Draconic Testament (9 page)

”The fact that he didn’t crush you in two seconds in highly impressive. The being you thought was of the rank of ‘Paragon’…” Veronica said.
“What’s a paragon?” Bastion asked, but Veronica waves away his question.
”Enough, this is madness.” Veronica sighs, and picks up the man’s head. “Pull the body over to the stage over there, we’re going to burn the assembly hall.” Bastion’s eyes widened at the sheer insanity of the order.
”What?? That’s insane, you can’t-“ Bastion began.
”Stage an accident, and hide the evidence of a damned alien on the planet, or be found out. You want this to go global?” Veronica snaps, but when she sees Bastion’s shocked plebeian face, she says. “Silence. Don’t answer, just pull him over.” Bastion did as she asked, and grabbed Torrigs’ arms and slid him across the ground. Small trails of blood followed the body, gradually fading. Bastion felt sick, as he could see the stump where the head was hacked off. He couldn’t believe that he was actually going to cover up a killing, even If it was manslaughter, though he kept telling himself that the killing was just, since the only justifiable way to kill is to save an innocent life. “How did you find me?” Veronica asked, interrogating him. “Can we talk about this later, I sort of… feel sick…” Bastion groaned. Veronica huffed at the statement, watching Bastion carry the body up the flight of stairs onto the stage. “You don’t look like you’ve fought with magic before.” Veronica stated.
”Did you just... say magic?” Bastion asked, chuckling at the ludicrous statement. Veronica never answered, nor did she return his chuckle. “No, I haven’t…” Bastion says, setting the body down. “This where you want it?”
”He called you a Paladin, didn’t he?” Veronica pondered. “Why?”
”I don’t know, I have no clue what a Paladin is.” Bastion said, backing away from the corpse. He started to feel weaker. He wondered why, as he looked at the medallion and sensed there was still magic in it. All of a sudden, pain flared in his hand, and he dropped to his knees gasping in pain. Pain also flared in his face, both far worse than what it felt like moments ago. “What’s wrong?” Veronica asked.
”My wounds in battle. My hand and my face hurt, though it didn’t while I was in the middle of combat… why?” Bastion wheezed. ”You were fighting with instinct, with what your magic was practically screaming at you to do. Even though you likely didn’t realize it, when the man hit you, and you damaged your hand, the magic numbed the pain by itself… now that you’re not in danger…” Veronica said. “You’re feeling fatigue from the amount of magic you were using. You used too much, and you were horrible with it. I’m surprised you’re still conscious.”
”I gotta go to a hospital.” Bastion said, clutching his hand “I think I fractured a bone, or something.”
”No need,” Veronica said, and knelt down in front of Bastion. She took his hand, and slowly, he felt warm magic seep into his hand. There was pain involved, but he felt his bones construct back into normality, and soon, all he could feel was warmth and relaxation in his wounds. Then, the magic went up to his face, where a bruise had appeared. The magic practically stitched the cut underneath the skin back together, and the bruise began to fade. “There” Veronica said.
”How did you do that? You didn’t even use any magic from the Medallion!” Bastion beamed. “Amazing!”
”It’s not, it’s base magic. Don’t worry about it, right now we need to burn this place.” Veronica said, and she began starting a fire.
Veronica and Bastion ran out of the building as the thick smell of smoke began to spread around the school, and outside. The fire shouldn’t spread far, though this building was where the exams were being held, so the school may shut down temporarily. Usually, this wouldn’t bother him, but thanks to the mess that had gone on for the past few days in his life, he hoped he’d have a break. They began walking down the road, side by side, slowly and awkwardly as people began to notice the fire. Veronica stood out in the street, wearing her Victorian blouse and long skirt, so it was rather embarrassing to actually be seen with her. But, then again, Bastion didn’t care too much about what people thought of him, so how would this be any different? “You know I have a ton of questions, right?” Bastion asks.
”Keep them to yourself. I’ve already warned you not to relay this to anyone…” Veronica says. “Understand that I should have killed you back there, and would have if not for the heroic charade you tried to put on. Though, we are not done yet. I still have questions for you.”
”What questions?” Bastion sighs, a bit annoyed at Veronica’s arrogance and reluctance to answer his questions. “Firstly, the Medallion. How did you use it to find me?” She asks.
”I closed my eyes while… I don’t know how to explain, it was like drawing energy from it. I saw you… you were glowing, along with the killer… silhouettes.” He said.
”That’s what we call hollow sight.” Veronica said. “The fact that you drew from magic means one of two things. You’re a rare human who has a strong Magic Pool that he’s been able to tap into, or you’re the son of a Magi.”
”Well… what do you think I am?” Bastion asked, squinting at the question, not sure what either of those were.
”I don’t know. Likely the first.” Veronica said. “Do you know your parents?”
”No.” Bastion said.
”Have you… had the…” Veronica starts, waiting for Bastion to realize what she’s hinting at, but Bastion doesn’t. “Have you ever desired to be a vampire?”
”What? What kind of dumb question is that?” Bastion asks.
”Never mind, obviously you’re not a Magi.” Veronica scoffs, then hurries on, not letting him pursue the subject “Second question. How are you hiding your aura?”
”What’s an Aura?” Bastion asks
”You know… the sort of presence you feel around people. The silhouettes, the reason you were being a creep and staring at me.” She says, watching Bastion begin to blush. “How come I can’t detect it? How come the killer couldn’t? What say you?”
”Heck knows. I'm not actually doing anything.” Bastion said, asking himself if she really just said ‘what say you’.
”Third question, had any training in magic?” Veronica asked.
”Erm… no, not from anyone. I sort of just… came across it myself.” Bastion mumbles.
”With the medallions?” Veronica asks.
”Yes. Well, no, sort of. I had some other training as well, at my haven.” Bastion says. Veronica squints at him, not understanding what he meant by ‘haven’. “There’s this… place, in the park. I was drawn to it as a kid. I couldn’t stop thinking about it, I went there for everything,.. Lunch, study, sleep… It was great, till I got my hands on that medallion, and the night at the beach… Yeah…” Bastion said, but realized that Veronica was no longer walking by his side. “Veronica?” He asks, turning around to a staring, bewildered Veronica.
“This haven of yours…” She began “It’s a place of magic? Out in the open?”
”Yeah, well, I guess you could call it that... It feels a little like that to me, though... Are you okay?” Bastion said. Veronica’s eyes widened, and for a moment, it looked as if she was about to smile. “Take me there! Come on!” She yells, grabbing his hand and pulling him to the park.
Chapter Three – Answers
Sebastian Slater
”I found it!” Veronica exclaimed, almost in a whisper, staring at the platform. “This is incredible, unbelievable, fantastic! 16 years ago, on this very stage, a portal was opened. All of the English Magi felt this tremor, and came running, looking for the location to Voltrin’s vault, and It was I who was the first to find it!”
”Alright, err, first of all...” Bastion began. “First of all, YOU did not find it. I did. Second of all, does this deed of mine come with a reward? Perhaps answers?”
”Yes… Yes I suppose I could tell you… though I do need to state something.” Veronica began. “I need to state that finding this place at such a young age was a monumental, if a strange, feat. There are those who are stronger than you and I combined that could not find this place… yet you…”
”I what?” Bastion asks.
”You can’t be a simple, normal human, oh no. Nor are you some ordinary son of a Magi, as you entailed earlier.” Veronica says, sitting down. “You have some incredible potential… Not only did you sense this place, and trained here, but you were able to hide your Aura from the killer and the rest of the Magi posted here, those who may have brought you harm or kidnapped you in your vulnerable, child-like state. I… I’d like you bring you back to our base, my home, in Korreal.”
”Korreal?” Bastion laughs, thinking it’s a stupid name. “Sorry, where is this Korreal?”
”We have bases, small settlements with huge undergrounds to keep out of the watchful eyes of humans. They don’t know we exist. If they did, they would never leave us alone. Our existence would never be the same. Korreal is over in the surrey hills, a countryside not all that far from here.” She said “I have a lot of answers for you… about Sanctum, the Magi… Incredible things that will be beyond your imagination. Things that will shimmer the world as you know it, and change it into something with less limits.”
”Well… shoot away, I got loads of time.” He said.
”No.” Veronica said.
”Uhm, what?” Bastion pondered.
”No. I want you to decide. Are you coming to live with us, and train as a Magi, or are you staying here?” Veronica prods. ”Wh- I can’t just decide to up and go with you! I mean, the end of school exams are coming up and everything! Plus, just leave my friends and family behind?” Bastion snaps, and Veronica realizes what he’s saying.
“Of course…family…” Veronica says “I suppose people with family should never be in a hurry to tarnish what they have.” She gets up and heads towards the gate. “Meet me at the train station on the Monday after the exams. I can’t stay any longer than that, I'm sorry. Remember, there’s the normal life, the human life, which you obviously do not fit in, with your addictions, depressions and your lust to follow your instincts… The life of a caged animal.” She pauses “Then there’s the Magi life. While not a glamorous life, I believe that you’d be a vital member of our group, to make our lives better. Do not talk to me again, until that day. Remember, this discussion never happened if you decide against our order. I know where you live.”
”Wait, cant you jus-“Bastion begins, but Veronica simply leaves, without a care for Bastion’s words, and walks away from the park. “Goddamnit.” Bastion sighs, and sits down on the platform, thinking about what Veronica said. There are many things he has to consider before leaving. To just up and leave Talia, Vander, his mother… His hard earned grades will be meaningless, he’ll likely face constant danger and will only find friends within his Magi community… Plus, this talk about portals, and Paragons? On the upside, he likely wouldn’t be driven insane from his depression, though he doesn’t know if it’s something that will pass, since it only came up after he began seeing the glowing silhouettes of people. Then, something hit him. He forgot to tell her about Number 3, the one who was disappearing every time Bastion saw him… though it was too late now. With the long hours of teaching Talia, the fight with the red-faced fiend, the fire and this talk about Mages, he felt he had done his deeds for the day, and went off home to rest.
Exam week, Monday. The school was in shock and awe about the tragedy that conspired in the assembly, though it was a godsend for the younger students who were sent home until repairs were made. No such luck for the Year 10’s and 11’s, who had to complete their exams. There were two exams per day, one in the daytime, the other in the afternoon, which rendered the students to look at this fortnight of exams as a normal day in school. The morning exams went fine, as Bastion was writing down answers to questions that seemed elementary to him, smiling as he knew that it would make his mother proud, though he was not sure if he could keep it up. All he could think about was magic, magic, magic, and of course, what he was going to do about Veronica’s offer. He kept weighing the pedestals, and he constantly came back to the same conclusion, to stay here, to fight the addiction. Why would he just abandon everything for a life he could never come back from? Veronica was hardly friendly, was this a common mindset among the Magi people? On the other hand, if he stayed here, he may always feel like an addict trying to ignore the hit that was waiting for him a reach away. That was not certain, however. Bastion came out of the exam hall to a complaining Talia, who wanted to know why he walked out on her, though, luckily for him, he had made up an excuse beforehand. He also saw Veronica, who cursed as Bastion approached her, and she sighed and hissed at him to back off, a gesture that he failed to heed. Eventually, Veronica stopped, and dragged Bastion off into a corner somewhere, practically slamming him against the wall in fury with her forearm. “What the HELL do you want?” Veronica snaps at him, furious. “I told you not to talk to me again, we’re going to get found out!”
”Found out about what, am I dragging you off to a back alley for a snog or something? No, I just want to talk about the magic. I need to kno-”
”No, I told you...” She begins, but Bastion interrupts her with puppy eyes.
”Look… I need your help… please. I’ve only just been introduced to this whole magic thing, and I… I just want to know… will the addictions stop? Can I just ignore the magic, or will it eat away at me till I'm torn apart by my depression? Please, you have to help me… I feel like I’m alone here. Who else do I have to turn to?” Bastion pleaded. ”Bastion, people are...“ Veronica retorts, but Bastion grabs her arm.
”Please…” He pleads.
”Alright… alright…” Veronica sighs, giving in, shaking Bastion off her in frustration. “You can’t ignore it. it’s always going to be there, but… you can learn to suppress it, to accept it as a part of you and have it stop bothering you… devote your time to learning that, and you’ll feel better, but you’ll never feel normal.” Veronica places her hand on his chest, looking away from him. Magic flows into Bastion’s body, and the toll of the depression begins to dwindle. It’s still there, begging him to be let out, but it’s no longer jumping on his back. “How does that feel? Will you remember how to do that?”