I ran. I kept running, because if I stopped, it would be the end and I knew it. I escaped from my prison-like cabin last night. I'd somehow managed to squeeze my way out of the Capital without being spotted. Unfortunately, this wretched place was really too secure. A few after I got out, I realised I was being chased. Seemed they'd figured out my identity. So, I ran. I was never going back to that miserable life, was my thought. Ultimately, I knew in my heart that it wasn't possible for me to escape; not from the mages chasing me at the very least. But I didn't stop.
I moved through the dense, thick forest until I met a roadblock. There was a tall, large cliff wall that would naturally be impossible for a seventeen-year-old shut in to climb. I'd seen it from afar, but I hoped my luck would be good.
'Damn it! Why does trusting my luck always disappoint me?!' I cursed inwardly as I turned to face my pursuers. The five of them had already caught up with me, all appearing to be laid back because they knew there was nowhere for me to run, obviously.
"Be a good little dog and come back with us, no?" The old man in the centre stepped forward and asked me with a large grin plastered on his face, apparently knowing that my answer didn't matter. From the observation of his body language and his motions, he appeared to be the leader of this small squad.
"Sir, can't you just leave this insignificant little me just a little grace?" I pleaded. "I beseech ye tell the Queen you never found me."
"Now, now. You of all people can testify of the viciousness of that little lady. After all, you have tasted it firsthand." He laughed as he casually replied me. Anyone who saw this scene would not think that a person was about to be captured. Instead, it looked as though we were having a friendly conversation. The smile on my face didn't help matters much, either.
"Haa... Alright then, since old sir is unwilling to comply with my wishes, I will just have to break free of these constraints myself!" I took a fighting stance as my gaze turned cold.
"I would like to see you try." There was a mocking smile on his face as he said this. "Geoffrey is our newest addition to this squad, perhaps I'll test his worth with this opportunity." Seeming to have understood the implications of the words this old man spake, a young, bulky man around the age of thirty to forty came forward and stood before me.
"I will not disappoint squad leader Hans!" he cried out. Immediately, he stomped on the ground and lifted his hands in a slow motion. Large chunks of the ground sensed the motions of his hands and acted in accordance with them.
'Earth gift! This will definitely be hard. Even if I can defeat him, that old fellow and the others will take advantage of my weakness and subdue me... Aha!' Numerous plans went through my mind and failed continuously until I found the right one, and all this while Geoffrey was pulling rocks off the ground.
Geoffrey punched the rocks at me one a time, and several large chunks of rock were flying towards me at a terrifying speed.
'No spell!' My pupils shrunk as I realised that Geoffrey had never uttered any spell. To the side, the other soldier mages were snickering loud enough for me to hear. Clearly, they wanted me to notice this and become trepidated; and it was working. Mages who didn't utter spells were at least Veteran mages, as far as I knew. But they were also somewhat rare, like the old squad leader was probably a Veteran mage; but to have one this young, his training talent was indeed frightening. For me, meeting a Veteran mage in a fight went a long way to show just how unlucky I was.
However, this people also greatly underestimated me. Unlike most people, I was someone who had extremely great talent right from the moment I declared. TL: declaring means to have one's gift finally show. So, someone like a Veteran mage would be quite easy for me to handle. Moreover, I was of the Light affinity. Ergo, I was extremely hard to defeat in combat because of my innate healing abilities; which I'd become extremely adept at.
My eyes squinted a bit as I eyed the rocks becoming much larger in my field of view. I inhaled a breath of cold air and clenched my fists. I would go head on with these chunks of rock. I coagulated some light magic on both my hands and charged forward, aiming to break these rocks at first contact.
From the side of my eyes, I noticed the expressions on the face of those old men change. Apparently, they didn't expect me to have been a Veteran mage. Becoming a mage that can fight without a spell was a long journey, which is why most Veteran mages were already old crones. Even Geoffrey, whose talent was suffocatingly fast, was already an old man - in a sense. But a young man just seventeen of age was actually a Veteran mage! That would certainly shock a lot of people.
I moved toward the first rock and extended my right fist. With a bang, the rock fragments flew all over the place. I swiftly moved on, crushing all the rock chunks with just a single punch. After all the rocks were extinguished, I set my sights on their source: Geoffrey!
I moved and appeared right in front of him before he could react. I extended my clenched fist, hoping to make contact and finish him off. Not all plans are foolproof, and this one wasn't. Apparently, those old crones had been prepared to counter me should I be able to overwhelm Geoffrey. News of my being able to cast spells without chanting had been spread all around the Capital. Even the Queen did not have this kind of frightening talent. Due to this, the old men got a little cautious around me.
"Ha ha. Little fellow, it is really unexpected that you can do this much at such an age. You have my commendations. However, if you do not come with us now, I'll be forced to face you myself." Hans had taken the initiative to protect Geoffrey and block me. he flicked his sleeves and the other soldiers blocked me. I was completely surrounded. If I didn't surrender, this would be a very painful experience...