Beyond?

“I, Saudon, conquered my home country Fenes with ease. Then I attacked our neighbours. All of them had to bow their heads to me in time. The steps of my armies shake the ground and all I see from one horizon to another belongs to me. My fame will be eternal!

So I march my armies against the only enemy left. The mysterious country of Nict. It's said to be rich in treasures and people. So we travel through its lands, but there is no resistance. The few small villages we find are abandoned and void of people.

Finally we arrive at the city Tetra. It is the first stepping stone to me becoming a legend. The walls of the city are high and strong. But my army of a hundred thousand will take it. We ground the walls of similar cities to dust.

Now they are opening their gates. It seems like they realized that nothing can stop my advance. But I can't let them capitulate. I need a glorious battle to increase my fame.

My advisers tell me that an army is leaving from the gates. Seems like those fools intend to attack us. Even better. Just as I wanted them to.”

-Saudon, The King of All

There is no end to their numbers. They keep pouring out of the city like ants from their hill. A city of that size can't hold an army that big! This is sorcery!

My army was crushed by their spells and for everyone we killed ten others took their place!

They won't let us retreat. The bridges were destroyed behind us and we are caught.

This will be our last battle.

-Captured document from a southern warlord.

***Free City States of Nict, Capital***

***Azir***

It's done. My time as a normal schoolboy is over. Our group is standing in front of the big ballroom in which the farewell party is being held. In the end I didn't dare to ask any of the girls to play my shield. Annice and Olivia are out of the question for obvious reasons.

Karsen was right that it would be unfair to Stella if I asked her, so I didn't involve her. And I didn't ask Louise because she could've misunderstood my intentions. All of them are my friends, but I am not stupid enough to underestimate the power of hormones. And we are turning into adults after all.

I'll simply have to survive this evening somehow. It's just one party for god's sake. I survived the last ten years! From now on it can only get better! Student life, here I come! No more having to listen to the stupid preaching of our teachers.

All my time in the ice didn't prepare me for the hell I was going through these past ten years. “It's over...” It's finally over. Can anyone imagine what it does to a sane adult mind if you have to listen all day long to stuff you already know? And you aren't allowed to talk back or correct the idiot at the chalk board? It's torture I tell you! “It's over...”

Suddenly Stella wipes my face with a handkerchief. “You don't have to cry Azir! We'll always stay together. Entering the university doesn't mean that we can't see each other any more!”

“Yes! No reason to have an emotional breakdown! Our friendship can't be broken that easily.” Karsen pats onto my shoulder while Talia nods beside him.

Louise gives me a thumb up. “We'll still have some classes together. This isn't the end of the world.”

NOOO! YOU ALL MISUNDERSTOOD ME!

Whatever. “Let's do this.” We walk together into the ballroom where the other students are already celebrating.

Upon entering the room, Louise grabs my hand and pulls me onto the dance floor. “I'll take the honour of the first dance!”

I manage a wry smile while I look around at the glaring eyes on me. It feels like I just stepped into the den of a group of predators and I am the prey! Louise hugs me and we start dancing to the music. I simply close my eyes and let her take the lead. That way I don't have to look at the glaring eyes around me.

We spend half an hour on the dance floor. When we step down Louise presses my hand into the waiting hands of a girl I never saw before. “That's Amy. She helped me with something and asked me if I could introduce you two in return. Please dance with her at least once.”

“What?” My eyes wander back and forth between Louise and Amy. “Did I just get sold?”

Louise snickers and pushes me onto the dance floor while Amy pulls from the other side. “See it as apology for what you did to me in our first year!”

I try to resist, but Amy is really strong. No chance without using force! “That was ten years ago!”

Louise shows me her tongue. “Nine years, three hundred and forty seven days and thirteen hours ago. It lasted for thirty seven minutes and I hung on the statue for two hours and eight minutes. I'll remember it all my life.” She waves with her hand. “~Perfect memories are a bitch.~”

Damn! I turn around and force a smile onto my face while looking at Amy. No choice. I told myself at the beginning that I'll simply have to endure it.

***

My feet feel sore. After Amy was Annice, after that came Clarissa, then it was Curlyhair, Bigboobs, SmallCutie, Musclemonster, Beautydot, Flatchest, Lustyeyes and whatnot else. I don't care about their names.

At last I managed to sneak away thanks to the appearance of my little sister. After she danced with me for half an hour I managed to persuade her to distract the waiting crowd.

Right now I am hiding on a balcony with a set of potted plants. They block the view from inside the building.

“You had a hard time?”

I wince and turn to find Stella at the door of the balcony. “Don't sneak up on me like that! I already intended to jump in order to get away.”

“Hahahaha. Don't do that. It's the second floor.” She sits down beside me and hands me a plate with food. “I thought you might be hungry.”

“Oh, thanks! You are the best of all of them.” I take the food and start eating. Honestly, she is the only one who brought me food. I take a big bite from the pancake roll she brought me.

“R... really? Thanks.” She starts to fumble with her fingers. “I don't want to sound like them you know? And my standing doesn't really allow it. But could we dance too?”

Ehm. “I don't get what you mean by standing, but sure? How about going up onto the roof. There should be enough space there and nobody can disturb us.”

“Really?” Stella grabs my hand, runes glow up all over her body. I feel myself becoming light. Then she jumps!

“Wawawait! We could've used the stairs!” I activate levitation magic to soften our landing and we both touch the ground smoothly. I almost lost the precious food.

“Too dangerous. They've put up their watchdogs at all exits.” Stella shakes her head.

“W... watchdogs?” I stutter while I am eating the rest of the pancake.

“The other girls. They are obviously searching for you.” Stella takes my hands and we start dancing to the dulled music, which can be heard from the ballroom. “Thanks for the good time. The years with you guys were great.”

“Was it that good?” I guess for her it was just a normal school life?

“It was infinitely better to what it could have been. You were the only one who treated me like a person.” She hugs me tighter and I feel her blossoming chest on me. Aaah... thanks for the treat. No! We are still youths. What am I thinking?

I try to reassure her. “It wasn't a big deal. Didn't you become good friends with Talia, Louise and Karsen?”

“But you kind of forced them to talk to me. You were the deciding factor. Misuse of authority, you called it?” She starts to giggle. “If you weren't there I would've had to sit in that class and endure their pranks for ten years. I would've had nobody to talk to except my parents in the evening.”

“I feel a little bad if you put it like that.” I take a look at her strange hair. After all my time in this world I really didn't find a single other person with two hair colours. “Now that you mention them, I really don't know anything about you after all this time. I haven't seen your parents even once. You never talk about your home at school.”

Stella buries her face in my chest. “Ah, that's no wonder. There is nothing much to talk about. My father is a merchant and he is never at home. Only for short visits. My mother is a housewife and one of those commoners who worship magicians like gods. I've no siblings, so I will be glad if she doesn't kneel to me once I get home from school.”

I force a smile onto my face. “Is it really that bad? I admit that I am a sheltered person who didn't concern himself much with the ways of the world.”

Stella sighs. “They live good lives, but they still looked at me like I wasn't their daughter when my magic was revealed.”

“Then how about visiting them with our friends and showing them that magicians are no different from other humans!” I announce.

“Haah... no. That won't be necessary.” Stella shakes her head vehemently.

“No? Are you sure?” I am a little disappointed. “You don't like it?”

Stella nods. “I just want to spare them the awkward situation.”

I look down into her eyes. “So you like them.” Her eyes are of a dark brown in their centre with a ring of gold around the iris. Somehow they are fascinating. I didn't look at them from so close before.

Maybe I shouldn't? But I want to. Just one innocent kiss. My head lowers itself like in a trance and our lips touch.

Stella reaches up and holds my head between her hands while we kiss. Suddenly I feel something parting my lips! What!? What is going on?

I try to pull back, but Stella's tongue is inside my mouth and somehow I don't want to stop this? Was her tongue always that long? We are still dancing and distracted by this sudden attack I trip over her feet and we both fall to the ground.

“MmmmMM!?”

This was supposed to be an innocent kiss! Why is her tongue in my mouth and dancing Razzle-dazzle!?

Finally I manage to free myself and gasp for air while rolling away from her. Is that really Stella? Did I get deceived by some kind of illusion magic!?

I cover my mouth and turn around to face her. She is just sitting there and grinning at me with slightly flushed cheeks. Her tail waves, pleased, left and right. “That was pure ecstasy!”

“What was that supposed to be?” That's not the cute, shy Stella I know!

Stella's expression becomes flustered. “Huh? Did I do something wrong? Didn't it feel good? I put so much effort into it.”

I crawl closer and look into her eyes. “Where did you learn that? That's supposed to be an advanced technique!”

Her tail curls up behind her. “It's not supposed to be like that? But Louise said that you have to grab him tight and do it like this and that and it would feel really good if it's the right guy.” She licks over her lips and smiles at me.

LOUISSEE! She corrupted my pure, cute little childhood friend! Where did she even learn something like that!? I'll give her another horrible memory she'll never forget once I see her again.

“~Um, Azir?~”

I return to reality and find Stella kneeling in front of me while playing with her fingers. “What?”

“~Once more won't hurt? It's not like something bad can happen by doing just that.~”

“Just? I think the problem lies somewhere else!”

“~Just once!~”

“~We can return to our previous relationship afterwards!~”

She pushes me onto my back and sits on top while kissing me like before. No, not like before. I think she actually got better!

And what did she mean by returning to our previous relationship? That's not possible! This is going too far! Our innocent childlike friendship is crushed! Nothing can bring it back! How can I explain this to my parents? What happens if my little sister finds out? I think I'll have a headache for the strangest of all reasons tomorrow.

.