Eryndor's heart sank, a cold stone in his chest. He looked at Finn, whose face was a mask of concern and helplessness. He knew this was bad. Very, very bad. What happens if I go there? he wondered, a chilling thought. Expulsion meant not just the end of his dream to be an archmage like his grandfather, but also public disgrace, perhaps even imprisonment for dabbling in forbidden magic. He clutched the ancient bronze dagger, its surface now cool and inert, a silent, powerful witness to the chaos it had wrought, and the ruin it might bring upon him.
"Is dark magic really that bad?" he whispered to Gloop, his voice barely a breath. The invisible slime, on his shoulder, shifted imperceptibly.
"Yes, it is highly forbidden," Gloop replied, making Eryndor to have a frisson that ran down his spine. The weight of "forbidden" hung heavy in the air, he knew the consequences of using forbidden magic.
"Was the poison from dark magic? I don't even think I know any poisonous spell or magic, and I don't think the dagger does either. I don't even know where dark magic originated from," he continued, a rapid stimulation of questions circled his mind.
"Dark magic is gotten through a dark stone," Gloop informed, his mind still had questions but he wasn't sure of what to pick
"Dark stone? I've heard about stones before, but since I was ordinary, I never got curious about them. Where are they gotten from...?" Eryndor's dialogue with the invisible slime was cut short, his gaze fixed on his shoulder, when a kaiden cold voice sliced through it.
"Why are you looking at your shoulders and whispering to it? Has the dagger you are holding poisoned your mind too?" Kaiden asked, his voice a chilling blend of coldness and suspicion, hollow and lurid.
"I didn't poison him, the dagger acted on its own," Eryndor defended, stumbling over a gnarled root. He barely managed to catch himself. It seemed Kaiden was not one for subtlety or empathy.
"And can you be a little more meticulous on the path you walk through, Eryndor Thorne?" Kaiden suggested, his tone flat, completely devoid of warmth. It was less a suggestion and more a thinly veiled command, a typical "senior student" attitude.
"Can you be a little benevolent and considerate for once, Kaiden?" Eryndor retorted, his frustration bubbling to the surface. He glared at the grumpy kaiden who was still looking ahead of where he was going.
"As a senior student, I should always be strict with juniors so they can set a good example for others. Unlike you, using dark magic. Why wouldn't I be very strict with you? Who knows if you're planning on using it on me?" Kaiden explained, slowing his pace just enough for Eryndor to keep up, speaking to Eryndor without his face or body facing Eryndor. He was clearly suspicious, and the dark magic accusation was a serious one. "He is ordinary but how did he know about dark magic? If he has the dark stone which produces dark magic, he should definitely be kicked out of the school before he causes any harm." Kaiden thought.
Greedy archmages always wanted more powers and searched for the five stones, dark stones and white stones were the most drastic stones and most rare that made it the most treasured stones, the most wanted stones of them all was the dark stones, the greedy archmages used them to corrupt the hearts of the uncorrupted ones to make them their pawns.
"Like I said, I didn't use dark magic, it—" Eryndor's words were abruptly cut off. Kaiden turned around with startling swiftness, fixing him with a glare so intense it sealed Eryndor's lips.
"Tell that to the proctors and high authorities," Kaiden snarled, his voice laced with menace. Eryndor's mouth made movement, but no sound emerged. "Much walking, less talking. If we continue talking, we can't get there on time." Kaiden's voice, abrupt and solemn, continued his explanation. "I cast the mutation spell on you, so you can't talk during our short journey. I'll choose when to reverse the spell. Now follow me." Eryndor's jaw clenched.
' The audacity!' he thought, not unable to talk now.
" Mutation spell?" he thought, a flicker of rebelliousness in his eyes. "Let me see if I can reverse it." A smirk touched his lips, a secret rebellion. "Arcane bolt, reverse mutation spell." He focused, channeling his intent. The familiar "voice" in his head responded instantly:
[Mutation spell has been reversed]
* Reverse ability acquired
* Mutation skill acquired
A wave of enthusiasm washed over him. Reverse ability acquired. This was unexpected, a bonus, and potentially incredibly useful. Without a moment's hesitation, he decided to test his new skill. "Initiate mutation spell." He brought his hand forward, outstretching it towards Kaiden's back. A faint blue, light emanated from his palm, streaking towards Kaiden and seemingly vanishing as it made contact.
" I did it," he thought, a surge of triumph. He kept his silence, eager to observe Kaiden's reaction.
"Keep walking, Eryndor," Kaiden commanded, his voice unchanged.
"What?!" Eryndor's inner thought was a shout of disbelief. "He can still talk? This guy really is strong," His carefully constructed silence faltered.
"Did you just talk?" Kaiden asked, stopping abruptly and turning, his eyes narrowed. Glaring at Eryndor quizzically.
"Ummm..." Eryndor stuttered, caught off guard. The game of silent rebellion was over, replaced by an awkward, revealing moment.
The fact that Kaiden still seems unaffected by Eryndor's mutation spell hints at either Kaiden's superior power or perhaps a unique resistance.
Meanwhile in the infirmary Van Leon twisted the door knob to a room where he thought Darius would be, but unfortunately Darius was not found in the room instead he was welcomed by the fresh chilly breeze that passed through the window blowing the drapes forward, and he noticed the drapes was slightly parted.
"Did that guy jump out of the window? Is he crazy? If he still has the strength to slip through the window it means the poison would be gone," he thought, "maybe I was right, poisons caused by dark magic doesn't heal rapidly, the fact that his own healed quick means he used a poison spell similar to that of dark magic, and the guy was meticulous on making research on the ones that can heal rapidly, what a jerk! He really is serious about the ordinary Eryndor Thorne expelled from Argentum, who I think might not be ordinary like everyone thinks he is," Van Leon was smart and powerful at same time so it was facile for him to catch up with things and notice things.