TW: Graphic Depiction of Violence, Mentions of Blood

Chapter One: Death Or Disgrace

"Why do you hate Magic so much, Will?"

"I don't hate it. I just prefer to stay away from it."

"I bet you'd be so good at it! Maybe your special blood would help you!"

"I'm not using Magic."

"But-"

"I said no, Parvis. End of discussion."

I left the building, anger seething through my veins. I wanted nothing to do with Magic. It was a catastrophic addiction.

The sky was an inky black, stars spread across the vast canvas. The air was cold, calming my thoughts. It had been a long day. Parv was falling deeper into the cursed grasp of Blood Magic. Runes were etched into his skin, scarring his body with it's pained control. I sat under the cover of the trees, watching the stars float freely above.

A presence came to my senses some time later. A tall figure slumped beside me.

"I'm sorry if I pushed you."

"Don't be sorry." I turned to face a pale Parvis, his eyes filled with regret.

"I didn't mean to pry. I didn't think-"

"It's not your fault, Parv." I smiled, opening the palm of my hand. A deep green essence formed between my fingers, dancing into the night. Small shapes formed, enveloping us in it's light.

"It's beautiful..." Parv gasped. His eyes were shining. The patterns circled us, reflecting onto our bodies. I watched as it embraced the Mage, slowly moving up his arms. The runes began to fade, the green smothering out the pain from his skin. It began to disappear, leaving us in the dark once more.

"It's a little trick we can do. We were mostly healers. My family had an unbelievable ability to work with machinery. We were Engineers. We built the future of our kind."

"Did something happen?"

"I focused on technology over what was in my blood. They weren't happy with it."

"What did they do?"

I looked at his runes, an audible sigh escaping my lips. "We each have our own scars, Parvis."

They only ever laughed. They mocked my interest. They mocked my existence. My father had told me to ignore the passion I had for building. We were Mages, Healers, and Wizards. Not Engineers. It was what we were born to do and it was what I had to do.

My family were understanding. They knew how much I wanted to build, to create new things. They knew I wanted the technology to explore other words.

Others were less forgiving. I was a laughing stock. They would attack me at any given opportunity. They took everything from me. My confidence, my appearance, even my family.

"Why are you crying?"

"I'm not."

His arms wrapped around me. "It's ok to cry Will. You are allowed emotions just like the rest of us."

I was quiet for a few moments longer. Then I broke down. I pushed my face into the crook of Parv's neck, sobbing. He tightened his grip, pulling me closer to him. Everything I had forgotten for so long was flooding back.

Everything was burning. The flames licked at my skin as I desperately tried to pull them from the blast.

"Go, my son." He had whispered.

"We love you." She had cried.

They died together. I had barely escaped. My home was destroyed and my family were gone.

It was only moments before I had been grabbed.

"No one to save you now, Filth."

They took me to the dark. They beat me for hours.

"Filthy wretch."

"Pathetic. Where's your fight now?"

"You should have died in that fire."

"Abomination. You're never coming back."

They held me down. Whips fell to my back. I counted 60 before I screamed.

They just laughed.

"My people are relentless. Besides, it was my fault." I muttered.

"Surely it wasn't."

"I had been working on something. That is what had blown up. That is what killed them."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"I'm sure there's some other explanation."

"No. That's why they sent me away."

I felt a burning sensation over my chest. There was sizzling heat across my stomach.

"You will never forget. We will always know you."

They flipped me over, hitting my back with the rod. The pain burned into my skin, leaving reminders of what they could do. They continued to kick me for a while after.

Eventually I was pulled to my feet and thrown into a small aircraft.

"I hope you like long journeys, Filth. This one is set for a place far from here. You will never come back."

I felt them bind my wrists. They laughed. I was forced onto a seat.

"We can't have you trying to get away."

"Goodbye, Abomination."

One hit me across the face once more.

They shut the door as the ship fired into life, taking off with almost no warning.

I slipped out of consciousness.

"How bad is it?" He asked, looking at my shirt cautiously.

"Horrible. I look horrible."

I felt him pull me close again as I began to sob once more.

"They took my life that day. I'm nothing anymore."

"Your parents would be so proud of you, Will. You've achieved so much despite all of this."

"I still can't bring them back."

"It only makes you stronger."

I pushed him away. "I am not strong. I am weak and I am a disappointment."

"How did you survive the flight?"

"I'm not sure. I don't remember a lot of it. I remember meeting Lewis when I woke. He said that he didn't know if I would make it or not. He helped me to get back on my feet. He's done a lot for me. That's why I was in debt to him."

"Has he seen the scars?"

"Yeah. You don't need to dance around the subject, Alex. I know you want to see."

"I don't want you to feel uncomfortable."

I shrugged, allowing the Magic to slip from my face. I knew there was a large scar there. His eyes widened. I pulled off my waistcoat, beginning to unbutton my shirt. I stopped, closing my eyes. It was hideous. He didn't know how disgusting I was.

"If you're not ready-"

"I'm fine."

"I will always think you are beautiful, Will. Scars or not.

I bit back a smile. "That's pretty sad, man."

"Well, the truth is the truth."

I nodded, unbuttoning the rest of my torso. I hesitated slightly, before pulling off the shirt.

Parv gasped. I stood, stepping away from him.

"I told you. It's hideous. I'm a monster."

He stood, shaking his head.

I took another step back, stumbling as I fell over on the dirt. Parv stood over me, his eyes shining with tears. He knelt by my side, pulling me into a tight embrace. I could feel him running his fingers along my back, tracing the marks. I looked into his eyes, confusion clouding my own. He said nothing.

"I'm sorry-"

I was broken off. He pressed his lips to mine, pulling my body close to his. I closed my eyes, a smile forming. He pulled away, looking at me.

"I will never stop believing you are anything less than perfect, Mr Strife. Those people are stupid for hurting you and they have lost someone vital to them."

I smiled, a faint blush glowing across my cheeks.

Parv looked at my chest, frowning at the sheer amount of marks littering my skin. I could recount every mark they left on me. The burns were the worst. They were still a pale green. I closed my eyes, tears welling up once more.

I want to try something. Your parents were healers too, right?"

"Yeah."

"Good." He gave me a moment to pull my shirt over my arms before helping me to stand. We walked back into the Castle, him rushing to get downstairs.

"What are you doing?"

"You'll see. Stay here, okay?"

I nodded, sitting on one of the chests laying around. Parv ran to the alter, retrieving his sigil to check the blood supply. He nodded to himself.

"Perfect."

He began reciting and incantation. Slowly the runes on his body started to glow, a deep red light emitting from his flesh. Blood from the alter rose up, recreating the runes. It flowed around his body as his feet lifted from the ground.

Everything went bright.

As the white light faded, I saw Parv laying on the flood. Two people were stood by his limp body, wide eyed. I cautiously took a step towards them, gasping quietly. He'd done it.

I ran towards them, throwing myself at them. I felt strong arms around me, holding my close.

"I've missed you, my son."

"Dad..."

I looked up at him, smiling.

"Oh, let me look at you!" Mother laughed. I stepped back, looking at the two of them. "You've grown up so wonderfully."

"Did they do that to you?" Father asked. I nodded, biting the inside of my lip.

"I'm sorry. I didn't stop them. I-"

"Never be sorry for what is not your fault. It was not you that caused that explosion. I want you to go back there and prove them all wrong. I want you to prove that Magic can coincide with technology. I want you to get to the bottom of that explosion. I want you to make yourself proud. You've already made me proud."

"How long can you stay?"

"Not much longer. Your friend gets weaker as we stay."

I looked down at Parvis, a frown across my face. His skin was draining of colour.

"He wanted us to come back and make sure you know that we've watched you. We're so proud of everything you've done, Will. You have made kind allies and made a life for yourself even after all those dark times."

"It's true, son. We are proud of you. You have achieved more than we ever dreamed of."

"Your friend also wanted us to help you with a little something."

They both embraced me. I could feel the Magic seeping through my skin. It worked through my body, healing me of injury.

"Son, our power is yours. Combined with your capability with tech, you are unstoppable. Continue to make us both proud."

"Now, you have to bring your friend back, Will. We won't be here when he wakes up, but we will always be with you."

I stepped back, looking at them both. Their eyes were no longer green. They had passed their powers to me. I nodded, hugging each of them before I turned away. I knelt by Parv's side, holding his hand in mine. He was cold.

"He's a good choice, Will. We like him."

"As do I." I whispered.

I closed my eyes, allowing my Magic to once more flow through his body. He began to warm, a weak pulse beating in his wrist.

"Will?"

I opened my eyes, looking at the Blood Mage.

He smiled. "Your eyes are glowing."

I looked behind me, frowning slightly when I didn't see them.

"Are you ok? I didn't get it wrong, did I?"

I turned back to him. "You did perfectly. Thank you."

"Hey, they managed to heal your chest!"

"Yeah."

He sat up, wincing.

"Take it easy man, you almost died."

"Oh yeah." He giggled sheepishly.

"They want me to go back there. Will you come with me?"

"I'll go anywhere with you, Will."

"Thank you."

"One question. How the fuck do we go back?"

"Space, Parvis. We can fly back there, We just have to build a ship."

Chapter Two: Remember My Name

I felt Parv's fingers entwine with my own. Stood in front of us was a small ship.

"How did you even build that?"

"Don't hurt yourself trying to work it out." I chuckled. He punched my arm.

"Laugh it up, green eyes."

I felt myself blush. Since I had spoken to my parents, they didn't stop glowing. It was almost calling me to my cause. I felt a thin arm wrap around my waist.

"We're going to find out who killed them."

"It was me."

"I don't think so. They don't think so. There were a lot of people out to get you, Will."

"If you say so..."

"I know I'm right." He squeezed my hip before returning indoors.

I was unsure if I was ready to go back there. I didn't know if I could face my past head on. I had Parv- but he was only so much help. I had the power of my parents, but not the strength of mind or will. I knew I had to face my fears, though.

We stood outside the shade of Strife Solutions, our ship ready to fly. I had stocked up on food, allowing enough for the journey and back.

"Ladies first." I smiled, allowing Parv on board. I followed, closing the hatch behind me. He sat one of the chairs, flicking his hair back.

"Fly me to the moon, Strife!"

"Not quite the moon. Strap yourself in. It's going to be a long flight."

He clasped the belt around his chest, smiling at me. I rolled my eyes, sitting down and readying the co-ordinates.

"What are you so excited about?"

"I can't wait to see your planet! If you come from there it must be beautiful."

"What is with the extra cheese today?"

"I don't know, I'm worried you're going to get all mopey on my ass again."

I shrugged, belting up.

"Are we ready?"

"As we'll ever be."

"Then blast off!"

I laughed, setting off. The journey would be worth clearing my family's name.

***

It must have taken at least 3 days to fly out there. Luckily I had installed Auto-Fly and could take naps in between flight. Parv had spent most of his time asleep or eating.

When we landed, however, his eyes shot open.

"We're here?"

"Yes. Now, Parv-"

"Come on!" He ran to the hatch, ready to leave.

"Parvis!" I growled. He turned back, his eyes wide.

"I'm sorry..." He muttered. I stood, pulling a coat from my pack and handing to him.

"Don't be silly. Some of these people may disagree with your line of Magic. They're not particularly fond of Blood Magic."

"Oh! Okay. I'll just keep it hidden."

"Good. Just stay close and stay safe. They can be relentless." I pulled out another coat, pulling it over my shoulders.

"Can we go now?"

I sighed once more, lifting my pack from the floor. I could shrink down my jetpack and disassembler to fit in with a few other things.

"Come on! Stop hiding from where you need to be."

"Ok, we can go." I pushed open the hatch, stepping out onto the ground. Parv followed, his eyes shining with intrigue. He stepped forward, pulling me behind him.

"It's beautiful! Why didn't we come back sooner?"

"Keep it down. I don't really want to be noticed."

"But won't they know you?"

"Maybe. I don't have the-" I stopped, doubling over in pain. Parv grabbed my arms instantly, holding me up.

"Will?"

The pain was almost unbearable. I pressed my face to his chest, holding back a scream. Slowly it began to fade, leaving me feeling nauseous.

"Are you ok, Will?"

"I'm fine." I stood up, groaning.

"Oh, God..."

"What?"

"Did they say anything before they sent you away?"

"They said that they'd always know me."

Always...

"Oh, no... Is it the scars?"

"Yeah."

I turned back.

"No, Will. We are not going back. You are going to make this right."

"How can I?"

"I don't know. Who did you trust?"

"My family were on good terms with the Metal Worker. He supplied us with scraps for my work."

"We can start there, then."

We walked through the town, the streets painfully familiar.

Nothing has improved. Nothing has moved on.

I walked through the square, stopping at the monument in the middle. The stone was slowly beginning to decay. I felt Parv's hand brush across my arm.

"Is everything okay?"

"Yeah. It's just this way."

We followed a few more streets, arriving at a tall brick building. A man stood inside the building, the long door open. I stepped inside, clearing my throat.

"Good day sir!" The man smiled. "How can I help you?"

"I'm looking for Cornelius?"

"He's just upstairs. Shall I tell him who it is?"

"Say it's Strife."

"Of course! If you could just wait a moment."

I stood, my back resting against the wall. Parv stood beside me, looking around in awe.

A man in his mid 40's ran down the stairs. "Strife? Strife! Is that really you?"

"The one and only."

He embraced me, lifting me off the ground.

"It's good to see you. I'm sorry I didn't come back sooner."

"Where have you been? I was so worried after the fire. They never told me what happened to you! I thought you had died in there!"

"I've been away. They sent me away. Said I was the reason that fire started."

"Nonsense." He frowned, placing me on the ground. "You are the best engineer we had on this planet. There was no way you could have made such a mistake. They explained this 'cause' to me and it was complete bollocks."

"I like him." Parv chuckled.

"And who might you be? I'm Cornelius. I've known William here since he was a wee boy! He was always so intelligent. Of course you must know that already!"

"He's fantastic." Parv smiled, winking at me.

"Oh, my, you're lucky to have such a sweet friend, Will!"

I nodded, brushing back my hair.

"What happened to your eyes?"

"Oh. Well it's a long story."

"You can tell me that any time. What are you doing here?"

"I need to know who killed my parents. They need to serve their crime and I need to fix the damage done to my name."

"Well, you two are welcome to stay here as long as you need. I'm happy to help you any way I can. There's a spare bed and storage upstairs. First door to the left, just as it used to."

"Thank you so much, my friend. I don't know how I can repay you."

"Just don't do anything stupid. I doubt you're any less hot headed."

"He's not." Parv chimed in. I rolled my eyes, grabbing his arm and dragging him upstairs.

"We have a place to stay, which is a start."

"Okay. Do you have any names that you can track down?"

"Yeah. Samuel, Conner and Matthew."

"Who were they?"

"They were the ones that did this to me."

"How did they get away with it?"

"They were sons of the Elders. They were above the law because one day they are going to rule."

"What was your role, then?"

"We were responsible for keeping the city safe structurally and fixing anything that was broken."

"Like mechanics?"

"Basically, however without being allowed to use much in the way of technology. They think that Magic is the be-all and end-all of life. If Magic can't do it, nothing can."

"This is so backwards. They hate anything that isn't Magic, but it has to be specific Magic?"

"Pretty much."

Parv sat on the bed, rubbing his face in his hands. "Ok, so how do you want to go about it?"

"If things are the same, there's going to be a masked ball tomorrow. It was an annual thing before. It was popular so I'm assuming it's still around."

"You always make me go to parties."

"You don't have to."

"Don't be silly, of course I do."

After checking with Cornelius, I was informed the ball was tonight.

It was almost sad to see the civilization being run so indifferently to how it was when I left. It was like time had stopped while I was gone.

Cornelius brought up two masks, leaving them at the desk for us. I dressed Parv as well as I could, trying to pick the smarter looking clothes in his pack.

"Why do we have to go?"

"They will all be there. They'll all be together. I need to face them together." I stopped, resting my head on the wall. Parv wrapped his arms around my waist, kissing my neck slowly.

"It'll be ok, Will. I promise."

I nodded, standing up straight. I looked at the two masks, lifting a Venetian style mask from the desk. Black integrated into a deep blood red, covering the top half of my face. Parv placed another Venetian style mask over his face, a fox face coving his eyes. Sly bastard.

I chuckled to myself, allowing him to fasten the mask around my head.

"You look good." He commented. I shrugged.

"Must come naturally." I chuckled.

"You boys are going to be late!" Cornelius shouted up. I lifted my coat from the bed, opening the door. Parv strolled out, wearing a red shirt and black jeans. I rolled my eyes, following him down the stairs.

The hall was almost exactly the same. I could see some structural improvement, however no real change.

Getting in was easy. There was no guest list, it was for everyone. It was a celebration of all things Magic. I felt Parv move closer to me, tensing up. It was very full, people casting fireworks up to the roof. The parties were always big. I felt Cornelius' presence by my side. I looked up to him.

"They're up there."

I looked to where he was pointing to see three men dancing at the top of the hall.

"Don't be reckless, William. They're no better than they were."

I began to walk forward, stepping between dancers to reach my destination. Parv followed, grabbing my hand to hold me back.

"They are all so beautiful." He smiled.

"What is?"

"Everything. You come from a beautiful planet. It's a shame people like them are here to ruin it."

"Indeed." I turned back, looking at the soon to be Elders. They looked more mature than before. It was good to know time hadn't actually stopped. Samuel had always been the ring leader. If I called him the others would follow.

"Samuel?" I called. They all stopped, one removing his mask.

"What on earth do you want? How dare you disturb us."

"You were hardly doing much."

Samuel jumped down from his miniature stage, standing in front of me. Conner and Matthew were only inches behind him.

They were all taller than me. Bigger too, probably.

"What the fuck do you want?" He asked, his face bubbling with anger.

"Being that hot headed won't help you to run things, Sam." I pulled the mask from my face, looking up at him.

His eyes widened. "You. You're supposed to be dead!"

"Well clearly your little plan wasn't so successful."

He punched me. I stumbled back, falling to the floor. Rubbing my jaw, I looked up to see Parv standing in front of me.

"Do you really think you can stand between us, you insignificant runt?"

Parv said nothing. He just lifted his hand, a force pushing Samuel back. He hit the wall with a loud thud.

Small red particles slowly began to appear in Parv's hand. I stood, pulling him back.

"I could kill him, Will."

"It's not the answer. Don't let them know what you are."

He let his hand fall, allowing Samuel to slump to the floor.

"Samuel, I'm not here to fight."

"Well that's a damn shame, I'm not here to talk!" He rose to his feet, forcing his hand toward me. A solid beam shot to my stomach, causing me to double over. I felt my arms get grabbed and held behind me.

Of course I couldn't face them.

I felt a punch in the face. Another followed. They let me go, allowing me to drop to the floor.

I looked up, pain shooting through my face. Parv was stood still, eyes shut. Cornelius by his side. He was holding the Blood Mage back.

"Remember what they gave you, Will." I heard Parv whisper.

I closed my eyes, thinking of them. I was doing it for them.

I opened my eyes once more, standing to my feet. I could feel the Magic running through my veins. Storming toward Samuel, I lifted my fist, throwing back a punch. My hand hadn't fully reached his body when he was forced from his feet. A large green fist surrounded mine, smoking up my arm.

Gasps surrounded the room.

"You disgusting wreck. This is why we tried to remove you! You are clearly an abomination to this planet!"

"Is that why you murdered them? In cold blood! They had nothing to do with it!"

"No! You murdered them the day you were born! It's your fault they died!"

The fist grew. I lifted him from the ground, crushing him into the wall.

"You're using your powers for destruction and you don't even appreciate it!"

I threw him to the ground, standing over him. "Tell me why you had to kill them."

"Fine!" He growled, his ace beginning to bruise. "I started the fire because people were starting to look to you! They thought that our ways were outdated! I thought that if they died from your work then people would stop thinking that way!"

"Did it work? Do you feel better for what you've done? you killed two innocent people to fuel your ridiculous ideals!"

"Do you want to know something? It felt great. The pain I saw on your face when you thought they had died was worth everything."

"So you admit it? It was you. You started that fire and you murdered two innocent people for your own gain?"

"Yes! I admit it!"

I stepped back, raising my fist once more. He flinched, hiding his face.

"Look I'll take the blame! I can be denounced or whatever! Just don't kill me!"

"You're not even worth it." I stopped, stepping away. Both Matthew and Conner had fled, leaving him alone.

"What do you mean?"

"I got all I need. Have fun ruling, Tyrant Elder."

I began to walk away, allowing the power to disperse. However with the power went my energy.

I felt myself black out, falling to the floor.

"Will!"

It must have been a good few hours before I woke. I was in bed, a few small bandages around my body. Parv was beside me, quietly dozing. I sat up, rubbing my face.

It must have been a dream...

"Good morning, Superman."

I turned to see Parv look up at me.

"You put on quite a show."

"I did?"

"Yeah. It was so cool! You used a super arm to beat that guy up and he admitted to everything! Cornelius took him to the police station. He's going to pay for it."

I smiled, laying back in the bed.

"You made them proud." He smiled, kissing my cheek.

"I hope so." I replied, staring at the ceiling. I felt his body shift, moving on top of me. He sat on my legs, his arms crossed.

"What do you mean you hope so?"

"That hurts, Parv."

He stayed where he was.

"I mean I hope so. How should I know if what I did made them proud? It was violent and not the way I should have gone."

"It wasn't. He attacked you. It was what you had to do to get the answers you needed. He started that fire because people wanted you to be an Elder. They still do."

I pushed him off me. "I'm not Elder material. Besides, if I did, I'd have to stay here. That's not my taste. I'd much rather travel how I do."

He shrugged, rolling back on the bed. I sat up, stretching.

"I'd rather be with you, Parv. You know that."

"I know."

"I don't want to stay much longer. Can we go home?" I looked back, smiling.

"I'm happy to leave as soon as you've said goodbye. I want you to see Samuel again too."

"Alright." I stood, lifting the Blood Mage from the bed and kissing him. He chuckled, standing before me.

"Come on." He smiled, pulling his clothes from the floor and throwing them on. I rolled my eyes, buttoning up a shirt and pulling on a waistcoat.

"We need to pack."

"I'll do it. Go see Cornelius."

I nodded, wondering down the stairs.

"William!" Cornelius walked toward me, a smile across his face.

"Hey."

"You've done something amazing, Will. Thank you. After last night the Elders want to incorporate technology into society!"

"Oh, that's fantastic news. Are you going to help with that?"

"I'm the only one who has any clue here, so I've been tasked with working toward future ideas."

"I'm not going to stay. I can't. My home is with Parv. But if you're going to be doing all this work I can't just not help." I handed him a small book.

"What's this?"

"It's just a small field book. I've written down all I find on the planets I visit, to give me new ways to find more and to remember what holds things I need."

"I can't take this, it's your work!"

"Oh, I have copies of it back home. It's all in storage there. I want you to have it."

"Thank you, Will. This is going to save so much time!"

"It's the least I can do. I came down to say goodbye. Me and Parv are going to head back soon. I have a few things left to do."

"You'll come visit us sometime soon, yes?"

"Of course. I'll bring up some spares and we could do some building again. Like the old times."

"That would be wonderful."

I embraced him, holding him close.

"You okay there boy?"

"I'm fine. Just- thank you so much. For everything."

"Anything for you, William."

I heard a yell, followed by a crashing sound. Looking over to the stairs, I saw Parv strewn across the floor, a bag underneath him. He looked up, giggling.

"Oops."

"Wow. Your intellect really does continue to astonish me."

"Shut up."

I walked over, helping him to his feet. He lifted the bags, grinning.

"You two suit." Cornelius joined us, smiling.

"Oh?" Parv asked.

"Yeah. Don't lose one another, okay?"

"Okay."

I hugged him once more, smiling.

"I should hope I will see you soon too, Mr. Parvis. You certainly have kept me amused."

"Well, I'd probably accidentally kill someone if I was left alone so if Will goes somewhere I will too."

"Ah, that's good."

"I'll see you, Cornelius."

We left, heading toward the jailor.

"Do you want me to come in with you?"

"No, I'll be okay."

"Call if you need me."

I left my bags with Parv, walking inside.

"How can I help you?" Asked one of the men stood inside, looking down at me.

"I was hoping to see Samuel."

"Of course, just this way."

"Am I allowed privacy with him? I can assure you I won't be letting him go anywhere."

"Since you put him away, I suppose so."

I was directed to a small holding room. Behind the wall, Samuel sat on the floor.

"What more could you possibly want?"

"Look, I didn't want to fight you. You'd forced my hand."

"But you're weak! How could someone like you have gained so much power when you don't even use it?"

"I'm stronger than you would think."

"Well now my father thinks I am a disgrace and the town thinks I'm weak."

"Yeah, that sucks, doesn't it. Being pushed into a corner and having your pride trodden on. Just think, your parents could have been killed, too!"

His face fell.

"Maybe now you'll think before you act."

"I never- I'm sorry. I know I can never make up what I did."

"Don't sweat it. My parents are proud of me."

"So is the town. They want you to take my place."

"I'm not an Elder. I'm a technician. I belong with Parv, travelling."

"What is Parv? His power... It was different."

"He's not one of us. His power comes from other means. Be lucky he didn't kill you, he can be pretty hot headed at times."

"Oh..."

"I've done all I need to do, and said all I need to say. I'm going home."

"What, you tainted our city with your metal and now you're going?"

"No. I have opened your eyes to a bigger world and now you can advance and survive. Goodbye, Samuel."

I left the building.

"Are we ready?" Parv asked.

"Yes. Let's go home."

Credit to The_Cat on Ao3