.Elementals.

-27-

(sorry for not posting yesterday but I was drawing these and another picture that our modest introvert for a mage would kill me for (a slight bit nsfw but not really). I had no fix head cannon for the princess so it was hard to figure her out)

The tournament might be three days away still but the competitors had already set up with their tents and servants as it was tradition to have three days to drink and feast before the start of the competition but that meant three days of feast to participate in for me. It just filled me with unbridled joy..... More like despair if I am honest with myself.

I swiped my eyes through the crowd, at least fifty people wanted to try their hand at this, nobles, princes and princess of all sort, from the orc to the skin takers who were a race that didn't like to associate with us humans, legends say they were once humans cursed to that fate for not having followed the gods' teachings so now they aren't human despite wearing human skin at birth, I need to look out for them, could cause trouble for everyone not just me.

Lazars were those I didn't like at all, a barbaric nation, killing to satisfy their... 'culture'.

I could sense other mages sent by the other rulers along with their heir, wild mages were also around.

"Mage you seem distracted." I turned to the princess, Em and I were standing around with them as we were the two participating in the name of the queen, the other four in each corner of the room to keep an eye out for anything that could and would go wrong.

"You should keep a look out instead of spacing out mage Mastery." Ethan said, he isn't worth his title.

"It is mage Mystery prince and if you'd have noticed that is exactly what I am doing, keeping her Majesty and the Highness safe with mage Emersme who's looking out for prince Eleric, Mirrel and princess Meridith."

"How dare you speak to me in such a way?!"

"Ethan." The queen said, quickly cooling his temper. "She hasn't spoken out of line, she gave you the answer you wished for, is that motif for anger?"

"No dear aunt." it was as if the words burnt his mouth. "But what are you doing down here? This feast is for the competitors."

"Mage Emersme and I are entering the trials by her Majesty's wishes."

"What?! Aunt you can't let a commoner participate!"

"My mages are no commoners Ethan, you should have learned that through the years spent with us."

"Right right." He knew how to back down right before it turned into his disfavor.
He never gave her a reason to enact punishment, he pushed his limits but knew not to break them around the queen. "So mage Mastery what can you do?" He said, slicking his long dark brown hair back and passing his hand in his fuzz for a beard, probably trying to charm me onto his side of the playing field. 

"It is Mystery prince and it is elemental magic."

"Can't you show us a bit of it?"

"Ethan leave the mage alone." The princess said, she stood the closest to me with Em on the other side by prince Eleric.

"What? Don't you want to see if it is just a bluff of strength?" Aaaah he is part of THOSE people too! Those that still to this day reject our existence despite seeing what we do and think we are simple weak wild mages, he thinks I am weak... Weak...

I stepped out from next to the princess and faced him.

Before he could ask what I was doing I blow a jet of flames into his face like a dragon would, the jet from my mouth.
I used my magic to keep it from burning him as he screamed and fell over on his ass, bringing the attention on us.

I spat of the ground at his feet which he pulled back as it was not spit but liquid fire that burnt bright on the stone ground until I snuffed it out under my boot.

My eyes were cold as I looked down at him.

"Sire Ethan, here is your demonstration."

"How dare you do something like this you vermin?!"

"I am known as the silver dragon sire Ethan and dragons judge people unworthy of the throne by burning them." I said with clear disrespect but the queen wasn't stopping me.

"You say I am not worthy of being king?! You'll be executed under my rule!!"

"I only serve the queen not their consort."

"I will be kin--" "Ethan!!" He shut up as he stood up. "Am I hearing you threaten one of my mages well being?"

".....No aunt."

"So I thought."

"Your Majesty I will take my leave for a little, this display singed my throat and I wish to go get it treated." I said with the same cold neutral look I had, arms back to being clasped in my back.

"Of course mage Mystery, I do not fear for us with five other of our mages around." I bowed to her like I always do and did it normally to the four siblings.

"Mage! You need to show me respect!" I stopped with an almost sigh blowing from my nose and I turned back to sire Ethan.

"You said, sire?"

"I am royalty, you should respect me."

I grabbed a glass of wine passing by on a butler's platter and with a smell of it I know it was the most expensive wine to make in this land and only one cave made it.

"This is the respect you deserve and asked for sire." I lifted the glass and hooked two finger around the foot of the glass and tipped its contents out on the floor before dropping the glass too, it loudly shattering on the floor. "Good day sire." I said, turning away again and walking off before he had time to speak.

Us mages had free range to roam wherever we wanted as long as it was in between the outer castle walls and if we wished to leave the area her Majesty needed to be informed first. I didn't usually wander between the castle's walls but today my feet led me down a flight of stairs to the royal archives.

"Lets find out something about that void shall we?" I asked myself, rubbing my neck, an injury made by my own magic would heal faster than one made to me by another's magic or physical damage but it still irritated my throat, it was partially because I held back, fire overheated my skin and flesh from the inside so that's how I burnt my hands and now my throat.

I pulled the first leather bound book off from the shelf and sat in one of the armchairs set next to the fireplace where burnt a magical flame that would never be snuffed out and didn't smoke, I didn't touch the already open books on the table as I remember the princess saying she was also researching this and this must be her that left them as such.

I opened it and started reading to get my thoughts off the sire, not even worthy of the prince title.