Dark Lord Saga : The Blood Mage

Chapter 28 : Dark Whispers

The church had been closed for several years. Dust had collected on the seats, a musky smell, one of old rotten things pervaded the air. Candles flickered in racks every few feet from the boarded windows. Broken metal, wood, and other things lay scattered about the floor. Iris stood. The darkness concealing her face. The children walked up and hugged her as if nothing was amiss. A greeting. A hug. A simple gesture, but one that had been taught to them over the last couple of weeks. Hug people you know. Shake hands with those you don't.

Grey walked up to Iris and hugged her, feeling her warmth. There was a comfort in feeling something you couldn't see. Iris, Oswin, and Ciara. These were people he could touch. What was real? What was his imagination? Lately, it was hard for him to tell the difference. He didn't have nightmares. He never had nightmares. But he would hear things, whispering in his ear at night. He wasn't crazy. No. But something...There was something.

"So how was your first day at school go? How where the classes?" said Iris.

"Like I said," said Ciara, flicking her hair. "School is so boring. Can I please stay and not go to school tomorrow. We don't even learn anything there. I rather sleep in and cast spells all day. Pretty please! Please!"

Ciara ran up to Iris and tugged on her robe. Iris smiled and gently patted Ciara on the head.

"Just bear with it. We will only be here for a year or two. Then I promise we will do something exciting."

"Really? You promise?" replied Ciara. Her eyes glowing.

"Yes," smiled Iris. She turned to Oswin. "So, how was school Oswin?"

"It was okay. Nothing really happened."

"And Grey?" said Iris, looking at Grey.

"It was okay," said Grey, quietly. "I getting used to sensing things with my aura. The lightness skill. I feel...well I can't hold it up for long though."

Iris smiled. "We can do more practice. Let me set up Oswin and Ciara. You can do the usual till I get there."

Grey nodded. "Okay."

Grey went over to the corner of the church and sat down next to some candles. He picked up a sharp piece of wood and stabbed it into his arm. Blood came out of his skin. He focused his attention on his aura. It came out all at once and caressed his body. Heal. Heal. He thought to himself. The wound closed up. Energy flowing into his body in little fragments. His aura was changing. Iris herself confirmed this, but whether or not the change was good. She didn't know that either. She simply said to work on his healing abilities the best he could. That meant hurting himself. Hurting himself a lot so that no matter what happened. He would be able to recover.

Cut his arm. Cut his leg. Rip out pieces of skin. Rake it open. Burn his skin. Stab his chest. These things became routine. He would heal them all the same. Lethal wounds bothered him no more than a bug bite. He would fidget, tears welling in his eyes, but he bore it all. His teeth grinding in agony. To be stronger. To be the best. Some days. His mind would blank out. He wouldn't know why he wanted to get stronger. Just that he had to.

"Pain," whispered Iris to him one night. "Grey you life has been a sad one, but don't you think you learned something? Pain doesn't have to stop a person. Rather, it can make them stronger. Use your pain. Use your sadness. It'll make you stronger."

Was this truly the best way to become stronger? Grey thought. He didn't know. He just had this fear that something bad would happen. Too many bad things had happened suddenly. Could he tell if the next person walking down him on the street would attack him? That he wouldn't meet some fierce beast on the road someday? No. He couldn't but the fear was there. It had grown, slowly. Walking down the street. His heart would remember the day he was kidnapped. Everyone could be an enemy. The voices ringing in his ear. Voices like ghosts that passed him by.