We made it to the Golden Gates in no time. With Zevian, Syla, and Nevan – we were all breathless and in shock, well, most of us anyway. I didn't understand what happened.
Honestly, I'd stopped understanding anything since my father died. This time around, it was different. That night at the party, when it happened…it felt like something was trying to break free, but the pain I felt almost made me believe that if something truly was inside me and whatever it was brought me here, I might end up dead before I ever find out what it could be.
Syla winced in pain, beside me as the healers chanted their spells, the burn on her glowing faintly under their palms.
"You guys said there'd be golden gates," I muttered, trying to force a laugh through the confusion. "I was really looking forward to the Golden Gates".
"It's a metaphor," Zevian said. Hands in his pants, his broad shoulders caressed by the moonlight. "After the great war, this was where the creatures and the rulers came to an agreement. No more bloodshed, you see that statue?"
He said, pointing to a monument that looked like two hands shaking, faintly lit in the dark. The statue is almost hard to make out because of the weeds and moss around it.
"That's where the rulers formed the alliance, each ruler drew blood from themselves and dropped it on the stone, sealing themselves and their people under an oath that no one was to ever seek powers for themselves again." he paused, exhaling slowly.
"And whoever would do so would be punished by death or exile in the void"
Void? Great war?
What really is this place?. Everyone and everything here was beyond confusing, no amount of logic or explanations could make me understand what the hell I'd walked into.
"That statue," Zevian went on, glancing at it with a mild annoyance, "is the birthplace of the academy. Urgh… I should really get someone to clear those weeds up." he rubbed the back of his neck. "Wanna volunteer?"
I frowned, My face speaking before I had the chance.
"I guess not" he smirked sheepishly.
"Averin?"
Nevan's voice called from behind me.
"I'm sorry for being a liability to you and to the team." His head hung so low; his fingers fought in anxious knots.
"I almost got hurt and you risked everything to help me… me?" He sniffled,
"I'm supposed to be a fire elemental, I'm supposed to be strong, but I'm…I'm a coward. A fire elemental who almost got burned?" He gave a hollow laugh that broke into sobs
"Isn't that pathetic?" his hands clutched to his shirt as I watched him drop to his knees.
"I'm sorry for being a liability and a weakling. I'm sorry I made you have to protect me," his sobs were louder now.
"I'm a disgrace".
"Hey, hey, hey.. look at me" I crouched beside him, unsure of what to say
"You're not weak. You're not a liability. You're not a disgrace. Everyone has a different pace in life"
What am I saying?
"We don't all start off strong. We grow from our weaknesses. You're a fire elemental, you could literally burn down anything you want but you'll never do it if you keep telling yourself you can't"
Wow. I actually sound smart, someone should carve that on a statue under my name or something.
"She's right" Zevian piped in from behind me, gazing at the monument with dissatisfaction.
"You're one step closer to your full potential, you've identified your weak" he turned, his dissatisfaction now aimed at Nevan
"Now stop being miserable and do something about yourself. You can't just be a coward and cry about it. You don't get the luxury of people putting their lives on the line for you every time." From dissatisfaction to irritation, so quickly.
"Be a fire elemental and do what you were made to do." He growled "Stop cowering in helplessness" , his eyes glowing a faint red.
Nevan immediately picked himself up, wiping away the tears. "I'll be my best". He murmured under his breath as he gave Zevian a bow and walked away.
"Nice pep talk, you should run for regent voice of the houses. You'd be good there" Zevian yawned.
"What's that supposed to be? Some sort of magical equivalent of student body president?" This place had so much to question.
"I was wondering why a witch would be so confused about the history of the great war and moreover why she wouldn't know anything about the void" he turned, towering over me.
"You're from Terra, aren't you?" He smirked, flashing his fangs.
"Terra?" I was getting more and more confused
"That place where the humans líve"
"Earth?"
"Yh, that's right that's what they decided to call it"
Why was he referring to it like it was some lower class or something.
"You're confused again, aren't you?" He asked, his smile increasing by the minute.
"Alright, I'll educate you" the pleasure he was taking in this was becoming cocky.
"There were three recognized realms, Arcane, seraphane and the void. Terra was a weak denomination in the arcane realm. It was home to the weakest of creatures. Those cursed to be born without magic" he said
"For millennia, the people of Terra were miserable. Being the weakest, they were turned to slaves. Their women and girls were molested constantly, most of them ended up dead, others took their lives. Some were lucky to be given privileges by their owners. I heard one time they were used as sport, being hunted."
There's no way any of this could be true. Could it?
"The males were taken to war at the dignified age of 11, most of them never to be seen or heard from again, others completely disabled, with no healers or money to afford help. Their blood used to settle wars. But they retained their battle knowledge,hid young boys and girls who were determined to fight and then they rose against their overlords. They would have been easily wiped out but the elementals saw them as insignificant and let them go" he yawned again
"The people of Terra erased every connection to arcane, leaving the stories of creatures as myths. And they advanced so much in weapons because deep down they fear, they'd be taken captive again but since no one showed interest, they started using the weapons against themselves… I guess they got bored".
Slaves. Wars. Blood oaths. He told it like it was some bed time story.
"but the history we have proves…"
"It proves nothing aviary" he cut me off, "your history contradicts itself. Some of you believe you evolved from monkeys, the others believe you have genetics related to things that you have only one percent of knowledge about. So aviary…your history proves absolutely nothing"
"It's Averin not aviary"
"You're so feisty" he chuckled as he leaned in "I wonder, if Terra was still in arcane and you were a slave girl…how many scars would it take for you to be docile"
For a moment I wondered if setting him on fire was an option.
"You're really full of yourself aren't you?"
"Oh calm down, you're a witch. Weren't you listening? You'd only be a slave if you were useless" he moved backwards.
"I'm curious, where'd you learn to cast like that? I've never seen anyone cast a spell so quickly and that spell…I'm not sure I'm familiar with it"
"I…it just came to me" I too have been asking myself that question.
"I understand if you don't want to share or anything but I did help you, at least I deserve more than that"
"So you want something in exchange for helping?"
"You know what" he said face palming himself, "forget it" and like that he was gone.
I watched his back as he walked away, leaving me with more information to question. I looked at my palms, remembering the feel of that surge. A witch?
How?
I've lived my life like every normal person and now all of a sudden I'm a witch. From head cheerleader to spellcaster. What an upgrade.
I went back to syla, she looked to be asleep on the inn bed. She looked so calm. She'd struggled to help us, carrying the whole team. As I turned to leave I heard her voice. In pain.