Wrath's Virtue

The children began to concentrate. For several long minutes, the only sounds in the courtyard were the soft hum of energy and the quiet frustration of the childs. Most, accustomed to Kargath's test on brute force, struggled. They pushed too hard, their energy turning the water in their bowls into a chaotic slurry of swirling filings. More than one bowl cracked under the strain of their uncontrolled power.

But then, successes began to emerge.

Ylva Silverfang was one of the first. Rather than persuasion, she used sharp, precise waves of silver energy to herd the particles into a dense, stable cluster at the center of her bowl. It wasn't an elegant shape, but it was controlled and unified.

A young Saharan girl took a different approach entirely. A wave of heat emanated from her hands, slowly evaporating the water until only the iron filings remained, which she then coaxed into a rough ball. Surprisingly, even one of the young Orcs succeeded, his intense focus creating a lopsided, grotesque circle that nonetheless held its shape.

Aurelion, however, had simply been watching. He looked down at his own bowl, already anticipating the outcome of his own energy interacting with such a fragile container. "The method is irrelevant," he thought. "I just need to bring the particles together."

He placed his hand over the bowl, his world shifting as he entered his state of Void Focusing, his entire concentration narrowing to the thousands of tiny iron particles suspended in the water. He began to gather energy in his palm, a volatile, contained storm of gold and black. He projected a single, absolute command into the energy.

"Unite. Or perish."

A brilliant flash of energy erupted from his palm. The glass bowl didn't just crack. It instantly shattered, sending water and shards of glass skittering across the stone floor.

The other children stared to Aurelion. Faelia, her serene expression unchanged, walked gracefully toward him, stepping around the puddle.

"Were you unable to do it?" she asked, her voice calm.

Aurelion lifted his hand from the center of the watery mess on the floor. He opened his palm and held it out for her to see.

Resting in the center was a perfect sphere of solid iron. It glowed a dull red, wisps of smoke curling from its surface where the intense heat of its creation had instantly vaporized the water around it.

Aurelion looked up from the glowing sphere in his hand, his gaze meeting Faelia's. "The result is what matters, not the method. Isn't that right?"

Faelia stared at the perfect, red hot sphere, her expression unreadable. For a long moment, she was silent before her eyes lifted back to his. "Yes... that is so, young elf," she said, her was voice quiet.

After a set amount of time, the test concluded. As expected, the majority of the children had failed, their bowls either unchanged or in pieces. They looked at Faelia with worried expressions, fearing they would be dismissed.

She walked to the front of the remaining group once more. "These last two tests were conducted to reveal your talents," she announced. "You will be trained according to the success you have achieved here, assuming you can pass our final test. Therefore, let your focus be entirely on what is to come."

With that, she turned and walked back to where Ulrich and Kargath were waiting on the steps.

She let out a soft sigh. "The result is as we expected, but I would have wished for a higher number of them to succeed," she said to Ulrich, before glancing back at the children. "Twenty three were able to complete the task."

"And among those who succeeded, there were vast differences in the results," Ulrich noted. "Some of them, specifically, will be joining your classes."

A small smile touched Faelia's lips. "I enjoy sharing my knowledge with talented children."

"These talented ones will be passing through my hands as well, won't they, Headmaster?" Kargath grunted.

Faelia's smile became a bit sharper. "Have you set your eyes on those with a talent for energy manipulation, Kargath?" She gestured to the group. "The majority of them are already destined for your training sessions."

Before Kargath could retort, Ulrich intervened. "The children will develop in the areas where they are talented," he stated for ending the discussion.

As the discussion ended, Ulrich turned to the remaining children. "Come," was all he said.

He led them from the open air courtyard through the grand doors of the main college building. They followed him down a wide corridor to the right.

The path led them down a flight of stairs, and then another, descending deep into the foundations of the mountain. The air grew cooler, the corridors narrower and dimly lit.

Finally, Ulrich stopped before a heavy steel door, which he opened to reveal a vast, dark dungeon.

Cells lined the walls, their iron bars thick with age. From the darkness within, the sounds of guttural growls and the rattling of heavy chains reached the children's ears. A wave of fear passed through the group, some children instinctively huddling closer together. Aurelion, however, simply raised an eyebrow, his gaze sweeping across the dungeon with interest.

Ulrich came to a stop before one of the cells. A pair of malevolent yellow eyes gleamed from the black interior, and Aurelion recognized that eyes instantly.

The Headmaster turned to face the children. "If you possess a talent," he began, "you must also possess the strength to put it into action. This final test is much easier than the previous ones."

He signaled to a guard. The man entered the cell with a chain in hand. A pained shriek echoed from within, followed by the sound of a struggle. A moment later, the screaming grew closer, and the guard emerged, dragging a weak, emaciated goblin by a crude leash fastened around its neck. The creature thrashed and tried to flee, but it was too weak, its body scraping along the stone floor.

The children stared, a mixture of fear, disgust, and shock on their faces.

The guard yanked the goblin forward and threw it onto the floor in front of them, keeping the chain taut.

"This is your final test," Ulrich announced, his voice devoid of all emotion. "Each one of you is required to kill one."

A heavy silence fell over the dungeon following Ulrich's command. The children stared at the trembling, pathetic goblin, then at the Headmaster's icy face. No one moved. This was nothing like the sparring in the training yard. This was an execution, and the reality of it froze most of the nine year olds in place.

As the silence stretched, Ulrich's expression hardened with impatience. He glanced at Kargath. The Orc strode forward and grabbed a trembling boy from the front ranks, dragging him forward.

"The Headmaster gave an order," he growled. "Or do you wish to join the failures?" He shoved the boy toward the goblin.

The child, a dagger shaking in his hand, looked at the whimpering creature, then burst into tears. "I can't…" he stammered.

Kargath put a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Look, kid, that thing would kill you with pleasure if it had the chance. All you have to do is stick that dagger into it."

At that moment, the goblin on the floor pleaded, its voice a terrified, broken whisper. "Please... please, don't..." In the surrounding cells, the sound of pained screams intensified in response.

"Do it, whelp!" Kargath roared.

"Please, don't!" the goblin cried.

"Do it!"

"No!"

Then, another figure stepped forward, cutting through the chaos. All eyes turned to Aurelion as he walked emotionlessly toward the goblin. The creature cowered on the floor as his shadow fell over it.

Aurelion looked down at the goblin, his single eye filled with a flicker of pure disgust. He entered his state of Void Focusing and grabbed the whimpering creature by the throat, lifting it slightly from the ground.

The goblin clawed at Aurelion's arm, but then its struggles became frantic. A deep, intense pain began to build in its throat as Aurelion's energy pulsed into it. The goblin tried to scream, but only a wet gurgle escaped as blood began to drip from the corners of its mouth. It thrashed and choked, trying to breathe.

Throughout it all, Aurelion just watched, his face was cold as the creature in his grip slowly died. After a long moment, the goblin stopped moving. Blood trickled from its eyes and ears.

Once it was dead, Aurelion let the body drop. He stood up and turned to face Ulrich.

"Are there any others I need to kill?"