Write your own story

14. Consequences all around

Fharan went towards the bathroom as soon as they arrived and threw up everything he had eaten since yesterday together with enough blood to make a normal person rather worried.
After his stomach calmed down, he was only barely able to stand and let Afrit help him into bed. Shortly after he lost consciousness and drifted off into an uneasy sleep.
Afrit didn't change back, but sat down next to him and started to connect Fharans magic with his own channeling it in between them.
Nether the less, ice crystals started to form around them and the princes body temperature dropped rapidly. He was ice cold in minutes while drenched with sweat at the same time.

It was the third time his body broke down like this since he had left his prison. The symptoms always seemed to vary, but the cause was the same. It was clear as day that no human being would have survived such treatment for years without any side effects.
They had injected him regularly with substances that one wouldn't even use to poison one's worst enemy and he could remember at least five occasions where he witnessed how Fharans spine had been broken and had been paralyzed for days.
Both of them wondered often enough, why exactly he hadn't died, survived for years instead.
But as long as it wasn't helping in alleviating his symptoms, it was meaningless to fuss over it.
Letting his mind and body rest seemed to help at least a little bit. That was an additional reason for his naps during the day.
Channeling his magic as well.
While Fharans body needed his magic to heal the damage caused by the havoc, did it also increase his suffering by overcompensating, injuring him further and straining his body with the overload.
The second time it had happened, they had just managed to reach an uninhabited region before Fharans magic exploded and destroyed their surroundings, freezing it solid.
One of the most peculiar phenomena Afrit had been able to observe so far was Fharans magic turning black. It happened every single time.

He silently continued to move his magic while he slowly lost all feelings in his hands with which he held one of Fharans. Afrit observed his bonds' hollow face and felt a flicker at the other end of the mind link. It was short and rather weak, but strong enough for him to notice.
Too much magic was not only dangerous for the body, but for the mind as well, especially in his case.
Afrit sighed silently and took the risk to channel a bit more of their magic. Both arms up to his shoulders immediately went numb. He watched as the ice made its way up to his elbows.
It was in that moment that Fharan opens his eyes.
"Thanks", he said as he realized what Afrit was doing.
"How is your headache!", Afrit asked.
"Getting better.
It doesn't seem to be as bad as last time though."
"True", Afrit chuckled and continued to circle their magic a bit longer. He waited until the crystals started to dissolve before finally stopping.
Carefully removing his hands, he stretched to loosen his now stiff muscles and went to fetch water and something to eat.
Fharan had fallen asleep when he returned from the other room so he placed everything on the bedside table. He kept watch for a little while longer before transforming back and lying down beside him.

In the meantime the school was buzzing with the news of Ratcars first prince and his confrontation with the infamous profession of the research department. Apart from Fharans identity and his disappearance afterwards was the fact that professor Maruck was known to value bloodlines as much as good grades especially intriguing.
It was technically decreed that social standings had no influence on the academy and its treatments of students, but it was impossible to treat a noble of a neighbouring exactly the same as a farmer's boy, and if only for political reasons.
Teachers were required to not be overly influenced, but some of them still showed their prejudices against the students of lower birth subtly during class, some more, some less. Maruck was very open with his views and often picked on the students. He seldomly lost his composure so many were quite delighted by the news that someone managed to shock him into speechlessness. Someone of high standing at that to whom he would have been especially polite under normal circumstances.
But the fact that the first, or rather former first prince of the empire had revealed himself was not forgotten either.
There had been rumours of his return but they had all originated from the palace so far and no one had seen him since then. It was something very different having him declaring his own identity to the world right in front of his entire class.
The mere fact that no one had ever even suspected the only redhead in the grade had something hilarious. Most people had suspected that he had either not arrived yet, or dyed his hair to stay unnoticed.
No one had expected that he had openly stayed in their midst.

Another point of confusion was the fact that his name didn't appear on any of the ranking lists which had been published on the day of the entrance ceremony. That meant that either his parents had pulled quite a few strings, that special circumstances had prevented it or that his scores had been so good that the headmaster granted him some leeway.
Quite a few people still doubted how he came to attend the academy, but at the occasion he had been called out by a teacher to answer questions or explain a certain topic he had shown impeccable knowledge. His classmates consequently did not doubt his intellectual capabilities. The mystery about his blessing still remained though.
Everyone knew why he had lost his position as crown prince, and the once that didn't were swiftly informed about it.