by Cloe D Frost
“She has been rudely staring at you for days!”
How do you know that? Have you been stalking me again? - was what he wanted to ask. Instead, he kept this play of politeness and dignity. “Really? I haven’t noticed!”
Kiel knew she had been staring at him a lot. It was impossible not to notice, but he had been staring at her just as much.
Kiel knew what Piala was implying without her voicing it out loud. Nonetheless, he didn’t agree with her view. He was used to all kinds of stares - admiration, desire, greed, jealousy or despise. However, he did not recognize the stare that girl directed his way.
“She has been stalking you for the whole week! You should report that creepy elibu to peacekeepers and have her arrested!” Piala shared her great ‘wisdom’.
As opposed to you, who has been stalking me for years. - Kiel snorted inside his head. – I’d take her over you any day!
Instead of saying what he honestly thought, he hid once again behind his lovely smile and flawless lies, pretending to be someone else: “We mustn’t be quick to judge. She might have a good motive for coming here each day.” He reasoned with a soft understanding smile.
Though the calculating, selfish monster concealed behind his cold eyes would never say it in such a way, this time, his words weren’t all a big lie. Piala clasped her hands and looked at him with admiration.
“As expected from Kiel! You are always so understanding and gentle!”
Kiel barely managed to mask his bitter smile.
Yes, that’s what is expected of him. To be picture-perfect. No one was to know the real him. To everyone, he was a well-mannered son of the influential and prosperous family of mages from the noble bloodline. A person who everyone liked, a person who had many friends.
The sad truth was that while many might have considered themselves his friends, there were none he considered as friends. It wasn’t just because everyone had an ulterior motive for befriending him. It wouldn’t have mattered even if their intentions were pure because Kiel didn’t like people. People were selfish, noisy, tiring and complicated. Kiel found the most joy in quiet solitude.
Understanding and gentle! What a joke! – Kiel thought.
He imagined twisting Piala’s scrawny little neck. He hated her. He despised pretending to be such a person. And yet, all he ever did was bury that hate deep down and smile his signature smile:
“You flatter me, Piala. Take care. I must continue my work.”
Piala giggled and waved. “See you later! You are welcome to stop by anytime!”
He nodded and waved back in a friendly manner, knowing inside that he would never, ever, take her up on that offer. He straddled his dragon and high-tailed it out of there as fast as he could without revealing that he didn’t want to stay there a second longer than he needed to.
He could feel Piala’s eyes checking out his behind. He never looked back.
* * *
In the middle of the canyon, surrounded by rocks, a mesmerizing female sat motionlessly like a statue. The only part of her that showed that she was not a flawless sculpture were fingers of her left hand, they seemed to be playing with a strange crystal.
She was twisting the crystal and passing it from finger to finger. The crystal seemed to be a different color each time one looked at it. It was an interesting object. However, her enchanting eyes weren’t focused on the crystal, they were focused on someone or something far away. She didn’t seem to mind the distance at all.
Inside, her excitement bubbled until it finally showed on her face in the form of a smile. No one was close enough to be able to see that smile, which was a good thing, for the beauty of that smile could cause the earth and the sky to rumble, flowers to wither in shame and the sun to shy away.
“What is it?” - she murmured. “Are you asking me to come closer or are you telling me to stay away?”
She didn’t stop to ponder, nor did the smile leave her face. “Call of life or call of death, it matters not. Those that are not truly alive need not fear death.”
* * *
The sun had already started coming down when Kiel was done with his work.
He breathed in the fresh evening air, basking in the soft pink and red light of the sunset. Kiel looked up at the bright white moon high in the sky, the smaller of the two moons circling Halnea was also hovering on the horizon, crescent and glowing orange.
What should I do now? - Kiel wondered.
There was no place he wanted to be. There was no one he wanted to see.
He instinctively looked up to the cliffs.
She was gone.
The elibu girl was no longer sitting on the cliff! Kiel searched the horizon for her silhouette, but he couldn’t find her.
What’s going on? She never leaves before the sun sets! Did the summer heat finally get to her? When did she leave?
He exhaled and quieted his thoughts. - It is none of my business what she does. I don’t care if she falls down the cliff and dies.
He walked towards the deciduous forest to the west of Beyd, thinking of taking a long way through it to the Rroda mansion like he always did. Although the woods were not dense enough to completely shield him from view, at least the wildlife was not abundant in the proximity of Beyd, so it still provided him with peaceful seclusion. And since the trees were about twenty meters high with sturdy branches, he could avoid monotony by switching between walking and jumping from branch to branch.
The rustling of dark green leaves in the soft breeze relaxed him. With each breath, he could smell wood and dried leaves, it was a melancholic and refreshing scent. He strolled, dragging his feet, while enjoying the silence and solitude of the forest.
Night had already fallen by the time he came close to the other side of the woods. It’s not like someone was waiting for him back home, or that he really wanted to go back there. Therefore, it’s no wonder he took his time.
Suddenly, he felt a presence - an aura, foreign mana. His eyes widened. It appeared out of nowhere. He wouldn’t be careless enough not to notice it before, which means that the person had concealed their presence intentionally.
The body of every living thing constantly let out mana, which created a unique aura. Like breathing let out hot air – mana was the breath of life. Most living creatures had the ability to sense foreign mana, detecting the presence of other beings in their proximity. It was difficult to sneak up on a creature with an acute mana sense.
To combat that perception, predatory creatures had come up with a technique to conceal their presence. To prevent their mana from being detected, it had to be hidden behind a carefully crafted barrier.
For creatures with slow mana flow, it was easier to control the mana leaving the body, keeping it just under the barrier. Controlling the movement of a few mana drops was simple. However, the technique became exponentially more difficult with the increase of mana flow turning extremely hard extremely fast.
For most mages, hiding the presence was a formidable skill that required a precise and proficient mana control.
Kiel remembered the time his father took him hunting many years ago. He ordered him to capture a small dragon and left him alone in the forest.
Dragons had keen senses (they were predators that relied on hunting other creatures), so they could pick up mana from hundreds of meters away. The direction of wind had little influence on mana since mana had no physical form, it was pure energy. (Though, he had to watch for the wind too because even if he hid his presence, it would be in vain if the dragon caught his scent.)
It took him the whole day before he managed to control his mana well enough to conceal his presence from the dragon. Luckily (or unluckily, as it turned out later on), he didn’t have a lot of mana that he needed to keep in check, or else the task would have taken several days.
Kiel turned quickly to the source of the presence. It was close by!
Argel eyes had great sight, even in the lack of light. However, Kiel struggled to see any movement besides
soft wavering of the leaves. His hearing didn’t help him much either - the only sound Kiel’s ears could hear was the rustling of the leaves as the breeze passed over them. Everything else was completely silent and still. Maybe it was just a hunter returning home from a hunt? He debated whether he should just ignore it and continue home as if nothing happened.
His internal struggle was interrupted by a smooth and melodic voice.
“Do not be alarmed. I mean you no harm.”
A female figure stepped out from behind a tree. She was surrounded by dense mana forming an invisible layer of protection that marked her as a mage - Mage Armor.
“If so, why conceal your presence?” Kiel asked her.
She revealed a guilty smile. “If you knew I was approaching you, you would have avoided me.”
So he was her target! Kiel’s mind switched to full alert. His body reflexively stepped into a battle stance.
He inspected the female thoroughly.
Her hair was a deep carmine red. It was slightly curly, thick and long. It was tied up in a high ponytail that reached her waist. It looked a bit messy in an attractive way. Surrounded with thick black eyelashes, her eyes glowed in the moonlight.
The edge of the iris was rimmed with a thick black ring. From the ring spread a sea of teal towards the iris. Before reaching the pupil, teal suddenly changed into bright golden yellow. Her eyes glittered with golden and orange lights which resembled little suns. Since the contrast from black to teal to yellow was sharp, they looked like they were glowing, or perhaps they were?
He had never seen such eyes before. If magic was something that could be seen, he imagined it would look like her eyes.
Her facial features were soft and beautiful. Her body was slim, perfect hourglass proportions, curved in all the right places. She had a narrow waist, generously sized chest, slim long legs, and slender arms.
Her skin was sun-kissed like she spent a lot of time under the desert sun. (Which she did, considering her actions of the past week.) Her naturally red lush lips were forming a soft smile.
She had dark curvy markings framing the left side of her face, extending down her neck to her shoulder marking her as an elibu.
From her attire, Kiel could tell that she was a professional quest seeker. She had a water bottle, few small bags, and many needles and daggers strapped on her belt and limbs. Her robes were stylish and they showcased her attractive body in an eye pleasing yet modest way. They hugged her curves as only a custom made attire could.
This girl was probably the most beautiful female he had ever seen. Compared to this girl, Piala looked like a scarecrow.
She was unmistakably the elibu girl who he had been watching, sitting on the top of the Southern canyon for the past week.
“Can I help you?” Kiel inquired.
He didn’t know whether to hope for a ‘yes’ or a ‘no’. This one female caused him conflicting emotions. Part of him wanted nothing to do with her, while another part was hopelessly curious.
She chuckled lightly.
“Not quite. However, I can help you.”
Kiel raised his eyebrows in a genuine surprise. “I wasn’t aware that I needed help.”
She smiled a knowing smile. “Then let me stir your awareness.”
She stepped closer to him, her smile never leaving her face.
“You need my help to become a first class mage and a student of Ashar University of Magic.”
* * *
Coming up in the next episode:
His breathing became shallow, although the air temperature was warm, each breath stung him as if he was breathing in pure ice.
She put her hand lightly on his rapidly rising and falling chest.
He was completely aware that he should run. If he stayed in her net any longer, he would not be able to escape.
Episode 3 – The Non-mage
Episode 3 – The Non-mage
Previously:
Kiel is confronted by a mysterious quest seeker who had been monitoring him for an entire week. She offers to help him become a first class mage and a student of Ashar University of Magic.
* * *
“You need my help to become a first class mage and a student of Ashar University of Magic.”
Kiel’s eyes narrowed, he fought the urge to step back.
He shaped words ‘Not interested’ but they never left his mouth. And no matter how much he struggled to push them out of his throat, reasoning that he was done with that silly wish of his, they never vocalized.
He swallowed the lump that formed in his throat.
“What makes you think that I would be interested in attending the University of Magic?” Kiel asked, his face turning into a cold mask.
“I’ve been observing you.” She stated as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
“You mean stalking me?” Kiel smiled coldly.
“Call it what you will.” She shrugged.
“So, what was it that you ‘observed’ that gave you that impression about me?” Kiel wondered. He had been trying to bury that dream for the past year. There shouldn’t have been any remnants of lingering sentiment left for the world to see.
“You are a Rroda. Not wanting to be a great mage while being raised as a part of a famous mage family would be downright bizarre. And yet, although you finished high academy, you did not apply to the University of Magic. Now, that is quite strange, considering the fact that you enjoy using magic so much.”
So she knew who he was? Well, that part was not difficult to figure out. Everyone either called him ‘Kiel’, ‘Master Rroda’ or ‘Young Master’. He also lived in the Rroda mansion.
“Attending the University of Magic is a waste of time. I want to be a quest seeker.” Kiel reasoned. How did she know that he didn’t apply? Because he was not getting ready for the entrance exams?
“Do you really?” She smirked. “For days, I’ve watched you complete numerous mundane quests with a straight face. But then, every once in a while, the quest required you to use magic. And then, in that single brief moment, you transform from a bored, empty doll to a shining star!” She did a graceful pirouette for emphasis.
“Are you insulting me or complimenting me?” Kiel raised his eyebrows.
The girl chose not to answer that question. Instead, she continued on with her explanation.
“You love magic so much that you want to learn everything about it. You crave it to the point of wanting to devour it.”
Kiel gave her an icy glare. His aura transformed into a chilling snowstorm, dark and frightening.
She infuriated him; a stranger who thought she knew him.
His fury gave him a push to finally say what he should have said from the start
“You know nothing about me. I am not interested.”
She just smiled softly, undisturbed by his glare or the sudden change of mood. Not many had an ability to stay composed when faced with Kiel’s cold fury. That girl was either clueless or she had nerves of steel.
“Then let me tell you what I know, and you can be the judge of how much I know about you.”
Kiel quietly dared her to continue. Her confidence disturbed him. Did she have him investigated?
“You hate your life. You hate doing these simple repetitive quests that you do every day. You hate people around you. You hate this town. You hate being a Rroda. And most of all, you hate the mask that you hide behind.”
Kiel stood frozen.
It was a perfect performance! He never showed any signs of how he truly felt. He smiled and laughed; not even his own father would be able to tell how much hate brewed under his skin. How did she deduce all that? Could she see through his poker face?
“You are withering away in this town. You want to be mentally, magically and physically challenged. You wish to discover, learn and achieve new things. You yearn for the top, to excel! To show everyone who you truly are! You want to go far away, to fly freely through the sky, to see and get to know all the magical things i
n this world!” She stated, her eyes glittering with excitement.
It was as though she was no longer talking about him, but rather herself. Is that why she thought she understood his underlying desire? Because she projected her own goals onto him?
She looked back at him, coming down to earth. She stared right into his eyes, unwavering. Even though his eyes were still narrowed into a most chilling glare he could muster, she didn’t look away.
“How do I know that much you ask? It’s because, on some level, we are the same. I could have easily been you.”
He didn’t know how to respond. It was a rare occurrence for Kiel.
Was she really able to see under his skin to the demon hiding deep down? Was she fearless or just stupid? Did she lack common sense? How else could she look him in the eye so calmly, without batting an eyelash?
Because they were the same?
She is nothing like me! Kiel thought.
Her smiles were not just pretty deceptions. They were genuine smiles. As a master of deceit, he would surely be able to tell if they were fake.
Not waiting for his response, she continued:
“Now, since you like magic so much, why didn’t you apply to the University of Magic?” Her eyes glittered. She was about to answer her own question. “Simple. Because you can’t pass the entrance exam. You can’t even pass the bare minimum requirements of entry.”
Kiel did not respond. How did she find out about that? Including him, there were only three people in this world who knew about it.
Last summer, his older brother ventured to take Ashar University of Magic entrance exam, Kiel tagged along. He was hopelessly curious about how he compared to his brother as a mage; they had always been quite competitive. So Kiel decided to take the entrance exam along with him under a false name, just to feed his own ego. Of course, he wouldn’t have enrolled had he passed, he still had one year of high academy to finish. Since Ashar University of Magic allowed almost anyone to take the exam, it was a perfect opportunity for him to get a feel for what to expect the next summer when he took it for real.