Sorry for the delay, but I really wanted this one to be a big turning point for Character Development. I got some suggestion of making the story have a dark turn, and I think this will be a really good turning point for this story, as you'll notice this chapter is quite a bit longer than the others soo yeah (:
Suggestions are appreciated!
It was mid-day, Kyra had an early breakfast on Irving's request so they could start some "Hardcore" training, or at least that's how Kyra would put it. They we're in the library and she was sparing with Elven Mage, Eadric.
Eadric had been introduced to Kyra by Petra, hoping that Kyra and him would become friends. And they did, they went to the library together after Dinner a few times and compared their favorite books, they had quite a bit in common. Irving had paired them up for her training as well.
He shot a Bolt directly her way and she instinctively held up her hand and blocked it with an Arcane shield.
Irving clapped and walked towards her, "Never in my life have I seen such a young Mage be so... talented. You picked that up instantly, and just from reading! Did you practice when you lived with your Mother?" She smiled and wiped the sweat from her brow, "No, she had forbidden me from practicing magic at all, she wanted to be cautious of any chance of being discovered. So close to everyday I snuck away from the house with Manic and well... trained myself. I didn't really know how I did it or anything, it just seemed so... natural."
"Well you have a tremendous gift my child, I knew it the moment we met. Now I don't ever suggest this to new Apprentices but you're an exeption, can you demonstrate some Primal magic for me? I expect you've read about it as well."
She nodded and turned to Eadric, she wanted to impress him, make Irving feel proud. "Ready?" she shouted. "Let it at me!" He shouted back, smirking. She nodded and closed her eyes, she searched for it inside herself, raw energy, she cradled it in her mind, like a child, and let it grow, and every so naturally, she shot it out, giving birth.
A blazing fire ball roared it's way across the hall of books and hit Eadric's shield, making a sound like thunder. Eadric stumbled backwards into the bookshelf, and Irving's mouth was gaping.
"Kyra... that was amazing!" Eadric shouted from across the room. Everyone was just staring at her, even other trainees had stopped to look at her. "Wow, what a little tank..." she turned around and saw the supervising Templar, a little shocked to see she heard him, "Thanks", She grinned wider, she was loving the praise she was getting for her talents.
Another nice change, this place was everything she needed.
Hours later after training, Kyra sat at Irving's desk for the second time today. He walked around her chair, "You keep this up and sooner or later you'll be replacing me! You've done a tremendous job my child, it's about Dinner time and I hear the cook whipped up some Beef Stroganoff." he smiled and rubbed his stomach as he sat in his chair.
"Thank-you First Enchanter." she grabbed her fresh stack of books off his desk. "See me tomorrow in the Training room near the Templar Quarters, I have a special lesson for you." She smiled, "Okay, have a good evening First Enchanter." she gave a quick bow and turned to briskly walk out the door. "And you as well child."
She had gotten very used to the Circle, it had been 7 days and she was learning so much about Magic, she never had access to so much knowledge before. Her mother told Kyra that her Magic was a cruse from the Maker, but Kyra always knew it wasn't like that. She felt it was more of a gift, to have so much at your fingertips.
She flew down the flight of stairs all the way to the Mess Hall. She walked into the room and the scent of food enraptured her, and she took her usual seat at the last table.
There we're only a two other Apprentice's, a boy and a girl, about her age at the table opposite from her, It's a little early, maybe Irving's timing was a bit off. She decided to wait for Petra and Eadric before getting her food. She liked having friends slightly older than her, kids her age we're usually reckless and immature, at least in the Tower they we're.
She sat her books down on the table and opened one of them in front of her, it was titled The Arcane Arts: Primal Senses. She sat there, completely at ease... for the moment. The other two in the room we're eating and whispering to each other, Wait, was that my name?
"Yeah, behind us." The girl whispered to the other. "OH that girl! She some kind of freak, she doesn't take real classes with the rest of us." "I've noticed, AND I've heard that she almost killed Eadric during a training session!" "Seriously? I've also heard something about her and that Templar Cullen. Something about them getting together after hours." "Ew, shes our age and... already?" They continuted to whisper but Kyra tuned it out.
At first Kyra was a little disappointed, Wow... I didn't think other Mages would be judgmental against... well other Mages. I thought they'd understand.
Then it turned into resentment, like some one force-fed her a shot of homesickness, Well what did you expect Kyra? This to be a sanctuary? No, Mother was probably right, no wonder she tried so hard to hide me.
Then came the anger, uncontrollable anger, How dare they! I'm am no different from them! What right do they have to judge me? Absolutely none!
Her fists we're clenched and shaking, she felt a drop of sweat run down her cheek. I'm not taking this abuse, I NEVER will. She slammed her fist on the table got up and stomped quickly over to the two Mages, they looked at her wide eyed, not knowing what she was doing.
She stood in front of them, with hate in her eyes, "I'm a freak? Really? Let's see how normal you are after I rearrange your sodding face!" she said with disgust, and WHAM.
She uppercut the boy on the right, knocking him out as he slumped to the floor, the girl gasped and stood up. Before she could get away Kyra grabbed her by the shirt and threw her on the ground, she put a foot on either side of her and looked at her from a birds eye angle, the girl was covering her face with both hands and rocking a bit.
"Please! I'm sorry I didn't mean it!" she pleaded. "Well then you shouldn't have said it.", and she kicked the girl in the stomach, and again, and again, she kept going, no longer having control of her anger.
The girl choked and screamed, but Kyra was somewhere else, she couldn't stop. She kicked her again, and again, and again. Eventually something cold and hard roughly grabbed her by the arm and dragged her away from the crying girl on the floor. She turned, a Templar doing rounds in the hall apparently heard the girls pleading, and had come to her rescue.
"What in the void do you think you're doing?" he asked, bluntly. "I-..." she faltered. She didn't know why she became so angry, It just kind of... took over? She could explain it, she just stood there mouth gaping. "Nothing to say huh? Good."
He tugged her arm towards the door. Hard. She winced a little but he didn't care, he dragged her out to the hall and up the stairs.
On the way way up they past the group of Mages she was waiting for in the first place, Eadric and Petra near the front conveniently. The Templar roughly pulled her to the side so the horde go the opposite way. Everyone looked at her, she hung her head. Then Petra and Eadric pushed their way over to her, all wide eyed.
"What's going on Kyra?" Eadric asked first seeming confused and worried.
"It is none of your bussiness Mage, now when you get to the Mess Hall take care of the Injured." the Templar blurted out when Kyra opened her mouth. Petra scoffed, "What Injured? Kyra wouldn't have anything to do with this." The rest of the group had past so her once again tugged her arm up the stairs and dragged her up. "I'll get you out of this Kyra! I'll see what I can do!" Petra called from behind.
Kyra was a bit septic of that, she was even disgusted at what she'd done. You're stronger than that Kyra! You should have had more control... she scolded herself all the way up to Irving's office. The Templar pulled her through the door way, and just for Kyra's personal gain, Irving was chatting with Greagoir, Bran, and Cullen near his desk. Son of a bitch... she thought, she hung head head again.
Irving turned when he saw them approaching, turning protective. "What is the meaning of this?" he asked with sternness. "Now now, Irving, what is it Recruit?" Greagoir stepped in, and over to them.
"I was doing rounds in the hall Knight-Commander, I heard screaming in the Mess Hall and saw this one..." he gestured to Kyra "Beating on two Mages.." At first everyone was silent, then Cullen stepped over.
"That's not true, what happened Kyra?" Irving defended her as well, "She wouldn't do something like th-" she cut him off, not wanting to wrongly deceive anyone. "No First Enchanter, Cullen, I did do it."
Irving looked confused, and Cullen's eyebrows furrowed, but no one said anything. She sighed, knowing that she should do the right thing, "I'm serious, they we're uh... it doesn't matter what they did. I hurt them." she confessed.
"What was their condition Recruit?" asked Greagoir. "The boy was knocked out, but the girl? Well... she was coughing up blood from being kicked, wouldn't be surprised if she had a broken rib either."
Again no one said anything, then Greagoir decided to once again, "Well if no one else is going to anything, Recruit you take her to the Private Quarters on the second floor, near the library and watch her for the night. Once we're finished here Cullen you will take post outside the room." "Yes Knight-Commander." the recruit said immediately.
Greagoir nodded and turned to Cullen. "Well..?" He asked. Cullen sighed and looked to his feet, then nodded. Kyra got this feeling in her gut. It was horrid, she knew Cullen was disappointed.
Irving had turned around to his desk and put his hands on them and had hung his head, but hadn't said anything the whole time. She wanted to say sorry, but before she could the Recruit had roughly tugged her around and out the door.
Her eyes watered, Whats wrong with me? I let two degenerates get to me with their petty gossip and look where I am now... "OW!" she snapped. His gauntlets had cut into her arm, "Mind having some mercy on my sodding arm?" "Shut up bitch, you'll get yours." she scoffed at the statement, but kept her mouth shut.
She also noticed how close he was to her, practically rubbing up against her back. It was uncomfortable, but she gulped it down. She saw her quarters at the end of the hall, and the Recruit had quicken his pace, unsure what was going on in his head, she had to keep at his pace.
Once he reached over to open the door with one hand, she thought he would let her arm go once inside and just tell her to get to bed, though she was not eager to have a Templar watch her sleep. But instead, he flung it open and abruptly pushed her in, she fell on her hands and knees, her heart pace quickened and her eyes went wide, What in the void was that about?
She got up slowly and she heard the door click behind her. "Well, we got about 10 minutes before Cullen gets here," she turned around, her heart was going a million miles an hour, then he turned to face her, "So we're gonna be quick, you are gonna cooperate, don't fight. And if you tell anyone, I'll get you hurt, that I can promise."
She backed away from him shaking her head, she new exactly what he was taking about, but she wasn't paying attention to where she was walking and tripped over the side of the bed and fell onto it.
"Eager to get started I see." he said coldly. He reached up and took off his helmet, and goddam he was handsome. Brown curly hair, emerald eyes, a nice stubble and a formed chin.
But she didn't pay attention it his face, terror was all she felt now. She felt like she should scream but she was frozen, fear does that to you. He slowly walked over with a devilish grin, and as if her eyes couldn't get any wider. Idiot! You'll get raped if you don't do anything! Get up!
She obeyed herself and shot up and off the bed, panicked, she looked around for something to throw at him. He wagged his finger at her, "Uh uh uhhh."
She reached for a particularly hard looking book beside the bed, but was interrupted by the Recruit abruptly pushing her back onto the bed, and climbing over and onto her, Don't let this happen, Kyra you can get out of this. Fight Kyra Fight. She gained control of her hand and attempted to punch him, but he caught her hand and pinned it above her head, she was laying on her other hand.
She wiggled and squirmed, tears falling from her eyes, he put his lips to behind her ears and ran them down her neck. "P-pleaase! Stop , I don't wanna! I don't wanna..." is all she could manage over her choking on her tears. "Shhhh...it's alright..." Is all he replied.
She just repeated it over and over, silently to herself. "I don't wanna, I don't wanna..." she tried as best she could and successfully removed her hand from underneath her, she balled it up and socked him right in the jaw, she heard it crack.
"AH! Why you little.." He grabbed her other hand forcefully and held it with her other hand in his same gauntlet. He sat up on her stomach looking down on her. It was hard for her to breathe, his weight combined with her incessant crying.
She choked, and he ran his gauntlet fingertips down her chest, he found a small hole near her breasts, probably snagged from his armor. Her eyes we're closed and she was desperately gasping for breath, she couldn't control her crying. Her eyes burst open when she heard a large RIP. She looked down and saw he had ripped her robe from the neckline down to her navel.
That triggered it.
She let out a bloodcurdling scream. She didn't even know she could scream like that. The recruit looked stunned and covered her mouth, letting go of her hands she started clawing at his face. "Stop it you insolent litt-" she turned her head as she heard the door hinges break as the door whammed open. Cullen ran over to the bed, eyes on fire. He grabbed the Recruit by his neck and pulled him up, motioning her to roll off the bed, she obeyed.
She laid there on her hands and knees, coughing and heaving, everything she should have heard was dulled out, she was so out of breath her scenes we're dulled out, she felt like her head was going to split open, that scream didn't help her head at all.
She finally looked up and over at the bed, Cullen was beating the shit out of him. Blood dripped off his gauntlet and that handsome face, well, didn't look like a face at all anymore, he was pummeling him, like when she was kicking that girl. All that was in his eyes was blind rage, just one punch after another, he wouldn't stop.
She didn't want to be there, No, I don't wanna... She put in all her strength and held onto a bookshelf she swayed on her feet, unstable, but was able to walk slowly.
Her legs were cut up by his Armour, and bruises lined around her wrists, but she felt no pain. Everything was still dull, she could barely hear, or even see. She just stumbled out of the room holding her robe together as best as she could, and down the hall she wen't, with no destination in mind.