Light, at last.

"Ahh, dear brother." he spoke in such magnificently condescending tones I had the instant urge to smash and cut his neck just right so he would hold it as he slowly choked to death on his own blood and lack of airflow.

I know, this anger came from nowhere, really. Well, this little shit was getting married to the queen, stories tell of their beauty, like nymphs come to blood.

"Kessem…br..other." It was so awkwardly choked out that some people in the crowd laughed. "Look, I've reached Magi status. Have these people listen to me, please. You are their respected king consort after all, my liege." Mockery and derision attempted to hide, but they just couldn't help but rear a little in my voice.

"Ha! Go check him," he snapped forward, one of his bodyguards, truly appreciating a small taste of lordliness. I had to thank Curiosity once more, it was quite an alluring gal. Though she sometimes may be morbid, it gets the people moving.

This mage came up to me with derision on his face. Oh my god lord above, the expression on his face was like a small bit of heaven cremated into my mind. I started laughing loudly.

Also, it was fucking noon again. I stood there clutching my head, but only unsteady for the minute, yet laughing steadily. I must have shown them what they wanted, the rumors were true after all! They began to whisper.

Yet the guard turned around, and did not speak. This was all the indication they needed.

A mage, at less than 10? Ha! They are often 14-18, I was way ahead of the curve. Finally, the moon began to bless me. Thank you, moon.

You're welcome, darling. The moon was always so sweet to me, my truest love.

After the small minute of madness ended. I looked back at Kessem. Damn, he held a stony face still, this one was impressive. But I cast the string in his mind…"Damn, not bad." was his main thought.

Eh? I was hoping he would be more upset, then a gross smile creeped his way onto his face as grosser words sonanted from his lips, "Ha, as expected of my brothers, both of them are geniuses! But, Galdur…I really am impressed."

Then he walked over! To me! And if he could somehow manipulate his own thoughts or mine - which I highly doubt- then he was truly happy for me, and for him. Perhaps me looking stronger made him stronger as well.

No doubt, that must be it. A strong bloodline of a king, he will have worthy children. A weak brother - even a bastard - is still a stain. If the bastards are strong, then that stain is erased. I began to imagine all three of us walking back at the age of 18. All of us accomplished mages, his status as king would be rock solid, and our house truly honored.

Not that I wanted that, Ha!

Eighteen, the big one-eight - the age they encourage you to go explore. They age where you can actually leave, technically - we were prisoners on this hierarchied island of magic and more until then.

He walked next to me, and his gangly limb limped its way across my shoulder, as this one instant moment completely validated me in the people's eyes. These people, what did they see?

"Come, Galdur. Let me lead you to the general hall master. Allow me to explain," he spoke highly, proudly and brightly - it was irritating to my ears.

"We have three main halls for the core Magi. Elemental hall- this is where you learn of the elements and how to control them, easily the most popular hall.

The alchemy hall - you are not an alchemist, so this need not apply, but alchemy is the creation of potions and pills that contain magical properties - commonly used as healing and various short-lived enchantments.

Finally - The Astronomy hall - A unique hall with few members. It focuses on the study of stars and space. They claim all the elements come from the cosmos - some consider them a little whacked in the head, and they do terrible in most competitions."

Fun, more division between the masses, more infighting and drama. Most people here were indeed of older teenage years. It's going to be a long 5 years in this hellhole until they let me go on missions.

"You're in the elements, I assume?" I spoke to him like we were almost real brothers. "No, no." he laughed, "I'm personally trained by the head, and am allowed direct access to the center of the island."

Cocky little bastard. "I heard she specializes in light, do you?" I was out for some basic information, "No, I am of gold - a special variety of the metal element." and he showed me how he turned his skin into a magnificent gold. He threw a punch in the air and you could hear a small (boom) sound. Claps all around.

I still was strung to his mind "Hahaha." was the exclusive thought that rung inside.

He led me to the hall, and along the way I whispered in his ear "Is the head a beauty like they say. With hair of light strands and perfected proportions? Has the head given head?"

He took it with grace, and merely smiled and shook his head "Haha, she is very pretty yes. But that's all, my queen is waiting." ahh yes, his queen. Athena the II. His mighty goal in life, to be an anchor for his queen.

"Well, if you ever feel like helping me out, tell her I know light too." I spoke with impudence.

"What, you have two almighty elements?" he stifled and scoffed and didn't believe me at all, it wasn't like I could show him either. "Just go ask Chandra, she did my…element thing with the orb"

"Ahh, regardless, she is a very particular and stingy woman, I'm sorry, but don't get your hopes up…"The string inside strangely held no thoughts of derision, and I suddenly came to a terrible realization.

Was he a decent man? Shit. I always hated him for nothing. He was cold as a child, but all the servants and his parents were cold to us too. Simply following the crowd, maybe. Monkey see?. Still - I wasn't about to give him the benefit of the doubt so easily.

We went up to an old hallmaster just called Linda. She eyed me curiously but still bowed slightly in the presence of the future king."What can I do with you, Lord Kessem?" He was already a lord?

"My brother here, Galdur, has reached the core Magi stage - at the young age of nine. Just like me! Two genius brothers of Scire, doesn't that sound good.?" He was so happy all the damn time, I could see why? Who wouldn't be when blessed so highly by heaven and gorgeous ladies to mark your path?

"Really?" Doubt, of course, but she didn't bother to check, if Kesem wanted it so then it was so. She asked me which Hall I would choose.

Naturally it was the hall of Astronomy, nobody was surprised by this. When no shock was expressed, I expressed shock. "Well, that is only natural, as a magi of space." Kessem said and I felt like a chaotic tiger tamed by a cattle prodder. So gentle was his silent defecations on my excitement.

There was supposed to be more excitement, I guess there was - he told me of a yearly tournament of all halls, some occasional trials until you went out on missions of your own.

Good news was - I had my own small lodgings now, a little neighborhood of Magi. My neighbor was not happy to see the one-eyed lunatic enter neighboring territory, and even came over to give me trouble.

Then he saw Kessem come and give him a stern stare, he was making sure I was protected. My only real theory is he was thinking of the house. I asked him if he knew a "Kaz" and he told me that old hallmaster Linda would know.

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I had dreams of the moon that night, as I slept in a nice, larger and softer bed. The sheets almost fluttered with a faint magic. The Moon told me trouble would come into my heart soon, how mystic. The moon told me to love.

Whatever that means.

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I awoke the next morning to the cursed sun, I closed my curtains, an old clock told time on the wall. I walked to class under the stares of these older, scornful kids. The Astronomy hall was small and on the North end, far from the southern entrance.

I arrived a little before class time - it wasn't so small, there were around 30 kids in there, far too many for me to care for. The teacher was of note - A fine looking woman with long white hair, and a robe that seemed to so tightly accentuate her body. Yes. At last.

"You must be the new teacher," moved those red coated lips. Eyes were sharp and peering through me like a snake at a mouse - an erotically quivering mouse. "The one-eyed mad genius, not even 10? Ha, we shall see." Her name was Sia.

Class began as I sat in the back next to a somewhat homely kid with very black hair. There were many seats but I chose this child, who appeared to be 15. I read his thoughts and they were vaguely: "Why are you here, go away."

He seemed the loneliest in the room, I needed an in. Dangling loosely in the wind here would be tough and not to my liking. I asked his name and he sad "Degs" and I asked him if he was Tenbrian and he said "yes."

"Alright, Degs - give me your notes, would you?"

"Sure." He handed his notes to me and I took a few mental pictures, theories on space and gravity that were somewhat excelled were here. Wormholes, tunnels, and they even had the space-time theory.

Class ended at noon, and I sat there holding my head in pain as the others filtered out while peeking at me like a rabid dog. The teacher came, close, oh so so close to me I caught a close glimpse of her thighs and -oh my. Something happened and a flower grew.

She looked at me like an insect, and that made it even better. She spoke at last in a sweet voice that only a woman with similar looks could contain. "Chandra told me to take a special look at you, come here."

My heart palpitated and I perspiration as she laid me on one of the tables and began feeling my chest under my robe, around and around my abdomen.

"Ohh, you could have just asked, honey. I have a place we can go…" I moaned and voiced a primal desire as she very harshly grabbed my spermal sack with gravity, gently crushing it as I said "please, please, please, please" and never once said another word.

These women can't take jokes. She felt around my abdomen and chest and looked at me strangely, with a new glow in her eyes, oh?

"You have some sort of catalyst embedded inside of you, it's so small….it is of unknowable quality - some sort of soul treasure? I won't ask, but I am impressed." she flashed a slight smile. I wondered if her claims were true? But who?

"You are quite mysterious…" It seemed like she enjoyed a mystery.

"Will you teach me after class? Darling sensei Sia?" I spoke in words foreign to her - Tenebrian.

"Hmm, fine. Only one hour."

Good, good. Was this the love the moon spoke off? We were still so far apart in age, once I was fourteen though - well. Alas, maybe I should wait a few years more. A bit tender an age.

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I continued to see Taz, who told me Sia was his daughter as he slashed at me. I honed my shield, dodged, floated and even moved small distances as I floated. A stronger shield was made every day.

"You're kidding right? With who? She's way too hot to be of your lineage."

"Lad, you speak of me daughter. She's only a lass of 18, a genius like her damn mother." we spoke as he slashed.

"Whose the mom? Don't tell me some tragic backstory, it'll ruin me hard on." I imitated his strange accent. I believe it was of southern Solari dialect.

"Hahaha! Damn savage boy, Ha." I knew he would be amused by the comment. "No real tragedy other than a broken marriage. I was once husband to the Head of the academy - Serena."

Serana, this was the first time I heard her name. It seemed like a unknown secret.

"What happened?" I uttered as I barely dodged his faster strikes. "Dont worry yourself, she found another boytoy little slave of hers to command around. That's all. No more speaking."

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I went looking for Kaz, and they told me his location, a house near the south entrance, where the elemental hall was. He seemed quite well-known and popular as I spotted him walking along at the time, almost all said hi, and he would say hello back.

I can't imagine the tedium, I read his mind, and to some surprise, he was thinking the same thing. He looked at me and came to say hello.

"It must be tiring to be greeted so often, just ignore them - they'll learn Kaz. See, you have to teach people how to treat you." I began rambling a bit.

"Hehe," he faked an awkward laugh, inside: 'what's with this kid?' or so the loose translation of thoughts went. "I came here to ask you to train me on how to bring out the light, you are close to Chandra. Ask her if you don't believe me."

His look became stiffer and stonier, he spoke more quietly as he urged us to walk and talk.

"I know, she told me." he voiced under the shade of silence.

"Well? This is some bullshit, man. Who taught you?"

"My parents, nobles of the house of Solari…" He uttered with annoyance. I could tell most would be awestruck here, and this irritated him every time.

"Cool. So, can you teach me?" I pretended I didn't hear something incredible, I was secretly amazed.

"Eh.." he stood there in the shock that was my lack of shock. "Did you hear me?" He even wanted to make sure I understood.

"Yeah, yeah, Leading house of the strongest kingdom, good for you. Teach me light already or we're going to fight." I spoke as casually as casualty in war.

He was stunned, the line told me I was beginning to make a large impression on him right now, in this little moment. Interesting how things like that work.

"You really don't care?"

"I mean…it's cool, ya know. It's not like I don't understand, it's just ya know…" I remembered to tap into that weakness or kindness of his back then when I begged to be a part of the academy.

"All I remember is that you stuck up for me back then, I'm sure you know of my madness, but still - I know appreciation." and instantly like a spider, I tugged on an unpulled string in his heart.

An appreciation for who he is as a person, not the name he carries. I swear he almost broke down. "It's alright, it's alright…" I consoled him somewhat comically.

"Heh..I'm fine, kid. Hahaha, you really are crazy. I'll teach you."

And so, I got Kaz to teach me the basics of light. It was not comparable to the head that Kessem had(and probably got), but it was something. The female magi of Solari were indeed all mages of light. Kaz was from a random noble family with ties to the first Athena.

He told me to stare into the sun, and I started laughing. That's not gonna work, I told him it'll have to be the moon, and he grumbled something about wanting some sleep at night but he consented, and we trained at night.

Not so different to gravity, it was once more attempting to pull the light from the stars - or in this case, the moon. Trying to grab onto the faintest string of light, all night. I failed. He went back home. I continued to grasp and grasp.

Then I had the idea to put some space into it, and the strings finally had shown themselves to me. Pesky little things, little bitty strings of moonlight finally came rushing into my eye. The moon inside sucked it all up with stringent joy.

Then my one eye began to glow so wonderfully warm of moon light and it spoke to me,

At last.

And like a whirlpool it fell into my eye deep into the night. I didn't sleep, when the sun came up it was already time to head to class.