A Curse

Lander stared at Young Master Brokko who was still on the ground trembling with terror, "You acted so high and mighty but never realized that I won the competition yesterday without magic. I wonder whether you are dumb or you are just stupid."

Slowly moving towards Young Master Brokko, Lander gave an impression of a mighty emperor to some onlookers. They never thought that an outcast would survive those lightnings and some women around were even captivated by him, "If only he was not an outcast."

On the other hand, Young Master Brokko trembled with fear when he noticed Lander slowly moving towards him. His ally's death was due to this man and he was scared that Lander would touch him again, "No... No.. No! Stop! Wha.... Wha.. What... are you doing?"

"Well, I will only touch your handsome face," Lander spoke casually.

"No... No... No! Please! No!" Young Master Brokko begged.

"Then tell me why are outcasts not eligible to make magic? What are the consequences if they can perform magic?" Lander asked full of authority.

Lander doesn't want another death. He never intended to kill those people but then he thought that his tattoo, or being an outcast was death itself. And he planned to stop this madness.

He had killed someone back on Earth but that was because of self-defense. He was a brutal person when it comes to fighting but was not a murderer, never intended to kill his opponent but he would cripple them. He promised himself not to kill anyone again after having killed someone back on Earth unintentionally.

This time, his hands were stained with blood again which he never intended to do. Still, just like how he managed to survive on the streets, he hardened his feelings as he continued moving towards Young Master Brokko.

Lander stopped a few inches from Young Master Brokko, "Are you going to tell me?"

With a hoarse voice, Young Master Brokko answered his query, "I ... I only know a little things about it which they told us in the academy. An entity cast a curse on those people who hunted a golden lamb. After they killed the golden lamb, all those people woke up with tattoos on their bodies the next morning."

Young Master Brokko also told him that those people were a group of commoners and some had attained great achievements but when they tried casting magic, the thunders roared and lightning struck their bodies. Out of fear, other magic users tried to annihilate them, but those people retaliated and were able to touch those who wanted to annihilate them. The next thing they knew, they were also struck with lightning when they cast magic.

Then a prophet told people that it was a curse given by an entity to be passed to people by touching them. Those who were touched could only remove the curse by bathing with a Blessed Water. And those who won't bathe will certainly get their tattoo after several days. Also, the offspring of these people will surely inherit the curse.

'Why would an entity curse people when hunting a golden lamb? Is this golden lamb very precious just because it is golden? This is ridiculous!' Lander thought to himself. He couldn't believe this nonsense, a curse to outcast the people? He also believed that there might be another story behind it.

"So what is this entity that cursed those people?" Lander asked with interest.

"I have no idea," Yang Master Brokko answered lowering his head.

"Is there any information you can give me? Like how to break the curse?" Lander continued asking with narrowed eyes.

"The curse can never be broken!" Young Master Brokko answered.

Lander can't get enough information so he shakes his head as he ponders for a while.

"Then what is this academy you're talking about?" Lander asked with curiosity.

"It is a place where students gather to learn magic. Outcasts are forbidden to enter." Young Master Brokko said with fear.

Lander stood there pondering, 'How could I enter the academy if outcasts are forbidden to enter? No! I refuse, but I will still try to enroll. As they said, there are rules bound to be broken.'

Seeing Lander standing in front of him unmoving, Young Master Brokko gathered all his strength and ran away decisively without even turning his head back.

Lander noticed him but he was about to stop him when he decided not to, "Alas! I was about to ask him the location of the academy but he ran so fast. I can still catch up to him but naaaaah! Nevermind!"

Lander was about to go when he noticed several bystanders still looking at him, "Hey guys, would you mind telling me where is the academy that Young Master was talking about?"

People lowered their heads avoiding Lander's gaze. These people were just commoners and afraid that they might provoke him. A young innocent boy looked at him, "It is located at the Wyvern Capital."

Lander looked at the young boy and smiled, then he tossed a bronze coin in front of the boy and left. He now had a destination but before leaving he meandered the streets of Sunny Village looking for books about taming so he could at least know how to train Grey.

After walking for half a day, Lander wasn't able to buy the book he wanted. But one vendor selling books told him that he could buy books about taming in the Wyvern Capital.

So his next destination would be the Wyvern Capital, but before he goes there he decided to spend a week at the cave where they were staying to train Yan Yan.

As he was on his way back to the cave, Lander noticed a feeble elderly man walking slowly. He noticed this elderly man had a tattoo on his forehead. He was shocked as this was the first time he saw another outcast in this village.

The elderly man also noticed Lander gazing at him then he saw the outcast tattoo on the back of his palm so he went towards him, "Young man, could you give me some food please?"

"Sure Elder! But after that, you should answer my question," Lander said hoping he could get more information from this elderly man about the outcast identity.

"I don't mind," The elderly man said feebly.

Lander then accompanied the elderly man to one of the stalls buying fruits and food for him. The elderly man was shocked when he witnessed Lander forking out a couple of bronze coins. A bronze coin is already a fortune for the outcasts but he was able to acquire more than five. He was wondering where and how Lander earned that much. He was about to inquire when he smelled the aroma of food. After filling his tummy, the elderly man looked at Lander, "This is not a good place for us to talk. Let's go somewhere else.

Then the elderly man led Lander out of Sunny Village. After walking for twenty minutes, they arrived at a similar village not too far from Sunny Village. Lander was shocked as he noticed that this small village was the home of outcasts. He saw people with the outcast's tattoo on their arm, some had it on their belly, others had it on their cheeks, some had it on their palms and also some had it on their legs.

He never imagined that there was a small village intended for the outcasts. "Elder, how come there is a village for the outcasts?"

The elderly man squinted his eyes as he looked at Lander, "Young man, how come you didn't know this?"

"Please forgive my ignorance as this was the only time I have traveled and wandered around ever since I was born in this world. I was raised by a monk in the mountains not far from here, unfortunately, my master became ill and passed away several days ago. Being left alone, I decided to travel thus I came here with a limited knowledge of our world," Lander lied while acting ignorantly.

Upon hearing Lander, the elderly man was shocked, "You were raised by a monk?"

"Right!" Lander replied nonchalantly.

"How come a monk raised you?" The elderly man's curiosity dawned on him. He was just like Great Baron Bobby who never imagined that an outcast would be raised by a monk. He knew the rules of the monks, "To live in peace via secluded art."

"I didn't know my story before I was brought to this world," Lander shrugged.

The elderly man wanted to ask more but seeing Lander's actions and reaction. He just shook his head and stopped asking. He just led Lanter into an old tattered wooden house, "Please forgive my simple house."

Lander didn't reply and just smiled.

Upon entering, Lander was amazed because the inside was very simple, and neat yet grand. Then he was led into the sala as the two of them took a seat before the elderly man asked Lander, "So what information you want?"

Lander didn't say a thing as he just pointed at the tattoo on the back of his palm.

"I see," then the elderly man stood up and went inside one of the rooms. After a while, he came out carrying a rectangular box wrapped in a cloth. Opening the box, the elderly man blew off the dust covering a thick book. Then he passed the book to Lander.

Holding the book, Lander saw the title: Origin, and below the title was the word Outcast. Instead of opening it, Lander took out a silver coin and placed it on a table as he looked at the elderly man, "Can I buy this book?"

Lander was worried about Yan Yan and Grey so he wanted to go back to the cave immediately.

"You can take your silver coin and you can have that book. It's yours," The elderly man answered full of smiles.

Lander stood up, thanked the elderly man, and just strode out of the house rushingly holding the book. He didn't even take his silver coin. He wanted to ask the elderly about the village but he was in a rush to go back. Anyway, he already knew the place so he could go back whenever he had the time.

Before going back to the cave, Lander went back to Sunny Village to buy food for Yan Yan and Grey as he knew that they would already be hungry. He has no time to cook food for them so he decides to buy cooked food.

Upon arriving, Lander saw Yan Yan still doing the exercises he instructed her to do while Grey was still playing with the soccer ball. Her face was full of beads of sweat as she huffed and puffed, "Has this girl even rested?"

"Yan Yan, Grey! Stop what you guys are doing and let's have lunch," Lander called them as he made his way towards them.

The two happily approached him full of smiles. Then they had a decent lunch. Decent because the foods that Lander bought were not of quality.

After their lunch, Lander told Yan Yan to stop her training and let her body rest so she wouldn't have a sore body the next day. Then Lander went beside a tree and sat opening the book as he started reading.

Meanwhile, Young Master Brokko went home pale because of fright. He was scared witless upon witnessing the cruelty of being an outcast. But deep down in his heart was a resentment against Lander, "Vengeance will be mine!"

Young Master Brokko as he was headed home, was met by a maid, "Young Master, a messenger from Wyvern Academy came this morning with a letter intended for you."

After he calmed down from the recent events he experienced, he adjusted himself, "Oh? Why didn't the messenger wait for my arrival?"

The young maid who was an outcast bowed down, "Young Master, you just have to read the letter and you will know the reason according to the messenger."

Young Master Brokko was dismayed. Then he slapped the maid just to vent his dismay. He was an outstanding student of Wyvern Academy but they treated him as nobody. Then the maid who was holding her cheeks passed him the letter bowing.

After receiving the letter, this Young Master remembered Lander so he beat up the maid to vent his anger. A powerless young girl became the punching bag of this man who wasn't even at fault.

Not being contented, Young Master Brokko sneered, "After I read this letter, you should go to my father's room and steal his Blessed Water, and after that go to my room! I will be having my way with you or else death will be your end!"

The young maid, despite being beaten and hurt, respectfully bowed down and kowtowed, "Young Master, I dare not touch the Lord's belongings."

Young Master Brokko who was displeased beat up the maid and forcefully made his way into her body until she was unconscious.

After having his pleasure, Young Master Brokko sat down and read the letter. While he was reading, his expression turned from smiles to seriousness then to nervousness until he was agitated.

The letter contained that all the academies in the Dragon Continent will be having the centennial celebration of the founding of the different academies: Wyvern, Wyrm, Drake, and Amphiptere Academies respectively. This made the Young Master Brokko smile as he knew that this centennial celebration would be a competition.

Seriousness loomed over him knowing that the Drake and Amphiptere Academies had great talents and he should be preparing for them. As for the Wyrm Academy? He didn't need to prepare for them because he fully knew that the students there were just a bunch of commoners who got lucky in attaining magic.

He also became nervous when he learned that only five spots could join the competition. He was nervous because the three beauties would surely get the three spots, and as for the two? Four students would be competing for it including him.

What made him agitated was that the son of Earl will be marrying the top beauty amongst the three so they gave him the fourth spot. And only one spot left for this Young Master to vie for the position.

**

Ranking (Lowest to Highest):

Outcasts

Commoners

Soldiers:

1. Cadets

2. Squire

3. Knight

4. Lord

Nobles:

1. Baron/Baronnes

2. Viscount/Viscountess

3. Earl

Royals:

1. Duke

2. King

3. Emperor

Legends