I Am Lightning

Ah, Alter City. I stepped into the town, the sun behind my back, with nostalgia creeping about. There were new guards standing outside the gates, giving me horrified glances, but nothing spoke of recognition in their expressions. I hoped the rest of my trip was that way. I wanted to run straight up to Alter Castle but resisted. Besides, I had a few things to do first.

I turned towards the inn and made my way around to the stables. There stood a middle-aged woman, grooming one of the horses who was busily nosing his way through some hay. I stepped heavily towards her so she heard me coming, and she turned to me and shock spread across her face. I couldn’t help but smile. I remembered this girl. Her name was...
“Rosie,” she said, obviously reading my expression. She set aside her brush and looked me up and down.
“You haven’t changed a bit, Fulgora.”
I grinned back at her. “You still remember me, then?”
“Of course I do! You’re the one who got me the job at this inn, don’t you remember that?” I shrugged and smiled back at her. She’d been in trouble once a while back when she was a small girl for burning some bread and her old master was about to break her jaw when I intervened. I lead her to this inn (on a different occasion from the one seventeen years ago, mind you) where she got a job looking after the horses and helping with the room-keeping. She was never a good cook, so stayed out of the kitchen.
“Well I was wondering if you could tell me where I could buy some horses?”
She absentmindedly grabbed a rake and leaned on it while she considered this.
“The only place I know is a farm a little way out of town, back down the main road. You would have passed it on the way here.”
“Actually, I wouldn’t have. I take rather... diverse routes,” I replied. She just grinned at me.
“Why am I not surprised?”
“You really shouldn’t be. This is me we’re talking about. Does the blacksmith here still trade in weapons?”
“He sure does. Did you lose your sword?”
“Yeah, and my bow. Long story, that one.”
“You can come inside and have a hot cup of tea and tell me all about it if you’d like,” she offered.
“Uh... does the inn-keeper here have a long memory?”
“Oh...” she said, seeming to remember the incident even though she wasn’t present for it, “yeah, he does. Many of those idiots have left the town or are in their graves now, but Talon has a good memory, that old man. Maybe not such a good idea then.”
“Yeah, besides, I’m in a hurry!”
Her eyes widened suddenly. “Oh Fulgora, have you heard? Lord Martin’s son-”
“Don’t tell me. He has red eyes?”
She nodded fervently. “Yes, and around two years ago the lad stopped growing. He’s so strange, Fulgora! Many of the townsfolk have rioted about him, raging that he should be taken to the Mage’s College, but Lord Martin won’t allow it. He is, after all, the Lord’s only son. He has a younger daughter, but if Joshua is taken to the college, the next in line is Lord Martin’s younger brother, that stupid jester Clyde. Biggest idiot I’ve ever met.”
I sighed. I wish I hadn’t heard that. It would have made it much easier for me to kidnap the Lord’s son if I hadn’t know the hands the Lordship would fall into after his death. I liked Alter City. I didn’t want it to be ruled by a fool.
“Well thanks for the information, Rosie. I might catch you on my way out, might not. Actually, I probably won’t. It was very nice knowing you.”
Rosie’s eyes widened, their russet depths shining. “You’re leaving already? I haven’t even... thank you, Fulgora. Thank you for saving me all those years ago.”
It was my pleasure, and I told her this with a low bow. Then, before she could say anything else, I whirled around to seek out the blacksmith. I decided then and there that I hated emotional goodbyes. Absolutely loathed them.

Just before I walked into the blacksmith’s (it was easy to find, you just needed to listen for loud banging noises) I realised I had no money and scowled. All I had on me was a plaited leaf satchel with some dried-out rabbit meat in it. Hardly enough for a sword, let alone two. I huffed and stormed away towards Alter Castle, deciding to change my plans slightly. A Lord’s son would have money, and besides, I had some sneaking about to do that night regardless of what happened.

When I reached the castle, one of the guards, one of the oldest I had seen, gasped and pointed at me. I cursed under my breath, then decided to ignore him.
“I request audience with Lord Martin,” I said to the other guard. He seemed appalled by appearance.
“What is your-” he was interrupted before he could finish his sentence.
“You!” the old guard shouted at me, “I remember you!”
I looked at him and smoothly replied, “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
I made to state my intentions to the first guard when the older man grabbed his spear and pointed it at me, directly beneath my throat. I scowled and looked back at him, and he quivered slightly, looking horrified. I myself could hardly imagine what my scarred face looked like with a scowl upon it. Not pretty, that was for sure.
“Lower your spear,” I said to him, my voice full of command. The two guards quaked, hearing the authority of my speech. I had commanded many people before, and all had obeyed.
“You were taken to the Mage’s College over fifteen years ago. You shouldn’t be here!”
I admired the old man’s courage, but the spear-tip swaying slightly right next to my delicate neck irritated me. I was so tempted to swipe it from him and swing it at him, but I resisted.
“Yes, and I learned many secrets there. Lower your spear, or I’ll turn you into a frog!” I yelled at him. He jumped back in fright, and I had to swerve to avoid the spear as it jumped with him. My anger flared. He could have damn well torn another scar into my face!
“Oh my!” the other guard stuttered. “Your eyes!”
“Aren’t they pretty?” I said, battering them at him, knowing full well they would have transformed into their lightning depths. But then this man made a connection I couldn’t help but admire him for.
“You’re here to see the young Lord Joshua, aren’t you?”
“Yes,” I replied simply.
“Will you be taking him away?” he asked.
“Most likely,” I replied, knowing how afraid mundane people were of the mages. The man stood aside, and to my surprise, so did the older guard.
“If you will take him away,” said the older guard, “you will have even my blessing upon you.”

I couldn’t help but wonder- what had this child done for everyone to be so happy to get rid of him?

The first change I noticed about the room was that another, smaller, throne-like chair sat next to that of Lord Martin’s, and it was occupied by ‘fire boy’. Lord Martin himself was sitting in the real throne just as I remembered him, taking counsel from a few other men near him. He had aged rather well, still with dark auburn hair and a slim yet muscular build. No-one noticed me as I made my way towards him, not having a page to announce me this time. But a rather bored fire boy noticed me. I grinned as his red eyes widened.

Rosie had said he had stopped growing around two years ago, and the child did indeed look to be around fourteen, similar to my physical age. This was the norm for to-be-Masters. We appeared to stop growing at a certain age when our near-immortality kicked in. For Vesta, Sirius, Thetis and Demeter, this had happened at around the same time as for fire boy here, but Tate and myself had been the oddballs. I gained near-immortality very young, while he gained it when he was middle-aged. It is at this time our eyes, when we are emotional, reveal our destiny to become Masters. Or you could call it the time when the element chose us. Either way, everything starts then. So for two years fire boy had probably been freaking out everyone in Alter City. I grinned at the thought.

Fire boy practically jumped from his seat and raced down towards me. My smile grew, and as he reached me, he gasped.
“You’re just like me, aren’t you?” were the first words he said to me. “Please tell me you’re just like me.”
“Pretty close,” I said, and I loved how a grin spread across his face. It was a good feeling.