Forbidden Knowledge

Wyll struggled in Askalon's grip, the silver-haired man shocked, his face twisted in confusion as he wasn't too sure how to respond to such a vulgar comment. He was trying to be helpful, he wasn't some sort of pervert! His face twitched in discontent and anger before he let out a sigh before rubbing his head. After gathering himself, he sucked in a deep breath as his grip loosened on Wyll. Quickly Wyll snatched his arm back as he rubbed his wrist, light spasms plaguing his hand as he glared up at Askalon.

"Right, that was rather rude of me to drag you here without explanation. My name is Askalon; for now, that is all you need to know about me but plenty for me to know about you. How long have the spasms been happening, and what triggered them? Has it been anywhere else? Have you suffered any other backlash and what caused this?"

Askalon was blunt, his voice not wavering as it sounded as rough as concrete and smooth as silk all at once. Wyll was a bit off-put by the man's forwardness, unable to sense malicious intent, but the man was much too unfamiliar. His presence was odd but all the same he felt unnaturally trustworthy, like he knew the man from somewhere…

"I guess about twelve hours? I got into a fight, had to fight for my life; the whole fight was a blur, but in the end, I blacked out. I woke up in my tent with my family; my foe was dead, and I was alive. Blacksmith be praised, I'm not dead... I remember my body feeling weird, like I had been struck by lightning and the power being trapped in my body as if I was a bottle. My nerves feel raw, and every once in a while parts of my body spasm though it has primarily been in my arms and hands. I wouldn't call it an awakening of sorts but I am not sure… I felt strong, not to mention I could fight a man with a weapon."

Wyll spoke calmly; he was soft-spoken but held conviction in what he said. Askalon was a bit shocked; it is rare to find someone with potential to stunt themselves in such a detrimental way unintentionally. A one in a hundred million chance of being born with the proper mana circuits on top of being able to awaken one's latent abilities only to overflow and shock them into what would generally be uselessness. That is, if they didn't find someone who knew what they were doing.

"Listen kid, I'm a doctor of sorts and can fix the problem, but it will probably hurt like a bitch. Ya know those stories about how long ago there was magic in the world and how people didn't need Weapons, well they were used side by side? Well, those weren't stories, all the truth but all the knowledge for magic was lost long ago. You, however, seem to possess a talent for magic, even if you don't realize it. What happened was you came into your own with magic due to your fight causing a trigger. Unfortunately, the magic came out all at once, causing an overload in your magic circuits, so you are getting a system shock. Your circuits are overloaded as too much seems to come through… Mana that is"

Wyll was at a loss for words as almost everything that tried to leave his mouth got caught in his throat. Wyll had heard of the stories; it was hard not to hear about people being able to fly without riding monsters or their Weapons when sitting around a fire. The idea seemed crazy but... Wyll remembered that swing that was supposed to hit him before he blacked out, something repelling the club before sending it into the woods. Pain struck him again as he hissed, tensing and shaking as the searing poker of pain melted into his flesh.

Askalon quickly put a hand over the boy's mouth to keep him quiet as he huffed. The feedback caused a pit of empathy to form in Askalon's chest as without waiting he forcibly undid the young man's shirt as Wyll grew weary. Askalon closed his eyes and placed a hand on Wyll's back as he slowly let mana creep into the crippled boy. Wyll tried to yell out in pain as he felt the foreign presence forcibly invade him; the once bright blue glow was now a soft blue with an outline of churning greys. Wyll felt as if his veins had turned to ice before being bypassed by the feeling of magma spreading through him.

Wyll succumbed to a swirling ocean of grey as he lay adrift in an unfamiliar land, storms of red on the horizon as a motherly, gentle voice spoke out to him within the void. There was no body or person speaking but the void itself.

"Take solace chosen. These lands are your home, and for that, they welcome you. If I would have known you were to visit, I would have cleaned, but nevertheless I heed you warning."

Wyll looked for the source and went to rebuttal only to find himself unable to speak, each word falling silent as a small giggle echoed through the infinite oceanscape of greys, whites and black, a bit of red mixed within.

"No need to speak. A war is on the horizon, brewing like a violent storm. The die has been cast, and the chosen are in place, one remains, but another has been excluded. Prepare yourself Wyll, war is coming, and kingdoms will fall. Forge ahead your own destiny and ride the waves of Chaos. Though you have been chosen you aren't confined by perimeters like the other. Rest easy, your role is not defined but a goal will be given. "

The storm of red crackled and boomed as the voice sighed. Before Wyll could speak, he felt himself being dragged back as the sounds of the city filled his ears. Suddenly he was back in the alley, head spinning as Askalon was putting Wyll's shirt back on. Wyll felt incredible as if a weight had been taken off his shoulders as he bolted upright. Everything felt more in tune, his vision better, and his body felt less stiff as a smile crept across his face. He felt a bit weightless as he rolled his shoulders and huffed.

"There, right as rain kiddo. Sorry but I gotta go, some important things are in my future but I hope to find you again. I'm curious if you'll become an astounding mage! Truly if you sought after that knowledge you would be strong but I recommend not seeking something forbidden by public eyes."

Askalon smiled as Wyll vigorously shook his hand.

"Thanks Mr but I gotta go! I'm going to be late to the rite, it's an important day for me but thank you for meeting!"

Askalon was curious but before he could ask Wyll had bolted off, back down the street as he rushed back towards the church. Wyll could still hear the voice in his head, a grumble leaving him a bit as he pondered the lady's warning of war. He huffed as he stood in front of the citadel, gawking at the size as the white marble made him smile.

"Excuse me, sir but are you Wyll?"

Wyll looked to the voice, finding a small man wearing glasses nervously clutching a book. Cautiously Wyll nodded, watching the man as he lit up excitedly as he grabbed Wyll's hand and shook it with an unprecedented amount of glee.

"To meet one that was held so highly by the Sword Saint! Not to mention a chosen! Oh, I am thrilled to witness such an amazing event! I can't believe the chosen six are here! Truly a blessing for all that the Blacksmith has so many on such a joyous day!"

He squeals and giggles with excitement as Wyll's face contorts, unprepared for the number of odd people he has been dealing with in one day. Quickly the man coughs and calms down as he motions to the church doors.

"My name is Fletch; I will be your retainer for the coming times! All of the chosen have been given retainers, and unfortunately for you, they kinda forgot about you soooo you got me!"

Wyll looked down at Fletch with a skeptical look on his face. Fletch stood five-six, he had sun bleached hair and hazel eyes, but the part that stood out to Wyll was that Fletch looked soft. As if the retainer had zero muscle, zero strength, and like Wyll could carry him with a hand. He huffed and sighed as he nodded to fletch and started towards the doors. Excitement and anxiety bubbling inside him as he began to push open the doors, doors to his future as he smiled.