Grand Mage

“As I would ever call you a grand mage, you might have done impossible things, but that title is only for the highest mages; even I would struggle to get something like that.”

The girl just sighed out, “Call me… I don't know anymore! Just use Ino.”

“Where did you think of that, Ino?” Sorin tapped the table once, a metallic hum erupting from his side.

Ino just took a deep breath. “Ino is my late, late, late, late, late. grandmother's name.”

“Just how late are we going? Also, why does the name sound familiar? Have we met before.”

Ino just erupted in laughter, then continued, “It's because my grandma is taught in your history classes. Shes of the five mega powerful people in Acluraria. That's her biggest embarrassment for sure, not being so strong that she wasn't number one, though.”

“Being one of the five pillars of Acluraria is one of the best titles you can get! How would that even be an embarrassment?” Sorin was perplexed; nobody ever took that title without pride, but this girl is admitting that the most historic title is an embarrassment. “Even as a hero, I won't reach that title, and the fact that's your late.. However, many times, it would explain your own amazing power as staffless magic.” Then it clicked.

For someone to be powerful enough to do staffless magic, relating to the five pillars would be an obvious first choice, but to carry on that power and even grow it further, it would span generations.

“Ino. Is the reason you want to continue your bloodline with me because I have all four attributes and an incredible magic capacity?”

She just nodded shyly before lowering her head. “It's a bloodline tradition that spanned from her death; we were told to find the strongest mage and do whatever it takes to get them to continue our immense bloodline. I possess staffless magic and also 3 attributes and countless knowledge that your crappy mages tried to remove.”

Sorin stood up quickly; the shock in his eyes widening was evident. “What do you mean by knowledge that was forbidden? There's no way something like that is happening right under every mage's eyes.”

“It's not like it matters to anyone because they don't know the existence of such knowledge or what has been taken from them; only my bloodline even knows of its existence, and now you're the first outsider in what must be hundreds of years.” Her casual tone did not match the situation.

So now I know about a secret plot to remove magic in the world. I'm talking to the person who framed me and now wants to continue her bloodline with me. This really is a surreal day, but I should take this opportunity despite her craziness.

Sorin paced around the room. “Let's say I team up with you. Will you teach me such knowledge? And if I do decide to continue the bloodline with you, there has to be more to this since you got contracted by someone. Meaning that we have to do something.” his eyes set onto Ino, his expression trying to read the subtle movements.

Ino nodded her head, “I will teach you all there is that I know, but you will have to help my client, and then after that we can finally continue my bloodline tradition. And there is more in it for you than you think!”

“Like what?” Sorin slowed himself down, taking in the next words seriously

Ino smugly grinned. “You're going to be known as a hero again! We're going to bring you back to fame.” The flicker of hesitation towards the end made Sorin slightly unsettled.

“A hero at this stage, that wouldn't be possible. Considering all I got accused of and even escaped my execution stage.”

Ino sighed; clearly, Sorin is beyond hope in her eyes. “That's not being a hero; you are just a hero in name for one part of a huge world. Is that a hero? You are going to become a real hero. For both the east and the west.”

“Why would I help the east? I'm not going to that place. They have been killed.” He took a deep breath, however, thinking it over. “I do want to be a hero, you're right. But not just in name.”

We got ambushed by the East. Then this girl came to frame me, and now she's telling me I will be a hero for both the west and east. This means she is somehow connected to the east if she is trying to help them? I'm really in a dangerous place now. Though she's implying I also save the west… This sounds impossible to be a saviour on both sides unless.

“You want me to end the war.” He spoke louder now with a gaze of fire.

Ino laughed out before a sharp nod echoed around the room. “That's exactly the end goal here! You're going to end the war. I mean it's only right that a hero would.” Then she muttered under her breath, “since you are the reason it even began…”

A thick silence spread across the room for what seemed a whole minute before Ino began to talk again after taking a couple of breaths.

“Let's do this. You're going to join me down here in the lawless center. I already have another coworker, and together we will begin the deconstruction of the corrupt west as much as we can.”

Sorin thought about it for a minute, then replied, “Pride perhaps would work the best. I mean every mage takes pride in what they are, and the commoners all wish to be mages, but the innate nature of our ability is sadly true. So you want to put commoners at the same level as mages?”

“Not just that. I want commoners to stop being called commoners! Why are mages and commoners even separate names when they are both human? Shouldn't commoners also have some say in things?"

Sorin just raised his face nearly into a chuckle. “You yourself refer to them as commoners… such a hypocrite.”

Ino stood up from the chair in a jolt. Face flushed with annoyance, “They don't have a new name yet! Once we're done, I will stop… idiot.” She took a deeper breath. “Rest here tonight; first thing tomorrow we go to the surface again. I will come up with something,” she pointed towards the bed.

“Are you implying we sleep together…” Sorin backed away towards the entrance of her home.

Ino just sighed deeper. “I'm saying that you sleep on the bed; I can get any place I want. Don't get your hopes up for getting a woman of my power into bed so easily!” she brushed Sorin out of her own home, laughing to herself before jumping off the elevated metallic platform to the city below.

She's really insane… Whatever, she's right; however, I should get some rest, otherwise tomorrow I will be useless. And truthfully, I can't really have anyone else other than Mira to rely on. I do hope she's ok, that they have not accused her of raising me as a traitor.

The memories of her flooded in.

She isn't like me; she would even be caught if she were a real traitor. Who am I worrying about?

Moving towards the bed, Sorin lay down. His body slumped into the somewhat soft mattress; his eyes were already dropping. Until he faded in mere seconds.