School and Slaves

I find myself walking down the hollowed halls of this school. The walls are a natural orange wood. The floor is made of iron wood. My footsteps echo with each step in the empty passageways. Classes have already started. There are wooden cubbies along the walls to put stuff in for the students.

As I look for my class my schedule is in my hand. Classes started two weeks ago and that's not why the GuildMaster has been in such a hurry to get me started. As it turns out he gets credit for every student he recommends/places here. Anyone in town gets credit for recommendations.

So he is concerned someone else will get me. I find my first class. Like any school there are boring dumb classes like language, philosophy, and mathematics. Then there are the Magic classes, astrology, practical practice classes, dueling, and of course beast classes. I'm standing in front of Practical magic theory 101. I open the door.

Boom! Whoosh!

A blast of wind comes out the door and I grab onto the door frame just in time. Once it clears and I can open my eyes I see a young girl in front of the teachers desk. She has blue hair and orange skin. Her arms are out in front of her and her hair is sticking out in all directions I step farther into the doorway and look around.

The desks are in rows rising one above the other. All the kids are hiding behind the desks books in hand. The teacher has been slammed up against the wall. Her glasses are sitting sidewards on her nose. She has lite almost white green hair and yellow skin.

She clears her voice and says, "Thank you, Tarshic for that demonstration. Now can you tell us where you went wrong?" Tarshic says, "I used to much magic and lost control agian." Her shoulders slump. The teacher fixes her glasses and says, "That is correct. Magic is not about strength of power. It's about using the magic inside of you and controlling it with your mind. You must learn to feel how much you can use and control. You may take your seat."

I watch as the Tarshic walks to her desk in the front row. I step into the classroom. As soon as the teacher sees me she smiles and says, "Well hello, and who might you be?" I walk up to her with my note in my hand saying, "I'm Lizeli. I'll be joining your class.

The teacher takes the note looks at it saying, "Hello Lizeli, I'm Ms. Cloyster your teacher for Practical magic theory 101. You can take a seat.... ." She looks around, "Ah, next to Dambtal in row three. First please show us an example of your magic." She motions for me to step up where Tarshic just left from.

I step up and don't say anything as I raise my left arm in front of me and make about a hundred streams of Lightning come out of my hand. They twist and make a zapping sound as they come out. She claps her hand and says, "Lightning magic how wonderful."

"Now how did you make your Lightning. also can you make it come out of other parts of your body. Please explain to the class how you use your magic." I drop my hand to my side finishing my magic as I say, "I imagine light coming to the point I need to, and when I send it out magic is created."

The teacher smiles and says, "You can take your seat." I head to my seat as she says, "Please turn your book to page 356. You will see a diagram. As you can see depending on what magic you have each magic has its own color."

"To make stronger magic you imagine magic as a certain color. Lightning for instance is yellow same with Sun magic while Wind is grey. Now in order to control the magic it's more then just sending it to the part of your body you want. It's also concentration. You need to feel how much you are using and you need judgment on how much you can control. Also when to release it and the amount. If you release it to soon to will fail to make any kind of magic. To late and you get an explosion...."

.....

Time Skip

It took five years but I'm finally done with school. Thank God, normally school takes two years. I got three majors. Once a week I took Lennal into the town. At the beginning she hated every minute. Now she is fine and got back her confidence. Azarna is a big part of that. She's been training her for the last five years.

Last year I finally got Lennal to take a small course on Wind magic. She ended up adding a class on Water by herself. As far as Klunch he has been being trained to stay away from smelly stuff. He is still terrified of baths so he does everything possible not to take one, and since he has realized every time he gets smelly he gets a bath.

He now fights his natural desires cause he hates baths even more. There has been more missing people for the last five years then normal in the city, but if nonhumans go missing its swept under the rug. So far none of the missing humans have been found.

I spent these 5 years looking through the library I even got in the restricted section and very little has been written about the dark stones. All I've been able to unearth is the location where the power went crazy was an area naturally high in magic energy. So the question is what to do next.

There are a few things that happen worth talking about three days after I started school over 150 nonhumans went missing. This is the story of that night.

That night I headed back to the northern fields where I'd helped Maynh's team fight those wolves. Night had just fallen the field is quiet and empty. The stone cottage is dark. I land outside the door my plan is to kill the child I saw and find out about the other Elemental I saw five days ago. I am in my natural form and I walk up to the cottage.

The wood on the door is rotting and the straw roof smells of mildew. The windows are boarded up with old boards and straw can be seen sticking out from cracks around the boards. I walk up to the door and dig my claws into the boards. It is slightly wet to the touch and slimy. My thought before I rip the door away is "This is supposed to be livable?" I rip the door off and the hinges and lock stay in the stone door frame.

They hang limp as the rotten wood is easily broken free. I throw the door behind me and the smell of mold fills the air from inside. I can hear rasping breath from inside and the little girl from before is standing in the bedroom door looking at me. She walks up to me and says, "Are you here to take my mommy to heaven?"

I look at her in surprise and she comes over taking my clawed hand and guides me through the damp kitchen into the bedroom. I can hear coughing from the bed. I she leads me to it. The little girl rearranges the thin sheet across her mother saying, "Mommy the angel of death has finally come to bring you to heaven."

The little girl coughs and I can hear the same rasping cough in the little girl just not as bad as the mother. I look down at the women in the bed. I can see the same gray skin, gray hair, pointy ears and purple eyes as the daughter. The eyes are sunken and the skin looks pasty and lighter with an unhealthy glow to it. Dried sweat can be seen on her face and she coughs once again.

She smiles at the little girl and says, "Sweetheart can you do me a favor and leave the room. Please close the door behind you." The little girl doesn't look happy as she says, "I wanted to be here as the Angel brings you to heaven." She leaves the room and the door closes with a soft thump! The women looks up at me and says, "I've never seen anything like you."

"Can you make it fast? I have family in town so my daughter will be ok. Can you make sure my daughter don't see what you do to me? She is so young." She goes into a coughing fit that ends with a gaging noice as I reach into her chest. Her heart is withered and weak as it pumps it's last beat. I rip open her head as the blood slowly spreads across her chest.

I pull out a peice of her brain and turn my back on her still form. Thinking better of it I turn around and let loose a blast of black flame that consumes the bed. I leave the room as the smell of burning flesh fills the air and I close the door behind me. The little girl is sitting at the wobbly table in a small chair as she kicks her feet back and forth she says, "Is Mommy gone? I want to see her. What's that smell?"

Not saying anything I walk over to her and take her by the arm. I pull her off the chair and see mold growing on the lower legs as I pull her out the door. My flames still burn spreading where there is fuel. As I watch the flames reach the grass roof and start to consume the wood inside. I look down at the girl. She is watching the flames consume her home in surprise and I ask, "What is your name? Do you have family?"

She crouches down in the dirt looking at her own bare feet she says, "My name is Lar. I have family in town but they are just as bad off as we are. Many are sick and I'm unsure how long before they start going to heaven as well. Will you be the one to take them there?" I look at her saying, "If you want you and your family can be my slaves and then you can leave this town forever. None of you have to go to heaven right now."

"I've even got a doctor that can help you." She looks at me and says, "Really?" I nod my head and after that she says, "I'll be your slave. Can my family come too?" She has a huge smile on her face. I tell her to wait a minute while I'm gone. I reach into my Space bag.

Inside the Bag

I find myself once again in my room and walk into the library. I look around and see Neens reading in the corner. I walk over to her and say, "Prepare food and baths I may have people in need of a doctor coming here. Take the bag with you." She is putting down her book as I reach into the bag.

Outside the Bag

I appear once again next to Lar. Her eyes are big and she looks like she wants to ask questions but I say, "hush." I grab her under the arms and we take flight. I tell her to keep quiet once again as we head over the walls of the city and land quietly in a dark street. I fold my wings as they vanish and I change to my shape to a human. Lar looks excited when she sees me change shape.

We walk through the empty streets. As we walk the houses look worst and worst till they look little more then wooden structures leaning up against the walls of the city and those supporting other such structures. Lar leads me down a row of these structures many don't even have doors. Lar stops in front of one that has a blanket for a door and enters saying, "Aunty wake up. Come with me. Hurry!"

I hear movement as Lar leads a old women to the door of the shack. As I look at her I realize she is actually young but years have been hard on her and she is very sick. I look at her and say, "Hello I'm Lizeli and am prepared to take you away from here, but first you must agree to being my slave."

The women looks me up and down and says, "Why would a human help us?" Before I can answer Lar says, "She isn't human. She brought my mommy to heaven. She's an angel of death. She even has wings." The women looks me up and down leans against Lar and says, "I'm gonna die anyway so why not sure I'll be your slave Angel of Death for what's it worth." She laughs then pulls out a crystal that has ruins across it from her pocket and puts it up to her mouth saying, "All family members report to my home.

Bring every man, women, and child immediately." In mere minute men and women appear from all directions. Some holding crying babies. Others with kids hiding behind their legs." A young man comes forward and brings a wooden box for the women to sit on. After he helps her sit down she says, "You all know I will soon leave this world." Murmurs fill the area.

She puts up her hand for silence. When all is quiet she continues. Pointing to me she says, "The women you see before you is my Master now. She is Lar's Master as well. I'll be going with her and you are all welcome to come with me if you so desire. I after all have nothing to loss. We are all slaves and this is a chance to leave this town behind." At the end of her speech a murmur starts again.

After a few minutes one voice speaks up, "Who will lead us if you are gone?" The woman says, "It's not up to me. Those who join me will have our Master. Those of you who stay will have to pick a new leader." More murmurs until one young boy steps forward and says, "My name is Suza." He falls to one knee and says, "I will be your slave."

I just watch since I didn't realize what I was getting into. I look around the gathering crowd and see at least a couple hundred Kasca standing around. More step forward after him and pledge there servitude. The crowd is getting bigger and bigger. One young man steps forward and says, "Will you really take us from this town." I nod and say, "Yes!" He smiles and bows saying, "Then I will be your slave as well." With that I watch as hundreds of people fall down to their knees saying, "I will be your slave."

By the time all has settled over 150 people have said they would be my slave. The leader looks up at me and says, this is the northern servants quarters. We may not be slaves but it's close enough." I tell everyone to join hands. They all look at each other in confusion as they follow my orders. Then I say, "From this day forth I am your Master and you are to address me as such or there will be consequences. Remember this was your choice. With that I grab hold of the leader and reach into the bag.

Inside the Bag.

We are in a field outside of town. The new arrives all look around in confusion. The Florensin have food tables ready and there is the doctor under a make shift hospital. Neens is holding the bag. In back of neens I see the sandy bottomed pond with people waiting with towels and soap powder. As well as spunges for cleaning. On the other side of the pond others wait with clothing of all sizes.

I take the bag from Neens and the doctor steps forward saying, "Welcome to the Lost village. I'm doctor Viser. Anyone who needs medical attention can make a line here. Others who just need a bath can line up over there." She points over to the area in front of the pond. "Those who are hungry make a line on this side of the table. Don't worry we have food for everyone."

Most rush over to the food area they all look half starved. As I watch those who went to the doctors tent make room as the leader is led by the same young man as before to the doctor. I watch for a few minutes and once I see everything is under control I head back to the village and into Wizzal's home. I pass through the hallway and into the library. Looking around I hear Wizzal in his lab hard at work. I head into my room and as the barrier goes up I reach into the bag.

Outside the Bag

Those I left behind look confused as they look around for everyone who vanished. When I appear they try to ask me questions. I say nothing as pick up the bag. I grow out my wings and vanish into the night sky.