Garrick stands slightly crouched, focusing on his palm. The runes are dark and inactive. He strains with all his might, holding his breath as sweat drips from his forehead. He ekes out small chanting words through clenched teeth, but nothing happens. Finally, he relents and takes a breath in frustration.
"I don't get it, Meetle. I randomly use these powerful spells that practically kill me, but when I actually want to use a spell, it doesn't work. It's a goddamn light. Do I need to try to hurt myself for it to work?!" Garrick whines with annoyance.
Meetle places his book down on a small wooden table.
"It's not all fun and games, Garrick. It isn't easy to use magic; It takes a long time to use it properly." Meetle reassures Garrick.
Garrick stares at his hand.
"You've picked it up easy. Got a whole new arm and everything." Garrick speaks, vexed.
Meetlemire stands up.
"I practised magic when I was younger; having parents in the Academy will do that. Eventually, I met my now-wife while travelling in Epoch Bastion, and magic took a backseat. So, Seeing my progress shouldn't discourage you. Take it as inspiration as to what you could achieve with time. You've been at it for hours now; how about a break? We could see how Kyra is doing?" Meetle smiles warmly.
Garrick nods in affirmation as they walk toward the training area.
"She could do with the support. Her mental health has tanked after realising sweet little Meetle is actually strong." Garrick chuckles as Meetle waves him off.
"She's tough, she'll bounce back in no time."
Entering the training area, Kyra stands off the sand, her green eyes glowing vibrantly with power. Meetle takes a deep breath.
"You feel that, Garrick? The air feels so dense, it's so difficult to breathe."
Garrick stares, mesmerised, fixated on Kyra as she steps onto the sand with her bow nocked.
"Participant Kyra Starzyn detected, level one activating." B.U.D.I. Announces as it dashes for Kyra with prejudice.
Her gaze was emotionless as her piercing green emerald eyes stay locked on her target as she looses her bow and, with a torrent of large spiky thorns, fly toward B.U.D.I. It lifts its shield and hunkers down for protection, but to no avail, as the avalanche of nature eviscerates B.U.D.I., ripping it to shreds as fragments are scattered around the chamber. Garrick continues to stare, enchanted, as he can feel his heart beat fast.
"Wow! That was amazing, Kyra!" Meetle shouts as Kyra looks towards them, her glowing eyes slowly fading to her standard green colour. B.U.D.I. slowly moves and shifts as it begins to reassemble itself again while Kyra walks off the sand. Kyra walks over to them, her depressed state gone, as a renewed fire has overtaken her. While Garrick still stares in silence.
"Thanks, Gnome. I decided I needed to get over my hangup on magic. It gives me the worst taste in my mouth, but I can't let your midget ass pass me!" Kyra boasts, her direct, blunt, wise-cracking back in full swing. Kyra notices Garrick staring, his mouth starting to drool slightly.
"You lost the last of your brain cells reading those books?" Kyra pushes Garrick in the shoulder, snapping him out of his trance.
"Why the fuck can't I do that cool shit?! That was amazing, Kyra!" Garrick says with astonishment, which takes Kyra off-guard.
"It is pretty cool, I guess. I could teach you for... ten gold?" Kyra sarcastically offers.
"Pfft! I think she's trying to rip you off, Garrick." Meetle whispers.
Kyra pushes Meetle away.
"Hey now! No third parties involved in our business!" Kyra shouts as she chuckles.
Meetle runs back and begins to push Garrick back to the reading chamber.
"He is busy learning the basics. His brain won't even comprehend what any of that is yet!" Meetle says with energy, not realising he is insulting Garrick.
"HEY! You both should be scared of me! I could use a spell and kill us all at any moment!" Garrick offendedly voices as Meetle keeps pushing him back.
"Enjoy reading the books, nerd. I'll be busy in here kicking the tin can's ass!" Kyra shouts.
Garrick places his trust in Meetle, but as the hours pass and the day comes to a close, Garrick fails to use any magic. Disheartened, he walks the halls of the home, restless.
"Can't sleep? Me either." A voice utters as Garrick turns around to see Araval.
"I spent all day at it, but It's not use. I can't use magic, and I don't get it. Can't even summon a tiny fucking light." Garrick loudly says in frustration with his inadequacies of magic use.
Araval notices the inactive, greyed-out runes on Garrick.
"It takes time. You are impatient, but given the circumstances, it is valid." Araval says.
Garrick keeps walking, moping.
"I'm no use the way I am, I thought I'd know my purpose when I got to Volmyr, but I just don't even know what the fuck I'm doing. Even Jarathus hasn't shown up since I woke up in your house. It's like I feel him in the corner of my eye, but he's never there." Garrick slowly gets more angry as he speaks. "He's taunting me, I can feel him. He's there watching me lose my mind and laughing! Mocking me!" Garrick gets more irate as the runes faintly glow blue, which he doesn't take notice of, but Araval does.
"You should have stayed dead." Araval coldly states, which takes Garrick off guard as he stops mid-rant.
"..What?..." Garrick confusingly asks.
Araval walks closer to Garrick, towering over him with authority.
"Xzeralaki was there, and you laid down like a dog, letting her leave with the artefacts." Araval stares into Garrick with an evil gaze as he speaks with raw passion.
"The Artefacts-I- I didn't know a-", Garrick shouts as Araval cuts him off.
"She will turn this planet to cinders, and you, you pathetic fucking worm, just let her walk all over you. Did you even try and fight? Tell me!" Araval shouts as his voice echoes the hallway.
Garrick's initial confusion at Araval's harsh words turns to rage as he stands up, and although over six feet tall, he is still dwarfed by Araval's eight-foot frame.
"I-I-I did what I could!-" Garrick hesitates as he thinks back.
Araval leans over Garrick. "You are a coward who is not worth our hospitality. You have killed us all, and I wish I killed you on our doorstep!
"Shut your fucking mouth!" Garrick roars as the runes glow brighter.
Araval uses telekinesis and throws Garrick into the wall, smashing into it before slamming it to the ground.
"You draw my child into your miserable existence and take advantage of his kindness?!" Araval exclaims. "XZERALAKI WILL KILL US ALL BECAUSE OF YOU!!!"
Garrick's mind rushes back to Xzeralaki kneeling in front of him in Redwood Forest. The Dark Elf's uninterested red eyes looking at him with insignificance as she rips the arrow, causing the pain accrued ever since to flow through at once.
"You are pathetic, so inconsequential to my world and yet I loved every second of your death. You cried like a child, begging for your life. I will make sure to kill everyone you love...Meetlemire...Kyra!" Xzeralaki cackles as she begins to incinerate Garrick's body in the Forest as he screams in torment.
-RUNESPEAK-
"XZERALAKI!!! I'LL GIVE IT ALL BACK TO YOU A THOUSAND TIMES OVER!!! I'LL HUNT YOU DOWN!!!!!" Garrick's bellowing voice rumbles the landscape as the nightlife of Volmyr flies into a panic.
Across the oceans, mountains, valleys, hellish landscapes, and continents stands Xzeralakli, surrounded by the melted mass of the dead.
"We've wasted enough time in this disgusting place. Once we're finished here, Hjal-" Xzeralaki's throat closes up as she feels what hasn't been felt in decades...DREAD. The hairs on the back of her neck stand on end as her body shudders.
"Are you okay, Prime Mage Xzeralaki?" A shadowed one curiously asks, seeing something wrong with Xzeralaki.
As quick as the dread came, she twists it into hate, anger, and fury as this feeling is less than desirable, a feeling she had no idea where it even came from.
"I am fine. MOVE!" Xzeralaki snaps back with a fury, causing the shadowed one to scuttle away quickly in fear, leaving Xzeralaki staring into the distance, unsure what is even there.
Back with Garrick and Araval.
Araval sprints over to Garrick, pulling him close as he shouts over the deafening pain of Runespeak.
"I lied, Garrick! I didn't mean those words, I needed to find the the medium for your magic! It's wrath!" Araval shouts, his ears bleeding as his brain scrambles.
"FILTHY ELF!" Garrick bellows, Araval words unable to reach him.
Araval places his hand over Garrick's face as little green fuzzy spores fall onto his face, and with it, Garrick falls unconscious, bringing the noise of the city to Araval's ears now that Runespeak has left.
"If this is the only way to prepare you, then I will begrudgingly do it." Araval states with purpose as he stares at Garrick.
End Chapter