Regrets...

I woke up on the other side of the hill, covered in mud. Standing up I looked around and noticed the sun rising.

I passed out?!

I pushed my body too far; my aura was probably the only thing that was keeping me from not collapsing sooner.

Shit! Should I have told Circe? Was I truly being selfless? Or was it my pride?

Now fully recharged I charged towards the village at breakneck speeds; chunks of mud flew off as I ran. Arriving at home, I knocked on the door waiting for a response. He opens the unlocked door and searches the house, yelling his siblings’ names.

Living room, empty and destroyed like a wind sprite went through it.

Bedroom empty, soot and a giant hole in the wall.

I ran to the garden where Circe works.

Nothing.

I did the same to Corbans work, still nothing. Asking all around town, no one saw them since yesterday. So, I went back home.

Was it the lady? Impossible, she lived here before we arrived…

Did they go to the city? No, it's three days away, they would have told me…

Was it…

No…

No…

NO…

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!”

-

Rage, regret, fear, all conquered his mind. The sun seemed like it disappeared. Shooting a chill up the whole village’s spine, his intense presence made ground started to crack beneath Damian. His aura grew and density, causing his house to shift and bend.

Walking into Circe’s and Corban’s room, he finds the herbology book Circe is always glued into. Damian's last hope was the town's mage. He walks to the small shop she runs; it's filled with grimoires, rings, necklaces and other magic items.

-

I forcefully make the door swing open, radiating a black aura. Other customers stare in fear, then ran out the door. Slowly walking up to the mage, I slammed the book on the counter where she was standing behind.

“Find her.”

I kept eye contact, making sure she knew that taking her time would lead to major consequences.

She looked down at the book, and picked it up, hands shaking.

“I can use a location spell… using something sh-she cares about o-or has an emotional connection to…”

“I don’t care what you do, find… her…”

My aura grew again in size and strength almost making the mage fall over. She started saying words that I never heard of, as she spoke the book started glowing a green colour. She sighed in relief.

“She's okay, and I'm sure Corban is too—“

I slammed my fist on the counter one last time, putting a hole through it.

Yes, I was relieved too. I wasn’t angry at her, but of myself, she shouldn’t be the one making sure they're safe, it should be me. I wanted to know exactly where they were, but my rage took over my voice.

“I don’t think I made myself clear, I said, find—“

“Damian, I understand how much they mean to you, but you can’t charge in here and—“

“DON’T PATRONISE ME, you have no clue what I’m going through.”

The mage lowers her guard and saw through my rageful barrier.

“I can only sense her aura, and she's quite far from here, I'm not powerful enough to pinpoint her location.”

I grinded my teeth and ripped the book out of her hands.

“Useless,”

I said walking out.

“Athens…”

The mage called out ignoring the insult.

I spun around.

“What?”

“There's a mage, much stronger in Athens, it's pretty close since they supply us with food and goods.”

I looked back heading out the door but bumped into Ritza.

“What do you want Ritza?”

I looked up and saw a depressed look on his face.

“I’m sorry…”

Frowning, I noticed bite marks across his body from some sort of large monster.

“There were monsters… and I couldn’t stop them… They took… I don’t know where they are… I am a disgrace…”

Noticing how much this hurt Ritza, I stayed silent and pushed him out of the way. Ritza is no high-class warrior.

But that doesn't mean he’s weak, whatever took Circe and Corban knew I could defeat them.

“Wait! Take this at least.”

Ritza desperately said, holding out a sword.

It had an oak handle with leather padding, and a silver and platinum hilt. The pommel was diamond shaped, and the hilt had a triangle design in the middle, with the cross guard slightly pointed down, but not enough to touch the hand, and curved up at the end as well.

“It's laminated steel, I have been working on this blade for a while now, I was making it for my son, but I think it will be put to better use with you.”

“I don’t use swords.”

“You might! Just take it, I want to help you…”

I stared at the blade; it was much better than any sword I ever created. Surrendering, I took the blade and tied it around my back with some leather Ritza also gave me. I turned to the approximate direction of where Athens was and got into a running stance.

“Godspeed, and may the Gods bless your sword with power to defeat your enemies.” As Ritza ended his prayer, I bolted to the city.

A walking pace would take three days to arrive, running two days. I needed to get there at least in one day, the longer I take the more of a risk I’m putting on Circe and Corban.

Please stay strong.

I don’t think I can live without you guys…

With each stride, my feet struck the ground launching me forward. I should be able to reach Athens in less than a day if I maintain my speed.

Only if my aura doesn't run out.

Right now, I'm using my aura to propel myself forward from my feet. I don’t know how much aura I have or how to check.

And just recently I found out what happens if you use up all your aura.

I passed through trees, bushes, mud, since it was the most direct path.

“Help! Please!”

A young sounding girl screamed.

I came to a stop pointing my head towards the noise. The girl screamed again; I looked back towards Athens.

Dammit!

Should I help? Would helping her be the reason why I couldn’t find Circe or Corban in time?

But…

“AHH, PLEASE NO”

She yelled even louder.

-

“Did you tie her up yet?”

A small human rogue questioned an archer.

“Can you have some patience please?”

A small party of a rogue, archer, and two mages had a campfire, and a young half elf tied up on a tree. One of the mages was a woman, the rest were men.

“Okay okay, I don’t know if I can control myself anymore, ha-ha.”

The half elf started crying, she was no older than thirteen. Right after the whole party started laughing but was interrupted by a cold wind.

“Woah, you guys felt that?”

Asked the male mage.

Air turning cold which turned into fear. The mage felt a presence that made his heart drop, it was like an ice spell was used on him, frozen in place. Slowly he turned his head and saw a horrible monster, standing on two legs it stared with eyes that lead to hell. It grabbed his throat and held the mage up into the air. Before the other party members noticed, the mage disappeared without a trace.

“What did you say Augi?”

The other mage replied, she looked up and around, no sight of him.

“Augi? Augi!?”

“What is it?” Asked the rogue.

“Augi’s missing.”

“Can’t you check where he is with magic or something’ he's probably getting wood anyway.”

The mage closed her eyes and said some words. Her eyes opened, face as she saw a ghost, and tears. She looked up to the rogue and started shaking in fear.

“Yo, are you okay? Where's Augi?”

A cold breath touched the rogue's hair, as he turned behind him, the same monster appeared.

“Such a waste of space.”

Grabbing the rogue's neck the monster threw the body into the woods.

Right after, arrows flew out of a tree cutting the air, and landing into the beast's shoulder and legs making it kneel. Anger flowed out of the monster's pores and leaped at the trunk of the tree knocking it over.

The archer jumped out and hid in another tree.

“Ha! It will take a lot more to kill m—“

Almost instantly the monster struck the archer in the stomach causing him to go limp as he fell out of the tree. Landing on the group the monster stared deep into the mage’s eyes, she ran away. As the monster approaches the half elf she yelled.

“AH! NO! PLEASE DON’T HURT ME!”

The monster stepped back.

-

A suppressed memory shot back up into my head.

I was standing above my childhood friend; she was attacked by a gang of students. I protected her, well... so I thought.

-

“Hey, are you okay?”

“Wha- are they dead?”

“Hm? No, they just got what they deserved.”

I chuckled a bit.

“They're bleeding! What did you do Damian?! You always go too far!”

“What? But you're safe? That doesn’t make sense, why are you mad at me?”

“If you think you did nothing wrong, you are just like them!”

-

I did it again…

I walked behind the girl where the ropes were tied, and pulled out the sword Ritza gave me. The ropes snapped apart like butter, releasing the girl. She untangled herself and ran away, not looking back. I turned to look at the massacre I created, I made sure not to kill them, they didn’t deserve to die because of my rage.

I’m sorry.

Corban, please don’t become like me.

A monster…