A Sorcerer’s Journey

Iggy Dan, leader of the knights, had always been prepared for a battle, because he knew that it was their physical strength and aggressiveness that had given them the edge over the students, which had kept them safe during the past month. But there was no way that a knight, even a Legend Knight like Barron, the former leader of the knights on this ship, could stand a chance of beating a sorcerer.

That was not even the worst part. What had bothered him the most was that no matter how strong they became, they were destined to be a servant of some sorcerer. This was a world where sorcerers ruled!

With that in mind, Iggy had been fully aware of one particular thing – the students couldn’t be allowed to unite, especially the Five Spell Casters. Otherwise, he and the other knights would be in serious danger.

That was why when Alastair declared the establishment of the Death Sail League, he’d immediately pulled out his machete and led his men up to the students:

“What a joke! Without my permission, there will never be any league.”

Noticing the wavering look on the faces of the students, he exploited the situation and added in a fiercer manner: “Anyone who dares join it will be executed immediately!”

Beneath his veneer of equanimity and ferocity lied a terrified anxiety that he and his men might be exterminated if the students got aligned.

A few of those who had already joined the Death Sail League were standing in the rear of the newly-established league, with weapons in their hands, watching alertly every move made by the knights.

Alastair, the Sword Caster, who was in the foremost of the team, shouted back at Iggy, “Kill five of your men! You do it, or I will!”

“You will be trampled and crushed! Trust me!” Iggy bellowed.

“You don’t have a chance. You won’t beat the Five Casters.” Alastair returned the threat.

“Well, try us!” Iggy then raised his machete to the air to show that he was not afraid.

“Humph! You still think we are the little kids who were at your mercy a month ago?”

Alastair flashed the brightening sapphire on his finger, murmured a spell, and a golden sword appeared in the air and shot towards Iggy.

Although Iggy was swift enough to avoid the deadly attack, he still got scratched in the right arm. Meanwhile, a white puppet swooshed towards Iggy as fast as a beam of light and dug out his heart.

The “battle” took less than ten seconds.

The 20-inch-tall puppet in pure white that had ended Iggy’s life looked like an innocent girl, only with a gory human heart thumping in her hands.

Iggy’s body collapsed, producing a booming sound. The noise scared the white puppet, which fled away like a girl who had been caught stealing candies.

At the same time, Glenn, Chris and Lafite had made a good team. Lafite flung out the vine for the trapping and the other two were charged with slitting the throats.

Soon the skirmish had ended with the Death Sail League’s complete success. The knights had encountered a debacle, with seven dead, nine seriously wounded and one in a coma. On the Caster’s side, only Chris was slightly injured in the arm.

Although Alastair felt that it was a little pity that the death toll of the knights had exceeded five, but now everybody was in a joyous mood and didn’t seem to care much.

As a result of the victory, all the students could hardly wait to join the Death Sail League, which brought the Five Spell Casters to great satisfaction.

Informed of their duties and responsibilities, the students who applied had been admitted as official members of the league. They seemed so relieved that they were making jokes at the knights alive, who had been tied up.

“How did you use to call us? Hogs? Wow, look who are the real hogs now.”

The students had hope now. It was not only because of the knights being routed so that they would be safe in the next few days, but because of their way of beating them – sorcery. That was something that belonged exclusively to sorcerers and was far beyond the knights’ reach! And one day, with sufficient knowledge and practice, they would become a sorcerer.

With relaxed laughter coming from every corner of the deck, the vessel seemed to have come back to life.

The following morning, everyone had gathered on the deck for the routine head count.

“Hah, seven missing. That’s weird, but whatever,” said Sorcerer Nilmar as he looked around at the students who, at this time, had become a whole new group of people. They were in a league and in high spirits!

It seemed that neither Nilmar nor Kyrie and Bionna had noticed the nuanced change in the students’ mood or they didn’t care anything that was related to, in their eyes, lower ranks of students.

But there was someone who did care – Sam. He was somewhat worried about the weird change in the crowd as he ran his eyes across the Five Spell Casters.

And the boatswain turned livid when he learned the news that seven knights had died, since they were all his followers. But in Nilmar’s presence, none of them were courageous enough to make a complaint.

While Sam and the boatswain were in their deep thoughts, sorcerer Nilmar broke the silence:

“Now, I have a ba~d news for you…” Nilmar dragged and accentuated the syllable “a” in the word “bad”.

Hearing that, the students’ nerves tightened because that morbid and evil sorcerer could do anything to them— the death quota to name one— and subconsciously, everyone in the crowd took a step backwards.

“The ba~d news is…” He smirked, taking delight in the grim looks on the students’ faces, and suddenly raised his pitch and said:

“We are arriving at the Black Isotta School of Sorcerers this evening. Hah, Hah, how does it feel? So bad, huh?”

Everyone cursed Sorcerer Nilmar in their mind.

“We finally reached the school?! This damn torture has ended?!” The students still couldn’t believe the news.

A month of barbarous fights must have been engraved on every student’s heart, and they believed they would never forget this terrible and horrible experience. It had taught them how much it would take to become a sorcerer and how much they wanted to be one.

For the rest of the day, with no need to kill since there were still ten knights tied in ropes, most of the students had let their guard down, and were reposing against the rails, gazing out into the distance and enjoying the special cool breeze from the sea.

At sunset, the ship was skillfully anchored at the port. A two-month voyage was finally over.

Countless crows poured out of sorcerer Nilmar’s robe and raised him up into the air. In his typical coarse voice, the sorcerer declared proudly:

“My little fellas, welcome to the Black Isotta School of Sorcerers!”