Walking down the street was right out of a novel. Children of all different ages and races played ball down the road. Shopkeepers hassled for wears and fairs. The town was alive and bustling, every step felt as though enchantment was flowing through their veins. But the guards behind them wouldn't let them take in the sights, forcing them forward with their weaponry, but that didn't keep Ben from his normal routine, much to Xander's annoyance and Andrew's anxiety, Foxsue found it enjoyable.

"It's so delightful someone has taken so much interest in my simple little town, most avoid it like the plague," Foxsue says with a cheerful smile, once again flashing his sharp teeth.

"If it wasn't for this brat-" Xander starts before getting interrupted

"It's a wonderful-looking place! So full of life! And the fallen bridge trick was a clever ploy." Andrew finishes giving Xander a sharp glare.

Foxsue puts his hand to his mouth and gives a slight chuckle, "Why thank you. Anything to keep my people safe, although it is alarming that you three figured it out so quickly, was there a flaw that made it look like an obvious illusion?"

"Um no." Xander points to Ben, "This brat has no respect for his life." Ben gives a cheaper little wave which causes Foxsue to give a hardy chuckle. They stop abruptly at a fountain, the water flowers endlessly, shining a brilliant blue. Foxsue waves away the guards, sits down at a bench, and gestures the three to do the same, Ben sits quickly followed by Andrew who sits a bit more cautiously. Xander rather stand.

With everyone situated, Foxsue left off a soft cough and started, "I hate to be pushy but I've introduced myself, and as custom, I would ask for your introduction." Foxsue gestures to Ben, "You seem the most eager of the group would you like to start?"

Ben gets a shean in his eye before rambling off, "Hi my name is Ben and I've heard a lot about you from rumors and such I've been waiting for this moment for a while and I can't believe it is finally happening, and-" Ben rambles on more before Foxsue raises his hand and offers an uncomfortable smile

"Thank you for your... Interest." Foxsue gestures towards Andrew "Would you like to go next?"

"oh uhm, Andrew." he shifts in his chair and looks down before looking back at Foxsues expecting facial expression, he then looks down in embarrassment his ears glowing red.

"Alright short and simple, that's fine too." He then looks at Xander and smiles, "And fina-"

"Ya, sorry no." Xandrew raised his hands, "I'm sorry but I'm not going to be here long enough for my name to be useful to you."

Foxsue tilts his head in confusion, "Apologies but out of everyone in your group you seem to be the one who'd be most interested in my town."

Xander points to Ben and begins, "Ya no I'm here solely to drop his guy off, now that's that I'd like to be out of here. Andrew?" Xander starts trotting over to the front gate before his feet become heavy, no matter how much he pulls and tugs his legs won't move, Xander whips his head around, Ben's eyes glow in amazement and Foxsue's hand has a blue glow around it. Xander looks down and sees his legs have a similar glow around them, he tries ripping his legs from the ground but ultimately looks at Foxsue in defeat. Foxsue offers an apologetic smile.

"It appears we've gotten on the wrong foot." Foxsue walks in front view, "I'm sorry but as you all may know this is supposed to be a safe place for all the magical creatures, I cannot risk my kingdom if you were to be a spy, so until I can determine if any of you are a threat I cannot let you leave."

"What?! No! There is no way I'm staying here!" Xander struggles against the spell but ultimately fails once again.

Andrew stands and comforts his companion. As they argue Ben walks up to Foxsue, his expression flat, flashes the tattoo on his neck, and begins, "They're here because of this, they found me and nursed me back to health, I then pestered them into taking me here, please allow them to leave, they would have never come here if I didn't force them to."

Foxsue gives a pointed look and then smiles his toothy grin, "So you want that tattooed glyph removed? Easy." Foxsue lowers his hand, the blue glow fades from Xander's legs falling suddenly from the sudden change, Foxsue then calls a guard over, "Make sure those two leave here safely with all their items and wagon." He pauses and then adds, "And make sure no one enters my study and bothers us for the next couple of hours." As Foxsue finishes they escort Xander and Andrew away, Andrew looks back at Ben but the guard pushes forward Foxsue then gestures for Ben to follow.

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

As they walk up the road, Ben sees a wooden house, its expensive and flashy persona flashes at them, but it is nothing Ben has seen before. As they make their way into the house Ben looks around. It was homie and spacious with nicknacks only that a magic user would gather such as large crystals and flashy jewelry that enchanting looks couldn't be the only magical thing about them.

"That's a pretty eye-locking tattoo you got there, it appears to be a binding glyph. Do you mind talking about it?" Foxsue said placing various gemstones around the floor.

"uhm, well you see..." Ben stammers.

"Are you some dangerous demon lord that has been bonded to this mortal body and now you're tricking me into releasing you from your imprisonment?" Foxsue said chuckling at his joke drawing strange markings on the floor around them, Ben in return laughed at Foxsues attempt at humor

"No nothing like that of course... It's hard to put it into words... My father hates the real me, he's hated it since the moment I was born, so he decided to bind that me deep within me, and conceal it with magic, it was hard to pretend it did not affect me but as time widdled me down he didn't even want me to show my face in front of others, he kept me boarded up in my room, not wanting me to dream of an outside world he kept me isolated and withheld books and resources. He even hired guards whose sole mission was to keep me from running away, but over time I heard their gospel and decided death was better than letting my father have what he wanted, but that only led to every sharp thing I owned being confiscated. It wasn't until I heard rumors about you that I decided to escape, and now I can't believe so much changed in just a few days, and it is all thanks to you, you're the reason I've decided to live another day, you're my hero."

"In a world of kings who want to wipe you and your livelihood off the face of the earth and fathers who force you into hiding, it is always nice to have support around you, like your friends. I used to have that, you see the old lord of this place took me in when I was younger and treated me like his own son, he was infatuated with my abilities to do magic at such a young age and would often ask me to perform simple tricks as entertainment, he loved to hunt and would take me out hunting to practice my skills and then we'd sit around the table and chat the night away. Then one unfortunate day we went out to go out and scavenge something for dinner and some bandits cornered us, he tried to talk them down but they grew impatient. If only I was able to use greater spells at that time maybe he would be..." Foxsue gives a slight cough, quick to place candles around the floor, "but that's all in the past now, something I've learned in life is we can't rely on others, we have to be our own hero. That's something I wish I got to tell him."

Silence fills the air and after a couple of minutes, Foxsue places the last ingredient of the ritual circle Foxsue gestures for Ben to step inside. He complies and steps in, careful not to mess with any of the equipment. Foxsue lays him down and begins lighting the candles. As the last candle is lit a black glow flows around the circle, as the glow begins spreading over his body Ben's tattoo begins glowing red hot Foxsue walks into the circle with a sharp jagged dagger, Ben closes his eyes and feels an incision is made into his neck while not painful he feels the weirdness of the cut begins sliding down tracing a square over his neck, it wasn't until the cut stopped Ben opened his eyes only to see Foxsue peeling off his tattoo which even though no longer attached to his person still glowed its bright crimson color. Foxsue stuffed the loose skin into a jar and placed it on his desk, he then completed the ritual by blowing out each candle as the black glow faded Ben stood. Foxsue who had picked up a mirror, handed it to Ben. Inside the reflective circle, Ben sees a box of scar tissue which is where his tattoo once was as he stares he sees tear droplets fall over the tissue he looks at his eyes and sees his eyes leaking like faucets.

"It's off. IT'S OFF!!!" Ben drops to his knees sobbing before springing back to his feet "Thank you Foxsue! Thank you! I can finally be my true self!" Ben raises his arms in the air waiting. A few seconds pass, then a minute. Ben looks around himself confused. "Why? Why isn't it working?"

Foxsue stands confused, "What is supposed to happen?"

"You know... My true self-awakening, some sort of shining light? Oohs and awws? Where is that?" Ben looks back into the mirror his tears resurfacing, "This cannot be the true me... Can it?"

"Maybe it's mental blockage? You haven't accepted that maybe you were you the whole time?" Foxsue suggests

Ben sees red, "ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?! I'VE SPENT MY WHOLE LIFE CONTEMPLATING SUICIDE BECAUSE OF THIS DUMBASS TATTOO AND YOU'RE TELLING ME IT WAS JUST A THERE FOR SHITS AND GIGGLES??" Ben screams at the top of his lungs before he drops to his knees sobbing "This isn't me, this isn't right."

Foxsue drops to one knee and plants a comforting hand on Ben's shoulder. Just then a guard bursts through the door. Foxsue, outraged, shouts. "I told you we were not to be disturbed!"

The guard breathing heavily, fear in his eyes, says in between breathes, "I'm sorry my lord. But this is the utmost urgency. The King with the War on Magic is here. He has made it across the illusion and he is demanding his son be returned, he's reasoning that if we return him and surrender our deaths will be quick and painless."

Foxsue stands with a jolt and paces around. "Impossible! How'd he know about the illusion? And there's no way we'd have his...son..." As the words leave Foxsue's mouth he turns to Ben to is still on the floor sheepishly Foxsue walks up to Ben and holds a firm grip on his collar raising him to eye level, with gritted teeth Foxsue says harshly, "Who the fuck are you?"

Ben tears up and looks down, "Please take me to my father."