Creation? Gravity? I''m no important god¡­ Just one of hope and awe with those little twinkles in the air¡­¡± She walks forward, no, glides. She glides through the ather and rest her hand on my cheek, ¡°Shhh¡­ Rest my chosen. You''re dying, such pure mana is killing you.¡± She leans up and rest her forehead on mine.


    My body is wrecked by a violent cough. I feel my lungs and throat tear from the inside as I cough blood while I double over. I fall on the ground but force myself on my knees. Its painful, so utterly painful now. But it feels so good, ¡°I¡¯m going to have to remake you¡­ Into a species that can handle the gift I will impart on you. I¡¯m sorry, your soul has been infected by my mana. I fear you might go insane or even die without it¡­¡± I look up and watch as she teases a star form her body. A brilliant, violet star. She gently pushes it towards me, bending down and pushing into my chest.


    That is when I scream, there is burning, but this is all consuming heat. A star in my chest burning my body, singe my mind, and vaporizing a place in my soul to host it. I do not know how I know it but I simply feel it. I watch as my body burns into ash, than the ash drift into the ather.


    Only then do I open my eyes to a sky of emerald.

 Awakening and A Kind Man.

    I blink my eyes slowly. The coating of extra liquid on the surface of my eyes run down my face as a single tear for each eye. Once the underwater effect of looking through liquid pass I look up at the sea of emerald only to see it is a tree canopy. Vivid green leafs take up almost every part of my vision besides the edges. I don''t remember going to sleep outside¡­ I never do that.


    I feel my heartbeat hammer in my chest than my body convulses on the ground. Wrathing and trashing on the ground, I let out small whimpers of pain from the harsh impacts of small rocks and twigs hidden in the grass that I am laying on. My fear filled mind fights back making the trashing worse as I feel a finger break from hitting a small rock wrong. I let out a scream as the convulsions ease off, leaving me with a sore and aching body. I bring my broken hand to my chest and squeeze my wrist with bits of tears in my mind trying to ignore and wish away the pain.


    I let out a gasp as I feel a thump in my chest. It feels like riding a rollercoaster and getting nausea. It feels like your heart shooting in your throat and filling your body with warmth while the rest of the body feels like it is falling. Than the pain of my finger fades till it is nothing but a bad fading ache, reminding me that the fading pain was real. Not a fading seastion form a dream.


    I gently bring my hand to my face and inspect it for damage. I turn it around and inspect it closely for any swelling or bruising that would come with what felt like a breakage. Amazingly there is no damage. I open and close the finger with no pain. Like I imagined it...


    But that pain was so intense. It was scary, no control, hurting myself because I couldn''t control myself¡­


    I sit up and take a look around to see I am in some sort of clearing near a gravel like road. Just¡­ Briefly, barely, do I know where I am. A different world¡­ It felt like a dream. The beautiful girl made of stars. Me being a hero¡­ Or was it a villain? I remember trying to reach to her. Her pushing something violet into my chest and the worst burning sensation I have ever experienced, ¡°Fuck¡­.Was that magic? Did I heal my hand with magic? Was that what magic feels like?¡± I chuckle a bit and feel so much fear drain out. Its magic. There''s a reason, I¡¯m not dying alone and in a forest, it was magic that made me convulse. It was magic that healed me.


    This time I sit up, and actually stand up on my feet. I look over my outfit from the front. It''s no clothes that I have ever owned or seen. It''s a pitch black leather duster with sparkles like stars inside of the leather. It looks like a mixture of a mage robe and a trench coat. I turn to the side and watch as they shine at the same light no matter what angle or light level that I look at them. It looks like someone took the night sky and made it into a mage''s robe. Its beautiful.


    I walk to to the road and look to the left and see plains. Flat plains with small streams and forest interlaced. Not too far there is something coming. A man on a cart walking down the road at a slow pace pulled by two horses. I look to the left and see a wall a far, far way off. Multiple miles at least, must be where the man is going to, I think. God, well gods, my eyesight is so good now¡­ I use to have to wear glasses to see where I was walking clearly. It''s not bad not seeing the world through dust, grime and oils form my skin. I sit down on the ground by the road and wait for the man to come by.


    Once I fall to the ground on my butt. I feel like I sat on my fingers and let out yelp of pain from the sudden seastion of pressure and slight pain. I stand back up and flip the tail clock to see¡­ Well a tail. What. Tail?


    I reach down and lightly grasp the tail. The fur pattern is a pitch¡­ no its the color of space. That black black black color that''s just ever so slightly off of black that most simply call it black. I stroke it slowly, feeling form about halfway up the length of the tail and feel vanity for it that one would for their greatest quality. Their hair, their face, something or anything that they can show off and say happily, this is better than most.


    It''s an odd thought and feeling. I do not feel panic having a tail, slight confusion yes, but not panic. Like it has always been there. Its beautiful, and I feel utterly vain over its color and silky fur. The sound of clopping hooves on gravel enter my earshoot. I turn my head to face the noise and see the carriage so much closer than I last saw it. Still going at its typical strutting pace. It¡­ looks like a horse. A tall workhorse not made for sprinting. It''s a horse breed for hauling heavy loads over long distances.


    I look back to my tail and stroke it once more, ever so slowly. I stroke it form the tip to the base this time ruffling the fur than I stoke up to the tail to smooth the fur once more. It feel like cat hair. Soft yet silky. Dog fur feels a tad bit more course unless treated otherwise. There''s an overcoat, a undercoat to it.


    I look back up to see the carriage much closer to me this time. The driver smiles and waves at me, waving at me with a wide smile, ¡°Hello traveler! Resting on your travels?¡± I nod and stroke my tail slowly, stroking it form the base to the tip over and over. I will need to get a comb to make sure it stays in perfect shape. Its beautiful, ¡°Do you need a ride the capital?¡± I nod with a small smile and stand up. I walk up to the seat where the man is guiding the horses. I pull myself beside him and relax into the padded bench.


    ¡°So friend, why are you heading to the capitol?¡± He did something with the pieces of leather that are strapped to the horses harness. I do not know how to guide horses, but this man seems to know how to.


    ¡°... I don''t know yet. I just woke up on this world.¡± I put my tail back on my lap and slowly stroke it once more. Its relaxing, like petting a cat while having some part of you stroked and massaged.


    The man smiles at me and chuckles once again but my eyes are on my tail, focused on stroking it slowly, ¡°You''re a smart lad. Young, not sure what you want to do in life.¡± He lets out a sigh. His face goes relaxed. ¡°Most of you want to be knights, mages. Seeking glory against the other kingdoms, the demons. But you forgot you need common folk to hold up the heros. A hero cant fight hungry can he?¡± I shake my head. It''s a common concept that most don''t think of in roleplaying games. You need to feed the hero so they can protect the people so they can make items for the hero, the common folk, everyone involved.


    ¡°Without people. The hero would starve. Without the hero, the people would die.¡± He nods and reaches over to pat me on the back with a smirk.


    ¡°Smart man. You''re a hero aren''t you?¡± I nod.


    ¡°Quiet aren''t you? All of the tales that we hear of heros are bright eyed children with aweinspring power. Backed with the affection of a god...Who is your god hero?¡±


    ¡°Fata Stele.¡±


    ¡°The goddess of the stars?¡± I nod again. I can remember¡­ I think. A figure. A girls figure made of stars. A kind voice and burning.


    ¡°She was beautiful. Night sky in the figure of a girl. She gifted me with magic.¡± I look up and smile at the man. Now, that I actually look at him, he looks like a typical traveling merchant in roleplaying games. Nice but practical clothings that tell of wealth, telling that his wares have quality while having the capabilities to be cleaned on the road. Practical for his needs.


    He look around his 40s or maybe 50s. A bit of a gaunt stomach thats held back by some sort of colored sash to hold his stomach in his robes. He has a beard groomed by the sword on his waist. Or I think, it could be anything to be honest. Maybe a dagger, maybe they actually have shaving razors, ¡°You think a lot don''t you?¡± I nod once more, ¡°My name is Christopher Light. Once we get to city I¡¯ll help you do anything you like sonny. It''s rare to see a cat-kin hero, most are humans or elves.¡± He chuckles a bit.


    Cat kin? I guess I have a cat¡¯s tail. Human looking¡­ maybe. I haven¡¯t seen my face but my hands are still human looking.


    I reach up and stroke my face, feeling my features. Not as reliable as eyesight but nothing feels wrong. My features feel fight. The cheekbone still feels in the right place. My chin feels normal. My nose is still the same shape. I cannot see my own eyes, maybe those changed? I reach around the side of my head where my ears would be and feel nothing. I slide my hands up to the top of my skull and feel cartilage in the shape of a triangle. I rub them from the tip down to the base, tracing the shape and where they are. How warm they feel and sensitive my fingertips feel on them, ¡°I was human¡­¡±


    Lights face falls a bit. It looks like he thinks I am displeased. I¡¯m not. I was never attached to the concept of being human, ¡°Well¡­ The gods have their reason. Do you hate her for changing your race?¡± I wonder why he sounds so sensitive on this topic.


    I shake my head and trace the other ear with my fingers, touching and petting them like I would my cat, ¡°I do not. Her gift destroyed my body. Burned it to ash, than the ash to nothing.¡±


    Light goes quiet. He touches his forehead with his pointer finger then brings it down to his chest with his head bowed and his eyes closed. He looked to me with a small look of pity, ¡°Poor hero. And you still do not hate her for that pain?¡± I shake my head again. My hands go back to my tail as I look to the city and watch as it grows closer. The walls are tall, easily taller than four men stacked ontop of eachother. I''m judging it by the guards in armour standing in front of the wall processing carriages that look like Light¡¯s.


    ¡°I have a grandson about your age in the city. It''s hard to imagine, not it''s more that I hate the thought of him being brought into a hero¡¯s legend. It''s full of strife, all the legends talk about the battles, the losses, everything that would make a hero¡¯s story.¡± Light shakes his head as we near the back of the line of wagons. Yea, wagons describe them much better than carriage, ¡°So, lad, once you arrive in the city what do you wish to do? Money is no problem and my merchant house has massive influence around the country. A legendary sword? Ancient tomes of magic? Anything for a new and upcoming hero.¡±Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    Light pats my back once more while I scan the walls, looking them over. It looks like a single, solid wall or marble. Beautiful and flawless marble. No breaks, no sealant, just marble raised from the earth and shaped as if they dug dozen of feet into the ground leaving those walls as testament to the earth that use to stand there. Or magic. In this world magic is real...I used it , ¡°I like to learn magic. My goddess gave me a gift. One relating to magic.¡±


    I quietly answer Light while I let go of my tail and try my best to move this ne and strange part of my body. I watch as it jerks around with no smoothness of fine control on my part. It will take a while to learn how to move a brand new part of my body. Something I have never had nor would need normally.


    ¡°Magic? Well it would fit her domain¡­¡± He nods as if we have made some sort of discovery.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I tilt my head as Light moves his waggon past the others, walking the horses to a smaller gate a short distance away.


    ¡°A god has a domain. A god of the sun.¡± Light bows his head once more putting his fingers to his forehead than down to his heart before looking back at me, ¡°A god of earth and its bounty. Two different domains. A hero of the sun would usually be gifted magic so bright that it could vanish the night. A hero of the earth would be gifted a body tough and strong like the earth itself. Make sense?¡± I nod as we stop in front of the gate. Light pulls out a scroll form a pact hidden in the back while a guard walks up to our carriage.


    ¡°Light! Right on time! Oh, who is the Cat-kin? A new traveling partner? Must have never see Marthell¡¯s marble walls before!¡± This guard is loud. I wish he would be a bit more quiet¡­


    ¡°Markus! You will not believe who I found just sitting beside the star gazing grove! A hero! Fata Stele¡¯s chosen himself sitting and playing with his tail as if nothing else in the world mattered.¡± Light lets out a joyful laugh and claps me on the back once more after his loud statement. Of course announcing a hero, any type of hero, would draw everyone''s attention. I don''t like crowds. My mind doesn''t work well and I simply act on instinct around them.


    ¡°Light can we go in?... I do not like this attention¡­¡± I take a glance around. The other people in the carts look at me in wonder and awe. The guards stand up a bit straighter as if trying to show off. I do not like being stared at. I hate it.


    I feel my tail flick and hit the back of the wooden seat as Light nods while the guard named Markus steps aside letting us inside. Light urges the horses forward with a movement of the leather straps attached to them and walks onto the marble road. Now that we are in the city I see it is simply carved form the stone and a mixture of others and wood added into it. As if the stone grew around the wood instead of the wood around stone. It is extremely surreal looking at wooden signs emerging from marble without hinges or any sign of glues.


    ¡°Welcome to Marthell¡¯s Hearth. Capital of Marthell, birthplace of the stone weaving school of magic. I am sorry for calling you out in the crowd. There is no story that I know of a hero not liking a crowd''s attention.¡± He bows his head to me while the horses walk by themselves, navigating through the roads to near the center of this large city. The buildings block the view of anything impressive or utterly awe inspiring to me like a palace or something like a mage tower.


    It takes around half an hour to travel through the streets, working our way to closer to the center. Around 20 minutes in a taller wall of white marble entered in view. Light informed me past is is where the nobles and the royal place are. He traveled to a large marketplace set up outside of what looked like a manor of some sort that is retrieving lot of wagon foot travel.


    Everyone looks at my clothes and whisper, talking about something. Light ignores them so do I as he guides his wagon around to the back where there are people unloading supplies out of wagons, haggling and simply talking.


    It is lively. People everywhere, doing things that I don''t know the reason for. Wares are brought out of carts, put on some, people leave and come. All like a machine running like a smooth, smooth machine. Everyone knows what they are doing, where they are going, and where they are needed.


    Light carts us into an open area where a young boy, around 13, runs up wide a wide smile. He takes the reins form light and tips a hat he has to him while taking glances over at me, ¡°Mr Light, who is this cat you have with ya?¡±


    ¡°It''s just a guy that I found on the side of the road. Now don''t go calling Cat-kin cats. You know it''s insestive you little brat. How do you like being called monkey? You''re here to learn how to trade and one of the rules of being a trader is not to offend clients, else they might seek business where they are treated with proper respect. Now apologize!¡± I wonder what this kid is to Light¡­


    The boy turns to me and bows slightly while mumbling in the way only a cross child could, ¡°I sorry for callin ya a cat¡­ You a Cat-kin, an that what I should call ya.¡±


    I nod to the kid and slide off the cart, stretching out after the prolonged sitting. I was flexible in my old body. But this¡­ This feels like a gymnast. Something you would see and wouldn''t think would be achievable by the rigid looking human body. It feels free. Like your body use to be held by by some tight clothing that you never felt only to have taken it off and you can truly move. I can feel my tail flit about to help keep my balance on instinct as well. My body knows what to do, I simply have to follow suit and learn it.


    I feel Light¡¯s hand on my shoulder. I turn my head to face him and see him with a wide smirk on his grandfatherly face, he reminds me quite a lot of mine, ¡°Sonny, was the cart ride so long that you had to make a small show of stretching out like a cat waking up from a nap?¡± I tilt my head. He responds by pointing around to show that the machine line of people has slowed and is watching me stretching in my travel leathers.


    I feel my body tense with all the eye on me and I feel the packed dirt around us as my tail flicks side to side dirtying my beautiful fur. Light once again laughs in that kind good natured voice of his and starts to guide me inside of the manor, ¡°We are going to go inside. Get a small bite to eat and talk to the trading company head.¡±


    ¡°How can you so quickly?¡± I tilt my head and do my best to tune out the crowd and focus on Light¡¯s voice, my footsteps, and the feeling of my tail brushing the ground as I walk.


    ¡°Because I trained him! Welcome to Light Trading Family. I passed it down to my son and took up acting like a small time trader for retirement. I don''t do well with idle time and learning small magic tricks like most retirees don''t fit me well. I¡¯m a people person, not a mythical minded chasing old dreams of welding might power.¡±


    ¡°Practical. My grandfather was like you. An engineer. Hated down time. Was rehired at his work as a freelancer and keep his mind busy.¡± Light nods with a smile.


    ¡°Such a strange little hero. Practical, forgiving and soft spoken.¡± Light mutters this to himself but¡­ I''ve noticed almost all of my senses are better. Sight, smell, hearing. I don''t know about taste but touch feels about the same. Oddly it''s not overbearing. Was my brain changed as well as my boy? Foreign and unusual instincts will appear in time as well, but the surality of my body feeling lived in makes it seem like being human was simply a dream. It¡¯s so different but doesn''t feel unnatural at all...


    As I am stuck in my thoughts my body works on auto pilot, walking behind Light with my head lowered as my hands seek out my tail. I lift it off of the ground and start to stroke it, desperately trying to get the dirt out of the fur while Light leads me up a grand staircase. Minimally decorated, focusing on practically over grand appearance. He guides me up another seat of stairs that curl around the first grand staircase to a third floor and heads right down a long and wide hall all lined with doors.


    ¡°Was this a noble manor?¡± I look around at the much more empty halls. It feels extremely barren compared to the hustle downstairs of people working and doing things that they need to do.


    ¡°It is a noble manor! The Light family was given noblitly on grounds of our wealth and influence in the merchant trade. You''re quite lucky to have meet me, but I personally think it is your god arranging our meeting.¡± He puts his fingers to his forehead and drags it down to his heart once more, ¡°Any sane man would be honored to be part of a god''s plan. Being immortalized in a hero¡¯s story? It''s the best damn thing that could happen to an old man like me.¡± Light smirks at me, opens a door at the end of the hall and walks in. I follow of course thinking over his reasoning.


    I wonder how will I age in this new body. Faster, slower, the same?


    ¡°Sonny, met my son Larter Light.¡± Behind the desk with the back facing away from a large, and glowing, window is a younger man that older Light. About his early 40¡¯s or later 30¡¯s. Unlike his father he does not have much girth around his stomach but a much more compact and fit frame. He is dressed in colorful robes that hit him very well along with a bearing of regalness. He looks like a true nobleman unlike his father who looks like Santa Clause backup.


    ¡°Father.¡± Larter looks up with a small smile on his face before turning to look at me and a mask of naturally falls over it, ¡°Father who i-¡±


    ¡°Son, as your father. Drop the act. This young man here is a hero I found on the side of the road petting his tail. All we need to know is he is the hero of Fata Stele. An actual god has graced us with being the damn start of a hero¡¯s legend. He¡¯s a quiet, smart lad. I asked him what he wanted, any treasure and he asked to be taught Larter.¡± Light slams his head on Larter¡¯s table. It might of been his at some point.


    I walk up to Light¡¯s side and slam my hand down on the table as well earning a jump out of both of the men as a crack runs down it to my horror, ¡°I-I''m sorry. I didn''t know it was friagel¡­¡± I shrink back behind Light. Larter only looks to his father with a small grin.


    ¡°He is timid too. Impressive body, why need to learn magic when he can have the temperment of a warrior beat into him?¡± I feel my chest bloom in heat of something between anger and worry. I thought they would help me, not force me down a path I did not choose.


    ¡°His gift is with magic Larter. I¡¯m calling in favors tonight, and yours too. Helping a hero means more than our money and influence. That can come later as a gift from him after he has saved countless lives. We are good men Larter. I raised you on honoring our legacy. We are descendants of Hero of Light. The hero of the god of healing, kindness and mercy.¡± Light¡¯s voice lowered but kept eye contact with his son. I think, I''m hiding behind him shaking for the panic of breaking the table.


    ¡°We are good men. Kindness and mercy.¡± Larter¡¯s head bows in the edge of my eye sight while I see Light¡¯s head bows as well.


    ¡°Kindness and Mercy, son, but also practically. Boy, I never got your name. Too excited and forgot my proper manner.¡± Light turns around to face me and his face seems to have a mixture of emotions on it. I wonder if my cat ears and tail show off my emotions like regular cats do.


    ¡°Ivan Mercer.¡±


    ¡°Ivan, by the day after tomorrow you¡¯ll be walking through the hall of the best magic academy that exist in this capital. In return, during your travels and your strife I want you to help people.¡± Light rest one of his meaty hands on my shoulders. It should be said I am a bit taller than he is. Him around six foot while I am around six foot and two inches. But he tries his damnest to look me right in the eyes with an intense glare, ¡°I want you to help those that will be in pain, in hunger, destitute and homeless. Be. A. Good. Man. That is all I need. If I can make one hero a well and truly good man I will consider my fortune well spent.¡±


    I like Light. He is a kind and genuine man who seems like he learnt kindness and mercy like he preaches. His son seems like he never took it to heart¡­ Simply repeating what his father says without giving well and true thoughts to any of it, ¡°Father. I¡¯ll get in contact and make sure Ivan is introduced to Spellweavers. Ivan, what is your experience with magic?¡± His son seems like a good business man though. Straight to the point while trying to inform himself.


    ¡°When I woke up in the grass, I started to convulse. I broke my finger. I held my arm to my chest. I felt something where my heart was. My finger was healed. That is when it sunk in that I was in a world of magic.¡± I look down to the ground while my hands seek my tail as a source of comfort. Something to keep my mind off the anxiety of talking to people.


    ¡°Great. No magic history. It¡¯ll make it rougher but hopefully your gift will help you learn magic at an prodigious speed. Hero¡¯s are coming. The world that we know is coming to an end and we must strengthen ourselves for the harsh time ahead.¡± Larter focus goes to his desk, grabbing a book and flipping it open. I do not know what he is looking through nor do I really care.


    Light grabs my shoulder once more, using it as a handhold to guide me across the hall to a random room, ¡°You can rest in here. If you need something, knock on Larter¡¯s door, ask anyone dressed like a servant as say you are a high class individual staying with the trading company. I¡¯ll return tomorrow hopefully with good news.¡± Hide in the room, got it. Light opens the door leading to a high class looking bedroom, something I have only seen in movies or anime about nobility. So. Much. Lace.


    The bed has lace, the covers has lace, the drapes have lace, the doorways have lace, the pillows have lace. I see another door that is open leading to another room. Its a bathroom. Full of lace. I let out a small yawn and feel my body stretch out once more. I look outside and see it is very near sunset I eye the bed and nod to myself as I start to try to figure out how to escape the leathers.


    To my surprise they are very stretchy, slide right off of me as I pull my shirt off and catch a look in a hanging, full body mirror and see just how much I change. I was never fit. A bad heart made exercising a pain but I stayed thin though good genetics.


    My new body is much leaner. The entirety of it is taunt muscle. At least my chest is. No acne scars, no moles. Chiseled like someone who runs or does something very cardio heavy. My neck is long still with broad shoulders. My jaw looks more pronounced, less fat in my face leading to harsher angles. My hair is the same color as my tail. My iris are the small dull and dead looking brown while the pupil, like a cats, are open much much wider then what should look normal on a human. There is something there that does not look human.


    I look back to the bed and crawl under the covers while keeping my pants on. In the slowly darkening room I look down at the travel leathers and watch as the white spots that look like stars stitched in glowly lowly, twinkling in the dark.


    I close my eyes and fall asleep, exhausted form todays stress.

 Joys of Magic

    I am waken form the fluffy confines of the lace cursed bed by a knock on door. I push myself up and out of the deep and soft bed that seems to simply wish to swallow my by body into it and suffocate me as a bizarre but effective assassination technique.


    I walk up to the door and open it while rubbing the crust form my eyes so I can actually feel awake and aware. Standing in front of me is a young maid with some clothes in her arms. Her eyes are on my chest and scan up my body, inspecting it as a piece of meat while a deep blush fills her face, ¡°A-Are you H-Hero Mercer?¡± I nod as I oddly enjoy the look. I wonder if Cat-kin are naturally vain. I hold out my hand and curl my fingers in a ¡®give me¡¯ gesture. She wordlessly places the clothes in my outstretched hand. After the soft, silk like, robes are in my hand I close the door on the maid who bows to keep her eyes off of me while the door closes. Most likely answering the door while shirtless was not a proper display of manners while being a guest in someone¡¯s home.


    I walk back to the, fluffy killing machine, bed that they lent to me and sit on it while separating the pieces of clothing so I can actually see what the outfit is.


    The color is purple. Purple is alright but velvet blue is my favorite color. A dark, lush, deep blue.


    But this robe is a deep royal looking purple that seems to be already fitted to my body. I guess Light and¡­ His son work quickly. I should try to remember his son¡¯s name, especially with what they have done for me. The robes flow down the body as a single piece of cloth that you have to put on my sliding it above and pulling your head though. Also there is a boxer like undergarment added into the little outfit. I change out of my leather like pants and see I have a nebula like colored boxer shorts. Huh, I never did look down there.


    I change into the provided boxers and out of a sense of habit, I sniff the old boxers to see if they are still what I would call clean enough to use once more. To my surprise they are. They are scented in fact. The smell evokes the feeling of smallness that the night sky evokes  I pick up the leather pants and take a small smell of them. Clean, smells as fresh as a cold, winter night in a forest while stargazing.


    Or that is the impression of the leathers that I have. The smell of them reminded me of my most fond memories of the night sky. I breath in the scent of the shirt this time. It smells like the incense that I used to light frequently in my room while trying to sleep. My computer playing music while showing a beautiful animesque painting of a girl looking through a telescope at the night sky.


    I put back on the leather pants than I pull the purple robe above my head and push my head through the hole where the head goes. I snake my arms around the insides of the purple robe to actually get them through the arm holes. Then I put on the leather chest piece on top of the robe and feel comfortable.  The purple boxers go into a pocket that I found in the purple robes sides.


    I move in front of the mirror and slowly turn around, checking myself at each and every angle that I can reliably see. The chest piece looks the same but the leather only went to elbows. The purple robes flow out stopping at my wrist. My chest piece goes down till my hips, letting the purple robe flow down like water, moving with each movement that I make. It looks graceful yet powerful on me. I never had the best dress sense, but this is something I know will draw attention to myself like a nobel or famous model walking down the street. Your attention can not help but be drawn to the almost magical look I now possess.


    Maybe I had it before, but was too tired to notice while wearing just the leathers?


    There is nothing to cover my face so my eyes, which are harsh slits in the morning light, draw their own sort of attention. Honestly? They look evil and intense. Something a evil antagonist would have to make him more eye popping and attention grabbing. But there is something strange when you combine the effect with my eye color. It looks like looking into some sort of abyss. That same sense of smallness that you get when you gaze into the night sky, and just think about how large those stars that you can see are.


    I tear my eyes off myself while pushing down a sense of anxiety and dread as I look at the door. More people. More talking. More being paraded around¡­ But I like being dressed like the center of attention. Contradictory? Yes, but it''s human nature. It''s unnatural for us to seek a state of utter logic. We are animals, most have forgotten that, but it¡¯s a fact of life.


    I walk to the door and the faint sound of the daily shuffle fills my ears even through the door. I gently open it and walk out into the hallway to see the maid who brought me my clothing standing besides the door with her head bowed and stiff bodied, ¡°I am sorry hero. I overstepped my place as a maid.¡± She bows deeply to me, enough that it makes my back hurt in sympathy for hers.


    ¡°You did nothing wrong. I think I am in the wrong for answering in unproper state of dress.¡± I added a slight pleading tone to my voice, begging for her stand up straight. I am not use to the special treatment nor do I truly wish for it, no matter how enjoyable it might be. But she only raised up while keeping her head bowed to the ground, refusing to look at nothing but my feet.


    ¡°I-I¡¯ll serve as your personal maid for the time you are a guest with L-Light trading company.¡± She grabs the sides of her knee high dress, then lifts in in one of the most graceful movements that I have ever seen. I think I ruined my chance of having anything resembling a normal relation with this girl.


    ¡°...Can you guide me to one of the Lights if they are not busy?¡± She nods. I never even got her name but if feels very awkward to ask it as this stage.


    She steps away form the wall beside the door to my room and starts down the hall heading to Light¡¯s son office. I follow her and have to lightly jog to keep up with her form of speed walking. It reminds me of a nurse in a hospital, getting to where they need to be quickly and efficiently.


    She stops outside of Light¡¯s son door and knocks a few times, than she announce in a slightly louder voice, loud enough to be heard through the doorway, ¡°Mr. Light, Hero Mercer is coming in.¡±


    She opens the door for me to walk in. So I quietly walk into the office once more and look into the eyes of Light¡¯s son. I look to a chair facing Light¡¯s son to see a back, a head of white, wispy hair that seems to dance in an unseen breeze going through the room, ¡°Ivan, good to see you¡¯re awake and changed into the school robes.¡± Light¡¯s son lips upturn in a polite smile, ¡°Come meet the headmaster of the best magic school in Mathrell.¡±


    I nod and walk into the room and sit in a spare chair besides the elderly man. I take a quick look over him.


    His face is young surprisingly, very few wrinkles form what I can see but he does have very deep laugh lines. His nose is almost hooked, dominating the part of his face that it is taking up but not taking away form his grey eyes that meet mine. The headmaster¡¯s eyes go up and down my body inspecting me in turn. There is a small intensity to his gaze, like a feeling of heavy air coupled with the feeling of charged static.


    I feel my heart thump as the static in the air sparks. That same feeling when I healed my hand.


    His body is not frail form what little the purple robe is not covering. Tight muscles on his arms while his hands are large and fleshed out to the point it looks like he does, or have some history of extended physical labor. His frame is like mine, something that you would see on a runner who keeps in shape through daily mile long runs, ¡°Very interesting take on our school uniform, Hero of Stele.¡±


    I nod to his statement. His voice is airy. Not deep or high pitch, but something along the line of normal. There is something that I can feel. Almost a physical seastion that I can feel throughout my body that makes it feel charged and alert. The minor exhaustion and lack of coffee swept away as I feel my mind focus on this man. I do not feel in danger, or compelled to follow him but something kindly ask for my attention.


    ¡°Larter, do you mind if I test this young hero here? He has no knowledge of magic. The best way I can put myself in his story is being a kind mentor to one of our nations few, young, precious heros.¡±


    ¡°Of course headmaster. I will leave the room, feel free to take as much time as you like.¡± Later stands form his chair, bows, and leaves the room in a quick pace to match the maid in her rush here.


    I watch as Larter leaves the room, closing the door behind him, and leaves me with a complete stranger. He was not much better than a stranger but just anything familiar would be enjoyable in some way.


    I look back to the headmaster as a small bud of anxiety blooms in my chest as he stands up. He reaches into his sleeves pulling out a small crystal ball and a small bundle of papers, ¡°May I call you Ivan? I like familiarity among my students.¡± I nod as I feel some of the anxiety ease back. But it is still there, people put me on edge, ¡°I talked to both of the Lights. Christopher is actually an old friend of mine. He told me of this quiet Cat-kin that claimed to be a hero of Fata Stele, one of the less known and a minor god in the pantheon.¡±


    ¡°I will make the world understand.¡± I do not know why a\said it outloud, or even at all, but I feel rage. A deep, spiteful rage at the thought of the wonderful, beautiful and kind god being minor. It is not a red burning fury, but one that makes you sit down. Plan. Plan how to dismantle someone''s life till they are on the street in rags and begging, than you pass them every day and watch as they starve.


    ¡°So you can speak, and such passion in those words! It will do you good with magic. Having a drive, a goal to shape what your magic will be.¡± He smiles at me. So many grandfather types in this world.


    He bends down, showing flexibility usually unseen, normally, in his age. He grabs the orb and put it in my lap before sitting on Larter¡¯s desk. Not in his chair, but literally on the desk, ¡°I¡¯ll cover your first lesson today. We will be testing your raw talent for magic, and any understandings that you might have. First, grab the orb.¡± I nod and take it in my hands. It feels like a large marble. A smooth glass ball.


    ¡°They told me you have no experience in magic. That is a very good thing. The way how we do magic, in the simplest terms, is we force our will on the world. Right now, all you need to worry about is learning how to project your mana out of your body. Any amount of it will be fine.¡± I nod. I hold the large marble in the air and tilt my head as I feel myself grow less anxious, becoming engrossed in the lecture.


    ¡°That orb is something to help beginner spellcasters draw there magic out till they are at a stage here they can do it at will, and even subconsciously. Now close your eyes. I hear it helps most.¡± I nod once more and close my eyes.


    ¡°Now, you were given a gift. What was this gift?¡±


    ¡°A star.¡± The star that was burned into my chest fills my mind. Everywhere I shift my eyes I simply see the star. Massive, powerful. Full of so much energy that even a dozen suns can not even think of being a fraction as bright, or hold as much powerful inside.


    ¡°I hear that is the gift that Stele gives all of her heros. Recently they have been given armour like you are wearing now as well.¡± I shrug. I have no way to know what she has done. Only that she gave me a part of her. Something so kind, to give something so personal and put your hopes into them so deeply, ¡°Now Ivan. Try to show me the aura of a star. Imagine a small bit of that power, imagine it so vividly as that orb in your hand. Imagine, and make your will real.¡±


    I open my eyes and look at the orb. I picture that large orb a deep violet. I picture the sun spots, the moving plasma of the top layer of the star that you can watch as stardust dance around it. Something so small compared to the mass of the star that it looks like ribbons dancing on the surface of a star. I blink and see that I am not holding a marble but a star. I smile widely as I feel the same thump in my chest as when I healed my finger.


    I feel power. I feel her world once more. I feel the embrace of a goddess. I feel powerful. I do not feel afraid of this world. I feel that I can walk out of the room with my head held high. I feel my body lighten as I grow power over it. I look up to the Headmaster who is staring at me with wide eyes. I see the world and know that I have the power to change it to my liking. I smell smoke as the chair I am sitting in starts to smolder from being near a pale and weak imitation of true star. Pathetic. I see the flood boards catch on fire form the equivalent of something less that a ember of a stars might. I feel magic. I have magic. This world is mine, and if it shall not yield I shall destroy it and deny anyone the wonders of my possession.


    ¡°Ivan! I want you to stop! You¡¯ll burn this city if you do not stop!¡± The headmaster steps forward as a curtain of air is dancing around him like a storm. I feel his will around him. That static of an approaching thunderstorm was him. Him pushing his will on this feeble world. I narrow my eyes but restrain myself before I act out harshly. I need him. I have power. But I need to learn how to harvest it before I punish the bastard who called Fata Stele a fucking minor god.


    I let go, hesitantly, of the power that I exuded over the area around me. I fall to the floor as the chair I was sitting on falls apart as the supports have melted and the wood catches fire. But they are instantly put out by the Headmaster roaring storm. Just as quick as the winds roared through the room, they quiet and still.


    My body grows heavier, back to a sense of normality leaving me itching for the drug that is feeling my body full of magic and mana. It felt so good...It felt like everything that I ever cared for just died. It felt like listening to fire crackle, the rain drip, that feeling of relaxation that you can only have for a moment. That moment of bliss that tells you that you have stroked the cusp of Nirvana but you were not allowed paradise, ¡°Ivan¡­¡± I snap my head back up to headmaster once more.


    We stare at each other for a moment as the thump, thump, thump, in my chest slowly dies down. I feel hot tears in my eyes as I feel weak, tired, anxious. Caffeine withdrawal that I did not notice waking up become apparent. I feel tears stream down my face at the world besides this man becomes impossible to see as I start to hyperventilate, spiraling into tunnel vision, ¡°Why did you stop me?¡± I ask him in a quiet, breaking and sobbing voice. I feel so weak and vulnerable. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    I feel like I am in a crowd, they are staring at me with so much hate and I just want to hide. He steps closer so I step back I feel by body act on its own. My rational mind not in control. Panic taking over, fear and stress forced to take over my mind, ¡°Ivan. Calm. It is just us. Magic is intense. You have a powerful gift. It is alright. You are safe.¡± He steps away this time but I feel myself back into a wall and collapse against it. The small marble still in my hand. The interior of it is molten. I feel the heat burning my hand so I throw it in a corner and hold my wrist wishing for the burns to stop hurting.


    It hurts, my world is this pain. I feel tears down my face as my body shakes and my mind retreating wanting nothing to do with this world, only wanting my fix of magic, and the ecstasy that it brings. I feel the burns heal as my heart thumps, the star hums, my body shakes, and my minds panic dulls.


    I stay curled up against the wall till my body calms. My mind grounded. I look up at the Headmaster as he sits in a seat on the other side of the room just waiting for me to calm down, ¡°Do you have panic attacks often?¡± I shake my head. They didn''t happen much in the later school years, ¡°Alright. You did wonderful Ivan. Coming down from your first mana high is never a good feeling. Many students have panic attacks like you did.¡±


    ¡°Mana high?¡± I look up at the headmaster and take a look around the room. The area I was seated has burn marks on the floor around it. The chair will need to be scrapped. The large marble is melted form the inside leaving smoldering burns where I threw it.


    ¡°Mana is like a drug. It can shatter the will of people with weak minds. You have quite a strong one if you can recover from a mana induced panic attack as quick as you have. You need to use care while wielding mana and shifting the world as we mages do. We simply do not change it but add another layer on top of this world. A temporary but powerful layer that we can make anything happen in if we have proper understanding. Most mages watch nature and copy it but¡­ Heroes are special. They come from different worlds with different understandings. Usually greater.¡±


    He walks up to me slowly. I do not recoil and simply gaze up at him as he takes my hand in his and turn it over, ¡°Did you heal yourself?¡± I nod, ¡°Good. You have a grasp on how to use your mana inside of your body. Mages do not just sit back and cast fireballs, we often use weapons as well. I¡¯ll teach you this at a later date. You¡¯ll be my prodigy, such will. Such strength. I am not as selfless as the Light¡¯s. I am taking you on to engrave my name in history as a hero¡¯s teacher.¡± The Headmaster simply grins and claps my shoulder and pulls me onto my feet.


    ¡°Will you come with me to the school?¡± I nod. I have nothing here and Light can visit if he likes.


    ¡°We need to repay Larter for what we have done to his study¡­¡± I look around. I feel guilty for destroying part of the study of the man who helped me. They welcomed me into their home and I repaid them with breaking a table, traumatizing a maid, and burning his study.


    ¡°I will repay them at a later date, young hero. Or, once you start going on missions you can pay them back yourself if you like.¡± I nod. I don''t know what he means by missions but I wish no ill will on these kind people and I refuse to say they got what they deserved. Headmaster opens the door to a empty hall. I fact I hear nothing.


    The building is empty? Headmaster simply starts through the halls at a much slowly pace than the maid thankfully. He guides me down the stair cases and out the front of the building. Outside the doors is both of the Light¡¯s looking ever so slightly worried, ¡°S-¡±


    ¡°The young hero here will compensate you for your study Larter. His first mana expulsion test was a bit more powerful than I was expecting for any new hero. I¡¯ll take my leave now, and Christopher. Don''t you dare count this as a fucking favor. This was a blessing.¡± Headmaster gives Light a stink eye. It seems like he might of tried things to get rid of this favor.


    ¡°Light...Please visit.¡± I look to the older man and smile abit. Light ignores the Headmaster and gives me a nod, than a tight hug.


    ¡°Be safe, sonny. I¡¯ll come check on you whenever I return to the city and don''t be scared to use our name. The Light family is your first backing. Hero needs the support of the people.¡± I nod trying to keep my smile on my face as I try to ignore the crowd around us. Headmaster starts to walk off to the large inner wall and I hurry to catch up, keeping my head down.


    ~~~


    The walk to the gates was a gradual incline of display of wealth. The marble that the city was made out became hand decorated, starting with a few little, but beautiful display of flowing craftsmanship. By the time the Headmaster and I arrived at the wall each house, store, garden became murals of stone, flowers, and colors.


    The homes and stores nearest the wall are covered in beautiful murals of mages wielding swords. A dragon on open fields while a single man holding a orb of light walks to the dragon with detention in his eyes. Many of them titled Hero of some god. Each of them is promorming an amazing act of magic or strength. Most of them against some sort of dragon, large beast, or anything like that. Demon kings being slayed by sword, magic, or just their fist. All of the hero''s looking impressive. Elves, humans, dwarves, but none are of the Kin that I think might exist.


    ¡°I feel like I am forgetting something¡­¡± I say this to myself as we walk through the city turned exhibition.


    ¡°What are you forgetting Ivan?¡± The headmaster spoke up as we stop at a line heading to the inner city. Most are being turned away for some reason. Those that are allowed in are in some sort of robes, beautiful and clean robes that remind me of the ones that we are wearing.


    ¡°A purpose in this world¡­¡±


    ¡°I think I understand you my her- no villain¡­ You''re going to walk into the world and make it utterly yours...With me as the goddess of choice?¡±


    Villain? In this world? That is asking for death. But that feeling, that feeling deep down that I want this world in the palm of my hand. I can do that can I not? I have a star...A massive, powerful violet star. It is possible, isn''t?


    ¡°Do not worry young hero. You do not look for your story. Your story finds you and calls you to action. It is your duty to train so you may survive them and find friends to take on your journey.¡± He actually lets out a small chuckle.


    The line clears quickly as the word Hero was muttered. I think the headmaster is famous because the line clears and we walk up the open gates. The headmaster keeps walking and I follow behind him keeping my head down so I do not meet the gazes of the guards or random people.


    On the other side of the gate the roads are much more empty. I quietly thank Stele for remaking my body. I would of collapse of exhaustion trying to walk this city in my old body. My old, weaker, lesser piece of meat that I lived in happily not knowing the wonders of seeing the world oh so clearly as I do now.


    Quietly he guides me through the painted streets and walls. Each building could serve as its own landmark but they are much more few. Only mansions and shops dictated to magic. I see herbs, robes, swords, wands, staffs, spears. All expensive looking and made for the people of this district. I stop a few times to look at the growing details in the few buildings. I think I saw only one of a hero of Stele.


    It was a grove in a forest of trees so tall that the leaves blended into the night sky. Each tree so massive that five people could not wrap their arms around the base of the trunk. A few elves are looking to the stars with their mouth wide open, in the middle of the act of dancing leading to the idea of singing and dancing under the stars themselves. There eyes do not have color, but simply have the night sky in them. I stood in front of this mural for a few minutes, taking in the detail and reliefs in the stone. I run my hand through the painted grass and feel that they actually sculpted each piece of grass, each star, each leaf.


    I tear my eyes off of it and start to walk again while the headmaster waited on me, ¡°Most first time students get drawn into a painting like that. We are close to the school. Please do not mind the other students, they might be a little too sheltered for their own good.¡± I tilt my head looking at the Headmaster, ¡°This is primarily a human nation. The Light¡¯s are a rare kind that treats all races with equal kindness, it is a smart merchant business. I, and the other teachers will help you as much as we can¡­ But it will not be a kind experience. Please do not judge us based on these children.¡± The Headmaster lets out a low sigh as he looks to seven towers in the middle of a field.  Towers so tall that they dwarf the walls around them.


    ¡°It is alright. I think most people are good deep down.¡± It is something I held to and was happy to make some friends with that belief, ¡°Did Light tell you I was once human? In my old world.¡±


    The Headmaster eyes widen just a bit in shock and shakes his head, ¡°May I ask what caused the change?¡±


    ¡°Fata Stele¡¯s mana poisoned my body. She burnt it and remade it better. I am thankful for her doing it. Being a Cat-kin is a blessing. I can see so well, hear so clearly, the world just smells better.¡±


    ¡°That is interesting young hero. Very¡­ Do you consider yourself a human still?¡±


    ¡°No. Once I have gained this body, I realized I hated being human.¡±


    ¡°It is rare for a god to change someone¡¯s race. Most struggle with it their whole lifes. I am glad you do not have to go through it.¡± I nod as the marble road that we were walking on becomes much more smooth as we get closer to the towers. I can see people wielding magic, practicing. They are dressed in seven different colors for each tower. I think.


    There are people as young as ten I think, wielding minor magic. Sparks, fire, wind, light, darkness. It all dances in their hands.


    As the Headmaster walks past they stop what they are doing and bow to him. Older, younger, all doing to the same bow as we walk to the middle tower. My stomach growls and I feel hunger pains drawing my attention to the fact I have no eaten or drank anything since waking up. The Headmaster shakes his head, ¡°You''re on those types.¡±


    I tilt my head as he walks through the open doors of the large, middle tower, ¡°You don''t eat till you get hungry. It is a bad habit. Young men and women need food to grow up well and strong.¡± I nod as I look around the first floor of this tower. We walked into a hall with few doors on the sides with words written above the doors but I don''t take a the time fully reading them, looking for a cafeteria, ¡°We will have food brought up to my study. I have no had breakfast either. If the Light¡¯s call, you better run.¡± He chuckles as he guides me to a spiral staircase in the middle of the hall.


    The staircase is built around a large, center pillar. He walks up it with his head held high. Anyone that we pass they bow so I do not have to feel their eyes on me. Its enjoyable. Eases my anxiety of my new home...


    Once we arrive at the top of the tower after an exhausting climb. No wonder this man is so fit. He climbs these damn stairs a lot.


    He guides us to a set of large double doors and opens them to show a large study. Over half of it is made of marble while the other half is wood and filed with bookcases. I watch as he walks to the marble area and claps his hands. A marble stand rises from the ground and a chair rises in front of him for me to sit. So I do, ¡°Marble, send a request to the kitchen for a breakfast for two. One human and one Cat-kin.¡±


    ¡°Understood headmaster. Should I register this cat kin as a new student?¡±


    ¡°Purple rank, teacher will be myself. He is a Hero. Follow any request that he has.¡±


    I stare wide eyed at the headmaster while a voice fills the room. Was that a magic based AI? They can create life?


    ¡°Now Ivan, in most of the rooms in all the towers is entity called Marble. It is a spirit that was made to serve us. It replaces most of the functions of servants, while sending request for what we need. Most you need to know is the students and teachers are divided by the color robe they are wearing. Purple means people of interest or royalty. Gold means nobels. The rest are merchant families of degrees, and peasants that got in through hard work and talent.¡± I nod once more.


    ¡°Purple robes can be seen as a source of pride and power. It can be seen as a powerful statement with how you wear yours. Not a good one in many eyes, but a powerful one. What id your goddess worth to you?¡±


    ¡°I shall burn this world to cinders if she asked. I was never special. But now I am. I owe everything to her.¡± If this shocked him. He did not showed it. Just merely smiled


    We sat in a weird silence as we wait for our breakfast. A knock on the door makes me jump so I turn to it to see a girl in a maid outfit carrying two plates of food, ¡°Greeting Headmaster.¡±


    ¡°Good morning Slivy. This is Ivan, the hero of Stele and my new student. He is a Cat-kin and very quiet. I have gotten around 7 sentences out of him since I met him this morning. His first mana expulsion was so powerful and violent that I had to act to protect myself.¡± He beams at her in a look of pride as I feel my face and ears burn in shame.


    ¡°Alright grandfather.¡± The girl sets a plate in front of me. I take a deep breath in of a mouth watering smell. I dig into the steak like piece of meat in front of me and let out a purr of delight as I quickly eat than lick my fingers clean of the food in front of me. The hunger pains die and I sit up straight, stretching my body out as much as it can testing the limits of my flexibility.


    I arch my back, completely arching over the chair so I can look at the wide open double doors to see the girl still standing in the hall holding her sides while trying not laugh out loud, ¡°Grandfather. Strange one you got here. Find him starved on the street meowing for food?¡± She starts to laugh, collapsing to the ground as I look at her, seeing the world upside down.


    ¡°The Light¡¯s are the one who found this stray, and I quote, ¡®Found the lad outside a grove sitting in the grass playing with his own tail. Quite an eye catching thing in that armour of his.¡± I think the Headmaster is the crural type to kill through shame and laughter.


    I straighten my back and send a glare at the Headmaster who simply smiles at me, ¡°Better the staff see you in this light Ivan, not a random and quiet beast-kin that holds enough power to make you worthy of my time.¡±


    ¡°I want a hood.¡±


    ¡°Why is that?¡± The headmaster never drops that smile. Fucking professional troll.


    ¡°I do not like crowds. I want to use it to hide form them.¡± I reach into the layers of clothes that I have on. I do not feel hot or cold in them. I bring my tail into my lap an stroke it slowly. Enjoying the feeling of my fur once more.


    ¡°That can be easily arranged. Ivan, do you feel alright enough to continue with your practice?¡± I nod as my heart thumps in my chest, it screams in joy at the thought of feeling the joy of mana running its course through my body once more, ¡°Alright. I will stay and watch you incase something happens. Sylvia, can you inform my class that we are ready to start?¡±


    :¡±Yes grandfather. It was nice meeting you Ivan.¡± I wave to her without turning around as I take a deep breath and feel the thump in my chest once more. I close my eyes and picture the star that I held in my hands, to my chest while the wood around me burned to nothing.


    I feel power, utter power, power of an engine of the heavens run though my body. I open my eyes and smile, widely at the beautiful star in my hand. But for some reason it feels lacking. It lacks depth and detail to the star. I looks like a star and I squeeze it in my hand, condensing it, ¡°A core.¡± That is what it is lacking right now. A dense core where most of the heat and light is held. Everything has a core, and this needs more.


    I squeeze it harsher as I watch it grow in brightness banshing any shadows in the room as I feel the fusion happening. I do not know why but I can feel the deep hum of countless atoms in a thick soup of plasma clashing and fusing letting the star ramp in energy. I chuckle, quietly as it feels so much more whole.


    I look up to the headmaster and see him watching me while winds quietly dance around me, stealing and cooling the air around me for everyone¡¯s safety.


    I with each beat of my heart I feel a wave of power more intense than the last fill the world around me. I feel the world around me become so much more, so much more intense. I let go of the star and let it hang in the air as a bright and new light. Utter wonder fills my mind as I reach at it and bat it around. It feels like playing with a thick liquid that stays in a shape that it likes, ¡°Teacher I- Who is this?¡± I look at glare at the person who dared interpret my peace.


    Standing in the doorway is a boy a year or two younger than myself. The purple robes filling his shoulders out to give him a slightly more impressive and powerful figure. He is not too tall. A few inches shorter than myself and thinner as well. His hair is golden in color. The starlight bounces off of it to make an eye catching display. His face is handsome, I think. His eyes grey.


    The thing I hate? The look on his face of contempt and disgust. He is not worthy of my time or attention so I look back to the natural wonder in my hand. Slowly turning the ground under my soft but the marble hardens, repairing itself so it does not sag or burst into flame. I force my will on the star making it expand in size slowly as I am forced to contrate on increasing its size till it is the size of my fist.


    ¡°This is Ivan Mercer. Hero of Fata Stele. This is his second time practicing pushing his will on the world. You will respect him as any other hero Brian.¡± Brian nods while a stone seat rises out of the ground for him to sit in. One like mine. Where did mine go? Well it doesn''t matter. I like to stand.


    I smile at the star as I feel warmth surround every inch of my being, ¡°Ivan. You are doing wonderful. Just keep focusing on it.¡± I nod as I start to hum something that comes to mind. A music box that my mother played for me when I was younger but I always butcher it because of how tone deaf that I am.


    I let out a deep sigh of relaxation and pleasure. The star breaths with me expelling plasma in ribbons that snake back into it. I take a breath in and watch it shrink slightly, than I breath out and watch it expand, letting out gas that floats in the air. It dies at the wall of wind around me so I frown. How dare it fucking take away my star dust.


    I push my will on the star, forcing it to expand till it is the size of my head. It needs currents inside of it. That might be why it is so still. I envision the basic diagram of the interior of a star that is shown in science classes and feel the warmth grow, telling me that I am closer. So much closer. I feel a thump as the star¡¯s surface twist and turns with my heartbeat. More and more matter dances around it as ribbons of divinity. I start to giggle.


    A sound of a stomp tears my attention from the star. It starts to die as I look at a girl with matching gold hair as the little shit who looked at me with such eyes of disgust. I glare at the girl with as much venom as I can put into a look and she shrinks back as I cup my star in my hand. I let out a small breath and watch it as it grows once more, ¡°What do you want?¡±


    ¡°For you to introduce yourself!¡± She stands up a bit firmer and visibly pushes her fear down. I crush the star in my hand and watch as the concept of gravity loses any meaning and the star dust expands into a nebula. A beautiful glowing nebula.


    It swirls around me slowly, I center of my magic. So of course it would orbit me, why would it reject? I am it''s maker. It¡¯s place it to yield to me, ¡°It is impolite to ask someone¡¯s name without introducing yourself first.¡± This gold haired brat looks to be my age but honestly I don''t care.


    ¡°You do not have the stat-¡±


    ¡°I don''t care. Be quiet.¡± I will the star dust to collapse into my hand to from a star once more. The girl tries talking and stepping past the winds around be but is warned by the HEadmaster not to approach as I will the mass to spin, pushing and pushing it down till the glow and warmth of a star fills me once more. I let go of my control and watch as it dies slowly and I feel my body shiver. It tells me it is exhausted. I think I need to stop.


    I wipe my face only to notice the sweat plastering my hair. My legs shiver harsh enough to make me stumble and I feel tired. A deep exhaustion only on par I can put it with a heart attack as your body is telling you to fucking rest. I feel the crash as the drug known as mana stops flowing through my system so I start to shake harsher but my mind is slow and tired. Too tired to care about the state my body is in, ¡°Mable. Water. Ivan has been practicing for hours giving us quite a show.¡±


    The blond girl whips her hand making a piece of ice come into existence and hands it to me. I feel my body demand to lie down so I give in and lay on the floor. My hands too shaky to bring the piece of ice to my lips so I close my eyes and pass out from the exhaustion that fills my mind and body.

 A Headmasters fear and Influence.

    I wake up in a fucking lace monster that this world calls a bed. My clothes are still on. My head pounds with my heart as I let out a small whimper of pain feeling the harsh and splitting headache. I open my eyes to see the night sky and my room dark. I force my hands away from my head and sit up. I wish I didn''t do that, I feel the headache worsen and I collapse back into the bed, curling up with my head in my hands. I try to wish the pain away like I did with my finger, and my burned hand, but it only makes it worse as I curl up tighter and let out another whimper of terror and pain. Magic is making it worse, why¡­ why? I open my mouth to ask for help but all I can let out is a whimper.


    Am I dying? I do not want to die again, it was painful. I was scared. I am scared. I am alone, will anyone come to help? Please?


    ~~~


    ¡°Headmaster. Hero Ivan Mercer is awake and suffering from severe mana withdrawals.¡±


    My name is Porter Marthell. A younger brother to the king. Headmaster of the Stoneweaver collage. And currently dealing with the aftermath of Fata Stele¡¯s hero¡¯s first mana saturation event.


    ¡°Send the medical staff in I put on call, but tell them to wait for me.¡±


    ¡°Understood, they are informed.¡±


    I get up from my desk and look over at the training area where Ivan practiced. The sheer heat that the fireball he played with warped the stone till it was something that wasn''t stone. The more knowledgeable that come to earth and stone told me that it resembled glass. Mercy gods. What sins have we committed to warrant needing a hero as strong as him... He does not even act like a hero.


    I quickly travel the halls of the school utilizing the speed of the wind in a storm to arrive at his door only to hear small sobs and mewling of agony. Poor lad¡­ I remember my first mana withdraw. The first one is always the worse, no resistance to mana.


    The medical team arrives carrying a few flask but geared up in strong magic protection warded and runed to protect against heat. I am not willing to lost good men if anything goes wrong. We have no clue what state he might be in and it was dangerous to leave someone to look after him in his sleep. His domain of influence was massive during his practice. It dwarfed the city, the largest city in the nation. He could end this city in a blink of an eye if need be...


    ¡°Ready headmaster.¡± I nod to the medical team. The experts, the ones who are use to proming their duties in a battlefield setting are the ones that I had stay. Good men who fought in battle fields with me. A hero is not one to be underestimated. Especially Ivan. He is a monster... They say that Beast-Kin have so much more vitality than humans. A human would burn alive if they tried practicing like he was. Playing with fire. That odd form of fire. Something is not fitting right.


    I open the door and see the room is still intact. That is a good sign.


    I walk up to the bed carrying a sleeping tonic. His eyes open and takes a look at us. Pain and fear are all that I see in them. His influence spreads through the room, no the city. I lose my breath as the wave has such pressure to it that I feel my chest pressing in as if rocks are sitting on it.


    I, and the others let loose our own influence. It takes the weight off of our chest but I can hear panicked screaming coming from all over the tower as children wake up, suffocating in their beds. I can feel his emotions through his mana, and in them is primal fear, anger, and pain. The emotions of a cornered animal.


    He screams and holds his head as the stars on his chest plate light the room till it looks like it is day in the room. I do not see a rational mind behind those eyes, just instincts. A monster is what he is, to work with mana so well with just his instincts. A earth weaver in the group has gathered his mana well enough into the marble. I watch as stone quickly binds his limbs, holding him in place.


    We all rush forward. Most of the medical team''s influence is now trying to fight and mange his. Fear grows in his mind and the field. The staff working together has managed to contain his influence inside of the room but it feels like running through water at this point. His body flails in the bed, stretching the stone ineffectively. His nails catch air, but the mana tears. In its place his mana fills in the void that he teared clean forging a ball of fire simply hovering in the air.


    A wave of scalding runs through us as the ball of fire is fed more and more mana growing it in size and strength. I push myself forward, forming the wind to an arrow shape to piece through his thick mana that is surrounding him. The bed catches on fire making him scream and try to move away but with his limbs held in place by stone he can do nothing as I step closer and closer and more and more of the balls of strange fre are formed by his nails and teeth.


    I jump on the bed, on top of him as my robes flutter form the waves of air being pushed by the heat of the fire. I shove the tonic in his open mouth, pulling the glass back and throwing it in a corner as the balls of fire around his mouth heated it till I could no longer hold it.


    His screams turn to gargles. He starts coughing and crying, swallowing the liquid. His brown eyes glaze over and the fire that he forged dies in a wave of heart harsh enough to burn everyone in the room even through the magical protection and their own elements. Not harshly, but enough to warrant a cry of pain from the weaker of us. I think 2nd degree burns, nothing a bit with a healer can not fix.


    I get up form on top of the monster masquerading as a hero and sit on the side of the bed, focusing my magic on my hands and the front skin that was exposed, waiting for the harsh burns to fade and the skin regrow. It still takes minutes even at my age and skill.


    After the self healing, and treatment across the room, a close friend walks up to me with shaking hands.


    ¡°Headmaster, what the fuck was that!¡± My friend Renic is looking me in the eyes. His filled with anger, the high of mana and adrenaline, along with the shock of witnessing a Cat-kin rend the air with nails and teeth. What as that? There is no records of mana, or a hero doing something like that. I should know...


    ¡°A hero¡¯s mana withdraws, I think. I think he uses magic like a beast, through instincts. He feared for his life, backed into a corner. That was him struggling, only trying to keep us at bay.¡± I run my hands through my hair and wince as I feel that I have lost most of it. Burned to shrivels. No one has facial hair anymore or eyebrows. Though we are alive and mostly unharmed. For that I consider it a blessing.


    ¡°Porter¡­¡± Renic clenches his jaw but all of the stress in his body floods out as he takes a few breaths to calm down. Something any soldier had to learn to make smart moves after a quick skirmish, ¡°Porter...Fuck. We can¡¯t keep him in the city. He can hurt, no kill this nation through an accident.¡±


    I know that Renic, better than you do. But he is a hero. A hero who looks at magic with just unblemished and joyful mind, no matter how much his magic reminds me of a monsters. His mind doesn''t hold us back¡­ I want to say this to him but I can not bring myself to speak and look into his eyes. I dare not spoil his mind with warning of instructions, I dare not curb his potential. There is a saying that every hero has a villain his equal. I fear his villain. I fear for my friends, my family, I fear for my granddaughter. Whatever happens I need this man. His utterly wholesome faith in magic, the way he played with a ball of fire so hot that it warped and burned the ground that he stepped on.


    The contempt that he held in his gaze that my niece faultured and my nephew feel fear. A princess who trained her entire life to look villains, monsters, and powerful men and women in the face and scuff at them and offer something that helped her. That is not normal for a man. Thank the gods that my study is warded to warp the weight of his influence.


    ¡°It does not leave this room. But I think he knows the nature of the stars much more than we do. I looked at what he made and felt small. It took my focus to keep the heat of his flames from burning my study. It did not burn the way fire does. No air was consumed, just heated till it made more and more heat as he played with the ball. I do not know if it is a blessing from the gods or the armour he wears, but he batted it with his hands. I am scared of this boy. I am more scared for my family for what evils are needed for a boy this monstrous to fight.¡±


    I look to all the people in this room. All elders, all powerful in their own right. We could kill him now, or in combat but for how long, I do not know. I fear the carnage that will be in the fight if he has a panic attack mid fight and holds nothing back.


    ¡°Yes sir.¡± They all salute me. Than walk out of the room. The stoneweaver of the group unbinds him, melting the stone back to its previous state. I walk over to the bed and invoke the winds to lift him out of the burnt sheets and hold him in mid air while I change them with some kept in a drawer. Better to think that us binding him and forcing something down his throat was simply a bad dream.


    After they are changed, I leave the room, gently closing the door behind me and notice my hands are shaking. I close them together and pray. I pray to every god that I know to keep my family safe through the trials ahead and that monster who lies in the bed was a kind, good man back in his world. I pray to Fata Stele, hoping she choice well and understands the world better than us fragile mortals. Than I walk back to my room to have a small drink and sleep.


    That night I dreamed the city a lit in violet flame. No man, woman, or child spared.


    I hope, I pray, I beg to the gods it was simply a bad dream.


    ~~~


    As I slept, I dreamed of a night sky. A beautiful girl stroking my hair and playing with my ears. The night sky fell on the girl turning the sky above black and void. The girl kept stroking my hair while crying. Crying for what reason, I am unaware.


    I wake up in a fluffy monster trying to suffocate me. I let out a small mrr of displeasure while I pull myself form the bed and look down seeing my clothes still on. I don''t remember going to sleep. Last night is all a blur. Once I stand up fully I whimper while putting my hand to my head and wait for the caffeine withdrawal to pass, or the worst part of it. I smack my lips feeling them dry and parched, ¡°Marble?¡± I hope this works.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    ¡°Good morning Hero Ivan Mercer.¡±


    ¡°Can you send water, breakfast¡­ Actually do you have coffee?¡±


    ¡°I am unaware of ¡®coffee¡¯. Your meal will arrive shortly.¡±


    ¡°Fuck...Thank you Marble.¡±


    ¡°...You are welcome Hero Ivan Mercer.¡± That pause was strange. I wonder how artificial Marble really is.


    I go sit in a chair and try to wish the pain away once more. I feel the edge of the headache taken off but is still lingers. Hard to heal a fix that body has been conditioned to want and need. A few minutes of laying my head on the desk and resting I hear the door open. I feel one of my ears use a strange muscle to twist towards the door, ¡°Hello Mr. Hero. You''re a heavy sleeper aren''t you?¡± I nod as I turn my head to see Syliva walking up to me with a tray of food. I take it from her as she speaks up, ¡°Tell Marble that you are a Cat-Kin next time. The cooks make the food depending on the race you are.¡± I nod.


    ¡°Thank you Syliva...Do you know how I got to this room?¡± I start to eat slowly. After the first bite I pour the pitcher of water into my mouth and swish it around to wet all the dry areas of my mouth. I of course swallow it as well and let out a small sigh of relief after getting some liquid in me. Of course I need to use the bathroom now, ¡°Also where is the bathroom?¡±


    ¡°You passed out form filling your mind and body with too much mana so I carried you to your room.¡± She smirks and giggles, ¡°It is there.¡± She points to a door so I rush to it and take my time to relieve myself. After washing my hands on habit I walk out and see she is still standing there with a playful smile, ¡°Better?¡±


    I nod.


    ¡°Come on, I¡¯ll take you to the classroom. Oh! Grandfather told me to warn you about practicing without his supervision or in on of Marble¡¯s special training rooms.¡±


    She starts to skip in the hall and I follow her while letting out a small yawn. I stretch my body and think of what I might be doing today. There is no rush, no need to hunt for food. No need to stress beyond meeting and talking to people but that is something I am adept at suffering through. She guides me through the winding halls for a few minutes.


    We arrive outside of the open double doors where I smile at the Headmaster. Just a forced upturn of the lips to try to show some pleasure at seeing him behind his desk. I also spot five other heads. The gold haired twats that was interrupting me while I practiced, a red headed girl, a white haired girl, and a green haired¡­ I can''t tell. The view from behind is very androgynous.


    ¡°Everyone, since Ivan was so occupied with his mage craft and could no meet you all. I would like you to introduce yourself to him.¡± I walk into the room and feel anxiety bloom in my chest. I hated show and tell.


    Everyone¡¯s head turns. The green haired person hair flips around enough for me to see that there ears are VERY pointed. Elf level of pointy.


    They all stand up off of the marble chairs that sink into the floor leaving the room bare and flat once more. The elf, I think, bows, ¡°Greeting Hero of Fata Stele. I am Saga Thornheart. It is wonderful to meet a hero of Fata Stele. She is very engrained to our culture, her hero¡¯s celebrated in it as well.¡± His voice is light and airy. A stereotypical, and enjoyable elf voice.


    The gold haired boy stands up, looking at me with less disgust than last time but stick has a stick so far up his ass that I can see the other end in his mouth when he opens it, ¡°I am Brian Marthell, 2nd prince of the kingdom of Marthell.¡± I nod and look to the girl version of him, paying him little attention. I do not like uptight jerks with an ego so large that if they tripped, they would suffocate under it.


    ¡°I am Mable Marthell! First Princess of Mathell and next in line for the crown.¡± She sticks her small chest up high in the air turning her nose up at me a bit. Alright, she doesn¡¯t deserve a name as cute as Mable.


    I look to the white haired girl. She looks me in the eyes and nods while pulling a piece of ice form¡­ somewhere. Magic, it is amazing to see it displayed so easily, like breathing. Something to be used for something as trivial as spelling out a name. The ice carves itself into a name, ¡°Shio Winter.¡± I nod to the quiet, or mute girl and look at the redhead, almost expecting her to meld her name in fire like Shio¡¯s oppisite


    ¡°I am Catherine Flame, descendant of the hero of fire.¡±


    ¡°The descendant?¡± I tilt my head as she smiles quite joyfully. Her entire face lights up like a match in a dark room and her body language just screams joy, wonder and happiness.


    ¡°Yes! His name was lost to time but is agreed on that he is the most powerful flame magican to ever live! His white flames burned armies, let nothing but ash on the field!¡± That is very morbid.


    But Catherine doesn''t seem to either notice or care.


    ¡°Alright, Ivan. Today I will be working with you on realizing your limits. No actual magic for the moment. Rest of you can stay and read or run off and do what you like.¡± The gold haired children get up and walk out of the room while the other three walk over to the miniature library set up on the opposite wall.


    Headmaster walks over to the marble area where a set of chairs rise from the ground once more in that silent, beautiful, flowing manner. I sit down on one chair while the headmaster sits on the other, ¡°What did you feel during the end of your practice.¡±


    ¡°My body telling me to stop. More my mind forcing me to¡­¡± The headmaster nods with that ever present kind smile on his face.


    ¡°Most people do not last as long as yours did. You went for hours just staring at that ball of flame, batting it around and easing ribbons of flames form the surface.¡± Did I? It did not feel that long...Maybe it did. It blurred, ¡°Most feel their breath taken away once they start to near their limits of mana usage. Some feel light heated. A universal sign is when you feel like you have to command, to force your mana to act. That is a sure sign of your body is being too saturated with mana to safely use any more of it.¡±


    I nod again.


    ¡°We will also work on the control over the size of your influence.¡± I tilt my head.


    ¡°The area where you can tell mana to act how you wish it to act. Marble, draw a circle five paces around us.¡± The marble floor about five feet away rises up, just barely enough to trip anyone very clumsy, ¡°Now Ivan. Visualize a wall around the area Marble rose form the floor. It might take you a few tries.¡± I nod.


    I take a deep breath and feel this time a rolling force like an explosion expand from me. I feel it expand in a bubble equally as tall as wide. It expends far, far pass the nearby marble wall that divides the noble section form the larger commoner area. I bite my lip and realize that I have nowhere to start. Forging a star was like breathing, like moving your arm. It felt natural, nothing to think about. Just a small piece of will to have it start, ¡°This is what we tell children to have them practice expanding their influence. Take a breath, feel your chest expand. Let your field work off of your breathing.¡± I nod as I focus on breathing. My tail finds its way into my lap so I start to stroke it slowly while I focus on shrinking that small, strange and alien awareness that I have over the city.


    I feel it grow more and more intense as it shrinks to the inner wall. I open my eyes to look around. The air has a denseness to it now. Not the level of water, but what I would imagine trying to move through high pressure. I keep on shrinking it as I look outside through a random window that I swore was not there yesterday. Marble can make chairs? Can she change the structure of the building?


    I think a hour has passed. It is hard to tell with just how strange and unique playing with magic is. There is very little thought, just feelings and instinct. It is like a form of meditation. The same way gaming is once you know it like the back of your hand...I¡¯ll miss gaming.


    The concept of time blurs. It is strange to explain when you are just sitting in a room with nothing moving, no clocks to judge time, just the other students reading and taking looks up at me and the Headmaster. The denser this area of awareness grows denser, the focus and effort needed to push it into the five foot area around myself grows harder.


    At some point I have closed my eyes. I open them to see the Headmaster out of the rised circle in the ground. My influence actually has been reined into the small, small area of five feet. Once I got it in place, it takes a small bit of effort to keep it in place at this rate of compression, ¡°What now, headmaster?¡± I tilt my head looking at him.


    It is actually darker inside the circle. Near the center of it, it looks like looking through a very harshly tinted window. The headmaster is sitting down, breathing heavy. I wonder if he is ok. I look back to the other students to see them slumped over in their chair, ¡°Ivan, they are alright.¡± I guess the panic showed on my face, ¡°Medical team. Headmaster¡¯s study room. Mana pressure sickness.¡±


    The strange thing is his voice sounds¡­ weird. A tad bit deeper. I move my arm inside of the thick field that I have, just a small and slow swing of my arm working off an impulse. I watch as whatever this stuff is swirls around the movements of my arm, my chest rising and lowering also makes currents in this calming soup of things.


    I feel my body relax as I start to chuckle. I reach out in front of me and scratch a piece of the thick mana, making a harsh imbalance in the equilibrium of this fluid like substance that I can breathe and talk in. So strange. I hear the medical team come in as I watch the gas or liquid flow back into the spot, overpressuring it for just a movement. I watch as it ignites and forms a small star of the free floating mana. It must be mana.


    Nothing but mana can be this strange, this illogical but still exist and be wonderful. So uplifting to play with, so...Magical. I reach out and scratch another patch of mana to form a void and watch it fill once more. The higher pressure in the star is held in place by its own bit of localized gravity. This, and the heat starts pushing mana around in the small bubble of mine. I watch as some areas randomly grow dense enough to form another star. More and more of them.


    This goes on for¡­ I do not know. I lost my sense of time. Long enough for the others to wake up and sit down and just watch, writing or taking notes. Good, I and these stars are beautiful. We are meant to be look at and envied. Come close and you will only be burnt to ash. That is a promise. I do not break my promises.


    Soon, the mana is alight with the glow of dozens little, pinkie sized stars in arms reach of my body. The stars grow, sucking bits of mana in their gravity well, ¡°Marble. A chair please.¡±


    When did I stand up? ¡°I am sorry Hero Ivan, the temperature around you is too intense to properly, and safely enact the runes under the floor.¡±


    Is it? I just feel warm. Like that feeling of getting in a perfectly heated bath and everything just loosening. Your mind letting worries and stress fade. Your body relaxing and telling you that everything is alright, that you are in a good place. You close your eyes and relax. I take a deep breath and push in random areas in this little bubble of my mana. Suddenly dozens stars blink into life, all different sizes but still growing. I push the mana along and feel my vision blur for a moment as I stumble and fall back, right on my ass. I-I should stop¡­ Why? Why? The pain. I look to the headmaster, ¡°H-Headmaster...W-what do I do now?¡±


    The other students are awake and staring at me with different emotions on their face. The elf, wonder. The white haired girl, caution and fear. The fire headed girl is staring at me with shock and envy. All standing on the other side of the room, ¡°Just close your eyes. Do not think of magic. Your influence will retreat back into you till you need it once more.¡± I close my eyes and feel nausea take over my body. I feel like I am falling but I try to let go of my control over it. I try to coax that instinct to take it over once more like I did in Light¡¯s office. But wasnt that the orb? I-I passed out the last time. I have never truly made it go away on my own power.


    I bite my lip and open my eyes to look at the stars. I bask in the warmth of the star¡¯s, of my power, of Fata Stele¡¯s embrace. The world should know it¡­ This gentle and warm embrace. But I have to step away don''t I? T-Till I am strong enough to have it forever.


    I force myself to my feet and unsteady sway out of the circle, growing colder and alone. I linger on the edge, but with a burst of will I am not sure I can do again, I step out of the circle and watch as the stars die. Not with an explosion but they shrink in on themselfs, sucking all the mana that was mine into nothing. Black holes¡­ I let out a gasp as I stumble and fall as I feel my body refilled with the mana. Once the cloud becomes as transparent as air, the little holes of nothing die as well. But in their place is a small wave of my mana that lingers, than fades.


    ¡°What in the hell¡¯s¡­¡± I look to the Headmaster. He looks paler than normal.


    ¡°Marble¡­ Can you make me a seat?¡± I quietly ask whatever entity that controls the stone.


    ¡°Please sit down, Hero Ivan.¡± I nod as I sit down on the stone. I feel it lift me up in a chair that curves with my body, leaving with a comfortable seat even if it is made out of stone. I sink into it and lift a hand up to my forehead to wipe the bit of sweat forming form some form of exhaustion. If my body is getting tired like this, it means it is using energy...Fat stores? It¡¯s not impossible...But do they have the energy to supply that much¡­ change? I do not know. I¡¯m a bit tired, but not like yesterday. Did I stop at a good time?


    I take another glance around to see the fire headed girl walking over to me with some expression I do not know. It took many years of people watching to actually learn what most of them were, ¡°Who are you! That is something no starting hero can do!¡± I tilt my head at her.


    ¡°First you made us pass out form just how sudden your influence grew in weight! I thought I was going to suffocate in it! Than what did you do with tearing¡­ Or whatever you did to make those balls of fire! I know everything there is to know about fire, and that was not fire!¡±


    ¡°I am sorry. I am new to magic, I didn''t mean you any harm. I lose sense of time and most my awareness. It is called plasma, it is what stars are made up of. It is hotter than fire, usually, also more dangerous.¡± I let out a yawn and sink into the chair, tilting my head up. This world has made me talk more than I ever did at my old one. I could get by with pointing, certain faces, and effectiveness.


    This seems to make her...Upset I think. Hard to tell with all the facial expressions that she is going through. She quickly walks out of the room so I rise my eyebrow at other classmates. The elf smiles widely, ¡°She is probably going to get something hard to set on fire, to test your statement. It took her a bit to learn that lighting can set wood and grass on fire in the right setting.¡± I nod and close my eyes.


    Whatever the black holes did...They only interacted with mana. Didn''t they? They only interacted with my mana. Can my mana not interact with the mana in the air? I think Headmaster said something about us taking some mana in our body form the air right? Maybe¡­ I could actually make a black hole with enough pressure? I could be unstoppable. Dragons would bow, men would be crushed by my mere presence. Any hero come to try to stop me, I would strip their mana from them. Maybe¡­


    ¡°Snow hair, can you make me some ice? Just something small¡­¡± I feel¡­ something wash over me. Weaker than mine but stops perfectly at my hand where some ice manifest. Am I more sensitive to it now? Not with just instincts but with an awake awareness?


    I bring the ice up to my mouth and start to chew on it, letting out a sigh as the coldness just¡­ feels nice. Like a cold cup of water right after a hot bath, were you are thirsty and sweaty and overheated. Maybe I am overheated? I do not know. I do not know a lot sadly.


    I do not know why the mana hi- Oh, my hands are shaking. My entire body is shaking. Maybe my mind is numb, too calm or uncaring. Maybe tha- My hands are hard to move. I let out a chuckle as I shakely bring my hands up to my face and smile widely. I feel alive. Why am I filled with adrenaline? Magic is strange. So strange. I close my eyes, feeling my body tilted so I am laying on a flat piece of marble. I fall asleep, exhausted

 A Cold View

    My name is Shio. And currently I am staring at a strange man. Everyone says he is the hero of the stars. I did not believe it at first. I thought only elves could be a hero of the stars. I stared quietly, forming my name out of Ice to introduce myself. I was home yesterday, I felt a wave of influence wash over the city and feared an attack, so I rushed to the college. The top floor was blocked by Marble under fear of submitting the rest of the tower to the bulk of the pressure that this single man exudes.


    It stopped. I walked up to the top floor. And I saw Headmaster¡¯s niece, the one born out of wedlock, carrying a Cat-kin that I have never seen before. He was handsome in a way. Wore strange leather chest piece over the purple robe but the image fit him. Reminded me of part of the night sky that comes during winter.


    I walked in, saw the two in line for the throne shaking in fear. Mable turned and grabbed my hand, ¡°Shio. Do not trust that Cat-kin. He is evil. He stared at me like I was less than an ant!¡± She is panicked. Something to do with the Cat-kin? Who is the Cat-kin? He must be a talented magician, he is not nobility or a hero¡¯s descendant. Where is the rest of the class? It is strange for them not to be in the study.


    I walk into the study to look for the headmaster. I find him sitting in his chair behind his desk with a far away look. I tap on the desk to get his attention.


    He looks to me and smiles, that little fake smile that he puts on for everyone, ¡°Hello there Shio. Did you see your new classmate?¡± I ease my influence out of my body, just enough for me to hold out my hand and make a ice statue of the Cat-kin being held by Syliva, ¡°Yes that one. His name is Ivan Mercer. Hero of Fata Stele. I think he is the most talented magic user that I have ever met. You felt that influence didn''t you? It was his.¡± My eyes go wide.


    ¡°Yes, the Light family found him on the side of the road. Playing with his tail. He is a quiet, even tempered Cat-kin. He made these balls of fire that puts Catherine¡¯s flames to shame. I had to help Marble contain the heat so he would not set the library on fire. Than¡­ He did something. He ripped the ball to pieces an made the night sky with it. I want you to get along with him.¡± I nod than bow to the headmaster as is proper.


    The winter prides itself on proper and beauty...It is why I am here and not practicing my magic with them. I am not proper because I can not speak. My family made sure I knew it well¡­


    I go to my room on the top floor, where only the Headmaster¡¯s students are allowed a room to rest. The room¡¯s here are more beautiful than my home back...Not home. The place I live.


    Once I arrived in my room I pulled books from the bookcase in it and read while practicing the fine control of ice. Both rigid and flexible. Can be crafted in any shape to fit almost any need. A wall thick, to defend. A blade sharper than steel to attack. Something for my imagination to run wild with. Form statues with so much detail that one would not be surprised if they started moving and speaking.


    I make on the size of the Cat-kin than think of what he looked like. Tall, broad shoulders but a slim body. The odd chest plate of stars. The purple robes waving in the air as Sylvia walked by. Hair on the edge of becoming long, but it looks like it is missing something. The ears! I form them on top of his head, two triangles standing alert. He is¡­ handsome.


    Made of ice I let a fantasy live itself out. He walks up and takes my hand in his. The ice is cold, but I have felt colder¡­ He starts to dance with my hand in his. His arm around my waist as we dance. The light dances off the ice, making him sparkle. Like countless, tiny stars. I let out a small sob.


    I don''t deserve such happy thoughts. A useless girl of Winter who could not grasp ice deep enough. So it took my voice. It scared my throat and body. Only leaving my face untouched. I punch the ice.


    I punch it again and again while crying as the ice stops moving, simply taking the hits and cracking. Slowly melting like my hopes for life. For happiness. I withdraw my influence and lay down in the soft and wonderful bed. The warm and welcoming bed. I dig my fingers into the bed and let out a sob. Why did I have to be born into the house of winter? Cursed with practicing this damnable and cold magic..


    I fell asleep crying again.


    I woke up to a wave of terrifying pressure, cries of pain, and the feeling of dread you only have when fearing for your life.


    Ivan¡­ Poor Ivan. Your mana withdraw must be so terrofying and painful.


    I close my eyes and try to tune it out.


    The pressure dies quickly with the feeling of fear. Utter fear. I fall asleep crying for Cat-kin that I have never meet. What they told me was lesser than any other enlightened race. Part beast. Rare magic caster, they have to have the instincts for it. Like magical beast...I hope I see him tomorrow. He might be someone to take my mind off everything¡­This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    The Elf is too proper, the royals are upstuck and spiteful, the scion of Flame¡­  I envy¡­


    I fall asleep clutching a pillow, enjoying the warmth I am denied almost every moment in life.


    ~~~


    I open my eyes to the rising of the sun and sigh. I let go of the drool coated pillow and get up, changing into a different robe. I tap on the ground three times in quick succession, ¡°Breakfast, Miss Shio Winter?¡± I tap the floor twice to say yes.


    A few minutes later the door opens and Sylvia walks in with a smile on her face, the ever present smile, ¡°Morning Shio! I am glad you are actually eating this morning.¡± She steps in the remains of the ice, ¡°I¡¯ll get a towel.¡± Her smile stays on her face. Daughter of a womanizer and a high class maid. Exiled in hatred for her blood, only taken in by her grandfather to help mages practice their usage of mana. And form what I have seen, teach her as well...Anyone with nobel blood should make great mages or knights, same for anyone with Hero blood.


    ¡°So, I had the pleasure of meeting our new little mage.¡± I turn my head to look at her. Apparently quick enough to cause her to giggle, ¡°He is an odd one. Grandpa keeps calling what he does balls of fire, but I think those are what stars are. Maybe just in his world but imagine if they are just these odd balls of fire.¡± I nod, they sound wonderful.


    They sounds warm¡­


    I stand up out of my chair, putting the empty plate on desk for Syliva to carry down to the kitchen.


    I check myself in the mirror, waving to Syliva as she picks up the plate and starts for the short walk down the staircase to the nearest kitchen a few floors down.


    I walk to the classroom, or study as headmaster calls it.


    I sit down and flare my influence just inches from my body and practice forming ice, watching it form, and improving.


    ¡°Everyone, since Ivan was so occupied with his mage craft and could no meet you all. I would like you to introduce yourself to him.¡±


    I withdraw my influence with practiced ease.  I stand up and turn around to look at this hero.


    First thing that draws my attention is that he is tall. Taller than most nobels. His shoulders are wide, wide enough that it looks like I could sit on them comfortably. My eyes draw to his face and...Awake he is tense. But handsome...Not in the way of nobels with sharp features but a softness to his face. Something that looks kind. I look into his eyes and feel a shiver run down my back.


    The color is brown, a beautiful, rich, earthy brown. Something of healthy soil, but they look empty. Like a hole so deep that you are terrified of being near knowing you can, and will, fall to your death. But you are drawn to it out of instinct that begs you to jump. Those are not the eyes of a hero, no they are the heros of a demon...A demon filled with temptation that you can not help but agreeing to sell your soul. I feel my heart thump in my chest.


    His arms are by his sides letting the purple robes flow with each and every movement he makes. After the Royal sicons, than the elf, I draw my name with ice. I fill a bloom of heat as he meets my eyes and nods. A feeling of shame for my inability to properly greet him. He must think less of me.


    I look down to his broad chest and study the stars on the leather chest piece that he has on. I recognize some of the constailons on it. They are ones that some runes work best under. That chest piece must fit a her- demon of the stars. For once I am glad I can not talk. It is too much to think of something to say while looking into those eyes. Eyes that I feel that I am falling into.


    Headmaster says we are done for the day so I walk over to the library of runes, discories, history, and the world. I pull out a book on the far north, a land covered with snow, ice, hostile but with things living there. Cold, hellish place.


    I look up, watching as Ivan sits down while the headmaster sets him on a task. One that an elementary mage could do, forcing his influence for a ease of casting.


    I feel his massive aura flow form him, radiating like the sun so far that I can not easily sense the edge of the boundary that he can influence. He closes his eyes and starts to take deep breaths. I feel the weight of his influence grow heavier with each breath, rapidly shrinking. Soon it grows to the edge of the school. The weight forces me to flare and strengthen my influence.


    Soon it shrinks to the size of the room and I am flattened against my chair by the weight of his presence. I let out a weak, pitiful noise of pain as I watch the others pass out as it washes over them, then relieves them of the weight. Gods...Even headmaster can not fight against it. Aura so thick that inside of it, he simply is a vague human shape. A medical team runs in, treating the others.


    They check me quickly but my eyes are glued to the lights blooming in the darkness, swirling and lighting as he is bathed in violet light. A color that I have never seen before but it is beautiful and haunting. Something malicious in those flames, the color is not right. The stars on his chest piece are glowing, and faint ones coming from under the robes that he is wearing. I watch, the others do as well.


    The heat even out of his influence is severe...but warm. Much warmed than my on magic, kinder. We are just too close. We should not dare close on a being like him¡­ What is the point of my magic when a god can gift someone like him with such might? The fog grows thinner as the stars form around him. Lighting him in violet. He does not look like a hero bathed in that light. A beast of nightmares that looks at you like you are a bug, and to him, he is right. I am someone he can almost kill with the might of his mana alone.


    Gods...Why...Why put him on this world? Such a being I can not think of as mortal¡­ Why remind me of my unlessness, my powerlessness, my weakness¡­ But with with such a  beautiful, kind looking, empty looking eyes beastkin?


    He steps out of his circle. Hesitating to. Once he does...Space itself rips asunder. Black, evil voids form an swallow all the mana in the room greedly, filling him once more.


    Gods what was that...


    But he sits down tired looking. He looks to me, asking for ice. I nod and make a bite sized piece with some sleep poison mixed in form a vial I have hidden on my body. Vials of poison used to treat ice to make their effects harsher. I watch him bite it, eating it to refill his fluids, or to refresh him. He quickly falls asleep on his chair.


    The headmaster calls Syliva, looking shaken. Deeply shaken. She carries him once more and I follow her.


    ¡°Shio, are you going to help put him to bed?¡± I nod.


    ¡°Thank you! He''s so big and heavy and they are making a tiny girl carry him.¡± She giggles. I know she is not struggling. She opens the door next to my room and walks in, placing him on the bed. I help adjust him to a comfortable position. I stroke the hair out from his eyes, ¡°Falling for our little hero?¡± I hear her speaking in that dreaded teasing voice. I feel a plume of heat through my body. A crush? I¡¯ve had them before¡­ My emotions are so confused. Attraction, fear, admirement. Many of them without names bit mixing into something that sets my heart hammering in my chest.


    I run out of the room, going to my mine and throwing myself on the bed, shaking form the emotions, the teasing, the sense of uselessness and the knowledge I will never have him. Someone to be tied to the royal family through an arranged marriage. It''s just not fair. Why him? Why do I feel so much to him?


    Is it that he is everything I want to be? An escape from my life¡­ Maybe¡­ Maybe if I prove myself I can travel with him¡­ Maybe¡­ I''m so confused¡­


    Fata Stele¡­ Please let me have him. Just let me be near and I will be happy...A star with such warmth...

 Hangover and Hero of the Sword

    I open my eyes to a starry sky. My head resting on a girl¡¯s lap, a silhouette of stars. Fata?


    She puts her finger to her lips and points to a star in the renewed night sky. It explodes in the throws of its death. Of course it is speed up. A supernova takes days but I watch as it expands, taking up most of my vision with a bright flash of light.


    I watch as the gases that was once plasma collapse back at the star, that little bit of the night sky going dark. Than, stars near it start to be torn apart. A disk of light around the blackness that was once a star in the sky, all consuming. I watch as the circle of bright light grows, and grows and grows for what feels like years. Simply resting on a girl¡¯s lap, watching the little twinkling gems in the sky eaten by a cosmic hunter. Lazily expanding, a ring of star corpses around it.


    Soon it takes up the night sky. The edges of my vision is simply a ring of bright gas orbiting the massive remains of a star. I feel so small. I feel anxious. I lift my hand up and try to grab hold of the black orb of twisted space. I feel something in my hand. Small, smaller than a marble but I feel power in it. A feeling, both of mind and body, that no word can be attached to.


    Hunger. Endless depth. Suction. Gravity. Endless, powerful gravity that breaks the universe.


    I feel a hand push down on the blackness. A soft, small hand pressing on mine, matching fingers as we push on this mass. Magic flaring to life, shaping it to become a handprint. Then, the other hand takes the mockery of our hands and cast it back into the sky. Sitting, our mark on the night. A unique mark, in the sky filled with stars once more.


    ~~~


    I wake up and sit up, not even wasting the little energy I feel in my body to complain about the bed. I slide out of it, take off my clothes, than lay on the ground.


    I feel my stomach churn, then a small burp escapes my lips. I gag at the acidic taste of my empty stomach. I pull the cover form the bed along with a pillow and try to go back to sleep, ¡°Marble, do they allow off days?¡± I feel horrible. Like I have a stomach virus or something. Is there something wrong with what I have been eating? Or is the constant anxiety form this world?


    I smack my lips, a dryness in the back of my throat that I know is a left over from the caffeine withdrawal. So many little things that are tolerable on their own all just piled on. It''s miserable, ¡°Are you unwell Hero Ivan?¡±


    ¡°Yes...Can they send something light up? Might as well try to settle my stomach¡­¡± I let out another burp and gag once more at the awful, bile aftertaste that follows. I hate this. I always got like this before a first date, or a test, or something that fills people with anxiety.


    ¡°Understood.¡± I close my eyes and curl up. The cold stone floor feeling very nice on my bare skin. The thick cover on top of me keeping me from being too cold form laying on the stone. A nice, firm place to lay on. Not a cursed bed that can double as an assassination tool.


    I feel myself drift towards sleep again, my mind growing dull and relaxed, but I¡¯m awoken by a knock at the door, ¡°It''s always when you''re close to sleep...Come in.¡± I do not even look at the door and curl up in a tighter ball, trying to ignore the stomachache, and the headache, well the general bodyache.


    ¡°Hey there little Hero, thought only house cats slept in balls. More you know. Shame I don''t have a bowl.¡± A girly giggle that I know, so far, only Syliva ever lets out is what greets me as my first human interaction for the day. Hated human interaction.


    ¡°If you fed me in a bowl...You better have a collar with bells on it.¡± I chuckle at the thought of being a nice little house cat. No need to worry about people. Just sleep most the day¡­ I would miss magic though. It is addicting, that sensation of power. Maybe it is a drug? Something to ask later, so many questions. Maybe they have a library.


    I open my eyes to the sound of china being lightly set down on stone. The sideways sight of a light breakfast of eggs. Just eggs. I sit up and let the blanket that was covering my chest slide down to rest on my lap as I bring the plate on my lap. Then I start to eat. The hunger pains I didn''t even realize I had faded. The churning in my stomach lessens, food solves everything.


    ¡°Headmaster said you can have a day to rest, anything you want to do besides lie in bed?¡± I glance up at the little teasing maid.


    She¡¯s bent over in just a way that gives me a decent view down her shirt. I let out a sigh, I am not a virgin and I have enough self control to not flutter over some exposed skin. I look down and see my bare, pale chest. The muscles tight, like a runners. No fat in sight. Maybe she thought I was trying to seduce her?


    ¡°I am not going to bed the help just yet Sylvia. I felt tired of wearing the same thing days in a row.¡± I finish off my eggs and let out another short burp. This time it is a slightly pleasant taste of eggs. Much better than the acidic bile taste that I woke up with.


    ¡°Ohhhh, yet? So you might take a little maid like me as your own little play thing? I didn''t think heros were practitioners of such sinful debauchery.¡± She winks at me as I hand her back the plate.


    ¡°I might like to visit a church. A guide will be welcomed. Some spending money if I get some sort of allowance...Or do I have to earn it myself?¡± I tilt my head, speaking out loud as Sylvia takes the plate and heads toward the door.


    ¡°Shio know¡¯s plenty of the noble district and has nothing to do today. Plus she''s curious of her. Oh, she can¡¯t speak because of an incident when she was young, so avoid talking about it. It upsets the poor girl.¡± I nod while sighing. I feel well enough to walk around and to keep my body in this shape it needs to be used, not in rest....My question about money was never answered.


    I slide back on the star studded leather after another sniff test. It still smells fine, random smells that evokes memories of the night sky. I wonder if that is an enchantment, I wonder what accident happened to the small girl to rob her of her voice, maybe it has to do with magic, maybe abuse?


    I stretch out, popping most of my back as I arch my back in the skin tight and flexible leathers. It feels so much more right to be in just the leather¡¯s, like a second layer of skin. Something familiar and easing. I spend a few minutes practicing moving my tail while watching it through the mirror. The muscles needed to move it are so foreign to my mind. It is like moving your ears for the first time. A weird group you have to that does not make complete sense. The prehensile part simply making the task harder.


    A knock comes from the door for the 2nd time today, ¡°Come in.¡± The words roll out on instinct form living with a sister that borrowed almost anything that she wanted from me, and I trying to be the best big brother let her.. I look over at the door to see it gently opened and the girl with white hair walks in. Shio, I think. She is not dressed in the purple robes but a sundress that matches her almost ghostly pale skin. Her petit shoulders bare. The cloth drapes down her small body, revealing only her shoulders, neck, and the lower parts of her legs.


    She picks up the side of her dress, crosses her legs and bows in a graceful greeting, ¡°Do you know where a church is?¡± She nods and turns around to leave the room. I follow and smile a bit. I just realized that I have never prayed to Fata Stele. For all she has done for me, I have never thanked her with worship. I admit, I never believed in gods because of a simple lack of truth or explained by science. But I have met one. A real god. One with such might that I nearly died by being close to.


    I wonder why they call them churches. I wonder how I understand them. God gift? Magic can explain anything. I wonder if I can understand any language or just the one here. So many questions still. I wonder if I will ever get to a state that I run out of them and just accept the world.


    We get to the stairs and I speak up without thinking, ¡°Do they have a form of sign language here?¡± Shio turns around and tilts her head looking confused. Oddly, I feel more comfortable around those quieter than myself, when I lead the conversation, ¡°It is a way for mute, or deaf people to communicate from my old world, the very basic form of it is to assign letters to shape and movement of the hands.¡± I go through the letters that I know as her eyes widen in amazement, is that that wonderful? Her eye are wide in wonder, copying the movement of my hands.


    ¡°I am not sure if my alphabet matches yours but¡­ It is a way for us to talk. I think.¡± I smile at her, trying to put on a confident smile as we walk down the nearly endless staircase. I would of coplased trying to walk down a staircase this long in my old body. It is wonderful to move this quickly and effortlessly. In fact I needed to slow down to not overtake Shio.


    During the long walk down, about ten minutes, I spend it teaching her words in my language leading me to think it is different than the one here, but most of the grammar is thankfully the same. Once we get down to the bottom floor, she signs to me, ¡°T-h-a-n-k Y-o-u.¡± Her small hands move slowly, stumbling over the new shapes they are being forced into. I look up to meet her eyes and see them nearly filled with tears¡­ I...Uh¡­ I¡¯m not sure how to act.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    She acts for me. She steps forward and hugs me tightly, her small body trembling. I-I guess it means a lot to her¡­ Her only way has been to write with magic or paper I guess? This must mean a lot to her¡­ I do not think I can empathize. It is too strange a thought. To never hear, or speak. I can do both. This must be worldchanging for her.


    I wonder how much of Earth I can bring here for bettering lives. Medicine, I would need to get lucky with a helpful mold. Things like sign language to help those who have no voice, or no way to use it. I can be a force for good...But it does not feel right. It doesn''t feel right to be a charity to give, and give, and give. That feeling when I am using mana is a massive high, the feelings and thought when wielding it. The dismissal of others, the feeling of confidence and knowledge of my power over others. I know I can not give that up. I need it¡­


    I watch as Shio let''s go with a blushed face. Everyone¡¯s eyes on us feeding into my anxiety, ¡°Shio, please lead us. I do not like crowds.¡± I turn my eyes to look down at her hands as she nods and starts to walk to the doors leading out of the tower. As we walk through the hallway I take small looks around, trying to see if there was anything that I missed on my first pass through them. Honestly? There is not much. It is relatively bare besides signs, a few bulletin boards, and the numerous people walking through in different colored robes. I cannot help but hear snippets of conversation as we pass by people, ¡°Who is that with Lady Winter?¡±


    ¡°Damn Cat-Kin, how did one of them get in the college?¡±


    ¡°Look at the man in the leathers, he is pretty tall.¡±


    ¡°Another nobel¡¯s illgement child?¡±


    ¡°Those clothes are strange.¡±


    ¡°I saw him being guided in by the headmaster a few days ago!¡±


    ¡°Have any of you heard news about the wave of mana from the top floor?¡±


    ¡°A new student of the headmaster¡¯s?¡±


    ¡°I heard there is a new Hero in the city!¡±


    ¡°Well I heard that they found the Hero of the Sword in the woods beating wolfs with a wooden branch.¡±


    A new hero?... Why does that fill me with anxiety? Do hero¡¯s stumble on eachother often and travel together? All the murals were of single people or some sort of depiction of the gods or ways to worship them. The image of the elves dancing under the night sky sets itself in my mind. I wonder if that is how I pray, I simply enjoy the stars?


    We traverse the threshold of the main tower. I look back and up, glancing at the size of this large mage towers. It is like looking up at a skyscraper. You feel small. A small six foot person compared to the size of the hundred of feet of stone standing proudly in the center of the marble fields. I look it over, quickly so I do not bother Shio. The white stone is smooth and flawless. Built out of a single piece. I wonder if they simply used magic to make something like this. Gathered countless tons of the material and shaped it like clay in their hands. Or did they gather together and commanded the stone to melt in the ground then rise in a the shape of an empty tower and shaped each floor off blueprints.


    I feel a tug on my shirt. I look don at the hand of Shio who takes the time to fumble out, ¡°T-a-l-l.¡± I nod. I start back on the path toward where we are going. I think. Shio steps ahead to guide me through the path. The entire area is made of marble but the paths are risen from the ground just enough that you can tell that it is a path, meant to be walked on. Oddly, there are different different tiers to the raised path. Sever layers. Each tiered in height. Shio and I walking on the tallest and thinnest of the paths. Most logical statement would be the height would be equal to stature. A hero belongs on a pedestal, don''t they?


    As we stroll at a slow pace I take my time to look around the empty plain of marble, watching students train in the fields. Some as young as ten try their best to bend the world to their whims. I see one pull his hand back form fire, squeezing it in a jerk knee reaction to putting your hand near something hot. Another child begs the water to form into a shape, then jumps for joy as the water pooled in their hands dances up like a snake tamer.


    ¡°Shio, is how fast I picked up magic unusual?¡± She nods.


    I feel her tug my hand and sign out, ¡°B-o-o-k. L-a-t-e-r.¡± She has picked up the makeshift sign language quickly. I could not remember all the hand motions and positions to spell the whole alphabet  But her face has a bright smile. It looks nice on her. But I am not the type to fall for just a cute smile aimed at me. It does not look like she is use to smiling a lot. She should try, it makes a cute look.


    We walk quietly to one of the towers. I can not tell the difference, they all look the same. The same white marble that makes up everything in this city. We enter the tower and...Well I am surprised. The first floor looks to be dedicated to a multitude of gods. Paintings of a man, or dwarf, made of stone. A mural of a crop filled field, the sun shining down gently on it while children folic in the grass playing some sort of game. A man locked in combat with sword, fire resting on his head like a crown. In the background of it there are bodies burnt and stabbed.


    The ceiling is flat, no significant arched ceiling, and there are pews in front of these paintings. Metal bowls filled with money, maybe offerings? They seem to be burning some type of incense if that is what I smell in the air. Shio grabs hold of my hand to get my attention and points to the staircase. I nod to her, thinking I understand what she is trying to tell me. Fata Stele¡¯s shrine is somewhere upstairs. We start to walk up the stairs, gathering attention from the sparse amount of people in the building, praying, offering tributes, and maybe some are priest?


    I think Shio escorting me around is making me the center of attention. Nobel¡¯s usually do not just escort people. I think, maybe here they do? We walk up...And up...and up. Till we get to the very fucking top. I hate staircases. You fuckers have magic, MAGIC. Is a damn elevator out of your abilities?


    The top room, to my surprise has no painting. It is dusty and does not look like it has been visited often. But, the roof is glass. A beautiful sunroom if there was care put into this white marble floor. I glance around, taking my time studying each and every inch of this empty floor. I stumble on a plaque in the ground, made of gold, I think, ¡°Our gift to Fata Stele, a room to gaze at the stars.¡±


    I let out a sigh. The walk up was a blur. We should of came at night. It would make this large, large room, larger than a warehouse, appear mystical. I think. I sit down on the floor than lay on my back, sneezing form the dust, ¡°Shio, is there any special way to pray?¡± She shakes her head looking down at me with her head tilted sideways.


    I close my eyes and picture this room as a planetarium. It would make a wonderful planetarium. Fata Stele, thank you. Magic is wonderful, my body is wonderful. Everything so far is magical and something I would of never seen. It feels fast, I¡¯ve come to terms with this all very quickly. I do not know what to say besides thank you.


    I open my eyes to a glass ceiling, a blue sky,  white clouds and the shining dominance of the closest star in the universe.


    I get up off of the floor and on instinct, I pat Shio. She does nothing so I shrug and start down the stairs.


    ~~~


    After the mind numbing walk down stairs I am greeted by a crowd in front of the the painting of the man with sword and fire with a background of war. It would be surely convenient if the hero I heard of was over there. Thankfully I, being taller than most people here, have a clear line of sight the center of the attention. Human, late teens to early twenties. A dirty blond mop of hair, tanned to the point that he looks like he has been in the fields most of his life, around 5¡¯6 which is the average height that I have seen around here. I think it is due to diet.


    He seems to have some sort of sword. I am not a expert on them. Most I know is you somehow refine the stuff you mine from the ground, heat it up, shape it by smacking it with more metal then you got something. I turn away, not wanting to feed into this as I walk for the open doors that lead outside, ¡°Hey you! Cat guy!¡± I turn around and glance at who called me out. My tail flicking in annoyance at the thought of having to deal with people I do not know, in front of a crowd.


    Pushing pass the crowd, the boy with a sword smirks up. No, smirk sounds too cocky and looking for a fight. Its... it is a smile with confidence, boundless joy and confidence, ¡°I havn¡¯t seen one of you before!¡± Please go away...I do not want to talk.


    ¡°I am on a date. You are interpreting.¡± Lie and move on. Best thing that I can come up with at the moment. I grab Shio hand and quickly walk out of the church like tower, hurrying to the middle one. Oddly, Shio does not fight back or complain.


    The boy with the sword walks after us holding, or I think by the sound of two footsteps and the sound of leather sheath hitting the marble road, ¡°Hey kittah! I wasn¡¯t done talking to you!¡± I keep walking but I feel a hand grab my tail. My body reacts before my mind, turning. My body spins, bringing the person holding my tail forward in a jerky movement robbing them of their center of balance. I look down at the little farmer boy and bring my foot down on the thin part of his ankle in a harsh stomp, all of my weight and the full force of my new body behind the strike. I feel AND hear a snap, along with a crack form the boys ankle that I am sure that I shattered. I watch him fall to the ground with a feeling of safaction. A old friend taught me that move. Not the tail part, but the curb stomp on the thin part of the ankle where is connects to the foot. No matter the size difference or really how strong you are. That is a weak spot. Mainly for use against drunks that you need to put down quick.


    I bend down, grabbing the sword off of the ground. I slide the blade free form the sheath that hid the thin and sharp blade. A feeling of this does not belong to me washes over me. Like the feeling of being watched by something unseen and evil. My tail¡­ well poofs. Fur on end and I instically draw my magic into the world. The explosive force of the fear filled field of magic throws the boy harshly away drawing out more cries of pain from him as I throw the blade into the ground and stare at it, hyperventilating. The fact that I am only hits me as soon as I let go of the vile sword. With all my focus I bring the field of where I can invoke my magic down on the blade and myself.


    I rip into the cloud of mana, forcing the mana to collapse into a star. I feed, and feed it till it is the size of the sword. Then I push the star down on the star and watch with safaction as the sword turns red, than white. A puddle of metal on the marble road. I push the star into the puddle, evaporating the remains. Wanting to see nothing of that cursed sword again.


    I feel a plume of heat in my chest, following the safstion of watching the source of the fear literally become dust in the wind, ¡°First. You talk to me when I clearly want to be left alone.¡± I start to step toward the boy, laying on the marble ground outside the doors of the tower. Of fuckign course the penut gallery is watching form inside. I walk closer and closer. All this little shit does is hug his little ankle and cry. So fucking annoying, ¡°Then, you touch my tail. MY tail.¡±


    My field is around ten feet from my body. The initial explosion was intense and concentrated enough to throw him around twenty feet away. Interesting that mana field can interact with large objects but not smaller like air. I wonder why. I step in range of his prone body and he starts screaming. Such an annoying, fucking grating noise. I quickly walk up to the little shit and press down on his throat with my foot, quieting him for the sake of my sensitive ears, ¡°I do not care who you are, what your god is, or what the hell that sword was. What I care about is what gave you the thought that you can fuck with me. ¡®Oh he''s quite.¡¯ ¡®Oh go talk to the tall guy.¡¯ ¡®He has a pretty girl near him, lets show off.¡¯ I want a quiet life. You will stay away from me or I will test if I can take a life with you as a fucking volunteer.¡±


    God this feels good. It feels right. All those years of therapy for working against anger and impulse, to make sure I think over what I say. Mana fucking draws out the me that is not scared to say shit like that and I fucking enjoy it. Better than having a pretty girl on your arm, being the tallest guy in the room, or being the buffest. There is something enjoyable about feeling someone¡¯s throat on your heel. I smirk as I grab the star in my bare hand. I bring it down near him, ¡°If you do no promise to leave me alone to my new, enjoyable, quiet life. I shall gave you burn. Understand?¡± The farm boy nods. Fear is the only thing in his eyes, and a bit of fire deep inside of them. It is better to kill the heros, but I can not do that in this setting. A mental and physical scarring will be the best thing I can think of.


    I bring the star down, a few feet from him prone body. I feel him trying to scream but I push down harsher with my foot and watch as his skin turns red all over. I pull the sun away, banishing it and the field of mana with a thought. I am amazed at how readily it responds now. As I still ride out the rush, I made sure to leave him with 2nd degree burns on his arms, legs, and his chest. I did not go into 3rd, simply because the nerves would of died at that stage and would of been less painful. I step off his throat and turn around to walk to Shio who is simply looking to the ground.


    I am surprised she did not run. I still feel the high of mana coursing through me. I smile at her with a wide, wild smile. High form the rush of the utter dominance I had over that annoying fucking child, even though he looked close to my age, and the mana. Oh the mana. Still one the best damn things I have ever felt in my life.


    I grab one of her hands, pointing to the city, ¡°Do you think we can find somewhere to get some new clothes? I would love something besides black and purple in my options.¡±

 Is this a date?

    As Shio and I walk away from the towers I feel the high from the manhandling, and mana slowly edge down. Nothing is said, nor any attempt to communicate between Shio and I as we stop outside a store displaying suits and dresses. Something I have never admitted but I envy women and their ability to dress in beautiful and colorful clothing. Men can not wear colorful suits without people thinking them off, maybe even crazy. Might be different in this world but it is what I am use to.


    I wonder what will happen at the school because I broke the sword hero¡¯s foot and gave his front half burns all over, ¡°Shio, there is healing magic, isn''t there?¡± I tilt my head looking at her. I¡­ Should of asked this before crippling him and burning his sword into ashes. The aggressiveness I showed felt natural, like it was myself. But looking back at it...So many questions. What is mana? It warps minds, space, and reality. It seems to function closely to that one quantum physics mindfuckery. Where¡­ was it light? Well, something small acted like a wave and a particle, there intelligent life seemed to indicate how it behaved.


    I demand a star. I get a star. My mana feels endless, what holds me back is my body. I think. Better than a human one I am sure. But I am unsure.


    I feel a tug on my hand breaking me from my thoughts as Shio looks at me worryingly, her hand lingers on mine for some reason, ¡°I am fine. Just thinking. So do they have healing magic? I am quite ignorant on that field. I saw what looked like to be doctors at some point, but I am not sure if they are assisted by magic or simple medicines.¡±


    She nods, ¡°Alright. Did not totally cripple him than. That is good, I think.¡± I take my hand form hers and open the door. I wonder if she has a crush on me. The hand thing as pretty big sign, or a different culture. I am not sure, I have not interacted with women much here.


    I will ignore it for now. Shio walks into the store and I follow behind her. There is, ¡°Why does lace seem to be everywhere?¡± I mutter out, Shio looks over with a small smile. Probably laughing at my pain.


    Someone walks up to us, a girl dressed in one of the dresses on display. A pretty girl that I am sure was hired for her figure, to be a living model to show off how nice these dresses look on the right body. Smart choice, I think. I have been proven wrong a lot in my old world.


    She walks up to us without looking up. She picks up the sides of the laced monstrosity that she is wearing and does that strange movement all the servants proform. Right let wrapped in front of the left. The knees bend just enough to lower the individual, ¡°Greeting Lady Winter. Greeting Sir Mage. How may this one help you?¡±


    I smirk and chuckle while glancing so Shio, ¡°Does the whole city know you?¡±


    She nods.


    ¡°Gods, that must be stressful. We are looking to expand my selection of clothing. Something without lace if possible. A two piece suit? Are those popular?¡± I¡¯ll admit. I have always one of those extremely fancy suits. Is it three pieces? Shirt, jacket thingy, and pants. Yea three pieces.


    The girl in the dress nods and bows once more, ¡°Any color preference, sir mage?¡±


    ¡°Black is fine. Closer to the color that I have on the better.¡± The service girl, yes a fitting name. The service girl nods and walks to the back. Shio follows after her so do I as well. The girl stops in front of a mirror while pulling out a measuring type. Well, more just a piece of fabric notched with ink. Each mark is a bit shorter than a inch.


    ¡°Sir Mage. I need to measure you if you are not offended¡­¡± She still refuses to look me in the eyes. Discormting in a way.


    ¡°I do not mind. Would it be easier if I took off my shirt?¡± The service girl nods. I shrug and slide the leather chest piece off of me. I stretch my arms out and let out a mixture of a huff and a purr of feeling my chest being free. I feel my tail flick slide to side, hitting my ankle with soft pats. While I looked behind me I looked into Shio¡¯s eyes. Her face blushed but she quickly breaks eye contact by looking to the ground.


    I...well. I am not terribly dense. Hand holding? Attempted. Blush face and unavailable to make eye contact? Check. I like her, not in the way she likes me, but as a friend. She''s quite, enjoyable to be around.


    Breaking my thought¡¯s for a moment I feel a piece of fabric pressed on the middle of my chest. It wraps around as well, to check how thick, wide, and long my torso is. After that, the poor girl has to get a step stool to easily measure my shoulders. She could of reached, easy. I think she needed to be level with them? I do not know how tailors work.


    ¡°Sir mage, what robe color are you in the college?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I am purple. Shio, do any of the gods have holy text, ways to worship, or something along the lines?¡± The service girl seems confused but Shio nods, ¡°Perfect. Is it possible to can have a constellation or two knitted...Or whatever the word is for it. A white stitching on the arms of a consolation. I gotta look the part of a hero.¡± I chuckle. Super power suit? Na, just an outfit to walk around and feel important in. Hopefully in not a crowded area.


    It''s interesting. Wanting to be dressed nice, but not being the center of attention


    I am brought out of my thoughts once more by the service girl staring up at me with wide eyes. Doe like brown eyes, ¡°A hero?...¡± I nod with a smile, always put on a smile. It makes you seem more friendly. Her eyes go to my ears, than my tail, ¡°I-I am sorry great hero! I-I¡¯ll g-go get the head tailor.¡± She stands up and backs away. My shoulders slump as I sigh.


    ¡°You''re doing an excellent job. Do you need to measure anything else?¡± The poor frightened girl nods. I look over to Shio for an explanation on why this is happening but she signs out book once more. Fucking books.


    The girl stops, a mental storm in her mind. She nods and hesitantly walks back over with the measuring stick in hand, ¡°S-sir Hero...A-are you sure you do not want a professional working on your clothes?¡±


    ¡°I am sure. I well and truly do not mind. A simple suit of black with blue, white, and purple stitched visibly to form constellations. Everything else can be chosen by you, or whoever makes it. I am not picky and will be happy with anything make.¡± The service girl nods. She lowers herself to wrap the tape around my thigh then brings it down to measure how long my legs are.


    ¡°W-we will h-have it done soon Sir Hero¡­¡± She bows while I look to Shio, trying to portray confusion with just a facial expression, ¡°I-I am sorry we can''t have it done sooner Sir Hero!¡±Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    ¡°We do not need to pay?¡± I tilt my head, looking to Shio who shakes her head. She signs out


    ¡°H-e-r-o. N-o.¡± Gods I am glad to have Shio around. Smart girl who knows the land. Taught her JUST enough to actually communicate with me and not have to play a game of twenty questions when I want to know something.


    ¡°I¡­ Well I will be back in a few days than. Have a good day Miss.¡±


    ¡°Have a blessed day under the gods and a happy story Hero.¡± She curtsies. That''s the word. I fucking knew I knew it.


    Shio and I leave the shop after I put the leather chest piece on, hiding my pale chest from the sun. Silly sun, chest aren''t meant to be burnt.


    Shio and I start to walk¡­ Somewhere. She took the lead and I started to follow. She has not attempted to communicate to me. I trust her to a point. If she wanted me dead it would be a lot simpler. Plus I get to see more of the city.


    About 15 minutes in the walk we enter what looks to be the area where all the nobel mansions are kept. On their gates elements are drawn in the metal gates. Flags, written words, armour, guards. Decorations to make one manor look more amazing than another. Gate¡¯s made out of odd metals, the road here is smooth and polished. I can see my own reflection in the marble road itself. When the gates give to walls, the walls are painted in a explosion of colors. Families in battle, forming magic, making something, sitting and reading. Hallmarks to the name that they have earned and kept from generations passed.


    History painted on theses walls. Less detailed than a biography but much easier to understand who they are, and what they do. Why they are important enough to have so much money that they can have such grand homes and take care of it as well. Is she taking me to her home? It is pretty logical once you think about it, I will still have to ask¡­ ¡°Shio...Are you taking me to where you live?¡± She nods, ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°B-o-o-k-s.¡± I tilt my head.


    ¡°They do not have a library back at the college?¡± She shakes her head, ¡°That¡­ Is a shame. Well, I am glad that you are taking me to your home. Thank you for trusting me.¡± I smile down at her. She looks away with a red face. Yea this is getting pretty bad¡­ Almost like I am her first crush.


    I will ignore that for later. We stop in front of a gate about half an hour later. It is inscribed with a evergreen tree, and the ground around it covered in snow and ice. Yea, this screams winter. Shio opens the gates by pushing on them while making what look like ice roller skates for the gate to easily and quietly slide open. We walk up a winding path for a good few minutes. The path ends at a staircase just a few steps tall. At the apex of these stairs is a door made of snow white wood. Not a single speck of dust or rot on the white doors.


    On an impulse I reach out and stroke the door. I jerk my hand back with a small noise of surprise and a bit of pain from just how cold the door is.  It is not bad, not like an instant freezing of my finger and hand but just the feeling of randomly having your hand plunged in a bucket of ice. You can tough it out, but the immediate knee jerk reaction is something you can not control if you do not see it coming.


    Shio has a small smile on her face and her shoulders are rising up and down rapidly. A small audible noise from her breathing is easily heard as well, ¡°You¡¯re laughing at me¡­¡± I pout at this girl. She knew this, and she just let me touch it. You¡¯re supposed to stop cats from touching things that will hurt them! Not laugh as they jump in shock!


    I watch, while holding my hand to try to warm it up, Shio simply walk up the steps and push the double doors open, ignoring or immune to the cold. Cheeky thing.


    We walk into a polished marble entryway. Like, I can see my reflection in the floor. Almost like a mirror. Shio once more takes the lead. The door closing behind us with a weight to the noise of the door closing. That sound of the foundation being rattled by the force it closes with. So many horror movies start with this scene. Shio goes up to another pair of doors across the room form the doors that lead outside. She pushes on one, taking a bit of force to actually open these doors.


    I, being a gentleman, help her open it. My body is close to hers as I push with a single hand. It¡­ opens finally. Damn it was heavy. What the hell? Why would you need such heavy doors?


    ¡°Lady Shio, who is the¡­ guest?¡± I jump form the sudden and random bodiless voice. Full  literally in the air with all my hair going on the ends. I¡¯ll admit her house creeps me out. The sheer amount of featureless white walls. The self closing doors. The fucking random voice.


    Shio walks a bit farther into the hall and turns where the door was hiding a older butler. Grey hair, a white suit with a red tie. His gloves white, his shoes oddly black. Very mismatched coloring. Thank god it wasn''t a voice like Marble, ¡°I am Ivan Mercer. Hero of Fata Stele, who else would walk around wearing star sprankled leathers?¡±


    The butler scuffs, ¡°Any fool could walk in and claim being the chosen of a low ranked, hardly known, us-¡±


    ¡°Whoever you are. I do not care what you relation to my friend is. I will end your life if you finish that sentence.¡± A heat blooms like a flower in my chest. Anger, righteous anger. The type of anger that causes men to stop thinking straight. I tighten my fist and take a step closer to this dumb, dumb, butler. My eyes glare into his, down at him. I feel my ears go flat on my head, protecting themselves if things go south.


    The butler eyes are wide. He backs up and places his back on a wall as I feel my hand grabbed. Gently. The fact it was gentle stops me from acting out just how I did the kid with the sword. I also know the feeling of that hand even though I have only spent a few hours with her, ¡°What Shio?¡±


    She shakingly signs out after letting go of my hand, ¡°N-o h-u-r-t.¡± I sigh as I take deep breaths. Years of anger therapy setting back in as I calm myself. Of course I am still livid, but just a notch below punching someone in the throat and stepping on their crotches while they choke on their own coughing.


    ¡°Being in your class makes me important, does it not?¡± She nods.


    ¡°So why am I, and my goddess. My sweet, loving, caring, goddess being insulted by a old piece of shit who has gone so blind he can¡¯t color match his own fucking outfit?¡± I feel my anger rise as I let out my furstion. It calms though as Shio does her odd little laugh. No sound but the body language of laughter is there, even a smile of her face. I am a guy. I''m weak to cute girls smiling. No matter what anyone says, I think their heart melts a bit when a girl smiles and laughs when you do something they find funny, ¡°Just take me to the library you little mute snowma- women? Snow women.¡± She nods again, waving to butler.


    She takes my hand and guides me through the hall. I miss cars at this point. My ankles are sore from walking and climbing so many stairs or walking up and down hills.


    I am easily distracted aren''t I? ¡°I am easily distracted aren''t I?¡± Shio shrugs, ¡°What do you mean maybe?¡±


    ¡°M-a-g-i-c n-o. D-a-y y-e-s.¡±


    ¡°When I practice magic I am not. You haven''t even seen me awake at night. Their is no way for you to know that, unless it is some weird cat-kin thing. That is my race right? Everyone has been calling me that, so there is no other race that looks quite like them but just a bit different?¡±


    She looks in thought for a moment than shrugs. Of course I sigh, ¡°Let me guess. Book?¡± She nods.


    We walk in silence for a few minutes before she turns and opens a set of double doors. No difference in these ones, and the rest the line of the hallway of white, featureless marble. The doors of wood? I do not know. Everything is just white, white, white. Like fresh, pure, untouched snow. It is disoranting.


    I glance in the room that Shio opened to see a typical fantasy noble library. Minus the gold and carvings, along with painting and such. Just bookcases, some type of leather furniture, and more bookcases. Can¡¯t forget the window letting let in, causing the floor to dimly sparkle like morning dew mixed with glitter. Dear Fata is that distrasting. Pretty, but distracting.


    Shio practically prances in the room. How she manages to do that? I do not know. Maybe it is something about being born and raised a noble. It is odd. In her world, in her mind. She is a noble women. Someone of high birth who was raised for a task. To be married off...I do not like to think about that. To be a mage worthy of the name, something. Me? I''m a lucky fucker who was simply chosen by a beautiful, kind, graceful goddess. I was given gifts, dropped in the world. And a lucky encounter got me to a comfortable place to sleep, learn, and makes friends with this little noble girl. I like to think we are friends.


    In her mind? I am a hero. Someone who appears to fight the dark forces of the world, smite evil, all that fun hero in shining armour stuff. I wonder, would she stay by me if I acted out and burnt this city down. Stopped holding my magic back, salt the earth with radiation, burn the fertile soil to glass, and kick the unlucky bastard who pissed me off till he died? Thoughts for another time, she is returning with a book.


    She grabs my hand, dragging me to a couch where she sits down and pats the seat next to her. A ink bottle, feather, and a stack of paper have appeared on the table as well. Huh. I must of been lost in thought for a while.


    ¡°So why this one first?¡± I look to the paper and her hands. Not her lips. Not like I can read them.


    ¡°It is a journal left by my ancestor The Hero of Winter.¡±


    ¡°The? Is their not multiple ones that happened?¡± I open the book. Well I tried to. It is sealed shut.


    ¡°Extend your mana around you. It unlocks through a Hero¡¯s mana, touched by the divine.¡± One thing to note, is her handwriting is very small but neat. I do not remember being available to read their script. Another gift? Fata Stele¡¯s kindness knows no bounds.


    Time to test if I have improved my ability. With a thought my mana settles itself over the capitol. Of course it covers a bit more past the wall. A small pressure lies on the shoulders of every living thing in my magic. Something powerful feeling that If I shrinked it, everyone would have no choice to kneel. I wonder if I am a mage, of a sourcer. Someone who studies, who someone made with this power. If I am a sourcer, not a mage. Will it grow or will I stagnant? Shio pokes my hand to force me to focus on the book. The doors to the library closes as I push them with my will.


    I can manipulate my raw mana. Something felt right. I just imagined a force shoving the doors closed and they closes. Something new to think about.


    Shio pokes me again, so I open the book to the first page and begin to read the life story of a another Hero.

 Life and death of Satin Winter, the death of the house of winter.

    I died to a white dragons frost.


    I awoke in a snow filled clearing, with evergreens circling me. The wind spoke, ¡°I am Magistra Cicero. Goddess of Winter. I offer you life and gifts, if you bare the mantle of my name.¡±


    A god greeted me. No body, just a voice in the wind, ¡°I accept!¡± You agree to gods. No matter what.


    I woke up after that in a snowy forest. There I lived till spring. I hunted, practiced my new power, magic. Something very few were born with in my world. It started off as snow. I mimicked the snow on the ground. Then I copied the ice hanging from trees or where they encased leaves.


    It did not help me against some of the things that lived in the forest. Monsters, disgusting monster form the hells. Monster¡¯s that the old god I believe in, the god of light, said would drag you down the the tiered hells. Where you would be eaten, raped, tortured by a demon in every hell. I hide in a part of the forest where they dare not walk.


    By the end of spring, I could make and shoot iclces the size of hand for hours till I passed out.


    Half way through spring I found hunters. I praised Magistra Cicero for this find. People, I missed them to the point of talking to myself.


    ¡°Shiro, your ancestor was crazy.¡± I smile at her. It is kinda relaxing just sitting with her. Her body leaning on mine, I can feel the warmth even though our clothing.


    She simply pouts. Than she starts to write on the collection of paper that she has, ¡°Was your meeting with Fata Stele like that?¡±


    I shake my head, resting the book on my lap. For how old it is supposed to be, it is quite strong. The pages made some form some leather while the letters were carved into the flesh, than filled with some sort of blood. Apparently, the story goes in her family that he killed a white dragon, used its flesh for paged, and its blood for ink. Like a necronomicon for dragons. That be entraining. Scary too. Imagine, dragon lich. Someone fucked up.


    A poke brings me back to Earth¡­ well I actually never got this planet''s name. I think she wants an answer, ¡°It was more intimate. We talked, she started by apologizing for arranging my death. She told me that I was chosen by her to become a hero in a world that the god¡¯s made to test who¡¯s heros could get them the most faith. I promised to make her the top god of the pantheon, than I collapsed and died again in her embrace form mana poisoning. Well I died from her gift, she turned me to ash. Than remade me as the man you see here. Very little was changed. A bit more muscles, the cat ears, the tail, and they eyes. She also fixed my heart, is that enough?¡± Shio nods, her eyes back on the book on my lap.


    I bring it back up to a level we can read at. My heart grows a bit tense as I slowly wrap a arm around her side. Its uncomfortable to sit with that one arm she is leaning on. She does nothing to stop me, simply moving a bit closer. Its comfortable. My mana seems to agree with how¡­ relaxed it feels. Just a weird sense of empathy I have with it. I bring it in, forcing the field to become denser as it center¡¯s on this room, darkening it as if it was a cloudy sky outside.


    Shio does¡­ not seem bothered. I hope so.


    I start to read once more.


    I approached the hunters slowly. I stalked them quietly enough to hear them talk. I understood, it was my home language. Praise Magistra Cicero.


    I stumbled out in front of them. I only had one the pelts of animals that I hunted. Only to become modest. The cold stopped bothering me months ago.


    They ask if I was a chosen of the gods. I said yes. They brought me to a small village. I was fed, clothed, and treated like a famous mage form back home. To practice my magic, I made ice statues of the children who asked.


    They only were just a bit better than actual ice.


    A few days in, a demon attacked. A demon of fire. I ran for my life. Everyone else died. All the children, all the women, all the men. Eaten, used for.. Breeding. I saw one of those monstries lay eggs in a stab wound, than the eggs hatched and ate the body down to the bones. It happened in seconds. I stole a horse and ran.


    I worked the horse till it collapses of exhaustion. A city with walls. White walls. Safe walls form the nightmares in the forest.


    Demons? That actually have those? I admit I do not know much about this world. There might be other realms. There might be other planes of reality where hells and heavens exist. They sound like insects though, with how they breed. Fata Stele, I know this is asking a bit much¡­ But please no spider demons. I hate spiders.


    I glance over at Shio. Some time during my focus on the words on the page, and my own thoughts she has laid her head on my chest. Asleep I think.


    I whisper out, barely loud enough to be heard, ¡°Shio?¡± She does not stir. Well¡­ That leaves me with my owns thoughts. I look to her chest. It is rising. Good, she isn''t dead. Though¡­ She is beautiful. She is not yours, Ivan. Not yet, she could be. It be simple would it not? Book for now. You can work through the fucking hormones later.


    I walked the remaining distance. My legs, and butt sore from the horse riding. But the leftovers of adrenaline are still running through my mind. I limp to the nearest guard, ¡°Demons¡­¡± I say these simple words and his face goes wide with fear. He grabbed my arm and dragged me inside a guard house.


    I was given a cover, some water and bread. I gladly drank the water, but I denied the bread. My stomach still rolled form disgust, guilt, and fear.


    A ranking official walked in, asked and I told them the truth. I tried killing one the demons but my ice simply melted on its fur. That started a conversation about a mage outside of a college or the army, and why I am dressed like a peasant. I admitted I was chosen by the gods.


    They left, saying nothing else. A priest looking fellow came in, asked some questions. Who was my patron?  What did I awake to? What did she say to me? What was her gift? I answered. He bowed and greeted me as the hero of winter.


    They offered my a luxurious room to sleep in. Replaced my clothes with silk dyed a startling white. Even as I write this, I remember that white. Something song to me. A understanding of a white dragon¡¯s breath. I broke down crying afterwards. The whole, traumatizing event finally sinking in. I was a warrior back home. Now I am a mage. I am a dragon, everything I face puny men.


    I am allowed face. No one checks in on me. No one to witness my break down. Later on, a man in a purple robe walks in, says he is the court magician. He will be my magic teacher.


    He told me to hit a wall with my strongest attack. I breathed ice, like a dragon. The wall froze, collapsed under its own weight. He nearly died from the cold. I passed out from what I called mana poisoning at the time.


    I woke up in pain. I passed out from pain.


    I woke up feeling horrible.


    The mage came back and told me that was worthy of a hero. I thought it was a mockery of a force beyond nature.


    Years passed. I understood ice more. I understood magic more. Ice in the field I could influence never melted. Snow stole life. Storms of hail crushed armour. Blizzards brought monsters to a cold and forever slumber.


    I met a girl. A beautiful girl. Not a mage. Just a painter of the walls in this marble city. We fell in love. We had a child. A few months later the demons tried to siege my home.


    I brought winter in the apex of summer. The marble walls became bastorions of ice sharpened to spikes. The ground outside the walls froze, thick with corpses of demons. The demon king and generals frozen solid by my mockry of dragon breath. I watched them suffocate in blocks of ice.


    After I broke the weeks long siege, killing, breaking the demons moral. I was summoned by the king and awarded nobleship for my deeds. I felt less of a man. I returned home. My lover greeted me, hugged me, and thanked me for protecting both her and our child.


    Years passed. Our child became a skilled mage. We never moved from the home that we lived in. Modest and having everything we needed. My poor child grew alone, all the other children too scared of the title of nobility she was born with. I prayed, hoping my mantle was not passed down with her.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    Years passed again. I neared middle age. No signs of demons coming back. My daughter grew to a beautiful women. She was admitted to a college, the Stoneweaver collage. There she had friends. My wife and I were pressured to joining balls, meeting, celebrations. My word, as the most powerful mage in the country had weight so I rarely spoke.


    One day I submerged myself in a baptism of winter. I emerged scarred by winter¡¯s bite. My voice robbed from me. I could not make a noise.


    One day my wife died. It was poison. They found who it was. It was a noble family that always stood against my word. I froze them solid. I shattered the ice leaving nothing. I killed everyone of them three generations back. My daughter never spoke to me again.


    Years later, she came home. She introduced a man that had courted her. A quiet, intelligent scion of the royal family. She did not ask for my blessing. Simply told me she loved me and told me where her manor was being built.


    Years later another war was waged. My daughter was conscripted. I marched with them. Old, nearing the middle of my years. My hair growing grey and my body uncomfortable.


    We met the other army. My eyes met someone¡¯s eyes. Another hero, I felt it down to my core. Without warning we flared magic. Him young, I older. We fought for different reasons. I fought for my daughter. Ice and lighting clashed. The army''s never took a step forward, never said a word. I won by impaling him from below, the icey ground too slippery to move. His lighting could not melt my ice quick enough. I brought his body in the sky.


    A banner to my power. I breathed on the other army. They laid down their arms. They were allowed to thaw there dead, and burn them.


    Years passed. I read, studied, painted in my wife¡¯s studio. I was left in peace. I had few friends.


    To you, young hero who found this. I lie on my deathbed. I killed a dragon. I faced my fears at the end of my life. I bring to you a secret of magic. It is freely given by the gods. But they influence it. A story for the people. I won the battle with the other hero by both power, age, and my reason to fight. Fight with a reason, always. Fight with a reason that would bring your god more glory though stories passed on.


    Be it for family. Friends. Vengeance. Honor. Love. Just make sure it is worth more than the other. Or that it what I think.


    I feel sleep coming. I said my goodbye to my daughter, and my grandchildren. Beautiful things, so well mannered. She married well. He can protect her better than I protected my wife¡­


    My name is Satin Winter. This is my mark on the world. I love you my dear wife, my dear daughter, my dear grandchildren. I would gladly freeze the world for you. Please, protect one my children. Just one would be fine, fellow Hero.


    I close the door and look to the the side. Shio is still asleep. That was interesting. An aspect to mana rigged by the gods? A need to keep up appearances? What would be the greatest story. One of love is well known. A knight saving a princess form a castle guarded by a dragon.


    I need a story. A drive. I relax into the leather chair with my eyes closed. Shio asleep while the book rest on my lap closed. I feel my mana soaking into the marble of the floor. The odd white stone of the walls. The bookcases. The books. A sense of being everything. It is a odd, new sense. I feel someone outside of the door. They are talking.


    ¡°Shio.¡± I bring myself back down to earth. An unusual sense of focus sets my mind into the motion of making stars. An intent of keeping Shio form harm. A beast sense of protectiveness.


    She rouses form her sleep. She looks around, blinking the sleep from her eyes, ¡°I finished the book. A man who loved his family. He asked who ever read it to protect one of his descendants. Do heroes keep people he trust and knows around him?¡±


    She nods. Her eyes going wide, ¡°Would you like to be in my little marry band? It will not be nice at times, but you will always have me near. A force to protect you.¡± A story of friendship, and maybe love. A story where I will do anything for my friends, my lover. My face breaks out in a wide smile as I feel someone on the other side of the doors start to open them.


    She nods. She presses her body on mine in a hug. More a embrace. Her shoulders rising and lowering in mute sobs. I stroke her hair, saying sweet nothings as what I assume is her father and mother walk in. Schooled neutral looks in their eyes.


    I rise a single star to the center of the room, away from the books. The mana grows heavier. A star made of mana makes more energy, heavier and more active mana. Just a realization that hit me while reading. All I need to do is make a single star. They I let it make more and more mana. Divine inspiration, is it?


    ¡°Did you put Shio in ice? Like Satin did to himself? Is that how she lost her voice?¡± I feel tears and heat bloom in my chest. The star in the room roars in shared anger. Lashing out. Leaving the marble floor bubbling but I demand that she remains unharmed. Untouched. Her body stiff in the embrace. It has became more of a scared clinging.


    I feel her hands tug mine, ¡°S-a-v-e. M-e.¡±


    ¡°We did a rite of passage for any mage in our family, the baptism of winter. She failed. She became useless, only good to marry off.¡± Her father spoke. My heart sank as I feel her shake in my arms. I let out a few tears for this poor girl as my emotions roll over me. Raw, uncontrolled. The mana tearing down any sense of control that I have, reducing me to a beast. But I need a beast here.


    A beast is not scared to lash out.


    ¡°She is mine now. You disgusting piece of human trash.¡± I stand up. Carrying this poor girl in my arms. I hug her tight as the mana grows thicker, they added their on mine. But mine is thicker, stronger. I move the star with my tail. Instincts telling me how to move it.


    The man, struggling to stand shoots a blast of ice at me. It turns to steam.


    The woman tries to shoot a spike of ice at me. It simply turns to steam feet away from me.


    ¡°You just tried to kill me.¡± I whisper this. Shio understands and turns her head away. I throw the star at the man. The star hits his torso. It simply turns it to ash. The head falls in, burning to nothing. The ash has simply combusted in the heat. But I only feel heat. The heat of anger in my chest. This is not the world I thought it to be.


    One where they scar children. See them as useless afterwards.


    This is not a world that I like. I will change it. Starting with these fucking piece of scum.


    The women is screaming. I choke her with my raw mana. I watch with a savage grin, watching as she struggles on the ground, gripping her neck. Her entire body is covered in burns form being near my star. Her clothes burning, shrinking into her flesh forcing it to be burnt bloody. But I am killing her slowly, by suffocating her.


    I walk closer. The smell of burnt flesh is disgusting. I kick her down. I step on her neck, I crush her throat with my bare foot. I watch the entire time. Only feeling a brutal pleasure of watching her cry and die with my heel literally on her neck.


    Her body goes limp. Her eyes go blank. Shio cries in my chest.


    I step over the remains, a pair of legs and fingers that were not burnt. The mother a red and bloodied mess. A burn victim. But her throat malformed.


    My first two kills. And I feel nothing but spite that I could not hurt them longer, to even out the pain that they have caused Shio. My possession.


    We walk through the home. My mana following me as my tail wraps around the single star. The house warping in my wake. The mana follows my star as if drawn and held in place by gravity. So many things happen, and I only notice them, ¡°Do you hate me?¡±


    She shakes her head. She is shaking badly, ¡°Did you hate them?¡± She nods.


    ¡°If anyone ask. Say exactly what happened. They attacked, trying to kill me. I ended their lives. Do you have sisters or brothers?¡± She nods, ¡°So you do not inherit the house of winter?¡± She shakes her head, ¡°Shame.¡±


    We walk out of the manor. Well I had to nudge the door open with my shoulder. Shio is not being helpful and she refuses to let go of me.


    Once the doors open, out in front of the house are older men. All dressed in robes. Their fields adding on the weight of mine.


    In my field of influence, it is growing darker. The star slowly refines the mana inside of it. The mana inside of me. Refining it to a heavier, stronger form of itself.


    It now looks like a fog has settled around me.  A fog of mana.


    ¡°Hero of Stars¡­ You are under arrest for the murder of Lady and Lord Winter.¡± A serious man in armour stepped forward. Loudly speaking out to me.


    ¡°It was self defense. They were mad, they lashed out at both myself and Lady Shio. I was invited in the home by Shio. I was asked to use my mana to unlock a book left by The Hero of Winter. A diary. If you try to arrest me for preserving my own life. I am leaving this country.¡± The longer I stand outside of the house. The more it warps form the passive heat of the star held in my tail. In fact some of it has caught on fire. Stone, has caught on fire. It is burning white.


    I walk forward. Down the steps and toward the men in armour and robes, ¡°Capti¡¯n! He is resisting! Let us kill the damn beast-kin! Shouldn¡¯t be out of their country expect in collars!¡±


    Fucking slavery huh? I¡¯ll admit. It is a useful, if despicable act back in my world. I think every single of the ancient wonders were built on the back of slave labor.


    But, ¡°I will not be chained. I will not die. You.¡± I look to the little shit who spoke out. Younger than the rest. New, ¡°Are in need of discipline.¡±


    The young man¡¯s face changes into one of rage. It is a man in armour. He charged me with a sword coated in ice, ¡°Clint! No! Stand down, STAND DOWN!¡± The knight, I am going to call him that. The knight charges me. His armour grows ice. But it evaporates. His charge slows a few feet. He collapses at my feet. The sword and armour glowing red. His screams fill the air. I wince.


    My ears go flat, and Shio shakes worse. I step on his throat and push down harshly, ¡°Shut the fuck up. Your noise hurts my fucking ears.¡±


    ¡°Sir Hero! Please! Please let my son go! Please¡­¡± The head knight gives in. His son?


    I kick the knight down the steps. I push with my mana, blowing him to his father, ¡°He came at me with intent of taking my life. Teach him better. I am going to go rest.¡±


    I let Shio down. My mana vanishes into the star. It collapses into a black hole. Then it vanishes. I feel something like liquid fire sink into my veins. Something similar to feeling your blood flowing. Shio grabs hold of my hand and leads me back to the college. My body sags in exhaustion during the long walk, ¡°Are you scared of me?¡±


    She nods.


    ¡°That is ok. A star¡¯s light can be gentle...Or brutal. I am thinking of traveling. Would you like to come with me?¡± She nods, her hand tightens around mine.


    I have never really hurt someone before. But I just killed. I killed...Why do I feel the same? The most I feel is a small instinctual disgust of the pile of burnt flesh that her mother ended up as. But the act of taking a life? I felt nothing, besides pride, contempt, and safaction of watching them die so easily.


    ¡°I promise to protect you Shiro.¡± I tighten my hand. A grin on my tired face as I feel something click. Just a feeling of understanding. I can not harm her with the aftermath of my stars. A sense of clarity. The world under a list that I shall harm. Her, the only thing I want to protect. A start of a story? One fueled by friendship and love. Now I wait for something to try and hurt her. To upset her. I just have to wait. If the royalty tries to end us. I will end them.


    I feel so free. I am a beast. A being above dragons. I will not hold myself down. The book made a few things clear.


    Our magic has rules. Mine is different, or my quick ability with it. It comes as instincts.


    It is like learning a limb that I forgot that I had. It is fully formed, muscled. I need to simply stop thinking, and use it. Like moving a finger. You just move it. Not pull down on the tendon that is attached to the joint above the knuckle while moving the part that connects to the hand in the ball socket.


    That is how a mage learns. They build up their muscles by practicing and learning. I was born with it formed, I just need to listen.


    We walk past the towers. The students still practice while being watched over. My ears go up, twisting to listen. It is strange. I never really thought of them and my tail. I still picture myself as human mostly. It will take time to have a proper mental picture.


    We walk up the stairs. We are not stopped. We end up in front of my room. I walk in, freeing my hand of Shio¡¯s. Poor girl. Practically tortured, trained to be sold off¡­ Now I am using her for power. Bad luck on her part. I care for her, a bit. A friend that I am attracted to physically. It is cold. But if she is happy who cares? I have a source of power. A way to gain help through the gods If what I am thinking is right. A way to weight everything in my favor. But that means I will need loved one, people, on the surface that I care for. I am not emotionally dead. I feel. I just do not know what I am going to end up as. I am less shy, more viscous. I feel more confident. I am not sure what I am going to end as. Maybe a proper villain, but I do not want to be robbed of love.


    We enter my room. The blankets have been picked up, the bed made. On the bed is a letter.


    I take it, and open it.


    Dear Chosen of Star.


    I am the current head of the nation of demons. A demon king if you will.


    I was picked by your goddess to be your heavenly tutor. At your early convenience, please head east to the badlands. I can no promise your safety till you arrive at my nation¡¯s capital. But it will be well worth it.


    With care,


    King Standford the 14th of his name.


    Huh. Standford? Really?

 Farewell Marshell

    I close the letter. I sigh. I burn the letter.


    I lay down in the bed of death, I feel another body lay down in it as well, ¡°Are you going to sleep with me Shio, it is only mid day. I just need a nap¡­¡± I sit up. The door is closed. A girl is in my bed. I am too tired to care. Emotionally and physically. You can only deal with so much rage and mana before you kneel over.


    I close my eyes, laying on my side under the covers. I feel the covers lift, a body pressed against mine. The smell of some kind of perfume. Warmth, tender warmth. Than sleep.


    ~~~


    ¡°My dear chosen.¡± I open my eyes. In front of me is my goddess. Well, it is a continuation of the last dream. My head is resting in her lap. Her mana runs through me and I take a deep breath, like a man breathing truly for the first time. My entire being shakes with pleasure. A large grin plasters itself on my face.


    ¡°I am lucid this time.¡±


    ¡°That you are my chosen. Y-you killed for the first time¡­¡± She looks saddened.


    ¡°Did I do something wrong, my goddess of the stars?¡±


    ¡°Are you not disturbed¡­ In need of council?¡±


    ¡°I am not my goddess. They attacked me. I killed them. I did not know them. They were walking sacks of meat with the faces and voices of people. Disgusting pile of meats. My anger was just. My anger was righteous. My anger made more power for me, in the way of someone to care for.¡± I reach up and stroke my steller goddess¡¯s cheek. It feels like skin, soft and warm like a warm bath.


    ¡°I-I see.. I-I think I understand...My chosen¡­¡±


    We sit in silence. My frequent coughing being the only breaks in the quiet, ¡°Sleep¡­ Dear chosen...Sleep and awake in your world...One that you own¡­¡±


    ¡°Will I see you again?¡± My voice sounded desperate. I reach up and stroke her cheek once more. Her hand grasp mine.


    ¡°Maybe...Maybe my dear hero...You have earned me a city full of prayers¡­¡± She takes my hand, brings it to her lips and kisses the back of my hand.


    I fall asleep, a sense of pride and happiness running through my mind and body.


    ~~~


    I awake. I fall asleep near him. My hell was burned¡­ His harsh fire became warm to me.


    I woke from a nightmare less sleep for once in my life. Thanks to him.


    My parents are gone. Thanks to him


    That house will never welcome or force me inside again. Thanks to him.


    Everything that has plagued my life¡­ is gone. Thanks to him.


    I will stay by his side till he has no more use for me. I do not care what he does. I am free. I am selfish. I love this Cat-kin, with my entire heart.


    Nothing it better than laying in this bed, watching him sleep peacefully with that strange smile on his lips.


    I reach over and stroke his cheek. His skin soft. His hair, or fur. Very soft. His tail ended up wrapped around my leg. I do not mind. It is him.


    My hero. My savior.


    The kind man that killed high nobel¡¯s for my sake.


    The kind man that claimed me, as his.


    The book changed him. It gave him a drive.


    Thank you my ancestor. Thank you for giving him a purpose, a drive in his life. A reason for him to push his energy forth. A reason for me to devote myself to him.


    Someone knocks on the door. I knock on the bed once.


    ¡°Lady Shio does not want to be bothered.¡± Marble voice is quite form behind the door. I want to enjoy this.


    Ivan sturs around a hour later. His eyes blink open. His pupils narrow till they can handle the light in the room. I smile at him. He smiles back. My heart flutters. My stomach churns. My body too cold to blush.


    ¡°Ah, I am sorry Shio. I still do not control my tail very well. I simply put it out of my mind and it does what it likes.¡±


    There is no reason to worry¡­ None at all¡­


    A rumbling sound comes for him. To both of our shocks. He purred? I thought that only house cats did something like that¡­


    His face turns to a grin, than a chuckle. His ears are perked up and alert. I wonder what it is like to have those. Or his eyes. Or his tail.


    He sits up, and stretches. He gets up and walks to the bathroom, taking off his leather shirt. Showing off his bare chest. My eyes draw up and down his figure. My body heats up. I hide in the plush covers, ¡°Shio...How do you use the baths?¡±


    I get up from the bed. My body loses much of the heat that it stockpiled form him, and the sheets. I shiver.


    I walk into the bathroom to see him only in a pair of undergarments. My mind blanks. ¡°Shio.¡± I look to where he is pointing. The tub. I walk over to it and press my hand on one of the three runs. I sign out, those weird and wonderful signs that only he and I understand. Only ours.


    ¡°H-e-a-t.¡±


    ¡°C-o-l-d.¡±


    ¡°N-o-r-m-a-l.¡± I am lacking in words¡­ But it does not matter. He understood. He uses the heat rune, drawing the bath till it is steaming. Such a humble man...He has such power. He can command such terror that royal knights back off and let him have peace. But he draws his own bath.


    ¡°Thank you Shio. I will let you use it next.¡± A small mental picture runs through my mind. Of us in the bath, together. Enjoying the warmth and each other. I nod, trying to flush the picture out. I walk out of the bathroom. I close the door behind me and return to the bed.


    I fall asleep again. Tired. Mental exhaustion.


    I wake up to a hand on my shoulder and Ivan¡¯s quiet voice, ¡°Shio. You can use the bathroom if you like.¡± I nod sleepily.


    I get up, walk into the bathroom and take off my dress. I fold it, and my undergarments beside the tub. The water is still steaming. I put a hand in it. I clench my fist. It hurts, the heat hurts for a moment before becoming soothing. I step in. I let out a soundless whimper. But the pain fades, and warmth remains.


    I fall asleep in the bath.


    A knock on the door wakes me up. I have slept so much today¡­ I will not at all tonight.


    I stand up out of the bath to answer the door. But I have never taken such a hot bath before, I fall to the ground as the world twirls.


    ¡°Shio, are you alright?¡± The kind man opens the door. I look up to meet his eyes. The world twirls, ¡°Poor thing. You were in there for awhile.¡± He picks me up so easily. My naked body is pressed against his chest. There is no words for the bliss.


    He lies me in the bed, bringing the sheets up to make me modest. Does...he not like my body? I-I hope he does. I hope he likes everything about me¡­


    I hope this kind man loves me...He is the only thing I have left in this world...Do you love me of kind hero? Oh, kind, modest, terrifying hero. Do you love me? A broken, houseless, orphaned girl? At least you care enough to make sure I am ok¡­ Oh kind hero. Thank you for caring for me. You are my world. You, have killed off everything else that was in it.


    Killed with such malice. For my sake. Kind hero. Scary hero. But mostly kind. No matter what. I will stay by your side...I do not care if I even have to kill, to keep my place by your side I will do anything. Anything.


    ~~~


    The poor girl fainted getting out of the bath. Well, fell. Form the heat I think.


    She has freezer burn scars all over her body. Almost every inch of her milky skin has some sort of scar. Well besides that parts that everyone would see like her face, neck and hands. I think she might have some nerve damage as well. Just a guess form how bad these scars are. If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    I will ask later. It might be part of the family secret to handle ice as well as they did. Selective healing, leaving the nerves that sense heat dead? Something that leads to a better focus and understanding of the ice?


    Do mages have those moments of¡­ well... eukira?


    Things to think about at another time. I have my whole life ahead of me to think and ask. The no is more important.


    ¡°Hero Ivan Mercer, the Headmaster ask for you in his study.¡±


    ¡°Thank you Marble. I will head there now. Make sure Shio is not bothered, she must be tired for today.¡± A smile Ivan.


    I look to the mirror. An eerie smile on my face. An upturn of the corner of the lips. A disturbing smirk showing the tips of sharp carnivore teeth. A face I am use to seeing in the mirror, but so many differences. Enough to forgot that I was once human. Have I lost that little, special thing that everyone called humanity? Why am I not bothered if I had?


    I straighten my god gifted outfit. Every single bit of it fitting perfect, every inch of looks like it was made to be put on my body. I sometimes forget I am wearing it. It feels like a second layer of skin that breaths with me, moves with me.


    I head out of the door. I know the path to the headmaster¡¯s office, study area. I was escorted quite often to it.


    A few minutes of walk pass. My bare feet quietly tapping on the marble floor. Something else, I only recently noticed that I had no shoes! I will have to fix that at some point.


    I open the door and walk inside. The headmaster is sitting behind his desk, a cup of a some sort liquor is in his hand, ¡°Yes Headmaster?¡± I tilt my head and look him in the eyes. It startles me how easy this comes to me. The smile, the small tilt of the head. The relaxed poster. The wide eyes that show off my dark brown eyes. My unnatural slitted brown eyes. How I know they are as thin as they could be? I am looking at him, and a large window is behind him.


    More light, the narrower they get. The less, the wider they get. Cat eyes are awesome.


    ¡°Ivan¡­ I will cut straight to the point. The noble assembly wants your head on a pike. The King wants you arrested and tried in a rigged trial to appease the posh idiots with no survival instincts. I am the only one in your corne-¡±


    ¡°You''re trying to keep the idiot nobels alive, inbreeding finally caught up with them?¡± The Headmaster looks me in the eyes, for a moment. In those eyes I see a iron will. Someone who will not be broken by regular people, by battles, by pain. I am not sure why my first instinct is to test that will. I know I had anger problems, I am cruel and vindictive, but I do not hand out random and impulse torture.


    ...Since when could I think of things like that without breaking a smile? How much did Fata Stele chang me. Changed me for the better, I think. I do not think I could do stuff like I did to those two ice wielding twats. I was too kind, and she culled that kindness. Would I thank her before this? Maybe not. Good brainwashing is making them realized they have been brainwashed, and is thankful for it.


    I am thankful.


    No need to change.


    ¡°Ivan...Are you paying attention?¡±


    ¡°No, not really. I was thinking how being reborn as a Cat-kin has changed me.¡±


    A flash of interest passes through his eyes. I wonder why, ¡°Enlighten me, Ivan.¡±


    ¡°I lost what most would call their humanity, I think. I do not think I actually ever had it. I look at you and see a walking mass of flesh held together by a wondrous unity of bone, muscles, and blood. I look at Shio, and see a girl that the world has abused. A kind and sweet girl that felt so alone, and was alone.¡±


    I walk up a few steps, ¡°So I acted. It could''ve been anyone. It could''ve been the fire headed girl. It could¡¯ve been the elf. It could¡¯ve been your granddaughter that I would of burnt the world down for their happiness. Not love, but attachment. I lost that little part that would¡¯ve had me care for those that I am burning. Sympathy for those who I do not know the names of.¡± I smile at him. A bit too wide I think. His eyes tell. They show fear. Not for his life, but that creeping fear that you have when you realize you are in the room with a predator.


    I am the biggest cat in the room. I have the sharpest claws. The loudest roar. Get all the cat analogies? Because I am a cat? Eh, same feeling. I am stronger, and both of those strange instincts are telling us that is the truth. Why am I putting on this display even though he wants to help me out of self interest? Because there is something that gets my heart pumping when I see their eyes go wide with fear.


    I want it.


    I crave it.


    It makes me smile.


    It makes me feel good about myself.


    I am scary.


    Fata Stele is their only hope to sleep at night.


    A boogie man would feel nice...Maybe that is what I would be. This world¡¯s boogeyman.


    ¡°I want you out of this city.¡± He spoke up. A man willing to act through fear. The real hero between us.


    ¡°I was planning on traveling. I do not want to be bound to a single city. The world is wide. It is beautiful. Am I am finally thinking I know just, barely enough about myself and my magic. Instincts rule it. A sourcer is the name I think I like. Sourcer Hero of Fata Stele, that does sound epic.¡± I smile at him and chuckle.


    ¡°Beast. Get out of my city. You want coin? I¡¯ll get you enough to live comfortably.¡± He finally dropped the act. He saw though everything, but how long ago? Dumb hero types, didn''t kill me.


    ¡°Alright. I will be in my room for a bit. I got to tell Shio we are leaving.¡± I smile even wider. A smile that goes up to my eyes. I see his shoulders shiver. Sharp teeth are quite scary.


    ¡°Was that kind, and quiet man I first meet an act?¡±


    ¡°No. It was how I use to be. Overly kind, too shy. I am still a bit shy of course. Nothing much has changed. I just know much more. Just a week or so I lived here. And I saw a world I hated. I saw people I hated. That man is standing in front of you. Just knowing he is too powerful to be stopped. That joy of magic is still there. The kindness is being shown to Shio. I just do not see most people here as worth it anymore.¡± I leave the room.


    I walk to me room. I open the door and see Shio laying in the bed. Sleeping still.


    I walk up to her and pat her face lightly, speaking in a quiet and warm tone. I find it amazing I can switch like this. The predator prowling in a room, to a close confidant mixed with lover closeness. Too much for a lonely and attention starved girl to deny.


    I am quite manipulative¡­ bluntly now¡­ What will the future hold?


    She stirs and rises up from the sheets. The fabric falling off her small chest showing scars over her breast and parts of her stomach, ¡°We are leaving soon. The headmaster is banishing us form the city. The nobles find our acts unforgivable. We are pawns in the king''s eyes, to be hanged to ease those who have power. They hate us, so we must leave.¡± I stroke her cheek. She leans into the touch. Her face blushed. No effort to hide her body. I wonder how alone she felt to act like this to the first person to show her affection.


    It is sad.


    I retrieve her clothes. She puts them on. Just some type of panties, and a white sundress. She has lost all of her claim to wealth. But she still smiles, refusing to leave me side.


    The headmaster daughter walks in at some point while I am teaching Shio more words in sign language.


    ¡°Wow, Ivan. The heads of a high noble family, AND walking off with their daughter. You are going to be the talk of the capital for years.¡± She sets a small sack on the table. A map, and a smaller map of the city, ¡°Go their. A wagon is waiting for you to leave. If any guards stop you, tell them that you have business with the crown. Or magic your way out. This city could use a bit more craters.¡±


    ¡°I will not. By myself? Maybe. But not with Shio, not with her life on the line.¡±


    ¡°Her life is not in danger!¡± For the first time, I heard the maid scream, ¡°Just do it! Burn this wretched city so I can leave it and start somewhere else where I am not called a whore¡¯s child, a bastard spawn! I don''t want to be picked by my grandfather who only keeps me around to care for these up tight nobles who treat me like a piece of furniture!¡± Her shoulders rise and lower, over and over as she lets out the fumes of her anger at her life. So many people that are unhappy.


    ¡°Why not come with us?¡± I tilt my head. This¡­ seems to confuse her. All the anger, the rebellious spirit, the passion tripped over itself in confusion, ¡°I do not know how to cook or clean without a pan or a washer. Shio¡­ Might.¡± She shakes her head, ¡°Nevermind. She is too pretty for that.¡± I chuckle. Shio tilts her head.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± Oh, I got her attention. It might be helpful to have someone who knows the world that can actually speak and barter.


    ¡°West I am thinking. I heard about demons and I wish to see and speak to one. After that I am going to spread the word of Fata Stele. I will sleep under the night sky and just see this new world. I have only been here a week or so. In that time I have killed, I have used magic, I have walked longer than I thought i could in my body.¡±


    ¡°...I will come. Only to see the world. I heard rumors. They are calling you a villain masquerading as a hero.¡± There is a look of conflict in her face. But the hatred for this city seems to have won out. Has she hated this place that much? Jumping on the first way out? Well she could of just left I think.


    ¡°Alright, will you guide Shio and I down to the wagon...I also have no clue how to guide horses. Do you Shio?¡± She nods, ¡°Ok we are not hopeless than. Let us head out. I have nothing besides the clothes on my back¡­ and I doubt Shio could go home. About you Sylvia?¡±


    ¡°Nothing I would like to keep. We can get clothes in a town we stop by, unlike you Mister Villain. Shio and I would like clothes to change into for a bit of verity.¡±


    ¡°Alright. Lead the way.¡± The now ex-maid. Well, I think running away is a pretty good resignation letter. Well, the ex-maid leads out of the room to the center staircase. The one look I got outside showed the sun was almost completely hidden behind the horizon. We walk and walk.


    Magic. Just fucking make elevators already. You¡¯ll have more likeable elders with poofy white beards. Just how many wise old men have kneeled over climbing you shitty stairs?


    We arrive at the bottom. The halls are empty except for the hero of the sword. He is dressed in armour, shining white armour with a new sword. His eyes hold fear and determination. Behind him are a number of knights, ¡°Did the Headmaster arrange for this?¡± I flair my magic. I chuckle as the tower groans from the shifting pressure on it. The two girls are now behind me.


    I take a deep breath. I feel my ribs expand, move and flex to fit my expanded lungs. I feel how the simple act of breathing changes the mana around me. How breathing in causes it to swirl. One part moves, but that part moves another, and another, and another. By the end, a star is above me. A dark purple ball of plasma breathing by itself.


    The knights almost seem to have their spirits broken but the hero of the sword looks at the star with the eyes of a traumatized soldier. The act, they fight.


    He charges. The knights follow. I grab the star with my bare hand. It is about the size of a snowglobe. I breath on it. I feel it grow. It grows. The stone under me reflects the purple light bathing this hall in a eerie glow. I toss it, underhand. Like a softball pitcher.


    The knights turn and run. The hero stands his ground, dodging the ball of fire. I smile at him and wave, ¡°Goodbye wielder of odd metal.¡±


    The star goes supernova.


    Unlike fire which is a transfer of heat across atoms, plasma is actual matter in another state. This, well. I told her I wanted star grenades.


    The knights are cooked alive like pieces of meat in tin foil. Little, tiny sand sized parts of plasma magic peper them. Most stars go supernova very shortly after they fuse iron, but in that short time they fuse every single element as well. I smile, a very wide smile. The heat seems to be the main killer. The sword hero is on the ground, sobbing. His arms crushed by the shockwave, his sword shattered with the pieces all over the ground. His armour literally red hot and fusing onto his skin as he cries, ¡°Gods...Have Mercry¡­¡± Syliva has never seen my magic much has she?


    I walk up to the hero. The actual hero of this story. He was not wearing a helmet. I step on his neck and smile at him, ¡°You dumb little shit. You tried. Again. Now your life is forfeit. Came form a farm? Should of stayed there shoveling cow shit. Because now you are going to die. You are going to die here, in pain. Burning and choking alive with my foot on your neck. And I am going to enjoy every moment of it. If there is some sort of afterlife, you better hope my god is judging where you go. She is beautiful, kind, and gentle. She took in all the qualities that I left to become what I needed to be in this world. To become what I wanted to be but was too weak spirited to be.¡± His struggles are dying. Time to finish my little rant, ¡°Well, some people call us her-¡±


    A thump is heard through the wall. The sound of something piercing flesh is heard. I turn to look at what happen and see Shio on the ground, blood soaking her white sun dress. Form the other entrances are knights with ranged weapons.


    I walk over to her. The world just...stops becoming important. My eyes grow blurry with tears as I bend over to take her hand, ¡°S-shio? H-how do I heal you?¡± She isn''t moving. She isn''t breathing. Her eyes are wide and the crossbow bolt went through her heart. I think the shock killed her. I hug her close and rock her a bit. Heat blooms in my chest.


    She wa, ¡°s MINE!¡± I let the heat out. The tower groans once more. The crossroad path with the archer. The walls began to melt. Outside the sun sets. Stars reign the night sky. And I rip a part of the night sky out and summon it here. Stars, countless hot stars fill the halls. All of different colors, ¡°You fucking animals could not let me have the ONE fucking thing I claimed in this shitty city. The one girl that was going to help me so much, the one girl that actually got some sort of feeling BESIDES the urge to rip out your throats and burn this country and salt the land.¡±


    Her body turns to ash. Falling from my hands. The children in armour began to scream as it starts melting onto their own skin.


    ¡°You provoked me. I was offered a way out, and you provoked me!¡± This part comes out as a scream. Not a rageful roar of a battle hardened warrior. But a cracky scream of a man going under a panic attack.


    I force the stars together. They collect, and collect. I walk outside, past the burnt corpses covered in molten steel. I hold a ball of starfire. I hold a star larger than myself. I hold my revenge against this fucking country. I look to the palace, and I throw it. I look up and see part of the night sky is blank. A empty blackness. I literally ripped stars form the sky. Is that where my magic comes from? The actual stars?


    A barrier of magic effects around the palace but the star does not care. The star burns through it and hits the palace. Then it goes off. I have to look away form the brightness of the explosion.


    Over the course of a few minutes I let out a few calming breaths. I liked Shio. Not love, I liked her. I liked her. I liked her. She is replaceable. There are countless with traumatic past, all that stuff. But...It hurts to be loved and failed that source of affection.


    I look back at the palace and see a husk of marble that is on fire. Most of it is gone but the ruins have literally caught on fire. Nothing lived. I start to walk toward a gate. I do not feel faint yet. I look up and see the empty patch of sky has come back. Do I borrow it?


    ¡°Ivan...Oh gods Ivan what did you do!¡± I forge another star. I turn with it in my hand. I see Syliva, her hand over her mouth.


    ¡°We are leaving. I already cremated Shio by accident.  This country shall end, they have provoked me.¡± I continue to walk. Sylvia, being a smart girl walks after me, holding her hands in her skirt.


    Shio comes to mind. I squeeze the star in my hand. Everything around us bathed in purple. Every star I make is giant. Large enough to be purple. Comparing it to the yellow ball in the sky is like comparing the sun to the Earth. Simply too large to properly imagine. I need to make it bigger. Have enough power to prevent something I like being killed or destroyed. They are mine. They belong to me. I am selfish, I do not like to share.


    After a while of walking Sylvia stops in front of a wagon left on the side of the main street road on the lower level. I toss the star to the towers and watch as it explodes, taking out the towers and most likely killing those inside. There power is gone. There leadership is gone. I just wiped out a country.


    It might go by the same name. But it will not be the same.


    Sylvia gets the horses ready, and I get in the back with the supplies where I try to sleep this nightmare day away.

 The road and new friend!

    I look down at the girl in white. Spread form her left breast is a flood of blood, ¡°Child of Snow.¡±


    ¡°I am not a child of that bastard family.¡± Her face lights up. The amazement and happiness...Than the horror as she looks around with tears in her eyes, ¡°Ivan? Ivan! No no no! I could not be taken away from him! I was meant to be by his side!¡± She turns to me. A mixture of fear, sadness, and anger painted on her face, ¡°He is alive? Of course he is. What could kill him? Can you send me back to him? I beg of you. I will do anything, I liked being near him. It was so warm...So comfortable¡­ I felt needed¡­¡± She seems to have lost the energy and fever that she held in her eyes for a moment.


    ¡°You are dead, child of snow. You took a bolt that would of injured him, crippling one of his lungs. He would of struggled without your sacrifice, now he is leaving the capitol in ashes, and flames.¡±


    ¡°Good...That cesspool deserved to end¡­¡±


    ¡°Child of snow. Denounce your lineage, and I can offer you an alternative to reincarnation.¡±


    ¡°What do I have to say¡­ You are Fata Stele aren¡¯t you? He was right. You are beautiful¡­¡± Her eyes are on me. Her eyes are looking over my figure. Her eyes are scanning each and every inch of me. I was watching when she was so gently held.


    Chosen influence the gods, the gods influence the heros.


    I took away much of his inhibitions. Maybe a bit too much. I feel care for him, beyond that should be normal. But what god would not love such pure pitey? No seeking power as he has it. He is simply grateful, ¡°Thank you. Simply say, ¡®I deny the name of Snow.¡±


    ¡°I deny the name of Snow.¡± I smile as a layer of magic slides off of her and vanishes. That small claim that Snow had on her, and her family is gone. The power held in it, is gone. They will not be born with great mages of frost


    ¡°The best thing I can do¡­ Is give you a chance. I will kill someone, and your soul will fill their body. Can you do that? Are you willing to kill, to destroy someone¡¯s soul just to be by his side?¡±


    She nods. Desperately. I smile at her. This will teach that battle loving, stick swinging, piss poor heat lamp god about intervention. Other gods can do it as well.


    I believe Ivan has imparted some of his grudge holding off on me. I do not mind it. A worthy trade.


    That girl that is traveling with him. The last heiress to the Throne of Light. Too protected. A slave is running towards his cart after the explosion that doomed the country. It seems she got lose. She is not diseased. She is a bit younger than he is. Her body is similar to mine. If this girl is in it, I am sure that he will welcome her.


    I pluck her soul out and watch as she falls to the ground limp. I crush it and scatter the remains in the night sky. I ease it on, causing the energy to form into a star made of a soul. It is quiet and dark, her life not important or long enough to make a lovely and bright star. I forgot the pleasure of making these myself¡­ The elves that I pulled danced the stars into the sky. But Ivan is strange. He calls them. He tames them. He holds so much of it back while changing it into something so intense.


    What he thinks is a star¡­ Is terrifying. Just a bit of its power, just a bit. It destroyed so much. It poisoned the land. That will become hallowed grounds for me in time. Only those devote could live on it...He did something. And I think I am starting to love him for it.


    I grab the soul of the white haired girl in front of me and push her into the body. Wiping the memories, everything besides warmth. I guide her with a compulsion. Safety, warmth, love. It is all that way. A man to dream about. A wonderful, word abiding man. So many prayers. The last prayer of the hero of sword was to me of all people! A cry to stop the pain! So I gave him death and a place among the stars, to amaze and add wonder to those who look up...Forever.


    ~~~


    I wake up. The sun is bright. I blink. I hiss at it, ¡°Fuck! I just remembered the suit!¡±


    ¡°Did you actually hiss, also what suit?¡± The voice of the maid is heard form the head of the wagon. I feel it actually stop. So I get up and slide out of the back so I can stretch my body while looking around. Mostly plains, I kinda boring look. I see trees. The road. Grass. Little rocks. Not much else.


    I miss Shio. With her it was a comfortable silence. Right now there is a tension between the maid and I, ¡°Shio and I were having a suit made for me so I had something else to wear than my leathers.¡±


    ¡°...And after killing a castle and collage full of people, that is what you care about?¡± Sylvia looks to me with her head tilted to the side. Her face is frozen in confusion.


    ¡°Yes! Those people killed Shio and tried to kill me! ME! The hero of the greatest goddess that his sad world has ever seen.¡± I stand up and spread my arms. I feel much more free, open and the words flow out of my mouth easily while I grin at this poor maid in front me, ¡°Rest, your are a orphan now. I am going to practice my magic.¡± I walk a bit away from the wagon. I give her no chance to talk back.


    A few good few hundred yet away I sit in the grass and summon a star almost instantly. It comes so easy now. I swirl my hand in the mana. This makes higher and lower pressure zones. In the higher pressure zones the mana collapses under its on weight. The event horizon for the mana rest above the star itself, constantly drawing more and more mana inside of it. This causes low pressure around the star I made causing mana to rush in and fill in the space. Mana likes to be equalized¡­ But this starts causing low and high pressures. More and more stars are dwaren in more and more. This lightens the fog of mana around me while the stars themself bath everything around me in countless snowglobe sized balls of mana acting like stars. Behaving like stars. Becoming them.


    I look around and on the horizon I see a figure limping towards me. I tilt my head and with a smile I walk to the figure. It is a girl. A bruised and bloodied girl that reminds me of Shio. I should take her in. Like a form of coping when you get a new cat or dog, you get one that looks like the one that died but you hope it acts different deep down.


    I banish the stars. I let them collapse on themselves. Than the corpses of the stars evaporate into nothingness leaving none of my magic behind. Some has returned to me through a function of the process that I am unaware of at the time. I look up to the sky¡­ It''s like...Noonish?The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    The girl stumbles to me. Her clothes are ripped by thorns and what looks like blades. I sigh as I look her over. She''s around my age. Her hair is a beautiful deep red, her face is sharp and beautiful, her eyes are blue. A deep unnatural velvet blue, one of my favorite colors, ¡°Hello there. I am a Hero, I will keep you safe.¡± I give her my best smile. A upturn of the lips.


    ~~~


    I saw glistening lights far away. They blinked into reality one by one. A star after a star. I pushed my body forward.


    Quicker. Faster. I fell a few times. The stars vanished into orbs of darkness. They looked wrong. My mind could not understand what I saw. But I kept limping forward.


    A Cat-kin. A handsome man met me and smiled, ¡°Hello there. I am a Hero, I will keep you safe.¡± He bent down slightly to hug me. And I never felt so warm. Warm, happy, and safe. So I sobbed. I sobbed. I cried out the pain of being kidnapped, beaten, groped and told over and over the only reason they have not used me is because I would cost more untouched.


    But a hero. It is fate that I am going to be saved. That dream... that dream that I can not erase still is stuck in my mind. A kind hero saving me. A handsome hero of unimaginable power. A hero with eyes for me and me alone. A hero that holds glistening lights that burn the air and land around him. And he exist. He exist. Thank you gods. Thank you Fata Stele.


    ~~~


    I guide the girl back to the cart thing. The horses are eating and shitting. I fourge through the bags and pull out some basic clothing that was apparently in them. I get a piece of cloth and a water skin than I pour water all over it, ¡°I''m going to wash some of the dirt and blood and see what I can do.¡± I try to smile at her again. She has not said a word, the only noise I have heard is her sobs when she broke down while hugging me.


    We sit on the road, upwind of the horses for my sake. I take my time rubbing off the dirt and blood. Most of the cuts have clotted and on the way to being healed so I rub them with the clean part of the cloth. It is the best I got sadly.


    I got her to a reasonably clean state. I wring out the cloth and hang it on the carriage¡¯s side, ¡°Do you have a home?¡±


    She shakes her head.


    ¡°That is a shame. Would you like to travel with me? It will not be pleasant sometimes. But for the most part, the journey there is going to be quiet and peaceful, but I have business with the demons a bit more west.¡±


    ¡°Why are you telling me this?¡± She tilts her head, not looking me in the eyes but close. Her voice does not have much volume to it nor force. Like the fire that lit her soul is down and almost dead.


    ¡°Because it is easier to tell you than make up some lie and deal with the fallout, plus I pretty much purged the capital of most its noblitly, soooo. I need a new place to live while I find out how to do what I want.¡±


    ¡°What is that?¡±


    ¡°To make Fata Stele the most loved god of all time! Well worshiped. I think I can maybe convince the demons to making a temple to her, but I might have to purge a few more cities till they listen and know that I am serious.¡± I smile at her. It looks to be a bit past noon. The maid should be up soon.


    ¡°She sounds like a lucky god¡­¡±


    ¡°No no no. I am a lucky hero to have a wonderful god like her.¡± I shake my head. I grab a hold of her hand and start back to the carriage, ¡°Do you know how to guide a carriage?¡±


    She nods. I grin as I get up on the driver seat. She sits with me and grabs a hold of the reins. She gives them a harsh snap and horses start to trot. They have rested for quite a while. Ate quite a lot of the grass around us. Good poop machines.


    I will admit. Magic makes up for not having internet. It gives you power. That makes pretty girls somehow flock to you. By no means am I ugly, I was just too quiet to catch any girls attention usually.


    At some point the movement of the carriage lured me to sleep. I never notice the exhaustion I feel with playing and practicing magic till it hits me in the face like a semi with a dead guy behind the wheel. I am not sure why that is the mental imagery I have.


    ~~~


    I wake up to the sound of horses hooves clomping on the road. I fucking hope that fucking insane cat-kin is not trying to force the horses to move. I sit up form the bench that I was resting on. A cover falls off of me, did he put that there? I know I did not fall asleep with it on.


    I look through a window to glance at the driver seat that the cat kin is sitting at. His tail is hanging through the window. It looks soft and silky.


    My eyes are drawn to the more feminine figure beside him that is holding the reins. H-how did he find another? Are girls just attracted to him like a magment? I mean, I flirted with him before I found out just how unhinged he is...Fuck. I am going to have to deal with this till I find a place to rest and build a life aren''t I? How long will this one last?


    Poor girl. I should take her to the side when I get the chance and talk to her, ¡°Ivan!¡±


    I have never seen someone jump that bad form their name being called. A wave of mana washes over me, like a tidal wave that drowns out any attempt at mine forming an- well...This time I seemed to actually get a small layer out to protect myself¡­ little good did that that for the royal knights.... Just a few inches. That is...impressive under his influence¡­ I thought they said I had no future in magic...


    ¡°Holy fuck maid girl! Do not scare me like that. Nearly kneed over clenching my chest!¡± I see his face looking at me through the window. No matter how active his voice sounds, his eyes look dead to me. Slightly sunken in, so dark in color that I can barely tell his pupils form his iris but you are aware of those dark dead slits that are a mimicry of a beautiful tiger eye. I do not know why, but those eyes are ones that exist in my nightmare.


    ¡°Who is the new girl?¡± I bite the inside of my cheek. I can not show weakness. Not to him. Not after how he burnt those men alive in their armour. I can still smell burnt flesh and ash. For some reason I as spared. I only ever felt warmth like a gentle spring morning.


    If he can produce such kindness and warmth, why only share it with so few?...


    ¡°She is a escaped slave. I think. She has not said much. Reminds me a lot of Shiro. I also used some of the female clothes because her previous ones were torn and just miserable.¡± He smiles at me. A little too wide showing off predator like teeth. Countless dagger like teeth fill his mouth. I am now aware I am in an enclosed space, and the only way out is by him¡­ I do not feel too safe. I am scared to speak in case I offended him¡­ He is not stable.


    He is looking at me for a response¡­ ¡°That is fine...They were just women clothes nothing special¡­¡± Gods how did I ever snap at him?


    A hall of fire. Halls I lived my entire life melting. Men screaming. Stars rule the air.


    Nightmares are not fun. Especially when the star of them is smiling down at you with a maw that looks like it would fit a tiger or dragon better.


    ¡°Does the girl wish to rest?¡± I look to the back of the girl that is driving the carriage. I look out to the sky and see the sun is very close to setting on the horizon. It is quite late. I hope this dumbass has not overworked the horses¡­


    He turns to the redhead who nods hesitantly. Hopefully he will join her in here and I can be alone with my thoughts¡­


    The carriage stops for a moment. The door opens and I watch as they walk in and get comfortable with some blankets and pillows. It is worrying with just how affectionate he is being with her if they just met today. That is not normal, the same thing could be said about the redheaded girl pushing her body against his like hers is seeking warmth that only he can make.


    It is not right watching them act like newlyweds. So openly affectionate on the first day that they have met.


    I leave by the open door, closing it behind me. I groom the horses, make sure that they are on a good spot to graze and check just how tired that they are. The poor things are panting, overworked and most likely exhausted. Does he not know anything about caring for one these beautiful beast? Why did the girl not say anything? Was she scared of him? Too scared to speak up?


    I sit down on the drive bench and bury my head in my hands. I did not want this. I just wanted to escape being a maid to stuck up nobles and serving my grandfather with that face as if he was expecting him to thank me for it. I just wanted to be acknowledged by my bastard of a father, for my mother to care about me in the slightest. I wanted to escape that city that was my own special sort of festering rotting hell. I did not want it to burn, to be destroyed by a unstable cat kin with too much power than is healthy for a single person to possess.


    Gods¡­ why him? Why not a elf? A calm elf that just stayed in there damn treehouses and do not bother the rest of the world.


    I push my magic out of my body. The field of my influence comes much easier than it has ever. The range has increased till the horses head. Before it barely would of reached them at all¡­


    I snap my fingers making a small ball of light. A kind, healing light that could be used in so many ways. I always loved legends of the hero of light. Of my ancestor. I am the last one? Aren''t I? The last of the Marshall royal family bloodline. I thought it was a rumor that children of heros inherited a small potion of there divinity touched magic. This is telling me that I am well and truly the last one. My father, my grandfather, my uncles, the king, the blond headed shits. All dead. In an instant. In an outburst by a insanely powerful fuck that does not deserve to live on our beautiful world.

 More road

    I look down at the girl in white. Spread form her left breast is a flood of blood, ¡°Child of Snow.¡±


    ¡°I am not a child of that bastard family.¡± Her face lights up. The amazement and happiness...Than the horror as she looks around with tears in her eyes, ¡°Ivan? Ivan! No no no! I could not be taken away from him! I was meant to be by his side!¡± She turns to me. A mixture of fear, sadness, and anger painted on her face, ¡°He is alive? Of course he is. What could kill him? Can you send me back to him? I beg of you. I will do anything, I liked being near him. It was so warm...So comfortable¡­ I felt needed¡­¡± She seems to have lost the energy and fever that she held in her eyes for a moment.


    ¡°You are dead, child of snow. You took a bolt that would of injured him, crippling one of his lungs. He would of struggled without your sacrifice, now he is leaving the capitol in ashes, and flames.¡±


    ¡°Good...That cesspool deserved to end¡­¡±


    ¡°Child of snow. Denounce your lineage, and I can offer you an alternative to reincarnation.¡±


    ¡°What do I have to say¡­ You are Fata Stele aren¡¯t you? He was right. You are beautiful¡­¡± Her eyes are on me. Her eyes are looking over my figure. Her eyes are scanning each and every inch of me. I was watching when she was so gently held.


    Chosen influence the gods, the gods influence the heros.


    I took away much of his inhibitions. Maybe a bit too much. I feel care for him, beyond that should be normal. But what god would not love such pure pitey? No seeking power as he has it. He is simply grateful, ¡°Thank you. Simply say, ¡®I deny the name of Snow.¡±


    ¡°I deny the name of Snow.¡± I smile as a layer of magic slides off of her and vanishes. That small claim that Snow had on her, and her family is gone. The power held in it, is gone. They will not be born with great mages of frost


    ¡°The best thing I can do¡­ Is give you a chance. I will kill someone, and your soul will fill their body. Can you do that? Are you willing to kill, to destroy someone¡¯s soul just to be by his side?¡±


    She nods. Desperately. I smile at her. This will teach that battle loving, stick swinging, piss poor heat lamp god about intervention. Other gods can do it as well.


    I believe Ivan has imparted some of his grudge holding off on me. I do not mind it. A worthy trade.


    That girl that is traveling with him. The last heiress to the Throne of Light. Too protected. A slave is running towards his cart after the explosion that doomed the country. It seems she got lose. She is not diseased. She is a bit younger than he is. Her body is similar to mine. If this girl is in it, I am sure that he will welcome her.


    I pluck her soul out and watch as she falls to the ground limp. I crush it and scatter the remains in the night sky. I ease it on, causing the energy to form into a star made of a soul. It is quiet and dark, her life not important or long enough to make a lovely and bright star. I forgot the pleasure of making these myself¡­ The elves that I pulled danced the stars into the sky. But Ivan is strange. He calls them. He tames them. He holds so much of it back while changing it into something so intense.


    What he thinks is a star¡­ Is terrifying. Just a bit of its power, just a bit. It destroyed so much. It poisoned the land. That will become hallowed grounds for me in time. Only those devote could live on it...He did something. And I think I am starting to love him for it.


    I grab the soul of the white haired girl in front of me and push her into the body. Wiping the memories, everything besides warmth. I guide her with a compulsion. Safety, warmth, love. It is all that way. A man to dream about. A wonderful, word abiding man. So many prayers. The last prayer of the hero of sword was to me of all people! A cry to stop the pain! So I gave him death and a place among the stars, to amaze and add wonder to those who look up...Forever.


    ~~~


    I wake up. The sun is bright. I blink. I hiss at it, ¡°Fuck! I just remembered the suit!¡±


    ¡°Did you actually hiss, also what suit?¡± The voice of the maid is heard form the head of the wagon. I feel it actually stop. So I get up and slide out of the back so I can stretch my body while looking around. Mostly plains, I kinda boring look. I see trees. The road. Grass. Little rocks. Not much else.


    I miss Shio. With her it was a comfortable silence. Right now there is a tension between the maid and I, ¡°Shio and I were having a suit made for me so I had something else to wear than my leathers.¡±


    ¡°...And after killing a castle and collage full of people, that is what you care about?¡± Sylvia looks to me with her head tilted to the side. Her face is frozen in confusion.


    ¡°Yes! Those people killed Shio and tried to kill me! ME! The hero of the greatest goddess that his sad world has ever seen.¡± I stand up and spread my arms. I feel much more free, open and the words flow out of my mouth easily while I grin at this poor maid in front me, ¡°Rest, your are a orphan now. I am going to practice my magic.¡± I walk a bit away from the wagon. I give her no chance to talk back.


    A few good few hundred yet away I sit in the grass and summon a star almost instantly. It comes so easy now. I swirl my hand in the mana. This makes higher and lower pressure zones. In the higher pressure zones the mana collapses under its on weight. The event horizon for the mana rest above the star itself, constantly drawing more and more mana inside of it. This causes low pressure around the star I made causing mana to rush in and fill in the space. Mana likes to be equalized¡­ But this starts causing low and high pressures. More and more stars are dwaren in more and more. This lightens the fog of mana around me while the stars themself bath everything around me in countless snowglobe sized balls of mana acting like stars. Behaving like stars. Becoming them.


    I look around and on the horizon I see a figure limping towards me. I tilt my head and with a smile I walk to the figure. It is a girl. A bruised and bloodied girl that reminds me of Shio. I should take her in. Like a form of coping when you get a new cat or dog, you get one that looks like the one that died but you hope it acts different deep down.


    I banish the stars. I let them collapse on themselves. Than the corpses of the stars evaporate into nothingness leaving none of my magic behind. Some has returned to me through a function of the process that I am unaware of at the time. I look up to the sky¡­ It''s like...Noonish?


    The girl stumbles to me. Her clothes are ripped by thorns and what looks like blades. I sigh as I look her over. She''s around my age. Her hair is a beautiful deep red, her face is sharp and beautiful, her eyes are blue. A deep unnatural velvet blue, one of my favorite colors, ¡°Hello there. I am a Hero, I will keep you safe.¡± I give her my best smile. A upturn of the lips.


    ~~~


    I saw glistening lights far away. They blinked into reality one by one. A star after a star. I pushed my body forward.


    Quicker. Faster. I fell a few times. The stars vanished into orbs of darkness. They looked wrong. My mind could not understand what I saw. But I kept limping forward.


    A Cat-kin. A handsome man met me and smiled, ¡°Hello there. I am a Hero, I will keep you safe.¡± He bent down slightly to hug me. And I never felt so warm. Warm, happy, and safe. So I sobbed. I sobbed. I cried out the pain of being kidnapped, beaten, groped and told over and over the only reason they have not used me is because I would cost more untouched. This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    But a hero. It is fate that I am going to be saved. That dream... that dream that I can not erase still is stuck in my mind. A kind hero saving me. A handsome hero of unimaginable power. A hero with eyes for me and me alone. A hero that holds glistening lights that burn the air and land around him. And he exist. He exist. Thank you gods. Thank you Fata Stele.


    ~~~


    I guide the girl back to the cart thing. The horses are eating and shitting. I fourge through the bags and pull out some basic clothing that was apparently in them. I get a piece of cloth and a water skin than I pour water all over it, ¡°I''m going to wash some of the dirt and blood and see what I can do.¡± I try to smile at her again. She has not said a word, the only noise I have heard is her sobs when she broke down while hugging me.


    We sit on the road, upwind of the horses for my sake. I take my time rubbing off the dirt and blood. Most of the cuts have clotted and on the way to being healed so I rub them with the clean part of the cloth. It is the best I got sadly.


    I got her to a reasonably clean state. I wring out the cloth and hang it on the carriage¡¯s side, ¡°Do you have a home?¡±


    She shakes her head.


    ¡°That is a shame. Would you like to travel with me? It will not be pleasant sometimes. But for the most part, the journey there is going to be quiet and peaceful, but I have business with the demons a bit more west.¡±


    ¡°Why are you telling me this?¡± She tilts her head, not looking me in the eyes but close. Her voice does not have much volume to it nor force. Like the fire that lit her soul is down and almost dead.


    ¡°Because it is easier to tell you than make up some lie and deal with the fallout, plus I pretty much purged the capital of most its noblitly, soooo. I need a new place to live while I find out how to do what I want.¡±


    ¡°What is that?¡±


    ¡°To make Fata Stele the most loved god of all time! Well worshiped. I think I can maybe convince the demons to making a temple to her, but I might have to purge a few more cities till they listen and know that I am serious.¡± I smile at her. It looks to be a bit past noon. The maid should be up soon.


    ¡°She sounds like a lucky god¡­¡±


    ¡°No no no. I am a lucky hero to have a wonderful god like her.¡± I shake my head. I grab a hold of her hand and start back to the carriage, ¡°Do you know how to guide a carriage?¡±


    She nods. I grin as I get up on the driver seat. She sits with me and grabs a hold of the reins. She gives them a harsh snap and horses start to trot. They have rested for quite a while. Ate quite a lot of the grass around us. Good poop machines.


    I will admit. Magic makes up for not having internet. It gives you power. That makes pretty girls somehow flock to you. By no means am I ugly, I was just too quiet to catch any girls attention usually.


    At some point the movement of the carriage lured me to sleep. I never notice the exhaustion I feel with playing and practicing magic till it hits me in the face like a semi with a dead guy behind the wheel. I am not sure why that is the mental imagery I have.


    ~~~


    I wake up to the sound of horses hooves clomping on the road. I fucking hope that fucking insane cat-kin is not trying to force the horses to move. I sit up form the bench that I was resting on. A cover falls off of me, did he put that there? I know I did not fall asleep with it on.


    I look through a window to glance at the driver seat that the cat kin is sitting at. His tail is hanging through the window. It looks soft and silky.


    My eyes are drawn to the more feminine figure beside him that is holding the reins. H-how did he find another? Are girls just attracted to him like a magment? I mean, I flirted with him before I found out just how unhinged he is...Fuck. I am going to have to deal with this till I find a place to rest and build a life aren''t I? How long will this one last?


    Poor girl. I should take her to the side when I get the chance and talk to her, ¡°Ivan!¡±


    I have never seen someone jump that bad form their name being called. A wave of mana washes over me, like a tidal wave that drowns out any attempt at mine forming an- well...This time I seemed to actually get a small layer out to protect myself¡­ little good did that that for the royal knights.... Just a few inches. That is...impressive under his influence¡­ I thought they said I had no future in magic...


    ¡°Holy fuck maid girl! Do not scare me like that. Nearly kneed over clenching my chest!¡± I see his face looking at me through the window. No matter how active his voice sounds, his eyes look dead to me. Slightly sunken in, so dark in color that I can barely tell his pupils form his iris but you are aware of those dark dead slits that are a mimicry of a beautiful tiger eye. I do not know why, but those eyes are ones that exist in my nightmare.


    ¡°Who is the new girl?¡± I bite the inside of my cheek. I can not show weakness. Not to him. Not after how he burnt those men alive in their armour. I can still smell burnt flesh and ash. For some reason I as spared. I only ever felt warmth like a gentle spring morning.


    If he can produce such kindness and warmth, why only share it with so few?...


    ¡°She is a escaped slave. I think. She has not said much. Reminds me a lot of Shiro. I also used some of the female clothes because her previous ones were torn and just miserable.¡± He smiles at me. A little too wide showing off predator like teeth. Countless dagger like teeth fill his mouth. I am now aware I am in an enclosed space, and the only way out is by him¡­ I do not feel too safe. I am scared to speak in case I offended him¡­ He is not stable.


    He is looking at me for a response¡­ ¡°That is fine...They were just women clothes nothing special¡­¡± Gods how did I ever snap at him?


    A hall of fire. Halls I lived my entire life melting. Men screaming. Stars rule the air.


    Nightmares are not fun. Especially when the star of them is smiling down at you with a maw that looks like it would fit a tiger or dragon better.


    ¡°Does the girl wish to rest?¡± I look to the back of the girl that is driving the carriage. I look out to the sky and see the sun is very close to setting on the horizon. It is quite late. I hope this dumbass has not overworked the horses¡­


    He turns to the redhead who nods hesitantly. Hopefully he will join her in here and I can be alone with my thoughts¡­


    The carriage stops for a moment. The door opens and I watch as they walk in and get comfortable with some blankets and pillows. It is worrying with just how affectionate he is being with her if they just met today. That is not normal, the same thing could be said about the redheaded girl pushing her body against his like hers is seeking warmth that only he can make.


    It is not right watching them act like newlyweds. So openly affectionate on the first day that they have met.


    I leave by the open door, closing it behind me. I groom the horses, make sure that they are on a good spot to graze and check just how tired that they are. The poor things are panting, overworked and most likely exhausted. Does he not know anything about caring for one these beautiful beast? Why did the girl not say anything? Was she scared of him? Too scared to speak up?


    I sit down on the drive bench and bury my head in my hands. I did not want this. I just wanted to escape being a maid to stuck up nobles and serving my grandfather with that face as if he was expecting him to thank me for it. I just wanted to be acknowledged by my bastard of a father, for my mother to care about me in the slightest. I wanted to escape that city that was my own special sort of festering rotting hell. I did not want it to burn, to be destroyed by a unstable cat kin with too much power than is healthy for a single person to possess.


    Gods¡­ why him? Why not a elf? A calm elf that just stayed in there damn treehouses and do not bother the rest of the world.


    I push my magic out of my body. The field of my influence comes much easier than it has ever. The range has increased till the horses head. Before it barely would of reached them at all¡­


    I snap my fingers making a small ball of light. A kind, healing light that could be used in so many ways. I always loved legends of the hero of light. Of my ancestor. I am the last one? Aren''t I? The last of the Marshall royal family bloodline. I thought it was a rumor that children of heros inherited a small potion of there divinity touched magic. This is telling me that I am well and truly the last one. My father, my grandfather, my uncles, the king, the blond headed shits. All dead. In an instant. In an outburst by a insanely powerful fuck that does not deserve to live on our beautiful world.


    ~~~


    I open my eyes and feel an arm around my waist. Not a big burly arm but a thin and lightly muscled one. The sound of soft breathing comes from behind me along with the faint sound of a house cat purring. I gently twist my body around to come face to sleeping face of the Cat-kin that has promised to keep me safe.


    I-I feel warm¡­ So warm¡­


    My eyes grow heavy under the gentle embrace of him and the warmth. My body relaxes for the first time for months as I feel safe.


    I fall asleep safe and warm for the first time in months.


    It was the best sleep of my life, sleeping on the carriage floor with my arms around this strange, powerful, kind Cat-kin who¡¯s name I can not remember. But it is on the tip of my tongue. It feels natural, like he is my soulmate...


    ~~~


    I wake up to see the girl with firey hair resting while facing me. Her lips are upturned with a gentle and relaxed smile. Her arm is around my waist while her hand rest on the base of my back where my tail sticks out from my armour.


    I gently untangle myself form her sleeping embrace while shaking my arm that was under her waist awake. Ahhhh pins and needles, pins and needles.


    I stand up and move past the sleeping girl, intent of letting her rest as long as she likes. I move to the seat behind the horses where the maid girl is playing with a ball of light while guiding the horses to keep them on the path, ¡°Hey there. What you doin?¡±


    I watch as she jumps violently in the air, the ball of light that she was holding vanishes from her hands and the extremely faint pressure that I felt form her influence vanished as well. I didn''t even notice it till it was gone. I am just proud I felt it at all.


    ¡°Is it time to switch already?¡±


    I shrug, ¡°Only if you want to get some more sleep. The girl is still sleeping on the floor so be careful going in.¡±


    The maid nods and gets off form the driver bench while I take the reins and try to remember the lessons that the redhead taught me during the long, long time that we were alone for. Almost half the day.


    I start to hum to myself to keep my mind from sinking into mindless boredom. I can not practice my magic easily while driving like this. Even when I hold back most of the heat, the radiation, the actual brightness. You know that whole thing about having the same matter of the star the size of a needle head? That is equal to an atomic bomb. I sadly have to hold back to keep this world in a state that I actually like looking at it.


    Not craters and dead lands wherever I pass. I also do not think I could handle that type of power just yet. Maybe in time but not yet.


    I hope it happens soon. Walk up to another kingdom, throw a needle size of unrestrained star matter and watch the fall out. It would not be as bad as a nuclear bomb. I think. If I understand how my magic works and the process it goes through at least.


    My theory is if I truly stopped holding back, the actual material would not be left over after I retrained my influence. It will be just like a gamma wave. A burst of life destroying energy, but the actual radiation poisoning of the land would not be too severe and could be livable again in just years? Interesting thing to think about.


    Maybe I¡¯ll try it and keep track of it as an experiment into the power that Fata Stele has gifted me.


    Dear gods, this is taking forever. I miss cars.