2.

As Leon walked through the market, he got the feeling he was being watched.

He walked faster, hoping to get home without being jumped or robbed.

Leon was trying to get home as fast as he could because the Druids were coming to visit their Roman king. He took as many shortcuts as he could and tried to stay hidden in the shadows.

When he reached the front door of his cottage, his father poked his head outside and let out a sigh of relief. "Thank heavens. Come in, quickly."

Leon walked through the threshold and dropped the box of things he bought in the market on the table.

"Dad? What's so bad about the druids? I noticed almost no one was in the market today." Leon said, heading into the kitchen. "Are people scared?"

His father nods as he straps a sword to his side. "Yes, some people are. But some don't trust them. We've been enemies for as long as I can remember."

"Where are you going, father?"

"Did you forget? I was scheduled to be the king's bodyguard today." His father ruffles his hair. "I'll come back as soon as I can, stay inside, and don't let anyone inside. And don't follow me."

Leon opened his mouth to protest.

"No, Leon. If you want to practice your elemental magic, do so, but be careful." His father hugged him before he left, closing the door behind him.

Leon watched his father through the window as he walked away towards the palace looming in the distance.

He sighed and turned away to his box of goods on the table. He pulled out a plant with roses on it and placed it on the windowsill with his other plants.

"Hello, Violet, Spikey, Lillian, Prim, and Ivy." Leon poured water into each plant as he said their name. He paused at the new plant he bought.

It's bright red, like fire. Leon thought as he poured the water.

"Phoenix, meet your older siblings. Violet, Spikey, Lillian, Prim, and Ivy."

Leon put the water container on the table and pulled out a book he was able to snag before the booth closed.

It was about Druids.

As he flipped through the pages, their culture and their way of life fascinated him. He was confused as to why the Romans would be afraid of them.

They didn't seem all that different from the Romans.

Leon grabbed his cloak, hanging from the back of a chair, and pulled it on. He made sure to secure it around his head so that no one recognized him. Once the cloak was in place, he sheathed a dagger to his side and pulled on his boots.

He closed the door behind him before heading off into the night.

Just as he suspected, guards were standing watch outside the palace doors.

It would be nearly impossible for him to slip by without being seen. That would leave him one option.

He snuck closer to the line of guards, careful not to step on tree branches or trip over overgrown tree roots.

Leon had been buying any book he could about void magic and teaching himself the spells. The spell he'd been practicing the most was the hallucination spell.

He drew the symbol for hallucination in the air, and the reaction was instant.

Some of the guards pulled out their swords and began fighting invisible foes. Others started talking, hugging air or trees.

Leon walked by the guards, laughing to himself as he slipped inside the building. He closed the door quietly behind him and looked up and down the massive halls for a maid or another guard.

"Hey! What are you doing in here? Shouldn't you be outside with the other guards?"

Leon turned and saw a guard marching towards him. He had tan skin, grey eyes, and black hair that was combed back to cover a bald spot in the middle of his head.

"Oh. Uh, I was told the king needed me in the meeting room." Leon stuttered. "I'm new here, and I was wondering if you could point me in the right direction."

The man nods. "Ah, you must be Eric. Excuse my impoliteness. The meeting room is down that hallway. The fifth door on the left."

"Thank you, sir," Leon said, giving the guard an awkward bow before turning down the hallway.

Once the guard was out of sight, he dropped the spell. They made the flooring and the columns of white marble, giving the palace a bright and opening feeling.

Leon walked as fast as he could towards the fifth door, which was closed. Raised voices were coming from inside.

Now that he was outside the door, he realized it was a foolish mistake to drop the spell, considering that he had to go inside the room.

Leon whispered the spell again and opened the door as quietly as he could.

No one stopped him as he walked into the room and took an empty spot in the corner.

The Roman king, Augustus, was sitting on his golden throne wearing a long white robe, a loose shirt, and pants.

His daughter was sitting in the chair next to him. She was wearing a dark blue gown with jewelry glittering at her neck and in her hair.

The queen was wearing a golden gown, and golden gems adorned her gown.

The Druids were sitting in the middle of the room. All of them wearing white robes except for a man in the front with a long grey beard and watery eyes.

"Do you insist on bringing this topic up again, Ward? We've already been over this multiple times." Agustus drawled.

Ward tugged on his beard thoughtfully. "But where else would the child be in hiding? We've searched everywhere and found no trace of him."

"What? Do you think I could be hiding this child in my cloak?"

Ward cocked his head as though he thought that might be a possibility.

"Now, if you are finished wasting my time," Augustus snarled. "I have other important matters to attend to."

A woman wearing a white cloak stepped forward and pointed at Leon's father. "Perhaps he'd know where the child is."

She pulled back her hood, revealing greying hair and pale skin.

The king turned towards him. "Do you know what they're talking about, Samuel?"

Leon's father shook his head, his brow furrowed. "I do not, my king."

"Oh, Samuel, is it?" The woman snarled. "Where is the boy, Lester?"

"My name is not Lester."

The woman smirked and turned toward the king. "Twelve years ago, my sister gave birth to a young boy she named Leonidas. We traveled for days, and we came upon a ruined Roman village where this man," she pointed at Leon's father, "was staying at a little house. My sister gave her child over to this man. Before we left, the druids caught up with us, and my sister was killed in the struggle."

Leon's father snarled. "Liar. You killed her."

Leon gaped at his father, and this woman, confused.

"So you know what they are talking about? Do you know this child?" the king asked. He peered at him. "I want the truth."

The room was so silent you would hear a pin drop. Leon's father took a deep breath. "I do."

Ward snapped his fingers, and two men wearing red emerged and walked toward Leon's father.

He did not struggle as they brought him down to his knees and put a sword to his throat.

"I promise I will make this as painless as possible," Ward whispered. "Tell me where the child is."

"Never."

The man holding the sword to his throat thrust it deeper. Blood dribbled from the wound, and pain flashed across his face.

"Why is it so important that this child be found?" the king asked.

The woman hissed. "Because he is dangerous."

Augustus clasped his hands together. "Ah, so you've never heard of the legend, hm?"

"What legend?" Ward grumbled.

"The legend of the four crystals. Each is for the elemental powers of earth and fire, water, and air. Do you not think that this child could be useful in finding these crystals?"

Ward glared at the king. "Such things do not exist. And if they do, we will destroy them. Right after we rid the earth of this filth." His eyes flit back to Leon's father.

The man raised the sword and brought it down for the killing blow.

Leon held out his hand. The sword flew out of the man's hand and impaled itself into the wall. With another flick of his wrist, he sent both men flying back hard enough to hit the wall, knocking them out cold.

His hallucination spell dropped, and Ward pointed at him.

"It's him!"

The other people in cloaks pulled out weapons and charged. Leon closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and summoned a tremendous gust of wind that made them hit the wall hard, knocking them out as well.

He turned towards the woman who was holding the sword to Lester's throat.

"Surrender, child." She snarled. "Or things might end very badly."

"You killed my mother, you monster."

The woman snorted. "MONSTER? I'm not a monster. Look at what you did to these innocent people."

"They are not innocent people, bitch. I am not a monster. I've killed no one. But you," he held out his hand, and she gasped, clawing at her throat. "I will take great pleasure in killing you."

Lester struggled to his feet. "Leon!! Leon, stop. Leon, you're killing her!!"

The woman was still clawing at her throat, but it was weak. Her face was growing pale.

Lester ran towards Leon and crouched in front of him. "Leon, you need to listen to me. This isn't solving anything."

"She killed my mother."

"Leon, you said you weren't a monster. Look at what you're doing, look around you."

Leon's eyes fell on the king, whose expression was hard to read. The princess looked sick, and the queen had a hand covering her mouth.

The guards were huddled in corners, looking terrified.

He released his hold on the woman, and she fell to the ground, gagging and coughing.

Leon curled both hands into fists and tore from the room.