I thought the Shadowhawks are a group of magihunters. They're mortals trained to use magical weapons; their blood infused within the weapons. That was what Emmet told me. He also mentioned mages are not allowed to be part of it.

So I guess we have a problem. His youngest member is a mage. I glance back at his mark; it's small, hidden well on his inner left wrist. This is probably how he knew about Raudan being at the woods and understanding hibernating. I wonder what else Silas is keeping, and why he feels I'm different like him.

I'm just a normal kid.

As that statement flows in my mind, I ask Silas when he knew he was a mage.

He explains, "I was force to leave my hometown, a quiet colony known as Topaz."

I know that colony. It's located way east, and is one of the weaken colonies because it has been known to be under attack from monsters. That's what I heard from some of my classmates.

Silas resumes.

"It was under attack by a group of malefics I couldn't recognize. My parents stayed. I wanted to stay with them, but my father forced me to leave. So I headed out. He told me, he wanted me to have a future without malefics. So I did what I could find any home. I been to several other colonies, and none of them helped. I eventually got lost until early last year I met up with Emmet. He and the others found me. They took me into Dawning."

"How you got that magemark?" As I stare at it again, it's the miniature version of the standard birthmark all mages in Dawning are forced to be labeled upon. Then I hear from Silas that few colonies heard what Dawning did, and decided to do the same. But unlike Dawning treating the mages as scum, the other colonies are trying their best to have the mages and nobloods live together again. Have the mages practicing magic again. He mentions that Topaz is one of those colonies.

I'm still trying to understand what is happening and then I can hear Silas again.

"Emmet saw me and trained me as a mortal. The Orre knew I was a mage."

Guess that's what a mage do, sense one another. Silas continues, "The Orre wanted me to withhold my secret, not until I'm truly ready to tell the others. Since then, I've been afraid what the others could think."

Yeah I know. I hear Silas mentioned he and the others defeated so many malefics, as well as dark mages. He's just so fearful what Emmet could do to him. Force him out of the group, and exile him like the officials are doing to mages who expose themselves. I haven't known the Shadowhawks a lot, but I can see them reacting insensitive at first. I can sense Camille may not like it, Icarus I really don't know, and I guess other than The Orre, Terra may accept him. But Emmet will probably give the order for Silas to stay or go.

Thinking about Imogen and her power of telepathy, I wonder what his power is. I ask him that being intrigued. He stares at me with a smirk and pinpoints me back at the Grub area. I look to see a bunch of honey oranges floating in the midair.

"Wow!" I murmur, quietly stunned.

"I use my mind to float and throw things. I didn't know what the name was. I forgot what my parents told me, but The Orre did. He told me I'm a telekinetic."

So that's the title. I see the oranges flying towards us, as it starts circling right near me. I lift my hand up trying to touch one. Silas continues, "When the others aren't looking, I will go into the exercise room and practice throwing my grenade daggers. I even did it against several malefics."

I glance at him. His eyes shift left as the oranges head back to the Grub area, and back to the bowl. However, one orange is still floating and then the honey orange falls right into my hands. I chuckle excited.

"That was awesome."

"Yeah, I want to explore that same independence like The Raver did."

I hold onto the orange, but then I react flabbergasted, "Who? The what?"

Silas giggles and explains, "Ever since I was five my mother told me about this story every young mage knew. It's like a fairy tale in a way, but actually its' an old mage fable."

"A childhood fable?!" I question.

"Yeah, that's one of the decent memories I had when I was at Topaz. The fable is known as The Raver."

"I never knew that."

But that name...Raver...I remembered hearing that word from before. I haven't heard about this mage story. Maybe mages have their childhood stories. Noblood has theirs. I know I had my very own childhood story. My aunt told me a lot. She told me my mother, Phoebe, told me stories. I couldn't remember that far back, but I do harken back the times when I was young. Aunt Verdi told me a story my mother created. It was based on a hare and how it will use its knowledge of shelter to get away from a hungry tiger. It was an interesting story. I read other childhood stories as well, some based on dinosaurs. I loved dinosaurs, still do. My aunt told me my room back in my childhood home was a dinosaur haven.

Then as I can imagine what my mother looked like, and how she read those stories to me. I start to think about the fable's creator. I ask Silas who originally spoke about this fable.

"My father told me it was written by a recluse mage named Tal Wythe. I don't know but when I was back in Topaz. There were stories claiming Whyte is still living in the place he formed that fable thousands of years ago. Other than that, there's nothing else to know about him."

I want to know more about the story and as well Silas' power, but before I can say one word. I then see Icarus coming out of his room. He yells out for Silas, rushing to us.

"We have to go!" Icarus yells.

"Is it about..." I want to say the rest, but Icarus stops me.

"If it was about Anita, you will know. But it's not." He continues, "Actually it's another task..." He looks at Silas, "Remember that guy riding the raptor cycle and wielding two twin blades, he striked again last night and killed the horn-faced malefic near the Dawning wall."

"You're serious?!"

"If I wasn't, you will see me laughing." Icarus turns to Silas. "I heard from Emmet another one of those horn-faced malefics is spotted near the wall. The girls are already there. We need to meet up with them."

"Sure. What about the guy with the raptor cycle."

"He's tomorrow news. Right now we got to head to the outskirts and stop that malefic."

I want to listen over what they're saying. I want to ask further about this guy with the raptor cycle and twin blades. How do they know him? But I get depress, as yet no sudden news over Anita's whereabouts.

Silas slowly smiles at me. "Don't worry man, we'll get her back."

I nod slowly, guess that one day Silas could muster up and tell the others he's a mage. Yet who knows what will happen once Emmet finds out. I stare back at Silas. He smirks at me and heads out with Icarus. They rush to their lockers, grabbing their weapons. They head towards the garage gate, hopping on their harpies and zooming out in the tunnel.

As the gate door closes, I then look back at the hallway. The Orre is still at his room. I can't disturb him. I guess letting him know about the stone piece and about seeking the truth. I need to wait until he's ready. I place the honey orange back on the table, and walk towards the stairs. Climbing each step, I think about the fable. The bookstore may not have anything about The Raver.

But I begin to remember something someone told me. I remember now. It was Ms. Ophelia. She told me something regarding a Raver. If I reminisce closely, I finally know.

A Raver in the twilight.

I wonder does she know anything about the mage fable. I don't know why, but I feel this story may have something I want.

***

Exiting off the hovbus as it brings me to South Dawning, I miss my buddy. I miss Addie. I want to see him again. It's been a while since the attack. When Emmet gave me a telen a few days ago, I had gotten a lot of updates from Aunt Verdi. Addie had been howling in an odd way for several times a day. She originally was annoyed, but realizing it was about him missing me. She grew tolerance towards it. I let her know, I was going to her place.

I look at the night sky, the moon glistens so brightly. I ponder what Emmet could be thinking about me exiting out of the lair. I didn't tell him or the others that I left.

Taking a shortcut near a large warehouse, I remember me and my Glider buddies always take this route. It's easy for me to get to my aunt's place in less time, than for me to walk around the east sector known for their warehouses and wharfs.

Walking through the narrow alleyway, I pause to see two male bums both with mage marks stamped on their necks. So this is how the anti-magic act is treating mages, to the point they're now homeless. I wave slowly at them. Steadily, I bypass them. Suddenly a whisper of words halts me. I take notice when I hear curse.

"The Blackvale curse."

I turn back to one of the mage bums. "How you know my last name?"

The bum with dirty blonde hair walks up to me and cracks a smirk. He then says without any hesitation, "Your family got what they deserved."

How that bum knew about the fire? I feel those nerves shaking again. I want to strike and attack the punk. Waiting to punch him out, I step back. Turning around, I walk off. This could be a game. The bum could be playing with me, he's just a disguised centurion sent by Vartwild to test my emotions. However some force reels me back.

The next thing I know is landing hard on the ground back-first. Feeling pain, I try to move but I glance up to see the two bums, standing side by side staring at me. Then in a creepy manner, they both speak simultaneously.

"We have found you, Harbinger. The boy who survived. When you die, Master Shallos will be reawaken."

I look confused wondering what they mean. And then that word...Harbinger. Raudan told me that on the night he attacked me. I glance back at the two bums, and then my eyes widen in terror. The two bums begin to form into one, ghostly-white creature with black eyes, long white hair, and sharp claws. It floats like a ghost and starts coming after me. I try to crawl to escape.

Still crawling, I feel pain grappling me down. I suddenly collapse. I quickly turn to see the ghostly freak coming at me. Not until a man appears out of nowhere. For a second he wasn't there, but he's now standing in front of me. But then I react stunned. The figure looks familiar. He has that boulder cap and that cane.

It's him!

Suddenly the well-dressed man starts moving fluidly like liquid. The creature tries to strike its claws at the well-dressed man, but the man uses his cane and bams the monster with several blows. The man toys with the ghoulish creature. And then finally knocks the creature back. The creature yells out an annoying screech. I cover my ears as the creature probably injured flees away.

I'm still sitting up on the ground stumped. How that thing knew about the fire, what is this curse that bares my family's name, and who is this Shallos. Then as I make sense of what went down a few minutes ago, I spot the suave man with that groomed brownish mustache, tailored suit and pants, and shining shoes where I can see the moon's reflection. He then positions his cane between his legs. He takes one hand off the cane and tries to assist me up.

"I don't want your help." I ignore holding his hand. I use the ground as support, getting back up. I pat down my jeans, wiping away the dirt. I straighten myself out, and then look back at the well-dressed, groomed male.

"You shouldn't be here." He says with a smooth British accent.

"What are you talking about? I always pass here."

"Uncivilized boy. The creature you faced was a wraith. It was a phantom-like malefic. Wraiths are vicious creatures. They are extremely dangerous. You're luckily I was here."

"I'm lucky?"

"The wraith knew you were coming down here."

I don't want to believe him, and besides after that first encounter back in the park. I don't know anything about him. Just that he's well groomed and likes twirling that cane. "Who are you?"

"Don't worry Naven, you'll find out very shortly."

Freaking out how he knows me, I startle when I hear something from behind. Could it be another wraith sneaking behind me? I swiftly turn around only to see it's nothing. As I turn back wanting to address the well-dressed man more, he's gone again.

Who was that man?

Feeling cold wind coming, I shiver in fear. I don't want to receive another blindside attack from anything else.

I run off having faith I make it to my aunt.

***

I jolt up from the matbed, having another nightmare about that family fire. The image disturbs me again.

I got too frighten. I had to shorten my stay at Aunt Verdi's. I got to see Addie and promised him I'll get him next time, but the nerves got to me. I left and took the hovbus back to the bookstore. I raced down here in the basement. Heading back to the guest room, I climbed in the matbed wanted to just go to sleep and forget what I witnessed. However, what the creature told me. The Blackvale curse. What type of curse is that thing talking about?

I couldn't imagine my family doing something bad. Did they? Did my parents done something and curse me. Maybe that's why I had been getting this pain in my chest.

Suddenly, I begin to hear noises from the outside. I get out of the bed and walk towards the door. My ear presses to the wood. I hear chatting. I wonder what's going on out there. Feeling intrigued, I open the door and exit out to the hallway. I then glance to see Terra and Icarus are working on something, viewing the table screens. I walk forward, and stop when I hear Terra wondering where I went last night. In a curious way.

"Went to see my dog."

"You got a dog?" Icarus asks.

"Yup." I nod as I glance at the table. "What are you guys doing?" I then look around. "Where's the others?"

"Emmet took Camille and Silas somewhere in the city." Terra states.

"Why?"

"I overheard Emmet talking to the Director." Icarus continues. "She wanted Emmet for a meeting or something, and asked if he would bring a pair of Shadowhawks to their hidden place."

"And let me see, you guys are just chilling until they come back."

"I should've gone with Camille. Silas isn't capable to handle her." Icarus says.

I almost see him looking flustered. I glance at Terra, who questions him about handling her sister. Icarus almost blushes in a way and changes the subject to a possible sighting of Raudan. I walk closer to the table.

"Where is he?" I ask intrigued.

"Calm down!" He says.

"We don't know where he is." She then glances back to the table screens, as a 3D map of the Outerlands is shown above the surface. "We have been seeing a lot of malefic action in the border of the forest."

"You mean malefics are in the Forbidden Woods."

"Technically, further than that."

"What you mean?"

"It's close to the Nowhere."

The Nowhere?!

Terra pinpoints the mountain range shown on the 3D map. It's part of the range behind the forest. Towards the east, she mentions clearly that particular area is the Nowhere. She explains further the name because nobody actually explored that region.

"We barely go there." She says. "Yet it seems a lot of malefic action is suddenly appearing in that area."

"Malefics associated with Raudan and the other acolytes never appeared there before, but now they are." Icarus piggy backs.

I look back to Terra and ask her if Anita could be there, where that malefic action is at. She then wants me to hold on, it may be false. "It could be just another malefic convention?"

She says, but she has her doubts.

I want to understand, but I plea with her to go there and find out. Terra is hesitant to answer. She glances at the table and keep her focus there. I don't hear anything. I see Icarus giving me a defiant no look.

And then I look astounded, The Orre standing back near his corner place. I didn't know he was there.

Then I pause when I hear Terra gives the okay. "We can go there." She says ardently.

She just needs to clear it from Emmet. And then as I expect to stay here while Emmet probably tells her and Icarus to do what they can around that Nowhere area.

Terra isn't finished.

She wants Emmet not only to get clearance for them to explore that spot, but there's something else that's missing. She wants this to happen. I notice Icarus reacting shock, showing his displeasure. I look to see The Orre grinning. He simply nods as if he already knew.

Terra wants me to join them.

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**Please comment/vote on what you read so far. I really appreciate it.