Where are you, little Merric?

As I run through the forest maze, I can feel tears stinging my face now that Lance cannot see me crying. They were holding themselves at bay. But as soon as I got out of his sight, they instantly defeated me. I cannot hold them back any longer and I start to whimper uncontrollably.

You cannot run away from me forever, boy.

His words pound through my mind and tangle my thoughts up. The next thing I know is a tree has been ripped away from its roots and crashes down near me, causing a large ruckus. I stumble backwards and fall back onto the ground in shock and confusion. The rain pounds the ground harder than ever before and lightning lights up the sky almost constantly. I glance around, and no one is near me as my heart pounds in my chest. It feels like it is going to explode. Something catches my eyes and I glance down to my hands.

They are glowing purple.

That was me...

That tree... I ripped it from the ground...

With no effort at all...

Without even realizing it...

I quickly shake my hands like that will remove the magic from them as a wave of fear washes through me, forcing out whatever feeling that was there that caused my magic to destroy whatever it wished. The tears continue flowing down my cheeks and that feeling rushes back within me.

Anger.

My eyes widen when the emotion's name suddenly reveals itself within me, reverberating through my mind. Fear bubbles up again when I realize anger has been building deep from within me and erupted out, ripping that tree right out of the ground. I hear sudden sounds of approaching Knights and I scramble to hide within some bushes close by.

Something tugs my subconscious into the direction of where the mercenary keep is. It feels like something is guiding me to the place I don't need guiding to. Something magical. It doesn't feel normal at all.

It feels like my magic within me is connecting me to something.

But what?

Tears softly slide down my cheeks as I sit in silence, as my thoughts finally slow from their rapid pace through my mind. Several Knights enter my field of vision, darkened by the storm raging around us. They search the area while studying the tree that had mysteriously fallen just moments ago.

Two of them study the tree more closely while another slowly approaches my hiding location. Am I visible? They get steadily closer, one step at a time.

Your hiding needs some work, boy.

Its sudden words startle me and the Knight that was just approaching, stops suddenly and raises its lance. I watch the Knight swiftly rush me and my magic takes over, shielding me from them. Images of the mercenary keep flash within my mind and my magic flows freely from my hands. My body tingles and everything goes numb. The feeling that was tugging my subconscious envelops me. My magic surrounds me and within a second, the Knight that was just standing before me is gone.

I glance around quickly, and everything has silenced like time has stopped. My eyes widen as I find myself within the main room of the mercenary keep I was just in with Lance not too long ago.

But how...?

I look down at my body in time to see my purple magic fading from all around me. I raise my hands up and stare at them, dumbfounded. I look back towards the direction I just was and see nothing but the shadowed forest, silent and calm, nestled behind the practice field I used to practice in, soiled with war and death.

I get a better look at the keep and realize just how mangled and destroyed it actually is. I slowly stand. I cannot help but to slowly look around closely at everything, not moving at all from where I stand.

I can teleport. Something teleported me here.

My magic teleported me here.

Did Ma know we can do this too?

This newfound ability must work with a deep connection to a location. The last thing I remember thinking before finding myself here were detailed images of this exact place in this room. From my memories. The exact place I am standing, is the view my memories held that brought me here.

The images that just flashed through my mind mirrors exactly what I am looking at.

That feeling, but stronger, moves my gaze towards Ma's bedroom down the hall. I stare down the shadowed hallway for several moments, still taking in my surroundings. I calm my emotions, now that I am not in danger any longer, as I feel them settling down within me where they rest.

Rain pounds the battered roof of the stone still holding above my head as some rain leaks through the holes formed throughout the surface. The calmness around here brings paranoia from the depths within me. Every little sound makes my eyes dart over in the direction from which it came as I slowly make my way through the room towards the hall. Every step is slow and careful as I look around me more than actually looking where I am going.

Did whatever is pulling me here... teach me how to use a teleport spell...?

I enter the hall and begin down it, with all of my memories flooding my mind of this place. I grew up in this fort. This was once my home.

I remember running through this hallway when I turned five, excited about my very first day of training.

I remember running through this hallway when I was retrieving water for Ma when she was resting during the party for my baby brother.

I turn and enter Ma's bedroom without even realizing I was here yet and my eyes move towards where her bookshelf used to rest against the back wall. That feeling is guiding me and my eyes are following its energy. They are slowly moving to whatever this feeling is wanting me to see and they slowly slide down to a pile of rubble.

There.

The calmness within me is something I have never felt before. My thoughts have completely stopped. The only thing that is flowing through my mind right now is moving towards that debris pile. I move like I am in a trance and I feel like I am almost watching myself from the outside, looking in.

Has Ma ever felt like this...?

The tears have slowed but have not stopped completely. When I finally reach the debris pile, I stop and stare at it for a few moments, unsure what will be beneath its surface. Ignoring my other emotions, I kneel and begin moving the pieces of debris by shoving them to the side with my magic energy. One by one, I focus on each piece and forcefully move them with a single flick of my hand in any direction. As I remove debris, dark magic tomes with dark purple covers emerge from the shadows.

Dark Magic for Beginners.

Flux.

Nosferatu.

My gaze stops on that tome for a moment. Memories of reading Nosferatu back when I was seven rushes back to me and images of me sitting in the main room reading this fill my thoughts suddenly. I run my finger over the name and the cover slightly crumbles beneath my touch. This memory lingers strongly in my mind and it fills my conscious.

~~~

There it is. Nosferatu.

I grab the tome and pull it out from between the other tomes. Dust flies everywhere in puffs around the books as they settle into their new positions. I leap down from the stool and dash back through the hallways towards the main room. I pass by Titania on the way and she chuckles at me as I pass. I dart past the back doorway towards the practice field and I hear faint clunking of wooden weapons for a moment.

When I enter the main room, I slow down and find Lance playing with Papa in the floor in the center of the room. I look to the kitchenette and Mama is washing dishes at the sink. I sit down in the lone chair near where they are playing and open the tome. I slide my fingers down the page as the smile on my lips stays strong.

Level 2: Rank D - Dark Magic Tome. Nosferatu.

This spell is defined as powerful dark magic that drains the target of their life energy and gives it to the caster.

As I read, I hear faint sounds of Lance running around the room softly giggling while sometimes yells loudly for a moment when Papa catches him.

How to cast: The user must cast this spell by focusing any negative emotion's energy onto the target through the casting arm, betrayal works wonderfully. First you should focus this energy to the arm and gather it there. Wait for the target to strike and unleash the energy by surrounding the target with your dark film. Wait for the spell to surround them and...

"Merric,"

Mama's gentle voice breaks my concentration on the words on the page but I do not look up at her. Instead, I continue vaguely reading over what I just read while answering her and then I flip to the next page, "Yah Mama?"

"Now can you tell me the answer to my previous question?" I flip the page back to the other one and decide how to put this spell into my own words, "Nosferatu is the spell that drains energy from the target while doing damage. Then gives that energy to the caster,"

"Good,"

I find and continue reading where I left off, glad to see Mama is proud that I am now able to answer her questions. Now I must keep reading so I will be prepared for her next one.

Wait for the spell to surround them and the target should respond to their life energy being drained, causing fatal injuries and other major damage. The energy is sent back to the caster by a dark energy orb that flies back and into the user's body. When this happens, the caster should now fill the life energy flowing in, replenishing energy to the caster. This energy is now immediately available for use.

I flip the page.

Spell uses: This spell has been used in training early dark magicians to learn how to control this type of powerful magic. Dark magic is much different than other types of magic and must be eased into the practice before learning more powerful spells as many of them are risky to the caster. This spell can also be used to mend the user back to health by sapping energy from their surroundings, usually other living beings.

I faintly hear Lance run past me towards where Mama is and soon after, Papa slowly crawls by, making playful sounds. Lance yells in response, then giggles afterwards. I continue to the next section on the page.

Spell specifics: This spell, like most dark magic, is more effective on any targets that are not dark magicians. Although this spell works on other dark magic, it is not as powerful. Be sure to understand the target before trying this spell. If the caster feels any type of illness during or after use of this spell, be sure to seek medical attention at once.

Lance yells loudly and I glance up to see him being captured by Papa over by Mama. Lance continues to giggle as Papa scoops him up from the floor. I smile and watch for a bit before looking back down at the tome in my lap.

~~~

I am sucked out from my memory as tears continue to fall down my cheeks gently. The memory brings a smile to my lips, the first smile I have had in a very long time. That was not that long ago.

But it feels like a thousand years.

So much has happened since then. I feel like a completely different person. I guess this is a side effect of war. There is nothing but pain that ever comes from war. And now everything is gone.

My smile fades as the tears continue to fall. I continue moving the debris and more tomes appear from underneath.

Advanced Dark Magic.

Ruin.

Apocalypse.

Mire.

The tome slides down into my view, covering up Apocalypse underneath it. My gaze fixes itself onto the tome and the word on the cover shoots something through me every time I read the name.

This was leading me here. This tome taught me how to teleport and guided me here to it. These must be a taste of the power this tome must hold.

This will make me stronger.

I push the thought away, confused at where it came from. It was like something pushed that thought into my mind. I slowly reach for the tome, and it looks as though it shimmers purple for a split second when I grasp it. It startles me, and I drop the tome in confusion as it softly falls back into the pile of debris, causing a soft thump. I stare back at it in surprise for a moment before reaching for it again. It doesn't shimmer when my fingers touch it this time.

My eyes must be playing tricks on me.

I raise back onto my feet without moving my gaze from this tome. I know Ma told me not to, but this is the only thing I know to do. There is nothing left. It guided me here because it is what I must do, right? I must try.

Now to try to use teleport again...

I force images of where Lance waits for me in my mind. I push out my desire to keep my brother safe as I continue to imagine where he is waiting for me. Image after image flash through as I try to force my energy around me. I close my eyes and focus on my emotion and I begin to feel my body tingle once again. I wish to be there and repeat that in my mind with desire and my body goes numb. My magic surrounds me and then silence hits me once again.

Complete silence.

The next thing I feel is myself landing on the soft grass as the sounds of thick rain fill my ears. I open my eyes and darkness surrounds me. I soft grunt escapes my lips as the feeling slowly returns to my body. It worked.

"M—Merric?"

My heart sinks to my brother's fear filled voice. I spin my head around and find Lance staring back at me with fear spilling from him. He is only staring at me. There is only enough light to barely see him and his face as the night has fallen completely. As I get a closer look at him, his eyes are not looking back at mine after all.

"Th—The tome...?"

Then a soft glow catches my attention.

His gaze is glued to the tome in my hand.

I swiftly move my gaze down to it and my eyes widen as it slightly shimmers in the darkness, a soft purple glow radiating from it like it is emitting its own energy.

"H—Huh...?"

My gaze locks onto the tome and I cannot look away as it continues to shimmer in my hand. My hand tingles as I try to release the tome, but my hand will not respond. A strange voice fills my mind. A voice I have never heard before.

Will you become victim to your own desires...?

Can you control the power you seek...?

Then my mind goes silent. My hand suddenly opens, and the tome falls to the ground next to me. I hide my emotion and ignore what I just heard as the tome's glow fades away.

My eyes snap back up to my brother, "Everything is okay, Lance,"

Suddenly, as I look back at him, I am glad for the rain to cover my tears. The fear in his eye fades away as he looks back at me for a moment. The next thing I know, he has rushed up to me and has me in an embrace. He softly shivers against me.

"I—I missed you... brother,"

I wrap my arms around him as my gaze falls back onto the tome on the ground. He was afraid. I stay silent for a moment, building the courage to not hide away my feelings completely from him any longer, "I... missed you too, Lance," I respond softly.

You're not alone, brother. I am just as afraid as you. If only I held the courage to open up completely to you. But I am too afraid.

Maybe one day...

Suddenly, Lance softly whimpers in my embrace. He is violently shivering now, and he is holding me tighter than he ever has. He is crying.

Tears begin to flow freely down my cheeks once again as the rain slows to a gentle patter against the grass around us. The large moon becomes partially visible between the clouds as we sit in silence, weeping together in each other's embrace.

I slide my gaze up to the moon, away from the tome and a thought that has been waiting in my subconscious emerges from deep within my mind.

If it wasn't for you, Lance, I would be dead right now.

I lean my head against the top of his. You are the reason I fought so hard to run from war... instead of fighting by Pa's side to my death...

Every thought that runs through my head I wish I have said aloud instead. Any courage I have at all evades me. We lean back against the brush and vegetation as my exhaustion takes me over.

I just didn't want you to ever be alone.

This moment melted my heart.

Merric is one of my favorite characters to write that has developed right in front of my eyes. The moment that you first met him is slowly approaching...

Strange to think about...huh? :3