65 Ways

Sleep came and went but it was all I could manage, I was healing but only slowly so I didn't notice when we were now in a forest, we had made it back over the pass into the kingdom and entered the forest we had been attacked from.

A lot had changed in the time I was gone, a lot of bush had been cleared and there was a large number of tents in the cleared area, large patrols of soldiers could be seen occasionally. It turns out the kingdom had fortified the whole area on this side of the pass, it didn't ever want a repeat of what happened to the sparks to ever happen again so they went about removing that weak point.

The first set of solders in a spread out picket line found our group and stopped us, I woke at the stop, Volk and Kace rode up to the man and informed him to ride ahead and relay some messages to command. The man rode off at a fast tilt toward the inner picket lines. They had gotten it so we didn't stop after that so I closed my eyes and managed to doze off once again.

Kace came up next to me, waking me up once again, I opened my eyes and glared at my sergeant making him smile at my discomfort," we are going to report directly to Commander Harriot you know? Do you think you can stay awake for a conversation?" he asked making me glare even worse at him.

"Fine, I can do that let me sleep till then!" I growled before closing my eyes and ignoring the man till he went away. 'this is going to be annoying' i thought to myself as I drifted off till the meeting.

The meeting was held in a large tent in a clearing nearby. It was in a big clearing but patrols were everywhere, men and women were streaming in and out clearly marking it as a command post of the region. I slowly opened my eyes as ethereal light shown through clearly, the guards we passed would look at me as I kept my gaze down, it only bothered me because they would stare and I couldn't do anything about it.

We were let guided to the meeting inside, Commander Harriot was sitting at a desk at the back and managed to look up and smile at our return, "Wow back so soon Kace?" she laughed lightly as her eyes met mine.

My gaze captivated her for just a moment because my eyes were lighting up orange continuously, a side effect of going all out inside the castle. "Bruni, glad you could make it back," she said

I just closed my eyes once again leaning on the door frame resting my tired body, it was only just starting and I just wanted to sleep, but for them getting me safely back, I owed them a report.

"Bruni, are you okay?" she asked seeing me tiredly huff as she continued with the report Kace was giving.

"I am tired commander, very tired but I am here for this meeting then I can sleep," I responded mechanically as I forced my drooping eyelids open. "Let's start at the beginning, shall we? They captured me and put a collar on me... I couldn't use magic until I snapped Commander Harriot." I said as sadness and rage radiated out of me still just thinking about the damn collar once again.

Her eyes went wide when they found out I had one of those ancient barbaric items from the past to control me. Sadness then clouded her face for but a moment but was quickly snuffed out in professionalism. "I understand Bruni," she said as our conversation had ended but Kace continued his report as if nothing had interrupted him.

He got to the part where he ran towards the castle and seen me in the wall, "He was melting stone" he was saying to which the commander became intrigued, she couldn't even get near to that level of heat, 'clearly envoys were very fortunate' she thought to herself as she looked at Bruni in a new light.

He got to the part about the defense on the hill when he went on to explain my role to which the commander once again glanced at me in astonishment. 'Just how powerful are you' she asked in her head.

I opened my eyes when Kace finished his report knowing that I would have to at least answer some questions. My head hurt already and I just wanted to sleep again. "Bruni, how did you become so powerful?" the commander asked as she looked at me noticing the changes I had been through, no more was I the angry boy. Now I was a temperamental Firemage with tremendous potential who had seen some of the worst of what people would do to one another.

"I was provided a teacher. He was a master in the art of Pyromancy and he Will Cast me." I said and stopped when I saw the look of abject horror on her face.

She finally understood little as to why he was so volatile now. " how did you get free Bruni?" she asked quietly. after a few seconds.

"I traded something that was mostly worthless for power, Commander," I said as laughed quietly in reply.

"What did you trade Bruni?! she asked now very concerned as to his answer.

"A part of my humanity Commander, I traded a part of my humanity for power" I responded solemnly at her honest question.

She gasped a little, her worries had come true, Bruni was very hurt worse than she could have imagined, "That was a terrible price to pay, Bruni. I am so sorry." she said with a catch in her throat.