《The First Outsider》
Prologue/Ch 1. A Pitiful Beginning (Edited format)
Finally the boredom had ended. It wasn¡¯t much, but watching the little wisp of mana dodge the spirits that were trying it to eat was certainly interesting. Every time one of the small spirits tried to absorb it, it would dart away. This was unusual because these wisps of mana were made to be absorbed by the spirits for summoning, but this one was deliberately avoiding all that came near. Normally that small amount of mana would be too small for a being of his power to even take notice of, but the way it avoided the small fry that tried to absorb it was strange. The bored entity had never seen anything like it, so it decided to get closer to see more.
In a place where distance was measured power, the entity, who was one of the strongest beings in the Aether, easily closed the distance between it and the strange wisp. The spirits trying in vain to catch the wisp all sensed the powerful entity¡¯s presence and fled. They did not want to end up destroyed by the much stronger being. The entity scoffed at their reactions; if he wanted to destroy them they would have no chance, even if they tried to escape. That was the nature of the Aether; the strong could do whatever they wanted to with the weak. However, the strong mostly left the weak alone unless they tried to take the large amounts of mana that came from the mortal realm. These concentrated pockets of mana were offerings, or bait depending on how you looked at it, to summon a spirit from the Aether to the mortal realm. The spirits would compete over these offerings, depending on how desirable the offering was. Naturally, the more powerful it was, the more powerful spirits it would attract. The strongest one that competed for the offering would absorb it, and be brought to the mortal realm to receive more mana in exchange for doing the summoner¡¯s bidding. This was how it had worked for as long as the entity could remember. So why was this offering avoiding those it was meant for. It was truly curious.
The entity decided to see if the mana would avoid it as well. As it got closer, the mana acted the same as it has been all the time the entity had watched it and darted away. The speed of the mana was surprising. Something of that little power should not be able to move that fast in the Aether. But here it was, defying the laws of the Aether.
However, it wasn¡¯t nearly fast enough to get away from an entity as powerful as the one that was watching it. The entity considered catching it. It was nowhere near enough to be worth being absorbed by him. In fact, it would cost more energy just to go to the mortal realm to fulfill the summoner¡¯s demands. But it was just so interesting. The strange little wisp was something that the entity had never seen before in its whole life, which was longer than any mortal could remember. This was interesting enough to sacrifice the power, considering the entity had so much. And it was doubtful that the summoner behind the wisp was powerful enough to bind the entity, even if they could create something as strange as the wisp of mana.
The entity prepared to absorb the mana, when it realized that there was something even stranger about the already strange wisp. It had almost missed this small oddity, but there it was. Ever so slightly, the wisp of mana was growing.
¡°Clean this up,¡± the handsome teen demanded. Tamyra sighed. She wasn¡¯t responsible for the spilled drink, but resisting against her brother would make the situation even worse.
¡°Let me go get a rag.¡±
¡°Just use the rag you¡¯re wearing. My shoe is sticky because of you, and we need to be even.¡±
Tamyra sighed a second time. Her brother Kelvin would take any chance he could to make her life more miserable. But such was Tamyra¡¯s fate as a ¡°powerless¡± child. She used the hem of her skirt to mop up the spilled wine, getting her skirt filthy with the grime from floor.
¡°Good. Be thankful that I¡¯m so forgiving, or I would punish you even more.¡±
¡°If you were so forgiving, then you wouldn¡¯t have made me use my dress,¡± Tamyra retorted in her head. Of course she would never speak those words out loud. Kelvin was capable of much crueler abuses than just making her clean wine with her dress. And there was no one to save her from him either. Going against Kelvin, the heir to the Vanthar family, was something only their parents could do. But they had no cares for a useless daughter like Tamyra.
Tamyra was born to a prominent and powerful human family of mages from the country of Zeran. Her father, Temlan, was on the Elder Council, the ruling body of Zeran. The Vanthar family was old and had produced many powerful mages, and her brother Kelvin was no exception. Tamyra, however, was.
When she was born, Tamyra nearly died. Her aptitude for generating mana was so low that her frail body almost gave out. To make matter¡¯s worse, her parents had secretly hoped she would die. A powerless child was a stain on the household¡¯s honor. They couldn¡¯t hide her, as everyone already knew her mother, Valeria, was pregnant. Killing her outright would¡¯ve caused a scandal, so they just hoped she wouldn¡¯t survive being born. To their dismay however, Tamyra survived, and she became the laughingstock of the nobility. Thus, her parents shunned her, barely paying enough attention to her to keep her alive. Her status was so low that even the servants looked down upon her, blaming her for their mistakes and pushing unwanted tasks upon her.
This treatment paled in comparison to Tamyra¡¯s brother Kelvin¡¯s bullying. Being two years older than her and favored by their parents, he took every opportunity he could to make her life a living hell. He would destroy the few possessions Tamyra owned, break objects around the manor just to blame Tamyra, and call her all the foul names he could think of. When he was having a bad day, whether from not getting his way from his parents or from just being in a rotten mood, he would take his anger out on Tamyra, sometimes violently. Then one day when she was eight, it escalated to something far worse.
¡°Come on Tamyra, let¡¯s play for a bit,¡± Kelvin sneered. Despite the friendly words, he had a sadistic smile on his face that did not befit his young age of ten.
¡°Please no dear brother. I am busy cleaning up,¡± Tamyra desperately responded. She used polite language as to not upset her brother. A servant had demanded she pick up the tools in the gardening shed. Menial work was much more preferable than what Kelvin had in store for her.
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¡°Do it after. You wouldn¡¯t refuse your dear brother, would you?¡± came the fake pleading. Tamyra knew there was no escaping. If she tried to refuse, he would be even more brutal. He had the size advantage, as well as being a beginner mage, meaning refusing or running was out of the question.
¡°Follow me. Let¡¯s go enjoy this beautiful day outside.¡± Kelvin demanded. Tamyra¡¯s heart fell. Kelvin was mean to her inside the manor, but he reserved his true cruelty for when no one was watching. The two left the manor and went to a pond that was tucked away behind some neatly trimmed hedges. Tamyra followed behind her brother.
¡°Hurry up! You walk way to slow. It¡¯s annoying.¡± Kelvin stopped and walked towards her. When he got close enough he hit her on the back of the head.
¡°Walk faster or you¡¯ll get more.¡± Tamyra quickened her pace.
The two arrived at the pond. The hedges around it meant that any who looked at the pond from the manor could not see the two children.
¡°Alright let¡¯s swim,¡± Kelvin proclaimed. He then proceeded to strip down, revealing a swim suit underneath.
¡°But I don¡¯t have anything to swim in,¡± Tamyra complained.
¡°Swim in what you have.¡±
¡°But my other clothes are dirty. Please this is my favorite dress.¡± Tamyra liked this dress. Her parents barely gave her anything, so all of her clothing was hand me downs from servants. She was currently wearing a dress that had a lace frills on it. For someone who never got anything nice, this was a treasure for her.
A nasty grin spread onto Kelvin¡¯s face. ¡°Then swim naked.¡±
¡°What?¡± Tamyra asked in disbelief.
¡°You heard me. Take off all your clothes and jump in.¡±
¡°Bu-¡°
¡°Now!¡± Kelvin cut her off. The look on his face made it clear that Tamyra had no choice. Tamyra resigned herself and began taking her dress off. When she got down to her underwear, the look on Kelvin¡¯s face changed from haughty to something more sinister. Tamyra shivered.
¡°Take the rest off,¡± Kelvin demanded in a low voice. Doing as she was told, Tamyra peeled off the rest.
¡°Get in the water.¡± Tamyra did as she was told. She slowly walked into the cool pond, causing her to shiver again. Kelvin just stood on the bank watching.
¡°Are you getting in?¡± Tamyra timidly asked.
¡°Shut up!¡± Kelvin hissed. He had a strange expression on his face. Tamyra didn¡¯t know what to do, but knew that Kelvin seemed more dangerous than ever before. She waded in till her feet no longer touched the ground, and sat there treading water. Kelvin just sat and stared. They sat there for a while, with Tamyra being too afraid to ask Kelvin if she could leave. Thirty minutes passed, and Tamyra¡¯s small body started to get cold. After another fifteen minutes, she started to feel strange.
¡°Please,¡± she croaked, ¡°Can I get out? I¡¯m cold.¡±
¡°Bear it,¡± came the cold reply. Another fifteen minutes passed, and Tamyra was visibly shivering. She began to feel light-headed, and her treading started to slow. Kelvin noticed her head getting closer to the water and did nothing about it. Tamyra began to lose strength and her head dipped under the water. She fought to keep her head above water. As she gasped for breath, she called out for help to Kelvin. But he just sat and watched with the same strange look on his face. Tamyra desperately swam to shore, gasping in relief when she got out of the water. Falling to the ground exhausted, she noticed Kelvin walking over towards her.
¡°Who said you could get out!¡± he hissed in a low voice. His face was darkened with fury and another indescribable emotion.
¡°I would¡¯ve drowned,¡± Tamyra gasped, still not having recovered from the swim. A force hit Tamyra straight in the stomach. Kelvin had kicked her.
¡°Next time listen to what I say!¡± Kelvin began kicking Tamyra repeatedly. Tamyra started crying out in pain, but no one could hear her. Finally he paused. Tamyra turned her head, with tears in her eyes and whispered hoarsely,
¡°Please.¡± Kelvin¡¯s face distorted, and he gave her one final kick. Then, without saying anything, he put on his clothes and left. Tamyra laid on the ground, bruised and cold, until the gardener found her and brought her back inside. She was sick for a week, with someone coming in to check on her only at meal times. However, this time her parents had noticed this, and sent Kelvin away to be tutored by a wise mage till he was old enough to attend Eltmar Academy, a school for powerful mages.
With Kelvin gone, Tamyra was free from his torment. However, the events of that day had left a scar on her heart. She no longer desired to become a part of the family. Tamyra wanted only to protect herself from Kelvin, as she knew one day he would return. She would learn how to become useful to her family, and they would protect her. That became her one true goal.
Because of this, Tamyra was either always reading or always working. She became adept at household chores and fixing items. Unlike her family, she learned how to do things without the aid of mana, which made her very observant to different solutions for problems. However, she couldn¡¯t solve her biggest problem; the lack of mana. Without it, she could never become someone who could stand up to Kelvin.
Though Tamyra had the mana generation of a snail, she had the brains of a genius. Since no one cared about her, if she made herself scarce, she had a lot of free time. Her parents were so ashamed of her that they didn¡¯t even bother with tutors or schooling of any kind, adding to her free time. Thus Tamyra had to learn from observing and self-study. From watching her mother and members of branch families, she learned etiquette and manners. She practiced all night on how to walk, talked to herself to get formal speech right, and even danced by herself. The family had an extensive library, and Tamyra spent hours reading books pertaining to mana and mana related technology. There were many possibilities in the research of mana, even if she couldn¡¯t really use it. She could come up with new vehicles, machines, weapons, or parts. If she could somehow make herself useful, maybe her parents would consider her their daughter and protect her from Kelvin. Tamyra desperately held on to this notion as she learned all she could.
Ch 2. A Friend
With her brother gone, Tamyra was now free to study without the fear of Kelvin¡¯s cruelty. However, Kelvin¡¯s actions on that day had created a scar on her heart, and deep down she grew to hate others. No one had ever shown her any form of love, so she did not understand the warmth of having friends or family. Life had become a dreary blur of reading and desperate practicing, all while keeping out of sight from ill-mannered branch family member. This would all change though, and it took just one encounter in the garden.
The Vanthar family was one of the most important families in the land. Tamyra¡¯s grandfather held a seat on the Elder Council that effectively ruled the country of Zeran. The family was made up of the main family and numerous branch families that had come under the rule of the Vanthar family through marriage, conquest, or business. Branch family members had two last names, one being the family name from before joining the main Vanthar family, and the second being El Vanthar which signified their branch family status. Many branch family members would visit the main estate to pay homage to the main family, conduct business, or forge good relations with the main family members. It was during one of these branch family visits that Tamyra met Leon.
Branch family visits were never a fun experience for Tamyra. The adults would whisper behind her back and some of the more forward ones would openly criticize her. It was the children that were the worst however. Many of them were spoiled rich kids who were forced to be on their best behavior during the visits. This would cause a buildup of stress, and they would take it out on Tamyra, usually being led by Kelvin. With Kelvin gone, they targeted her less but it was still a nuisance. So whenever a branch family visited, Tamyra took extra care to stay out of sight. Her usual spot was by a large rock that was next to a creek located in the Vanthar estates vast grounds. Tamyra¡¯s grandfather liked having a natural view, so the gardeners never came far enough to reach Tamyra. In fact, no one ever walked as far out as Tamyra went, which made it all the more surprising when Tamyra heard a soft voice call out,
¡°Hello.¡± Tamyra nearly jumped. Looking up, she saw a handsome young boy standing in front of her. She had been so engrossed in her reading that she hadn¡¯t noticed him walk up.
¡°What would you be doing so far out here? This place is so far from the main house. It is not safe for a young girl such as yourself to be out here alone.¡± His voice was kind, but Tamyra had been tricked by this in the past. The youth in front of her was well dressed, signifying that he was from a branch family. Remembering all the past bullying that came from branch family children, Tamyra instinctively drew back.
¡°There¡¯s no need to be scared. I¡¯m not a suspicious person. Let me introduce myself, I am Leon Veron El Vanthar. What is your name milady?¡± The boy seemed apologetic for scaring her. Plus his speech was very respectful, causing Tamyra to stop trying to put distance between her and the boy. She still remained tense however.
¡°Tamyra,¡± she muttered quietly. If he truly was going to torment her, than it would not do Tamyra any favors to ignore Leon¡¯s questions.
¡°What a nice name. Do you like this slice of wilderness? I truly enjoy being among nature.¡± However the response Leon gave her had no malicious intent. Puzzled, Tamyra responded to his query.
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¡°Uhn,¡± Tamyra nodded. Due to the time spent among the wilderness, this area had become special to her.
Tamyra still hadn¡¯t fully let her guard down, and Leon could obviously tell. He looked around the clearing till he noticed a white flower with dashed of red growing on the bank of the creek. ¡°Ah, the Mountain Laurel. My mother really likes this flower. She always says that she wants to be like it, as pure of heart as the flower is white, with her only color coming from love. I think that she has already reached it. I truly love her so much. You seem to like reading, yes? My mother always went out of her way to read to me, even with her sickness¡¡± Upon hearing his words about his mother, a longing awoke inside of Tamyra.
¡°She¡ read to you?¡± Tamyra asked in disbelief. Her mother had always ignored her as if she had the plague. Hearing about a warm mother was something entirely new to Tamyra.
¡°Yeah, she read all sorts of stories. Stories about knights, mages, magic beasts, spirits. I love listening to my mom read them to me. We sometimes spend all night reading them. One time she read me a story about a prince who would save the princess from¡¡± Leon summarized the story, and upon seeing Tamyra¡¯s eyes shining as if she wanted to know more, proceeded to recite the whole story. After he had finished, he told Tamyra about how he had reenacted the story with his parents, with is mother being the princess, his dad being the monster, and Leon being the prince. Tamyra held on to every word. Every story he told about family made her want that kind of life more and more. His stories were a window in to another world for Tamyra. A glimpse of a life that Tamyra found that she desired immensely.
The two children spent most of the day talking in the garden. Tamyra loved the stories Leon told about his family, friends, and life, as well as the fact that throughout the time she spent with Leon he never treated her like scum. Leon provided her with her first true taste of happiness through his kindness and respect. He never made her feel like she was useless, and listened to her like she was a real human being. At sundown, they headed back and Leon went to sleep in the guest room. The next though, he found Tamyra in the same spot, and their fun times resumed. When it finally came time for Leon to leave, they tearfully hugged and promised to write to each other.
The two kept a correspondence over the course of two years. Since Tamyra was only nine at the beginning, she dedicated much of her time to learning how to write like a proper lady would. She was unnaturally good at learning new skills and in just a few short months, she could write a letter with more eloquence than a learned scholar. The two sent letters to each other frequently. He would tell her stories of his life, and she would ask for support when times became rough, and advice on matters pertaining to high class life. Reading Leon¡¯s letters was Tamyra¡¯s oasis in the loveless desert that was her family. Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end.
Ch 3. The Return of a Devil
When Leon turned twelve, the correspondence between the two slowed down. Leon had to attend a special academy for mages, one that was also to be attended by Tamyra¡¯s older brother Kelvin. At first Leon continued to send letters, but they became fewer and far between. The content of these letters also became vaguer, and seem to lose all the heart that used to be poured into every sentence. Then, they stopped completely. From listening to the gossip among the servants, Tamyra learned that Leon¡¯s father was having financial issues, and his mother¡¯s health had taken a turn for the worse. The financial situation got so bad that the main family had to step in. Tamyra tried to send more letters, but they were sent back unopened.
Tamyra fell into despair when her only friend in this world had suddenly disappeared from her life. All her life Tamyra had been bullied, ignored, and generally treated like human waste. Leon was the only one who had shown her compassion. Through his stories about his family, he had given Tamyra something else to work for other than just surviving her brother¡¯s cruelty. She wanted a family. And now that window to a happier world was gone. Tamyra was absolutely devastated.
In her depression Tamyra found solace in learning. The loneliness she felt crushed her like rock and the only thing that could distract her was her studies. However, this could only distract her so much. She was a child with lots of free time, so she inevitably found herself without anything to do. In these times, she was brought back to her loneliness. Losing the only friend in her life was devastating. ¡°What did I do to cause him ignore me?¡± she wondered endlessly. However, this was soon put in the back of her mind when she heard that her brother was coming back to the estate during his school¡¯s summer break.
The whole estate was in a buzz. The prodigal son was returning to the estate, and he was doing so with honor. He was the top ranked student of his year, both in terms of studies and mana proficiency. Kelvin Vanthar was Tamyra¡¯s antithesis. He was strong, charismatic, and had immense talent as a mage. But Tamyra knew that deep down he was also an egotist and a sadist. Kelvin had constantly tormented Tamyra for his own enjoyment, and commanded all those he felt to be beneath him. It was now time for him to return home.
Tamyra noticed that the servants were doing more than preparing for Kelvin¡¯s return. She overheard that Kelvin had invited some of his friends to spend the first week of summer at the Vanthar estate. None of the kids at school could afford to turn down such an offer, even if they wanted to go see the families they hadn¡¯t seen for months. This was a source of increased distress for Tamyra, as there would be more people to potentially torment her. Tamyra noted that she had to make herself scarce during this time, as her brother would love to show his superiority over his sister to his friends. When they arrived, Tamyra grabbed a few books from the library and went out to her favorite spot in the woods.
She had seen the airship fly in and land out on the landing strip. It had a large balloon holding the carriage beneath it. The carriage itself was ornate, and had a large family crest on both sides. It blatantly show off its opulence. Gold trim had been painstakingly applied to the body. Even the balloon was embroidered with the Vanthar family crest in what seemed to be the finest fabric money could buy. Two large propellers straddled each side of the carriage, which could pivot and provided the propulsion for the airship. The propellers were powered by a mana core engine, which gave off a slight hum. It was truly an impressive sight to see a mana powered machine, but Tamyra could only think of its occupant, her cruel brother.
To take her mind off of the evil that had arrived at the main house, Tamyra doubled her efforts on her studying. The book Tamyra was reading was an advanced guide to mana techniques. They involved the manipulation of the mind and body. They included body strengthening, causing other¡¯s body parts to come under the control of the caster, mind reading, mind reading defense, and many other techniques. Despite not having enough power to utilize the techniques, Tamyra learned the techniques to understand the nature of mana. If she wanted to somehow find a way to either gain more mana or work with it to create machines, she needed to fully grasp how it worked. She set out to accomplish this by reading all she could and practicing with her very limited mana.
While she was reading, Tamyra felt her stomach rumble. Her depression had caused her to eat a lot less, and she knew that if she wanted to practice magic, she needed energy. In her haste to escape from her brother, she had neglected to remember to bring a snack. Eventually the hunger got to her, and she decided to risk going back to the house to get food. Tamyra went garden, which was in full bloom, and made her way to the main building. When she got to the house, she hugged the wall and found her way to the servant¡¯s quarters. Sneaking inside, she managed to locate some apples left by servant on the counter. She grabbed two, stuffed them inside her dress, and made her way back out. As she was heading back to the garden she overheard voices. She went quickly hid behind a nearby gardener¡¯s shed as the voices got closer.
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¡°¡and that¡¯s why I am the student council president,¡± a young voice boasted. Tamyra held her breath; it was her dreaded brother.
¡°Of course. No one can match Kelvin Vanthar, the greatest first year Eltmar Academy has ever seen,¡± a nasally voice responded with the appropriate amount flattery for Kelvin.
¡°You truly have a bright future don¡¯t you?¡± another voice chimed in.
¡°You flatter me boys. I still have a long way to go,¡± Kelvin responded smugly. ¡°Oy, Leon. What¡¯re you spacing out for you dope?¡±
Tamyra did a double take at the name. ¡°Sorry,¡± Leon responded sheepishly.
¡°I wasn¡¯t asking for an apology, I was asking why you were spacing out.¡±
¡°Sorry. It¡¯s the garden. The flowers are very pretty this time of the year.¡± Tamyra¡¯s heart started beating. It truly was her lost friend.
¡°Ppfff. They¡¯re just stupid flowers. What are, some pansy who likes girly stuff? For you to get so mesmerized by it shows how much of a dunce you are.¡± Snickering could be heard after that last comment.
Tamyra¡¯s nerves were on edge. ¡°Why is he here?¡± she wondered. ¡°Why is he friends with Kelvin?¡± But what she really wanted was to know why he stopped sending her letters. Tamyra peaked here head out of the side to get a glimpse of Leon. The boys were standing right outside the garden in a group. There were four of them. Kelvin was in the center flanked by two boys who were very different from each other. One was big and bulky with short brown hair atop his big head. The other was short and thin. His resting facial expression seemed permanently stuck in a slight sneer. They were facing another boy with blonde hair. Leon. He had grown a lot since Tamyra had last seen him. He was taller and had the look of someone who would grow up to be handsome. The other boys were confronting him and he had his head down.
¡°Sorry,¡± Leon muttered again.
¡°Sometimes you¡¯re so fucking lame. Grow up a little bit.¡±
¡°Sorry,¡± came the response again.
¡°Stop fucking apologizing. Show some balls you loser,¡± Kelvin sneered haughtily.
¡°S-Sorry,¡± Leon stammered.
¡°S-s-sorry. You have no balls man, none at all,¡± mocked Kelvin. Kelvin slapped Leon on the cheek. ¡°Come on. Show some balls already.¡± Kelvin demanded to the snickering of the other two. Despite being hit, Leon kept his eyes facing the ground and didn¡¯t offer one bit of resistance. He seemed to be completely accepting of the situation.
Tamyra, however, could hardly watch the spectacle. Her dear friend being bullied and manhandled by her brother was too much to bear. When she didn¡¯t know happiness, Leon had shown her. When she needed support, Leon was there for her. But Kelvin was just too strong of a person for Tamyra to stand up to. She shivered in fear when she recalled that day by the pond, when she had almost died.
¡°Seriously man, do you even have balls?¡± again, another hit and more snickering.
Tamyra was torn. On one hand, her dear friend was being beaten and humiliated in front of her. On the other hand, if she went to help, she would have to contend with the brother that whose cruelty had nearly resulted in her death. Her fear prevented her from do anything. She just kept watching.
¡°Fucking loser!¡±
¡°Pansy!¡±
The other boys had joined in.
¡°Let¡¯s see if he has any balls!¡±
The larger boy kicked Leon straight in the groin. Leon dropped to the ground clutching his privates and retching uncontrollably.
¡°Guess he has something there.¡± Kelvin kicked dirt straight into Leon¡¯s face. Leon¡¯s mouth was open from gasping in pain and got a mouth full of dirt. He began coughing and hacking violently. Lying on the ground gasping for breath, Tamyra was reminded of the day at the pond. The terror she felt back then was too extreme for words. But looking at Leon¡¯s face reminded her of all the stories he had told Tamyra, and all of the support he had given her. Deep down, she realized that she didn¡¯t want him to feel the same pain she had experienced all her life. Taking a deep breath, she steeled her heart and stepped out.
¡°STOP!¡±
Ch 3.1 Kelvin
Kelvin Serro Vanthar. The prodigy heir to the Vanthar estate. Since he had been born, he had been raised knowing he as better than other people. When he wanted something, he got it. When he disagreed with someone, they changed their opinion. When he was sad, people threw away their dignity to make him happy. However it was all a bit droll.
Kelvin was too young at the time to understand the circumstances around Tamyra¡¯s birth. At first he had been told he was getting a sibling, but was too young to know what it meant. He never saw her as she was not allowed to live inside the main house. Instead she had been given a room in the servant¡¯s quarters. The servants had to take turns caring for her, but as taking care of Tamyra held no chance for recognition, she was seen as a burden. Therefore she spent most of her infancy locked up in a closet in the servant¡¯s quarters. It wasn¡¯t until Kelvin was seven and Tamyra was five that the two met.
It was an uncharacteristically bad day for Kelvin. One of the branch families brought sweets to the house as a gift, and Kelvin had wanted them. It was one of those rare times when his parents had refused one his request. Kelvin had thrown a fit, was scolded by his father and sent to his room. He had escaped though, and had made his way to kitchen. The sweets had been placed on a shelf high up on the counter. Kelvin tried to climb up the counter to get to the sweets, but he was too short. Kelvin was infuriated. He began kicking the counter as hard as he could.
¡°Stupid stupid stupid stupid stu-,¡± Kelvin froze. In his anger, he hadn¡¯t noticed the small girl walk in. She was just sitting there staring at him intently. A small girl with dark brown hair, she was dressed in a ragged dress that was obviously too big for her. Kelvin felt his heart plummet. Some lowly servant had seen him throw a tantrum. His father had always told him to be dignified because he was better than those of low status. Trying to regain some of his shattered feeling of superiority, he asked in a derisive tone. ¡°What are you doing stupid servant girl.¡±
The girl looked up at him with two large round violet eyes. ¡°What are you doing?¡± she asked with surprising clarity for someone as young as her. Curiosity shone in her eyes. Kelvin was taken aback, she dared to not answer his question?
¡°You see that box? There are a bunch of really tasty sweets up there. I want them,¡± Kelvin declared.
¡°Sweets?¡± The girl¡¯s expression turned from curiosity to desire.
¡°Yeah, but I can¡¯t get them cause they are up to high.¡±
The girl looked around and said, ¡°I can get them for us.¡±
Kelvin snorted in disbelief. ¡°You? You¡¯re shorter than me. You can¡¯t get them if I can¡¯t.¡±
The girl didn¡¯t respond but walked over to a small stool.
¡°I¡¯ve already tried that. It doesn¡¯t reach.¡±
However the small girl ignored him and place the stool next to the counter. Instead of standing on it though, she walked over and found a taller chair. She pushed the chair up to the counter. She then lifted the stool up on to the chair and climbed on the chair. Putting the stool on to the counter, she then proceeded to climb on to the counter. Kelvin was puzzled by this at first, but soon realized why she had brought the stool. When she stood on the counter, she wasn¡¯t tall enough to reach the sweets. Using the stool, the girl grabbed the box and climbed back down. When she got back to the floor, she opened the box and offered it to him.
¡°Here.¡±
Kelvin was amazed. He had been shown up by this littler serving girl. A girl younger than him, wearing such tattered clothing. A twisted feeling began to well up inside him. But before he could acknowledge it, the door opened and the sous chef walked in.
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The sous chef stared at the two children holding the box that was to be forbidden to even Kelvin. He thought about how he could get in a lot of trouble if he took it from Kelvin, but he could get into trouble from Temlan Vanthar if he let them have it. His gaze then passed on to the small girl. He realized who she was, and a plan formed. If he blamed everything on her, then he could get away with taking the sweets from Kelvin.
¡°Young master! Get away from her! She is filthy!¡± The sous chef rushed over to the two children and grabbed the girl. She still had the box in her hands, which the sous chef grabbed away from her. He cuffed her. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare taint the young master! Know your place!¡± He cuffed her again.
Staring at the spectacle in front of him Kelvin felt that twisted feeling well up to its breaking point. This girl was even lower than a servant, and she had done what he could not. Someone who was so low had been better than him. Kelvin hated it. All his life he was superior, but this girl had just calmly figured out the proper solution. Kelvin was embarrassed and angry. It was all this girl¡¯s fault. He would show her. He would prove to her that he was better. He would show his superiority. And one day she would completely submit to him.
Not saying anything, Kelvin left the room. The girl deserved whatever punishment she got. But she deserved worse. Kelvin decided to put all his effort into learning and becoming strong and smart. He would never be looked down on ever again.
Kelvin kept this mentality growing up. However he could never feel like he was superior to his sister. She would read books in the garden, and they were always past the level that he was at. When he first discovered this, he had flown into a rage, torn up Tamyra¡¯s book, then proceeded to get dirt all over her dress. However, this hadn¡¯t stopped her from reading, and Kelvin could tell she was still surpassing him. He took every opportunity to make her life a living hell.
Then one say during his bullying, they went swimming. When he made her take her clothes off, something stirred in him. She got in the water and he just sat there watching. He was mesmerized. She inquired if he would get in, but he furiously refused her for even daring to ask. And then, something even more extraordinary happened. It was a cold day and his sister was having a hard time keeping her head up. He watched in awe as she struggled to keep her head up. When he thought she was finally going to stay down, she reached the bank. Tamyra crawled on to the bank gasping for air. Her skin had a blue tint to it, and she was shivering intensely.
Fury grew inside Kelvin. He had told her to stay in, but she had climbed out. The moment that had felt so magical to Kelvin had ended. She had resisted him, and had fought desperately to live. He had wanted to see her go under. And she had ruined it. Walking over to her, in a low voice, demanded, ¡°Who said you could get out?!¡± Tamyra even had the gall to respond.
¡°I would¡¯ve drowned,¡± she gasped.
Kelvin¡¯s rage overflowed. He began to kick her. She cried out every time, but he kept going. Over and over, with no intention of stopping. In his furious barrage, she managed to find the strength and turn to him and uttered, ¡°Please.¡± Kelvin stopped. She still hadn¡¯t given up. He couldn¡¯t bear to look at her anymore so he kicked her once more and left. As he left, he thought about how she never gave up. He would one day show her his true strength. She would have no choice to completely submit. Her life would be his plaything. This time he knew his parents wouldn¡¯t overlook this, but one day she wouldn¡¯t be able to resist. And when she was completely his, he would return to this place with her and next time she wouldn¡¯t get out.
Ch 4. An Uneasy Suprise
AN: Sorry about the delay, things have been busy IRL. Hoping to put out new chapters a lot quicker then this, at least one every two days, but life has a way a of sneaking up on you. Anyway, here is the new chapter hope you enjoy.
¡°Stop!¡±
The boys turned towards Tamyra. Looks of surprise and fear were on Kelvin¡¯s two friends¡¯ faces, most likely fearing retribution from adults for their bullying. Leon was startled as well, but Kelvin just looked at Tamyra with derision. He obviously knew that Tamyra couldn¡¯t actually have a real impact.
¡°Ah sister, it¡¯s SO good to see you. How have you been? I was just so hurt when you didn¡¯t come to happily greet me upon my return,¡± Kelvin said with a sneer. Seeing Kelvin¡¯s confidence, his two stooges relaxed. They were momentarily caught off guard, but Kelvin had brought them back to their senses. Tamyra on the other hand tensed, knowing that her brother held all the power. Directly opposing him was not an option. Kelvin would almost certainly ramp up his tormenting. All Tamyra could do was try to placate him and hope he would just let things go. It was a long shot considering Kelvin¡¯s personality but Tamyra had no choice if she wanted to help Leon.
¡°Kelvin, please stop this. It is beneath someone of your caliber,¡± Tamyra tried to flatter him. A lifetime of people doing nothing but singing Kelvin¡¯s praises had conditioned him to enjoy flattery immensely. He would often bring himself to the center of attention to garner more praise. Tamyra thought that even his two friends seemed exactly like the type that would do nothing but laud Kelvin at every chance they got. But Tamyra¡¯s words didn¡¯t quite reach him.
¡°Whatever do you mean?¡± Kelvin mocked, ¡°We are just having a bit of fun between friends. Isn¡¯t that right boys?¡± Kelvin¡¯s friends vigorously nodded. Tamyra¡¯s thoughts about the nature of the other two boys were confirmed. Leon mutely looked at the ground, unable to meet Tamyra¡¯s eyes.
¡°Of course!¡±
¡°Yeah, just a bit of fun.¡±
¡°See my dear sister. It is nothing but some friends having a good time. It¡¯s a guy thing. A girl as stupid as you wouldn¡¯t understand,¡± Kelvin dropped the polite act. ¡°Now go away. You¡¯re a nuisance.¡±
Tamyra knew that this was not going well. Kelvin was not relenting, and it was obvious that his attention was fully on Leon. Kelvin had even gave her an opportunity to leave. But when she left, Tamyra knew that Kelvin would probably bully Leon more. Tamyra had already come this far, and she wasn¡¯t ready to back down now. ¡°Please brother! You¡¯re a better person than this! Stop hurting Leon!¡±
Kelvin¡¯s sneer froze. ¡°Leon?¡± He uttered in a dangerously low voice. ¡°How do you two know each other? And how come you¡¯re so willing to jump to his rescue on a moment¡¯s notice?¡±
¡°We just met a while back. It¡¯s really nothing I swear!¡± Tamyra hastily explained. While she didn¡¯t understand why, playing down their relationship seemed to be the best course of action. Kelvin¡¯s demeanor had totally shifted. Tamyra¡¯s heart sank when she remembered a time when he acted similar. Kelvin was normally just a bully, and around others he acted imperious and seemingly unconcerned about other people¡¯s business. But Tamyra still had nightmares about the time when he had acted different. And her heart sunk even further when she saw a truly sadistic smile enter Kelvin¡¯s face.
¡°Leon, I humbly apologize for my actions.¡± Tamyra was shocked. And it wasn¡¯t just her, everyone was astonished. Kelvin Vanthar never apologized. ¡°I just got a bit carried away with myself for a moment there. No harm done.¡± Kelvin extended a hand to the fallen Leon, who tentatively grabbed it and was pulled up while wearing a bewildered face that mirrored everyone else present. ¡°See? All is well that ends well. Well then, shall we be off boys. There are a lot of fun things to do at the Vanthar estate. I shall see you later my dear sister.¡± Kelvin began to walk away, and everyone just stared in confusion. ¡°Come on. There isn¡¯t any reason to stick around.¡± At Kelvin¡¯s words the boys were brought back to reality and hurried to catch up to Kelvin who had already started walking away. As Leon went to catch up, he snuck a glance back towards Tamyra and mouthed the words,
¡°Thank you.¡± Then he turned and fell into step with the others.
However Tamyra couldn¡¯t believe that it had ended just like that. That smile on Kelvin¡¯s face was all too familiar to Tamyra, and she shuddered at what was to come next. The terror of that day at the pond had taught her that Kelvin was capable of truly horrible things. She planned to be extra sneaky and do her best to avoid her brother while he was out alone. The only reason Tamyra could come up with for that apology was that he didn¡¯t want to make a scene in front of his friends. Being extra careful, she decided that her usual spot was too close to the house, so Tamyra hiked farther out into the wilderness. Stopping when she reached a fallen tree, Tamyra decided to sit under it and use it as shelter as she had no idea how long she would be out there for.
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Under the tree was dark, so Tamyra used one of the few magic techniques that she knew to create a simple light for her. Normally the mana cost would be too high for her to maintain it for any amount of time, but Tamyra had practiced over and over to make the technique as efficient as possible. Since it was such a basic technique, no one had ever taken the time to refine it, especially since anyone with a decent amount of mana could easily maintain it. But for someone with a ridiculously low amount of mana like Tamyra, it was a necessity to make the technique as efficient as possible. Through hours of nonstop practice, Tamyra had managed to figure out how to do it. Magic was the process of converting mana into a form that could do work. Mana was a curious substance that was neither energy nor matter. Certain living beings had been blessed with the ability to generate mana and control the mana they generated. The mage would visualize what they wanted and then control the mana to become what they envisioned. Mana could be changed in to energy, like heat or kinetic energy, or it could be turned into matter like water or a rock. The mana cost rose as the amount of matter or energy rose. However one could decrease this by increasing the efficiency of the technique by exerting more control over the technique, which made sure that that excess mana was not wasted either from not being full converted or being converted into something else. For instance, if a mage wanted to make a kinetic blast, some of that energy would be converted into sound energy. So a skilled caster could use less mana by restricting the sound made. The downside was that this required much more concentration and time as well as the proper knowledge of what the caster wanted to happen.
Tamyra had used these principles to refine the basic light technique. She first had learned to use all of the mana she would allot to a task. This meant zero mana would be wasted in her casting. The next process that she diligently practiced was making the light only shine light. A basic light often wasted a lot of energy through heat, and sometimes even sound, but through days and days of careful practice, Tamyra had made her technique only produce light. Due to her low mana amount, if Tamyra wanted to sustain it the light was fairly dim, but it was enough that if she kept the light close she was able to read without much problem. It also had the added bonus of being harder to spot, which was a must considering her reluctance to be found by her brother.
The light Tamyra had made had one more added technique to it. Since maintaining such a perfect light was mentally taxing, Tamyra made the light into a partial enchantment. Enchantments were when the mage would create a set of instructions and a supply of mana to an object or spell. These could then be left alone and would be independent from the mage who created it. These are extremely difficult as one would have to visualize the exact mana structure of the instructions. But since Tamyra had such a small amount of mana, she had to use a partial enchantment. A partial enchantment is when your enchantment has its instructions but siphons mana off the caster to sustain itself. It had taken a year to perfect this method, but Tamyra¡¯s practice had payed off.
Tamyra got herself comfortable and began reading her book. It was a book explaining how to use different types of energy in conjunction with magic. It was mainly the basics, like creating a fireball that combined heat energy and kinetic energy. Tamyra knew that her mana was far too insufficient to pull off a technique like that. Her goal was to understand mana. Despite thousands of years of research, not much was actually known about it. No one knew for sure what it actually was and what it was truly like in its pure form. Tamyra¡¯s goal to become someone important was to enter the forefront of mana research. Those who could make new technologies were extremely important to both countries and businessmen. If Tamyra could discover something truly important, then even Kelvin would be unable to touch her.
Tamyra¡¯s reading took her long into the night. She didn¡¯t dare go back to the house until she could be absolutely sure that Kelvin was asleep. Sleeping outside was an idea that Tamyra toyed with, but ultimately decided against it. Some of the servants would demand work from her and if she neglected these duties, she would be brought to the attention of the higher ups, possibly giving Kelvin a reason to do something horrible to her. Tamyra hadn¡¯t brought along a watch with her, so waited until long after the sun had gone down to make her way back. Using her light to see her path, Tamyra retraced her steps in order to get back to the house. It was when she had almost reached her usual hiding spot that she heard someone else walking towards her.
Ch 5. An Eye for an Eye
Tamyra quickly extinguished her light and froze in her tracks. As the footsteps grew louder, she slid into a large patch of brush. As she held perfectly still, she could feel her heart pounding in her chest. Though the identity of the person was still unknown, Tamyra feared the worst; that Kelvin had come looking for her. She was too far away from the house for anyone to hear her. If Kelvin found her, he would have total free reign.
The steps grew louder. Tamyra broke out in a cold sweat. She began to plan an escape route in case she was discovered. Back through the brush and make a beeline to the fallen tree, which was full of nooks and crannies for her to hide in. As her plans were set, the footsteps reached Tamyra¡¯s usual reading spot, stopped, and a familiar voice quietly called out,
¡°Tamyra? Are you there? Hello?¡± The voice belonged to Tamyra¡¯s one friend, Leon. A wave of relief washed over Tamyra. She stepped out of the brush.
¡°Leon?¡± she inquired. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±
¡°I wanted to thank you for earlier. I snuck out after everyone went to sleep to go to your room, but when you weren¡¯t in your room, I thought you might be here, the place we first met. You would tell me in your letters how you would come here to read.¡± Leon wore a happy expression on his face.
¡°Why did you let him do that to you though? You¡¯re from a branch family, and he has to keep his composure around a branch family¡¯s child right?¡± At Tamyra¡¯s inquisitive words Leon¡¯s happy expression was replaced by one of despair.
¡°I told you before about how my mother is ill right? Last year, she took a turn for the worst. Father was so worried that he neglected his duties. Since we are merchant nobles our business went under. Riddled by debts, I was to come home from the academy. But then I met Kelvin. He had heard of my situation and said he would persuade your father to shoulder our debts and pay for the medical expenses of my mother. He said as long as I followed anything he said, the money would keep coming. It has been awful. He would make me do all of his errands, humiliate me in front of the other students, and hit me when he was angry. He would even practice magic on me. And no one did anything about it. Some of the others even joined in. It got so bad that I stopped having the heart to write you. I¡¯m really sorry. You¡¯ve been nothing but a good friend to me.¡± Tears started forming in Leon¡¯s eyes. Tamyra, who was not used to social interactions, was at a loss for words. She racked her brain to think of how to comfort Leon, who had fully broken down into tears at this moment. Awkwardly, Tamyra hugged Leon.
¡°Ummm, there there?¡± Tamyra cursed herself inside her head but Leon¡¯s crying began to subside.
¡°S-sorry.¡± Leon muttered.
¡°Uhhhh, its ok I guess,¡± Tamyra, who had no real experience comforting other, stammered. ¡°Kelvin can be truly cruel. I know firsthand.¡±
¡°Why does he have to be so mean? I didn¡¯t do anything to him. I never badmouthed him or even rivaled him for position of the top student of the year.¡±
¡°That is just the way he is,¡± Tamyra sighed.
¡°It¡¯s just¡¡° Leon took a deep breath. ¡°It¡¯s just that it feels good to be able to discuss this with someone. I¡¯ve felt so alone.¡± Tamyra wondered when the right time to break the hug would be, but Leon seemed to not want to let go.
¡°Thank you so much for standing up for me. No one has ever tried to help me. It means so much to me.¡± Leon backed off and stared at Tamyra. ¡°Really. You¡¯ve told me of just how scared you are of Kelvin. I know that it took so much courage to stand up to him. I won¡¯t forget this.¡± He grabbed Tamyra and pulled her back into the hug. Tamyra had never been embraced, and the sensation of warmth was spread throughout her body, when suddenly,
¡°A late night rendezvous? How scandalous.¡±
Tamyra¡¯s blood ran cold. Tamyra broke away from Leon who had frozen in fear and turned towards the owner of the mocking voice.
¡°Kelvin. Why are you here?¡±
¡°Well I thought my friend here seemed troubled, so when he snuck out I decided to follow him. Who knew he came to see you.¡± The last word was dripped in acid.
¡°Both of us couldn¡¯t sleep and we met while taking a late night stroll. That¡¯s all.¡± Tamyra lied.
¡°Y-yeah,¡± Leon agreed.
¡°Really?¡± Kelvin asked in fake confusion. ¡°Then why on earth did Leon here make a stop at your bedroom? Seems like a strange place to go for a midnight stroll.¡± Tamyra¡¯s face paled. If Kelvin had been following Leon since he had snuck out, then that meant he had heard their entire conversation. Even the parts where they had badmouthed him. ¡°I think that you two are lying. Now just what could you two be hiding. Is it your little discussions about how evil Kelvin is? Are you two in love? Or is it just so the pussy Leon can bawl his eyes out like a frail little girl? Well don¡¯t let me interrupt. Go on, continue your little fun time.¡±
Tamyra¡¯s mind was in full panic mode. Kelvin¡¯s demeanor was that of a playful bully, but she knew that this was a precursor to something worse. ¡°Please, we were just caught up in the moment. We didn¡¯t mean to say bad thing about you,¡± Tamyra desperately tried to explain. Leon nodded his head vigorously in agreement.
¡°You two don¡¯t seem very sorry though.¡± Kelvin was wearing a mocking grin.
¡°Please, it¡¯s late. Let¡¯s go back now,¡± Tamyra pleaded. She knew that wouldn¡¯t work, but desperation was making her keep talking in order to prolong the inevitable torment Kelvin was planning.
¡°Yes it is late isn¡¯t it? Leon, why have you decided to let my precious younger sister stay out so late? And so far out as well. If something were to happen here,¡± Kelvin flew at Leon with incredible speed and socked him the stomach, ¡°then no one could hear the cries for help.¡± Leon crumpled to the ground gasping for air. Tamyra could tell that Kelvin had used magic to enhance his movements making his hit much harder. Tamyra cried out to Kelvin,
¡°Please! Stop! He didn¡¯t do anything!¡± But Kelvin ignored her protests and kicked Leon again.
¡°He has to learn not to endanger my precious little sister.¡± Tamyra felt a chill over the way Leon called her. ¡°And this time, it¡¯s not all in good fun.¡± Kelvin kept kicking. Tamyra grabbed onto Kelvin and tried to pull him away. However Tamyra was a small girl and Kelvin had begun his growth spurt. Kelvin easily tossed her off, and Tamyra fell on her backside. Leon had regained his breath and was crying out in pain. Kelvin had moved from kicking his stomach to his face. Leon had his head cradled in his arms for protection, but his nose already had blood pouring out. Tamyra jumped back to her feet and tried again to drag Kelvin away.
¡°STOP GETTING IN THE WAY!¡± Kelvin roared and Tamyra suddenly found herself on the ground seeing stars. It took her a moment to figure out that Kelvin had hit her. He must have reinforced the blow with magic for him to be able to hit so hard. Kelvin once again resumed kicking Leon. Tamyra realized the ineffectuality of her actions. Leon¡¯s face was bloody and beginning to swell, and Tamyra knew that Leon didn¡¯t have much time before he was seriously injured, if he was not already. Her only hope was to get the two of them close enough to the estate to where a guard could hear them. But she couldn¡¯t get Kelvin away from Leon. The only way was to somehow incapacitate Kelvin, and she remembered that she had one weapon that she could use
Tamyra concentrated and formed a small ball of light in her hand. It was dim now, as she needed to conserve what little mana she had at her disposal. Running behind Kelvin, she jumped on his back. Kelvin was shocked and had no time to react. Tamyra took the small light that was in her hand and forced it into Kelvin¡¯s eyes. Then gathering all the mana she had, increased the brightness of the light as much as possible. Tamyra felt the feeling of emptiness that came with depleting her mana supply, but the intended effect came through. Kelvin screamed in agony, grabbing at his eyes. ¡°MY EYES!¡± Kelvin cried out. Tamyra dropped off his back and ran over to the downed Leon.
Tamyra was appalled by the state of Leon. Kelvin had used magic and hardened his kicks. Leon¡¯s nose was obviously broken and had blood cascading out of it. One of his eyes had nearly swollen completely shut, his lip was split open, and at least one tooth was missing. But there was no time to consider the damage, as Tamyra knew she didn¡¯t have the magic power to blind Kelvin seriously. He would get his vision back and be furious. ¡°Leon get up. We need to go now.¡± Leon merely groaned. Tamyra could tell that Leon was barely on the edge of consciousness. ¡°Please get up! We need to get out of here now.¡±
¡°Helpf me uph.¡± Leon slurred. Tamyra grabbed his arm and put it around her shoulder. With all her might she pulled Leon up. As she did, he cried out in pain. Tamyra noted that he probably had broken ribs as well. But there was no time for his injuries. They had to move. With Tamyra supporting Leon, the two began to make their way back. Kelvin was still on the ground clutching his eyes and cursing. But it wouldn¡¯t last for much longer, so Tamyra urged Leon to go faster.
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¡°Come on! We need to get back to the house!¡± Tamyra knew that there was no going back now that she had attacked Kelvin, but whatever the punishment would be, it was preferable to letting Kelvin have his way. She could protect Leon by assuming full responsibility, as Leon was obviously hurt and the adults would easily figure out what had transpired, and they couldn¡¯t blame Leon for what happened. Her desire to save her friend gave Tamyra renewed strength and she picked up her pace. Leon was perking up, and now was able to stand on his own. But he still was extremely slow, and Tamyra had no intention of leaving him, so the two continued as fast as Leon could possibly run. But they were still at least fifteen minutes away from the house. Tamyra silently cursed her habit of going so far away to study.
The two kept moving, but they weren¡¯t moving fast enough and Tamyra knew it. But she hadn¡¯t seen a sign of Kelvin, so they must have had a good head start. The terror she had felt during the entire ordeal began to give way to hope. Soon they would be close enough to get help. Then suddenly, a force slammed into the back her head. She was out before her face hit the ground.
Tamyra woke up with a dull ache in the back of her head. As her eyes came into focus, she noticed that it was still dark out, but there was a small light hovering above her. Looking up, Tamyra saw that the light was similar to the one she used, but this one was much less efficient, yet it was still brighter. Tamyra began to look around and saw someone standing imperiously over another person who was down on their knees. It was Kelvin and Leon.
¡°Ah look who¡¯s awake. Damn you¡¯re a sturdy one. That hit I gave you was quite strong, and you have only been out for less than ten minutes. Quite impressive.¡± Leon¡¯s mouth was twisted into a cruel smirk, but Tamyra could see that his eyes were bloodshot from her light attack. ¡°I have to say, that attack on my eyes was something else. No one has ever hurt me like that before. No one.¡± Leon¡¯s face suddenly radiated pure fury.
¡°Kelvin, please don¡¯t hurt her. She did it for my sake. Any punishment should be given to me,¡± Leon pleaded. He was still on his knees in a bowing position. Tamyra studied him, looking to see if Kelvin had hurt him more, but he seemed no different from earlier.
¡°She may have done it for your sake, but she attacked me. She fucking attacked me. No one has ever done that to me.¡± He turned towards Tamyra. ¡°Do you think you¡¯re just better than me huh? Even with your small amount of mana you don¡¯t know your place. You just have to keep trying to flaunt your superiority.¡± Leon had become manic. ¡°YOU ARE NOT BETTER THAN ME! I AM BETTER THAN YOU IN EVERY WAY! I AM STRONGER! I AM FASTER! I AM SMARTER! I AM BETTER!¡± Kelvin brought back his foot, and Tamyra could feel the mana pour into his leg. She was still sluggish from being knocked out and she knew that there was no way to dodge it.
¡°Please stop!¡± Kelvin turned stopped and turned around. Leon had attempted to jump up to stop Kelvin, but because of the pain he was in, awkwardly tumbled to the ground. Fortunately, this had gotten Kelvin¡¯s attention and had stopped his kick. ¡°Please! This is all my fault. If anyone deserves punishment it¡¯s me. Hit me not her!¡±
Kelvin stared at Leon for a second and relaxed. ¡°Leon, none of this was your fault. You just went out for a midnight stroll. Didn¡¯t your parents ever teach you that it was rude to wander around someone else¡¯s house at midnight? Obviously not, or else you wouldn¡¯t have done it. So this isn¡¯t your fault. It¡¯s your parents fault.¡± At the mention of his parents, even with all the damage, it was obvious that Leon¡¯s face wore an expression of pure horror. ¡°So since it¡¯s their fault, I¡¯ll just have to tell my father that he just isn¡¯t fit to be a noble. That help with the debt would just have to stop. And I hear your mother¡¯s treatment is just so very expensive. Too bad they didn¡¯t teach their son proper manners.¡±
¡°No,¡± Leon croaked. ¡°Please no. She needs those treatments. Please don¡¯t. I¡¯m sorry. I should¡¯ve known better. Don¡¯t bring my parents into this.¡±
¡°But Leon, I was hurt. And it was extremely painful. Someone needs to be punished for all of this.¡±
¡°Just punish me! I¡¯ll take it!¡± Leon begged.
¡°But Leon, I¡¯ve already said that this wasn¡¯t your fault. If I punished you for this, that would be unjust. And I am many things, but I am not unjust.¡±
¡°This wasn¡¯t their fault though!¡± came the pleading reply.
¡°Well then, if it isn¡¯t their fault, and I have already said that it wasn¡¯t your fault, then that leaves only one person who is at fault.¡± Kelvin looked straight into Tamyra¡¯s eyes. A feeling of dread washed over her. ¡°And someone has to be punished.¡±
¡°No! It¡¯s not hers either!¡±
¡°Hmmm, but if it¡¯s not your parents fault, and I¡¯ve already said that it¡¯s not your fault, then it must be her fault.¡±
¡°But it¡¯s not!¡±
¡°Leon, someone has to be punished here. If you won¡¯t tell me whose fault it is, then I¡¯m just going to have to punish both your parents and Tamyra. You have a choice. Tell me whose fault it is and the other party will be spared. Please decide now.¡±
¡°Please. It¡¯s neither of their faults.¡± Leon cried weakly.
Kelvin shook his head in derision. ¡°Leon, that¡¯s not a proper answer. I am not going to ask again. If you don¡¯t give me a proper answer, then I¡¯m going to have punish both of them. Now choose.¡±
¡°But-¡°
¡°No buts, just decide.¡±
¡°I¡ I can¡¯t.¡±
¡°Then it¡¯s both then?¡±
¡°No!¡±
¡°Then choose. You have to the count of five.¡±
¡°Please no!¡± Leon was crying on the ground at Kelvin¡¯s feet.
¡°Five¡± Kelvin began his countdown. Tamyra could only sit silently. A combination of grogginess, a loss for words, and crippling fear of Kelvin kept her silent.
¡°Four¡± Leon looked desperately at Tamyra, but she had no answers for him. She did not want Leon¡¯s family to lose its title, but she was terrified of Kelvin.
¡°Three¡± Despair crept onto Leon¡¯s face.
¡°Two¡± Tamyra could see that Kelvin was thoroughly enjoying this.
¡°One. What is your decision?¡± Leon looked at the ground in defeat and mumbled something inaudible.
¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t quite catch that. One more time please.¡± Kelvin demanded.
Leon looked at Tamyra. It was a look that made Tamyra experience a whole new level of torment. It was a desperately apologetic look. Slowly, Leon raised his hand and pointed at her and whispered,
¡°It was her fault.¡±
Dread filled Tamyra¡¯s soul.
¡°I see,¡± Kelvin exclaimed. ¡°This all my dear sister¡¯s fault. So dear sister, do you have anything to say in your defense?¡± Tamyra desperately tried to find words to explain, something to lessen the horror of what was to come, but nothing came out, and she could only gape.
¡°Well, if you have nothing to say, then I suppose we must get on with it. You really did hurt my eyes. I have never experienced something so painful.¡± Kelvin grabbed Tamyra and pulled her up. ¡°Get up Leon. I need you to hold her hands. Though she most likely has used all her mana, she has proven to be very dangerous with those hands. You¡¯re weak so use magic to strengthen your grip.¡± Leon struggled to his feet and grabbed Tamyra¡¯s hands behind her. ¡°So, my dear sister, have you ever heard the expression, ¡®eye for an eye¡¯? In this case, it can be used quite literally, as you did attack my eyes. You used light to blind me. I guess I¡¯ll use light as well.¡± Kelvin held out his palm and conjured a fireball. ¡°Mine is a bit stronger though.¡± The fire brought Tamyra back to her senses,
¡°Please! Let me go! I¡¯m so sorry! Just let me go!¡± Tamyra screamed.
¡°Don¡¯t worry dear sister. You may have attacked both of my eyes, but I am a gentleman. I¡¯ll only go for one eye as recompense. You still need to be able to see me.¡± Leon declared. Tears began to stream down Tamyra¡¯s face.
¡°I¡¯ll do anything! I swear! Anything!¡± Tamyra sobbed in a last ditch effort for mercy.
¡°Anything?¡± Kelvin replied. ¡°Then I want you to burn.¡± Kelvin brought the fireball to Tamyra¡¯s face.