Chapter 3

Chapter 3: A Slave to something

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Nathaniel and Reina faced each other on a dueling ground. Their boots pressed onto its old concrete floor, cracked from previous duels for who knows how long. Reina's men gathered around, even some windows from the tall houses cracked open as some watched what's about to unfold. The crowd cheered their gazes lingered onto the dueling ground. Some guessing who will be the victor, even some wanting to see one of them fall dead.

Nick stood infront of Nathaniel and Reina, arms wide open. He cleared his throat. "In the name of the Archon of Preservation, Alexios. We now convene a duel between Reina and Nathaniel."

"The usage of both positive and negative energy is allowed. Escape, Incapacitation and Death will be considered defeat." Nick announced as the gathered crowd cheer in anticipation while the people inside their homes watched and even some tried to sleep it off as if duels wasn't uncommon.

"Say Mama, why do people fight each other? Magic should be used on curses right?" A little boy asked, he was being carried by his mother as they watched outside of their window.

"I don't know, sweetie. Why not ask your father tomorrow? He's a knight after all." The mother explained as Nick opened his mouth once more.

"The reason for this duel being that Nathaniel wishes vengeance for father's death." Nick claimed. Brooklyn stood beside Trisha, his gazed focused on Nathaniel.

"Why is he working with the woman that killed his father?" He asked, Trisha glanced at Brooklyn with the corner of her eye. "See it through. You might hear it for yourself." Trisha bluntly replied a she crossed her arms. Her eyes focused on Nathaniel and Reina.

"Any complaints from both participants?" Nick asked as he glanced from Reina to Nathaniel.

"Nope~" "No." They both respond. "Now begin!" Nick declared as he slowly stepped back, now standing the crowd as Nathaniel's hands immediately engulfed with his flames as Reina's right hand twitched, strings in between her fingers.

"...You've grown quite tall haven't you?" Reina said as she gazed up Nathaniel head, his height slightly surpassing hers. Nathaniel clenched his fists.

"You were about this tall back then~" She teasingly added as she leveled her left hand on her stomach, her thumb brushing off her polo.

Nathaniel leaped forward, throwing a barriage of flames manifested punches. Reina stepped back in response, her cloak snapped in each step. She remained unfazed by Nathaniel's flames. The crowd was stunned with his precision and speed.

"Can't you chat with me for a bit!?" Reina's tone teaseful as her fingers twitched once more. From Nathaniel's shoulders and calves, thin strings attached as it violently pulled him back. Nathaniel quickly regained his stance, the strings on him burnt into flames. Reina's smirk still carved onto her face.

The crowd cheered louder as the cold breeze of the midnight dew passed through. "Do both of them use Elemental Magic?" Brooklyn asked, his gazed lingered onto Nathaniel's palms ignited by flames and Reina's finger tips attached with thin strings.

"No, Physical magic manifests man-made objects while Elemental manifests natural objects . Hence, Reina's physical and Nathaniel's Elemental.

They both watched as Nathaniel continued his attacks, alternating from close to long ranged combat with his flames.

"...He's gotten stronger and his mind is calm too, and he knows. In terms of magic quality. Elemental has the edge." Trisha commented with a proud smile carved onto her lips as her focus remained onto Nathaniel.

"...I just need to focus...Control your heartbeat, feel the mana course through your blood." He said to himself as he exhaled, the black flames on his palms lightened even brighter.

Reina whistled, realizing Nathaniel's flames becoming more intense, her forearms slowly being coated by a black color, similar to Scarlet's and even the special grade's tentacles, yet hers radiated a magenta color on the edge of her coated forearms.

"...Aura, a negative source of energy that can dispell magic manifested by Mana, a positive energy."

"Shit, even I can't use it. If only I could, I can beat her!" He yelled in his mind. Reina slowly approached him as strings started to surround him.

"...No! Wishing for things that I don't have is useless!" He told himself, he immediately leaped up. Reina looked up. Only to see Nathaniel coil his body. Both arm muscles flexed, drawing it back to his ears. black flame appeared onto his grip.

A swift, powerful motion, he unleashed the flames, like a spear. It shot downward with speed. Reina deflected it with her aura coated arm. "Was that really it—" Time froze. Nathaniel's fists casting a shadow onto her face. She could feel warmth of his flames, it stung. Reina's eyes widen, immediately she twitched a finger.

Multiple strings attacked around Nathaniel's legs. His body redirecting on the concrete floor, Nathaniel ignited his legs on flames as the strings hummed silently before it burnt. He stumbled onto the floor. Immediately standing up, his palms ignited with flames once more as a sweat ran down his forehead.

A long silence followed even for the crowd. Reina then opened her mouth as the smirk on her face disappeared.

"Nathaniel, about your dad. Ah shit, what was his name again...Ether, Ear—" Reina was cut off. Nathaniel shouted. "Ethan!" From his answer, Reina smiled from within.

"Right, Ethan. You get forgetful fast when you get old." She said as she ruffled her hair.

Nathaniel's lips twitched in irritation. "Look, I hate to bring it up to a duel but I've killed plenty of petty criminals in the outer wall. I just can't remember your dad."

"Did I really kill this man called Ethan?"

"How did I kill him exactly if that's the truth? Maybe you're just mistaken Nathaniel." Her words cut deep. Nathaniel grunted his teeth in anger, the height of his flames reached his shoulders.

"You sadistic bastard! If you fought fair and square...my father wouldn't have lost!" As Nathaniel lashed out. Reina's smirk slowly returned, carving in each word Nathaniel uttered, knowing full well he took the bait.

"If you...if you didn't take me as hostage!" Nathaniel's grey eyes now full of fierce. His tone carried with anger and frustration.

"Ah~"

"Now I remember! He was a fool who offered his life for his son!" Her tone became harsh yet manipulative. Nathaniel rushed towards her with clenched fists.

Trisha sighed "So much for that." Nathaniel threw a fistful of flames towards Reina without hesitation. Reina caught it flawlessly with her aura coated hand as her strings tripped him on the cold concrete floor.

The crowd was confused, they didn't understand what just happened. Reina stepped her boot on Nathaniel's back as she held his arm, he grunted in pain.

"Getting emotional on a duel? You got a lot more to learn kiddo~" She pulled his arm, a snap echoed. Nathaniel let out a painful groaned as his arm dropped on the floor.

Reina stepped off the dueling ground, walking past Trisha as the aura from her forearm disappeared.

"Fix his shoulder for me, would you Trisha?" She asked yet it sounded more of a demand. "Got it." Trisha bluntly replied as she walked towards Nick.

"Hey Nick. That liquior would be great by now~" She expressed in front of Nick. The one sided duel was over.

The tension simmered down as the crowd dispersed. Reina's group making their way back to tavern.

The midnight breeze became colder as Nathaniel remained on the horse carriage. Trisha finished tying his sling, she let his presence. The sound of wood could be heard as she opened a crate. The cold breeze made him shiver. Trisha tossed a hodded cloak on his head.

"Don't catch a cold Nathaniel." Trisha expressed as she left, making her way to the tavern. Nathaniel was left alone with his thoughts as he wore the cloak, to radiate warmth.

Trisha entered the tavern, a sight of her comrades drinking beer, eat meat, dancing, and even singing. The tavern felt warm, and the scent was sweaty.

"Aren't you suppose to be on supply watch?" One of her comrades asked as he drank some beer.

"Nathaniel insisted that he should." She bluntly replied as she grabbed a mug of beer on a waitress' tray beside her.

"Oh right, as usual. He sulks like a child when he loses. Just let him be, he shouldn't be in a tavern anyways." He replied with a chic, his face reddened because of alcohol.

Trisha's gazed shifted into a corner of the tavern. Reina leaned back onto a chair as her boots were on the table, taking sips from an expensive bottle of liquior.

"Not bad, not bad at all~" She muttered to herself in between sips.

Trisha stepped forward, her boots creaked the wooden floors, snatching a plate full of warm bread and smoked meat. Handing it to Reina as she sat beside her.

"Say Reina, would there be a day where Nathaniel would burn you alive when you're asleep?" She asked as she took a piece of meat from Reina's plate, its juicies still drip on the wooden floor before it reached her mouth.

Reina chuckled from her question, her fingers twitched as thin threads started to cut the meat into smaller, bite sized pieces.

"Oh deary~"

"I'd bet my own life that he wouldn't do such a petty thing. He's still a mage, bound to his past and pride after all." Reina explained as she picked up a piece with her fingers, tossing it into her mouth. Before Trisha could open her mouth. The sound of cutlery and food dropped on the wooden floor. Both shifted their gaze onto the direction of the spill, only to see Brooklyn on the floor as Nick stood infront of him, holding a whip firmly between his fingers.

"For fuck's sake, Brooklyn! Don't you know how much that tray costs!?"

"Get your shit together before I send you back to the Outer wall!" He yelled as he hit Brooklyn with his whip, each strike still wasn't even enough to cover the noises of Reina's men around the tavern.

Trisha sighed as her gaze lingered onto the pitiful sight. "I hate Servant owners like him. Even I would want him to drop dead." Trisha expressed as she drank some beer. Immediately, Reina started to laugh loudly.

"What? Did I say something funny?" Trisha asked as her gaze shifted onto Reina.

"No, I'm not laughing at you, deary~"

"Just look at him. What a depressing sight." Reina squeezed in every word between laughter. Both their eyes wonder back to Nick and Brooklyn.

"A slave to money, holding a whip, acting as a master to a servant he bought with money." Reina added as she wiped a joyful tear on her eye. Trisha's expressed remained confused.

Reina followed with a sigh as she took a sipped from her bottle again. Her laughter finally simmered down.

"...He just doesn't get it. All of us are slaves to something." Reina added as her tone carried some weight. The liquor was cold, just like the atmosphere outside, where Nathaniel sat on the carriage alone, slowly drifting to sleep. A familiar laughter woke him up.

"Look at you sulking, did you lose again?" A manly tone said as he stood infront. Nathaniel slowly opened his eyes. Their gazes meet, the man's eyes were charcoal, his hair and beard danced with the cold midnight breeze.

"...Father." Nathaniel uttered to himself, his fierce gaze slowly turned into something soft and innocent. Tears pricked on his eyes as he blushed lightly.

His father, Ethan, brushed his hair lightly.

"There there you crybaby" Ethan's hands paused as he gazed down at his son's face.

"Are you angry? Do you want revenge, Nathaniel?" He asked softly. Nathaniel nodded violently. Ethan chuckled lightly, a hint of concern lingered.

"Well, you are my son after all. I would just waste my breath if I scold you." His gazed deepened into Nathaniel's hollow grey eyes.

"...Oh dear, how should I say this...No, only you can figure it out yourself. What a strong mage truly is." The voice sudden became distant and his warmth vanished, Nathaniel felt a touch on his shoulders. He immediately pulled out his hand, already engulfed in black flames. The illusion of his father, gone with the winds as Brooklyn stood in front of him. Holding a plateful of smoked meat and bread.

"...Master Nick...asked me to bring you this food." He handed him the plate. Nathaniel started to eat as Brooklyn walked a few meters apart him, feeling the cold breeze of the midnight as he gazed up the tall walls that reached the dark sky.

"...Did you also came from the Outer wall?" Brooklyn asked as his gaze lingered onto the walls.

"...What?" Nathaniel bluntly replied after he swallowed. Taking another bite of the smoked meat.

"S-Sorry, it's just that you're distant around Ms. Reina's group." He replied as he shifted his gaze onto Nathaniel, watching his throat throb as Nathaniel swallowed.

"...That's right, unlike you. I fought for where I am now. I don't need to eat scraps in the kitchen and I'm free to choose where or when I eat." Nathaniel's tone was harsh and fierce as he chew onto some bread, it felt lukewarm in his mouth.

A long silence followed with a dust of wind. Brooklyn hugged himself as he gazed up the walls once more.

"...If I ran, ran as far as I could. Across the walls and curses...What world would there be?"

"If there's a world beyond magic, curses, war and slavery...a world of peace."

"...Does a world like that truly exist?" Brooklyn's tone was quiet that carried hope and sorrow.

Nathaniel didn't answer, his gaze lingered onto the walls. Being taken back to the little childhood that he once had. Six years ago.

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End of Chapter

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