Chapter 28 - The Cursed Wound

Lancaster Academy Infirmary, Alterion, Therian Continent

Ulfric had fallen unconscious soon after the ceremony, foolishly trying to drag his own legs back to his room. He found himself awakening in the infirmary, his legs and arms strapped down to the bed. A furious yelp escaped him as he tried to break free to no avail. He growled angrily at the nurses surrounding him, a feral monster clearly in need of the restraints that bound him. A sinister, dark magic was radiating from his body.

Indra Leewood stood in the doorway, and only stepped forward when Ulfric noticed him. He had his hands in his pockets, and a cigarette in his mouth. Indra was not a habitual smoker, and had the utmost control over himself. This scenario was different, though. This scenario needed a smoke. He sighed, pulling it out of his mouth and stylishly flicking it into the trash bin, tilting his head at Ulfric.

"Do you hear me, boy?" Indra asked. Before him was Ulfric, the magicless warrior who'd fought his way into the academy all the same. His clothes were torn and ripped from the battle he'd just fought, but the wounds had been healed. All but his eye, now essentially a big hole where there was once an eyeball. It was a disgusting sight, but nothing Indra hadn't seen. As for the reason it couldn't be restored, it was a phenomena he'd only seen once. A curse, and a very unique one at that. A dangerous one. It would be a miracle if he were even able to speak, now that he was awake.

"Loud and clear." Ulfric struggled against the bindings. "Can you let me out of here!?"

"I can't do that. Not yet anyway." Indra sat at the foot of the bed and made a puzzled look. The fact that he was awake and coherent, meant that not only was he the current vessel for that, but also that he seemed to be worthy. "Ulfric… What can you tell me about your eye?"

"Eh? My eye?"

"The one you lost, specifically."

"What is there to tell?"

"I don't know. Have you perhaps… Seen magic? Felt magic?"

Ulfric went quiet. "Sometimes I can sense it."

"Mhm." Indra scratched his chin. "Listen. I can't let you go. When I first heard about you, I was intrigued due to certain… Let's say, factors. But now that those factors have come to further fruition, I find myself a little bit startled."

"Factors? What the hell are you talking about?" Ulfric's eyes were nothing but utterly confused. It told Indra that he truly didn't know anything about the topic of discussion. The Elf Eyes.

Silence. Indra turned around and faced the wall. His hands moved frantically, and suddenly his hair was rearranged like some sort of mad scientist. "Fascinating," he said. He took a sudden step forward and punched the wall. A crack spread, and it exploded into shards of brick. The nurses began running away, spreading out in each direction. It was a rehearsed routine, as if they'd seen this many times before. "Fascinating!" Indra cried out.

"Indra! Calm the fuck down!" Ulfric yelled, struggling to break free. "Can you tell me what's going on!?"

"A new era," Indra said weakly. "I ought to kill you right now, right here… But I'm not going to." He turned around and swiped his hand quickly. A black piece of leather was now in his palm, an eyepatch. He set it on the bedside table, and simply stood over Ulfric. For a while, they said nothing to each other. Ulfric, at this point, was shaking, utterly terrified. Indra was radiating enough magic to even make him sick, and likely enough to be felt across the entire campus.

"Indra…" Ulfric managed.

"When the time comes for the slaughter… Remember what I've done for you," Indra said suddenly. He clenched his fist to stop it from shaking. "That eyepatch will hide the magic of the curse. You'd do well to not take it off."

"I don't understand what's going on."

"You will. You're him. You just don't know it yet." Indra rubbed his forehead. "When the time comes for that eye to awaken, you may understand. Come talk to me at that time." Now, as Indra turned to leave, there wasn't a trace of the man Ulfric had met originally; he was utterly serious and even desperate. As he reached the door, he took one last look at Ulfric, and there was shame in his eyes as he signaled to the nurses.

"Come. Release the boy."

* * *

Ulfric skillfully avoided any encounters with people who might recognize him on the way back to his dorm. When he arrived, he hung up his torn blazer and immediately went to the washroom to stare at himself in the mirror. When he unbuttoned his dress shirt, he was grateful to find his chest undisturbed, and fully healed. The same couldn't be said for his face, where the damage was merely hidden by the eyepatch he now wore. Also, it seemed that his ponytail was sliced in half by Darius, so he supposed it was time to cut it. Long hair was unbecoming of a warrior anyway.

With his hair trimmed by his own clumsy hands, he ruffled it around and made an unsatisfied look before retiring to the bedroom. He checked on Icaria's crystal from the dungeon, which he'd stored inside a safe that came with the bedroom. It was as he thought, the rooms seemed to have some sort of shield to prevent magical power from seeping out, else an item that powerful would have been seized. He made a mental note to deliver it into safe hands sooner or later.

There on his bed, he found something that he'd completely forgotten about. His items that had been seized by the anti magic barrier, and even the weapons he'd lost in battle. A sword, a handful of rings, a pistol, and a dagger. Beside it was a note. You lost these. Try not to be so clumsy next time… It's unbecoming of a warrior. - Indra

"That guy…" Ulfric murmured to himself. He stored the gear away in the closet so he could plop himself down on the bed. When his head hit the softness, he briefly considered sleeping, but the faint rumbling in his stomach and the agenda in his head told him otherwise. He got up and moved to the washroom for a shower. The shower in question was powered by a magic crystal filled with water magic; he was told to simply request a servant to fill it with more mana should it ever run out. An ordinary student would be able to do that task on their own.

Drying off was an easier task with shorter hair, but sitting in the beaming sun by the window did most of the work. The view below was as brilliant as usual. It was just morning now, the final day before the beginning of the new school year. Ulfric didn't realize it at the time, but he'd spent two days in the infirmary. Knowing this explained the lingering cloudiness in his head. Even after meditating, he felt nothing but the will to just go back to sleep. He'd need that sleep eventually, but now was not the time to succumb to mental fatigue.

He stood in the middle of the room and absorbed the silence. In his head he went over the many possible paths the day might take. After a bit of consideration, he decided to keep his body active by heading down to check out the dojo. It was a place he'd heard the occasional whisper about since he'd arrived, apparently abundant in all sorts of training equipment and interesting characters to meet. He suited up and left the room.

The dojo, when he eventually found it, was even more extravagant than what he'd imagined. A building tucked away in the back of campus. Before entering, you signed in and passed through a vast armory of both real and training weapons. When entering the training area, the first thing that you smelled was nature, overpowering the senses. A flowing river moved down the middle of the room, and there was nature surrounding the area so that Ulfric could hardly see further in. Above him, the sun was beaming through a glass roof. Tiny lizards could be seen dashing through the bushes. It seemed more akin to a terrarium.

As he continued to move, the building seemed to grow bigger, magic particles floating through the air. This place was deeply enchanted, and possessed a bizarre magical quality. It was infinite, training grounds surrounded by nature and naturally lit. To Ulfric, it was heaven. He passed a variety of things, sparring rings and workout equipment like weights and different machines he'd never seen. People of all varieties passed by him. Tekhari, beast people, dwarves, humans, all centralized here to hone their skills. The greatest mages the world had to offer. A few of them gave him dirty looks. It seemed his reputation was already spreading.

A familiar girl stood at the end of a path. She was swinging a wand around and obliterating a set of five targets that kept magically regenerating. After a few rounds, she retreated, hands on her knees, hyperventilating. As if sensing Ulfric's approach, Minerva Whiscourt tilted her head and made a confused face that soon turned to satisfaction. She gave a weak wave.

"Ah. It's you."

"Ulfric. My name is Ulfric."

Minerva smiled. "Don't worry, I remember. I mean… How could I forget after all that happened?" Her eyes glossed over as she recalled the exam, but then flickered back to life when she looked at Ulfric once more. "Hey. Your eye?"

"Ah." Ulfric ran a hand over the eyepatch. "Dunno. Seems their magic wouldn't work on it."

"Shall I give it a go?"

"No. It's no use." Ulfric swiped a hand to dismiss the comment. It was necessary to avoid telling Minerva about the supposed curse. He stepped forward and sat on a bench at the side of the sparring court, patting the spot next to him. Minerva raised a brow, but eventually joined him.

"I arrived around the time the rest of the crowd did," she said. "They were all waiting to take their turn, but they were so enchanted by what was happening before them… This scene of rain falling and you, just beating that poor boy senseless."

"You saw all of that?"

"I did."

Ulfric leaned back, satisfied. "Did you think I'd lose?"

"I did." She laughed, but then turned serious. "Ulfric…" She started.

"What is it?"

"I want you to duel me." She gulped. "The only way I can know how truly powerful you are is to face it myself." Her hands were gripping each other and squeezing. Her face was serious, but her eyes were terrified.

"I will," Ulfric said immediately. "Now?"

"Yeah. Now."

After removing the dummies, they stood on opposite ends of the ring. A rectangular training area bottomed with solid concrete and designs laying out playing areas for different games. By Ulfric's best measurement, it was thirty meters across. He checked his rings to make sure they were properly in place, and drew his dagger. This was an opponent he couldn't afford to underestimate. If he ever wanted Minerva to truly respect him, his victory here needed to be swift and decisive.

Minerva drew her wand and righted her stance. To her, this battle was a matter of pride. She knew Ulfric was an incredible fighter, and she respected that; but there was something about being inferior to a reg that didn't sit right with her. With the wand her father had gifted her so long ago, and her own strength, she'd stand tall and defeat the mighty foe before her. Now was the moment she'd been waiting for. It was time to prove her worth.

"I won't go easy on you," Minerva said.

Ulfric smiled. "I wasn't counting on it." She's taken a defensive stance. Seems like she might put up a one sided barrier up front and sling spells from behind cover. A short sighted strategy.

The duel began, and Minerva's shield was already up. Ulfric dashed and covered half of the space by the time she'd casted a fireball, slicing straight through the middle of it and countering by using his ring to fire his own. Her shield exploded into a rain of blue sparks, and Ulfric was at her throat with the blade. It was his victory, but something was wrong. An illusion!?

"Mother Mira, descend from heaven and annihilate my foe!" Minerva cried out. Above Ulfric, there she was, using flight magic to suspend herself above the battlefield. She'd just finished the complete incantation for a very powerful spell. First grade heavenly technique: light beam. To absorb the brunt of such an attack would mean death. With the completion of the incantation, he'd have about two or three seconds until her body amassed enough mana for the spell.

Ulfric's body moved instinctually and his sword left his hand. His midsection twisted in an unnatural way as he threw the blade, a panicked look on his face. Minerva canceled the spell to shield, the sword bouncing off and spinning away. Had she not covered herself, this would have been a flawless instant kill shot between her eyes. More importantly, he was disarmed now, so she had to take advantage. A spell welled up at the edge of her wand.

Ulfric pointed his fist at the ground and leapt, shooting a fireball at his own feet and soaring into the air with a trail of flames at his back. He swung his foot in a wide arc, a killer kick with only a moment for Minerva to duck back. Though her first dodge was successful, she could do nothing to prevent Ulfric from grabbing her lapel. In a single smooth movement, he performed a midair shoulder throw that sent her bounding toward the ground. Her back gave out a mighty crack as it impacted with the concrete.

Minerva coughed, and reached out for her wand about a meter away from her body. Inching forward just a little bit at a time. Her hand was pinned down in the next instant, Ulfric's boot stomping down upon her wrist. Her hand splayed out, fingers desperately reaching across those few extra centimeters. It was no good; this bout was lost. She looked up with a shameful face at Ulfric, who's facial expression was as blank as usual.

"Satisfied?" He asked.

"Of course not!" Minerva slapped away his hand and stood up on her own. He stared at the ground, and then gained the courage to make eye contact. "What did I do wrong?" She asked.

"I was once told that a mage's most important ability is to keep their focus. If you'd have simply ducked to the side and finished your spell, I'd have lost."

"Will you teach me?" Minerva had gone red.

Ulfric couldn't help allowing a smile to creep across his face. "It would be my pleasure."

* * *

Morning had grown to afternoon, and Ulfric returned to the dormitories after he'd finished training Minerva. On the way back, he encountered no one that he knew, and was allowed a peaceful return to his room. Turning the key, he stepped inside and closed the door behind him. Hanging up his blazer and taking off his belt, he stepped into the middle of the room and took a breath of it.

In that instant, a sinister presence washed over him. A shiver ran down his spine, telling him to fight or run. A dark, demonic presence that made his stomach twist and churn. His eyes went wide and his muscles tightened up. He spun around, but it was too late, the hand gripped him by the lapel and threw him back. He hit the kitchen table and flipped backward over it, barely managing to land in an upright position.

The enemy stepped out of the shadows, dark magic swirling around his body. Ulfric attempted to parry a punch, but the man simply grabbed his arm and squeezed until the bone snapped under the pressure. He shoved, and Ulfric fell back into a chair that slid about a meter before stopping in the middle of the living room. Ulfric exhaled heavily, and the room fell into silence.

The man's face revealed itself. Brown-blonde hair and a rough, chiseled face as if it had been made by the hand of a sculptor. He was wearing an academy uniform, but not the usual kind. It was black, the mark of the student council. He was smiling, and Ulfric realized he recognized that face. It was the older version of the boy he'd fought before. Without a doubt, the man before him was the student council president, Cedrick Boneshaw.

"You're–" Ulfric started.

"No," Cedrick said. "You're not the one doing the talking here, boy." He spat the last word like venom as he stepped forward. "Magicless. You come onto my turf… You beat the snot out of my brother!" He started laughing. "You know what? Darius deserved it, I admit. The first bit though, that is unforgivable."

He seems incredibly irritated. I'd best not speak, or he might actually kill me!

"Hey. Ulfric. Tell me, is this some sort of sick joke? You? Is this some sort of prank!?"

Stop looking down on me. You're no better than your brother. Ulfric kept his lips sealed, but struggled to do so.

"Come on, Ulfric! Tell me if this is a joke!"

Don't remain complicit, even if it costs your life!

"I'm not afraid of you," Ulfric blurted out. He found himself suddenly on his feet. One pace forward and he stood face to face with Cedrick. They were roughly the same height, so their eyes met straight on. Neither man wanted to blink as if it were a source of pride.

"Your existence is disgusting." Cedrick spat, and the saliva struck Ulfric's forehead. It ran down, getting in his remaining eye. He didn't blink.

"If you want to kill me, then you'd better fucking do it." Ulfric wiped his face off. "Or, if you're done your little monologue, get the fuck out of my room."

"I can't kill you. Not here. Not now." Cedrick took a single step back and threw his hands up, taking the other chair that was at the dining room table. He reclined back and sighed. "Tell me. What is your goal in coming here?"

Ulfric hesitated, but then steeled his nerves. "I came here to rise to the top and prove my worth."

"Mmm." Cedrick grabbed an apple from the bowl in the middle of the dining table and took a bite. Ulfric had just purchased those. "That is a dangerous answer, to which I would say… Give up. You have no worth to prove."

"I won't." This answer required no hesitation.

"Then I will do everything in my power to destroy you," Cedrick said casually. "You won't die, but you will feel pain. It weighs too heavy on my conscience to let such worthless trash attend our sacred academy, you see." He stood up and took another bite of his apple. "Am I clear?" He asked.

"Oh yeah. Loud and clear." Ulfric's hand was on his sword now.

"Great. I was just leaving."

 Cedrick gave a devilish smile as he closed the door behind him. Ulfric was left in the darkness, breathing heavily, the pain in his arm just now overcoming the adrenaline. A quick but potent exchange. He stepped back and stumbled, landing in the chair as his legs gave out. Somewhere inside of himself, he found the will to be utterly exhilarated by this exchange. A smile began creeping across his face.

"Nice to meet you," he whispered.