Angel's Virtue

Forgotten Potential

I seemed to be the first to wake up. I rubbed my eyes and yawned looking over to the dawning sun. The air was humid and it felt like a splash of water to the face. I looked around and everyone was asleep. Maybe I should wait until they wake up. I then noticed from a distance someone walking to the town. I think it was the person I bumped into yesterday. My instincts told me to go say hi. I looked at the others sleeping. I got up and hustled over to see him.

He couldn't have gone far, I saw him take a turn and he vanished.
"Hey! Stiff!" A person called out along with some other footsteps. I followed.
"Leave. . . me alone. . ." a familiar weak voice replied. They were at a nearby well area. The place where I stood by seemed to be the only way in and out.
"Tell me why for once you're wearing those old bandages. Come on. Here, let me take them off before your face grows mold," I heard a person say. It seems I am witnessing bullying.
"Back off. . . !" He said. I heard people grabbing a hold of him. As he struggled I heard beating.
"Now let's get those wraps and reveal what you truly are."
I didn't realize until I walked into the well area. It must be because I wanted to try and at least do something.
"Hey, a lost kindergartner elf," the mean person said who was beating on the person who I bumped into. Just as I heard, he was being held.
"Please stop," I said, "let him go."
"Look here. That thing you see, he's a monster. He never takes those bandages off and he scares all the other students. He's better getting what he deserves before he does more damage."
"Let him go. What did he ever do that hurt anyone else?" I spoke louder.
"Heh. Stiff, did you make a new friend? You can join him as well," he said electricity bursting from his hand intimidatingly. These are all mages?
"Ah, there you are Flecin." I looked back to see Kika with one hand on her hip. "I've been looking for you."
I made a swift eye motion looking back at the person with the bandages. Kika looked down on me and made a swift wink. Fortunately the buildings that surrounded us near the well area covered her face.
"Hey you. All of you. Get out of there. I need to retrieve some water," Kika demanded.
"Until next time, Stiff," the mean person muttered under his breath as he and their friends walked out. When they left we went to see if the person was beaten up badly. He doesn't look terrible fortunately, but he is crying and doesn't quite want to talk.
"Why do people treat others so horribly?" I asked.
"That's how the world works," Kika replied.

We waited for a while and he seems to have stopped crying. I got up slowly,  struggling a little. I looked down and saw his book that was fallen again. I reached down for it. It was open and I noticed it was no ordinary book. It was a spell book. He too was a mage.
"Why didn't you fight back? They would have seriously hurt you," I said.
". . . They. . . are right. . . I . . . am a . . . monster. . ." He replied receiving the book.
"No, that's not it at all. You are simply misunderstood. Nobody like you should deserve this."
The mage looked at his book and his face looked as if he was trying to understand his wrongs. I got a better look at him. He looks young, tired and sad. Very sad now.
"I saw you outside of town. What were you doing?" I asked.
"I. . . was gathering. . . materials. . . for potions. . ." He replied.
"Why do you talk like that?" Kika asked. He didn't reply. "Is it something personal?"
"Yes. . ." He said.
"That's interesting. Oh yes, my name is Kika. This young elf here who saved you is Flecin."
"Nice to properly meet you," I said.
"My name. . . is Syf." He introduced.

~~~

We walked with Syf and headed for the school where he was delivering his potion ingredients. There was a person who looked old and he was waiting for Syf.
"Ah, Syf. You've returned. Oh dear, you're hurt. . . And what do we have here? We have guests?" He said in an aged voice.
Syf nodded in response.
"Marvelous! Please, come in. I am what people call the headmaster of this school. Please just call me Headmaster for now. I must thank you for helping Syf. I worry most of the time if Syf will ever be okay." He said as if he's had this conversation many times. We walked down the hall and headed for a room maybe.
"Master. . . you worry. . . too much. . . for me. . ." Syf said.
"Well, what's not to worry. The students are afraid of what you can do not because they are afraid, but jealous. And jelousy in this scenario leads to violence which is ironic because mages were created after two beings came along to peace." He opened the doors and it seems to be his office, or just his room in general. There were various potion glasses set up on the table, shelves filled with different books all mostly aged with covers wearing out. He had a miniature globe with various dotted areas. He has a chest behind his chair and some strange tools lying around.
"A bit messy, but please take a seat and help yourself with a cup of tea," Headmaster said.
After helping Flecin pour a cup of tea and adjusting sweetness I asked, "why does Syf get hurt often by others?"
"People are often scared of what they don't understand. Syf is a powerful mage and people don't realize that. Everybody thinks that mages have their own type of skill and power, which is true, but they are forgetting the potential which they can wield, Syf is someone who has been through a lot of difficulty and is facing against the world."
I heard light snoring. I turned and was shocked to see Syf sleeping in his chair already. It hasn't even been five minutes.
"It's okay, he spent the whole night last night awake." Headmaster explained.
"What?!" Flecin and I exclaimed bith at once.
"Shh. Quiet. He chose to. So that is why I asked him to retrieve these ingredients. He's always learning things on his own. I'm impressed."
"Is there a reason why Syf has trouble speaking?" I asked quietly.
"I suppose that's Syf's nature. He doesn't feel like talking a lot or he hasa deep secret why. So your guess is as good as mine."
"Interesting. . ." I pondered.

After a short break and talk we left the school and wondered if Rade and Void were awake yet. Once we left we encountered each other. They asked us where we were and we explained everything back to them.
"So, what should we do?" Void asked.
"Let's stay here a little longer. First day was a break, we should find some directions to know where to go next." Rade said.
"Sounds good," I agreed. We all started to walk figuring out what to do next until we were interrupted by the sound of swords clashing one another.