The Crimson Magister

"I welcome you, to the world that once was ruled by divinity" Aqua's voice echoed through every corner, every crevice. Even Air itself echoed.

"You are in the Holy Empire that once was most zealous of fanatics of the so-called Supreme Deity"

Rolan roamed the mindscape, his will holding strong, his mind a fortress. He would not be broken by mere fabrication.

When it came to mindscapes, a stronger would always prevail. Neither party would have their magic, and yet it seemed like power radiated from every corner of the girl's mind.

 "Show yourself Elven scum! I shall rewrite your mind quickly if you do not resist! I will even curb my desire for vengeance and will not send you to be used as a pleasure slave If you surrender!" Rolan shouted, his voice echoing, reaching nobody but himself.

While in mindscape he could not use many of his abilities, but the battlefield of the mind could be manipulated to create anything one imagines.

And this time it was no different, while this mind was suffocating Rolan was still able to conjure many items and spells.

And yet despite his expertise in the ways of mind, he could not change the terrain of the mindscape.

He has never experienced such a thing since the Great Inquisitor taught him the ways of mind so many years ago.

"Your efforts are futile, this is not the mind of a powerless little girl. Oh, so-called First Disciple." Aqua's mocking voice cut through him as Rolan pushed himself to seize control of this mind.

"Did you think I would allow someone like you to sneak up on me and invade my mind without a plan?" Aqua mocked him as she appeared, her Angelic form almost blinding.

The mindscape collapsed as the scenery was replaced, instead of his previous location he now stood in front of one of the disciples of mind, bound by chains of black flame.

"Perhaps you will learn, that your mastery of mind means nothing. My mind and soul are fortresses that none may breach." Mindscape collapsed once again, returning Rolan to the scorched city.

His form was enveloped by black flame, but unlike previous disciples he resisted. His will was enough to escape." My plans won't be foiled by elven scum like you! Your kind is destined to serve!"

Rolan ran as fast as he could, and yet distance had no meaning, no matter how much he ran he never moved from the place where he stood.

"Impossible!" He shouted as he struggled to materialize some kind of power inside this mindscape, each moment that passed felt himself get weakened.

He was losing in a battle of mind against a mere elf, He wouldn't suffer such shame, and yet he knew he was outmatched. The moment he saw the true form of the elf girl, Rolan knew that he stood no chance.

She was some kind of goddess or divine being in nature, and he needed to escape, all he needed to do was inform the Great Inquisitor and he would deal with this insolent wench.

He knew not how a goddess passed into Red Dawn without being noticed, but it did not matter, once Inquisitors heard of it her end would come shortly after, and in the end, she would serve as all non-humans serve.

"It was a pleasure to meet you, Goddess... Ala,s I know when I am outmatched. Inquisitors shall know about you I assure you!" Rolan shouted with a mocking tone as his mind started disappearing.

Aqua sighed as the man attempted to escape the scorched city that was her mindscape, she would not let someone as dangerous as Rolan escape so easily, so instead of trapping him she decided that a man this dangerous needed to die.

With a swipe of her hand his form was engulfed by black flame, he would be consumed as all before him were.

With a guttering scream, his mind was erased, and yet it seemed like he was not dead. Instead of feeling pleasure as the essence was absorbed, she instead felt empty.

She focused back on the material world as she saw the old man lying on the floor, dead.

'Black flame did not work... How?' Aqua questioned herself, in all her years of using the cursed black flames she never had them fail.

No, it wasn't fully correct to say they failed. But instead,d they consumed something different. It consumed something unknown.

"Well, this was a disaster." She spoke to the silent room, Paralysis over Golden Rose still holding strong with only a hum of Phoenix Eggs as noise.

She underestimated the enemy once again, while they weren't powerful they were certainly crafty. She knew that from this moment forth, Sheira's life was on a short-timer.

She slowly approached the burned Hulk of a man, his skin and muscles burned beyond recognition.

Azure did a lot of damage to this man, and yet he endured, be it from his constitution or the influence of Rolan. It did not matter.

He was at death's door, and if she did not act now he would die. His mind was still shackled as he grunted, trying to attack her.

'Why do I even care if he dies? It's not like I cared about Laura.' She glanced at the phoenix egg before approaching the collapsed Golden Fang.

With a heavy sigh, she placed her hands on the former thrall. She wanted to keep saying she did not care, and yet in all her actions she proved otherwise.

"I'm such a hypocrite" She smiled as tendrils of water and fire rushed out of her hand, like ants building their nest the flesh was restored.

While he was weaker than before, by courtesy of Rolan he was still a formidable fighter. Just restoring his body will ensure he lives.

Aqua focused with the intent of unshackling the mind.

While all slaves around the city were twisted beyond repair, Fang and the rest of the Golden Rose were whole in both mind and soul, even if their mind was damaged.

As her gaze pierced the black haze that surrounded Fang's being she saw what bound him. It was not the curse, it was not divine energy but something else.

Something more primal and powerful, It was like she was watching a piece of time itself miniscule as it is locking the mind.

Despite being a mere speck it would require great care to remove and not permanently damage Golden Fang.

With a deep sigh, she spoke "Why do I do this to myself?".