--- Roric

The chains rattled with every twitch of Roric's body.

He was locked in one of the many cells of Norburg's dungeon, on the other side of the city. Or at least that was what he assumed, since he couldn't see much as they carried him. Anyway, the boy's whereabouts weren't that important, compared to what was going to happen to him. He kept asking that question to himself, while he waited and waited.

The way they all looked at me... I can't forget it. It was like even Rickhart's existence was more acceptable than mine. Being called a monster... Is the fact that I am an Elemental this terrible of a crime?

No matter what Roric thought, since the moment they caught him he knew escaping was impossible. Stripped of all possessions aside from his tunic and pants, the young warrior simply sat there, against the wall, hoping for someone to decide his fate. Given how long they were keeping him caged, however, he didn't have much hope.

An amount of time beyond imagination seemed to pass. A small window with bars was located a couple of meters above Roric's head, but due to the chains he couldn't even see if there was light outside.

He slept and woke randomly, enduring the humid, dark cell, until someone finally came.

A gate just opened, or at least I think. Everything has been so silent until now... Is a person coming for me, or I'm just imagining things?

The boy's heart skipped a beat when his tired eyes focused on the silhouette that appeared in front of him. Even in that shade, the mass of disheveled brown hair gave away the identity of the visitor.

Mary!

"Roric!" said the girl, grabbing the bars. "Thank goodness, I was so worried... Did they hurt you?"

"No..." he replied, noticing how weak his voice sounded. "I was just questioned a bit. Tell me, how many days has it been?"

"Four. They wouldn't even let me see you, but I kept trying and trying... Some higher-ups vouched for me, luckily."

"I see... What's going on outside?"

Mary shivered, probably because of the dungeon's cold, then went on.

"Nothing good, as far as I could get. Lord Isaac and his court still want your head, while the King... I still can't believe it. What you are. You could have told me, when we were together."

She doesn't seem mad at me. That's more than I could hope for.

"I was scared," Roric sighed. "I knew there's been bad blood between the Circle and... Those who are like me. When that guy appeared, though... I figured out it was the only way to stop him. Sorry."

"Relax. I'm not here to judge you. We are friends... Friends, right?"

The young warrior raised his head, meeting her concerned expression. She gave him a timid smile.

"Why are you so supporting with me? The others looked at me like... Like a monster."

"I don't care," she answered. "I know you... Or at least I think so. And I will do everything in my power to get you out of here. But it won't be easy."

"Well, we saved the King's life," commented Roric. "It will hold some value..."

"It does, and His Majesty would be hold out rich rewards normally, yet... Why? Why did you have to be an Elemental, of all things?"

"I didn't choose to be born like this."

Perhaps realizing that what she had just said was a little excessive, Mary hesitated.

"I... I'm sorry. I went overboard."

"Don't say that," answered the boy, with a sad laugh. "If I have to be honest with you... I'm surprised. I thought you would take it much worse than this, considering what happened in the past. I was told of what the Elementals did... You are a good person, Mary. I mean it."

"I'm not one who would hold on those ancient grudges, anyway!"

She blushed, for some reason.

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"Well, thanks... I guess. It... It's not like I don't know what's like to be different. To be an outsider."

"Because you are a Mage?"

The girl nodded. Even in Cassidia, there was still a good percentage of people who regarded her kind with disdain, or even worse, suspect.

"Listen... There are some who see us as individuals," she continued, "While the majority are either too stupid or short-sighted to care about it... They would treat us Mages the same as they did with you, if it weren't for the King and his pact with the Circle."

"So, even you guys need protection in the end."

Mary nodded again.

I made a mistake... I should have trusted her, maybe. Yet, this doesn't make my situation any better. Rickhart barging into the dining hall basically forced me to reveal my abilities... And I couldn't even kill him. If he went this far, it means he wants to start a war for real.

"Either way, Roric... There's also a third category of people you should be wary of."

Roric remained silent. The lack of water made speaking an ordeal for him.

"It's those who acknowledge the power we hold, and fear the slight chance we could use it against them. Norburg is the prime example, and the worst place you could have showed yourself. If King Sebastian allows for it, they won't limit themselves to killing you... That would be too simple. They'll do everything it takes to be sure nobody like you appears ever again."

"That... That's just like how the Elementals were wiped out in the past..."

"Yes. In the face of their strength, the rest of the world feared them. Wanted them to die. And I... I don't want the same thing to happen to you."

"What about the King, then? I'm a close friend of his daughter, after all..."

From Mary's silence, Roric understood it all.

"She... She's the one who took it badly, right?"

"She is very angry, and doesn't even want to hear about you. I'm sure it's just temporary, but I'm afraid she won't come to see you for the time being. When I last saw her, she was cursing the Elementals for what they had done to the innocent people in the past. And trust me, she seemed well informed on that."

I... I didn't read anything about it myself, but knowing Elise... Damn. I still don't want to accept that things turned out this way.

He sobbed a couple of times, despite his best effort to hold back the tears. In front of him, Mary's hands twisted the iron bars in frustration. Roric felt terribly guilty, because she had clearly come a long way to see him, only to find him in that miserable state.

This is not the time to cry. I need to be strong now, at least to thank her.

"Sorry, Mary. I'm just a little sad, that's all. Being in here must be driving me crazy."

"Don't be disheartened," she said, grabbing a chair. "I'll stay for some more, if that helps."

Some minutes passed, with both of them unable to say another word. The boy kept leaning onto the wall, immobilized, still trying to find a way out of that dilemma. Simply staying awake, after learning all of that, was very difficult. All of a sudden, he wanted to sleep.

I never imagined being an Elementals could be this... No. I thought our time together meant a little more to Elise than the blood running through my veins. When I get out of here, I'm going to apologize. If she is willing to listen.

"Mary..." he whispered, faintly. "What do you think of Elementals? I want your real opinion on it..."

"What your kin did to the world doesn't concern me. You are your own person."

Her voice was full of determination and optimism. That made Roric smile, even if the darkness rendered it useless.

"Thanks."

Will this chain of hatred ever break?

***

--- Mary

The young Mage emerged from the dungeon, the sun blinding her.

She was still uncertain on what to think about the situation Roric had gotten himself into. Her friend, a person she was beginning to feel close to, had revealed to possess Elemental powers. That didn't change Mary's opinion of him as a person, obviously, but put her in a difficult position.

Helping him openly could be seen as an offense by Norburg's nobility... Not to mention the King hasn't spoken yet. In the best case scenario, Roric won't be allowed back in the palace like before. Even if the princess gets over it and takes responsibility for him, I doubt the court would like the idea of having him as a guest again.

This, taking for granted that the boy would keep his head. Lord Isaac was ready to have him killed, at the banquet, a thought the apprentice wasn't really fond of. It would have been a waste.

No... What am I thinking? Studying him on the behalf of the Circle? I'm curious about his kin, but I can't treat him as a test subject... There must be some other way to save him.

Mary had always been interested by the legendary beings known as Elementals, since the day she had first heard about them during her studies. They had been deemed extinct for quite some time, but deep inside she had never believed it completely. The Mages had chronicles of the days when the Kingdom had asked them to get rid of those dangerous enemies, and the girl had read a good portion of them.

The main problem was that they were many centuries old, and there wasn't any new material on that subject. Roric's sudden appearance, given that someone wanted to research a bit about his abilities, was actually a good chance.

A very good chance to prove I have what it takes to become a serious Mage, and help him at the same time! Can I ask the Circle to take him into custody? That would be unreasonable, since it's a little out of our jurisdiction... If only master Bravo was here. He could tell me if I'm in the right to...

Her feelings, however, were standing in the way. Mary realized that. That boy had been the only one at the palace who would talk with her without any prejudice at all, and she felt obliged towards him if she could. Not because he was an Elemental, but because he was a friend.

There had been a time when the Mages too were persecuted and hunted like animals. To a certain degree, many people still hated them. As Roric had said, he hadn't asked to be born the way he was and didn't deserve to be imprisoned, especially while being the only one who had faced the mysterious new enemy once he had showed himself.

Yeah, that man... He called him Rickhart, if I remember correctly. His magic was that of a necromancer, a corrupted spirit user. His powers are fearsome against the living, but lack the destructive power to compete with the Arcane. I wonder what his plan is, at this point. He basically declared war to King Sebastian, and even said he wanted to conquer the Kingdom. Does he really have the strength to do so? The Circle would know if such a person existed, I think...

Absorbed by her doubts, Mary kept strolling in the direction of the local headquarters of the Circle, which also had a well-supplied library. In that place, she planned to study more about the Elementals and their magic. Still, she also couldn't get the necromancer out of her mind.

For what I've seen, Roric is very good at fighting. And yet, Rickhart pushed him to the point where he couldn't avoid revealing what he was. I'm sure he was aware of the risks, and moreover... They had already met before. How did he manage to resist that terrifying spell? Ah, there are so many things I have to look up!

The young Mage made use of her credentials and gained access to the library, finding that her name was somehow known even by the members of the Circle in Norburg. It didn't take long for her to find a small collection of tomes on the magic arts that weren't related to the Arcane, and starting to bring them to a reading table.

A couple of trips later, Mary was ready to begin. Anyway, before she could open the first book, she thought one last time about her friend, chained to a wall in that dark place.

This... This isn't something a Mage should be dwelling upon... But for some reason, I am. It's the first time I've ever seen another person in these terms, and I can't really say if it concerns me. Still, I do care for him. Why is it, I wonder?

After long minutes, she changed her plans and chose to learn everything she could about necromancers. The real enemy was Rickhart, not Roric. If he wanted to be studied, that was a matter he and only him could decide. And no matter how the young warrior would have been judged by the nobles, Mary couldn't possibly consider him a threat.

I... I'll try to do what I can. I'd be troubled if they hurt him more than they already have.