Tales From Aurialis

What lurks within-Chapter7

The room was starting to get unbearable. Catherine Du Villa, the head of the Magi Department, had been reviewing the paperwork of her students. Usually she enjoyed being able to rife through documents that the clans would consider guarded secrets. Doing this all morning and only reading about the average performing students made the task quite a bore. Opening a window might have given some reprieve from the stagnant air but a gale would come in and blow all her papers into a mess.

There was also the matter of Dion Belfora, she had insisted Catherine accompany her to the town of Bransid. It was an village that seemed to come out of nowhere. Shops lined the store and it was claimed to be one of the safest places around. Catherine through her research however found that the town was somehow linked to Shadow Cleft. It was only natural for order to come from chaos and vice versa but Catherine did not trust things she did not completely know and the connection between a small smugglers junction and a shining beacon bothered her a bit.

As a page slid into the approved pile, a sudden burst of energy could be felt through the school. The general students could not sense this but the teacher especially the Magi department had to be on constant guard. Catherine closed her eyes and teleported as close to the source as she safely could.

-some time before-

Matilda Valkyr did not notice at first when boy came stumbling into class late slightly smelling of eggs. Students come late to class all time. Why should she be concerned on this average day about a sub average student who liked to play the fool just for the admiration of his classmates.

It was in this class that Malik was nursing his wounds. His grand show had ended in him crying himself into a stupor after fleeing to the interior hall. There was no one to see or hear him whimper like a sick puppy so he let it all pour out. For the first-time since skipping his dosage, He wished he had the medicine to help dull this pain. He had felt joy and anger, but this was the first time he ever had to endure misery. It did not have the bite or energy of anger. It seemed like blanket that stifled all his ambitions. It had no energy or force. A vast ocean in which he could lose his will, strength and ambitions.

Habit eventually forced him to his feet. He was already going to be late for his next class, no sense in missing class over this. It would only make his situation worse. Lost in his own self pity, he had forgotten about the egg yolk and water on his robes. The slight squish sound and damp feeling were the only things that even hinted at it. He felt cold, not from the water but from somewhere in his soul. He did not enjoy this feeling and if it would keep this state away, he vowed to never miss his medicine again.

"looks like the servs got one over on you" The cry came from an obnoxious boy sitting on the court yard bench. He was surrounded by a flock of girls who joined in the mocking. Malik did not care. Not due to natural indifference but in his current mood nothing mattered to him but his own sadness. He tried to use the tactics taught in his training. His mind flashed to sleeping home in his bed. The feeling he got when his instructor congratulated him, but nothing seemed to chase the sadness.

As he passed the threshold, he felt a warmth in his hearts. The teacher, notoriously lax, failed to even greet the late coming student as he took a place against the wall. The class was organized in a cul de sac shape to allowed all the students to properly see when a demonstration was made. The students were all feverishly taking notes. They did not even look up as he brought the smell of eggs and water in with him. This was the spark that landed on the tinder of his heart, that asshole in the court could notice him but no one here even cares enough to look up. They could all laugh together at what had happened to him but was he so un important that he did not even warrant their mockery. It was hatred once again boiling his blood. Joy aside, he felt this was his favourite emotion. It made him feel strong feel like he could do anything. The cold damp suffocating depression fled from this hot anger as a torrent down a steep hill.