Theresa was happy that Damien had managed to get admitted without showing his entire power, though she knew that in his attempt to avoid any attention, he might get it regardless, since he had entered at a very low level. Bullies tend to go for apparently weak mages to make up for their own inner weaknesses. Nevertheless, she kept her thoughts to herself as she played with Aldwin. Damien appeared to be pleased with his test and thought about it no longer.
Theresa asked Damien to run to the village to inquire about the current cost of a certain fabric she wanted to make a cloak for him before he departed the following day to begin his education. The boy all but sped out of the cabin, eager to please and be of use around the place.
He arrived out of breath and inquired amongst the various vendors in the market place to come up with a good price. As he was quietly examining one particular stall, he heard the unmistakable sound of fist against flesh resounding nearby. He heard the dull strike of a mana imbued fist to the stomach and the pained exit of air from the recipients stomach. Damien hastened towards the source of the found Neville,the boy who had been the first to get tested earlier at the arena, lying prone in the dirt with five mean-looking seniors bearing over him.
"So this is the B-class mage who just made it in-huh,?" scoffed a red-headed boy who appeared to be the leader of this assault.
"I was expecting something better from you. After all, everyone who saw you said you were powerful despite the bad show at first," he jeered. His peers sniggered beside him, cracking knuckles, ready to pummel the boy who was clearly outmatched. Damien felt the hairs on his neck prickle at this unfairness.
" Why didn't you attack him one by one?" he quietly inquired as he approached the group."Surely,bullies of your caliber and strength don't have to gang against such a weakling if he is that weak. I'm sure one of you alone can do damage independently."
"And who are you??Are you asking to join this runt on the floor?", asked the red-haired bully, as they all turned their attention to the source of the interruption.
"No, I want to splash your guts over the walls of this alley with your blood," he answered, looking at them with a deadpan expression on his face.
"Cornelius, isn't that the only D class mage for this year's intent test??", asked one of the bullies.
"Yeah!you are right Seamus, that is definitely him!The balls on the runt though!", he laughed,relaxing. Surely this powerless boy would add to the fun that they were already enjoying beating up the little boy lying in the dust.
Neville was struggling to get up on his feet, and was warily watching this exchange with open fear for Damien.
"You! Just run!Your power is-",
He broke off as a shattering aura settled on the alleyway. Damien was taking measured steps toward them, releasing a fraction of his intent. The mana pulsating from him was a killing intent, and caused the bullies to fall to the ground, breathless,eyes bulging from their sockets,shocked that such intent was even possible.
"He..He...I thought he was a D class!!", stammered Cornelius, gasping for breath and trying to crawl away in the opposite direction. The other bullies couldn't even move and held their mouths open,unable to breath as Damien now stood before them, looking at each of them slowly,so that they would be able to see that if he willed it, he could obliterate them.
The red-headed eyes moved from focusing on Damien to something that caught his attention from behind the boy. There was a figure throwing something like a dagger from behind Damien, attempting to kill him with a magically imbued weapon. The force it bore was magnified by the mana it was wrapped in. Normally, an accomplished Warrior mage would have failed to avoid the incoming strike, but Damien merely took a step to his left and disappeared, reappearing in front of the dagger's owner. The attacker was just about to register what had just happened when a fist caught him quickly in the stomach, and he lurched against the force of it,his guts unable to contain the force of the blow and spilled his lunch on to the ground.
The attacker was Cornelius' elder brother, Percy, who was slowly following his little brother as he did his usual mischief.
He had felt the powerful aura that had permeated the atmosphere as he was approaching the alleyway where Cornelius had dragged that Neville boy. His immediate reaction was to save his brother, but he was unprepared for the response that came from the opponent.
Damien, suddenly withdrew the small measure of intent he had released and walked slowly back to the five bullies huddled together.
"Now that you have seen what I'm capable of, I will let you depart from this place with your lives. But if I see anyone of you accosting this boy or anyone that I know of....", he said quietly," your lives will be made forfeit!"
At that, the boys stood up and ran past him, picking up Percy, who had passed out entirely, and disappeared. Damien looked after them as they disappeared, all cloaks and heels past an immediate block. "Man, are you strong!", said Neville, taking a tentative step towards him. Damien looked at him sheepishly and, and scratched his neck," a little, I think," he said.
" Are you OK though?" he asked, eying the purple welts that were swelling on his face where the boys had damaged him.
" I will live, thanks to you," he bowed stiffly to him before quickly withdrawing, clutching at his back.
"Ouch!" he wimpered.
" Take it easy!Let me take you to my mother, she will be able to tend to your wounds, I'm sure".
Damien moved to help him walk but he declined,still shaken by the earlier show of power demonstrated by the D class mage.
Damien was thinking along the same lines. He was surprised by his burst of energy and strength when he felt that dagger coming at him. Everything suddenly slowed down drastically, giving him time to dodge the dagger and move instantly towards the other guy. He had not imbued his fist as well and merely nudged his opponent in the stomach, but the boy acted as if he had been punched by a mountain. He felt excited by his unexplored power.
Neville was quiet all the way to the Snow's place, afraid to experience Damien's killing intent again,but greatful for having been spared a more brutal beat down.
They made it back to the cabin, and Richard gleefully listened to the account of the fight, Theresa was beside herself with anxiety as she dabbed Neville's wounds. Richard wanted to fully test out Damiens capabilities but wasnt sure he was strong enough to endure his full power. Nevertheless, he knew someone who could do that before Damien left for school....