Chapter 2: The Training
Schala woke up; a little green creature with a big head was standing next to her... "Your breakfast..." the creature said, handing Schala a plate. "Uh... thank you." Schala said, blinking. The creature walked out and shut the door behind it. Schala lifted the lid on the plate, the smell released from the dish made her gag. There on the plate was a piece of stale moldy bread, and a piece of jerky. Schala devoured the jerky as if it was the greatest food in the world, she gazed wonderingly at the piece of bread, and she sat it to the side and leaned against the wall. "Eat your bread." Slash said from outside. "No... It's disgusting." Schala said, Slash opened the door and walked in... Schala had expected Slash to hit her, but instead he just picked up the plate and said, "Fine... I'll just let you stew in here for a few days, see how good the bread looks then." Slash said.
It had been six days and Schala was starving. Schala suddenly wished that she had eaten the bread, she had eaten all of the wax crumbs off the candles, then the candles, she was out of food and starving. A millipede crawled up the wall; Schala's better judgment was overshadowed by her monstrous appetite. Schala grabbed the large bug and crammed it in her mouth, the taste was horrid, and almost made her throw up, as the pieces moved as she chewed them. But Schala needed food, for ten more days Schala had nothing to eat but cockroaches and millipedes, finally Slash came in and said, "Now... are you ready to eat your bread?" Slash produced what, by the looks of it was the exact same piece of bread from sixteen days ago, like a greedy dog; Schala snatched the green piece of bread and shoved it in her mouth, even the mold tasted better than the bugs. "Now, whenever I tell you to do something, I expect you to do it. Training begins tomorrow. Here are the leftovers." Slash said and placed a bucket of bones with some scraps of meat on them, and bread crusts and such. Schala chewed the last remaining particles of meat off the gnawed bones, she ate the potato peelings and the bread crusts, she piled the bones next to the bed, and she would eat the marrow from them later. (This chapter's really gross isn't it?)
The door opened and Flea walked in, he sat down on the bed next to Schala, trying to remember his exact speech to the child Janus thirteen years ago. Flea reached in his pocket and pulled out four small round blue orbs, he took one and forced it into Schala's mouth. "Now, if you will behave, I won't give you any more!" Flea said angrily. "Why? These taste great!" Schala said enjoying the flavor. "What? You... you like them?" Flea asked surprised. "Yes, they're good." Schala said. "Finally a woman of good taste. I thought I was the only one who liked those. I used to use them for punishment to your little brother, he hated them." Flea said. "Flea, I have been meaning to ask you a question. Okay, if you are a man, then why do you look like you do?" Schala asked. Flea leaned in close, "I'll tell you a secret, but you have to keep it a secret, just between us two." Flea said. Schala nodded, "Okay, you see I really am a woman. I just like screwing with people's heads; even Ozzie and Slash don't know I'm a girl." Flea said, Schala giggled slightly. "I need to ask you a question. Why did you turn Janus into such a monster?" Schala asked. "We didn't. He got a little paler from being in this dark cell all the time, but the eyes, teeth, and ears weren't done by us." Flea said. "What happened then?" Schala asked. "He mastered the black wind." Flea said. "That's impossible." Schala said. "He was gone in his chambers for almost a month, when he reemerged, his aura reeked of dark power, his eyes had taken on a reddish tint, his ears were pointed, his teeth were pointed, his skin was deathly pale... he was... Magus." Flea said. "Anyway I have to go, take some of these." Flea said, putting some of the blue orbs in Schala's hand. Schala stuffed the orbs in her pillowcase and went to sleep.
The next morning Schala woke up with Slash looking over her, "Get up!" Slash said. Schala stood up and went to the window, "It's still dark outside." Schala said. crack! Schala screamed as a whip licked at her, leaving a large cut down her back. "I don't give a damn if the sun's up or not, it's training time!" Slash said angrily. "Yes." Schala said. "Yes, who?" Slash asked. "Yes, Slash." Schala said. "You still left something out." Slash said. "Yes, Lord Slash." Schala said bowing her head. "Good, now let's go." Slash said.
Out in the courtyard, Slash handed Schala a broadsword. Schala put both her hands on the sword; the sword fell downward and clanged on the stones. "I can't use this sword, it's too heavy." Schala said. Crack! another cut appeared down Schala's back. "You'll use that sword and like it!" Slash said, drawing his katana. "Ohh, I see how this works. You give the trainee a sword they can never use so you seem a superior swordsman. What a cowardly thing to do!" Schala said. Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! Schala screamed in pain several times, tears streamed down her face, Slash ran over and knocked her on the face. "I think I'll take some of your freedom away. You are no longer Schala Zeal, you are now Mage. Now what is your name?" Slash asked. "Schala." crack! "Wrong!! What is your name!?!" Slash demanded. "Schala!" Crack! "Wrong!!!! WHAT IS YOUR NAME?!?!?!" "Schala!!!!!" Crack! Crack! Crack! "WRONG!!!! WHAT IS YOUR NAME!!?!?!?!?" "SCHALA!!!!!" Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! "What is your NAME?!?!?" "You bastard!!! I'll never give in, you'll have to kill me!!!!" Schala said. Slash lashed at her again and again with the whip, Schala's robes became a pile of rags, her barley clothed scarred body lay on the ground. "What?!?! Is your name?!?!?" Slash demanded. "Sch.... Mage.... My name... is Mage." Schala said, she passed out of exhaustion.
Four long years passed, Schala (Now Mage) was the mystics' personal whipping girl, she was brainwashed, and learned to fear the whip. But Mage was gradually growing stronger in magic. One day Mage sat in her room, her body was covered in scars, and she was becoming pale from lack of sun. Her blue hair was becoming slightly whiter, but one day suddenly the room she was in, turned to darkness, a wind spinning around. "Who are you?" Mage asked the darkness. "We are everything, and nothing at all. We are the creator, and the created. We are death, we are life. We are the black wind." a voice from nowhere came. "But Janus mastered you." Mage said. "No! Janus gained use of us, but he did not master us. Only the greatest magic user in the world can master us." the black wind replied. "So why have you contacted me?" Mage asked. "We have come to offer you power beyond your dreams. Enough to control those pitiful whelps who whip you each day." The black wind said. "And what would you get from it?" Mage asked. "Your soul." The black wind replied. "I don't agree. I would never give my soul." Mage said. "Then we shall take it!!" the black wind said, suddenly the breeze around Mage turned into a maelstrom. Mage felt as though her body was being torn apart by the gale, suddenly her pendant began to glow... the black wind drew back. "That pendant... How is it that you have it?" the black wind asked. "You should know, you are all knowing. All I know, is that I can defeat you now." Mage said smiling. The black wind drew back, "Your aura... You know lunar magic!" the black wind howled. Mage's evil smile got even larger. "Yes, I do! Luminaire!!!" Mage shouted, a gigantic dome of light appeared all around Mage, the black wind gave a painful howl, when the spell dissipated it asked. "Who... Who are you?!?!" "My name is Mage, but you can call me... master." Mage said and began to laugh evilly.
"What are you daydreaming about girl!!" Slash said, slapping Mage's unmoving body. Mage's eyes, opened, but they weren't green, they were blood red, her ears were pointed, and two razor sharp fangs protruded from her mouth. "What the? What's going on Mage?" Slash asked. "Simple... I control the black wind." Mage replied, levitating towards a very frightened Slash. "What... What are you going to do to me?" Slash asked, fear in his yellow eyes. "I will do nothing, as long as you obey. You will raise the largest army you can find, tell Ozzie and Flea, that they have a new leader. Do this or I shall turn you into a fly and place you in a spider's web." Mage said angrily. "Y... Yes my queen!" Slash said and ran down the hall. Mage floated out to the throne room. "Is what Slash said true? Did you truly master the black wind?" Ozzie asked. "No... I did not master it... I control the black wind... I AM the black wind." Mage said angrily. "I require a new throne. Now go find me one!!" Mage said, "Yes my queen!" Ozzie said and ran to get her a new throne. "S... Schala?" Flea asked, slightly scared. "No... Schala is dead. I am Mage!!" Mage said angrily. "Yes, my queen." Flea said, terror on her face. "My queen. The troops wait for you outside." Slash said.
Mage walked out on the balcony. Below her were imps, roleys, henches, diablos, gnashers, nagaettes, trolls, vampire bats, skeletons, jugglers, freelancers, eagletts, and frogs. "You are the weakest, most pitiful creatures I have ever seen. But that too can be remedied." Mage said and placed her hands in the air; black smoke flew from her palms and engulfed the mystic army, when the smoke dissipated, and the mystic army was larger more fearsome beasts, not a weakling among them. "Now come my children. We invade Gaurdia at dawn!!!" Mage said, the mystics cheered. The new Ozzie was much more muscular than the old, he was thinner as well, the new Slash was black, and his blue eyes glowed angrily. Flea had escaped the fort before Mage had changed the mystics. "Now to remodel this ridiculous castle." Mage said. Magus' castle changed form, all of the statues of Magus became statues of Mage, and the entire castle became fearsome beyond all compare.
Schala woke up; a little green creature with a big head was standing next to her... "Your breakfast..." the creature said, handing Schala a plate. "Uh... thank you." Schala said, blinking. The creature walked out and shut the door behind it. Schala lifted the lid on the plate, the smell released from the dish made her gag. There on the plate was a piece of stale moldy bread, and a piece of jerky. Schala devoured the jerky as if it was the greatest food in the world, she gazed wonderingly at the piece of bread, and she sat it to the side and leaned against the wall. "Eat your bread." Slash said from outside. "No... It's disgusting." Schala said, Slash opened the door and walked in... Schala had expected Slash to hit her, but instead he just picked up the plate and said, "Fine... I'll just let you stew in here for a few days, see how good the bread looks then." Slash said.
It had been six days and Schala was starving. Schala suddenly wished that she had eaten the bread, she had eaten all of the wax crumbs off the candles, then the candles, she was out of food and starving. A millipede crawled up the wall; Schala's better judgment was overshadowed by her monstrous appetite. Schala grabbed the large bug and crammed it in her mouth, the taste was horrid, and almost made her throw up, as the pieces moved as she chewed them. But Schala needed food, for ten more days Schala had nothing to eat but cockroaches and millipedes, finally Slash came in and said, "Now... are you ready to eat your bread?" Slash produced what, by the looks of it was the exact same piece of bread from sixteen days ago, like a greedy dog; Schala snatched the green piece of bread and shoved it in her mouth, even the mold tasted better than the bugs. "Now, whenever I tell you to do something, I expect you to do it. Training begins tomorrow. Here are the leftovers." Slash said and placed a bucket of bones with some scraps of meat on them, and bread crusts and such. Schala chewed the last remaining particles of meat off the gnawed bones, she ate the potato peelings and the bread crusts, she piled the bones next to the bed, and she would eat the marrow from them later. (This chapter's really gross isn't it?)
The door opened and Flea walked in, he sat down on the bed next to Schala, trying to remember his exact speech to the child Janus thirteen years ago. Flea reached in his pocket and pulled out four small round blue orbs, he took one and forced it into Schala's mouth. "Now, if you will behave, I won't give you any more!" Flea said angrily. "Why? These taste great!" Schala said enjoying the flavor. "What? You... you like them?" Flea asked surprised. "Yes, they're good." Schala said. "Finally a woman of good taste. I thought I was the only one who liked those. I used to use them for punishment to your little brother, he hated them." Flea said. "Flea, I have been meaning to ask you a question. Okay, if you are a man, then why do you look like you do?" Schala asked. Flea leaned in close, "I'll tell you a secret, but you have to keep it a secret, just between us two." Flea said. Schala nodded, "Okay, you see I really am a woman. I just like screwing with people's heads; even Ozzie and Slash don't know I'm a girl." Flea said, Schala giggled slightly. "I need to ask you a question. Why did you turn Janus into such a monster?" Schala asked. "We didn't. He got a little paler from being in this dark cell all the time, but the eyes, teeth, and ears weren't done by us." Flea said. "What happened then?" Schala asked. "He mastered the black wind." Flea said. "That's impossible." Schala said. "He was gone in his chambers for almost a month, when he reemerged, his aura reeked of dark power, his eyes had taken on a reddish tint, his ears were pointed, his teeth were pointed, his skin was deathly pale... he was... Magus." Flea said. "Anyway I have to go, take some of these." Flea said, putting some of the blue orbs in Schala's hand. Schala stuffed the orbs in her pillowcase and went to sleep.
The next morning Schala woke up with Slash looking over her, "Get up!" Slash said. Schala stood up and went to the window, "It's still dark outside." Schala said. crack! Schala screamed as a whip licked at her, leaving a large cut down her back. "I don't give a damn if the sun's up or not, it's training time!" Slash said angrily. "Yes." Schala said. "Yes, who?" Slash asked. "Yes, Slash." Schala said. "You still left something out." Slash said. "Yes, Lord Slash." Schala said bowing her head. "Good, now let's go." Slash said.
Out in the courtyard, Slash handed Schala a broadsword. Schala put both her hands on the sword; the sword fell downward and clanged on the stones. "I can't use this sword, it's too heavy." Schala said. Crack! another cut appeared down Schala's back. "You'll use that sword and like it!" Slash said, drawing his katana. "Ohh, I see how this works. You give the trainee a sword they can never use so you seem a superior swordsman. What a cowardly thing to do!" Schala said. Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! Schala screamed in pain several times, tears streamed down her face, Slash ran over and knocked her on the face. "I think I'll take some of your freedom away. You are no longer Schala Zeal, you are now Mage. Now what is your name?" Slash asked. "Schala." crack! "Wrong!! What is your name!?!" Slash demanded. "Schala!" Crack! "Wrong!!!! WHAT IS YOUR NAME?!?!?!" "Schala!!!!!" Crack! Crack! Crack! "WRONG!!!! WHAT IS YOUR NAME!!?!?!?!?" "SCHALA!!!!!" Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! "What is your NAME?!?!?" "You bastard!!! I'll never give in, you'll have to kill me!!!!" Schala said. Slash lashed at her again and again with the whip, Schala's robes became a pile of rags, her barley clothed scarred body lay on the ground. "What?!?! Is your name?!?!?" Slash demanded. "Sch.... Mage.... My name... is Mage." Schala said, she passed out of exhaustion.
Four long years passed, Schala (Now Mage) was the mystics' personal whipping girl, she was brainwashed, and learned to fear the whip. But Mage was gradually growing stronger in magic. One day Mage sat in her room, her body was covered in scars, and she was becoming pale from lack of sun. Her blue hair was becoming slightly whiter, but one day suddenly the room she was in, turned to darkness, a wind spinning around. "Who are you?" Mage asked the darkness. "We are everything, and nothing at all. We are the creator, and the created. We are death, we are life. We are the black wind." a voice from nowhere came. "But Janus mastered you." Mage said. "No! Janus gained use of us, but he did not master us. Only the greatest magic user in the world can master us." the black wind replied. "So why have you contacted me?" Mage asked. "We have come to offer you power beyond your dreams. Enough to control those pitiful whelps who whip you each day." The black wind said. "And what would you get from it?" Mage asked. "Your soul." The black wind replied. "I don't agree. I would never give my soul." Mage said. "Then we shall take it!!" the black wind said, suddenly the breeze around Mage turned into a maelstrom. Mage felt as though her body was being torn apart by the gale, suddenly her pendant began to glow... the black wind drew back. "That pendant... How is it that you have it?" the black wind asked. "You should know, you are all knowing. All I know, is that I can defeat you now." Mage said smiling. The black wind drew back, "Your aura... You know lunar magic!" the black wind howled. Mage's evil smile got even larger. "Yes, I do! Luminaire!!!" Mage shouted, a gigantic dome of light appeared all around Mage, the black wind gave a painful howl, when the spell dissipated it asked. "Who... Who are you?!?!" "My name is Mage, but you can call me... master." Mage said and began to laugh evilly.
"What are you daydreaming about girl!!" Slash said, slapping Mage's unmoving body. Mage's eyes, opened, but they weren't green, they were blood red, her ears were pointed, and two razor sharp fangs protruded from her mouth. "What the? What's going on Mage?" Slash asked. "Simple... I control the black wind." Mage replied, levitating towards a very frightened Slash. "What... What are you going to do to me?" Slash asked, fear in his yellow eyes. "I will do nothing, as long as you obey. You will raise the largest army you can find, tell Ozzie and Flea, that they have a new leader. Do this or I shall turn you into a fly and place you in a spider's web." Mage said angrily. "Y... Yes my queen!" Slash said and ran down the hall. Mage floated out to the throne room. "Is what Slash said true? Did you truly master the black wind?" Ozzie asked. "No... I did not master it... I control the black wind... I AM the black wind." Mage said angrily. "I require a new throne. Now go find me one!!" Mage said, "Yes my queen!" Ozzie said and ran to get her a new throne. "S... Schala?" Flea asked, slightly scared. "No... Schala is dead. I am Mage!!" Mage said angrily. "Yes, my queen." Flea said, terror on her face. "My queen. The troops wait for you outside." Slash said.
Mage walked out on the balcony. Below her were imps, roleys, henches, diablos, gnashers, nagaettes, trolls, vampire bats, skeletons, jugglers, freelancers, eagletts, and frogs. "You are the weakest, most pitiful creatures I have ever seen. But that too can be remedied." Mage said and placed her hands in the air; black smoke flew from her palms and engulfed the mystic army, when the smoke dissipated, and the mystic army was larger more fearsome beasts, not a weakling among them. "Now come my children. We invade Gaurdia at dawn!!!" Mage said, the mystics cheered. The new Ozzie was much more muscular than the old, he was thinner as well, the new Slash was black, and his blue eyes glowed angrily. Flea had escaped the fort before Mage had changed the mystics. "Now to remodel this ridiculous castle." Mage said. Magus' castle changed form, all of the statues of Magus became statues of Mage, and the entire castle became fearsome beyond all compare.