{A Powerful Stranger's POV}
WHOOOOOSH!!!
The sweeping winds roared on past a speeding figure as the land and sky blobbed into mush, the landmarks and heavens above now just swirls of blue and green that molded together.
A huge blue and yellow bird zoomed through the skies, unnoticed by even the most trained of eyes.
A figure cloaked in a grey robe sat atop the bird sat patiently, his eyes closed with a devastating aura contained, silently brewing within.
SQUWAAAAA!
The bird cried out as it began to circle and descend below.
With his eyes still closed, the man parted his lips to speak, sinister energy oozing out with each syllable, "We... have finally arrived."
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{Meanwhile... On the Outskirts of Town}
Under the night sky, a large wooden house stood tall.
The house illuminated the grass fields surrounding it with its bright, soft milky brown interior lights, piercing through the cloak of shadows attempting to plague the surrounding land.
Inside this building, near the entrance, were 3 figures.
Near most to the front of the door lay an unconscious-cloaked body, a puddle of blood seeping from out of him and slowly spreading across the wooden floor.
Next to this body was his cloaked companion, a boy who glared at the man across from him, rage blazing in his bright yet weary topaz eyes.
The man across from him wore a white buttoned shirt with black pants and had a muscular physique, a dangerous energy swirled around him.
A smug smile hung on his face, "now then," subtle winds trickled through the air as if warning Oz to behave, "Let's finish our conversation."
Oz grit his teeth in frustration, 'Fuk! How did this bastard know?' he glanced at the unconscious boy whose body was still seeping blood, 'did this kid sell me out? But, then, why would he-'
The man interrupted him, leaning back in the old creaky wooden chair, "if you're wondering how I found you, worry not." The two locked eyes, one of hate and one mere amusement, "I just knew, heheh."
With a snap of his fingers, Zee's body was gently lifted into the air as a small gust blew from underneath him.
"You-" Oz growled at the man.
"Relax, Oz." with that, the man snapped once more, directing the winds as they carried Zee's body, which continued to slowly drip, right next to him.
Oz's eyes widened at the sight as he quickly stood up, "What are you-"
"Relax." the man shushed, his fingers rose to his lips in a 'hush' motion, "Your friend needs treatment, does he not? And what's to worry? You've both passed the test."
Oz's mind was racing, and questions spun around in his mind, 'who, what, test??'
"Ask away." the man chuckled as if reading the boy's mind.
'Fuk.' Oz squeezed his fist, 'I haven't felt this powerless... since the Dung Den.'
Oz slowly breathed out, calming his breath before speaking, "Fine, what do you want?"
A smile rose on the man's face as he leaned back wooden chair, "Not a bad first question, indeed."
The sound of the creaky chair whirring back and forth in a hypnotic cadence was the sole sound as Oz awaited the man's reply.
"Hmmm." the man put his hand on his chin as he leaned back, "First, I'd like to clear a misunderstanding on my part."
Oz's eyebrow rose, 'Oh?'
"You see the man continued," with a cheery smile on his face, the floating lantern basking his face in a holy glow, "I have no intent to return you to the Dung Den, dear boy."
Oz peeled his eyes as the man continued, "But you may be wondering what I want, hehe."
The man leaned forward on his chair, his lighthearted, smiley facade erased without a trace, "I would like you to enter the Academy."
'The fuk?' Oz's mind was racing, yet he held his composure and asked, "all this to enroll me in some school?"
The man softly chuckled nervously while rubbing the back of his head, running his fingers over his slick brown hair.
"And if anything," Oz continued, "ain't I already expelled?"
"Aren't." the man replied with a blank face.
"Huh?" Oz asked back, puzzled.
"You said ain't, its aren't. Nevermind, seems the Dung Den wore off on you a bit. We'll get that fixed." the man spoke enthusiastically as if Oz had already agreed.
'Wut the fuk is up with this guy?' Oz wondered in his mind, 'Is he retarded?'
"Anyways" the boy tried to steer the conversation back to the topic at hand.
"Ahh, yes, yes!" the man snapped his fingers as if reminding himself to stay on topic, "That was only from the preliminary class."
"Preliminary class?" Oz asked.
The man nodded his head, "Basically to weed out those not fit to join the main school, and I would like to enroll you as it starts soon."
Oz peeled his eyes once more.
After having gone through what he did at the Dung Den, he knew better than to trust someone who claimed to be doing something for him out of the kindness of his heart, and so he asked, "What do you get out of this?"
The man's lips smiled, yet his eyes stayed the same, "To be your sponsor."
Oz's eyes widened, "Sponsor?"
"Yes," the man nodded his head, "Basically, I get you in on recommendation, and you become part of my house."
"Your house?" Oz was suspicious of this man.
"Yes, once you graduate, you serve with my family and will have access to our wealth, but you must remain loyal to us." the man grinned like he was making a great offer.
Yet, Oz didn't trust it one bit, 'He's making these offers to me when I'm basically too powerless to do anything.'
Oz peeled his eyes, observing the man and feeling the subtle aura that leaked from him, 'He could probably kill me right now, and I wouldn't even be able to blink.'
CREEEAK
CREEEAK
The creaking chair filled the silent air as the man patiently awaited the boy's response.
Time felt like molasses dripping by as the pressure he felt from sitting across the room in the man's presence was taxing; finally, he opened his mouth, "I-"
CREAK
The sound of wood rung out as the front door behind Oz slowly opened, and a rough female voice called out, "Zee, kiddies, I'm ho-"
There in the doorway stood a brawny woman with huge milkers tucked underneath her baggy plaid shirt, and atop her head was fiery red hair that was loosely contained by a raggedy, worn bonnet.
"U-U..." tears slowly formed in her eyes as she slowly walked towards the boy, bending down and cupping his face in her calloused yet tender hands, "Oz... is that you, boy?"
Oz's mouth hung open, staring into her tranquil, earthen brown eyes, he had no memory of who this woman was, yet she felt... familiar, "Nana?"
Time to slip away as the 2 gazed into one another's eyes, yet Nana slowly looked up, giving a deathly glare at the man that sent violent shivers down Oz's back, 'S-strong?'
A powerful aura leaked from her body.
"Tempe." she growled at the man, "Nana." the man nodded his head toward her.
"The fuk are ye doin in my house?" she slowly walked towards him, her veins protruding from her head, "And what did ye do to my kids?"
The ground began to shake violently, and the house began to groan and rumble.
The milky brown lanterns suspended in the air shook in rage.
"Hehe. Well then, OZ." the man said as he glanced at the boy and placed emphasis on his name, "Think about our talk." and with that, he dispersed into the winds, slipping past Oz, a faint whisper, "Let me know" sounded in the boy's ear before the wind slid underneath the door and disappeared without a trace.
"Gotdayum wuss windys." Nana mumbled to herself as she rushed over to Zee, ripping off his black cloak and examining his wounds.
"I-I'm so glad to see you again, my dear," she spoke to Oz as a comforting brown aura leaked from her body and began coating Zee's wound.
Yet as she spoke, Oz's head began to feel heavy.
The adrenaline that had kept him awake and the agonizing pain at bay had begun to reappear.
Nana's voice sounded like it was getting deeper and slower as he felt his eyelids get heavy. "I- I wish I coulda gotten supper prepared, but no worries, the wound isn't too deep, so I'll whip somethin' up and let the kiddos know you'r-"
BOOM!
Oz felt his forehead slam into the ground as his consciousness began to fade, "Oz!" he heard Nana call to him, yet as the boy felt his consciousness fade, he simply muttered, "Home..."
And everything went black.
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{Meanwhile... Within the Dung Den Forest}
The winds howled, the sky cracked, and the lands shook as a magnificent beast caked in lightning descended onto the earth below.
Atop this mighty beast was a man cloaked in a grey robe, his aura contained, yet his presence was more catching the beast itself.
As the bird finally reached the floor and lay flat to allow the man to smoothly slide off and down its feathers as if it were a water slide.
The man whose eyes were closed turned and shifted around, examining the area around with still closed eyes, "What... happened here?" he spoke.
The grasslands which had previously been here was reduced to a flat area, barren of all life.
Even the parasitic critters that would feast and thrive in this type of environment were nowhere to be seen, "This was more than just a fight..." he muttered to himself.
Finally, he walked forward, past the remains of the collapsed cave and dried-up pond and to a specific spot.
There on the dry, barren plains with nothing but black earth lay, the man kneeled down and shoved his hand into the ground.
KCHOOONK!
Slowly scooping into the dirt as he pulled out a tiny golden particle that dispersed as he lifted it, as if horrified of the oxygen itself.
"So..." the man's ominous green eyes open, and horrified shrieks and screams rang out around him, even causing his bird companion not too far away to shudder, "You ARE alive after all."
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