Kai sat in darkness inside the iron prison wagon. A small amount of light shined through the slanted air flow openings on either side of the cart. The cracks around the door let in the rest of the light, but it only emphasized the darkness that Kai was in. Kai shivered slightly, though not as much as he should have. His body still ached from what the inquisitor had done to him. Kai's head lay limp against the solid metal that stood between him and the inquisitor. He had no idea how long it had been, but he thought that it had to have been weeks. Kai had lost track of the days since he had woken. Kai had counted to five days twice, but bouts of apathy had led him to stop counting both times.
Regardless, he had not been let out since he woke up in his mobile prison. A bucket was tied next to the door to take care of some needs. Kai was given food and water twice a day. He was miserable, and just now getting over the shock of what had happened to him. During the first couple of days Kai had gone between furiously yelling and weeping. Now he felt numb acceptance of his situation. He was trapped.
Kai had not gotten many words from the inquisitor. His lone companion did not like to talk. However, Kai thought that today was different. He knew that they had gone through a city yesterday. The noise had echoed so loudly within his cart that he had not been able to sleep. He had peeked out through the slates in his cage desperate for help or even just a break from the horrendous monotony. It had been a shocking experience. Kai had never seen so many people, and all the buildings had been made of stone.
'Stone! It seemed so heavy. How could the buildings not fall down?'
Kai had still not come up with an answer. During the visit to the city Kai had been left on the street while the inquisitor visited a building covered with flags. Three men had come to stand next to the cart, and they had seemed friendly. They had been joking amongst themselves and two were comparing their experiences with their newborns. But, as soon as Kai spoke they went silent and completely ignored him. From the looks that Kai was able to get they seemed to be afraid of him.
'Why would they be afraid of me?'
That fear confused Kai even more than the rest of the situation. Kai did not understand what could make people so afraid of him. The only thing he knew was that it had something to do with Ravens. Although Kai did not feel like a bird, it had felt like he was flying when he tried to attack the inquisitor.
"Boy, are you awake?" The inquisitor spoke suddenly in a hushed voice.
The words shocked Kai. It was the first time that the inquisitor had spoken without being prompted, and usually the inquisitor just told Kai to be quiet. "I am awake."
'Finally, you decide to speak. That can't be good.'
"Good, we are arriving soon. You should know what you are when you arrive. Do not interrupt me. I am not required to tell you anything, but I was also not required to keep you locked in that cage like I have. In these days I cannot be too careful." The inquisitor whispered the last statement to himself, but Kai was so starved for any interaction that he heard it clearly.
"You are an Ocular. There are three kinds of Oculars: Ravens, Owls, and Eagles. They are separated by their abilities. Ravens had reaction speeds beyond everyone else, Owls can see flawlessly in the dark, and Eagles can see extremely far. You are a raven. You are both the rarest and the most dangerous." Kai hung on every word that the inquisitor said, even though it was delivered with the passion of one of the religious pamphlets that Kai had to read on feast days.
"I can move fast? How does that make me so dangerous?"
"No, it is not that you can move fast. I can move fast. You can move fast while maintaining awareness. That is what makes you dangerous."
A thought occurred to Kai that horrified him. "Am I a Magus?"
"Boy, you are not a Magus. I am a Magus. I sacrificed my eyes so that I could serve the Empire. You are an Ocular. You can do everything that a Magus can do, but you are not tied to only one element as I am. You can use them all, and you do not need to sacrifice your eyes to use them. That is why you cannot be free. You are too dangerous." Passion filled the inquisitors voice. It was the first emotion that Kai had heard from him and it sounded like hate.
"I don't want to be dangerous." Kai shrunk in on himself as he spoke.
'A Magus thinks that I'm dangerous?'
"Yet you are. Don't be afraid. The Empire will not let you become a monster to its people. You will serve the Empire under close watch. Think on what I have said. We will arrive at your school tonight." The inquisitor paused before continuing.
"I have not sought to treat you cruelly. I have only followed regulation and taken the necessary precautions for the current situation. I am getting married in a few months and I want to live long enough to be there."
'Does he really think that I could kill him?'
Kai chose not to ask his question and let the conversation die. Curling into a ball, Kai stared at his dirty hands in the dim light of his cage. After the conversation it seemed to grow even smaller. Kai thought about the power that the inquisitor said that he had. He did not want to be dangerous, but he also did not want to be a prisoner. One thing that the inquisitor had said bounced around in his head.
'You cannot be free. You are too dangerous. If I am so dangerous, then why am I not free? How can I be dangerous and weak?'