Game Over

Chapter Nine [An Anomaly]

Never in his short life, 19 years to be exact, had he been this afraid of a human being. Oh dear Notch, what had he done to earn the wrath of this frightening--

"Stay focused!" Seto's staff came crashing down on Adam's head, he howled in pain and whimpered, "The greatest way to gain the focus you need to quit being a nuisance is through potion making! If you do not focus, it may very well blow up in your face!"

Smoke exploded into Adam's face, queuing the explosion that Seto was talking about. He coughed and fanned the smoke away, at least this one didn't spit fire.

"Try it again! It isn't hard to make a splash potion of weakness, I've even written the steps down nicely for you!"

"But, Seto, it's hard! And I'm not even a sorcerer like you," Adam whined in despair.

"For the last time, anyone can make potions, it's actual magic and enchanting that will kill anyone less than a magic using OP," Seto huffed in agitation, "Now, again!" His staff hit Adam once more. And Adam howled in pain once more.

Now, this was only one of the things Seto made him do. The other was studying. And here Adam thought he'd finished school since graduating his Tier 1 class. But that fact mattered not to Seto.

Seto had floated several large towering stacks of books into Adam's empty side room. And Adam was required to read all designated pages and chapters to which afterwards he would be quizzed on the knowledge. This, Seto said was training him to be less of a dimwitted fool. Of course Seto was one of the smartest men alive, so he probably called many people a fool.

Reminds me of a time not long after Seto's father was killed when the young boy was given an audience with the king. Since his mother was also a magic user, and Seto was slated to be the next one to replace his mother. It was during this time that Seto had called the king a 'dimwitted fool'. Imagine the look of shock on the king's face at the time, it was one of the funnier moments that I wrote into the Etoriis. It always makes me chuckle.

Now since Adam's torturous tasks aren't really all that interesting, nor important. I thought maybe you dear listeners would like something else to hear. I realize you really don't know much of this world, the history of Etoriis, how Rekrium came to be cursed and the reasons for their curse. You hardly know anything of the secrets the AHD hold, the pain my dear children bear.

Ah! Unfortunately I can't really tell you much, I know telling would ruin the fun. But perhaps I can let slip of a mysterious gift.

Only OP's should be able to possess magic. Magic is a force that steals life if attempted by any Rank less than an OP, not to mention the ability to use it must be in the OP. For example, Tyler is just a regular OP with no ability for magic. And there are even more complications that come with magic.

Take Seto's staff for example, in the crook of its top it carries the pieces of gems the color of ice. Magic that steals the life of weaker souls must also be channeled through a gem that best represents their character.

In Seto's case, a diamond represents that which is precious frozen in ice, waiting, waiting, for the coming of a spring to thaw its heart. Seems a bit harsh, but the poor guy doesn't really have much of a working heart.

But with all this talk of being an OP, possessing the ability, and a gem to channel that ability, what if I said their was an Exception.

The rank of an Exception varies, from the OP-Player (Seto), to the Player-Mob (Ross & Barney). But there is more. What if I said that there was the possibility of a being that shouldn't posses magic, but does anyways.

A direct line of my descendants from a kingdom lost from human history, possessing uԍppiqɹoℲ ɔiɓɒW. Magic which should never fall to human hands, as decreed by the Gods. Unless they are of my direct descent--