The First Cultivator

"The time has arrived," Lord Arthos said, addressing the gathered mages before him. Elves and combat mages from Dageth stood at attention, along with his contingent of mages.

"What we do today is for the continued existence of Deepmere. Our foe is without mercy, so we must be the same. We don't act out of malice, but out of necessity. For our survival, the survival of magic, and the null's own protection, WE WILL ACT! Let nothing stop you. Make examples if you must! Absolute obedience is required!"

A cheer erupted from the gathered magic wielders. Arthos was sure there would be casualties, along with other crimes, among the nulls. That was acceptable. It would help to bring them into line. After all, a wound must be drained before it can be properly healed.

The speech was done, and the mages started heading out to their assigned zones. The subjugation had begun.

***

When the mages entered the plaza, Gerald was sweeping the dust from the forge. Sitting at a grindstone, his father continues to grind away, oblivious. Gerald swallowed as more and more mages arrived. They started spreading out, knocking on doors, and then quickly entered or forced their way in. Several more moved into the market, pulling vendors away from their stalls. Naturally, the kin protested only to be roughly handled by the mages.

"Pa…" Gerald said, swallowing his fear. This wasn't right.

Burton looked up as two mages neared. One had hair like a daffodil, and the other was vivid green. His father quickly took in the scene. A deep growl came from his throat as he reached his full height. The two approaching mages stopped. A wise decision, considering Burton was seven feet tall and heavily muscled.

"What are you doing?" His voice was thick and menacing. A natural response of bear-kin when threatened or feeling nervous. Any kin could have told you that. The mages were ignorant of that fact. They just saw the sword his father was working on, which was still in his hand.

"FIREBOLT!" The mage with daffodil color hair shouted. The blast hit Burton right in the chest. He screamed as the fiery magic engulfed him.

"Pa!" Gerald screamed as he rushed the mages.

"BINDING CHAINS!" The green-haired mage chanted. Spectral chains shot from the mage's hands encircling Gerald. They started at his throat, cutting off his air, then quickly wrapped around him like an aggressive python. Unable to breathe, Gerald collapsed. He had a clear view of his father rolling on the ground. Fortunately for Burton, his heavy leather and thick hide, often exposed to the forge's intense heat, provided him with moderate protection. Momentarily blocked from view, Burton grabbed a two-handed axe from under the counter. Gerald met his father's eyes as his own bulged from the lack of air. He saw his father lose control as he scrambled to his feet, roaring the entire time. He only made it five steps.

"FORCEBOLT!" Came a chant done in unison.

A wet thwack sound came like someone splattering a watermelon with a mallet. Then another as his father fell next to him, splattering him with blood and other… pieces. His head and the left half of his torso were gone. Organs spilled out nearly on top of Gerald. Blood and viscera snaked toward him as if reaching for help.

Gerald tried to scream, yet nothing came. He was glad when the world faded to black. This had to be a dream. No, it's a nightmare. This couldn't be real.

"Idiot, he can't breathe. Loosen the spell…" The voice was distant as if coming from a long tunnel. The chains around his throat relax. Unfortunately, his sight returned soon after, his face next to something that resembled a lung. The mages were forced to use a silent spell to stop his incessant screaming.

***

Toren was resting. The day had been absolutely insane so far! He went to Azura's house in the morning. He planned to take her to breakfast with the money he'd saved. Once there, he felt like his heart had died. Fire. Her home had burned down. He had nearly despaired when two bodies were found. Yet he couldn't believe it and ran all over, asking if they were okay. Frustratingly, no one knew anything. That was until Hamal finally caught up with him.

"Found you. I've been looking for you all morning," Hamal had said. Toren, who was in no mood to chat, began loudly demanding answers. Hamal tried calming him down to make less of a scene, but he didn't relent. Hamal whispered in his ear that Azura and her mother were safe before Toren calmed down enough to listen to reason. He intended to go there immediately. Consequences be damned! However, Hamal talked him out of the idea once he got the full details.

He mused over what he'd been told as he lay in bed. Assassins had attacked Azura and her mother. Hamal said to him that her secret had likely been discovered. Toren had to agree. It was the only explanation. That was why it was dangerous to see her. They could still be following her friends. Hamal was probably safe. The rat-kin was exceptionally skilled and had dozens of weapons on his person. Toren had no real weapons, just a belt dagger and a practice sword. He would have to get more. The thought wasn't comforting.

Paranoid, he got up and looked out his small window. As if to confirm his fears, he saw mages. A lot of mages. They were breaking into homes and dragging out the occupants. He shook his head. All this for one kin mage? They were insane. That was when the door to his home burst inward, and his sisters screamed.

Toren didn't hesitate. He rushed out of his room only to hear.

"PARALYZE."

The spell hit him full in the chest, freezing his muscles. Instead of toppling over, Toren stayed upright by a weird twist of fate, part of his body resting against the wall. He had a clear view of everything. Five mages were in his home, casting various spells meant to incapacitate. Soon, every member of his family was stiff as a wooden plank. That mage with green hair blocked the door and waved others to go on without them. Toren's confusion on why this was all happening turned to pure rage as a mage with bright orange hair grabbed his sister Tabitha. Tabitha was a white rabbit-kin two years younger than Toren. She was pretty. All the kin he knew thought so. He suspected Hamal had a crush on her. The mage seemed to agree as he tore off her clothes.

Black hatred surged in Toren as the mage undid his robes. Then, cruelly, he undid the freezing spell on Tabitha. Toren didn't think his hatred could deepen. He was wrong. The mage wanted her to struggle. The mage forced her down as he laughed. Tabitha alternated between screaming and crying as the mage began his violation. Forced to watch as one mage assisted in the act by restraining Tabitha's arm, Toren threw himself against the spell that held him in place. He mentally clawed and bite at the magic holding him. He would not stand for this! The spell broke, whether by the force of his will or because the mage was distracted by the show. Pulling his sheathed dagger from his belt, Toren leaped. He plunged downward, putting all his weight behind the blow as he had been taught. The mage screamed. It wasn't enough.

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The most basic spell used by combat mages was the iron skin spell or more potent variations. They were taught to have it always on in combat, such that it constantly drew on their mana to maintain its effect. These mages were no different. Instead of skewering the rapist mage, he left a shallow cut that, while painful, wasn't life-threatening. At least the mage turned from Tabitha, who curled into a ball. That was the last bit of relief Toren ever had.

"PARAYLZE!" A mage howled, and Toren felt the spell again restrain his body. The mage whom he stabbed chanted a healing spell before turning on Toren. Toren's blood ran cold. The mage's eyes were murderous.

"Fucking rabbit nearly got you Dontu!" The lookout mage cried. "Take him outside and make an example out of him."

Dontu gave Toren a cruel smile, his previous activities forgotten.

"Good idea. Let's make sure he has a proper audience."

"PARALYZE," Dontu chanted, pointing at Tabitha.

The mages inside began casting levitation spells. Toren saw his sisters float out the front door. His mother soon joined them. Another mage must have gotten her while the others were busy.

"I'm going to enjoy this null," Dontu whispered in his ears once they were alone. "Don't worry. I'll finish up with your sister later. I bet I could buy her cheap now that she's used goods. She'll love me by the end."

Buy? Toren had a bad feeling. A horrible, gut-wrenching feeling. A world-ending, all-consuming fear. This was all wrong. This couldn't be happening.

Forced outside, Toren was discarded to the ground, his body immobile. Around him, kin were gathered to watch, his family front and center. They struggled against ghostly chains limiting their movements.

The mage Dontu took a cat-tail whip handed to him by another mage.

"You nulls are now our property! You will learn to respect us!" Dontu shouted at the gathered kin. As he addressed the crowd, another mage with a blade in his hand knelt beside Toren. Fear shot through Toren, and then searing pain just above his left ankle.

"ENHANCE PAIN!"

"LESSER BLEED!"

Dontu quickly chanted the spells on the whip. "Release the spell."

Toren found the paralyzing effect gone and shot to his feet. Or so he tried. His left foot hung uselessly. His tendon had been cut. Toppling over, Toren screamed as the whip fell, slashing into his back. Blood flowed as the molten agony drowned out all other sensations. He couldn't hear his family's screams of horror. He couldn't hear the crowd's outrage, who were quickly cowed into silence. The only thing he could hear was his own screams and the laughter of the mage above him as the whip fell again. His arm became a bloody hunk of meat as he tried to shield himself. Curling up didn't help as the next blow took him in the head, shearing off his rabbit ears and part of his face. His teeth and nose were exposed, making an odd whistling sound at each rapid breath. Through it all, he screamed. Again and again, the whip fell. He was sure he would die, only to have mages rush forward, casting heal. It did little for the parts he was missing, but it prolonged the agony. When they were finally done, the only recognizable part of Toren was the left half of his face, which was pressed into the ground.

Toren vision was already black at this point, his eye torn away during the flaying. His mind was gone, and he barely noticed when the axe descended. He couldn't even protest as his foot was severed.

"For luck!" Dontu cheered, holding the macabre trophy.

It was almost a relief when the dagger slit his throat.

Azura… Toren thought of the cat-kin as the darkness claimed him.

***

Hamal, hidden on the rooftops, observed the mages near his home. Of all the kin, the rat-kin were not unprepared. However, even their worst-case scenario fell short of the scope of the attack. Mages were barging into homes, seizing the occupants. Kin of all kinds were dragged out and clapped in magical restraints. This was a widespread enslavement of the kin. Hamal suppressed the urge to throw one of his many knives. His family had trained him well. Mages in dangerous situations almost always maintained some type of body protection spell. The only way to kill a mage was to catch them off guard. For now, he did what little he could. A tossed stone here. A fallen brick there. Enough to distract without being evident, while his family evacuated as many as possible. It wasn't much. Maybe one of four families if they were lucky. Hamal cursed himself. They hadn't been ready for anything like this. He thought they might come for his family for all the smuggling and other crimes, but not everyone.

He thought about Azura. If she were here… no. She was just one mage. A weird one, sure, but still just a single mage. There were ten mages in this neighborhood alone.

Hamal looked out at the slums. Gerald and Toren were out there. He longed to rescue them, but that was a fool's errand. Hamal would have to hope they were safe and get them later. Wherever the kin ended up, he could find them. Hamal gave his cloak of shadows a reassuring pat. One of the few enchanted items they had, it hid the wielder from detection spells. The other magical artifacts they possessed were already heading out of the city toward the smuggling cave. His mother would know what to do. She had been the head of their family for over twenty years.

Hamal moved silently as more mages entered homes, to the terrified cries of families inside. More cries came shortly after as mages took their time inside. Hamal cursed the bastards. Hardening his heart, he headed for the secret tunnels below the warehouse. He had to get out now before they investigated. The way was cleverly hidden, but this was no time to take risks.

Gerald, Toren, stay calm and be safe. I'll come and get you. Hamal promised as he left the city.

***

Azura felt horrible. She had killed those mages. She had never killed anyone before. Oh, she terrorized that mage in the forest. What was her name? Brassiere Runedane? No. That didn't sound right. Ah well. It didn't matter. She wouldn't have hurt her even if she refused to swear on her mana pool. She just lost it when she saw her mother get hurt. Gods below, she didn't even think about the fact that she killed people till Fatania told her to take a walk. Now, her actions weighed on her.

She started returning to the cave when she saw a figure running toward the entrance. She tensed. Another mage? As the figure drew close, she saw a rat-kin's distinct head and tail. Oh, just one of Hamal's family. She moved to intercept him. If she were a guard for today, she might as well take the role seriously.

The rat-kin jumped as she dashed to his side. No doubt to him, it looked like she just appeared there.

"Everything okay?" Azura asked.

"Fatania," the rat-kin gasped. "Emergency."

Azura wasn't sure what was happening, but as the cave was still a mile away, she scooped the rat-kin up in a princess carry. The rat-kin squeaked in alarm and then did his best not to vomit as Azura stepped. The land blurred around them. Then they were in the cave next to Fatania, who jumped.

"Gods below! Azura, you can't keep doing that."

Before Azura could complain, the rat-kin spoke from her arms as she sat him down.

"Emergency! Mages are in kin districts. They are dragging everyone out of their homes and putting them in chains!"

Coralline gasped, and Fatania went rigid. "You sure?"

"We observed them for ten minutes while we evacuated all we could. I'm afraid we only managed to get two families out. The rest were too slow. Minato told me to report directly to you. The rest of the family is escorting the families here."

Azura was stunned. Flabbergasted. The mages were doing what?

"This is a disaster," Fatania said, pacing. "This must be what they were planning. I thought it was something big, but not enslavement of the kin."

What… Azura had trouble processing what she was saying. Her mind was enhanced by ki, so she could think far faster than any mage or kin, but even so, the words made no sense to her.

"What's going on?" Azura asked. No doubt she must have misunderstood.

"The mages are taking the kin as slaves," Coralline said as she struggled to sit up.

"That can't be true," Azura said. "Mages are a pain in the tail, but surely they wouldn't do that."

"Well, they are," Fatania growled.

"They are also raping and pillaging all they want as they go. Fucking hypocrites. They keep saying kin are animals, yet they will take those they want," the rat-kin messenger said.

"Most people in power are hypocrites," Fatania said darkly.

Azura's confusion vanished as wrath took its place. She turned to go.

"Wait!" Fatania shouted. "You can't go. You're just a single mage. Let us scout where they are going to keep the kin. Then we can arrange a rescue."

"No," Azura said coldly, not looking back. "They're mages. I'm a cultivator." With that final pronouncement, she left the cave.

"Be careful," her mother's distant call came, but she heard it regardless, even as the cave became a distant dot on the darkening horizon. She thought of her friends and their families. Not to mention all the other kin. She couldn't help them all tonight, but could at least try to reach her friends before the mages did.