Emotionless (The Emotionless Book 1) Read online

  When we were all in, the Railway Mage shut the door, and in the corner of my eye, I noticed his leather shoes vanished as he morphed back into the door. Now that he was gone and I wouldn’t be disturbed, I tried to erase the art style around the symbol of P and D so that I could concentrate on the protect and defend. They look joint somehow. It was as if they were supposed to mesh together. Incredible. I know I can spend hours sitting here just to perfect that rune.

  By the time I finished drawing in my sketchbook, my fingers had started to cramp. I closed the book, raised my hand and felt the leather slip away from my grasp. I straightened to a stance and noticed that Hopper was already at the glass door that leads to the train cart.

  Inside the cart, the door to the other end looked as if it was within reach. If I did move my hand out, I’d probably grab hold of the handle and enter the next cart. Instead of reaching out, I moved forward, and the door from the other side distanced itself. Hopper raised a card that stated ‘Number Thirty-Eight’, so I trudged along behind him. The hallway got longer and longer until my eyes settled on the room door.

  Hopper raised the card, and the copper numberplate on the door lit up. The door opened inwards, and the first thing that my eyes set its eyes on was the gleaming chandelier in the walkway. Afterwards, it was the shoes that were kicked off near the shoe rack. Then it was the opened spaced room with cream carpet and a brown couch that Nixon was already sleeping on. I assume that he didn’t make it to the bedroom and settled there instead while Donte was in the open room, lounging on the bed.

  I opened one of the doors that was closed and stared into a small bathroom: Blue tiles, black ceramic toilet seat, a shower in the corner and a waterfall hand-washer with bubbled soap that floated and popped in the air. On the back wall, there was clear, thick glass that showed the ocean. Fish swam by leisurely.

  I then closed the door softly and went to the one that Hopper stood before. He opened the door, and I walked into a modern bedroom that had a single bed, two black nightstands on either side of it and a mirror above one and a crystal ball lamp that shined an assortment of colours that gave a vibrant feel to this room.

  “Are you hungry? You didn’t eat much breakfast, and it is nearly lunchtime, my Mistress,” Hopper asked from the doorway. I shook my head, and he inclined his head slightly. “If you need me, I will be out in the living area. The clock on the bedside table there will alert you once we get closer to Sorcerer City.”

  The time counted down. We will be in Sorcerer City in thirteen hours.

  I nodded, waited until Hopper left and closed the door. Slipping off the boots that I usually wear whenever I wasn’t at school, I raised my finger that has the attack rune on it and stared blankly at the bottom of my boot. “Activate, laser,” I spoke softly.

  My finger lit up, and a small red line zapped into the thick slab of the boot. With focus and accuracy, I tattooed the jump rune on the sole of my left and then right boot. I made sure that they lined up correctly so that when I jump, my legs aren’t separating and going off in different directions. Once I was finished, I activated the rune, and it turned a brilliant and bright blue. I lifted both shoes and dropped them towards the ground. The boots bounced back up, launched forward and landed on the bed swiftly. That was with soft pressure. I could only imagine what it would be like if I jumped off of a building. The stronger the fall, the higher that I could jump.

  I then deactivated the jump rune on both shoes, slipped them back on and sat on the bed and waited for time to pass.

  Sorcerer City.

  The fish from the ocean turned from aquatic marine life to dangerous and mutated. The train broke through the barriers and the magnetic fields zapped along the train like static would along an electric fence. The magnetic fields prevent any vibration of magic from leaking out and infect their wildlife because mages wildlife is much more creative and talented.

  Neon glowing jellyfish swam past in groups. Small, vibrant four finned fish that had swordtails and eyes of a cat that glows in the night. A low-pitched cry echoed through and vibrated the cart, the sound came from above the train. The day lounge I sat on had a glass window. I tapped the glass, and it extended outwards. There were small cracks that fish wiggled through, along with tiny droplets of water. The Air-fish swam in the air as if it was water. They swam and slipped through the crack underneath the door.

  Back at the giant whale, deep grey in colour, its tiny fingernail-sized scales shined silver in the throb of sunlight that seeped through and into the water. The whale’s fins slowly and tantalisingly moved up and down, the nozzle, long, swayed as the whale swam.

  Rooms that were on either side of mine popped the glass so that they could have a closer look at the marine wildlife. They had the look of utter enjoyment.

  Bubbles then suddenly flashed past me when a shark that had tiger stripes swam past. A killer dolphin was on its tail. A frenzy went underway. The carnivorous dolphin had fins that resembled claws, and they latched onto the shark. Strange blood that wasn’t exactly the colour of crimson, more of a reddish-brown, streaked down in the water. I could hear the intake of breaths from mages on either side of me through the glass extension. They watched as the dolphin tore apart the shark.

  I blinked, retracted the glass, bored now that the dolphin swam away with its food.

  “Why is there a fish in the shower with me?” Donte shouted, wailed and then yelped. In a strangled voice, he cried out, “Stop cleaning me!”

  “Masters, the train will break the water soon. We will be at Sorcerer City within half an hour. It would be wise to get ready,” Hopper spoke. He sounded exasperated. I wonder if it was because of how dramatic Donte was being.

  “Hey. Eileen.” Silas opened the bedroom door while tapping his hand against it. “Can I come in?”

  I nodded, lifted my legs that hung off from the side and tucked them up to my chest and wrapped my arms around them. Silas came through and looked around dully before he settled on the bed. He lent back and heaved a sigh that dragged out.

  “We are nearly back home. We can start being ourselves again, Eileen. I know that mainly for you, it will be extremely daunting. Everyone knows you now. Everyone has heard of you, and it isn’t in the best of light. You would need to be careful. Mages will be using magic around you at all times.”

  “Okay?” I questioned.

  “Don’t go anywhere alone or go into suspicious magic shops when you leave Mage Academy.”

  “But –”

  “No, Eileen, I am serious. I need you to listen and understand what I am saying.”

  “Okay,” I murmured.

  Silas glared at me, and I knew that he was trying to read if I was serious with my responses or not. Truthfully, I wanted him to stop talking. His words weren’t going to make that much of a difference. I will leave Mage Academy alone more times than not. I don’t expect that I would be making friends here. I have accepted my fate. I have taken the fact that I would be what some would call a ‘lone wolf’… or a loner. A reject, perhaps, would be the most fitting answer. Either one of those would reach the surface of any mage that sees me.

  “I really can’t tell anything about you ever since that night when you were… when you were…” he trailed off.

  “Cursed,” I finished off his sentence. Silas flinched, and I knew right at this moment he was blaming himself, and there was nothing that I could do about it. “I won’t go anywhere alone, okay,” I lied.

  “Huh, oh, that’s good,” Silas sighed in relief. “It will be hard having a constant lookout of Donte and Nixon, I don’t want to have my eye on you as well.”

  “Okay.”

  “Hopper will probably come in to ask for you to get ready. You also have seawater on the sleaves of your shirt, and you smell of flying fish.” He wrinkled his nose. I looked down and felt the heat flush my cheeks.

  “Alright. I am going to get ready now. I wonder if I will have any of you three in my class when school starts next year.”

&nbs
p; He left, and I just sat there until Hopper knocked on my door and announced that the train was boarding the deck.

  When it was time to leave, I stood there, the round porthole sloshed up and above the water. My eyes shined through the glass at the illuminated city lights that gleamed blue and green. Cascading water droplets made the vision blurry, but from what I could see, Sorcerer City was massive. I have forgotten how massive Sorcerer City was. Large towering homes, some with pointed roofs. I can distinctively see the island brick path that swirled and weaved through the streets all the way up to Mage Academy. The most gigantic building of all sat at the top of the mountain, its dark brick exterior loomed over everything with a sense of dominance. Looking at Mage Academy gives me chills.

  When the doors opened, I tried to suppress the long, chilled, ice gliding feeling down my spine. This place was resonating with magic. The aura around it was palpable. I can feel the comfort and the streams of magic that stirred in the air. It was like moving to a current.

  Now on the deck, I listened to the water that lapped against the shore of Sorcerer City. The murmured voices of Mages still out well after dark. The zing and zap sound of magic being used by Mages all over this island. Those were the sounds distinctive to me. The sounds that I have dearly missed.

  Trapped in the Ordinary-Human world, I had to hide everything about me outside of my own home. I missed the conversations about Magic. I missed illuminating my veins and not being called a freak because of them. I have missed using magic in the streets around so many others that do the same. That’s why Sorcerer City was such a tantalising place to live in. Unlike when I used to live here, everything done in the Ordinary-Human word had to be controlled. But I am not in the Ordinary-Human world now. I am here, in the most magical place of all and it looks sublime.

  “Wow!” Donte and Nixon gasped. “Can we look around, Hopper?”

  “No,” Hopper answered crisply. “I will gladly take you in the daytime. Some shops are restricted during the day, and those are the shops that I want you both to not…” He heaved a sigh, turned around and sagged his shoulders. “They left, didn’t they?”

  “Damn it,” Silas said, groaning. “I will go find my responsibilities.”

  It seems that I was the only one that noticed Donte and Nixon drink the invisibility potion. I expected them to already know how those brothers of ours work. They don’t listen to any sort of authority. “Just me and you, my Mistress. Let me show you to Mage Academy.”

  The images of what happened that night at Mage Academy flashed through my mind. The horrors that I have seen. The fire that engulfed the entire city. Stone walls falling down, crushing innocent people. Ashes swept up in the breeze and colourful blood from Guardians before they shattered into dust around me. Screams, cries of agony, begging, roaring, laughter, sinister and evil. The sounds all wrapped around me until the door opened, and there he was. Timothy Graydon. His staff poised, directed towards me, the crystal shined and the words that burned onto my forehead made me look away and down at the shoreline, where the salty water crashed and roared to life.

  “My Mistress?” Hopper called my name. He had a concerned look upon his face when I tore my gaze away and up at him. “Are you alright?”

  As much as I wanted to tell him that I was scared, would he believe me? The expressionless face I bare was hard to read. Every word that comes out of my mouth sounds bored and somewhat fake. All I needed was for Hopper to furrow those brows of his and wonder if what I said was the truth or not because nothing that I say shows.

  I reached out, grabbed hold of Hopper’s suit jacket and murmured, “Let’s go to Mage Academy.”

  He held a warm smile similar to a bunny – if bunnies could smile.

  We walked down the port and towards the entrance to Sorcerer City. A tantalising place. Banners floated by with advertisements, some glowed, had flashy words or spoke in a voice alluring to me. Warmth resonated around the light blue and green orbs that bobbed past. I never really knew as to why they weaved around like they have a purpose. They illuminate the way, so I suppose that is what they are meant to do.

  As much as I was in awe of being back here, and seeing how much some things have changed over the years, one thing has not. Pairs of eyes tend to seek me out. Either deliberately, knowing that I was coming, or finding out, with widened eyes, surprised to see me here again. Unless it was widely known that we were coming back, the last that most mages would have known was that we left and disappeared from the mages world after what I had done.

  I stood out. Golden brown hair and silver, illuminating, powerful eyes – And there was also the Highborn features, and they were the cheekbones – But that was all. If I bowed my head and looked down, I wouldn’t stand out. We all wear Ordinary-Human clothes. Only some weird ones’ wear capes, pointed hats and cloaks. That’s what Donte and Nixon enjoy to wear. Supposedly it was ‘dramatic’. I find it rather… odd.

  Some, though, wore outfits similar to Hopper. Those were Guardians being professional. They have their formal look when they are escorting their Master’s or Mistress’s, which was the sleeveless black vest, long-sleeved white buttoned-up top and sleek black pants and shoes. Whenever they aren't professional, they shift in their pure form and wear what they usually wear: Hopper would change into a fluffy bunny. Another guardian maybe a rock Guardian, wearing nothing but oversized pants and a shirt to cover up private parts. Guardian Knights would wear their armour and have their swords always at their sides. Their hair was long, shiny and glossy in colour. Rather beautiful.

  I saw a few Guardians walk past with their Master’s or Mistress’s in their standard form. One was a giant, as tall as a three-storey home. The ground didn’t shake as he walked. I then noticed he had a glowing blue rune on his broad, bare feet. They were silence runes that muffled out whatever he makes and tunes it into the natural sound of mages. The rune piqued my interest. However, when I tried to move towards the giant, Hopper instinctively tried to catch my attention by pointing at shops and homes off in the distance – But it wasn’t working.

  My eyes cast to everything that glowed and resembled a rune: Doors, floors, walls, clothes and clear skin. I have seen virtually all of these runes before, but not in so long and seeing them on the internet would never be as enjoyable as seeing them in person. A picture of it on a website doesn’t have the texture of looking at one perfected on lumpy bricks on a footpath.

  “A Mages Guardians War. Huh, that is different.” I was nearly about to touch the rune when Hopper spoke. “Every Monday and Thursday.”

  “Tomorrow is Thursday,” I murmured.

  “Correct.” Hopper raised his hand to the first mage and Guardian that he saw. “Excuse me, Madam.” The guardian with bright blue hair that kind of floated in the air, snapped her head and hissed at Hopper. “Ah, Mermaid, may I ask your Mistress a question?”

  “Drown in seawater!” Mermaid spat.

  I thought it was a rumour that Mermaids are particularly grouchy creatures. Now that I have seen one, I can confirm that they are when they have been away from water for some time. I also wonder if she shrivels up like a prune and ages substantially faster as well. Perhaps I shouldn’t ask now when Mermaid was in a mood.

  “Huh? Sure.” The mage woman smiled. “Marry, you are allowed to go ahead of me and wait at the docking area.” Mermaid had a gleam in her sea-green eyes. Nodding profoundly, she skipped off.

  “Yes? What would you like me to answer, Guardian and... .?” She looked down once at me and then back up at Hopper. “One question and make it fast. I do not want to be degraded by talking to the outcast Highborn family.”

  Ouch. If I could express, I’d probably make it painfully obvious that I did not like that she called my family the ‘outcast Highborn family’. However, it wasn’t as bad as the names I had conjured in my mind: Cursed Ones, tainted Ones, rejected Family, emotionless Highborn.

  “Of course. I would not take you away from your Guardian for long,” Hopper started. He
was always professional and polite. “I was wondering what A Mages Guardians War was?”

  “Oh. It is fairly new. Came out earlier this year. The Organisation built an arena for anyone that has a Guardian. Two mages compete against one another, and whichever Guardian surrenders or dies loses and the other mage and Guardian either goes up in rank to compete the following day or if not, we bring in two new people next time. Starts about nine in the morning and finish whenever. Time varies, you know.”

  She laughed and rolled her brown eyes to where her Guardian set foot off to. “I should find her. Mermaids grow rather grouchy and fidgety when they have been away from water for more than a few days. Was that all you required, Guardian?”

  “When you say dies…” Hopper trailed off.

  “It is like A Mages War but instead of the mage and Guardian dying or surrendering, only the Guardian dies or surrenders. Depends if their Master or Mistress cares enough for their own Guardian, I guess.” She sighed and smiled fondly. “The way Guardians fight sometimes remind me of gods and goddesses. They were meant for battle.”

  “I see. Thank you for your time, Madam. Have a good night.”

  “Sure thing, Guardian and… uh, yeah, I hope I don’t bump into you again. You’re lucky, my Guardian was annoying me enough to get away from her for a moment. Bye.”

  I wasn’t sure if I should be wounded or privileged that she stayed long enough to talk and explain the horrific game Organisation created. It was bad enough we have A Mages war. Countless of mages and Guardians die a year because of that game. Now we have a mini-series where only the Guardian dies. Now I can tell that will appeal to most, for their life would never be on the line. Therefore, the fear of dying would never cross their mind, only their Guardians.