Three Years Ago...

"Aaran have a wonderful day at academy!" My mother said, with a lighthearted smile, her energy was simply exuberant.

She sweeps the recently renovated wooden flooring. As I remain frantically pacing through the entirety of the cottage, thouroughly unprepared for the day.

"Thanks mother," I said. While pacing around, trying to sight my materials for academy.

My mother's name is Luna named after the moon I suppose, my mother never went into detail. A very elegant and beautatious women. Jet-black straight hair, flawless almost sparkling skin, and hazel-brown eyes. My father happened to be the opposite, yet I happened to aquire the majority of his traits. Dark-brown wavy hair, dark-brown eyes, average facial structure, stubborn and gauche.

"Yes... there you are," I said, releasing a sigh of relief. I gather all the essential supplies, this year will be my most arduous. As I take grasp of all my essentials for academy, I place them in my pre-loved brown leather satchel, which my father had handed to me rather hesistantly.

I pace quickly towards the front-door of my parents cottage.

I turn the metallic knob opening the pale white wooden door, allowing a soft breeze of refreshing air to caress my face.

Before closing the door my mother yells, "Be careful Aaran! Oh... and your father should be back from his trip today, so come back from academy as quickly as possible to welcome him back!

"Yes mother!" I said, shutting the door.

I walk out of my parents beautifully constructed cottage, with a layed out dirt trail to my academy.

An eventful day in my hands as today is selection day. I truly hope to be selected as a Paladin, as I demonstrated outstanding magical abilities last year, but mediocre fighting abilities, I must confess.

Walking down the path that leads to my academy feels peculiar, even though I've walked this path for the past six years.

I ignore the feeling as just anxiety building over the break.

I feel the brushing of the wind, and I hear the rustling of the autumm leaves.

The primeval forest that separates my parents cottage to the City of Corenthia is a 20 minute walk. Corenthia is where my academy is located just on the border of the magnificent city. The academy is definitely one of the most rigorous and most funded academy of all the land.

Traversing the dirt path I recollect the memories of the times in Knights Academy of Corenthia, beginning at the ripe age of 10, only accepted in the prestigious academy due to my unreal magical abilities; wizard-like even. Now 16 years old and demonstrating magical healing abilities that surpass any Bronze-Class Paladin that I've encountered. Although, I need to sharpen my physique a touch and sword fighting skills.

As I approach the academy a euphoric feeling fills my soul "Finally back," I said rather anxiously. The grass is freshly trimmed, the building looks well maintained since my short break. Stone walls are slightly weathered, but still maintains the pristine look. Viewing the perimeter it seems I'm the sole student, which is odd in that there's at least one-thousand enrolled students in the academy.

There's an eerie silence before I hear bellows of what sound like agony, I stop immediately as my eyes are fixated at the academy entrance doors.

In a moments notice, two bronze-class knights and one silver-class knight barge through the entrance doors in a quite frantic pace.

Two of them are wearing bronze chainmail underneath the bronze plated armor, metal armor pads cover their shoulders and their knees. The sides of the two men are only protected by the bronze chainmail.

The other knight seems to be better suited for battle, as he is wearing silver-plated armor covering his entire body.

One of them descried me as his head tilts my direction, he shouts "Leave Elsewhere! An assassin is present in the academy and is slaughtering many students!" He uttered loudly before a curved sabor pierced through the back of his appearangly intimadating armor and pentrates the front of the bronze-plated armor. All this occurring in about five seconds.

As I try to catch a glimpse of the deadly individual in order to outline the shape, I'm simply unable. The assassin is too swift, even for my deft eyesight.

Blood trickles from the knights mouth, his eyes staring gawkingly at me before collapsing onto the floor. The assassin must have pierced through his heart as well, as the knight is visibly immobile on the stone tiled floor.

I was stupefied, yet horrorified as a knight had been finished off so easily and quickly to an assassin.

The other bronze-plated knight heads towards me and tackles me onto the ground rather aggressively, I wiggle from his grasp "What are you doing?!" I say confused and panicky.

"Stay down!" he said, in a commanding tone.

The silver-knight in front of me facing the entrance of the academy yells out "Aequo Inferno!"

I see an enormous ball of fire from his hands it nearly grazes my clothing. It completely ingulfes the inside of the entrance room of the academy.

"A Magic Knight!" I said in suprise. I should have noticed by the symbol placed on the back of his bright armor, an elipse interrupted by an x.

The fire soon dissapates from the atmosphere around me and in the building.

"Leave here now! The assassin is still alive!" The magic knight said.

Without question the bronze-plated knight and I part ways.

I head toward the seemingly secure dirt paved trail that leads back to my parents cottage to warn my mother. I dash frantically, fearing for my life and my family. I hear faint wails echoing from the academy.

"He must have taken out most if not all of the students, why is the assassin doing this to the innocent?" I said, while dashing hastily towards the cottage.

As I hurriedly rush through the trail, I realize the reinforcements must have been wiped completely, as 20 Bronze-Knights are to guard Knights Academy. The reinforcements are a maximum of five Silver-Knights.

The assassin must be of immense strength and skill to their be only one Silver-Knight remaining.

I feel cowardly just leaving my compeers to be slaughtered. I hesitate within my frantic dash, then a still image of my mother appears. "No! My mother means more!" I decide to remain pacing towards my parents cottage.

I feel I'm far enough from the academy, so I slow my pace a tad.

I exhale deep amounts of air, as I'm moderately exhausted by the minute long dash.

Then in a moments notice a reptilian-man in a dark cloak covering half of his face appears spontaneously. His green scaled tail sticking out from behind his cloak.

I immediately stop within my tracks.
Panting and cowering, slowly taking steps back.

"You don't need to fear me," He said.

He has a raspy voice that would make anyone feel uncomfortable, the feel of this man is very menacing.

I look questionably at the reptilian man and say, "Who are you?"

The reptilian begins to creep towards "I'm Seth the Bounty Hunter, the so called "Assassin" in Corenthia."

"Ohh lucky me," I said, in a sarcastic murmur.

I fear he could take my life within any second, but I must stand my ground not cower in the face of fear "Stop! What do you want from me and why haven't you killed me yet?" My voice begins demanding, then quickly fizzles out.

Seth stops within his steps and just gives me a piercing stare for a long unspoken moment, and then snickers as he said, "I'm here to take your life of course, unless you possess gold to barter for your trivial existence."

I look in dismay, as I have no gold.

I lie, "I have eleven gold coins... they lie in my cottage, as long as you don't fatally seize any other lives, I will be more than glad to hand you the golden coins."

"I won't take anyone else's life today at least, but as you know my profession requires murder and stealth," He said.

I begin to lead Seth towards the cottage, trying to stall for enough time as possible. "Why must you kill for bounty? You obviously are a very gifted swordsman why put your talent to waste?" I said, with a nervous tone in my voice.

It takes a silent while before he responds.

"Your stalling will be to your demise, I suggest you escort me to your coins or I'll kill you in an instant," He said in a serious tone, and with a flat expression.

I tilt my head back forward as tension rises.

"Damn... what else can I do?" I said, a questioning whisper to myself.

I can't simply cast a spell, even my shortest gives him room for attack.

"Oh!" A lightbulb goes off in my head, I recall the 'Aequo Inferno' the magic knight attempted to use on Seth. The spell worked almost instantly. Although, attack spells might not be mastered by me yet, I have no choice but to attempt the improbable.

I peer over behind me and see Seth's eyes burning over the back of my skull.

"My only chance," I said in my conscious.

I then quickly turn and said aloud "Aequo Inferno!!"

I wait a moment... nothing.

"Was it the stance?! Damn how'd I screw up?!" Shouting in dissatisfaction within my mind.

Seth gives me a demeaning look before lunging at me. I try to block the attack, but a thrusting fist collides with my ribs.

I hear an unmistakeable crack in my ribcage. I shout aloud in anguish.

Blood gushes out of my mouth, as I wince down to the floor showing a grimace expression of severe pain. My hands place themselves onto the trail immediately, in order to keep myself from collapsing. My left leg bent as my right struggles to maintain its composure.

Seth forcefully carries me upwards with throttling hands wrapped around my neck. I struggle to get free from his despicable grasps.

"Don't cry! The scum will accept you!" He shouts mockingly. Seth then hurls me twenty yards to the north of him.

Rolling as I impact the ground leaving 5 more yard of distance.

My knees have been scraped, as had the sides of my upperbody. Blood begins trickling down my nose. I use my forearms as a napkin wiping off the blood.

I catch the slimy stench of Seth on my skin it reeks of piss. The stench alone leaves me vomiting uncontrollably. After a moment the vomit has run out, and the stench still lingered in my nostrils, I dry heave.

As I dry heave, I crawl the opposite direction of Seth trying to escape my inevitable doom.

I glance back at Seth and just behind him I see a silhouette.

"Piece of crap, you think you can fool me, ha! You are dross, that will be all your worth!" Seth said in an irate tone while approaching me.

Seth pulls out the curved sabor he used to slay the bronze knight. The sabor has golden spirals around the handle, the handle itself has an intricate design parallel solid black lines, the blade still contains the blood of the last hapless life.

I stop resisting accepting my fate. Seth is now standing in front of me his sword now gazes my neck. My left eyelid shuts close, out of pure reaction as my right remains open.

"You would be of some use in the future, but you decided to throw your life so childishly." Seth said in a stale expression.

I look up and I am able to see his face it's scaled completely and it seems to be a mesh between reptilian and man. Human eyes, bright green, the eyes don't seem to be menacing at all, more like luring. His face and hands as far as I can see, are scaled completely, having a natural green pigmentation one you would expect to see on any green lizard.

"Humans... the most fragile of creatures with the most complex variety of emotions," Seth said dully. "But... you're not human, your blood... it's different." A concerned look arises off Seths face then complete suprise, he takes steps back. "I know what you are! You're a NOBLE!"

I don't respond as I'm in deep agony, but I'm suprised to the point of disbelief.

Seth sniffs the air as if capturing a scent, and before leaving he commands, "Stay here! Obey and I won't kill you!"

I am unable to respond my sight is becoming hazy, mind losing awareness, eyelids slowly shutting.

The last thing I witness before falling into unconsciousness is a man confronting Seth, he's wearing clothing I've seen somewhere, but I can't make it out.

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I feel like this chapter could've been improved, so please any constructive criticism is welcomed. If none, please vote on my story.