Rupture

They were two days away from the western sea market when it happened

He and Alice had taken to their lives within the larger wagon of the Slave baroness, growing stronger due to the reduced malnutrition and becoming more energetic. While his wings were still tied he was able to walk around their cell, having left their cage for a larger living space.

He spent his time conversing with Alice and exercising by pacing his cell, something that likely annoyed his new captor, but she was far kinder than Harry and jack and allowed him time to stretch before eventually threatening to tie him up if he didn't stop with the noise.

Surprisingly, however, Alice had confided in the woman about her mana, although it was under contract that he and her would-be sold together. This proved fruitful as it resulted in treatment better than the other slaves and an extra benefits

"A slave with magic is like a prized stallion, the better its condition, the better it sells for" the baroness had told them as she gave them an extra serving of food each night. However far more valuable than this were the few objects that the woman had handed Alice upon learning of her gift

Spell tomes, Alice had called them

Supposedly magic was something that existed within all things, animate and inanimate. It was a form of highly manipulatable energy that combined with the right focus, words and imaging could influence the world around them

Lowering or heightening temperature, affecting natural forces and in this case, energizing the body cell, tissue, and bone growth, causing it to repair at a faster rate

Healing magic, that was what the tomes explained, although according to Alice it was rudimentary at best

She had spent the last few hours, going over one spell, in particular, reading its name and instructions that allowed

"Minor heal" she read "this novice level spell, stimulates the body to heal at a pace that small injuries, diseases, and curses can be cured in seconds. Provided one has the aptitude, focus your mana within the heart, shoulders, arms, and finally fingers before inserting it into the wound you wish to heal"

"Seems simple enough" He squeaked to her, laying his head upon her lap, before raising a clawed hand "give me a quick cut and test it out"

"WHAT?" Alice squeaked, flinching hard enough that he felt his eyes wobble in their sockets in her lap "b-b-but!"

"No buts" he responded seriously "the more practice we get the better you get and the more likely you can help in a dire situation" he recited, pausing before saying "it's not like the baroness is going to let you practice on her"

For a moment Alice simply sat there, gently patting his head before letting out a sigh and slowly pulling out the knife she had been hiding in her shirt these past few days, she had nicked it off one of the guards while they carried them out of the auction room

"Alright… but only a little cut"

It wasn't the cut that had gone terribly wrong, it was small and barely noticeable, as if it were a simple line in his skin, amongst the man. What had gone wrong was the magic itself. He watched the glow of Alice's arm get brighter before moving towards his arm, confirming his prior theory that what he was seeing was indeed mana. it finally entered his skin, just the tiniest amount, like a spark in a fire which he had actually seen finally when he saw the baroness use a fire spell.

And the second it hit…

Pain… pain the likes he had never felt before

All the pain he had felt since birth, the muscle he had torn and claws he had broken when he ripped himself out of his mother's stomach, and the once he had torn during his travels through the cave and fetid grove felt like air on his skin in comparison

His skin on his hand, blistered, then burned, then healed, and finally began to crumble like dust, cracked formed in his skin, causing him to elevate his already piercing screams and Alices crying. The skin turned from his usual dark grey to black with white cracks and finally fell away, shattering on the floor as it severed from his wrist with a small explosion

But even then the pain didn't stop

Black inky lines crept up his arms from the severed limb, he collapsed on the ground, still screaming, barely noticing the wails of Alice or the shouting of the Baroness who had arrived in the cell. He still, at this moment clutched the eye he had found in the grove to his chest, near crushing it in his pain

Even in his blindness, he could see the cracks forming upon his body, its slight glow, caused by the small amount of mana he had taken in, growing brighter and brighter, symbols carving into it, and voices flooding his ears

"No accursed may live"

"No accursed may be reborn"

"No accursed may thrive"

"And no accursed my be pure"

These four lines, boomed in his head over and over, warping and overlapping, over and over. Until a new voice appeared

"It's having a mana rupture!" the baroness shouted, he felt himself be lifted and moved before suddenly the feeling of falling swept across him before the solid ground punched out the little air he had yet to scream "GO, GO GO!

He heard the sound of horses, screaming and the wagon clattering, amongst the tolls of the voices in his head, the light still growing in him, growing to a degree that it brought him pain to see, forcing him to close his eyes

He heard Alice screaming, sobbing, and cursing but her desperate voice grew fainter and fainter

And the voices grew louder and louder

The symbols carved deeper

The light grew brighter

And he felt his heart stop before he exploded