Horizon's Edge

by TurtleMe

  Everyone is different and that is what makes everyone special in their own ways. Don’t hate someone for something that they can’t change. What if people didn’t like you because you had round ears or because you had beautiful white skin? Or a perky little nose?”

  She proceeded to tickle me in each of the parts she mentioned, leaving me in a fit of giggles.

  My mother was sensible and smart but not in the least bit cold like her appearance sometimes implied. She cared for everyone as people, not as humans, elves, or dwarves. She disciplined my brother and me heavily when it came to any type of discrimination; whether it was social classes or races.

  All of us bolted up from our seats at the sound of the explosions and immediately headed outside. I couldn’t help but cringe, tightening my fists in both frustration and disappointment upon seeing the disastrous scene laid out before us.

  There was a thick cloud of smoke rising from the area near the center of the campus.

  Behind me, I could hear Claire click her tongue as she continued to mutter a string of curses under her breath.

  Half of the recently-constructed building was up in flames, while the other half was crumbling down, collapsing beneath its own weight. There were students evacuating out of the building while some nearby capable staff members and professors were already going into the building to look for those stranded or stuck.

  “I should’ve known they would aim for this building at some point,” Theodore swore aloud as he stomped his foot into the ground.

  We hurriedly made our way to the site.

  This building was named Tri-Union Hall. It served as both a museum and a monument for the alliance between the three races. My mother, who argued heavily to persuade the rest of the Council to erect this building was the happiest when it was first built.

  She had explained to me that it had been built to be both a symbol as well as a place for the three races to learn about the differences in each other’s culture.

  For it to have been a target, my assumption could also only lean towards the same radical group that had been creating a mess these days.

  I strained my eyes, holding my tears back.

  Claire ordered Kai to go alert the rest of the professors and staff. When she ordered Feyrith and I to help the mages who were already there put out the fire before it brought down the whole building, I couldn’t help but notice his expression turning from angry to dejected.

  I almost wanted to apologize, as if it was my fault. Doradrea didn’t seem to take this whole event to heart but I could tell Feyrith wasn’t as emotionally strong. I wanted him to know that not all humans thought like this but somehow the words got caught in my throat. I was never good at expressing my thoughts like my mother... or Arthur.

  While supporting the professors that went inside the collapsing building, I spotted the Student Council, minus the President, making their way towards the scene as well.

  Without even the time to exchange hellos, we all got to work, the water attribute mages helped put out the fire while earth and wind attribute mages kept the building from collapsing. A couple of other student mages were already chanting spells in harmony by the time we got there.

  I didn’t use water attribute spells as frequently after becoming accustomed to using the more powerful ice attribute ones but I was still fairly familiar with the spells because of the affinity they had for each other.

  “EVERYONE, STEP ASIDE!” From behind, a couple of professors were rushing towards us, wands already pulled out.

  After a few moments of mute chanting, one of the professors that taught an upper division magic warfare class, Professor Malkinheim, conjured a thick cloud of mist around the whole building.

  The other professor, one that I didn’t recognize, supported Professor Malkinheim and used the moisture from the mist cloud, which now surrounded the building, to evoke multiple water streams. The size of these two spells from just two professors were more than three times that of the meticulously prepared spells conjured by over ten students.

  Within ten minutes, the monstrous fire was out and other professors were rushing inside while chanting spells which raised support beams made of earth to hold up the crumbling portion of the building.

  As expected of professors… they were on a different level.

  This train of thought led me to be reminded of the time Arthur had completely overwhelmed Professor Geist before taking over his class. Just how strong was Arthur then? What would he do in this situation?

  Shaking my head, I reprimanded myself for thinking of Arthur again. Why did he pop into my mind so often? I needed to stay strong for when he comes back.

  He was going to come back, right?

  I start chanting again when I spot a group of students hastily making their way out of the scene. I thought nothing of it at first until I got a glimpse of the student within the group - It was Charles Ravenpor.

  Even from this distance, I could tell he was nervously darting his eyes around as he made his escape from the scene. When his eyes met mine, he quickly whipped his head around and quickened his pace.

  Before I had the chance to do something, Theodore, who had been helping an injured student, spotted him as well, and without even a word, augmented his body before furiously dashing towards Charles.

  “AAAHHH! Someone help!” Unexpectedly, the group surrounding him did nothing to aid Charles, as he was easily grabbed and picked up by the collar, almost choking; instead they acted frightened.

  Keeping my wand at the ready, I followed behind my brother who was also rushing towards Theodore and Charles.

  “We need to ask you a couple of questions. If you would so kindly cut the crap and come with us,” growled Theodore as he dragged the flailing Charles.

  I usually didn’t condone Theodore’s rash behaviors, but this time - excuse me for these crude thoughts - I was hoping he would be a bit rougher with Charles. A small part of me, a very tiny part, wanted to stoop down to their level and use the same barbaric antics the radical group had to make a statement.

  However, before Theodore had the chance to do anything else, a voice interrupted us.

  “What’s the meaning of this?!” Professor Malkinheim barked as he blocked Theodore’s path.

  Professor Malkinheim was of a scrawny build, with his main features being a balding head and a beak-like nose. You could tell the professor was rather conscious of his lack of hair by how he combed back the hairs growing on his side to try and cover up the bald spot on the top of his head.

  Professor Malkinheim wouldn’t physically be able to hold someone as thickly built as Theodore down, but he had his needle-thin wand pointed directly at Theodore.

  “I should be asking you the same thing, Professor!” Theodore snarled back as Charles, who was helplessly lying on the floor, had a pleading look on his face.

  “I wasn’t aware that the prestigious Disciplinary Committee officers were mere thugs that would try to drag an innocent student away,” Professor Malkinheim reprimands as his wand stayed trained on Theodore.

  “Innocent?! Ha! This brat has been seen multiple times with the radical group you’ve been having such a hard time capturing. It can hardly be anything short of guilt by association. What, are you protecting a criminal right now?” I could tell Theodore was at his last straw as the ground underneath him started crumbling from his gravity infused mana.

  “Eeek! S-someone save me from this brute! I’m innocent! I s-swear!” Charles, who was still on the ground trapped in Theodore’s grasp, started whimpering as the ground underneath him started giving out as well.

  “Theodore, I understand how you feel, but this isn’t the right way to do things. Taking in a student without any evidence besides your word will lead to repercussions from parents and maybe even the Council. Please, we can’t afford to be rash right now.” The voice came from another professor who helped extinguish the flames; she got in between Professor Malkinheim and Theodore, trying to quell the tension.

 
“Professor Genert is right. Theodore, we can’t go out of line right now. Too much is at stake to be reckless. Besides, there are more important things to do than this. We need to make sure that no one had been left inside that building,” Curtis said, his face a mixture of frustration and helplessness.

  *Thud*

  Wordlessly, Theodore threw the quivering Charles Ravenpor back towards his groupies. He gives Professor Malkinheim one last threatening look before walking away.

  Professor Malkinheim just clicked his tongue in response and walked towards the other direction after yelling at the students who were spectating to disperse.

  I shifted my glance towards Charles Ravenpor, who was getting carried away by his friends.

  His disheveled bangs were covering most of his face but I swear… I saw him smile.

  Chapter 80: Meanwhile III

  CYNTHIA GOODSKY’S POV:

  When I reached the clearing the woods, I heard the faint mumbling of chants with my enhanced hearing.

  [Wind Cutter]

  Dozens of nearly-transparent blades of compressed air whizzed towards me at a frightening speed.

  Of course it was only natural that all of these spies would be wind mages.

  I stood still, waiting for the wind blades to reach me before releasing a sound barrier.

  Unscathed, I continued walking while I finished my second spell.

  [Pulse Field]

  *FWOOM*

  The unlucky birds and rodent in the vicinity fell victim and dropped dead from the trees that they were hiding in; along with them, a few unprepared spies also took the brunt and fell from their own hiding places, clutching their ears in agony. I had the location to all of them.

  Before I had the chance to send out another spell, I was forced to dodge a needle that managed to avoid my senses until the last second. Taking a quick look down, I could tell the projectile was coated with poison.

  “Avier, take the ones to my right,” I stated monotonically.

  ‘Aye,’ my bond confirms back through mental transmission.

  Avier descended from the moonlit sky, and before long I could hear the brief groans and howling of the spies that became prey.

  A pity that their screams would never be heard.

  On my side, I had to control myself to keep at least a few of them alive and able so I can get some information out of them.

  In the end, only one managed to survive long enough to be questioned...

  “GAAAAAAAAHHH!” One of the spies that was currently underneath me wailed.

  It was fairly simple to torture him after destroying his mana core. Without magic protecting him, his body were simply too frail. I proceeded to crush his bones from the inside after giving him the chance to answer my questions. He remained unrelenting.

  “Heh! You think I’ll tell anything to a TRAITOR? You made a big mistake. They’re slowly regaining their... former strength. Just from the questions you asked, you assumed this continent had decades left, huh? Pfft! the people of this continent... will have less than ten years before the war begins.” He smirked, spitting the blood congealing inside his mouth at my face.

  My cheeks couldn’t help but cramp at the confirmation of my fears. Pushing down my frustration, I place my hand on the injured spy’s head.

  His voice choking on the blood accumulating in his mouth, he croaked, “Long live the—”

  *Vrrm*

  Liquid brain matter began leaking out from his ears and blood started dripping down from his other orifices as the sound pulse I inflicted on the inside of his skull mashed his brain.

  Dropping the lifeless body on the ground, I let out a sigh. Turning back, I make haste to my next destination, careful to avoid the corpses scattered on the ground.

  “Do you mind cleaning up the mess, Avier?” I said apologetically.

  “Human meat is too stringy for my taste, but I suppose it will have to do for now.” As my bond said this, his owl-like body began to glow before transforming into his wyvern form.

  With only the moonlight illuminating the woods, the sounds of bones being crunched echoed loudly. Avier feasting on yet another batch of spies that came from my homeland.

  I let out a disappointed breath of air from the fruitless night as I wiped the blood off of my face while changing my outer attire. My years on this continent had made me too soft. The apathy that I had once built towards death and torture was gone, replacing it, a sour taste in my mouth from killing just a few brainwashed soldiers.

  But even still… this was too easy…

  Were they just a diversion?

  Avier, who rarely let me ride on his back, carried me off to our next destination. I just hoped that my suspicions weren’t correct.

  ARTHUR LEYWIN’S POV:

  The night before~

  “Do you really have to leave again? You just got here.” My mother heaved a sigh as she looked at me from the other side of the dining table.

  “Brother, you’re going away again? Are you going to almost die again?” my sister asked with a straight face, making her latter question sting all the more. I could tell she was pouting by how her left cheek slightly puffed out more than usual despite her trying to keep a poker face.

  “Eleanor! Don’t say such things to your brother,” my mother chastised as she pinched my sister’s cheek.

  “Arthur, I consider you grown up now. I know that your decisions were made in consideration of your family. Father supports your decision to go... since it’s for the sake of your love,” my father affirmed as he gave me a thumbs up, the edges of his lips curling upward.

  “Oh God, Dad, please stop,” I groaned at the misunderstanding of being taken as some kind of hormone-induced pubescent that had just been caught having a girlfriend.

  “Hehe!” A giggle escaped from my mother’s lips. Despite her efforts to try and quickly cover her mouth and resume a serious face, it was already too late.

  I could feel my face burning so I just looked down, shaking my head, unsure of which was worse: my parents worrying about me, or them teasing me like this.

  Meanwhile, Elijah was quietly sitting next to me, wide-eyed, sucking his lips in to make sure he didn’t laugh as well; his expression seemed to be saying, ‘I’m not doing anything wrong. Nope!’ making me sigh all the harder.

  “Kyu!” ‘Papa will be fine! I’m going to protect him this time!’ Sylvie hopped up and down on top of the table.

  “It’s only going to take a couple of days, and I’ll be with Grandpa Virion; besides, next week is the Aurora Constellate, so I’ll be back home for a while. Like I said in the beginning, this matter is serious,” I tried convincing my parents who were already lost in their own imaginations.

  “Well we can’t keep babying you forever; you are growing up I guess, in more ways than one. Just remember that it’s better to take things slow, Art. Though, I’m sure you’ll at least do better than your father,” my mother mused as she looked helplessly at my father who got caught off guard by this surprise attack.

  My father, who had been doing his best in both his duty as a guard instructor and in his training, looked like he was just stabbed as the teasing comments pierced through his body.

  I couldn’t help but give them a wry smile before looking at Elijah.

  “Don’t worry, I’ll let everyone know that you’re still alive and coming back soon,” Elijah responded as he put his hand on my shoulder while giving me a rather dubious thumbs up.

  “I will be back soon,” I reiterated while letting out a doubtful breath.

  I stood up, giving each of them a final hug, which had become a sort of customary thing to do in our family. Sylvie, who was caught in my sister’s grasp, struggled to break free.

  Taking a quick glance at both my mother and sister, I made sure they still had the Phoenix Wyrm necklace on them just in case.

  Seeing the white-gold chain twinkle around their necks, I said one last goodbye to all of them and go into the carriage waiting for me outside, Sylvie scamp
ering behind me.

  Inside the well-suspended carriage pulled by a large horse, I began fiddling with the gold-speckled orb, trying to glean what exactly it was.

  Every time I tried imbuing mana into the orb though, there wasn’t any sort of response or reaction, almost as if it was just what it appeared to be… a marble.

  Clicking my tongue in frustration, I put the orb back inside my ring. The ride to the teleportation gate would most likely be the only time I would have to get some sleep so I tried to make the most of it.

  It is necessary King Grey...

  It is of utmost importance to bring stability to our country...

  To show the people of our country, YOUR country, that you are their King and that you fight for us, it is necessary to kill her...

  Kill her, King Grey, so that the world will know not to trifle with your country…

  Kill her...

  *GASP*

  I shot up from the carriage seat. The sound of my heart pounding hammered all the way up to my head, and I felt the cold air which leaked inside the carriage against my sweat-filled forehead. It took me a bit to realize that I had just been dreaming. Sinking back down onto my seat, I wiped the cold sweat off my brows as Sylvie, who must’ve fallen off of me when I woke up, jumped back onto my lap with a worried gaze.

  As I squeezed my eyes shut, hoping that would help me get rid of the disturbing memory that I had forgotten for a while, I felt Sylvie’s rough tongue on the back of my hand.

  “It’s okay, Sylv. I’m fine,” I assured to her while petting her ears.

  Why did that memory have to come up now…

  Unable to fall back asleep, I talked to Sylvie to pass the time. It started from small conversations about her time when she was training by herself to teaching her about the various objects and scenery we passed by during the remaining duration of the carriage ride. Throughout the months, Sylvie’s mental growth had been rapidly increasing. Her knowledge and maturity had long passed a human of her age.

  I wished at times that there would be more opportunities to train with my bond. Having seen Curtis and his World Lion in duels, I could tell that they spent numerous hours training together.