20 Chapter 20: I command you

"Be ambitious. Ambition is power. Take, take and take until you have no more arms left to carry because the second you look away, someone else will come and take from you,"

"What if I don't want to be someone who has to steal from others to get ahead in life?"

"I'm sure your morals will be worth their weight in gold. Maybe they can bury it with you when they stab you in the back,"

Errik's eyes fluttered open. The light hazel caught on a shred of light snaking through the curtain and he turned away with a groan. There was a loud knock at the door. Errik cursed under his breath as his head boomed with the sound. He rose with annoyance and came to the door. Tomas was standing beside Yona with his usual suspicious glare. Errik might have been amused but he wasn't today. He felt annoyed by the intrusion.

"You already skipped breakfast," Tomas let out a sigh, "are you going to skip lunch too?"

Errik stared down at the boy. Tomas was an unusual child by Errik's estimation. Even after discovering who he was, he seemed unafraid. He even boldly attempting to provoke him at every turn.

"I'm not hungry," Errik answered.

"You're never hungry," Tomas replied with snooping glance behind Errik. His eyes came back judgementally, "are you planning to starve to death this time?"

Errik tilted his head to one side, "Yes, that's the plan,"

With that, he shut the door sharply leaving Tomas with his mouth open and an indignant stare.

"I was just trying to..." Tomas halted abruptly.

Why was he wasting his time with this? He shook his head with an incredulous laugh. At first, it had been something like curiosity. The dreaded black wizard, who wouldn't be curious? Yet all he had found was a stubborn mull of man. Errik was lacking in patience, bad mouthed and cold.

Tomas couldn't fathom Veretta's attraction to him. Of course, she would never admit it. If Tomas was being generous, he might have admitted Errik could be quite interesting sometimes...he was honest - annoyingly so, unyielding and at times...unexpectantly kind.

Not that he had been kind lately. Even though they had only been in the college a few days, Tomas could tell something was wrong. Now even Veretta seemed to be affected by it. She had disappeared off to the library again. That was how Veretta was. She always tried to solve everything by herself...really she wasn't so different to Errik in that regard.

Tomas turned back to Yona with an uneasy smile, "looks like it's just us,"

Yona gave a terse nod. Tomas inhaled deeply. Another afternoon of silence with just the sound of his own voice...perfect...

They went out to the gardens after lunch. It was a pleasantly sunny day considering it was only just the beginning of spring. There was a soft wind and the atmosphere was laid back. Tomas had begun by making an inventory of the herbs that might be of some use. They walked down the observatory. The smell of flowers filled the air sweetly. By late afternoon, even Tomas had run out of things to say after receiving only one-word answers from Yona and was quietly inspecting one of the plants as he made his notes.

Finally, to Tomas' surprise Yona spoke first, "How pretty," she remarked in her usual cool tone.

Tomas glanced up with a smile, his blue eyes shimmered excitedly as he tilted the plant up, "it is, isn't it?"

"Not that," Yona answered unequivocally, "you,"

For once Tomas was speechless. He just stared struggling to answer before turning quickly, "Ah, don't make jokes with such a straight face," he chuckled, "I don't know what to say,"

Yona said nothing in reply but followed him again quietly. They decided that evening to try once more to rally the group. Well, Tomas decided and Yona agreed silently as she always did. They reached the library first.

Veretta was sitting with her head buried under a pile of books scrawling in her notes ferociously. Tomas let out a small chuckle as he recalled how he had seen the same scene for the last five years.

"Dinner?" he asked tapping the table lightly.

Veretta looked up startled then smiled, "Oh, I'm sorry Tomas. I haven't quite finished yet. Can we all meet tomorrow instead?"

"Sure," Tomas answered. He guessed her reaction had more to do with the yelling he had heard the night before than her intense desire to kill Silthus but he decided to leave it there. The next stop was Errik's door once more. However, upon reaching his door once more, Tomas felt reluctant to knock at all.

He had been treating Errik as if he was just another student. Though Tomas was a senior in the colleges, Errik was 300 years his senior. Still, Errik's severity only made him want to act out more. However, this time Tomas felt begrudgingly close to giving up altogether. He had been so caught up in this thought, he hadn't even noticed another group of students approaching.

"Are you looking for your friend?" A female student asked. "we saw him leaving the college,"

"Seriously?" Tomas uttered, "What's gotten into him?"

He almost missed Errik's arrogantly calm composure over this unpredictable change. He and Yona started off down the tower quickly.

On the other side of the campus, Errik had intended to clear his head by taking a walk outside. However, a certain sickness had crept up upon him the moment he laid eyes on the tower once more. When its commanding shadow fell upon him, it had stirred up a terrible coldness in Errik.

Now, he felt as though he could barely stand. Should he go back? He didn't feel as though he had the strength.

Errik lurched down the hallway. With every step, Errik felt heavier. He stumbled against one of the pillars lining the courtyard. A bloom of ice emerged from his touch...

Everything was spinning and the noise kept growing. The voices began to echo again.

"Don't get any ideas, old man, I just came back cause I heard you've been driving everyone on the island crazy. Raven? Raven?"

Errik stared down wide-eyed. This time the words escaped his lips as if by memory.

"Old man, what's wrong? Old man...don't you dare.. don't do this to me!" Errik croaked," you couldn't wait for me to come home? You couldn't wait to see I became a knight, huh? Why aren't you answering?!"

Errik almost fell back startled as a body lay outstretched in front of him. He knew it wasn't really there. No, this figure of nothing but withered skin and bone distorted in a strange position was just a feverish illusion. However, upon recalling this memory, his body began to tremble terribly and he felt sick to his stomach.

"No, no, no," he turned back swiftly, "this is isn't real,"

His mind was racing. He couldn't get the thought of that old man's body out of his mind. It wasn't the sight alone but something else that came with it that truly scared him... a wave of wicked anger.

From the moment, he had opened his eyes to this world covered in white, he had felt instinctively a consuming pull towards this vengeful anger he didn't understand. He had recoiled from it with all his strength. Yet, It was like quicksand beneath his feet and he knew if he allowed it in for one moment, he would never escape it again...

In the early evening, Veretta emerged from the library. Her research had not been as fruitful as she had wanted but she had several leads and was still feeling hopeful. However, stepping out she felt a cold chill to the bone. Veretta shivered and looked up. The sky was a warm shade of red but the air was ice cold. Something felt wrong. Veretta's eyes panned down to the floor. At the edge of the courtyard, she saw a glint of something.

Veretta walked slowly towards the source. Her eyes widened as she caught sight of a trail of ice leading through the courtyard. Veretta at once took off running after the trail. It lead off out of the college grounds.

Once Veretta reached the forest beyond the college, she heard her cry. She kept running as fast as she could. However, she was drenched by a sudden turn of rain and wind. As she got further into the forest, ice went sprawling out encasing everything in sight.

"Errik! Stop it!" Came another cry from ahead.

Finally Veretta reached the clearing through the trees. To her horror, Tomas was pinned against a tree and his legs were slowly casing in ice. Yona was lying aside from him passed out. In the center of the whirling wind, Errik was kneeling, doubled over covering his face. The ice was bleached a shade of red under the stark sky and sleek like blood covered in rain.

Veretta gritted her teeth as she passed through the bitterly cold wind and rain. She was battered from all sides, but still she went on. She knelt down in the freezing ice. With difficulty, she brought her hands to Errik's face. She pulled his face to hers. His eyes were glazed as if he didn't see her at all. In the corner of her eye, the ice was reaching Tomas's waist. There was no time for hesitation.

Veretta gripped Errik tightly, " I command you: stop this at once!"

Suddenly, Errik's eyes became lucid. The wind, rain and ice stopped sharply. Errik fell straight down into Veretta's arm. Veretta's let out a shaky as her arms trembled around him and she glanced back at Tomas apprehensively.