Koro Sol, his parents had given this name. In the wake that he would become the sun of this world. But it wasn't something for him.
Koro looked out the window. The building he lived in was atleast 100 storeys tall. Taller than other, building, if he tried look far. Look at the mortal world. Where people lived without magic powers.
His parents had said he was special, someone who was born to do great tasks. As far as he knew they were the only one who understood him. They were the only ones to help him, when Koro couldn't open find his own magic centres.
The sky looked a bitter grey. A colour that reminded of what had been happening to him. His life had been painted dark after his parents disappearance.
But they hadn't returned at all. He had tried asking others. But Koro found, they would always ignore him. They looked at him as if he was a nuisance. They would always go, without taking a glance at him.
Though he knew he was smaller in age. And he couldn't reach their height at all, atleast they couldn't pretend, that he wasn't here.
Koro looked at the only bag, it had been packed yesterday, by the clan servants on the order of the Leader of the clan.
He didn't know what he would face today, but atleast he felt they would help him, since his parents were one of the greatest sorcerers amongst the families of the clan.
He looked at the clock, on the wall, just a shy away from 12. He was expected to be present in the chambers of the leader, where other elders and the supreme elder would also be present to judge him.
A bitter taste, came from his mouth. This wasn't something Koro had been ready for. After all, what would he expect, he couldn't pass the trials of the elders. This trial would give him, validation to become a disciple under the clan. For now he was only a family member.
Knock, Knock
Rapid knocks came in succession. The door was opened by the clan servant. He stood with a bow near the door.
"Young master, you have been summoned to the leader's council. It is time to go." The servant didn't took a glance at Koro.
Koro stood up from his bed. Now that he was 12 he has finally gained access to the Leader's council. He was trembling as he stood with bag behind his back.
The elders of the council had asked him specifically that he would bring his luggage along with him. Koro thought, maybe they were going to reassign the building. As he was going to become a disciple under this clan.
"Let's go," He has placed his hands under the bag straps. They were too heavy for him, as he was just a normal man.
The servant stood and started walking. Koro followed behind him.
As Koro was walking, he took a last look at the building. His eyes couldn't wait to take in all of it. The building was personalised with different artifacts and things, that didn't made sense to normal people. After all the people living in this buildings were all sorcerers.
He saw many of the residents looking at him. They were all giving him looks. Under the intense stare of all these people Koro was trying to adjust the way he was walking. He felt conscious under the gaze. It had started long before today. Since the day his parents had been declared disappeared.
It didn't took long for Koro and the servant to reach the Elder's council. It was a massive pagoda, though it wasn't taller than the Sorcerers tower, it was still regal in its presence. The pillar that supported the council's pagoda, all had intricate arhitecture of different creatures, mythical creatures, their bodies coiled around the pagoda. They all were looking outside, at the four directions, their eyes radiated an intense gaze which would cause servants passing by to tumble in their wake. Kor was near the area were all people gathered for bigger announcements. But as he looked around he found their was no one present. Only the massive statues stood in the way, telling the tale of all the famous magicians who had marked their presence in the world.
Koro would feel people looking at him even here. His palms had started to sweat due to constant friction he felt from the bag. The weight had made his body bend a little at the front. But Koro was alright. He was taking breaths in rapid successions. It was first time vising the elder's council. He wasn't going to embarrass himself.
He came near a closed door. Two guards were standing at the front with two spears in their hands. The ordinary might have looked ordinary, but they were magical weapons.
The guards took a look at him. He felt that their expression were same as the others. They came forward, looking at the servant. The servant handed them a roll. The guard read the contents and finally signalled the other one to open the door.
The first time the door opened, Koro couldn't help open his mouth. Everything inside looked beautiful. There were glittering particles, as far as he could see inside. The servant had walked inside the gate, but Koro had been fully immersed in it. But that was quickly broken by the guard.
'Go away, we don't have all day for this drama,' Koro felt a sharp tug from behind him and fell to the ground.
Koro couldn't understand, why the guard had been so angry at him. He looked around to look at the guard. The guard had been pointing his spear toward Koro direction. Koro froze in fear. The guard eyebrows were wrinkled, he was gritting his teeth looking at him. It felt to Koro like he was hesitating for a second.
The servant quickly helped him get up. Koro stood up, balancing the weight on his back. He padded the dust from his clothes. The clothes Koro had been wearing, their colour had faded long back. After all no one had given him new clothes after his parents had disappeared. There was a nanny who would come to take care of him. But she had said it the last day, that she wouldn't come anymore. Koro thought he was feeling the same emotion but it was a little different than that.
Koro wanted to ask the guard, why had he done it? But before he could ask, his servant forcefully pulled him inside the door.
As soon as he was inside, the door was closed from the other side.
'You should keep the bag here,' the servant said, bowing to him. Koro wanted to ask him, but looking at the servant who bowed his stiffness like a human statue. He didn't wanted to ask that anymore.
Koro kept the bag on the table, his body instantly felt light. He took a few moments to stretch his body.
The chamber was ordained with many staffs but Koro felt it was not where the council sat. One of the female servants saw him looking around the chamber and said,
"The masters, sit behind the curtains. You shouldn't delay them more,"
Koro looked at the drapery that separated the elder's council. The material felt too soft to be felt on the hands, he spared no time. Nodding at the female servant, he started walking toward the drapery that separated the council.
His heart sped up, as he pushed the veil aside passing through it.
Koro found himself standing in front of many people. All of them were looking in his direction. The elders they were lined up on either sides of the clan leader . Koro looked at all the elders, they didn't had any expression on their face.
The supreme elder was sitting along with the clan leader on his right side. But it wasn't him Koro had any intention of looking for.
Koro looked at the leader of the sorcerers, of this clan. His hair was long, and windy. He looked young. He ordained the most exquisite clothes. With mythical sigils and symbols that shined in a otherworldly manner. The leader wasn't looking at him when he first arrived inside the hall. He seemed to be concentrating on something.
Finally the leader, looked at Koro.
Koro instantly felt his heart sped up. Somehow keeping his composure, Koro came forward, and stood where two marshals were lighted in ever blue blaze.
His mother had taught him never to forget greeting the elders whenever he met them. They were all wise and knowledgable people. Koro held deep respect for them.
'Greetings Elders. Greetings Clan Leader.' Koro bowed. Koro stood up, he saw all of them were still looking at him.
Koro had been meaning to ask the question about his father and mother as long as he could remember. It might have been because he was young, but the elders and leaders, hadn't told him anything about them. Clasping his hands, he asked again.
"Clan Leader can you tell me about my parents," Koro asked with expectation leaking from his eyes.
Instead, Koro saw the clan leader face get fierce by the second. Finally, the clan leader stood up with a trembling rage.
'Your parents were traitors, you are the son of the traitor.' Koro hadn't felt anything like he was feeling right now, he clasped his heart as he tried to keep his body from trembling further.
Koro felt his heart, squeeze under the magic pressure, the rage radiating from the clan leader. The elders were looking as if they were enjoying it. They were all grinning or had smiles on their face.
"Do you want to kill a child, calm down,' the supreme elder sitting near the clan leader said.
Clan leader finally retracted his anger. The pressure on Koro also lessened.
Koro knew that the clan leader had retracted his pressure. But still it felt like there was something he was feeling deep inside. He was anxious as he looked here and there. What had he lost? He felt empty inside.
He had always waited for this moment, thinking that he would finally become a sorcerer under the clan. He had always wanted that as far as he could remember. He wanted to be like his parents. But this moment. His clan leader had declared them traitors! He was the son of the traitor?
The question came, he was driven to the pages of his past, his mother and father. They were always respected. Whenever Koro would pass by others, they had always talked about how great his parents were. He had always felt pride for his parents. His parents, they had always taken good care of him. When he was heartbroken that his talent was not strong, he was extremely sad by it. He wasn't able to stop himself from crying, but his parents had told him, that it was all right. They had supported him always. But one day they weren't there? He had gone around, asking about them. The other sorcerers had told him that they would come back. But they hadn't. Finally the clan leader had declared them disappeared. Still he would go around, he felt he could know about them. But no one had said anything from then. Even his nanny had suggested him to ask the clan elders. To wait till he was 12 years old. Then they would definitely answer him about them.
Koro would feel depressed from time to time, but he wasn't to stand defeated. He wasn't going to give up the hope.
"My Parents can't be traitors," his childish voice was sure of it. Koro thought that the elder would listen to him. But they were all smiling, and there was this expression on their face.
Koro had seen this expression many-a-times. All the sorcerers, all the kids, all the servants, even the guard, had given him the same expression. There was a sense of despise, disgust, scorn, distaste in their expression; his empty heart finally understood what it meant.
"There isn't any hope for this child, he lives in the denial of his parents deed" one of the elders said. And then they didn't stop.
"I say we must kill the traitor's child, before he grows up to become thorn for us.'
"Dishonorable sorcerers, they couldn't be even called sorcerers anymore. They are more distasteful than the mere mortals."
'We should make an example out of him, so that none would dare to this kind of thing in the future,."
"Strip him of his clan title, making him wander among those savages."
"They must have told him something, we must torture him and find out the information"
"We should give him to the deepest of punishment. Make him rot among those vermins."
"Why bother at all, make the disciples handle him, he would then understand his own status."
Koro felt numb. Standing there, he didn't knew what he felt anymore. His whole body was burning from harsh fever. He felt his eyes water, but he didn't stop it anymore.
His mother had told him to respect them. Mother was wrong. They, they, weren't someone to be respected all.
His mouth dried up. He wasn't going to speak anymore.
"Silence," one word from the clan leader silenced them all.
They all looked at the clan leader waiting for his judgment.
"I have decided," the clan leader said with a resolute expression. He waved his hands. Magic gathered around him transforming into a roll and a quill. The quill started writing on its own, writing the judgement they all waited for. Writing the fate of the child Koro Sols. It continued till the quill reached the lasts of the parchment and then it stopped.
The clan leader grabbed the scroll from the air. And read out loud, his voice resonating to the very soul of this clan.
"'Koro Sol' the son of traitors 'Akares Sol' and 'Prina Sol' you are hereby from this instant expelled from this clan. You identity as the member of this clan is erased from this moment. All the items pertaining to this clan would be taken back from you. You are not allowed to even say the name of this clan. You and your later generations would not be allowed to step foot in the clan sacred land. You are to be stripped of all your magic cultivation. You will step out of this clan the instant I finish this judgement. Hereby from this moment you will be killed if you come across anyone from our clan whether they be disciples or the elders of this clan or you try to go against any of the judgement. This judgement is passed on in the name of the ancient Sorcerer and our god magical creature.' The clan leader nicked his own hand with a knife and splashed the blood on the parchment. The blood on the parchment disappeared with a hiss.
Koro listened to the clan leader. For the first time ever, he felt a deep intent inside him. He wanted to mark all the words in his mind, not because he feared it. He felt something greater bubbling inside of him.
"Supreme Elder, strip him of his magic." the clan leader spat with a deep seated hatred.
"As You Wish," the Supreme elder, stood from his seat. And came near Koro in an instant. Koro was supporting his body by placing both his hands on the ground. The instant the supreme Elder came near him, he didn't even look at his face.
The instant the Supreme elder touched his shoulders. His expression changed. He looked at the Clan leader with a wry smile and said, "He doesn't have any magic cultivation."
The clan leader looked deeply at Koro for an instant, but he quickly regained his composure.
"That makes it easier,"
"Guards come and take him out," Clan leader shouted.
Quickly two guards who were standing outside the door came near Koro and took his weight. Koro didn't tried to resist at all. They dragged him till the curtain, when the clan leader said back.
"Make sure, to drag him somewhere far from here. Among those mortals." the guards bowed deep toward the clan leader and took him out of the Clan's pagoda.