Don't Give Up Oliver!

'The Rising...'

'All my life...'

"Look at him... Isn't that..."

'Ever since I could remember...'

"Yeah... It's him... That's..."

'Everywhere I went. I always heard them say it... I always saw the look of hate in their eyes.'

"Oliver Lot... He's a part of 'that' family you know... How sick and twisted do you think he is? I hear he wants to join Phoenix Flight. Not even those freaks would accept a monster like him. What a pathetic joke."

'But... It wasn't always bad... Oliver was...'

"Look at that weird dog... Yeah a monster like him would have something not normal... Those two were practically made for each other weren't they..."

'That's right. Jakey... Jakey has always...'

"Stop it, stop it, stop it! Please just stop it! Please stop yelling at me for once! I'm sorry I was born into this world! Is that what you want to hear."

'Even still though... What an absolute joke I am...'

***

Davi, and Athena walked down the path of the now mostly empty street with a mild boredom as both let out quiet yawns and stretched their tired muscles out. It was now mostly night time and the two of them decided it was about time to find an Inn.

Currently they were both walking on the edge of a large stone bridge of the city. Down below was a vast beach, and a beautiful ocean. On the waters a large ship could be seen getting ready to sail away.

"So we didn't find your dad like I thought we would. Sorry for getting your hopes up."

"Nah it's fine." Athena yawned and gave a half hearted shrug. "I didn't think he would really be here. But it didn't hurt to look. To bad it was just that dumbass guy dressed up as that other dumbass guy."

"I guess..." Davi sighed. "Guess the rumors about him being here weren't true. Bummer. Then who was the crazy lightning guy they said was here? Hmm... Besides that man dressed up as the not Grimval but he was hardly strong at all... The rumors were that a powerful Lightning mage was here and yet we didn't find anybody." Davi shrugged. "Ahh well. Better luck at the next few cities I guess. We should pass by one more village before we arrive at the Guild."

"Still though... I feel like something is wrong... The only person here, with lightning magic, was that guy pretending to be Master Grimval. Why would there even be a rumor about a strong lightning mage. And why was there Oliver a young boy who just so happened to have Time Magic, as well as a strange beast? This can't all be a coincidence can it? I feel like something else is going on..." Athena nodded. "Speaking of Wolf looking dogs, I swear my dad once told me a story about a talking dog with six eyes but I just can't quite put my finger on it... I know it involved a King- Wait! Is Oliver secretly the King and or related to the King!"

"Nah." Davi shook his head. "The King of Avalon is currently sick right now. Plus he only ever had three Daughters and at least two of them are stuck up royal pricks who should go to the deepest hottest parts of hell. The last ones cool though. She's nice." Davi shrugged it all off as he ran a hand through his messy blue hair. "Why do you think that one guy was dressed up as Grimval though?"

Athena simply shrugged. "I don't know... Any number of reasons. Maybe he wanted to pick up chicks and thought the best way to do it was to look like one of the most famous men in the Country? I mean you guys are always trying to get women interested in you? Or maybe it was for some other strange reason."

"Hmm. Who knows. I just have this bad feeling now that I think back to the situation." Davi sighed. "I mean... We were told to watch out for something when we came here by some villagers right... Some group who are called Magic Hunters or something like that?"

"Yeah! The guys who kidnap people with rare and powerful Magic." Athena nodded her head causing the stuffed lion on his head bounce back and forth nearly falling off, somehow though it managed to stay on her head staying put. "Those are just rumors though right. I don't think someone is actually kidnapping mages. That would be crazy. No way they could get away with that."

"You know that Oliver kid would be in a lot of danger if those guys were actually real." Davi laughed. "A good looking young boy like him, with a rare and powerful magic like that. I mean can you imagine what would happen if the wrong people learned that he had Time-"

From up above Jakey, the black wolf landed on Davi's head making the boy nearly trip. The wolf dug its legs into Davi's head making the boy let out a loud yelp as he wobbled and threw his arms out wildly in an attempt to catch himself. The dog began to bark wildly as Davi grabbed onto a wall and held himself up.

"Oww what the hell!" Davi hissed out grabbing at the crazy beast on his head.

"Hahaha!" Athena laughed pointing at her friend. "You look like an idiot."

"Shut up and help get this damn thing off of me!" The wolf's eyes blinked a couple of times and its nose twitched as it began to nibble on Davi's hair making the boy shudder as he felt its teeth nibble on his skin. "Dog... You got five seconds or so help me God's I am going to-"

"Hey it looks kind of scared doesn't it?" Athena asked frowning. "And now that I think about it where is Oliver-" The dogs barking got louder as it began to howl and thrash around still on Davi's head who let out a yelp and nearly stumbled forward about to fall of the bridge. The dogs barking got louder as it stared down into the waters as if it was trying to say something.

"Hey did you here?" A couple said walking past Davi and Athena. "Apparently there was a boat that, fake Grimval guy was in. It's leaving. Guess he learned his lesson and left our city!"

"Boat..." Davi and Athena both said as the couple walked past. The two of them slowly turned back down to look at the waters below, and down to where a large boat could be seen sailing away... The sight of it made Jakey bark even louder. "Uh oh..."

***

A Few Years Ago...

The Kingdom Of Alnwick...

'All my life...'

A much younger Oliver could be seen walking down the streets of the capital city in the Country of Alnwick...

As he walked everyone turned their head to look at him. Whispers slowly began to break out as he moved down the street at a slightly quicker pace.

"Isn't that..."

"Yeah... That's him..."

Oliver kept his head up as he walked, but he gained more and more attention as more whispers began to surround him.

'Ever since I could remember...'

"I hear that 'he' somehow got Time Magic... Figures his family would get such a rare kind of magic and give it to their child..."

"What!"

"Magic that rare... In the hands of scum like him... How gross..."

"That disgusts me... A freak like his family... None of them... Deserve to even live! Much less have something like that..."

Oliver began to speed up but the whispers only got louder and louder. Not even whispers at this point... They were becoming insults... What had he done to deserve this...

Well... he knew what he did.

All of his family knew what they had done...

Their crime was being born...

And his crime was developing such a magic... Being gifted something that was able to teach him this magic. This was his punishment...

This was their punishment.

His families karma.

'Everywhere I went. I always heard them say it... I always saw the look of hate in their eyes.'

"How dare someone like him have such a powerful blessing!"

"I hear he can't even cast the simplest of spells. Can you imagine? Even among the lowest of lows, he somehow manages to get even lower. I guess that's Karma for you isn't it. His family deserves it though. Freaks like them... Those Monsters..."

"Stop it..." Oliver whispered stopping in the streets. He said it in a quiet tone so his pleas went unheard.

"I hate him!"

"He doesn't deserve to live."

"Why did someone as evil as him get such a rare gift!"

"What kind of cruel God cursed us with them!"

"I said stop it!" Oliver screamed finally snapping. A bright gray rune, in the shape of a clock, exploded around him... A silence seemed to pass over everyone as the street around him began to became gray and cold for a second. Oliver let out a few sniffles before he turned and ran as fast as his legs could carry him. He ran, and ran, and didn't know where he was going, or for how long he was running. Finally, he turned a corner and stumbled into an alleyway, where he collapsed from exhaustion breathing so hard he felt as if he would throw up.

He breathed heavily clutching at his heart. Tears streamed out of his eyes for a moment as he just stared at the ground.

"Why does everyone hate me... I didn't do anything. It isn't my fault." He whispered. He slowly slid down to a sitting position punching the ground as hard as he could and breaking the skin on his hand. "Oww... Why does everyone hate me..."

"Hate you?"

Oliver's head snapped up as he looked around the alleyway. He didn't see anyone but an odd-looking dog with six glowing red eyes staring at him. It kind of creeped him out.

"Who... Who said that?" He asked looking around wildly. "I... I'm warning you... Don't try anything or else I'll... Well... I guess I won't do much but at least tell me who it was that talked!"

"I did." A voice commented making Oliver let out a yelp and jump back hitting his head on the wall behind him. The dog cocked its head at him for a moment as it took a step towards the weird boy. "Hello."

"T... The dog talked?"

"Of course not..." The dog opened its mouth and an arm slowly pulled itself out of the dogs mouth. The arm was the size of a humans arm but was somehow coming out of the tiny black dog. Seconds later a fully grown man pulled himself out of the maws of the beast. He was tall with messy red hair and thunderous yellow eyes. "Hi!" He smiled giving a half wave.

"Uhh... Hi?" Oliver felt his back hit the wall of the alleyway as he stared in fear at the weird man. "Why did you just pull yourself out of that dog? This is weird? What's going on? How hard did I hit my head!"

"Why are you crying?" The man asked curiously.

"I... I..." Oliver stuttered before he reached up to his face feeling the tears that were streaming out of his eyes. He let out a sigh as he slumped down onto the ground in front of the animal. "People... They all hate me..."

The creature cocked its head at him again and slowly crawled towards him. It slowly jumped into his lap for a moment and began to nibble on his hand.

"It looks like Jakey likes you."

"Wh... What?" Oliver let out a confused laugh looking down at the weird creature. "W... What is this thing?"

'That's right. Oliver... You've always... Always been with me since the beginning... The day I decided to join a Guild...'

***

The Boat...

Oliver let out a small tired sigh as he collapsed into the back wall in the boat. He stared down at the lighting that covered his hands and feet and frowned.

"Oliver..." He muttered. "You're out there right? Getting help. Just a little longer than." Oliver gritted his teeth as a small gray spark began to slowly form around the lighting. It took everything he had, as he grabbed onto everything deep inside of him and began to pull on it sweating bullets.

A person who has Magic goes by the title of Wizard. Someone who taps into the Mana force in order to use their Magical Ability to cast powerful spells that can bend the world around them. There are many kinds of Magical Abilities ranging from Fire Magic, to Ice Magic, and they each have their own merits.

A wizard has two main ways of casting the spells. The first is the easiest and is a requirement for almost every new Wizard... A wand, or a staff, or some other tool that can be used to focus ones mana into the spells. Something that can be used to concentrate their mana through it, in order to cast a spell. Most wizards require something like this for their harder spells.

The second way is far harder and requires far more magic to do... Only powerful Wizards, most of which hold the title of Arcane Knight, can do this.

A wizard can pull deep within themselves naturally and grab hold of their mana using nothing but their raw emotions to guide it. The power an Arcane Knight must hold to this law and is a requirement for them to join a Guild.

The ability to cast a spell without aid...

The gray light began to get bigger. As Oliver grabbed onto the spark he was building up within himself using everything he had to throw it forward towards the chains.

Wandless Magic.

The gray spark formed a small grey clock around the lighting aging it to such a point all the mana within it vanished.

There was a loud snap as Oliver pulled back snapping the lightning ropes with ease.

He collapsed forward and began to breathe heavily. That had taken nearly all is mana just to cast an easy spell like that.

But.

In the end he did it.

Oliver felt the smile cross onto his face as he stood up. Everyone in the room was looking at him with the smallest amount of hope. It wasn't much but it was there...

"I'm going to get this ship back to shore," Oliver announced proudly. "I'll save all of you!"

"Who... Who are you?" One of the citizens asked.

Oliver simply smiled as he began to walk towards the door to the boat.

"A Future Arcane Knight!"