Hello everyone, this is Darkin. Sorry for not posting in a while, as an apology I’ve uploaded a double release. I hope you guys like them >.< If you enjoy my story please support by rating.
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Volume 1-Memories
Chapter 3- Marcus
Sorin looked at the five guards that ran to him, one of them had started to cast some fire spell that covered his spear in fire.
Sorin quickly looked at the Administrator, “You said I passed, that means I’m a student of the Black Tower now right?”
Administrator gave Sorin a mused look, “That’s correct.”
The Jade guards were only a dozen feet away now. Sorin shouted, “You cannot touch me, as a Black Tower student I am under the Tower’s protection.”
The Jade guard with the fire spear shouted back, “Die you bastard!”
“What!?” Sorin said in panic.
The Jade guard drew back his fire spear and aimed at Sorin. Sorin dived behind the Administrator. The Jade guard threw his spear at the Administrator. The spear’s flame flared. The Administrator stood still as the spear hit him. The spear stopped an inch from the Administrator’s chest. A faint flash of blue appeared around the Administrator’s chest, then the flames died out and the spear clattered onto the ground.
“Really now, do you children ever learn?” The Administrator said in slight irritation.
The Jade guard began to draw flames into his hands but, his fellow guards restrained him.
“Let go of me! I’ll kill that backstabbing bastard!” The guard shouted.
“Captain, get a hold of yourself! We are still in the Tower’s land, you can’t just go burning everything in sight.” One of the restraining guards said. She was the only female amidst the Jade guards.
“He killed Nefritis,” Tears began to run down the restrained guard’s face, “I’ll kill him.”
“I understand,” said the female guard, “Let me take care of this.” She turned towards Sorin-who had just gotten up- and the Administrator.
“Sir, Administrator. Forgive my captain for his brash attitude towards you.”
“Princess Nefritis-” The female guard took a deep breath, “Princess Nefritis, was the captain’s cousin. And it was our job to protect her. We failed her.”
The female guard bowed her head in a moment of silence. And then she glared at Sorin, “But we will at least avenge her. I’m sorry but we are taking the boy.”
“By all means take this stupid brat,” The Administrator said nonchalantly.
“What, but as a spell caster of the Black Tower it’s your duty to protect the students, including myself.” Sorin asked, shocked.
The Administrator looked at him, “You chose this path. You deal with the consequences. Besides, I’m not a spell caster of the Tower. I’m just visiting and felt like overseeing the entrance test.”
“What?” Sorin began to worry. He had not planned for this at all.
The Jade guards began to surround Sorin.
“Also,” The captain smugly looked at the Administrator, “By the authority of the Jade family, we’ll be taking you in as well.” The captain’s face turned into a mask of rage, “Since only the examinees were allowed on the grounds we weren’t able to protect princess Nefritis in time. But you should have kept the examinees safe, and for your failure you’ll pay the punishment. Refuse and you’ll face the power of the Jade family.”
The Administrator looked at the captain, “Fuck you, I’m not going anywhere, you shitty failure of a Jade.”
“Wrong move old man!” the captain shouted in anger.
Sorin didn’t know what happened next. He was surrounded by Jade guards and the next second he was standing amidst pieces of armor where the guards had been. The armor was covered in blood.
As the captain had moved, all the guards had suddenly, burst; only blood was left. Sorin’s ears rang with a dull sound, he wasn’t sure what was happening. Drops of blood were falling through the air as if in slow motion, Sorin tried to move but it was as if time had slowed. His movements were at a snail’s pace.
“Shit, now I’ll have to deal with the Jade family.” The Administrator said with a tired sigh.
Sorin slowly looked at him, though everything in a ten foot radius was covered in blood not a single drop had touched the Administrator.
The Administrator looked at Sorin, “You’re lucky kid. If those idiots hadn’t tried to touch me you would have probably been dead.”
Sorin, spoke in fear, “W-what are you?”
The sound of horses could be heard from afar.
“Ah, looks like the arch mage has arrived,” the Administrator said. Time suddenly returned to its normal pace, the drops of blood fell to the ground and Sorin regained complete control of his body.
Sorin turned around towards the hill. Horses quickly came into view and rode towards where they stood. There were three of them. One was a woman, another was a young man, and the last was an old man.
“What did you do?” The old man asked as he looked at the Administrator.
The Administrator shrugged, “This boy killed a Jade princess. Her guards tried to kill us. I killed them.”
“Uh huh,” the old man said. “You’ll have to elaborate that, Marcus.”
Sorin looked at the Administrator, so his name was Marcus.
“Sorry, I don’t have time. I have already been here for too long. I just stayed today for the entrance test and now I have to take care of the Jade family’s retaliation. Plus with the council work,” Marcus sighed. “Too many things to take care of.”
Marcus looked at the Sorin, “Ask the kid for the details.”
Marcus turned to the young man on the horse “Congratulations, you will now oversee the rest of the test. Give me your horse.”
The young man quickly got off the horse.
Marcus got on the horse and looked at Sorin, “What’s your name boy?”
“Sorin Vei,” Sorin said, his composure regained.
Marcus nodded, “I’ll remember it,” and then he rode away.
The old man looked at Sorin, “My name is Belendor Ash, arch mage of Zance, head of the Ash family, headmaster of the Black Tower, and 8th seat of the obsidian council.”
Sorin slowly nodded, this man was one of the ten members of the obsidian council, the ten people who ruled all of Zance. This man controlled the Black Tower. He was a man of power. Sorin remembered the power Marcus had shown.
“Who was he,” Sorin asked, looking at the bodies of the Jade guards, or what was left of them.
Belendor nodded, stroking his grey beard. “That was Marcus Kaeso, head of the Kaeso family, 1st seat of the obsidian council.” Belendor smiled, “You might know him as the grand arch mage of Zance.”
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“So I think that about covers everything. My secretary will show you to your room.” Belendor said to Sorin.
They were both in Belendor’s office in the Black Tower. The Tower was huge, having over a hundred floors and each floor was large enough to hold over a dozen large class rooms. The Black Tower lived to its reputation as being the greatest building in all of Zance.
Sorin looked at Belendor, “So, you’re not going to punish me?”
Belendor laughed, “Of course not. Though you did kill several examinees, it technically wasn’t against the rules. So I wouldn’t punish you even if I wanted to. This is the Black Tower not the White Tower.”
Belendor leaned towards Sorin, “But, between you and me I’m glad that Jade wench is dead.”
Sorin was relieved, he knew that the great noble families of Ash and Jade hated each other but he was nonetheless glad of Belendor’s reaction.
Sorin stood up to leave.
“Oh and Sorin,” Belendor called out, “Don’t worry about the Jade family. As long as you’re in the Tower you’ll be under my protection,” Belendor reassured.
Sorin said his thanks and left the room. Belendor’s secretary-the woman who had been on the horse when Belendor had first met Sorin-was waiting for him.
This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it
“Sorin, follow me to your room,” the secretary said.
Sorin did just that. As Sorin arrived at his room he was surprised by its lavishness. Tapestries adorned the walls, expensive carpets were strewn on the floor and expensive furniture ranging from, glass tables, to silver lampstands, decorated the room. Even his door had beautiful silver engravings on it.
The room was large, it was originally meant for four people, but because of Sorin’s actions he was the only one who would be staying in the room.
“Though normal rooms don’t have it, your room is more like an apartment, and is equipped with its own bath and lavatory,” the secretary answered in monotone.
Sorin looked at her, she had black hair almost as dark as his own, but her skin was pale like Nefritis’. Sorin felt the Jade hair pins in his pocket. Sorin drew his focus back towards the secretary. She had a pretty face, no doubt, but it was her eyes that made her look beautiful. Her eyes were grey with pale blue flecks, and though her face held no expression, her eyes, at least to Sorin, held great emotion. In this case, her eyes showed irritation.
The secretary noticed Sorin’s stare, but Sorin didn’t look away.
“If I may ask, what is your name?” Sorin said inquisitively.
The secretary replied instantly, “I don’t like people you.”
“People like me?” Sorin tilted his head.
“People like you, who see everyone else as simple objects, to be used as they please. If you weren’t in Headmaster Belendor’s good graces you wouldn’t even dare look at me for the fear of the thrashing I’d give you,” the secretary replied in the same monotone voice.
“Then I am glad I am in his good graces and that I have the chance to know your name,” Sorin replied, not denying her accusation.
The secretary’s eye twitched for just a moment. She walked away, as she left the room she stopped and without turning around, softly said, “Elise.”
“Pleasure to make your acquaintance,” Sorin spoke slowly tasting the word in his mouth, “Elise.”
Elise left and Sorin closed his room’s door. He looked around his room and sighed. Sorin entered the bathroom, went to the sink, and vomited. He didn’t know how long he was there, eventually his stomach couldn’t throw up anything more.
Sorin recalled his teammates and their shouts of agony, it had been his first time killing. Normally he could look at a problem or experience, logically and without emotion. But this was different; his mind couldn’t process the event logically.
Sorin took out the Jade hair pins, “As simple objects, huh,” Sorin muttered softly.
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Sorin woke up the next morning on his soft bed. He got up, took a shower, changed, and left his room. As Sorin opened his door he saw both his slaves waiting at the door. Sorin didn’t ask where they had slept; the student’s servants had their own floor, albeit with a lot smaller rooms.
“Follow me,” Sorin said as headed towards the cafeteria. The slaves silently complied.
Sorin thought on his reaction the previous night, it was unsightly. But Sorin knew he would have to do many more acts of cruelty if he was to obtain the power he wished for. Sorin steeled himself for the future.
The Tower’s upper floors held the classrooms, practical training rooms, teachers’ apartments, and the headmaster’s office. The middle floors held the student’s rooms; the students’ rooms were separated by their year, from the fresh 1st years to the soon to be low mages, 4th years.
The lower floors held the basic necessities, such as the cafeteria, shower rooms, bathrooms, medical rooms, shops, staff quarters and servant quarters. Every student could have up to five servants or slaves, though they would have to pay for the servants’ room and board.
Just the same, a student could attend the Black Tower for a hefty sum of gold. Or they could attend for free but, after they finished their four years of studying they would have to work for the Tower for ten years. Most just stayed working for the Tower after the ten years were up. As a noble, Sorin’s family had simply paid the tuition fee. Nobles would never let themselves get bound to the Tower for ten years.
As Sorin entered the cafeteria he felt the eyes of many of the 1st years on him. Sorin grabbed his food and sat at an empty table, his slaves standing a few feet behind him.
He had expected this; to be isolated. His actions yesterday would of course spawn such behavior in others. But, Sorin knew it wouldn’t last for long. After all, this was the Black Tower; someone would come, to seek his strength, or to find out the truth of the rumors that were already spreading.
“Sorin, are you okay?” a familiar voice said.
Sorin looked up as Matt sat down across the table from Sorin.
“Why wouldn’t I be?” Sorin asked mildly.
“Well, I saw what happened yesterday,” Matt looked at Sorin, “Why did you kill them?”
“It was the only way for me to ensure getting 1st place in the test. And I need every advantage I can get my hands,” Sorin looked at Matt, “No matter the price.”
Matt frowned, “I can’t say I agree but, even if what you say is true, why did you kill that Jade woman?”
Sorin slightly tensed and then sighed, “Nefritis Jade could have become a great ally but, her views on commoners was to short sighted and would in the end bring me down if I had allied myself with her. What most nobles don’t realize is that all that matters in this Tower is power.”
Sorin looked at his hand, “In this case, power comes in the form of mana. And anyone can have talent with mana, whether they are commoner or noble.”
“But what if the Jade family retaliates? They’re a great family, with a lot of power, you know?” Matt said worriedly.
“Don’t worry as long as I’m in the Tower I’ll be safe,” Sorin said reassuringly. Sorin didn’t say it but, he was glad that his friend still cared about what happened to him, despite the bloodbath that had happened the day before.
Matt nodded and stayed silent for a while. Eventually he asked, “Why were you and the Jade woman the only the nobles in the 1st years?”
“The amount of nobles who enter the Black Tower fluctuates every year,” Sorin explained, “On average there are about a dozen that enter every year. Sometimes there are a lot more that enter. My grandmother told me once, that over fifty nobles entered one year. Other times though, there are very few or no nobles at all that enter in a year, our case being one of them.”
“Makes sense,” Matt nodded and looked at the other 1st years around the cafeteria. “But why are some 1st years like twenty years old or even older?”
Sorin spoke as he ate his breakfast, “You have to be at least 16 to take the sensing test. But sometimes a person’s mana won’t manifest until later years, latest being 25. Hence, every year some people go back and take the sensing test, though most give up after the first or second try.”
Matt was about to respond when he glanced behind Sorin, Matt’s eyes widened in horror. Sorin turned to see what was happening. A rock shard was flying towards Sorin. Sorin tried to move out of the way, but with a sickening realization he knew he wasn’t going to make it.
Suddenly Matt was there, he pushed Sorin to the ground. Wooden splinters flew as the rock shard punctured a hole in the table. Voices of students shouting could be heard.
Sorin stood up as he looked at the attacker. He had the same green hair as Nephritis.
“Do you think you could kill my little sister and walk away like nothing, you piece of shit!” The man shouted. The brother of Nephritis formed another rock shard from thin air.
Sorin saw faint floating runes around the rock, spell runes. Sorin turned towards his slaves. They were both lying on the ground.
If a slave refused a command the choker on their necks would render them temporarily paralyzed. The slaves were refusing Sola’s command to protect Sorin. They wanted him to die!
Those bastards Sorin thought angrily.
“S-sorin,” Matt mumbled.
Sorin looked down at Matt, his back was bleeding, the rock shard must have partially hit him. Before Sorin could do anything the Jade spell caster threw another rock shard Sorin.
Sorin jumped out of the way, the shard grazed his side and Sorin was pushed back by its force. Sorin fell to the ground, as he began to get up, the Jade spell caster created a stone whip and attacked Sorin. The whip hit Sorin on the chest and he was sent flying and crashed into the wall. As Sorin slid unto the ground he blearily opened his eyes. His head was ringing and he couldn’t think clearly. A bright red light flashed from somewhere to his right and then Sorin lost consciousness.