The sky was clear and blue, lacking all the clouds of that night. The sun beamed in its splendour and the Victorian train station was as busy as always. People who hadn’t the slightest clue that their life was at state a few nights before wandered around creating a cacophony on their way.
The train horn echoed, and white smoke was released from on top. People coming in and out of the compartment. Vendors shouted in their sales pitch, trying to sell their articles to the passengers.
On the first-class compartment, Althan sat comfortably alone, lacking all the groves and swag he came with his minion. He looked around now and then as if sneaking out, hiding something under his skin.
Then someone popped out beside him out of nowhere and Althan’s eyes widened as he leapt up in horror.
Oh, you must be wondering who’s the person that could make Althan react like this. Well, it was exactly, your friendly neighbourhood trynabe wizard: Me.
“My man, Althan,” I said with a big smile on my lips. “Where were you leaving so soon?”
“Oscar!” Althan’s voice shuddered, and he bit his lips. Then he threw away the horror and an angry scowl appeared on his face, because it's always better to be angry than fearful. “What are you doing here?”
I tilted my head at him, growling at him. I thought for a second, raised my right arm and slapped him right on his cheek. The slap was strong enough to leave five red finger marks on his cheek and the boy even creased on the seat like how trained dogs do after a strong berate.
“You? You? YOU?” Althan stuttered, clasping his red cheek with his palm.
“Yes, me,” I said, showing the palm again, leaning forward. “Me. ME.”
Althan moaned like a little girl. He became so impassive from my eyes and how threatening I looked, he ceased into the seat as if trying to disappear into them.
I controlled my rage, in case my newfound abilities wandered out of me. As I mentioned earlier, trynabe magus.
Althan was silent, but not the other passengers. They started making cacophony, gossiping about what they had just seen. I halted for a moment and brought out a badge out of my suit to show it to them. I didn’t wait for them to see it clearly, but only enough for them to see the frame of Starlight academy.
“Sorry for the disturbance, ladies,” I said with a faint apology. “Official business going on here.”
The crowd silenced, though they didn’t stop staring or peeking at us. I still heard gigles of a couple of girls. I wish it doesn't look like two handsome dudes having a lover's quarrel in public. My stomach lurched. I guess that’s enough. I slumped down to the seat next to Althan, giving a grin to Althan.
“Why are you leaving before the official investigation hasn't finished yet?” I asked, the grin vanishing as a coldness returned to my eyes.
“I . . . I will . . .”
I guessed he wanted to say he will do whatever he wants to do. That’s the main problem here. I found a sheer surge of anger inside me. I wanted to thrash him again. Should I take him to an empty alleyway and beat the crap out of him? I wanted to do exactly that, ignoring how much he tortured me. He ignored proper protocol and trespassed on the mountain with the other kids.
Result: Half of his underlings died, the other half-crippled and heavily injured, and one missing—the reason I’m here.
I let out a breath and gritted my teeth. “You have any idea where Harth is, do you?” I asked.
Althan shook his head instantly. “I don’t know,” he said. “I don’t know. I didn’t want to do anything to you. It's his idea, it's his fault. Please don’t beat me, I . . .”
“You didn’t have the slightest clue of what you did, did you?” I snarled at him. I shook him by the collar and dragged him out of the compartment.
“What? What are you doing?” Althan shouted. “You can’t do this. Bastard, you can’t do this. I’m a prince, for Ishar’s sake. God damn it, Oscar. My father won’t let you do this.”
“Aye, aye, your highness,” I answered with clear mocking in my tone.
Althan continued to shout as I dragged him out of the station. “You will go nowhere before the investigation finishes, will you, your highness?”
“It wasn’t me,” Althan almost wept as he shouted, “it's Harth. It's all his plan. He tranced me to beat you up. He planned everything. He took advantage of the hatred I had for you and . . . and did all this.”
I frowned at what Althan says seemed quite agreeable, but I don’t follow that it was all Harth’s plan. It seemed too convenient. One evil wizard compelled one of the good prince’s minions to do evil and coerce the good prince to beat me up. I’ll eat a rat's tail before I believe it.
Yes, there might be coercion and truth in Althan’s statement, but that’s as much true as free will. God giveth free will and mortal coerce that free will to do evil.
Well, Althan couldn’t be considered as evil, at least not now. I think I know the right word for him: Stupid. I know another stupid person—Rojar Iker—but he wasn't just stupid, but he was evil. That foolish man! He thought about duping the caged God and taking the power for himself. It was meant to fail the moment he planned it.
Mortals simply cannot control a storm, a force of nature.
"Well, God may help us purge evil, but there’s no cure for stupidity." I hope not to be one in the coming stormy days.
_ _ _
As the Moons weaken the closed gates, draw the territory/prize (dominion) concealed under light. Shatter it if pleases, but beware of breaking and giving in to Him.
— Except from the notes of the Promised one.
Translated by Amara Sholinar, Order of the Magi, Monarch.
End of the Volume.
_____________________
Heyo fellas, the volume finally ended after so many days, contributing to my crippling laziness and anxiety.
So far, I'm content with what I wrote, though improvement can be made. Oh holy hell, blasted heroes, a lot of improvement can be made. There were some descriptions, improvements in dialogues, in some showing and characterisation. Maybe when I release the book as Ebook, yeah perhaps.
That would seriously take time, nor do I have any intention of doing it until this series continues further. Anyway, thanks to all the readership.
Here's something interesting I wanted to do, I'll ask two questions and you guys can answer them in the comment, and after a week or two we'll get the answer.
Q.1: Who's or are your favourite characters in this volume?
My answer is, of course, Aaron (well, he's the mc for all that matters), and William (He didn't have much part, but I think he owns whenever he comes to pages.).
Q.2: Your favourite or most memorable scene of this volume.
For me, hmm, when Oscar draws the sword in Young Flame. (Beating the reindeer bare-handed inside the rift had promised too, but I think It didn't work that well.)
Anyway, goodnight.
Read 𝓁at𝙚st chapters at (f)re𝒆we(b)novel.com Only