Worthless Chapter 1 Expulsion "I am afraid you will be expelled from this academy." "WHAT?!" Burn replied angrily, his flowing white hair turning somewhat greyer. "It is simple. You did not manage to pass any tests, and if you did, you cheated by using an outside form of magic. Here at the Black Mage Academy, we do not allow anyone to use White Magic, which is what you have appeared to have done. Maim here can testify to that," the master Black Wizard said, motioning to a stubby, seemingly ghostlike figure in blue robes and a pointy tan hat and gloves. "I can testify to Burn's cheating," Maim the Black Mage replied. "I hit him with a Fire spell. He knew for a fact he couldn't win without cheating because I'm simply so much better than him. This in mind, he used White Magic from the Academy he was expelled from previously. His spells had no power in comparison to mine." "Why, you..." Burn fumed, instinctively gripping the hilt of his Rapier. His hair whipped, even though there was no breeze. "You do know of course that if you made any sudden moves with that blade of yours that I could kill you in a heartbeat," the Wizard said, noticing this movement. "I will show you... someday," the Red Mage said, turning his back on the Academy. This was the third of the four Academies of Coneria that he had been expelled from. He was expelled from the Fighter Academy when he was utterly decimated by the blade of his rival there, Red. At the White Mage Academy, the master did not take too kindly to a man attending the Academy and, while he tested with a precocious White Mage by the name of Silk, he was accused of rape when he attacked, even though he clearly made no moves in that area against her. And then the Black Mage Academy incident, when a Mage named Maim blasted him with Fire and Burn, in turn, attempted to heal himself. Sighing, Burn slipped away to his remote hut near the Conerian Swamps. He pulled a cloudy black orb out from under his bloodred cape. He had found the orb on his adventures as a Pravokan Pirate under Bikke. A ship he helped raid held the orb in its treasure stores, yet it was the only plunder aboard the ship. Bikke sensed something bad and naturally gave the orb to his most expendable man. Expendable. The word rang in his head like a gong resonating. He was considered expendable. He always was expendable. He always would be expendable. But then the time came. The time when he would be a hero, albeit the most expendable one. But he was still one of them. It started that night. Each of the Academies held an Orb of Light, and when the most phenomenal of the students came along, it would be passed down to them. However, the Martial Arts Academy had no Orb. However, they knew who did have it. So the Master at the Academy sent the most worthy warrior there to attack the remote hut and reclaim the Orb in the name of Coneria. This warrior's name was Pamo, and he was a registered Black Belt. Pamo easily broke down the door to the hut while Burn practiced swordplay. "Hand over the Light Orb now!" he shouted. But he had heard of Burn before, and he would not willingly let Burn simply roam free, even if he had handed over the Orb. Pamo had had a vendetta against the man who killed his father the sailor, even though he did not know his name. All he knew was that a man in a red cape had murdered his father ruthlessly. Pamo did not take kindly to pirates killing his father. "You!" he snarled. Then he lunged. Burn instinctively slashed, nicking the side of Pamo's face. In blind rage, Pamo continued attacking, bruising the sides of Burn's cheeks. A front kick to the chin sent Burn flying through his straw wall. Cracking his knuckles, Pamo grinned in satisfaction and malice. He walked over to Burn's heavily breathing form and smiled wider. Surprisingly, Burn returned the expression and shot Lit at Pamo. Electricity surged through Pamo's body and he was too shocked to attack. Pardon the pun. "I admire your courage. However, it is with great regret that I must do what I am about to do. But know this; I am the one who stopped the Orb from reaching its destination, whatever it was. Your Academy, I would guess. Many brave men stood up against me. None prevailed, although they did put up quite a fight." "I know," Pamo snarled out of the corner of his mouth. "My father was aboard!" Now recovered, Pamo rose to his feet and delivered a roundhouse kick. However, when he withdrew his leg, there was a bloody stump where his foot once was. Chuckling, Burn motioned toward the front part of Pamo's foot, tainting the dark green grass red. Pamo growled and struck Burn once again, with the deformed leg. This time Burn saw nothing but blackness when Pamo was through. As Pamo prepared to finish Burn, his sensei came from behind him. "No, Pamo. He has earned his Orb. I admit that a martial artist such as you or I should have taken it. But your father was a student of mine, and he fought much like you yourself did. Undoubtedly this pirate had the power to kill you. He refrained out of honor. You should, too." With that, the old Master walked back to Coneria. With restrained anger, Pamo followed, picking up his severed foot. * * * * With his face and his honor bruised, Burn awoke at the Inn in Coneria. Now well-rested, he walked outside to a great lot of commotion. That was right, he had tested at the Black Mage Academy yesterday. Today was the day the Orbs would be presented to the tops of the Academy classes. The king stood proudly before his castle, and the three decided Light Warriors stood in single file behind him. The king began his speech soon after Burn arrived. "We gather today to smile upon the most worthy warriors of Coneria and to present them with the highest honor that can be given to anyone- the Orb of Light. "These three young men-" "And woman!" the White Mage intervened. "And woman," the king agreed, "shall take upon them the burden of becoming three of the Light Warriors. The fourth Orb was tragically stolen by pirates. However, these three can rise up and search for their companion and seek out and destroy evil as we know it!" The crowd responded with a deafening roar of approval. When the crowd was calmer, the king continued. "Now we shall present the Orbs. From the Fighter's Academy, comes the greatest of all the warriors there, the exceedingly strong... Red." The crowd cheered, but Burn was dumbstruck. He could only watch open-jawed in awe and horror as his former Academy rival stepped forward to receive his Orb. "And the greatest of the White Mage healers, the beautiful and ever-vigilant... Silk." Again, Burn could only stare gaping as the girl he was clearly unjustly accused of raping received her Orb." "Finally, the necromancer from the Black Magic Academy, the subtle yet destructive... Maim." Burn could stand no more. He knew that it was his destiny to take up the Light Warriors' mantle with them, yet he didn't know how long he could make it through before his rage overtook him and he killed his fellows. But his time came in the king's next statement. "Now, I would like to make a request of everyone in the audience. Would the man or woman who has the fourth Orb come forward to be recognized, if he is here." The crowd started nudging their neighbors and asking, "Do you know? Is it you?", etc. Burn was struggling. He did not know if he should step up and be recognized, or if he should hide in the crowd and leave the Light Warriors alone. However, Burn knew that he should take his destiny upon him and fight alongside his rivals. Trembling, he raised his Orb in the palm of his right hand and stepped forward. The other Light Warriors were shocked. This man, the outcast, was the fourth Light Warrior? There must have been a mistake. The outcast was too weak to be one of them. It was supposed to be a Black Belt... "What is your name?" the king asked. "I am known as Burn, sir," Burn replied. "Well, then, Burn, and all the rest of you Light Warriors," the king said, motioning to Red, Silk, and Maim, "I shall tell you of your first quest. My daughter, Princess Sara, has been kidnapped by a former Conerian knight named Garland. It is your job to rescue her." Red, instinctively acting as the leader, nodded and the four walked out of town.