Chapter Six: The Mask

After a while, the storm above me began to dissipate. Even I couldn't keep up such a powerful multi-elemental spell for long. My power, and my anger, had long since subsided.

All that remained within me now was a bitter acceptance.

Of course she would get married, she believed I was dead and was a traitor. Why would I believe that I could return and expect everything to be as it was before? That she would be the same as she was before.

But fucking Valant?

I quickly sent another shock wave through the ground that shattered one of the remaining wooden door ways and quickly reduced the building to small pieces of rubble.

I heard a squeal behind me and turned to find Bartu shaking with a large wet stain on his woollen trousers, staring at me with eyes that were like those of a feral beast. I gave a heavy sigh.

“Calm down Bartu, I'm not going to hurt you.” I said quietly before I lay myself on the ground, staring blankly into the sky.

I was exhausted, both physically and mentally.

To learn that they had won the war had been incredible, even if Valant had helped them, I could only thank him for doing so. But hearing that Marwen was no longer 'my' Marwen, even though she truly had never been mine, was something that was hard for me to take.

Before I knew what was happening, I had fallen into unconsciousness.

* * *

I was dreaming, of that I was certain.

I was sitting at a bench that I remembered all too well. Back when I was a child, I had had no parents, no mother and father to help me. I was a street urchin, doing my best to survive on the harsh streets of Callai, the elven capital.

Being a human in Callai wasn't easy. Most of it's residents hated my race, because of the church that was led by humanity. I was beaten daily by the older elven boys. Although they looked my age they were all in their early eighties. You don't become a man in the Elven Empire until you reach the age of one hundred.

Of course, I didn't blame the children for the beatings they gave me. They were as frustrated as me. They too were street urchins, trying to live in a world that didn't want them. I was an easy target. I was weaker than them and slower. They had all the advantages and I had none. They needed someone to take their frustrations out on.

I remember this bench being my favourite place in the whole city. It sat in the middle of Haler Park, A place commonly frequented by Elven nobility.

I stood out like a sore thumb of course, I was wearing rags, my face covered in dirt and my own three day old blood. A result of the latest beating the Elven youths had given me. But being in this place gave me a sense of peace. I liked looking at the tree's with the white trunks and almost glowing green leaves. They were grown through elven magic.

I had dreamed about becoming a mage, but I had thought that it was a pipe dream. I was only ten but I had acquired enough life experience to know that Humans were the race with the least aptitude for magical ability.

I remember I was a crying, snivelling pathetically into my sleeve. I didn't want to return to the ally where I stayed. The boys were there and they would beat me again.

I was afraid, so afraid.

“Why are you crying?”

The voice came from behind me and I immediately stiffened up. I started to shake.

The last time I was caught in the park, the Elven Zalari who protected the city had given me a beating and told me never to return. If it was them, what if they killed me?

My shaking only got worse.

That was when I felt it. A hand was placed on my back and I immediately gave a cry of alarm, afraid that touch would hurt me. The boys used magic sometimes to burn me, hence why my body was covered in scars They had no training, but Elves were the race with the highest compatibility with magic. Heat projection was rather easy for them, and they seemed to enjoy using it a lot.

I jumped from my bench and began to run as fast as I could, but my leg was still hurting from the last round of beatings and all I could do was a fast walk.

I knew that my speed was no match for an elf and I felt someone a moment later wrap their arms around me. I squirmed but the person was much stronger and all I could do was cry.

“Please don't hurt me!” I shouted, tears rolling down my face as I closed by eyes shut tight. “I'm sorry I was in the park, I promise I won't come again, honest!”

I heard a gasp from the owner of the arms as they momentarily tightened.

“Don't worry, no one's going to hurt you.” The voice whispered into my ear.

After a moment of silence, I opened my eyes and stared at the person who had caught me.

It was the Princess.

I had seen her sometimes out and about in the city, or during the public address's. The public adored her and even I could tell you she was beautiful.

She was still young, barely a hundred, but she looked so regal. Her dark hair tied behind her head in a bun, her skin so flawless that she might as well be a statue. All elves were beautiful, but the princess was on a different spectrum from most of the elves I had seen.

For a moment, I began to panic. If the Zalari saw me with the Princess, they may think that I was robbing her and punish me.

But after a moment of looking into those deep blue eyes, I began to relax, the eyes seemed to be welcoming me like an old friend. I had never been given that look before.

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“What's your name?” She smiled at me, even as she kept her arms wrapped protectively around my body.

“Co- Corus” I mumbled, afraid that if I talked to loud she might let me go.

“Hello Corus, my name is Marwen.” Her smile brightened and I was lost within it's depths.

* * *

I woke with a start, looking around with hope filled eyes as the dream began to fade and I was dropped back down into reality.

Marwenna wasn't here.

It was only a dream.

I gave a sigh and scratched my neck as I noticed day had given way to night and that the only light that lit the destroyed marketplace was the pale light of the moon. I brought myself to my feet and stretched. I hadn't had that dream in a long time. The first time I met Marwen. Seems like a lifetime ago.

Suddenly remembering my bandit friend, I began to search for him, but it seems as though he had run away. I extended my senses to be sure, but it seemed that he had made a hasty retreat.

Not that I could blame him. I mean if I saw a man manipulate the fabric of the world and bend it to his will with no prior knowledge of magic, I would be a touch concerned for my continued safety.

I gave a sigh at the missed opportunity. There was a lot Bartu could have told me about this new world. Marwen was now Queen of the Elves, so what happened to the others. Did Faral return to her pirating days? Did Cinder go to live with the other Vampires in Scarl Forest?

No way of knowing now. And it appeared that there would be no way of finding out anything from here. I needed to get to my tower and pick up a few things but then I should hit the road. I had promised Vitriss that I would stop Samedus and that was what I intended. Even if the bitch had lied to me, I wasn't doing this for her. It was to protect Vita. But I needed to find the woman who is the other half of my soul first, which would be no easy task.

The Goddess said I would know when I looked at her, but that was all just random bullshit to me. I guess I would know when I know. But for now, I could focus on getting back on an even keel. I had lost control when I found out about Marwen and Valant and I couldn't continue to act like that going forward. Especially if I wanted to fight a half-god in a battle to the death.

I examined my hands and drew in a fragment of mana, sending healing magic through my body to fix the little cuts the exploding rubble had covered my body in. To my surprise, they had already partially healed even without magic. This new body truly was incredible.

On the plus side, my little escapade had made it abundantly clear that I could still control the full extent of my magic, which was a big plus and would make the way forward much easier.

There were four schools of magic, which is to say, the primary elements that could be manipulated by a mage. Most magic users decided early on what they would specialize in. For Marwen it was air and its advanced schools of mind manipulation and sound control. For Cinder, she had chosen to specialize in water, but had a keen interest for the ice manipulation that was one of it's advanced schools and had all but ignored its healing nature. Faral had also chosen water, but because she had wanted to be a pirate since a young age and the ability to manipulate the ocean itself was something invaluable for a perspective sea raider. Abhors element was earth, something he was extremely adept in, especially the control of metal.

I myself had seen the advantages of versatility and while I would never be as powerful as Marwen in air or Cinder in water, I had devoted much of my life to mastering all the Elements, with fire being my strongest and air my weakest. The advanced schools for earth magic were metal control and gravity manipulation. While for Fire there was lightning and illusion magic.

While I naturally preferred to use the elements in their proper forms, I have been known to utilize the advanced schools. I had mastered the schools of fire, earth and water nearly totally, while my weakness lay in air. I could easily use the base element, its advanced schools were something I had never really had interest in.

There was also many ways to enhance objects with magic. By pouring mana with a hint of Earth manipulation weaved through it into an object and having the idea of strength held firmly in your mind, one can make an object much stronger, for example. This was used most commonly in forges as most established blacksmiths are either mages themselves or have a mage on the payroll for such tasks. The potential for enchanting was incredibly diverse and one could make objects that can complete tasks that would be impossible to perform otherwise.

I had taken this type of magic up instantly and had spent a long time, nearly a century, trying to master it. I had quite a bit of progress but without Drogna and his incredible mind I would never have been able to enchant Ellai the way I had. Drogna had been the architect for the whole city and had built it in such a way that it was easy to enchant what needed to be enchanted.

I smiled at the thought of my dwarven Knight, but that smile faded when I realised he might be dead.

I immediately shook my head, trying to push out the thoughts that threatened to engulf me. I needed to focus, now more than ever.

As I turned towards the direction of my tower, my eyes once again fell on the statue that stood in the centre of the market, with sword held high. I raised an eyebrow as I realised that the sword was an exact replica of my own blade, the Xolumbrandir.

I gave a brief snort and prayed to Vitriss that no one had tried to move the sword from its place in the tower. Like The Angelis, Xolumbrandir is a sentient weapon, one that had been around far longer than even Marwenna's blade and possibly any other weapon on Vita, magic or otherwise. The sword itself was rather plain looking, but it made up for it's lack of looks with it's appetite for wanton malice and destruction.

I had found it many years ago, after I had killed its previous owner who had been terrorizing villages in Faroth.

It was only afterwards that I found out that it wasn't the man that was destroying those villages, it was the sword itself.

I ran a hand through my hair and tried to dispel the memories of that time. It was a dark day. I still am not completely sure that keeping the sword was the best idea, but if it's in my hands at least I know I can control it. Wouldn't want some helpless farmer to pick it up and become a puppet on its string.

I moved my gaze to the mask that adorned the statue's face. It was my mask.

The real thing, not a replica but the mask I had worn for the past three hundred years. The aura that surrounded it was undeniable. Now stuck to the head of a statue in the city of my dreams.

Fitting.

But I wouldn't leave it here. It was too great a companion, we had been through some tough times together, me and that mask.

With a wry smile I went to retrieve it from the statue. I wonder if the next 'pilgrim' to see my grave would notice it was missing and send word to Marwen. It would be funny to see her reaction if nothing else.

The fact that I have pilgrims didn't shock me too much. Even when I was still alive as The Rebel King people treated me as some kind of demi-god. It was something that deeply disturbed me but no matter how hard I tried I couldn't stop them from treating me with awe and reverence. Hell, even Abhor would treat me like I was divinity sometimes, and he knew me almost as well as Marwenna did.

I gathered mana and manipulated my own gravity, lifting me into the air. While true flight was still an impossibility due the many variables that one had to take into account, I could at least float a few feet up into the air with relative ease using gravity manipulation.

As I moved my hand upwards to grab my mask I felt something move within the statue. I hesitated, before moving my hand down and using my new senses to closely examine it. As I did, I noticed a small symbol was located on the neck of my golden doppelgänger.

It was a trap.

A very cleverly placed one, must have been Marwen. She was at least as good as I was in terms of enchanting skill. However, this enchantment wasn't supposed to kill, but to warn someone while harmlessly incapacitating the thief. It also had a second function... but it was one that I couldn't decipher. While it was strange I knew that it wouldn't be able to cause me pain, or even incapacitate me. If I had to guess I would assume it had something to do with mind manipulation, something Marwen was more than proficient in. But even if that was the case, then I was safe. I had asked Marwen to try and manipulate me before and while I had felt something in my mind, it was easy for me to resist it. Perhaps I was just naturally resilient to that sort of thing, Vitriss herself couldn't control me with that power.

If I tried to take the mask then Marwen or possibly one of the other Knight's would know someone tampered with the statue and would move here with all possible haste to intercept.

I felt a smile grow across my face. I doubt Marwen would come in person, she'd probably send someone in her place, someone capable.

As much as I wish she would ask Valant to go, there was very little chance of that. If what Bartu said is true then he is King of the Elves and has responsibilities that would keep him in Callai. But she would send someone. Someone I could use to gain more information on the world. But still, the main reason I'm doing this is to give Marwen a little scare. I mean, she did kill me and even if I knew it wasn't her fault, I wanted to give her a little punishment.

With a chuckle I grabbed the mask as the electrical charge that passed through my body was harmlessly absorbed by my waiting magic.

On the third tug, I ripped my mask off the head of the statue and allowed gravity to take me back to the ground.

With a whistle and a spring in my step at the thought of Marwenna's face, I began to make my way east to the highest part of the city where my tower still stood in the distance. Gather some supplies, intercept whoever they sent to catch me and then search the world for the other half of my soul, which resides within a random woman, to gain the power of Arcana. My three objectives locked in my mind, my grin became a bit more determined.

Time to get to work.