Magi Born in the Void

One day, another day. I was almost ten now. This dorm I lived in was relatively calm. A male infested place of hormones on the race, for these mages - puberty often hits quite early it seems. Hot-blooded boys argue in the dorm.

They argue over a woman, as usual. They said things like 'eyyy, you took my girl,' and 'nah, she was always mine.' Clearly this was not my problem, but there was a problem. They were arguing in front of my dorm.

A small crowd gathered and I joined in. it was strange and early adolescent nonsense, both these boys must have been 12. Ha, children move fast in this world. Already fighting over women? I should point out that I have kept a very tame presence so far in this 'outer ring' of the academy. They all knew my name in relation to Kessem, and even Taran must have proved to be quite capable.

Capable enough to be taught by a flaming nymph, ahhh I could feel envy begin to consume me. Seriously.

There were strict rules on non-aggression, at least for apprentices, seems the real Magi get to battle it out all they want, usually over 14 they were, in the true throws of hormonal transformation. Of course, there were younger magi, considered that annoying term 'genius'. They were not allowed to go on missions until they were 14, so they merely learned what they could.

They would have some nice advantages when it came to going on missions, which even the archmages had to do every once in a while. Inside there were alchemists, beast parts were used commonly in them.

Now, back to the two hot-blooded men, both of them were clearly not from Solari, maybe Streum? They were palish hues over there, with often shortened ears and strange upward sloping shoulders. A fist was thrown, and that other kid's nose was bloodied.

"Ohhh the crowd gasped." Then it all fell apart. These were no trained combatants, within moments they were tackling each other and rolling on the floor, it got boring quickly and the crowd pretty much completely dispersed after five minutes of this pseudo-erotic wrestling that was going on.

"Just kiss already, for fucks sake." I uttered detestably as I stepped past them to my room. They did not appear to like this, and stopped wrestling. A new common enemy - one of the greatest unifiers there is.

"Huhh, it's that little one-eyed batshit kid." One started with elongated vowels, the other stepped up, "The hell did you just say?"

"You guys were just acting a little…waifish and feminine, that's all."

They looked at each other, now united, and began walking towards me as if to kick my teeth inside by small neck. As they stepped faster, I pushed out with both hands.

It was my strongest push, I'd never used it on a human, only rocks. First test, yet I was a little panicked at the moment. If it did nothing, I would be forced to lay In a ball as I got kicked.

Luckily, or somewhat unluckily, my blast pushed them straight through the wooden walls of the dorm, outside. Oh shit.

I looked outside, to see them rolling around in pain, at least they weren't dead. I jumped down, almost appearing to be floating down, this was my coming close to using gravity to float. One day I'd be able to freely swim through space. Imagine that, just waving your arms and paddling through the air?

I went down to them and whispered a threat

"Were going to say I wasn't involved here? Right?" I spoke slowly and clearly, placing my hand gently on their chest. One more push here would likely turn their insides into a primordial soup.

I was extremely excited at this prospect of strength. Hahaha! Of course, these were literally children who couldn't use magic themselves, but it was still exciting - my first small taste of magical combat.

They nodded, in grunts and I used my shadow line on them, one of them was still indignant inside. I pushed down on that one's arm, smashing the bones inside and slightly denting in the earth. I covered his mouth before he could scream.

"Understood.." he quivered later. Ha! I went back to my room accomplished, but as soon as I turned around, there was a large audience looking outside the blasted hole in the dorm. I just waved my hands and pointed to them like it wasn't me.

They all looked at me in fear, they saw too much. Time to eliminate them.

Yeah right. I could only walk back up, giving threatening glances to the crowd as they cleared the path to my room. At night, one could continue to hear gravity clasping as everything in my room flew around.

The sounds of chaos through the night only bolstered my already frightening reputation.

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The next morning, I awoke to Chandra standing over my bed. Damn, an erotic dream? I reached up toward the flaming hills on those plains. She smacked my hand away.

"You critically injured two apprentices, and caused damage to academy property." a stern voice, still I was enamored. I quickly asked a question burning on my mind.

"You never told me you were teaching Taran, he's my bastard brother. Let me see him, he'll vouch for me. Wait, how is that lad doing? Why did you take him in? You guys are doing the dirty disco, aren't you?" I sent a barrage of questions to her.

"Be quiet."

"Tell me, is he talented? That child struggled with deep insecurity his whole life." I almost spoke with sincerity here. It had been almost two years since I've seen him.

She softened a little, "He..he tries very hard. I saw little flame when he gripped that sphere, but I saw the passion in his eyes. He is doing well."

"Now tell me, please. How often do you guys pleasure each other?" it was eating my mind.

"Are you envious, one-eye?" she spoke almost sultry, I knew it, this was confirmation enough.

"Whatever, begone from my chambers before I use more pebble attacks on you." I turned back to sleep. But was gripped firmly by my small shoulder. I couldn't wait till I grew up and could fight back against this.

"You need to be punished. All though, nobody is willing to claim that you were the one who did this, did you think we wouldn't notice? The hole is right outside your damn room."

"But it wasn't me, they started it, it was honestly self defense. Let me go, oh fire queen." Flattering seemed to work well, she did let me go upon these flowery words.

She sighed deeply, "I can already tell you are a walking disaster…but I'm amazed, you're so close to being a true Magi. you're not even ten yet…"

"Yes, well. It's just too bad my teacher is a mad hermit, else I could engage in that 'dual elements' technique like I'm sure you two do." Indeed, two beings of the same or similar elements will gain an increase in power by sleeping with one another, liquids forming and condensing inside, bolstering that Mana lake.

"Are you kidding? Taz is second strongest here only to the headmaster. He is beyond Archmage, yet still sits in the teacher zone on the border. He hasn't taken in a pupil for decades. Consider yourself extremely lucky, even I could not compare to him.

"How old is he, anyway?"

"200-300, I think." I wasn't too surprised, these mages had longer lifespans, they say the head of the academy has reached the highest level, and is eternal in nature. She does not grow old, and even if slain, she will be reborn again.

I was more curious about the head mage. "Chandra, is it fine if I call you chandra?" I asked.

"No, call me professor please."

"Listen, Chandy, you are one of the only people who know I have the element of light, but it's not being used at all. You had a man, Kaz, right? Will you please ask him to teach me?" She flared her eyes with flames when I called her 'Chandy' , it was almost comical.

"It's Professor to you." She spoke slowly, looking like she wasn't one for playing around. "Kaz is an ordinary magi, I've taken him into my fold along with that ice mage. I was just showing them a basic mission. You will need to become a magi, then you may freely meet kaz in the houses there."

"One final question. Can I meet Taran?"

"He knows you're here, he said he doesn't want to see you until he is strong enough to be proud, to protect the both of you…" I couldn't help but joke

"Well, that'll be never, ha…Tell him I'm going to be fine…and it would be nice to meet him again, that's all." I could imagine him now, that darkness, that anger, fueling him onward. Anger - no doubt his primary emotion.

"I'll tell him, but he is unconcerned with anything but his own strength..I took him in because he reminded me of myself." she said, and then shook her head.

"Stop trying to get off topic, you need to be punished. You will spend a few days in the hole."

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The hole, a pitch black room. No sounds entered, no sounds escaped, no light entered and no light escaped. I whispered to myself constantly, speaking to the moon. Keep pushing onward.

One minute, every day still, My mind burned terribly, but it was inevitable one gets used to it. Soon enough, I began to ponder ways to harness that power. Those cosmic black flames could return.

In that darkness, to keep myself from losing the gates of sanity completely, I constantly pushed and pulled, pushed and pulled. In that pitch darkness, it strangely accutented my training. I had nothing else to do for days. In those days, I felt the lake begin to grow, and grow almost exponentially.

Good! Good!

When the time came for me to be released, that door opened revealing a horrible stinging ray of pitiless light, my irises bleed, as I shuddered away from the light, "Come on out, one-eye." Did I get a new nickname?

"No, close the door, I'll come out within the month" I then used my stronger pull of gravity to slam the door shut, the guards could not open it, as I held it shut. They eventually gave up, looking at each other, "Truly a madman"

And in that month, my power had grown more than it had in the last year. I pushed and pulled with multiplied strength. I was even able to float! I could float, oh my god. This was merely a small first step on the infinite possibilities of this element.

Floating in the darkness, I felt like the moon itself. My power grew in that darkness, like a star born in the void. The lake grew and grew, it gained a bit of depth, and that elemental liquid began lurching upward to the Moon inside.

Some began to revolve around it, and when I shot those blasts of gravity out, their power was once more multiplied. I finally could use the moon as a basic catalyst for my basic attacks.

I could feel it now, I was a Magi - officially. A Magi born in the void- so,so fitting.

I pushed the door down - a heavy metal door - and it went blasting off. The guards approached with weapons wielded, "I'm leaving now." was all I said as I walked away. I instantly ran back to the residence of Taz.

"Heyyy, old hermit! I'm a magi now, come!" Eventually he shambled from his underground house, while he was drinking a potion, he appeared completely inebriated.

"Ayyyy? Magi, hehehe." he laughed and stumbled and fell to the ground. What was wrong with this man?

"Regain yourself, I'm a magi now!" he just burped and hiccuped at once before downing the rest of the potion. He then looked at me with raised eyebrows, and passed out.

I usually would come much later in the day, was this what he did in the mornings? Damn useless fool, things would need to be taken into my own hands. I already had a vile reputation here, let's make it worse.

I stomped forward to the gates that blocked us from the "Middle ring", the guards were magi too, but wore standard guard armor of leather and metals. They simply crossed their spears, blocking me without a word. I sent a shadow into them each, one used earth, the other had the more special "physical" element.

Those physical Magi were hardly magi, they preferred to call themselves warriors.

I shouted, "Let me in, I have become a Magi! Open the gates before I start Huffing and Puffing!"

The guards kept their composure, but a few Magi wandering near the entrance came to see the show, they pointed and said 'oh, that one-eyed lunatic'.

I spoke to the guards once more, "Let me by, or go tell someone of my status, Or I will battle my way through."

The crowd started losing it, laughing and booing, and shouting away.

"Kid, are you nuts? You're not even 10 yet! Go back to naptime."

"This one is made, he's going to embarasses himself, this is hard to watch."

"Ahh, they have to learn somehow…"

I pulled the sleeves on my gray robe up, the moon on my back was a warm comfort. I started allowing gravity to roll around me, and my robe began swaying gently, as if underwater. I walked forward slowly, ready to battle these guards.

Sadly, a voice shouted out. "Hold." A simple commanding voice that I knew. It came from a child no different from me. He had his own guards around him, and his robe was embroidered in golden lines.

Kessem, what an irony.