In my training, I had seen and done things that I was entirely unprepared for and they were easier to do because I knew it was all an illusion. I knew that I was going to be called to put the King's rule into place around the world and that I would deal with extreme people but if the King had said I would have to do it the day I received my title, I would have laughed as if it was the first day of my training.

The one thing that I don’t get to know is the future and though the King may speak in prophecy he has given the role of future-sight to my sister, not me. But he has equipped me to respond. If I had not trained for three years my feet would have been stuck to the ground under me instead of dashing towards eerier screams and moans of pain.

Walking out the door and standing in the garden was a surreal experience. The air was filled with a green haze that smelled of rotting flesh roofs and bodies in the village burned with grotesque green flames that matched the color of puke after someone ate a can of peas.

The corpses of those who passed away from the fires had their flesh melted till the white bone underneath was all that was left before leaping towards the skull. Once it filled the skull the body rose from the ground once more before shambling towards the center of town.

My sister stood beside me for a moment and we were flanked by our parents. She keeled over suddenly, letting out the dinner we had just finished. “Oli,” she shivered before returning back to full posture. “The day I got my title, I saw what could only be what is happening right now. I didn’t know that it was a vision, I’m sorry for not saying anything.”

Her eyes began to well up with tears as the house across from ours collapsed in on itself instantly killing everyone who was inside that wasn’t already burning on the pavement in front of us.

“It seems that I have gotten lazy since I got here.” Ronik sighed and moved up beside me and gave me a punch in the side. “Git in there know-it-all. It looks like today is going to be your first real kill and I’m sorry it has to be that way. The King has made me aware that there is no chance that the man who did this is going to change so we must go do our job.”

“I’m going too!” Seri snapped her head towards me. “There is no way I can forgive whoever is doing this. Piper, I need your help.” Her little fire fairy appeared before her in a tiny firework of light.

It took her less than a second to smell the air before going uncharacteristically silent.

“Please help me, Piper. I need to call out my bow. I can't leave this all to Oli.”

Piper turned to Ronik. “You ok with us helping out pops?” The little fairy had a serious face.

“She is going to have to do this eventually anyway. Try to put out fires and rescue as many as you can.” Ronik turned towards Mom and Dad. “I recommend you stay here Mr. and Mrs. Vestwood. There are some safe bunkers where I trained Oli in the backyard. Please use them.”

Ronik turned back to me, gave me another shove, and the next moment we were all running towards the center of town.

“As we pass by the skeletons, shatter their skulls, it will disperse the Grot” I rattled off information that I had never read or heard before like it was second nature. It was incredibly useful information to have at the moment.

As we ran we launched ourselves forward with each footstep. Skeletons we passed by were willed to the ground at our feet before just the skull of each monster was crushed by our heels or a magic stalagmite through the temple.

It was heartbreaking to shatter each of the skulls knowing that they were former villagers but it was better to put them to rest than to let their souls be corrupted by Grot.

Laughter began to fill the air as we neared the center of the village. It was the kind of laughter that has a chilling scrape to it, like nails on a chalkboard. Suddenly the laughter turned into coughing and before even seeing the man who did this, I knew who had turned the village into a hellscape.

“Oli, Magic vision,” Ronik instructed me knowing that this was my first real battle. “You need to know what it looks like so that you can stop it earlier in the future.

“If I had even paid a little bit of attention then I would have been able to tell you earlier about what this madman was doing. I’m sorry for dropping my guard. This is going to hurt you Oli but many will be dead after today.”

“Don’t get mopey, Sir. We all hold the responsibility for not seeing what was coming.” I turned on my magic vision just as he said and puked just as Seri did in the garden.

The energy filling the air seemed to bite at any magic in the air like a ravenous beast. The color matched the flames, a nasty ill-green. Those who hadn’t passed away yet glowed a soft white but the green slowly ate away at the gentle inner essence before the flesh melted.

For the first time in my life, my vision went red. It was as if I was watching all I had trained for during the past three years wither away. The people I was called to help restore were passing away right in front of my eyes, rising up, and then joining the mass of nearly one hundred skeletal soldiers before me.

I felt my magic energy surge in my core, the earthly yellow flame from Ronik turned the rampaging energy into a strong yellow aura that surrounded my body.

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I planted my feet firmly on the ground and finally willed the earth under the small army before me to swallow it whole. I knew that it was the best way to give some respect to the bodies by giving them some sort of grave.

The dirt shook violently as the giant pit consumed the army. With one more burst of energy, each skull was punctured as well giving rest to the mass of villagers.

“WHAT haVE YoU DoNe to my PRECIOUS ARMY?!” A loud wail sounded from the pedestal that we all stood on to get our titles. Above us stood the mayor of our little village, covered in blood and swirling with the evil essence of Grot.

He lurched forward and coughed a few more times before looking me dead in the eyes. His eyes were pitch black and all of his veins bulge with a disgusting green color.

“You were supposed to be useless, you little twerp.” Spittle flew from his mouth, desecrating the grave that I had just buried most of the village in. His glare filled with greed.”

“Mayor, you have taken steps down a road you can walk back the way you came. Do so now or you will part from the King in death.” My voice rang loud and clear. Ronik stood behind me and gave a nod as he let me handle the old bat in front of us.

“The King is nothing to me, you titleless worm. I have walked beyond the King and claimed power you could not fathom little mage.” His hand extended towards me before launching a ball of the vile essence.

I quickly willed a shield of earth from the ground and the bolt fizzled against the tough stone I conjured. “You have known most of us from birth, Mayor. Please don’t make me hurt you. The King gave you your title to be of service to him. He yearns for your return.”

The skin of the Mayor turned a deep purple as his anger welled up inside of him. More corrupt energy filled his body. “I have been in this King-forsaken town for two-hundred and fifty years with only the title of Administrator.” His yells slowly became a large growl as his skin convulsed. “The King has left me to rot here and now I want more.”

Suddenly the Mayor launched off the pedestal and blanketed the center of the town in a cloud of thick smoke. “I will take everything from you, little mage, and then I will take your life. We will see if your King is stronger than the depths I have visited for power.” his voice boomed from the sky above me and zoomed off.

I needed to get out of the smog if I was to continue fighting. Without the air element, I lacked an easy solution to clear the smog. Brute force it is. I willed energy to my feet and surrounded my legs in a suit of rubble before launching myself into the air.

When I reached the apex of my jump I saw Seri putting down some of the remaining skeletons with a majestic flaming bow before putting out the fires. The Mayor had threatened to take everything from me so I was glad she was safe but the moment I noticed she was safe I realized that my parents were likely the targets.

“Seri, he is going after Mom and Dad. Hurry!” I yelled over the rooftops before landing on the ground with a thud. My heavy earthen boots absorb most of the shock from the fall but I was able to roll and return to my feet without anything breaking.

I dashed out of the smoke in the direction towards our house after seeing the streets from above. Ronik appeared by my side and we didn’t say a word before we landed in the backyard.

Seri arrived moments later only to immediately collapse at the sight of the Mayor standing over our mother. Her wails filled the air and her pain echoed just the same in my heart.

On the left side of the backyard, sprawled on the ground was our father with a gaping hole in his chest. His eyes had no life in them and the ground pooled with his blood.

Standing above our mother was the Mayor with his arm shoved through her body just as he had done to my father before she slid off of his arm to the ground, lifeless.

Noticing my gaze, he turned with a sneer and for the second time in my life, my vision went red.

Again, the essence within me welled up giving off a glow more than ten times brighter than the once in for the mass grave.

The earth knew my emotions and moved to my subconscious will. The ground rumbled underneath the Mayor twisted till it held him firmly in a large earthen fist.

“Goodbye Mayor.” Tears streamed from my eyes and filled my already red vision with spots and blurs.

An audible pop sounded out as the earthen fist reduced the inflated mayor to a pulp. The fist returned to the earth and my knees gave out under me.

Seri crawled over to our mother and held her rapidly chilling body in her arms before letting out another wail.

Ronik set his heavy hand on my shoulder. “Lad, there is still more to do.”

I could barely stand and the heavy sobs almost stopped me from rising but Ronik helped me stand.

“Seri, stay here, It’s over but I can’t lose another. Stay with mom and dad while I search for survivors. I'll help you bury them when I get back.” I barely got the words out through the sobs but she nodded in return while sitting by our mother.

I channeled essence through my eyes again to scan the nearly leveled town for survivors and found nobody for the first 15 minutes of my search. Finally, after rushing around town, I stopped in front of a cellar that held four signs of elvish life and an animal.

I knocked on the cellar door but there was no answer. Frustrated, I just yelled out, “Whoever is in the cellar, open up. The battle up here is over.”

A voice I knew very well called back. “Coward, is that you?”Akeinan opened the cellar door to reveal his little brother and parents huddled behind him. And at his heel was a large black panther.

“Stand down boy.” He motioned to the cat before looking around. He turned towards me after taking in the destruction. “What the hell happened.”

“Grot happened, ya bastard. Don't call the boy a coward when he was the one who put the massacre to rest.” Ronik scowled at the boy. “You were the one who was hiding in a hole when you got that beast by yer side. Now get out here, all of ya. It’s safe but we are going to need some help preparing the dead. It’s going to be a long night/”

Akeinan was shocked at Ronik’s tone but couldn’t object. He climbed out of the cellar and was followed by his family who immediately gasped when they saw the sight of the ruined village.

Akeinan looked at me again with a horror-stricken face “Did Seri make it? Where is your family? It can’t be only you two right?”

My eyes started to well again and I started to choke up. Thankfully Ronik stepped in for me. “She is fine but if you go near her right now she would probably kill ya. Their parents didn’t make it.”

My tears had developed enough to run down my cheek again.

“C’mon, let's get to preparing the bodies we still got two-hundred people to bury.” Ronik’s voice was solemn but his eyes were aged like he had done this many times before.