Chapter 18 Wind of Change

Chapter 18 Winds of Change

The next morning Damian awoke and did his usual routine of cleaning and eating before he left his shack. He arrived at the predetermined meeting spot in time to see Marrissa arguing with Lisa again he couldn't make out what the problem was about but everyone seemed flustered at the situation when he arrived. Marrissa was all smiles after he arrived which seemed odd since she was obviously just arguing about something with Lisa.

"Alright, he's here let's go so aren't late for our dive tomorrow." Marrissa with a smile while energetically jumping in the air rising an arm high. The sudden change from angry to happy and energetic gave Damian mood whiplash.

"Sure let's get this done so I can officially join your group and we can start farming these damn dungeons. I need the money so I can get into a mage college." Damian replied everyone stopped and looked at him curiously. "What now why did eveyone stop?" Damian asked after a few steps.

"You said you need money for a college? You haven't been to one yet?" Asked Lisa surprised.

"No, why?" Damians' reply was nonchalant as usual.

"Well," she replied taking a second to figure out how to say what she wanted too. "Because you're already so good at magic that I think we all just kind of assumed you had already been to one." She replied weakly, "I think I might have to stop calling myself the great Lisa Polymorph." she mumbled.

"Oh no, I just happen to know a bit of In-Born casting I have integrated a few spell sigils but only like, four." He answered matter of factly. Lisa dropped to her knees holding her head looking down at the ground eyes wide in shock.

"Four, only four." Lisa was mumbling to herself. "Oh no, it's just In-born casting nad only four spells, yeah not even most adults can freaking integrate that many sigils in their body in their whole life, and if they did it even once it would be an accident, but yeah no, it's not a big deal that I have accomplished something SO STUPIDLY OUTRAGOUES! HAHAHAHAHAHA." Lisa started mumbling before yelling the last part and exploding into chaotic laughter.

"Hm, I think I broke her." Damian said then a thought struck him, "I wonder how she would react if I told her that I was a pure caster which is closer to the truth." Shaking his head to get rid of the thought, "Yeah, but it's not like I know how to do it, everytime it was an accident." He said trying smooth things over.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAAAA." Her laughing escalated yet again, "I'm sorry that I did something accidentally four times that took you most of your life to do once correctly but hey I'm lucky I have no talent right. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA." She retorted sarcastically starting to get hysterical now.

"Shit. I'm just going to shut up and stop talking now, can someone fix her, please." Damian said and then looked at her like one might look at a person who just said they lost their favorite pet, with pity in his eyes. Samuel walked over to her helping her stand up. Damian stopped talking for the rest of the trip after that even after Lisa calmed down and apologized for reacting that all he did was smile slightly and nod at her. Damian liked Lisa she was straightforward if a bit crass at times but he liked her company and thought of her as a friend, He didn't want to hurt her feelings anymore so he just closed himself off. This was one of the defense mechanisms he developed from dealing with his mother.

Having to resort to this gain brought back memories he preferred not to have.

"YOU USELESS PIECE OF FUCKING SHIT, CAN'T YOU DO ANYTHING RIGHT." Damians' mother screamed before grabbing the back of his head and slamming his face on the counter causing his teeth to cut into his cheek and lip. Before pulling his hair pulling his head off the counter before throwing him to the floor. "DO YOU WANT ME TO KNOCK YOUR GODDAMN FUCKING TEETH DOWN YOUR FUCKING THROAT YOU PIECE OF CRAP!" She bellowed before delivering a swift kick to his ribs. He could still the abuse sometimes even after coming here and escaping from her. The pain still lingered what was worse is that it was the words that had the greatest effect on him she trained him to deal with the physical pain but he still had problems dealing with the emotions that accompanied him through his life. "I seriously wish you had fucking died instead of you sister you fucking faggot." She said with a sneer. this memory in particular came from when Damian was eight years old.

These kinds of thoughts, these kinds of memories kept swirling in Damians' head the entire trip to the dungeon he had issues sleeping that night since they weren't set to enter the dungeon until the next day they had to camp outside. He took a watch twice as long as everyone else as he leaned against a tree and tucked his knees up to his chest laying his head on his knees he cried. For what felt like forever he cried. He wasn't sure how long he had silently cried for but by the time he was done the sky had started to get brighter. The stars were starting to melt together and brighten the sky it was almost dawn when he woke up benny for his watch it was supposed to only be a four-hour watch it seemed as if he had taken most of the night as laid down the thoughts and memories kept him company as tears silently crept down his cheeks.

He awoke to the smell of food being cooked as he went down to the nearby creek to wash up a little bit, the person looking at him his reflection was a sad view dried tears and snot crossed his face his eyes were red and swollen from crying his white hair was caked to his face in his anger at the vision he slapped the water causing it to freeze almost instantly a frozen geyser of water that almost looked a flower in a snowstorm appeared the way it glistened on the water and in the light was mesmerizing. Washing his face and pushing his hair back he looked to the sky his hands balling into fists. "I won't allow myself to be brought back to that place again. I can't I have to prove her wrong, to prove myself wrong. I am not useless, I am not weak, I am not what he made me believe I am." said Damian reinforcing his will to prove her and anyone else, including himself, that ever tried to make him feel like he was worthless then someone else wrong.