3/23/54
ALEXANDER GALDUR
*GASP*
Air flooded into my lungs, bringing me back to reality and the world of the living. My eyes snapped open, but the brightness of the area around me was… Well, it wasn’t blinding, but it was disorienting with the sudden shift. A headache ripped through my head as my body auto-piloted to sit up. The pain was so overwhelming that I collapsed back into the bed below me.
Stirring in my misery for a moment, I caught the heavy and sharp smell of cleanliness and disinfectant that had now become so familiar. Opening my eyes a second time, I looked around and saw a familiar sight. Sighing, I mumbled, “Back in this damned medbay.”
I rubbed at my temples trying to work my way through the inevitable headache I knew would come only for the curtains to get pulled back. The suddenness of it made some saliva get caught in my throat, and while I coughed, I heard a spine-chilling voice, “Lucas, great to see you’re back. Again.”
After my coughing fit had passed, I glanced up and grimaced through small tears, “Dr. Whitaker.”
“The one and only.” He smirked but quickly returned back to his neutral expression, “Now, do you want to dance around the issue, or do you want me to give it to you straight?”
Taking a moment to consider if I wanted my despair in the present o0r the future, I decided to just rip the bandaid, “How much?”
“$1,000,000.”
I blinked. I blinked twice. I inhaled. I exhaled. I inhaled again. I spoke.
“Fuck you.”
“Fuck you too.” Dr. Whitaker smirked.
Groaning, I pushed myself off the bed before my knees gave out and my ass hit the bed.
“Are you okay?” A kind and familiar voice asked.
Turning to look at who asked the question, I saw Anna standing there in her pristine, white coat, blue jeans, and plain, black top. She looked worried with her concentration focused on me as the hand holding her clipboard slowly lowered. She stared at me with those green eyes, and I struggled to get my answer out, “Huh? O-oh, yeah! I’m fine!”
Her expression softened as she released a beaming smile, “Good. I was worried after seeing you in here. Again.”
I couldn’t help but notice the way her tone turned icy at that last part, and I swallowed in fear out of instinct and muttered out, “Sorry.”
Her smile continued to stay colder than the arctic when the sun inevitably kicks the bucket, but it soon enough just became exasperation. She shook her head and reprimanded me on my rash actions. Once she was finished, Dr. Whitaker took over again, “Now, you were pretty roughed up, and while I do want your money, I won’t be getting it if you croak. For my future cash, you need to stay alive, so stop overusing your magic and getting hurt. You’ll be taken out of training for two days, okay?”
“Wait, why can’t I just head back now?” I asked. I didn’t like training, but I need to finish that first before I can start bounty hunting and getting some cash to pay back my debts.
“Kid, you must be one hell of a masochist. You were hurt pretty badly, so you need some recovery time. Because you’ve been coming so often, we’re getting better at patching you up with all the practice we’re getting on your specific body, so you won’t have to stay here. You can just rest for the two days at wherever it is you stay and focus on not getting hurt anymore.” Dr. Whitaker answered.
Anna added, “I can make some time for us to get together if you want.”
“Oh, really? I wouldn’t want to be a bother.” I fussed over my concerns.
She nodded and appeased my worries, “It’s no problem, really.”
“If you say so.” I conceded.
She just laughed and reaffirmed her statement, “Yep, just come over anytime.”
“Hate to break you two up, but there are other people here, you know? Two specifically behind the curtain.” Dr. Whitaker interjected.
The curtain was suddenly pulled aside, and Deimos and Max welcomed themselves into the small cubicle. Deimos grimaced and pulled me to my feet while supporting me, “You really do need to start taking some better care of yourself. At this rate, you’ll be forced to work to death.”
“Ugh, don’t remind me.”
“Hey, it’ll be alright! At least you have a job secured in the future.” Max tried his best to support me, the effort itself just adorable as it came from the little introverted ball of shyness.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.
“Thanks for kind words,“ I expressed my gratitude.
He choked up a mixture of “no problem” and “your welcome,” and in the end, he just turned his flustered face away. We all enjoyed a laugh, and after one final glare and exchange of snark with Dr. Whitaker, we left for the medbay. Max split up from us after we exited the DME’s main building, and that was about the same time that I regained enough strength to walk on my own. Strangely enough, the entire time we were walking through public, people were staring at us,
We separated from Anna once she reached her door, and once I made it into the living room, I collapsed. The springs squished under me, soon uncoiling and bouncing me up a little. The sofa was so immensely comfy that I almost didn’t hear Deimos’s complaints as I fell into a pleasant stupor.
“Hey! Before you rest, you need to get changed. You’re going to ruin the furniture with your blood and grime.”
Looking down at myself after I managed to roll off the couch, I saw that my clothing was soaked with blood, covered with dirt, ash, and dust, as well as being thoroughly torn and shredded. So that’s why people were looking at us. As I limped to my room, I groaned to myself, “We’re going to need to head out for clothes again.”
Oh yeah, that reminded me: I still have my dentist appointment on the twenty-fifth. Only two days from now, and I’d finally be visiting—a non-DME—medical professional! The last time I’d been to one was… A long time ago. I can’t even remember what it was like to be inside of a general practitioner’s office now.
Huh, it’s a strange feeling to return to normal after so long. It’s a sort of nervous anxiety. For now, however, I’ll just worry about having a shower and getting into some clean clothes.
DEIMOS DUST
Lucas Greymore—if that even his real name—is… Something. My entire life, I’ve been told that there are bad forms of magic, the disgusting reflections of disgusting people. The evilness of a human given power, and dark magic was the most well renowned and infamous type of that wicked magic. It was largely one of the reasons why the Magicians’ Society of America fell to ruin.
Dark magicians ran rampant, spreading their shadows and darkness over the country. They had a willingness to do what others wouldn’t, they had the natural advantage of hiding in the gloom and shade, and their volatile, untrusting, and untrustworthy nature and personalities led them to being cunning and selfish. They polluted the populace and the government alike, and the people who would eventually rebuild the country into the New Magicians’ Society of America barely managed to scrape by during the war.
Lucas, however, isn’t what the DME told me they should be like. He’s most certainly untrusting, and he’s quick to lose control and have his magic lash out at others. These are all things I was warned about, but when the time came for him to either run away or help others, he always ran to assist those in need.
He’s put himself at risk, even in situations that would mean his death; how could I doubt him any longer? Maybe… Dark magicians aren’t what people say they are?
…
… No. They are naturally bad. They have to be. Otherwise…
8/19/48
“Sir Deimos, are you listening?” Mr. Bertram asked, “I understand this is a hard time for you, but we need to go over the will that the Sir and Madam had left.”
“*Sniff,* y-yeah, okay.” I whimpered, “Um, where do we begin?”
“Well, the Sir and Madam had left the majority of their funds in your care, however, as you are a minor, your monetary inheritance will be left in a custodial account. Your parents’ property will be left in the care of your Uncle Dane until you reach the age of eighteen. Now, your parents have left a few things that you can inherit as they aren’t restricted by law.”
“What are they?” I asked after wiping tears from my eyes.
“The first object left behind would be this photo. Do you remember when it was taken?”
I looked at the picture held behind the pane of glass, “This is from our family vacation from the spring two years ago, isn’t it?”
“Correct. They wanted you to remember them from a happy time. The next is this.” Mr. Bertram continued while presenting a bracelet socketed with diamonds, “This is the Madam’s bracelet. The Sir bought this for her when they were younger.”
I took the bracelet from his hands and examined it. Small diamonds on opposite sides of the carefully crafted silver band that slowly grew in size as they began to reach each other in the middle. The center diamond was the size of a pinky’s fingernail.
With hesitation, I slipped on the bracelet and watched in awe as the magic it was enchanted with made it shrink down to fit on my wrist. Once I was finished admiring the beautifully crafted jewelry, I turned back to Mr. Bertram. He let a sad smile creep onto his wrinkled face. Reaching into his pocket, he offered the last thing that I was allowed ownership of that my parents left in my care, “Finally, this is the pocket watch that the Sir owned. His father had given it to him, and his father to him. This small device was from a long, long time ago. Even before magic had graced these lands.”
Taking the golden pocket watch from his aged hand, I looked it over. The beautifully crafted gold was engraved with other metals adding designs of our house into it. A small pair of disembodied wings were spread out in a silver outline, the wings themselves being given a beautiful design with the carefully carved design of feathers into the platinum that filled the wings. Copper rings surrounded the pair of wings, emphasizing them. Opening the masterwork, I watched as the hands of the clock moved. Looking at interior of the lid for the watch, I saw a picture of my father, smiling as he stared into what would’ve been the camera/
Tears slipped by my eyes while I sniffled. Mr. Bertram got my attention and I saw he had offered me a handkerchief. Taking it, I wiped away the tears along with my sadness, and deep inside, I felt determination welling up in me. Mr. Bertram showed me how to attach the watch’s golden chain to my suit, and after looking at the picture of my father on my watch and then looking at the picture of my parents next to their coffins, I put the watch away and strode towards the door.
The sunlight beckoned me outside, and as I let the light bathe me in its warmth, I felt an ironclad will and resolve form in my chest.
I would train. I would learn. I would become a guardian. I would never let another person fall to the dark magicians again.
3/23/54
Otherwise, what would my determination be for? Otherwise, what would their deaths have been for? Maybe—just maybe—Lucas is okay, but I will never let go of my resolve. My oath.