The journey was a failure! They did not want to help me. They hurt me! But I had to do something more than just complain. It was evident that senile old man did not want to teach me enough. Added to the fact that I was the best of the guild put us in a situation of great insecurity. We had to work. We had to make the Blackcaps feared not only by ordinary humans but to make magic our own—to make them fear our power.
On the plains a few kilometers after the Dark Forest, I gave free rein to my fury. All my power, fire magic—let it go, destroying everything around me. More power still! That stupid face of their leader, who I considered my brother, my equal, with whom I would ally to leave the Whitecap leader out. Now I saw clearly—they had mocked me all this time... but they would see!
With each magic, the pain returned. It only left while the invocation lasted. I did not remember many healing magics, even fewer regeneration spells. Yet I had to improvise. The Redcaps let me go with only physical healings—they did not use magic, the bastards. So from the stump of what was my hand came indescribable pain. It was so strong that I sweated just thinking about how blood came out through that piece torn from my cloak. The horse brought me here but would take me no further—especially not in this state, torn apart by my first flame burst. Pity—it was a good horse. I did not remember its name. I supposed it was good. I thought everything was black.
Night assailed me with sighs. The wind cooled my face. I sat up and, nauseous, discovered I was hungry. A pool of blood left its trail on the ground. I did not see much on the plains, but something pressed me more—appetite. I must be very hungry. I had no provisions. Damn my fury! But that was not all. Without my staff, I did not have enough power to invoke anything with this appetite. I had to find something quickly.
The smell was unpleasant. There was no juice—it was not a flavor sensation. It was bitter, with pieces of hair, with an aftertaste of burnt. But it was food, and it did not move. The horse's flesh mixed with my anguish, my hatred. No one should go through this. I had power—hundreds of students—but I was alone, eating burnt horse meat. Thirst was a more important problem, but I could extract blood with the little magic I had left. So I dined and drank. None of this was pleasant, but I had to survive. I had to return to Midnight Raven. It was necessary to prepare them, and once done, vengeance!
Dawn visited me with a new surprise. With the sun's rays, I examined my wound. The cut was clean—no bones to rejoin. A very clean cut. Yet something reflected in the droplet falling through the incipient scab. It shone. With an unconscious movement, I asked that shine to remain, and the droplet stopped falling. A thread of blood descended and stayed like a "U." As soon as I stopped thinking about it, the blood continued its course and fell. Looking to where I had been unconscious, I saw several similar glints. This was interesting.
Even though I was an attack mage, I was educated by an investigator. Against the tiredness and rage consuming me, I examined the pool. It was surprisingly liquid—little or nothing had been absorbed by the earth. I felt my will there too. With a little effort, I made the mass of blood slowly levitate and approach. The sun was at my back, and I could perfectly see crystals—thousands of them in my blood. Could it be that I was so powerful that I produced them? I spent the next hour shaping them, creating a structure of crystals that would function as my bones. But it was very difficult, so I opted for claws. After all, I could modify those claws when I improved my control. Slow. Now, how to keep from bleeding further?... I almost laughed. I did not need to stop it—my blood was as powerful as I decided! I only had to tell it—no, order it—to stop dripping. A path of blood circulating through the crystals. The claw would be thin but equally powerful. With this in my hand, nothing could ever hurt me again. I did not need a staff! I was beyond that.
The return was fast. I could move using the crystals beneath my feet—I only needed them to float, and with a little extra effort, they supported me. That made me travel better, feeling the breeze on my face, the creatures passing by. A faint field kept the wind from hitting me head-on. It even allowed me to retrace my steps, recovering the few stones that had fallen. They were small but still obeyed me. At one point along the road, I covered them with ice and made them spin around my head—a cursed crown, not to mention a stupendous offense if anyone attacked me. The magics were already invoked, and I would not waste time.
The journey to my headquarters took six months the first time, stopping in cities. When I went to Bloody Coin, I traveled fast, changing horses. That took a month. This time, it took only two days when I glimpsed the mountain ranges sheltering the city. But that was not all I saw—a huge shadow loomed there. Even though I had sent a message announcing my return, I feared something horrible would happen. A chill made my back feel like ice. I must hurry. My beloved guild had a future, regardless of what the Redcaps and those white moralists said. I would save it and prove I was the strongest.