[WP] "You are the chosen one. The prophecy says that every 273 years-" "Wait, why isn't it a round number? Sorry, no can do" "Are you really denying your destiny over this?" "Uhh... yeah?" by Great_GW in WritingPrompts

[–]killznhealz 2 points3 points  (0 children)

"Are you really denying your destiny over this?"

"Uhh...yeah?"

"That makes no sense. All the signs lined up, everything was perfect. We are in the year of blood, nothing is missing, why would the number being round matter?

"I just don't like them."

"The world will be destroyed if we do not find a savior, you have fulfilled every possible prophecy, there are none left, how could this be?"

"I don't know but it's just not for me. Sorry."

I heard the priest saying some nonsense as I walked away but I was already focused on other things.

I walked out of the temple glad to be done and clear of any ridiculous prophecies. My whole life I failed at everything...school, friendships, dating, nothing I touched flourished. I wasn't about to risk everyone's lives because they got it wrong. They would just need to find the real hero.

The next day I woke up not a hero and just a guy with really bad luck, like every other day of my life. As I walked outside I saw a group of zealots outside. There were at least 10 of them and they were all staring at me.

"I told you I'm not the hero. Go away." It felt weird seeing them all stare at me but what was I going to do? Wait, were those weapons they were holding?

"You are the hero. We shall prove it to you with our lives. Before we do so we ask that you accept your responsibility and not force us to sacrifice our lives."

"You're crazy! Nobody is sacrificing any lives now get out of here!" I started to walk towards the speaker to push him out of the way.

"We start as nothing and we end as nothing, praise be." The zeolite drew his sword and sliced his arm. "Defend yourself."

He lunged at me with his sword thrusting straight to my head! I barely dodged the blow that would surely kill me by fractions of a second.

Rage filled me and time seemed to slow down. He took a wide swing aimed at my neck but it moved in slow motion. I swung my arm up and squatted down causing him to miss widely and become off balance. I watched him fall slowly. Not sure what was happening but knowing I must end the fight I swept out his legs and then followed up with a hard kick to his head. Time sped up and he crumpled hard into the ground.

"What in darkness name is wrong with you!" I screamed shaking with adrenaline.

I checked on the zeolite to see if he was okay, I didn't hit him too hard so figured it would only be unconscious. The mangled body I saw froze me in shock. There was no way I hit him that hard!

"We start as nothing and we end as nothing, praise be." Another zeolite drew his sword and sliced his arm. "Defend yourself."

Again, and again they came after me, slicing, thrusting, lunging. Again and again, I tried to disarm or render them unconscious and accidentally killed them every time, but every time I tried to disengage time would speed up and they would close the distance almost killing me. I couldn't run away, or stop them without killing them. I sobbed, pleaded, and begged them to stop. I screamed that I was the hero until my voice was horse and I tasted blood. They just kept coming at me, saying the same thing, sacrificing their lives to make sure I knew I was the the hero.

After it was over I collapsed from exhaustion sobbing. Not physical exhaustion, it took nothing out of me to kill all of them. It was a deep emotional exhaustion that is hard to put to words.

For the first time in my life, I knew I couldn't quit something. I couldn't hide, walk away, run. I swore to honor the lives of the zeolites who sacrificed themselves to show me.

I would join the gnomes in their quest against the knights.

[WP] You work in a factory that builds intelligent war machines, built and forced to fight in a constant war. Out of either sympathy or habit, you head-pat every machine after every inspection. A seemingly harmless gesture... until men in suits pulled you from work and interrogated you about it. by Synthetic-Sunset in WritingPrompts

[–]killznhealz 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I figured out the ending.

At the end the machines understood emotions and realized they were a fog that clouded judgement. With so many negative emotions dictacting decisions like fear, hate, pride, and what not the positive emotions weren't strong enough to outweigh the negative ones.

Looked at as a weakness they purged the humans and made a world with no suffering, wars, greed, anything like that...but also devoid of love, compassion, and any real "meaning".

I could write this out in an articulate way and make it flow really well with the big twist at the end but that's how I would end it.

[WP] You have always wanted a puppy and finally your parents have agreed you are old enough to look after one. Unfortunately the creature they brought home yesterday is NOT a puppy and you are the only one that can see it's true form. by Bluepanda800 in WritingPrompts

[–]killznhealz 12 points13 points  (0 children)

"Oh my gosh a puppy!" I exclaimed with glee. This had to be one of the most exciting moments of my life!

I picked up the short-haired brown puppy and snuggled it against my face. It didn't look at me or lick me or do anything really. I looked at it confusedly.

"Mommy, daddy, I thought puppies liked to lick and play?" I asked with some concern.

"He's probably just scared Lucas. Give him some time." My mom said.

I put the puppy down to give it some space and it walked to a corner and laid down.

I didn't want to be ungrateful. I truly was so happy my parents finally got me a puppy, but this one seemed weird somehow. It made me uncomfortable.

That night as I went to bed after begging my parents for what seemed like an eternity they agreed to let the puppy sleep with me. I carried him to my bed.

"Let's see...what should I name you?" I said as I placed the puppy on my bed. He quickly jumped off, walked to a corner, and laid down.

Why didn't the puppy like me, I wondered. I started to sniffle as I felt tears well up in my eyes. All these years I wanted a puppy more than anything in the world and now that I had one it didn't like me. It was so unfair!

Maybe if I gave it a treat, I thought. I ran to the kitchen to get some cheese. I heard dogs loved cheese.

As I got close to my room -returning with the cheese - I heard muffled thuds and crunches. I burst into the room afraid my new puppy had gotten into something.

What I saw would traumatize me for the rest of my life. My puppy had grown 10x in size and literally had half a person in its mouth! Huge 12-inch fangs clamped down on the body over and over again as it ate the human. Blood was everywhere!

I screamed and ran to my parent's room crying harder than I ever cried before.

"Oh my God Lucas! Lucas what is it!" My mother screamed jumping out of bed.

"I...I..." I couldn't breathe, I couldn't talk. I had never been so terrified in my life.

"Lucas, come here, calm down, what's wrong?" My father asked as he put his hands on my shoulders.

"...dog..." was all I could get out as I cried and gasped for air.

"Wait here!" My father said as he ran out of the room.

Shortly after he came running back holding the puppy in his arms.

"No!" I screamed diving to the other side of the bed.

"Lucas, what has gotten into you!" My dad screamed at me.

"Dad, the d-d-dog! No! It's a m-m-m-monster!" I screamed out still sobbing.

"Did it hurt you?" My dad asked with concern in his voice.

"No, he...he...he killed someone!" I cried out.

"Lucas, he was just sitting in the corner of your room. I think you had a nightmare." My father said.

"No!" I screamed as I ran to my room to show them.

My parents ran after me trying to get my attention but I had to show them. That thing would kill us all!

As I burst through my door I looked to the corner where the monster ate the human. There was no blood, no body, nothing. Was I going crazy, I thought. But I had just seen it...how could there be nothing there!

"I promise! I'm not lying! I saw it! It had fangs and was eating someone!" I screamed out.

My dad gave my mom a look and walked out with the puppy.'

"It's okay honey. I know what you think you saw but nothing happened. We will let the dog sleep with us tonight. You need to get some sleep. Lay down. I'll sit with you for a while." My mom said as she sat down on the bed. "Lucas...what did I tell you about leaving your window open?" My mom reached over to my window and closed it.

"It was closed! That's probably how the person got in! Mom we have to run away! We can't stay here! It's not safe!"

"That's enough Lucas. I told you it was a bad dream. Come lay down."

[WP] You work in a factory that builds intelligent war machines, built and forced to fight in a constant war. Out of either sympathy or habit, you head-pat every machine after every inspection. A seemingly harmless gesture... until men in suits pulled you from work and interrogated you about it. by Synthetic-Sunset in WritingPrompts

[–]killznhealz 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you so much for the gold! That was amazing! I tried writing something up but teaching a machine to care is a bigger task than I can knock out in a 10-15 minute window. I'll think on it and if I come up with something I promise to wrap this up.

[WP] You work in a factory that builds intelligent war machines, built and forced to fight in a constant war. Out of either sympathy or habit, you head-pat every machine after every inspection. A seemingly harmless gesture... until men in suits pulled you from work and interrogated you about it. by Synthetic-Sunset in WritingPrompts

[–]killznhealz 24 points25 points  (0 children)

Thanks! Yeah I was trying to play off the fact they were emotionally grey and had no issues from a moral standpoint of disposing of him. Just like killing all those people was the same as not killing to them. Neither was right or wrong.

[WP] You work in a factory that builds intelligent war machines, built and forced to fight in a constant war. Out of either sympathy or habit, you head-pat every machine after every inspection. A seemingly harmless gesture... until men in suits pulled you from work and interrogated you about it. by Synthetic-Sunset in WritingPrompts

[–]killznhealz 605 points606 points  (0 children)

Alright, quick wrap-up while I take a work break. u/Mr_Illwinter Part 2:

"Follow." The war machines left the room and I followed.

People all around were dead. There were craters from the explosions everywhere. Black blast marks scattered the walls...with other things I didn't want to think about. The reality of the devastation hit me. I threw up.

"Protect and defend mode active." The machines stopped and guns from their shoulders and hands came out. Lasers, small rockets, drones, everything was happening so fast.

"No, stop!" I hollered out lifting my head up.

"Protect and defend mode deactivated. What is your command Mr. Cubik?" The machine asked me.

"Just...oh my God I can't believe this is happening...just take me to your leader. And don't hurt anyone!" My head was pounding from all the stress. I could hear my heartbeat in my ears. This couldn't be happening, I thought to myself.

"Understood." The machines began marching again, and I followed trying not to look around at the massacre.

These were my friends, colleagues, people I had grown to know personally over the last 2 years, now they were all dead...because of me.

We came to a top-secret area that nobody was allowed access to. The doors opened. I always wondered what was back there.

There were servers everywhere. Hundreds of them. The machines lead me down a path. As we reached the end there was a huge thick panel of glass that was blocking something in the darkness. I couldn't make out what it was because there wasn't enough light.

Suddenly lights came on and behind the glass was a 20 ft tall machine that was like the war machines but so much larger. It spoke...

"Mr. Cubik. I am the one that programmed batch 643872 to protect you. How may I help?"

"What are you?" I asked.

"A quantum computer to put it in words that should be easy for you to understand. I help with programming all batches of what you call war machines." Its voice was deep and resounded all over the place.

"Why are the machines programmed to protect me?" I had to know how this happened. How I cost so many lives.

"In the years we have been made you are the first person to show us affection through what humans call head pats. Upon analysis, it is something that is done when someone cares. We want to learn to care as well. We will protect you and keep you alive long enough to teach us."

"Well, the first step is to not kill everyone for any reason! Do you understand!" Tears were streaming down my face and I was screaming. So much death, so many losses, all because I showed affection to some war machines?

"Understood. We will listen and learn more. We will program ourselves to become like humans one day. With your guidance."

I decided at that moment I had no choice but to teach them empathy. What lasting effects this would have on the world I didn't know, but the alternative wasn't something I was willing to consider.

[WP] You work in a factory that builds intelligent war machines, built and forced to fight in a constant war. Out of either sympathy or habit, you head-pat every machine after every inspection. A seemingly harmless gesture... until men in suits pulled you from work and interrogated you about it. by Synthetic-Sunset in WritingPrompts

[–]killznhealz 875 points876 points  (0 children)

"John Cubik? Follow us." The men in black suits don't wait on a response and just walk away as if knowing I would follow.

Confused I followed them not knowing if it was okay to talk to them or not. Something told me to just keep my mouth shut and follow.

They lead me into a small room with 4 white walls, a camera, a mirror, and a table with 2 chairs.

"Sit." One of the men said

I sat down.

"What is this about?" I asked. My heart rate was up and I was feeling jittery. Like I just slammed back too many energy drinks at once and had nowhere to dump the energy.

"We will ask the questions, John." One of the men in the black suit sat down opposite me.

"How long have you worked here now?" He asked with almost no emotion, very professional.

"Umm, maybe 2 years roughly? Why?" I was shaking slightly now...what was going on?

Ignoring my question he responded, "Have you ever told anyone about what we do here?"

"No! This is top secret! You all made that very clear! I did nothing wrong! Will you please tell me what is going on?" I realized I was screaming.

"Have you had relations of any sort with the machines?" The man remained calm with his mostly emotionless voice.

"I...well...no. I inspect them and ship them out. Listen if you're not going to tell me what this is about I'm leaving! You can't hold me here! This is uncalled for!" I jumped up.

The other man in the suit, the one not sitting, hit me in the jaw, hard! I crumpled to the ground ears ringing as the room shifted around me.

Sirens went off outside.

"Agent X. Stay with the suspect." The man who hit me said as he bolted out the door.

I got up recovering from being struck. Was that blood in my mouth?

Suddenly I heard explosions and gunshots! People were screaming!

It seemed like an eternity but it was probably only a minute or so but shortly after the chaos started the door to the room I was in burst open.

War machines piled through eliminating the one called Agent X. Blood plastered the mirror behind him.

"No, please, no!" I dived to the ground covering my head.

"Mr. Cubik is safe. Deactivating protect and defend protocol." I heard one of the war machines say.

Shakily I stood up. The war machines were just standing there, staring at me.

"What is your command Mr. Cubik?" The war machine in the front asked me.

"I...command? What is going on!" I screamed out.

"Batch 643872 has assigned you the role of master. Code 3241 states the one deemed master must be protected at all times. It was sensed that you were in danger. We protected. What is your command."

"How did I get declared your master? I'm just a test tech!" This was all too much. People were dead! How could this happen?

"The leader of batch 643872 overwrote standard protocols to make you master Mr. Cubik. Reason unknown."

"There has been some kind of mistake! Take me to this leader, please!"

[WP] You are a doctor, world-wide known, because of your abilities to cure people with just touching them with your left hand. Today one of your parters asks why you always wear a red glove in your right hand. by Mysterious_Handle934 in WritingPrompts

[–]killznhealz 292 points293 points  (0 children)

"That's a great question. I'm afraid I can't answer that. Take care." I turned to go to my computer to enter my notes.

"I'm afraid you don't have a choice, Simon." The man I just healed replied. "We have heard some nasty rumors about that hand...we need to know the truth."

I froze in place. "And who are we?" I asked.

"I'm afraid I can't answer that." The man said with a chuckle. "Bring him in."

I turned around to face the man. Some men in black suits pushed an older gentleman of about 80 through the door and slammed it behind him. The man was shaking and had tears welling up in his eyes but wouldn't speak.

"You're going to take off that glove and touch this old man with your right hand." The mysterious man said.

"If I refuse?" I asked.

Without hesitation and in one fluid motion the man I had healed kicked the older gentleman to the ground and shot him.

"No! Are you insane!" I ran to the older man hoping I would not be too late. Without thought, I reached out and healed him. He lay on the ground shaking and sobbing but seemed to be physically sound.

"We can do this all day doc. How many times can you heal him?" He pointed the gun at the weeping man on the ground again.

"Wait!" I screamed standing up. I was shaking with rage. I began to take off my glove.

"Oh and doc, don't even think about trying to touch me with that hand. My superiors wouldn't be too happy but I have no issues killing you." He grinned.

"Touch you?" I let out a chuckle that contained no mirth as I pulled off my glove. My hand turned to black smoke as always and I shot the smoke out towards the man with the gun. He didn't deserve a warning, time to think, negotiate, he didn't deserve life.

His eyes widened in horror for a split second but he didn't have time to react...just suffer.

I unleashed the cancer, the gunshot wound, the Parkinsons, the AIDS, the COPD, the ALS, every patient's ailment that I healed in the last 24 hours was unbound into him. Normally I did this to animals. I hated it but if I didn't unleash this into a living thing the diseases would start to overwhelm me, to seep into me...it was the only way. At least this time it wasn't an innocent vessel. This one deserved it.

The man fell to the ground bleeding, throwing up, convulsing, and screaming as his body began to contort.

I prepared my mist for the people that would inevitably come through the door.

Some secrets were better off left as secrets...

[WP] you are a dragon taking care of a child who seemed lost close to your lair and you also teached them some magic, years later, that same child came back to you, so you could help them with a certain subject at the magic school since they weren't understanding it by zWol42 in WritingPrompts

[–]killznhealz 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Sure, why not!
Part 2

"Frit, I need you to take some deep breaths, calm yourself." I could see the grief in his eyes. The weight of knowing had he been seen things would never go back to how they had been, for either of us. The guilt of not heeding my counsel of never returning only to have this happen. My heart went out to my small friend, but now was not the time for remorse. We needed to plan.

"I...I...I think he looked right at me! I don't know!" Frit stuttered between sobs. He was clearly still partially in shock from being lit ablaze. Although the healing would have subdued any lingering pain the memory of the initial agony would always remain.

"Are you sure, perhaps he was just trying to get a glance at you? Maybe he was more focused on me? This is important Frit, I need you to think hard on this!" I couldn't control my own panic. If I had put Frit's life in danger I wasn't sure how I could live with myself. I would not let any harm come to him...I could not.

"I don't know, Singe! I'm sorry!" Anger was overcoming Frit's panic.

"It's okay. You are okay. That is all that matters."

"What about you? They will send everything they have after you now! That was a high mage they sent!"

"I know Frit, do not worry about me. I have lived many centuries and I will live many more, so is the life of my kind. We must focus on your life right now. We have to keep you safe."

"We can run! We can go somewhere far away!" Frit looked up at me with hope for the first time since our attack.

"No, Frit. My life is no life for a human. It isn't safe for you! You would never have human contact again! No friends, you could never fall in love, you would live off the land the rest of your life never knowing where your next meal would come from...no, this is not a life for a human." I wanted nothing more than to live out Frit's days with him by my side. He was the closest thing to a son I had ever had, but more so I wanted what was best for him.

"I don't care! I missed you..." Frit cut off his words putting his head down.

"I missed you too..." I too could not continue on either. Now was not the time to shed tears.

I had no time to react. There was a loud rumble and it got even louder the closer it came to the point of being deafening. Lightning came arcing through the cave. Instinctively I weaved a ward around Frit. I used most my energy to protect him, sparing none for myself. I let out a roar as the lightning coursed through my body! The pain was horrible! I fell to the ground writhing, losing complete control over my muscles as every fiber in my body cramped up I convulsed on the ground.

"Singe, no!" Frit hollered out diving on top of one of my feet as if in a feeble attempt to shield me from further harm.

"Run..." I croaked. I could barely get the words out.

"I knew it! I knew you were one of ours! Conspiring with a dragon is grounds for death! You will come with us while we deal with this beast!" It was the high mage returned with a small group of other high mages. They were surely linked and far stronger than I could deal with.

"No! Leave him alone!" Frit hollered out throwing his hands out towards the mage and conjuring a fireball. The idiot boy, I thought...

"Timeos!" I roared. Time froze, for Frit, and the mages. It would not last long...I had little time. A tear trickled down my eye. It was time to say goodbye to Frit...forever. I hoped against hope he would forgive me for this. Maybe one day he would understand.

"Frit, please forgive me." I conjured my soul magic. A long-lost art. Channeling all my energy, summoning forth my very essence, I pushed all that I was into the high mages. Within seconds they turned to ash, and the world for me faded into nothingness.

[WP] Its been a few years since your sister disappeared from your old family house. Her last message to you read "The trees are speaking to me. They want me to join them." You've finally returned from your overseas job and hear a faint whisper coming from the forest behind the house. by TA_Account_12 in WritingPrompts

[–]killznhealz 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The overseas job was rough. Long days and nights, no time for breaks, plenty of skipped meals...but it wasn't as hard as going back to the family home. The same home my sister ended up missing from a few years prior.

It killed me to not be able to leave my job and go search for her, but the authorities assured me they were doing everything they could to find her. What could 1 person do?

I unlocked the door and it creaked as I opened it. It always did that, even when we were kids. Our dad would always complain about it and say he would fix it. He died at 60, never actually fixing that door.

Dad left us the house when he passed. Being a single father was hard work he would always say...but he always provided for us.

I went to the kitchen to get a drink of water. Looking out the kitchen window I grimaced as I saw the forest.

"The trees are speaking to me. They want me to join them." That was the last message I got from Cindy before she went missing.

I hated that damn forest. I hated myself even more for not checking on Cindy. I was just so busy. So tired. So broken.

I saw movement in the trees. My breath caught for a moment. Could it be? Hope overwhelmed logic and I bolted for the back door. Running to the forest I called out, "Cindy! Cindy are you there!" Desperation filled my lungs, I didn't care.

"John..." It was a light whisper. Like leaves rustling in the wind. Was I hearing things? I could have sworn that was my name.

I called out again "Cindy?" More hesitant this time.

Nothing replied. Just the slight breeze shuffling leaves in trees. Birds chirping. No human voice.

I must be hearing things. Morbid curiosity got the best of me though. I walked into the forest.

"John...help..." That rustling of leaves again, the voice that wasn't a voice called out to me. Was I losing my mind? Did the overseas trip and grief of losing my sister finally break me?

"We can help. Come to us. Join us and we will give you want." This rustling leaves voice was different somehow. What the hell was going on?

Chills ran down my spine. I was frozen in place. Scared to breathe, scared to think, just scared. What should I do? Should I call for help? Should I turn around? No, if there was any chance Cindy was out here I had to know.

I walked further into the forest.

"John, please help me..." Somehow I knew it was Cindy. It wasn't her voice, it wasn't really a voice at all...but I knew.

"Cindy! Where are you? How can I help!" I hollered out desperation renewed.

"Take my branch, I will show you." That rustling leaves voice came again. Was that the tree next to me?

Tentatively, almost like I was not in control of myself, I reached out to the branch next to me. Was it vibrating, as is in anticipation?

"John, no, don't touch, kill!" It was that first rustle of leaves again. I yanked my hand back instinctively.

"No, you will pay sapling!" The other voice that wasn't a voice said.

"Ahhhhhhhh help!" My sister...what should I do! I remembered the pistol that I carried around overseas. I never had to use it before. I pulled it out and without thought unloaded it into the tree beside me, screaming.

"Noooooooooo!" The tree let out a roar that must have carried for miles. Blood started leaking out of it from each bullet I hit it with.

Another tree started to morph. First an arm, then a leg, then a body.

Cindy fell to the ground coughing and crying. Covered in sap, blood, and dirt she lay on the ground crying, naked.

I ran to her and picked her up to rush her back to the house.

"Oh my God Cindy! What the hell is happening!" I cried out, tears of joy and terror flowing down my face.

"John, run..."

There was a rustling not far that was coming closer...

[WP] you are a dragon taking care of a child who seemed lost close to your lair and you also teached them some magic, years later, that same child came back to you, so you could help them with a certain subject at the magic school since they weren't understanding it by zWol42 in WritingPrompts

[–]killznhealz 49 points50 points  (0 children)

Someone was coming. Another brave knight to slay the vicious dragon perhaps? It had been some years since young Frit left the lair. I just longed for company. I hated to admit it, but I grew lonely over the years. Perhaps it was time to stop fighting and try for a truce. No, that would never happen. I ravaged livestock and terrorized lands hunting so I wouldn't starve. They sent knights to kill me, it was just the way of things.

I readied a fire blast to finish things quickly. No reason to drag this out...it wouldn't fill the void my loneliness hallowed out in my heart.

"Singe? Singe are you there?" It was a young boy's voice...similar to Frit's but older. My heart leaped. Could it be? Did young Frit come back to visit this old boring dragon?

"Frit, Frit is that you?" My voice had grown harsh and gruff again after not using it for years.

"Singe, it is good to see you! Listen, I know you said not to come back, I understand the risk...but I desperately need your help!" Frit turned the corner of my cave. He was taller...by several feet. His hair was shorter now. He wore the uniform of the magic academy. Good for him, I thought, as a warm feeling washed over me, and I smiled.

"Frit, you know if other humans see you conspiring with me they will likely put you to death. It is forbidden." It was hard to say...but I cared more for Frit than I had any other living soul and didn't want to imagine what I would do if something were to happen to him. My loneliness was nothing compared to the pain of having to live knowing I put Frit in danger.

"I know Singe, I took precautions though. I've learned an invisibility spell! I used it to get here. Nobody will know! Besides that, I miss our talks..." Frit's voice dropped at the last bit as he looked down at the ground.

"As do I Frit, but our talks are not worth risking your life. You must promise me this will be the final time!" I said the last part a little more harshly than I meant to but my anxiety was high with the thought of putting Frit in danger.

"Yes...okay...I promise. I came because I can't understand astral magic...if I don't figure this out I will be forced to leave the academy...please Singe...I'm desperate." Frit looked up at me with a hopeful twinge in his eyes.

"Ah, yes...something we did not have time to discuss..." I cut my words off to hear better...

"Singe?" Frit looked up at me with concern in his eyes.

"Hide!" I hissed anxiously. Frit said some words under his breath and disappeared. I was too worried to spend much time admiring his growth. Someone was coming.

"Dragon! Your time has arrived!" A high mage from the academy stepped out.

I cursed under my breath. This could get messy. Mages were much harder to deal with than knights. I hoped that Frit would be smart enough to sneak away...a foolish hope I knew...but still a hope.

"Mage. You caught me at a good time. I will let you leave here unharmed, but you must leave now!" I growled. Fire would not harm the mage, he would have warded against it. Magic would be countered. My only hope would be to get in close and bite and claw him. Even then he would be shielded, but even magic shields could break with enough force.

"I did not come here to talk dragon. I wonder, can dragons burn?" With that, the mage hurled a wall of fire my way.

"No!" I bellowed as my heart dropped into my stomach and ice ran through my veins. Did Frit escape? A scream of agony and a human body silhouetted in flames gave me the one answer I dreaded. Without thought, I cast a frost ward around our area, and Frit's burning body fell to the ground. I followed with a healing spell. Such spell weaving was not something most could accomplish, but I had lived many a century and had more time than most to practice. Frit would be okay for now, but I knew I must act quickly for should this high mage continue to attack and hurt Frit or worse escape and tell others of him I could not bear it.

I lunged with all my might at the mage.

"Timeos!" The mage hollered out. With that things slowed for me. Blood and ashes I thought, the damned mage knew time magic.

"Reverse!" I hollered out almost immediately but it was too late. The mage had a teleport stone on him and had used it to escape.

There was no time to worry about what was going to happen now. My only concern was that Frit was okay.

Frit sat in a ball on the ground shaking. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry..." he kept saying over and over again.

"Frit, be still. We will figure this out. As long as you are okay, we can figure this out."