The Discovery

"We are stripping you of your badges." the words escaped the bearded mouth so casually and added salt to my already miserable state. I looked at his eyes and I found no sympathy.

I was dragged before an elder with burns and bruises as well as an aching head, the very same night the day I was attacked in my room. Defending myself was futile, Sir Oliver was far from being an impartial judge, and he loathed me as much as Clarence did. He had always hated that a peasant was allowed to join the order, and he jumped at a chance to force me out.

At the elder's behest, a silver-ranked mage approached me to where I sat, ripped the badges, and removed my cape. It was a slap to the face, I had grown to love being a mage, and without my cape and badges, I felt naked and incomplete. And I knew full well that regaining them again would be nearly impossible.

Surrounded by unfriendly faces, I felt alone and forsaken. I was back to where I was when I started, back to being a mage apprentice. Only this time, the journey had become more difficult.

What shall I tell my parents when I come home? That Sir Roland died because of me? That I lost my badges because of my temper?

I was tempted to cry, but I had enough. Their smirks and taunts, I received not with sorrow but anger. Standing up from my chair, I glared at the elder, and before he could react I stormed out of the room, shouldering my way through the curious crowd of mages that had gathered.

"You-- trouble- get him back here!" the elder hollered.

The mages nearest to me failed to apprehend me as I had hastily darted away. They were also half-hearted in their pursuit, knowing I would return, having nowhere else to go to.

"Make sure not to come back! Because if you do we'll cut your balls off that tiny d*ck!" one of the mages who attempted to chase me shouted, it was followed by chuckles.

Still fuming, I traversed the castle's corridors looking for a quiet place. The loud beating of my heart matched the sound of my boots against the stone floor. The maids and the guards curiously eyed me, whether it was my physical injuries or my angered expression I was not sure. What I was certain about was that I would hate it if they were pitying me.

I knew I had changed, but as to how, I could not yet put my finger on it. Before I would simply cry, and drown in self-pity, however that day, I refused to consider myself lowly. Wronged... I was wronged, and I look at the world with a more hostile view. My vocabulary widened, and I discovered in my heart the word "revenge".

I found the stairs of a tower at the end of one of the hallways, and without deliberation I climbed it, hoping to find more peace and quiet on higher ground. At every step, my joints further ached and I got angrier at my circumstance. I started thinking evil thoughts, of what I would do with them, if I were given a chance.

Emerging from the torturous climb, the star-filled night sky met my eyes. The beauty triggered a sigh and a smile. Like a child watching snowflakes fall, I stood spellbound before the stars and the moon. The night breeze touched my cheeks like a caring hand, and the darkness put me in its embrace. And all the wicked thoughts disappeared.

I slowly approached the battlements and rested my elbows on the embrasure. I look below over the slumbering town and looked up again at a much livelier sight. There was almost no noise, except for the distant barking of the dogs, only the beautiful sound of silence.

My heavy heart was lightened and my chaotic mind calmed. The pains in my body seemingly disappeared, and I have never felt so good before. It was similar to the feeling that you would get after ingesting a good potion.

For a time, I was atop the tower unbothered. Until I noticed something in my periphery. It looked like something out of a spell, and so I immediately turned to see if the mages have found me. There was no one there.

When my sight caught it again, I found it resting on my hand, no, upon further inspection, it was all over my body. What looked like blue fog enveloped where my injuries were. Eel-like in structure, they hovered over my burns and bruises, seemingly sucking out the pain.

Oddly, I was not spooked. The magical material felt familiar like it was a part of me. When it disappeared, the wounds went away with it. More intrigued than terrified, I wanted to summon it again. Having no idea of what it was, and from where it whence, I failed.

Dismissing it as a mere hallucination did not work. It was too real, I climbed the tower with every joint aching and no mind game could help me forget the pain. I was certain it was supernatural, and I wanted answers.

"Here you are." Clarence's voice sounded to me worse than a blade repeatedly scratching a metal surface. I heaved, it seemed that my peaceful time was finally over.

I turned around to face him and found him with three other mages. He brought with him a silver-ranked mage. Perhaps they wanted to continue their beating, or maybe they were there to at last kill me. No one would dig into the death of a mere mage apprentice especially one with peasant blood.

My face twitched when I saw an odd expression on their faces. They were not smugly smiling like the usual. What I saw were frightened faces, wide-eyed, jaws quivering, and hands shaking.

"Demon!" one of them shrieked before scrambling towards the door. The other two followed him without casting a single spell.

Clarence, I believed was just as scared, but his pride prevented him from acting swiftly. When he decided to abandon it, it was too late, having retreated in the wrong direction. Going for the door would be going nearer me, and he did not have the courage.

Sensing his fear, I walked toward him.

"Don't you dare come nearer you spawn of the devil!" Clarence threatened, the desperation in his voice undermining the brave facade.

"Why?" I said confused, though a grin that had formed on my face would suggest anything but confusion.

"Your eyes, they are glowing! What have you done!" he said with the same cowering voice.

I raised one of my hands in front of my eyes, and reflected on my palms was a bluish glow. I tried my other eye and the result was the same. I smiled at the discovery, then looking at Clarence again, I forced out a laugh much to his horror.

"You pile of sh*t" he cursed, and I heard him chant. His crystal was coated with red flames and then he aimed his staff at me.

At first, I was afraid. After all, the same spell scorched me just hours earlier.

But I noticed something. The fiery projectile that was in the air felt somewhat slow. To the point, that I think I would be able to evade even at the last second. However, I did not risk it and immediately moved out of its way.

The frustrated and puzzled Clarence cast another spell. This time a more potent and explosive one. As soon as he finished his chant, fiery shards floated in the air aimed toward me. With a smile on his face, he directed all of it in my direction.

Stemming with confidence from I know not where, I sprinted towards him, and to my surprise evaded each of the shards. It was then that I became certain I have acquired some sort of newfound power

Having closed in on him, I extended my left hand to get a hold of his neck. I lifted him off the ground and found I might have also obtained beastly strength. For me, he weighted like a feather, and his flailing hands almost had no power.

"Have mercy Wayne"

The words gave me pleasure more than anything before. Perhaps more than what I would feel if I bedded a maiden, I thought then, having bedded no one yet.

"How does it feel to be helpless?" I snarled at Clarence who hanged in the air, gasping for breath.

"Wayne, forgive me," he said with his strained voice. His face has become red and his eyes welled with tears.

I did not answer immediately. I recalled all the things he had done against me and weighted them against all that he had done well. I chuckled at the ridiculousness of the mental exercise, for not for a single second had he dealt with me kindly.

Overwhelmed by both ecstasy and anger, I took a few more steps forward until I was near the battlements. I then reached my Clarence-bearing hands over the embrasure.

"I-mm so-rry, Wayne" the idiot cried, his saliva bubbling at his mouth. I reveled at his desperate sight for a while, until I concluded he's really ugly to look at for long.

"Goodbye," I said, and I freed my hands from his weight.

Clarence's cry could be heard from miles away until it was silenced by a thud. I looked below the tower, and a couple of guards carrying lanterns looked up.

"Stopped right there, you murderer!" the guard bellowed.

I did not let him finish his sentence before I scampered off. I ran, smiling ear to ear, with my heart filled with a myriad of emotions but regret.