.A Spark From Before.

-44-

(Wanna know a fun fact? I always lose motivation to update books near the end, so keep this in mind: all is close to unraveling and falling apart.)

"Bow, you fucker!" I yelled angrily, the Elite dropping to his knee, and I smiled. This is all they deserve for killing my brother, for taking my family, my home. "That's right, you all should beg for my forgiveness."

Under Seva, the queendom will thrive, and I'd be by her side... But there was still the gatekeeper's words that kept me up.

I tapped my dragon scale staff on the ground and laid a hand on the dragon stone cuff bracelet. I had done precisely as the gatekeeper had said ever since these were made, and Seva was none the wiser. It hurt not to tell her, but my soul told me to listen.

I was designated head mage, sure, but I still had a lot to learn, and with all the books in this castle, I made great leaps in knowledge, but as the gatekeeper said, I put the magic into the dragon stone.

I whacked the Elite with the staff and waved at him to go. They annoyed me, and I was soon to go on a mission with them. It has already been a year, dammit, why are there still loyalists? Just why?

Seva cranked up on destroying all those loyal to the old crown. They were a danger to our stability and could destroy all the peace we could bring by her taking the throne.

I walked away, having been standing outside.

I had already helped take down three villages. Can't they understand Seva is much better than that wretched queen was?

Why do they want to be oppressed again?

I walked through the halls, looking at the now barren walls, all the pictures of the queen taken down, Seva saying she was searching for the old ones. I never seen them, so I will let her do that.

The guards opened the doors to the throne room, and Seva, as majestic as ever, sat on the throne.

"Ah, my dear head mage, how has your day been?" She asked with a subtle grin that made me weak to the knees. Gods, I love this woman.

"Great, the Elites still have trouble listening, but I can handle it. "I shrugged as I recounted the little disagreement that led me to the previous screaming at and whacking of an Elite. I wish she just threw them into the gallows and let them rot, but a queendom with only two mages, tho relatively strong, is still weak.

"We'll deal with them when the next generation of elementals comes to be. We will make sure they can stand strong and tall before we take care of the Elite." I grinned, excited for such a future. "Now go, your mission awaits."

"Of course, my queen."

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Screams came from around me as the loyalists fought back, dragged from their homes and attacking the Elite.

I shook my head and walked towards the home of the chief.

I blasted the door off its hinges with a burst of fire, whipping my hair around.

I stepped inside, seeing a man hold a sword, blade held up with a rictus on his face.

"Come to die a noble death?" I asked, fire lighting in my hand.

"There is nothing noble to this! You are a monster."

"Don't lie, tell me where you are hiding your stolen goods loyalist."

"Fuck you!"

I grabbed my staff and spun it, spanning it up against the descending blade before jabbing the end into his chest and sending him stumbling.

"I'll repeat, where are the goods?"

"There are not goods you monster! Your queen is nothing but evi--" I had enough, my best magic is fire but I whipped my hand through the air, a blast of it causing him vomit blood, lungs inflated and burst from the air wave. 

"It is your damned fault for your own painful death."

I looked around as he choked to death.

Walking to the cellar entrance and opening it, going down as I lit fire in my palm.

I frowned, once again empty, everything was empty, how did they always hide the goods?

Maybe there was no goods.

No, Seva can't be lying to me.

But this doesn't make sense.

But...

I whipped around at the noise, coming face to face with a little girl and what stole my breath was the green hair.

I grinned, it can only be an elemental.

"Hey there." I crouched down. "My name is Skar--" "Monster!" She screamed through tears, backing up and holding up the flimsiest of knives between shaking hands.

"Now now." I stood, reaching for her and grabbing her wrist. "Calm, I will not hurt you." I needed to get her out of here.

"No! Let me go!" I quickly grabbed the knife from her and led her out as she screamed, damned what did they do to her.

Outside I could already see the flaming pyres for the traitors.

The little girl shoved away from me and ran.

"Stop!" I called, reaching out, wanting to summon the blades of grass to move and trip her but a blast of ice through her chest ended it quite fast. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!!"

I threw my staff down and grabbed the Elite that killed the child by the front of their shirt, the cloth already smelling of burnt ash as smoke rose between my fingers.

"ARE YOU MENTAL?!!"

"I-I am sorry head mage but I've had a mission." The young woman under the Elite outfit sounded terrified of my anger, good, they all should be.

"You damned loyalist!"

"I am not! Please I implore your pardon!" She dropped to her knees, forehead against the ground, grabbing my ankles with shaking hands. "Please, I was only doing what our great queen told us to do!"

A moment of silence.

"What?"

More silence.

"Explain yourself!" I screamed.

"T-the towns that refuse to submit to her rule are to be exterminated, n-no survivors, priority targets on any e-elementals."

Oh...

Oh my gods....

I looked at the burning pyres, previously with hate and now with horror.

These are just innocent people...