As soon as I awoke the next morning I put on a t-shirt with a hoodie, stretchy jeans, and some tennis shoes. I made my way down to the kitchen to find an already prepared breakfast for me. It was something that I was definitely still adjusting to at the time, but I ate what was provided, I needed the extra energy for sure. After eating I went back to the library, there was something I needed.
“I need to learn how to use my magic,” I called out as I reached the table. A leather bound book appeared as I sat down. The cover read, translated, ‘Illuveterian Magic’, and the author was my father, which caused me to pause. I didn’t even know his name until I started doing research. Neither did I know my mother’s prior. Suppose that information isn’t usually handed out to small children in favor of the “mom” or “dad”.
Describing how exactly I trained my magic would be near impossible. It’s like concepts but they are tangible to a person. It certainly took many years, over many of which other things occurred. So I’ll just create a list of everything I’ve managed to learn so far, as I’m sure I’ll learn plenty more in the future.
I have learned how to teleport consistently.
I can monitor my energy levels easily.
Most recently I have figured out how to float which is quite fun
I can move my pocket dimension door as I please.
I found out that I have access to the Earth’s afterlifes and can access them as I please.
I have found a way to share my healing process with friends through soul sharing.
I can create these thorn-like spikes that jut from the ground and into whatever I please.
I can summon things from my pocket dimension and return them as needed.
I can “show off” my magic through blue flames that surround my body as well as heated fires from my body.
I can move things with thought now. I believe it’s called telekinesis.
I can look human, though only for a few hours at a time as it’s incredibly exhausting.
One I found out accidentally is if I happen to fall asleep or pass out in nature then animals seem compelled to “protect” me while I’m asleep and surround me until I wake up. That freaked me out the first time since I woke up to a cougar on top of me.
Another accidental discovery is that I can hear when anyone says my names so long as it is intended for me. Which essentially means I technically can be “summoned”, however I do have a choice on responding.
Unless I have a decent amount of food or energy drinks on me, I do have an energy limit for all of this, and some abilities are more taxing than others.
As soon as I had a basic grasp on how to use my magic, which took roughly a year and a half, making me 21 at the time, I decided to then practice hand to hand and weaponry. I went out to the void and had the pocket dimension lay out several options to choose from among the list were: Swords of varying shape, staffs, a variety of bows and arrows, hand scythes, and a couple full length scythes. I picked up one of the full length scythes. It came just short of my height and had a broad blade. Truthfully I just thought it was the coolest looking weapon of the bunch. Once I had that selected all the other close range weapons vanished and were replaced with some longer ranged options. The bows remained. So I’d be picking two to use. From the new group one particular weapon caught my eye as it was something I hadn’t seen before. A oblong piece of metal attached to a long rope. I picked that one up to examine it, but the others all vanished before I could return it. Meaning I had my two weapons: A scythe and a Meteor Hammer.
Learning to wield these was much the same as my magic, though arguably a bit easier as they didn’t take near as long. Of course working immediately with two weapons as such was also trial and error. Meaning I occasionally left practice a new, or multiple new small scars. And let me tell you, a solid chunk of tungsten hitting you in the head because you swung your arm half an inch too far to the left really hurts, and I’m lucky my bones can no longer break. About 4 years into this I felt sufficient enough in my abilities to move on. I wanted revenge.
I began my planning. There were a total of 8 men that had caused my hell. The pocket dimension gave me a newspaper that stated three of them had died in a farming accident. Unfortunate. Leaving 5 left, including that Matthew Collins. I spent a total of 12 days planning everything. I was going to take them out one by one and make sure they knew it was me. So within those days I practiced calligraphy and summoned a small scalpel. The plan with that was to carve my first initial into each of them, as fancy as possible. Just so they can feel a fraction of the pain they made me feel before they die.
I made my way to the first house. The judge. I knew he was home alone since I watched his wife leave for a “girls night” just prior. I sat outside the back door for several minutes, my pulse racing as I worked up my nerve. As I sat I thought about everything I went through because of this man’s callous decision. How much I suffered as a child for no reason because he refused to see past his own biases. A rage flooded me before it was overwhelmed with calm. Standing where I was, my face sat in a neutral expression, while anger burned beneath. My pulsed had slowed considerably and I gripped the scalpel. The scythe remained stored in the pocket dimension for the time being. The porch lights came on as I moved to the door. A small flick of magic fixed that issue and I was covered once more in darkness. It happened to be a new moon that night and the stars shown little. What was visible of my body emitted a small glow, though not near enough to illuminate anything around it. Similar to illuminated numbers on a wrist watch. Just enough to be seen and not something I could change.
The darkness did not hinder my vision in the slightest, as it is common for many creatures to have good night vision. As I came closer to the sliding back door I could see easily into the house. The judge was sat facing away from me in the living room, close to the front door. The tv was on and the volume was quite high. He had no idea I was even there.
The door slid open and closed silently. I made each step carefully forward, though he never did hear me come up behind him. One simple touch to the back of his neck and he couldn’t move anymore. Frozen where he sat. I walked around the couch slowly, his breathing increased as he finally knew of my presence. I crouched a tad to meet his eyes.
“You-!” He started, panicked. I reached forward to put a finger to his lip.
“Shh,” I whispered. And he was silent. I could see his fear grow as he tried to both speak and move. Yet neither happened. “You brought this on yourself,” I continued as I scanned his form for a location to place the calling card. I wanted to touch him as little as possible and settled on the back of his hand.
I carved a meticulously detailed ‘R’. It had more lines than I cared to admit. It took a good few minutes to complete, and by the end the judge was a silent sobbing mess. It gave me joy to see him suffering as I had. Though he had it considerably better in those minutes then I ever had it. Once I was done I took the scalpel and made eye contact with the man. I had intended to be scary by licking his blood off of the blade. Most other monster species do eat humans so I thought it may taste good. However as soon as it touched my tongue I immediately gagged. It tasted foul and if I could physically throw up, I would have in that moment.
Fortunately for me, the judge was too busy blubbering in silence to notice any of it. I stored the scalpel away in the pocket dimension and summoned my scythe. It was comfortable to hold, and I was at ease knowing what I was about to do. With one swift motion I took his head clean off. Even then I did not falter. From my pocket I took a large paint pen and wrote “CORRUPT” in large lettering on the wood coffee table. I then stood to make my leave. I had no further need to be quiet so I simply teleported to the next man’s house. I repeated the same process for the first 4 of them, aside from licking the blood. Each kill went a little smoother than the one prior. Even for the man who had shot me through the head, I was unnaturally calm.
It was at the final house where I faltered. The residence of Matthew Collins. Though my face remained neutral still and rage continued to burn throughout me, it now mixed itself with panic. I approached the door, it was an old screen that I knew would make a lot of noise. My body shook involuntarily as images of his face flashed through my mind. It seems whatever calm had controlled me before was failing. I began thinking of everything I had gone through again. Anything that he, specifically, didn’t do to me. My shaking calmed and I steadied myself. I walked around the single story farm house and peered through each window. I finally found him through one. Asleep in a bed.
Instead of going through a window or door, which I knew would immediately wake him, I chose to teleport into the room. It made much less noise, almost none, even. I didn’t want him to look at me. Instead of using touch to paralyze him, I took out my meteor hammer. I wound up a swing and hit him on the back of the head. There was a very loud cracking noise and his snoring stopped. Red pooled around the metal and I quickly pulled it back. I took the scalpel and began carving the R on his cheek. Twice I dropped it, as I was shaking so bad. The finished wound was full of wobbling lines and jagged edges. I put the scalpel back and began pacing about the room. The scythe wasn’t enough for me, though I wasn’t sure why. I just wanted to be done and home. I wanted to take a hot bath and go to bed. Yet I remained in that house, and Matthew Collins remained alive. The faint aura all humans carried still flickered so I knew his heart was still beating.
All of a sudden his hand twitched and I jumped, which seemed to jump my body into motion. I moved without having decided to, and I made my way to the kitchen. I searched each drawer until I found it. A long kitchen knife, exactly like the one he had used on me. A new wave of panic fell over me, though I moved anyway. I went back to the bedroom and issued him the same torment he issued me, though it didn’t have quite the same result. 228 stab wounds. Unfortunately, on his massive frame, all his limbs remained attached. When I was done, I was tired and covered fully in his blood, tears flooded my cheeks. I fell and collapsed there, falling through the floor to my pocket dimension. To my delight, the bath in my room had already been drawn. The room smelled of perfumes, though the metallic stench of blood overpowered it seemingly with ease.
Not bothering to disrobe, I climbed into the tub. Allowing myself to fully submerge beneath the water. So many emotions washed over me at that moment. Like whatever calm spell had been over me finally left. I was overcome with too many things. Fear, panic, grief, relief. All, of course accompanied by flashbacks. Visions of Matthew Collins, the smiling man, still managing to come after me. The only thing that kept me even slightly grounded through that was the feeling of hot water surrounding me. Other than that, I couldn’t seem to tell reality from the paranoia. This panic attack lasted for several hours until I was eventually just too tired. I slept under the water of the bath for a few days. The pocket dimension kept it warm and clean as I did so.
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