《The Progress of Perfection》 Chapter One: A Second Year, A Second Beginning Are we there yet?" Cried the girl in a dress that did not suite her age. "Soon my dear, soon" Replied a woman in a dress that also did not suite her age. Boredom was growing thick inside the Hensworth''s family carriage - as they were in the middle of their journey to mage''s academy of Vornn. The inhabitants of the carriage were none other than the lady: Margaery Hensworth herself. Her youngest daughter, Iris Hensworth and her youngest son, Kyle Hensworth. The boy Kyle gazed out the window of the carriage with contempt for the uninteresting scenery his eyes'' were laying upon. Granted it was more interesting than engaging with his brat of a sister - who''s life goal seems to be to make his life a living hell. Or his mother who would not desist in fanning herself with that overly decorative fan of hers and turning her nose up at nothing in particular. As Kyle''s mind began to wonder, he thought of his future prospects as a second year student at the magic academy. As a self proclaimed genius and power that is only seen once a century, his excitement was laid bare in that mocking grin of his. For there was no one who could create a mana bolt as big and as powerful as he could. There was no one who could conjure a barrier as long as he could. There will never be someone who can explain the deep intricacies of magic and the internal & external mana workings of the great veil. "We''ve arrived at Vornn, m''lady" Shouted the man driving the carriage. It seems that in the time it took for Kyle to satisfy his ego''s hunger, the carriage had arrived on the outskirts of the city of Vornn "Well it''s about time! Any longer on that bumpy road and I fear my delicate body would been shook into a fine paste" Huffed Lady Hensworth. "Yay! We''re here!" Cried Iris. "Hush child! Remember your face. A lady never shouts or wears her emotions so openly." "Yes mother." Replied the now sullen Iris. Kyle, watching this, could not hide his joy in watching his sister getting taken down a peg. "What are you smiling at little man? Help the horse boy carry our bags." "Yes mother." Replied Kyle who now had a face that mirrored his sisters''. "At least I only have to put up with this for a few more hours and then I''m free for another year." Said Kyle under his breath. And with that conversation over, the Hensworth family marched forth, into the thick of the city. ************ "How long do you plan to be in Vornn for?" Inquired Kyle. "Oh not too long. A couple of days, a week at the most." Replied his mother with a bored tone. "What a shame, it''s only for so soon. I at least wish an enjoyable stay for you both." This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there."Please reframe from kissing my behind now would you. You and I both know you can''t wait to be rid of me." "Why mother I would never think such a thi-." "Silence! Such a cowardly boy you are. Can''t even be honest about your own feelings about your mother, to your mother. Goodness how did I end up with such a frail and spineless boy when you have your brothers whom are just so much more... Transcendent?" "Yes mother... Sorry mother..." Said Kyle with downcast eyes - wishing he was anywhere but here. *humph* Now the air was filled with an awkward silence as the two looked at each other outside of the prestigious hotel the ladies will be staying at. Tension so thick you can cut it with a dull knife. The only one who seemed to be immune to the tension was little Iris who had once again had forgotten to not wear her emotions so openly plastered on her face. Deciding enough seconds had passed for it to be know longer rude, Kyle concluded his journey with his mother and sister with the most polite farewell his pride could muster. ***** Kyle practically ran to the magic guild in a desperate attempt to be as far away from his mother as possible. He quickly arrived outside the gate with knobbly knees and a heaving chest as his reward for a quick arrival. He thanked himself for sorting out all of the paper work beforehand so all he had to do was show the gatekeeper his badge of identification to get into the premises. Kyle may have already lived and studied here for a year, but the place still filled him with a slight awe. From the flocks of people proudly wearing their brown beginners robes, to the great spiral tower at the centre of the academy - made entirely of glass forged from the sands of Doug and the fire of a wyvern. But what really captivated Kyle was the Grand Library of Lord Maximus, for It is the second largest (the largest being the king''s personal library ) in the country. Having made his way to his past and now future living quarters, Kyle placed his hand on the thick wooden door and whispered the incantation required to open the door. The door opens with a slight creak. With a confident right step forward through the archway, Kyle enters. He notices a small flash at the bottom of his peripheral vision as his foot lands firmly on the ground. *WOMP* Suddenly drenched in water and blinded by some metallic object that had fallen his head, Kyle falls over in a panic and lands with a giant thud. After some quick frantic panic, Kyle starts to find his bearings, he realises he can hear the faint sound of laughing from behind him. Seems like this year isn''t going to be much different than the last one... Chapter Two: The First Day No matter how many times you look at a piece of wood, you will something you''ve never seen before. Maybe it''s a new groove, of the way a certain area has a slightly different shade of colour than the rest of the wood. A crack, a bump, a cranny. The possibilities are endless. Kyle regularly had this thought when he laid on his bed and stared at the ceiling. It typically manifests more deeply after a run in with the those who are ''jealous of his greatness''. I never noticed how the wood swirls around that black spot before... One, two, three, four grooves huh. Could have sworn it was five last time I checked. I should really ask the building manager what type of wood this is. *sigh* Hours passed until Kyle''s eyes began to feel the weight of the day that passed. With a deep intake of air, Kyle submerged into a slumber, with hopes of a dream that will take his mind away from reality. ********************************** Waking up around midday, Kyle sluggishly raises himself from his bed and stands up. He peers through the cracks in his eyelids and scans the room. Remembering where he is, Kyle sigh''s with relief. That is, until he remembers he still has three days until the semester starts. With a loathing of the outside world, Kyle decides he will spend the entire three days in his room, only leaving to eat and relieve himself. And with that decision concluded, Kyle swirls around and jumps back into bed. *********************************** The three days quickly flew by with not a single thing worth mentioning. If Kyle''s family ever found out he spent three days doing nothing but sleeping, eating and reading story books for children, they would have him publicly castrated and use the family dog as the tool to do the deed. With the beginning of the semester and the day of Kyle''s first class, it was time for him to finally leave his room for a non survival reason. Unfortunately, Kyle was already late for his first class since he was heavily invested in a dream he was having in which he was riding a dragon and firing lightning bolts from his fingertips at his fellow classmates. With no time to wash himself (not that he normally does), Kyle hastelloy put on his brown robe over his undergarments and runs to class. ****************************************** "You are three minutes late to class young man. I''ll excuse today because it''s the first day of the semester, but do it again and I''ll have an imp alight that behind of yours. You''re a second year now, I expect better." "Yes miss, sorry miss." Replied an out of breath Kyle. "Good. Take a seat at the back of the class since it''s the only place available. If you can''t see then tough, your fault for showing up late." Said the elderly woman in green robes behind the large desk at the front of the room, with an expression some would argue is one of slight contempt. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more."Yes miss." Kyle hurriedly found somewhere to sit and ignored the noise of youths snickering. "Now, as I was saying before I was interpreted, I am Miss Winters I will be your tutor for this year. Anything that has not been categorized in your curriculum, will be taught by myself. Also, any sort of problems, whether personal of work related, will also be handled by me. Pleased to meet you all. I hope you have a very fulfilling year. You are our future mages and I expect the very best from you." Kyle was already growing bored with this rehearsed speech. When do we get to do some magic? Kyle thought. As if reading Kyle''s mind - "Now I am sure you are all eager to delve into some new magic, unfortunately for you all, you must do a theoretical and practical exam first so we can see how much you remember from the previous year and have an understanding of your level of ability". For a single second the entire class become a being of one mind and let out a groan of exasperation. As Kyle looked upon the pieces of paper known as ''the exam'' in disgust and fear. He couldn''t quite understand why a mage should have to prove their ability on paper when they are beings that can manifest wonders and miracles into the world. Okay, question one. ''Who was the first person to create and utilize fire magic?'' How the hell am I suppose to know that?! What''s that got to do with learning magic? Errmmm... The first, dragons are old and they breathe fire, that¡¯s magic right? I guess I''ll put ''dragon''. Alright, question two. ''In a situation in which you are shot at by a standard crossbow used by the Potenceps army from a distance of one hundred feet and have an almost exhausted mana supply, what is the most appropriate response that ensures your own safety and the incapacitation of your assailant that does not result in their demise or grievous bodily harm?'' WHAT THE FUCK?! We didn''t learn this. We haven''t learned combat magic. Hell, we don''t even know what our element is yet! And I don''t know anything about crossbows, why would a mage know anything about crossbows? Only the empty use such things. Earrrrgh! I''m just going to put ''cast a barrier and then fire a lightning bolt at them''. If they''re to weak to die from that, they can''t be considered my assailant to begin with. Question three. Using Balarg''s theorem as a guideline, explain the mana system, its connection to the great Veil, how it replenished and how it differs from the sharing of mana between an individual and a celestial being.'' ¡­Fuck. Chapter Three: Exam Day "Times up! Put down your quills and wait silently for me to collect your papers." Kyle let out an audible sigh of relief and stretched his body in sheer ecstasy. He didn''t have much confidence in his score for this test but looks upon the future smugly, where he will ace the practical exam. As he watched his tutor take his exam from the table, he made an awkward smile at her which seemed to cause her roll her eyes a little. Now that Miss Winter has appeared behind her desk once again, arms overflowing with paper, with a slam, she drops the papers on her table which draws the classes attention towards herself. "Now, before we start the practical exam, I will allow you to have a fifteen minute break. I will not be here during this time as I have another matter to tend too. You are not aloud to leave this room in that time unless you need to relieve yourself, in which case, tell me now." Kyle watched as two boys and a girl got up, walked up the tutor and left the room with her. Once the door closed with a loud thud, everyone instantly started moving around the room so they could converse with one another. Kyle looked upon his peers with a loathing stare as they happily talked to each other. He wished they didn''t have to have a break and would just go straight ahead with the practical exam. "How did you do?" Asked some girl with blonde hair. "It was suuuuper hard! Like that one question about how minerals in water effects its manipulation." Replied a girl with brown hair. "I know right!" ... "So Brendon, how did you do?" "Not too bad, that one about conjuring was tricky though." "Yeah I thought you would say that. I found that one pretty easy, but that''s only because my family specializes in summoning shit." ... "I heard Mary has got a thing for you, man." "Yeah, we kind of met up in the summer." "You just tell me that now! You gotta tell me all about it, right now." ... "Veil be damned, I''m hungry." ¡­ Kyle wished he knew a spell that would make him temporarily deaf so he wouldn''t haven''t have to listen to this drivel. As he stared off into the distance with his eyes focussing on nothing, he noticed a little too late that a group of three boys and two girls were quickly approaching him. "Hey Kyle." Said the boy in the lead of the group. "Oh, h-hey Ulfur." "Pretty easy exam huh." "Yeah, really easy. I could have done it with my eyes closed." Replied Kyle with slight more confidence in his voice. Ulfur and his company smirked in response to Kyle''s comment. Kyle never bothered to learn the name of his classmates but he couldn''t help but know about Ulfur Hugrakkur. From a prominent noble family from a country to the far north, only fifteen years old, he stood taller and more muscular than an average foot soldier. With long blonde hair and eyes the colour of ice. He was said to a magical prodigy and was also one of the few mage''s in the world that bothered to also learn non-magical combat. "I see you didn''t have time to wash this morning. You should probably start getting up earlier, having all that grease on your face isn''t going to make those pimples go away." Kyle didn''t respond to that comment. He just stared at Ulfur and hoped he would go away. "Don''t look at me like that, I''m just trying to help you out. Girls won''t like you if you don''t change that shit." "Y-yeah." Kyle reluctantly agreed. "Hey Rachael, Izzy. Would you get with little Kyle over here?" "Ew! No way!" Said the girls In union while making fake gagging noises. Everyone in the class is now watching this spectacle and all are giggling at the girls dramatic mocking of the weird greasy kid. Kyle joined in with the laughter by making nervous chuckling noises, since it seemed to be the only appropriate response that wouldn''t make the situation worse for him. Ulfur immediately stopped laughing. "What are you laughing at little man?" "Erm, well you know..." "Know what?" "Well you know, it was funny." "Why was it funny?" "Because you said... you know, and people laughed and things..." "I can''t understand you. Are too stupid to talk?" "N-no." "Speak louder!" "No" Said Kyle with a slight increase in volume. "No what?" "No... Ulfur?" "Did I give you permission to say my name?!" "N-no." Ulfur suddenly slams his hands on Kyle''s desk. He then moves his head down until it''s inches away from Kyle''s and shouts- "NO WHAT?! "No sir!" Squeals Kyle. Unable to meet Ulfur''s eyes. What felt like an eternity of silence, Ulfur suddenly bursts out laughing. "Ha! Just playing around with you man. No need to be so serious." Kyle, unable to voice a response over his embarrassment and the roaring laughter of the class. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. It seems fifteen minutes has passed, since Miss Winter has returned to the classroom. "All right class settle down and return to your seats, class in now in session." "Talk to you later little man" Ulfur ruffles Kyle''s hair, looks at his hand in slight disgust as he sees very noticeable greasy residue on his hand. He wipes his hand on Kyle''s sleeve and walks off to his seat. "Okay, now that you are all seated, let us begin. We normally do this in the area or workshop, but since they are both occupied and since you all only know how to manifest your mana in its most basic form, we will conduct the test here." This caused a few concerned looks around the room since raw mana is volatile so the chances of someone being injured was possible. "Do not fret. This room is warded and I am a fully qualified mage. In the rare chance that something does go wrong, no one will be harmed, that I promise." She scans her eyes across the room to see if anyone was still afraid. Seeing nothing but placid faces, she decides it''s okay to proceed. "Okay, we will start simple. Bring your hands up to chest level so I can see them and then focus your mana to your hands." The room quickly filled with hands that had a soft pale blue hue surrounding each one of them. "Good, now place your hands facing each other, bring your mana into the midpoint of your hands and shape it into a ball." It took longer for everyone to do this than the previous exercise but everyone still managed to do this without out any visible trouble. "Now double it in size." Once again, it was done by everyone with no trouble. "Return it to its original size... Now shrink it to half its size" Done. "Now repeat this pattern of growing and shrinking pattern until I say stop." For about five minutes everyone ritually grew and shrunk their mana ball. No one has failed so far but if you looked closely at some students, you could see beads of sweat or deep breathing. Kyle was brimming with confidence, so far he isn''t having any problems with these exercises. He''s almost thankful for his father forcing him to do mana exercises for hours a day. "Okay, now shape your mana into a cube." There was slight panic now in the class as the difference between creating a ball compared to a creating a cube was said to be as difficult as firing an arrow from a bow using two hands compared to firing an arrow with one hand while riding a donkey backwards. Only one third of the class was able to shape a complete cube, the rest made something more akin to a pebble you would find on the side of a road. Kyle was one of the few who was able to make a cube but his previous confidence was now shaken due to his ragged breath and how hot it suddenly became. "Now make it glow." This was going to be a long day... * * * * * After an hour of doing various exercises such as: making a mana ball glow, pulsate, change colour, produce sound, heat, cold, become a triangle, a diamond, and make it spin. Then they did telekinetic exercises on various objects of different shapes and weight and made them perform different movements. Next Miss Winter broke down her minds defences and everyone had to try and read her thoughts. The exam was concluded with each person receiving a very small cut on their forearm and then trying to heal said wound. Ulfur was the only person who was able to do every single exercise. Kyle was able to do most of the exercises, he failed half of the telekinetic and the telepathic exercise. Everyone had flushed cheeks and were leaning forwards with a heaving chest; panting heavily. Kyle was thinking of such sweet thoughts about his friendship with his bed. Miss Winter had now just finished writing down the results of the exam on a piece of paper. "That will do for today. Go back to your dorms and rest. Tomorrow you will get your results and will get to find out your elemental attribute. Class dismissed" You could hear hushed whispers of excitement about learning your elemental attribute. Even Kyle was excited, it''s said you can''t be considered a mage until you know your attribute as it signifies a mages entire aptitude for all kinds of magic. Kyle quickly shuffled out of the room and headed towards his room with the goal of sleeping as soon as possible so tomorrow comes quicker. * * * * * Laid in bed, Kyle forces his excitement deep down so he can sleep. With his early embarrassment forgotten, Kyle lays with comfortably with his eyes closed, the back of his thoughts wondering about what attribute he is. I hope it''s lightning... Chapter Four: The Day of the Elements With a stretch and a yawn, Kyle rises from his bed and plants his feet firmly on the wooden floor. Today''s the big day he thought to himself. Every mage in training looks forward to this day as it determines what path their training will take them. Such a day was only dwarfed by the day of their graduation in terms of excitement for a mage. Today was truly a special day indeed for Kyle had managed to wake up early for the first time in a long time. He still did not deem it worthy of his time to perform any sort of bathing activity, if he keeps this up, he''s going to be forcibly washed with water magic by Mrs Rueben again like last year. He at least changed his undergarments and rubbed some saliva through his hair - after he saw his reflection in the mirror. Kyle hurriedly adorned his robe and headed to eating hall for some breakfast. After a quick meal of bread and porridge, Kyle walked to the room he had his class in yesterday. He breathed a quiet sigh of relief as he entered the room. It seems that the combination of his early arrival and the ''day of the elements'' has caused his peers to have a complete lack of interest in his arrival. He quickly found his seat from yesterday, sat down, placed his head on his left hand like it was the heaviest thing in the world, and waited for the day to begin. "What do you think your attribute is?" Asked one exited student to another. "Probably earth since my father is from Sa''karr. What about you?" "It''s got to be fire man, I''ve always loved the stuff, and it''s also the most common attribute so why not." ... "You finally won''t be the only person in the class who knows their element any more Ulfur. Does that make you feel less like the top dog now?" "Of course not. I was getting fed up with being the only person in the class who can actually do any magic beyond making pretty shapes and lights." And so the mindless chatter went on and on without any ending that seemed to be in sight. As Kyle was beginning to deeply regret his decision to get here early, a wondrous angel traversed in to the room and immediately silenced the chatter. "Now, I''m sure you are all very exited for today but before we get started, let me tell you how today is going to proceed. You''ll be glad to know that will be we will immediately be finding out each of your attributes. Afterwards you will go off to meet a mage whom shares the shame attribute as yourself and they will become your future teacher of everything related to said attribute. You will then come back to me and find out your results for yesterdays exam. Then we will discuss in length your curriculum for this year and what other non-optional subjects you wish to take." This was a very important day indeed. So much to be done in one day. This day represents the true beginning of magic training. "Now just before we begin, I will explain what an attribute truly means, why it is important and how you find out which one you possess. I''m sure you all know that there are five attributes, not counting rare attributes like light or darkness. There is fire, lightning, air, earth and water. Every mage has a dominant element that embodies not just their ability, but their very nature. A mage is able to learn spells from every element but the ''further away'' an element is from your own, the harder it is to learn. For example, a fire mage will a have much easier time learning lightning magic than water, as it is closer to fire on the great line of magic. An earth mage has an equal level of aptitude to learn both water and air magic but will deeply struggle to cast even a simple flame strike." Even though everyone in the room already knew all of this, they still could not contain their excitement. Every word she spoke was like a gospel of truth that their ears have never heard before. "Why do we wait until you¡¯re a second year magic student to find out your attribute if it''s so important? Especially when you¡¯re average mage learns of their magical talent when they are eight years old?" When Miss Winter realised no one was going to answer her question, she decided to answer it herself. "It is because learning it so early will distract an individual from learning the very basics of mana manipulation - which will hamper their control and proficiency with not just their attribute, but with all other forms of magic as well. This is why most of your entire first year here focuses on practising many different types of mana manipulation. Now it is most certainly not a crime for someone to learn their attribute before we deem it is time, we just advise against it for the reasons stated previously. I''m sure you all know that one of your fellow classmate already knows his attribute, that is because his father, whom is a highly accomplished mage, deemed it okay for him to learn of it early." Many eyes turned to look at Ulfur, whom was wearing such a boasting grin on his face. "Now the test to know your attribute is very simple. You place your hands on this orb and channel your mana into it; easy peasy." Miss Winter said as she opened one of her desk draws and placed a transparent ball that was the size of a person''s head on top of her desk. "Now, who will be first?" Hands shot up so fast they would put a crossbow bolt to shame. Even Kyle shock his arm violently in the air, hoping the teacher would notice. "You." Said Miss Winter, pointing to a short girl with red hair and a face covered in freckles. The girl quickly got up and made her way towards the front of the room. She hesitated for a split second before placing her hands firmly on the glass ball. As mana coursed through her veins and found its way into the magic orb. A tiny spark could be seen in the very centre of the orb. The spark suddenly combusted and in its place was a flame that filled half of the orbs'' volume. "I don''t think you need me to tell you what that means. Congratulations, my little pryomancer." "T-thank you!" Squealed the red haired girl. No one seemed surprised that her element was fire. Some mages say that you can find out most mages attribute just be looking at their appearance and personality. As soon as the girl turned around to head back to her seat, everyone''s hands immediately shot up again. "You." And so the test continued... * * * "So far, out of the twenty-six students in the class room, seventeen has performed the attribute test. Five fire mages, four earth, four water, three air and one lightning. Kyle''s arm was aching from his constant frantic motions of excitement. It now hung limply in the air as if it would cause the teacher to feel sympathy for him and pick him as a result. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.With two more fire mages, two lightning, two air and one earth, it was finally Kyle''s turn as he was the only left in the room who didn''t know his element. All eyes on Kyle as he slowly approached Miss Winter''s desk. He could feel the weight of everyone''s gaze upon his back. It made his already wobble knees move with an almost pendulum like movement. Sweat trickled off his hands'' as he placed them onto the orb that will help guide his fate. It''s a good thing you don''t you have to pick up the orb to do the test, or the chances of it tumbling out of Kyle''s slippery hands were high. With a deep breath, Kyle summoned his mana and sent it through his arms, to his palms and finally to the orb. The orb grew hot as a spark grew in the glass and ignited into a flame that now lived within a third of the orb. "Seems you''re a fire mage, well done... You may sit back down now." Kyle could barely hear his tutor as his mind raced with such frantic thoughts - Fire! That''s the most common of all the elements. I''m a prodigy, Veil be damned! I was suppose to have something rare like lightning... Or even something even rarer, like darkness, or two attributes at once! Fire, fire, fire, fire, fire! How utterly mundane for a mage... I guess I can still be a good lightning mage since it''s the closest element to fire - but still.. "Sit down Mr Hensworth." "Huh, oh y-yes Miss" Stuttered Kyle coming back to senses. Kyle didn''t even notice the condescending smirks that feasted upon him, for his mind trailed back to his previous thoughts. The flame wasn''t even that big... * * * Kyle walked with a drone like enthusiasm to the building where he will meet his soon to be pryomancy teacher. He slowly turned the door knob of the rectangular building and ventured inside. Remembering his previous instructions from Miss Winter, Kyle navigated through the many corridors until he found a large door with the name ''Mr Weasel'' inscribed on it. Kyle knocked on the door and waited. After about thirty seconds, he heard the words ''come in'' so he opened the door and headed inside. The room was small with a desk smeared in papers. A collection of alchemy equipment was gathered on a table in the corner of the room, many different symbols were etched into the stone walls that surrounded him. Next to a large desk was a man in red robes sat in a chair made of wood and horse leather. He looked to be in his mid forties, of average height and slim build. Under his nose was a heavily waxed moustache that curled upwards and looked slightly like the horns of a goat. His black hair was fiercely oiled back and his red slanted eyes stared intensely at Kyle. "Kyle Hensworth I presume?" Asked the man. "Yes sir." "My name is Mr Weasel and I will be your fire tutor for the foreseeable future." "Yes sir. Thank you sir." Kyle said while performing an awkward bow. Mr Weasel seemed to roll his eyes at Kyle''s timid words and actions. Kyle glanced at the empty chair next to his tutor and wondered why he hadn''t offered him a seat yet. The two conversed about what Kyle can expect from this year and was dismissed. Kyle left feeling like the conversation was a tad rushed. He barely learned anything about what he will be doing in the future and this fire tutor of his barely even mentioned the word ''fire''. With the feeling of lead crushing his shoulders, Kyle headed back to Miss Winter''s classroom to discuss his future. * * * Miss Winter didn''t seem to happy to him. "What are you doing here? You are suppose to be with your attribute teacher." She barked. "I was but he dismissed me, so I came back here like you told us to." "...I see. All right sit down. Let''s get this over with." She said as she placed her quill back in its ink pot. "So Kyle, what does it mean for you to be a mage?" "Errmm... To be powerful. To wield untold powers in my fingertips and do whatever I want." "How childish." She replied with a click of her tongue. "¡­" "Your exam scores were overall average. Your practical skills seem to be slightly above par of your fellow students but your theoretical exam... was abysmal; to say the least." "¡­" Kyle had absolutely no idea how to respond. He felt too defeated today to argue about his great magical ability. "As you may know, this year you will be taught the likes of alchemy, alteration, healing, telepathy, mana shaping and the non-magical subjects, mathematics, history, geography, philosophy and linguistics - as well as how to use your magical attribute." "When will I be taught another elemental magic beside fire?" "At this academy, we believe it is very important that all mages have at least have a basic understanding of each of the five elements, however since you don''t even know one, you will be spending this year just learning your attribute. Next year you will also be taught lightning magic. The year after that will be air and on your final year, you will be taught some water magic since it is the element you have he least attitude with." "I see." "So, Is there any changes you wish to make your curriculum?" "I don''t believe so." "In that case you may leave. When you come to class to tomorrow you will be given a schedule that will tell you all about where and when each other your classes are." "Okay, thank you miss." As Kyle left the room, he noticed several of his classmates were waiting outside. "Took you long enough!" Said one of the boys that regularly hangs out with Ulfur. "S-sorry." Replied Kyle as he skittered away through the corridor. * * * Kyle rushed to his room and threw off his robe. What a disappointing day he thought. He laid down in his bed, ignoring his hunger. Sleep seemed to be the only thing that he believed would cheer him up. * * * It was the middle of the night. Kyle has been asleep for several hours, experiencing such joyous dreams. Kyle is suddenly awoke to feeling of rough fabric enveloping his head. Before he could scream, a thick rope bit down on his neck, crushing his throat and preventing him from speech. In his dream... he was a king. Chapter Five: He Deserved It The nation of Potenceps was said to be one of the most technological and magically advanced countries in the known world. They were also said to be the only nation to ever truly study a person''s mind, both magically and scientifically and as a result of this research, they came up with the concept called ''fight or flight syndrome''. This is used to describe what happens to an individual when they are put under a lot of stress by some kind of external threat. The brain reacts to this phenomenon by releasing chemicals into body, temporarily giving the person enhanced physical abilities - making them stronger, faster, more alert. The term ''fight'' is one of the options a person in this situation can perform and flight is the other. For example, if a man gets lost in a forest and stumbles upon a bear, he has two options, fight the bear or flee (flight). The chemicals now flowing through his body will help him do any of tasks, thus increasing his chances of survival. Kyle''s body was currently going through this process and yet he could not do any of the two options for his body was being restrained by multiple unknown assailants. It has been several minutes since Kyle felt the embrace of a sack over his head, it seems whoever did that wants to take him somewhere. Kyle has now somewhat regained his composure and is now trying to access the situation. Based on his knowledge of his surroundings and spatial awareness, it seems they are taking him to the arena. Who ''they'' are, Kyle was pretty sure he knew. He could recognize the hushed voices and had been in a situation similar to this in the past... He was willing to bet his life on it being Ulfur and his goons. They stopped moving for a second, it seems they are opening a very heavy door. It appears Kyle''s speculation about their destination being the area is correct; but why? Shorty after they entered the arena, Kyle felt the sack ripped of his face and he was then immediately thrown on to the ground. The air in Kyle''s lung spilled as his back landed on the stone floor. In his dazed state he lifts his head and looks upon those who seem to want to do him harm. "Get up Kyle." Ordered Ulfur. "W-why are you doing this?" Kyle wheezed. "Because I''m tired of you, you snivelling piece of shit. When I joined this place and I found out one of my classmates was a Hensworth, I was so excited. I grew up hearing stories about your family. Every single man was and is a mage, you know how rare that is? And then your brothers'', You know Robert was the first mage in history to graduate a magic university at thirteen? His thesis about incantations and the languages of old has revolutionized the way we think about and cast magic. And your other brother Arthur, did you know there are primitive tribes of people in countries who worship that man. Some say there hasn''t been a mage so powerful in Pontenceps in over three-hundred years. For fuck sake he uses light magic. Light magic! Do you know how rare that is?!" Kyle was speechless and slightly awed by how much passion Ulfur''s words contained about his family, he had absolutely no idea how to respond to him. "And then there''s you. When someone told me you were Kyle Hensworth, I couldn''t believe it. I mean look at you! So small, so thin - yet somehow fat, so timid, so ugly... so weak. You are a stain on your families'' name, heh, but you probably don''t need me to tell you that. I can''t stand you look at you, right now I just want to break that snivelling little face of yours. But I won''t do that, well not at least without giving you the chance to defend yourself, and that''s what I''m going to do my little friend, me and you are going to fight right now. Now get up." Kyle''s mind raced as salty liquid dribbled down his face. He barely understood Ulfur''s words. Fight him, impossible! He might as well say he was committing suicide, for it''s the same thing in Kyle''s eyes. "I said get up!" Fight him? I can''t do that, it''s impossible, why am I here? I just wan- A white flash of pain flooded Kyle''s senses as he goes tumbling backwards; It appears Ulfur just kicked him. "Did you not hear me? Get up you little cock-sucker before I hit you again." Kyle didn''t even hear Ulfur speak, his ears now ringing from the impact of hitting his head on the earth. Now a slam to his chest was his reward for his disability and late reaction time. Another slam, then another. Kyle could feel his ribs creak and the last drop of air leave his body. "Get the fuck up!" Roared Ulfur as he continued to stomp on Kyle''s chest. ......... Why is this happening to me? I''ve never bothered anyone. I''ve dedicated my life to not drawing attention to myself, but it doesn''t help. My father hits me, my brothers hit me... my mother hitsme, and now my classmates hit me. Why? So what if I''m not as strong as my brothers, not as smart, as handsome - but I try dammit! Well, maybe not as much as I should, but I''m only fifteen for fuck sake! Stop expecting so much from me! Well fuck you dad, fuck you mum. fuck all of you! If I''m going to die, I''m at least going that wipe that smug look of your face Ulfur before I do... As Kyle was thinking that final thought he gathered mana into his hand, more than he ever had before. Its shape crude but purpose clear.. Kyle willed the mana with all of his might to fire at Ulfur''s face. The raw bolt of mana soured towards Ulfur''s face. It looked like victory was certain, but alas that was not the case. Ulfur swung his head backwards, dodging it by less than a hairs breath. Surprise turned to anger on Ulfurs face as he realized he was almost bested by the bug under his shoe. "Blurr von un mian vaspur handlock, da wul shantii da viper, grot vasfur el un drakk a vaspur pak''an." Whisperd Ulfur. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. Suddenly water appeared in Ulfur''s right hand, lots of it. More and more of it materialized out of thin air and started to warp into the shape of whip. ''Water whip?'' Kyle thought. That''s not possible! We haven''t learned anything like that yet. I heard that Ufur already knew his attribute but I had no idea he could actually use it. And he casted it so quickly. I kn- The pain that interrupted Kyle''s thoughts could not ever be compared to the previous pain that was inflicted upon him. The whip felt more like a giant chain covered in knives than water. Two lashes, three lashes... seven lashes... eighteen lashes... thirty-six,the number no longer matters for Kyle lost consciousness a long time ago... "Stop now Ulfur, he''s learned his lesson. Any more and we''re going to have a dead body to worry about." "Yeah man, stop." "Oh relax, if I wanted to kill him, he''d be dead already." "Well that''s all well and good, but what are we going to do with him?" "Just leave him there, I''ve got a teacher who''s in on this, they''ll sort it out." "Man really? I didn''t you know had that kind of connection. Remind me not to piss you off." "haha, don''t worry about it man... Alright, I''ve had my fun now. Let''s go." "Finally. I''m tired." "Same, worked up quite a sweat." And with that last comment, the gang left the arena, laughing all the way without a care in the world. * * * Kyle throws his head forward in a cold sweat. In a blur of frantic head movements, he attempts to access his surroundings. A white room, no window, a small table with a single flower in a vase on top of it. On a larger table, Kyle can see a pestle full of ground herbs and a mortar placed beside it. It seems he is in sort of medical room, which makes sense considering what happened before he blacked out. Kyle throws the blanket covering his body off himself and stands up. His back stings, his legs immediately buckle and he stumbles. He can feel blood rushing into his legs, followed by the sensation of someone gently poking his legs with a thousand needles. Why are my legs acting like they haven''t been used in days? It seems Kyle''s antics has made quite a bit of noise, as a young woman in messy apron and a hairnet has appeared in the room. "I was wondering when you were going to wake up." Stated the woman. "Ergh. How long have I been here? It feels like forever." "Five days." "Five days! How? Why? Even with my injuries, a trained mage could heal me in less than an hour" "True, but unfortunately no mages were available to assist in your recovery." "What!? We''re in a magic university! I was beaten by my classmates and not a single mage could spare an hour of time to heal me in these days!" "It appears so." Replied the woman with a wry smile. Kyle''s cheeks flushed and his fists shook with rage. What the fuck is going on?! Are the teachers helping Ulfur and his goons. I know I''m not a popular kid but this is ridiculous. My only sin is that I''m not as perfect as the rest of my family... Well fuck ''em. I can''t take this anymore! I''m getting out of this corrupted place... But where do I go? I can''t go back home. If my family finds out I quit they''ll kill me. If I have to see my family, I''ll kill myself.. I don''t need them. I have money, magic and malagorificence! Is that even a word? I don''t care. I''ve got to leave this place but where do I go? Can''t stay in Vornn, my family is going to hunt me down when the university tells them I''m missing. The only option is to leave the country...Yeah not a bad idea. Somewhere people have never even heard of Hensworth name, yeah, that''s what I''ll do. What could possibly go wrong..? The woman had a concerned look on her face as she watched this boy standing motionless for several minutes, occasionally mumbling to himself. "Are you all right?" She asked. Kyle suddenly started marching forward, ignoring the woman with the strong intention to go to his dorm room. Completely oblivious the odd looks and jeers people gave him as he walked out in the open with nothing but his underwear and hot pain of his wounds re-opening. He stormed through his door, got dressed, gathered all of his things in multiple bags and headed off, not looking back once. Fuelled by sheer passion. Kyle marched and marched until he finally found Vornn''s docks. He walked up to a burly man whom was barking orders at a bunch of other scary looking men. "Let me board your ship." "Eh, what ye be sayin'' lad? You crazy? I can''t b takin'' some wee pup into sea on notin'' more on his askin''. Now be away with ya!" With that response, Kyle pulled out a pouch of gold coins and dropped it in front of the ship captain. "Should ''ave done that to start with boy. Where you wantin'' be goin''?" Said the salty man as he picked up a coin and bit into it. "As far as your ship goes." He declared. "You sure boy? It¡¯s a dangerous trip and don''t mind me sayin'' but you don''t look the toughest piece of mackerel I ever did see." "I''ll be fine. Just take there." "Well if you insist me boy, if you insist." "So, when do leave?" With a wide grin. "Why, now me boy!" Kyle''s face now mirrored the captains. Chapter Six: Are we there yet? Bile oozed out of Kyle''s throat in rhythm with the rocking of the boat. It has been nearly a month since he first boarded this vessel. He couldn''t remember what it was called; not that he cared. The journey so far had been horribly dull, with nothing to do but read the same fantasy novel over and over again, or throw up your breakfast into the ocean in hope you appease some sort of God by doing so. Kyle so far has made it his mission to avoid interacting with the sailors on this ship. These muscular hairy men spitting everywhere and using curse words Kyle had never heard before made him think that they might not match personality wise. He gazed at the blue liquid that surrounded his whole world. He had never liked the sea, too big, too...unknown. There''s no telling what could be hiding underneath that sapphire sheet, and that thought terrifies poor Kyle. Unable to bear the weight of the ocean''s gaze any more, Kyle heads back to his cabin. His mind trailed off to thoughts about his destination. The captain had told him that they are heading to a country called Pakao. Using the collective information from the captain and his geography lessons, it''s a small, relatively poor country, whom''s main export is fish and berries. Also, apparently mages are a lot rarer there than back in Potenceps. There is also more crime and seems to be some sort of civil war rising throughout the land. It sounds like the perfect place to have an adventure! * * * * * Another two weeks has passed and it seems another will have to before they reach land. If they had a wind or water mage on board, the journey could take less than a month, maybe even a week - depending on the mage''s ability. Sadly a mage doesn''t give out their services for free, only the ships owned by the extremely wealthy (or a mage) would hire one for a voyage. Kyle couldn''t complain though, normally it would take this ship six months to reach where they are now but thanks to good wind, strong current and whatever God(s) these people pray to, this wasn''t the case. Kyle has been lazily idling on the deck for the past several hours, occasionally watching the sailors work. "Boy if you''ve got time to watch, you''ve got time to mop." Said one sailor to Kyle, apparently tired of him moping around. "Why should I? I''m not a sailor and I paid good money to be on here, you should be thanking me." "Bah! You noble kids be all the same, throw some coin around an'' you think it makes you betta than the rest of us. Lousy kid hasn''t worked in day in his life I bet." Kyle''s cheeks flushed red at the audacity of this sailor. He almost demanded the man be thrown overboard but quickly realised all that would do is make his journey a lot more uncomfortable. Instead, he stormed off to his cabin of solitude. He could hear a mix of laughing and disapproving grunts from behind as he walked. You won''t be laughing when I throw mana bolts at all of your ugly faces! Kyle knew deep down this was an empty threat. Mana bolts were horribly ineffective for combat due to the amount of effort needed to control them and their low damaged output. They were only really taught so a mage could increase their skill in manipulating their mana. Kyle also imagined he wouldn''t get very far after throwing the first bolt, it would be him against at least twenty burly men armed with daggers, hatchets, harpoons and swords. Also, he decided earlier on in the voyage that he would keep him being a mage a secret until he found a way to learn combat spells. * * * * * Another week has passed and what was once boredom would be now more akin to insanity. Kyle neared the end of his rope He has read that book of his so many times he could almost recite it word for word. He even attempted to do a pushup, he was that bored! In his stupor he once tried to engage a sailor in conversation, only to be brushed of by incoherent grumbling. He now occupied most of his time doing mana exercises in his room. Might as well do something productive I guess. Either that or throw myself overboard and see if mermaids are actually real. * * * * * Eight days later... "LAND HOOOOOOOOOOE!" Kyle was suddenly awoken by the sound of someone shouting. He wasn''t able to make out the words since he was asleep so he grew a little concerned. Deciding to investigate, he put on his trousers and headed up deck. He was greeted to the sight of the men frantically manoeuvring around the ship with excited smiles on their faces. "What''s going on captain?" Kyle asked as he approached the man holding the wheel. "What ya think it be boy? It be land." "Land?" Kyle said as his eyes followed the direction of the captain''s. In the distance a shipping dock could be seen and behind it, land, land and more land. "Fucking hell yes!" Kyle shouted while jumping in the air with his fist held high. He rushed back to his cabin so he could gather his belongings. He packed everything he had taken out back into their original bags. He then placed his satchel over his shoulder, his overflowing backpack on his back and grabbed his other two bags with each hand. * * * * * As soon as the ship was docked and the captain gave the okay to leave, well, Kyle did just that. He scrabbled off the dock, rocking backwards and forwards as he walked due to the excessive amount of weight he was carrying. He gazed in wonder and awe as all of these unfamiliar sites were absorbed into his eyes. He noticed that the people of Pakao had a darker skin colour than the people of Potenceps. His social anxiety temporally forgotten, Kyle decided to approach one of the good people of Pakao. His chosen target was young woman with light brown skin and thick black hair. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. "Hello!" Kyle almost yelled with a beaming smile. "?to?" Replied the woman. "Huh, what?" Kyle said, now confused. "Ne razumijem te." And with that reply finally word from the woman, Kyle had an epiphany. By the veil how could I be so stupid?! Of course she doesn''t speak Potences, it''s like a thousand miles away! Damn me, why did it never occur to me that people in a different country would speak a different language? How am I suppose to communicate with these people..? Calm down Kyle, you''re a genius mage remember, you''ll just have to learn the language, shouldn''t be too hard. And I''m sure there the people here who can speak Potences. Extravagant inns will have people who can since it will help doing business with tourists. All right, I guess first thing to do is find a fancy inn to stay and also learn about this damn country. Somewhere in the midst of Kyle''s thoughts, the Pakao woman had left, probably got uncomfortable with a weird foreign boy staring at her and speaking in a funny language. Kyle did not care she left, his only focus now was to find an inn to stay in. The best inns are normally at the centre of a city as that''s the place with the most people and shops. All he has to do then is keep walking into the thicket of the buildings until he reaches the centre. * * * * * Twenty minutes into his adventure, he is stopped by a muscular youth about several years older than him. The youth approaches Kyle with a wide friendly smile... it seems he wants Kyle to talk first. "Errm... Hello?" Kyle says, unable to ignore this man for any longer. "Hello!" The youth said with a thick accent. "You speak Potences?" Said the incredulous Kyle. "A little... You lost?" "Kind of. I''m trying to find an inn to stay in." The smile on the youths face widened. "I know inn. I can take you to!" "Great! Is the inn, errmmm... good... big?" "Yes, very big very rich. I take you." "Great! Thank you!" And with that, the youth started walking while Kyle trailed behind. As they walked, Kyle thought he would be polite and engage in the conversation with the friendly stranger. "So, how do you know Potences?" "¡­ My father teach me." "Oh, is he from Potenceps?" "¡­ Yes." "Oh..." "Mmm..." It seemed the longer they walked, the less the youth spoke, he is most likely struggling to speak Potences. As time passed and the youth now seemed to be rendered mute, Kyle started to take in the scenery around him. The building were smaller and made of a rougher stone than the ones in Potenceps and the further he walked, the more they seemed to decline in quality. The grime and trash seems to have grown in great quantity and potency since the outskirts of the city. The amount of people walking around seems to have decreased as well. After another five minutes of silence, Kyle decides to talk to the youth again. "Errm... Are you sure this is right way?" "Yes." "Oh, how long until we get there?" "Not long, soon there." "Oh, good-good..." * * * * * The light underneath Kyle''s feet was suddenly devoured by shadows of ill intent. Four men had surrounded him and look upon him with eyes of predators. A biological phenomenon was beginning to occur in Kyle''s body, he turned to the youth he has been following... "Erm.. Do you know them?" The youths beaming smile that has never once left his face the entire journey now stretched further, covering his face in wrinkles, cracks and pink flesh. "Sorry friend, it bad for you, give stuff and you no die." Said the youth, still in his friendly voice. As the final word was said, all of the men revealed their hands - brandishing a weapon. A knife, a machete, an iron rod, a thick metal chain, and another knife, held by our benevolent tourist helper. The youths'' Potences skills were so poor, in a normal situation his threat would sound harmless, maybe even cute. However, thanks to the youths smile and his friends, only Kyle wasn''t the one smiling. "Please don''t take my belongings, please! They''re all I have!" He pleaded. The iron rod was swung sideways and found its way into Kyle''s stomach. Kyle keeled over as air and mucus flew out of his body. "Give stuff. Now." Said the youth with a smile that somehow had grew in size even further. "P-please..." Wheezed Kyle. *Whack!" The man with the iron chain swung it down like a horse whip on Kyle''s back. He felt the skin tear of his back and his spine creak & shudder. "Give us stuff please." One would have to wonder, why does the youth still ask for Kyle''s belongings when the boy is now laid upon the ground, barely conscious? The youth stomped on Kyle''s head, clearly not happy with Kyle ignoring him. "Why... you... ask... just... take..." Coughed the lifeless lad on the ground. "We take?" Said the youth while tilting his head slightly. "Yes, take.... just.... just please spare me..." He wept. "Okay friend we take, thank you friend." Kyle bit down on his tongue to prevent himself from saying anything that might enrage the youth or his friend''s further. He laid defenceless as he felt several rough hands searching and snatching everything he owns... Owned. Rain began to cascade down upon the land. It felt oddly pleasant on Kyle''s body. The cooling sensation rocked him into a slow slumber. I''m a mage, a Hensworth... I''ve been here less than a day. Fuck Pakao... It wasn''t suppose to be like this... This was Kyle''s last thought as felt his shoes being pulled from his corpse...