Number 100 Red Nova Sorcerer

Chapter 1: The Sorcerer

I block my brother's attacks with a wall of ice. With a low, throaty growl, he jumps back and punches the earth. Knowing what he is about to do, I place my hands on the ground and harden it like a tough shell. Cracks appear on the shell, but nothing more.

"You've improved," Number 96 Black Mist compiments, straightening from his position on the ground and dusting his hands off.

"Is that it?" I ask. My Number name is Number 100 Red Nova Sorcerer, formerly known as Astral. I find mysef forgetting my former name with every passing year, but I do not mind much. The name is merely a reminder of my old, horribe life with that witch of a mother and those demon siblings.

"Yes." Blackie grins in his usual way. "That's it."

I walk past him with a suspicious look. I know him by now. The moment I turn my back on him fully, he will jump me from behind, and the training session will continue. He loves to pull tricks like these on anyone, especially me because I'm his brother. I remember hating the training when I was a child since it was a reminder of when I was beaten by my mother, but Blackie didn't rush it.

"Why that look?" he asks with a small pout. "I am not going to do it this time."

"Are you sure?"

"Completely sure."

"Okay, then."

We walk side by side back into the hallway that leads into the training grounds, where our garments lay in waiting. I pick up my headdress with the 100 on it and my cape. My headdress is slightly more decorated, as it has been every year. Now, it has all the elements adorning the 100, as does my cape. I slip both things on with ease, and when that is done, I go help Blackie.

The task of getting him ready for public appearance is much more complicated than mine. He has to wear a platinum band shaped like a V on his forehead along with a platinum band on his neck, both with a golden sun, a silver moon, and a platinum bar down the middle. The same colored snakes slither down from his shoulder to wrist with moons and suns for eyes. A long, billowing cape flows out behind him white platinum bands wrap around his thighs. Those bands each hold scabbards for the daggers he keeps there in the case of an emergency. The last one I'm about to mention is optional: it's a scabbard that holds a light sword. It hangs off of his waist with an easy reach for close combat. Blackie just doesn't like wearing it because he feels that it hinders his performance. The reason behind all of this is that he's the new king; he was crowned last year.

Blackie complains all throughout the struggle to get the garments on him. He says these things about me being lucky that I don't have to do this, that the band is too tight around his head and neck, that the ones on his thighs are too loose, that the cape is too long, so on and so forth into a huge variety of complaints I can't be bothered to remember spewing out of his foul mouth. I just smile and say, "Yes, brother. It is such a huge task being the new king." I can see how much of a burden it is and the logic behind his complaints, but as soon as I'm done and I express my worries about him being weighed down by all this, he assures me that aside from the cape, he can hardly feel any of the extra weight.

We go back to retrieve his long cape from the hook on the wall. As soon as he gets that on, he's all set to go out in public.

One of the knights, a squire, actually, scurries over to us with a letter in hand. He bows to us. "Good afternoon, my king and prince," he greets hurriedly. "A message has arrived from the Human World."

The Human World? I've only ever heard horrible stories about them. From what others tell me, the Human World is a world of overly curious beings that will stop at nothing to get what they want however they want. Even if it means harming what they're examining, they will have no mercy.

Blackie takes the note and holds it so that we can both read it. My eyes widen; I feel my breath getting caught in my throat.

"Something valuable?" Blackie scrunches up his nose in the same manner he always does when he's confused. "And they want it. Whatever for?"

"They say that you have something very powerful, and dangerous, in your hands that is also akin to you. They want to take its destructive properties to win against a civil war in their world against all the countries. A third world war, if you will."

"Are they referring to me?" I ask the squire, slightly offended by this. "I will have them know that I have been training my units off! I will not allow them to use my magic for something as frivolous as a 'world war'!"

"I know, my prince, but we all know how they are." He looks me dead in the eye. "Should you be kidnapped, will you be able to keep your temper in check?"

"Of course!" My answer is automatic.

Blackie purses his lips, and then he snaps. A paper and pen mold themselves out of his ooze along with a clipboard. He starts writing in the Human Tongue in neat, cursive letters back to them. It's something about rejecting their request due to the instability of my powers.

Thanks...

When he's done, he snaps, and a Number 17 flies into the window. It's a Number of the Moon that can soar through other territories and borders, so delivery isn't a problem.

"That may or may not settle it," Blackie grumbles. "For now, at least. They're resilient, though. They've had too many battles among themselves to count."

"Should we warn the townspeople, do you think?" I suggest. "If we warn them about the Humans, maybe-"

"That will not be necessary," Blackie interrupts. "If we can stop them in time, then nothing bad will happen. We just have to wait for their response."

I hang my head and nod. It makes me more than a little irritated that they would dare think of me as a winning strategy to their filly war. I am no such thing!

Blackie puts a hand on my shoulder. "Be calm. They may have insulted you, but you need to prove to them that you are not something to be used as a weapon."

"Okay," I sigh.

We go back to our room to rest after the training and the message. I sit on our bed while Blackie perches on the rail of the balcony as usual. I lay on my stomach and read a story out one of the rare things in the entire kingdom: a book. Normally, we have scrolls, but the royal family is lucky enough to have books around! One would think that the townspeople would be angry about this, but they're not. They don't mind it at all.

Speaking of Numbers, Blackie once told me about the three different types we have in the kingdom. First is the Numbers of the Moon. They're normally the ones who lurk around in the shadows and actually go into the shadows for long-distance trips! They're foul-mouthed, egotistic, haughty, hot-headed, and, believe it or not, surprisingly kind-hearted. Their trust is hard to gain but easy to lose. Those few people they're close to, they hold dear to their blackened hearts, and I should know! My brother is a Number of the Moon! With their ability to travel long distances with shadows, they're the kingdom's main messangers. However, they're very hard to find due to their making up the smallest percentage of the population. They're also made even more hard to find with the added fact that they travel through shadows. They are also incredibly strong!

The Numbers in Between are the Numbers that have no special powers like those of the Numbers of the Moon and Sun. They're kind, full of trust and care, and they're very empathetic. Since they really have no special powers, they act as the manual labor and the manufacturers. They also make up more than half of the population.

The last ones are the Numbers of the Sun. They are the kindest and just as powerful as the Numbers of the Moon. Those two groups have opposite energies, so they have to be careful of touching each other lest they harm one another. That's the main reason why they stay away from each other and/or use protection when they're near each other. The Numbers of the Sun keep the peace between everyone. That is their main job as well as act as guards to the kingdom. They make up the rest of the population, and I myself am one of those.

Blackie also explained the symbol on his garments. The sun represents the Numbers of the Sun, the moon represents the Numbers of the Moon, and the bar in the middle represents the Numbers in Between. All of them live together in harmony.

Hey! Sorry for the wait of the sequel, but here it is! I hope you all enjoy their struggle with the Humans! X3