Young Writers Society

Today, Nov would be executed for a crime he didn’t commit. Despite fire being his affinity, he didn’t set it to the school. Someone else did it, and upon failure to figure out who a week ago, the Council had made him the scapegoat. He was in the vicinity of the school, the only magician that could summon fire on that magnitude.

After three days of arguing for himself, Nov realized it was futile. The Council made up evidences that led to him -- the brown small cloth torn from his cloak; the grey dust, a by-product of using elemental magic; and a female witness. The cloth was obviously ripped from his cloak, as his cloak was taken away when they conducted an interrogation on him. The grey dust could be easily replicated by any elemental magician. The female witness, a single mother of two, was most likely bribed.

Nov didn’t believe the school was the arsonist’s target. He didn’t believe it at all, since the school didn’t have any impressive reputation. It was a rather ordinary one, teaching students from poor families. No, he was certain the arsonist targeted him. He had an impressive reputation -- no one had beaten the vicious dragon in the mountain for a couple of decades until he came. He came from a wealthy family, owning several mansions throughout the country of Elementum.

As the key clank with the rusty cell, and the cell’s door cracked open, Nov pondered on the case still. While the grumbling guard pushed him in a rather harsh manner, he thought about the horrendous event. Another reason why he thought the witness was bribed was because no one had witnessed the arson -- not even him. One moment the school was there, and the next moment, it was a pile of ashes.

As far as he knew, everything happened in a span of a second.

This observation led to his conclusion that whoever responsible in this did not use ordinary fire magic. Sure, the fire magicians in the south could make their fire as cold as ice, while those in the north could make it invisible, but no fire could scorch the school as instant as that.

With the exception of one kind, however, he thought, as he was out from the dungeon, the blinding sunlight meeting his face in a rude manner. Nov wasn’t sure of it, because it would be ridiculous for someone to wield that fire. Only very few fire magicians knew of it, but a wielder of such fire hadn’t appear for a century. He turned his attention to the open area he was in, and to the noise the commoners had made as they yelled and screamed and clapped at their place, a huge semi-circle sitting place embracing their hot asses.

The guard made him face the white-bearded king, who sat on his golden throne at a high place along with his young queen. Such lustful king, he thought scornfully, to have a wife ten years younger than you. He tried to move his hands only to realize they were handcuffed with magic-sealing silver chains, and the thought that he forgot about it was amusing to him -- once something distracted him, he forgot about others.

‘Today you would be executed for the crime of arson, and for killing countless inhabitants of the school in Glax area,’ said the announcer loudly, standing in front of the king and the queen. Upon his words, the crowd roared and uttered insults at him.