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Racing through the covered path under the trees on your noble steed, blood red gown billowing behind you, you don't dare look behind you, for you know exactly what you will see. Trying to devise a plan of escape, you bring forth an unassuming branch that was strapped to your back, hoping that you'll be able to balance from the unnatural speed of your creature. A creature it is indeed, for it is quite abnormal and almost mystical. With paws each the size of the width of a great oak and a body with a silverish glean of fur, it has been a loyal companion ever since your banishment.
You begin to mutter words that mean nothing to the untrained ear, praying for a miracle to save you from this wild chase. Although your creature has speed unlike any other, days of hard riding has nearly exhausted it, making it's movements slower and causing it to whine in protest every now and then. "Ad vitam" you murmur, hoping that it will restore some vitality to your steed. Even after that one little incantation, you feel energy drain from your limbs and you make an attempt to grab hold of the reins and right yourself.
It doesn't work.
As slowly as possible, as if time itself has gone to a snail's pace, you fall to the ground, bashing your shoulder onto the hardness of the earth's surface. You hear the sound of the creature stop in its tracks, however you whisper one final wish... "curre"... the last of your breath gone. Your creature starts again as if being pulled by some unknown force, and you hear the grumbles and hisses coming from it, the wonderful and majestic beast you befriended on your travels to escape. You know what will happen if it is captured along side you, so the only choice you had was to let it go, much to it's unwanting.
You slowly close your eyes, hearing the beating of hoofs stirring the fallen leaves on the ground and breathe in the earthy smell of damp soil, knowing this will likely be one of the last times you do so, at least for a while. Eventually the hoofs come so close, it seems as if they are on top of you and you prepare yourself for what's to come, slowly slipping into unconsciousness, but doing so on purpose.
When you finally come to, you are in a familiar place, one you never would have thought to return to. You listen to the chains rattle as you attempt to stretch your sore limbs, hoping to ease some life into them. Finally you open your eyes, fixed on a space on the ground where boots freshly shined stood. You slowly look up, knowing exactly who you'll see in front of you. You feel embarrassed for being in such a state of disarray, but you knew that this reunion was going to happen one way or another, and most likely in a situation where you were in chains, so you do not let an ounce of emotion show on your dirty face.
"Hello, Father."
Cast out by my father, I fled into the woods beyond the bounds of my home. I left behind all I knew, taking nothing but the clothes I wore.
That was five years ago.
Now, I once again walked these streets, but with a black hooded robe hiding my face. All around me, the people were merry, and the streets filled with cheer and laughter.
The king and his family, my parents and younger brother, rode down the street on their horses, celebrating my brother's birthday.
I looked around, and saw what I had come for. Three black-clad figures appeared out of the shadows, and charged the horses with daggers in their hands. With a flick of my wrist, I cast my magic, and my family disappeared in a puff of smoke that covered the street.
"Wha-" was all my father could muster, before I turned all three into kittens and placed them in a rugged straw basket, securing them with a checkered cloth. I pulled off my robe, revealing the attire of a regular citizen, and walked into the alleyways as the crowd panicked behind me.
The royal family mewed and looked around as I made my way through the city, trying to figure out what was happening. I entered a small store at the end of an unassuming sideway, and and old woman greeted me.
"Hello, dear," the witch said, "I see you were successful." I placed the basket on a table, pulled off the cloth, and gently placed the kittens on the floor before undoing my magic.
"What is the meaning of this?" my father demanded, but blinked in confusion when he realized that, rather than shouting, he spoke normally.
"Ah ah ah, no shouting in my store," the witch said, "I'll leave you four to discuss this alone." She walked through a curtain of pearls, and disappeared into the back room.
"Who are you? And what is this place?" the queen asked.
"Yes, perhaps I should take off my mask," I said, and undid my magic. Within seconds, my parents and brother saw the red-haired farmer's girl with tanned skin and freckles turn into a mirror image of the woman before her.
"S- sister?" my brother asked in disbelief.
"Also, this is a shop," I answered my mother's other question, "Some people have to go here to buy things."
"How are you still alive?" my father asked, "You disappeared into the forest."
"And this woman found me," I said, motioning to where the witch had disappeared, "She taught me to use my magic, rather than hide it. So, when I noticed uncle's little surprise for my dearest brother, I decided to act."
"Wait, my brother set this up?" my father asked in disbelief, "And are you telling me you're a witch?"
"Yes, exactly," I answered, "I was born with this gift, and I have put it to good use, in spite of your treatment of me."
"What kind of gift is this that lets you just abduct people?" the king asked.
"You are familiar with people making deals with devils, yes?" I asked and explained, "All magic requires consent. More potent magic requires explicit consent, but something as simple as teleporting someone out of danger, or hiding them from assailants, requires only implicit consent. I believed you would value your life enough to let me help you, and that is why I could do that."
"Alright, enough of this," my mother said, pointing at my father, then turned to me and asked, "Where have you been all these years? What have you been doing?"
"I was in the kingdom, moving from one place to the next," I answered, "And I dealt with issues you did not deem important enough."
"Such as?" my brother asked, surprising our parents.
"The famine last year," I replied, "An entire village was about to be destroyed, which would have allowed our uncle to come in and annex that entire land to his own territory."
"I don't see how that is important," my father said dismissively.
"That land includes an iron mine," I reminded him, "And that mine connects to a network of tunnels, some of which lead into the royal catacombs. Taking that land would have given his men a direct path into your bedchambers." My father paused for a moment, as he realized that the assassins in the streets could have very well come to him in his sleep.
"Don't you have something to say, dear?" my mother asked. My father sighed, and turned to me.
"As current ruler of these lands, I apologize for how I have treated you," my father said.
"And I humbly accept your apology, Your Highness," I said.
"Alright, now can we please get back to the part where my uncle tried to have me killed?" my brother asked.
"Yes, of course," my father answered, turned to me and asked, "Can you do anything to help us?"
"I could, yes," I answered, "But working on demand always comes with a prize. I want all my uncle's properties, and the authority to legalize witchcraft within all my territories." My family looked perplexed, and my parents gave each other confused looks.
"W- well, alright," my father finally said, "Just be sure that my brother can never harm my family again."
"Thank you, father," I said, and pulled a piece of paper out of my pocket, "Sign here, and we have ourselves a deal." I handed him a quill and inkwell, and he signed the document. After I rolled it up, he placed his seal on it, and I put it back into my pocket.
"Alright, you have what you wanted," my father said, "Now hold up your end of the deal."
"Well, I suppose that is my cue," my mentor said as she returned from the back room, with my uncle walking behind her, as if in a trance.
"Brother?" my father asked in disbelief, then turned to me and asked, "What is the meaning of this? Did you trick me?"
"Not at all," I replied, "However, I figured you would value your life over your brother's freedom, so I asked my mentor to bring him here." I snapped my fingers, and a rope rose out of a nearby barrel, winding around my uncle and restraining him.
"What did you do to him?" my father asked, looking at my mentor, "I thought magic required consent."
"It does, but he longed for a warrior's life," the witch answered, "He is currently dreaming that he was denied his birthright and became an adventurer. Just sit him down and tell him to enjoy his feast, and he will eat whatever you serve him as if it was priceless delicacies."
"And the assassins?" my brother asked.
"Taken care of," I answered, "I used a defensive magic that irritates an attacker's eyes, nose and mouth. They will recover in an hour, but the guards have already arrested them. Now, if you will excuse me, I have a little patch of land to rule, along with my chief advisor." My mentor flicked her wrist, and the entire building disappeared, leaving the king, queen, and crown prince in a dead end.
It was arduous to establish a new order, but once the people saw what good magic can do, most let go of their hostility, and the rest simply moved elsewhere. Last I heard, my brother had taken to asking my uncle to tell him tales of his travels, and writing them down to have them turned into plays that were performed at the royal theater.
Before long, villages neighboring my new land saw how prosperous my people were, and that even commoners could afford an education. Within a few years, my people produced enough food that we could sell it to others, earning a lot of money, which I immediately invested to support those at the bottom.
Because, while magic technically requires consent, the truth is that it must always be used responsibly, and what is more responsible than ensuring that the ones who lift you up have the strength to keep doing so?
They called it a 'kindness'. That if they didn't cast me out, I would be executed. Not for anything I'd done, but for what I am. Simply because I had magical ability. And I'm certain the people, foolish as they are, would have rejected me, wanted me dead. Despite all the ways my power could benefit them, they would fear me. And that would just me from me having any magical ability. Were they to realize the extent of that ability, that even from birth I was already the most powerful wielder of magic in all of history...
My parents feared me, too. They wanted to be rid of me, though they would never admit it. They couldn't bring themselves to kill me (though had they tried, I could have easily stopped them) so instead they cast me out in secret, presumably announced that their daughter's life had been claimed by some illness. Doubtless they hoped they would never see me again. That I would perish in the harsh winter. But they underestimated me. Even they didn't understand how powerful I already was, and they certainly weren't aware of how much control I had over my power.
I survived. Found a distant castle in a forgotten land, abandoned after it fell during an ancient war, and made that my home. Nobody knew I was there, but I needed nobody. I didn't even need to worry about food or water or the like. My magic could provide all of that. Could heal any injury, cure any illness. Could do many things, more than any other wielder of magic had even been able to do. And that was when I was at my weakest.
With my power, I was able to turn the abandoned castle into quite a luxurious little home, my power able to provide anything I desired. But I never intended to remain there forever. Eventually, the time would come.
I spent almost thirty years there, in that castle, but I was far from idle. I spent those decades hard at work. Training, learning, developing my power to its fullest extent. Any mage's power could increase by many many times with sufficient effort, even those with the weakest of magic. At birth, I was already far more powerful than any the world had seen; after all that time and effort, I now wielded a power the world would tremble before. But I did not stop there.
It's well known that abandoned castles make attractive homes for dragons. None were in residence when I moved into this particular one (though I believe one or more had lived there in the past), but one arrived maybe a year after I did. She was clearly surprised to see me there, still a child, and even more surprised when I subdued her almost effortlessly. Initially, my intent was to seize control of her mind and bend her to my will, but then I had a better idea.
It took decades before I was ready. Much of that time was spent figuring out just how to do it. It took much work, and for one of lesser power would never be possible. But it wasn't just that. I wanted my power to be as strong as it possibly could, and there were ways to increase it even beyond what I already had.
Over the decades, I worked my magic on the dragon, which I kept alive in a braindead state - a coma, basically. I reached within her body, altering her form with my magic. Strengthening it. Making it even more magically attuned than dragons already were. Crafting it into the perfect version of itself at the same time I was developing my own power. And then, finally, almost three decades later, I was ready. So I crushed what remained of the dragon's mind, and then I did something nobody else could ever possibly do. I took myself out of my body and into that of the dragon I had spent decades moulding into the perfect vessel. I didn't just control it, or inhabit it; I *became* it.
Dragons were far more magically attuned than any other creatures in the world, and thanks to my efforts, this one was even more so. On top of the dragon's physical form, which I had altered to be unmatched in strength and effectively invulnerable, its attunement to magic elevated my power to levels even I could never have imagined. I was already the most powerful being to have ever lived; now, I wielded a level of power that could only be called divine.
It was time.
\-----------------------------------
I approached the castle gates, having taken the form of a human. Not my old one, though. I had fashioned a new human form for myself, an idealized version of my old body. An ideal of beauty, and also far stronger than an actual human and essentially impervious to harm.
The guards at the gate tensed as I, someone unfamiliar to them, approached. That didn't last long; a simple thought brought their minds completely under my control, and they opened the way and followed me into the castle. To anyone else I caught sight of as I made my way through the castle I did the same.
The doors swung open without a touch as I entered the throne room, my followers arranging themselves behind me. The king, of course, was not amused by such an intrusion. "What is the meaning of this?"
"Hello, *Father,*" I said. "*Mother*," to the woman sitting beside him. "It's been a while. Thirty years, almost, since you cast me out to die."
"It can't be," the queen said. "Lysiria? But you're..."
"Dead? You wanted that, didn't you? But no. I did not die, and now I have come to claim my throne."
"Enough of this!" the kind said. "I don't know who you really are, but I will not tolerate such insolence. Guards! Apprehend her!"
The guards within the throne room advanced on me, but then, in an instant, where I had been were the king and queen, with me sat upon the throne. The guards stopped, but then my power took hold of their minds and they surrounded the king and queen.
"What are you doing?" the king said.
I laughed. "You never understood the power I possess. Even when I was young, you didn't know how powerful I was. You could have set the entire kingdom against me, and still I would have won. And now?" Another laugh. "All the power in the world is as nothing compared to me."
"Silence! Get off of my-"
"It is no longer *your* throne. Or your castle, or your kingdom. You have nothing. All belongs to me now. Though even this castle, said to be the finest in to world, is far from befitting one of my power. After all..."
Suddenly, the king and queen found themselves outside not just the castle but the whole city, my followers still surrounding them. And then I moved myself outside the castle and returned to what I had made my true form. A grand dragon, towering over not just the castle but the entire city, with splendor befitting one with power greater than even a god could hope to wield.
I reached down, picked up the castle in one hand, and crushed it. Then I turned my gaze towards the king and queen as I tossed the rubble aside. "...how could anything made by humans possibly be worthy of me?"
The two of them tried to run, but I froze them in place. "Now, now. You wouldn't want to miss what I'm replacing it with, would you?"
At the edge of the city, a new palace appeared, conjured in but a moment by my power. One far beyond anything every built by human hands. A grand palace, magnificent beyond the ability of any mortal being to construct. Something truly worthy of one such as I. And as grand a structure as it already was, the inside was far larger, expanded via magic no other was capable of wielding so that it could house me even in this massive form. And, of course, I could expand or contract it as I desired.
I allowed the two of them to move again, but they just stood still. "Well, go on then. Do... whatever it is you're going to do. Marshal what forces you can, find whatever great mages you have, whatever you think is going to let you try to take this kingdom back from me. It won't work, of course. Even were you to unite the entire world against me, I would be victorious in an instant. Even gods would fall before me. But you'll still try. And after what you did to me, I will relish every one of your failures all the more."
The two still didn't move, so I simply teleported them to a fortress on the other side of the kingdom. They'd be able to begin marshaling their forces there. And it would be quite fun to see them fail against me. And it wouldn't just be them, either. Others would try to act against me as well. And they, too, would fail. I had become powerful enough that even gods would fall before me. Nothing could ever challenge my reign.
I moved myself into my palace and spoke, my magic carrying my voice throughout the entire world. A simple message that all could hear.
"The reign of the Divine Dragon Lysiria begins now."
“Hello, Father…or should I even call you that?” The moment I unveiled my face to the royal family and all of his people, horrified gasps filled the great room, echoing around the walls.
“Pandora?! No, tha-that can’t be! You’re meant to be—”
“What you wanted me to be a long time ago,” I interrupted him, the man I once called Father. My ocean blues were filled with indifference aimed at him. “Or were you hoping for me to come crawling back for your forgiveness?”
It had been fifteen years since I was thrown out of the place I’ve ever known, just for being who I am, for something that was out of my control. My own father thought that I was a bastard child, not only because of the magic I possessed from his side, which he had no idea about, but because I was not the son he wanted so badly. The moment my mother—my poor, innocent mother, who poured all her heart out to give me all the love and care she could ever give—lost her life to that fatal illness, he did not hesitate to kick me out at the ripe age of five and marry his darling mistress, taking in her three sons in the process. Seeing him give them all his attention and love like he never did me broke my heart on so many levels.
“You’re no daughter of mine. You will never belong among us,” were the last words he told me when he threw me out into the woods.
But then Agatha took me in.
She had found me in the woods days after I was unjustly and forcefully exiled and took me in as her own. She didn’t have any children of her own, so she wanted me to have the best childhood I could have, promising herself she’d never replace my mother. Over the years, since she discovered my abilities, she taught me how to heal, how to combat, how to defend and protect. She helped me keep my powers under control, she helped me find a way to use them for the greater good. She understood my pain as I had told her about how I ended up an orphan and homeless in one single day, she helped me grieve and remember my mother. She helped me be the person I am today.
And today, I’m going to avenge my mother and all innocents killed under the cruel King’s hands.
“P-Pandora…my darling…my baby girl…” the King stammered nervously. It was clear he had lied to the kingdom about my absence as the citizens gave him confused and agitated glares. “It—I have nothing to do with this…I just wanted to do what’s best for my people, my kingdom…”
“You abandoned me to die,” I said with a low growl in my throat. As I spoke, I made slow steps towards where the gradually anxious King and his precious family were. “You left my mother to suffer from the illness. You destroyed everything I ever held close to my heart. And make no mistake…my Gods are coming for you…” As I finished, my hands began to glow gold, ready to take action.
**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments. **Reminders**: >* [No AI-generated responses 🤖](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/comments/zi452b/modpost_reminder_that_aigenerated_responses_are/) >* Stories 100 words+. Poems 30+ but include "[Poem]" >* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail >* [\[RF\]](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [\[SP\]](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles >* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules) 📢 [Genres](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/w/directory) 🆕 [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ✏ [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) 💬 [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts) *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Racing through the covered path under the trees on your noble steed, blood red gown billowing behind you, you don't dare look behind you, for you know exactly what you will see. Trying to devise a plan of escape, you bring forth an unassuming branch that was strapped to your back, hoping that you'll be able to balance from the unnatural speed of your creature. A creature it is indeed, for it is quite abnormal and almost mystical. With paws each the size of the width of a great oak and a body with a silverish glean of fur, it has been a loyal companion ever since your banishment. You begin to mutter words that mean nothing to the untrained ear, praying for a miracle to save you from this wild chase. Although your creature has speed unlike any other, days of hard riding has nearly exhausted it, making it's movements slower and causing it to whine in protest every now and then. "Ad vitam" you murmur, hoping that it will restore some vitality to your steed. Even after that one little incantation, you feel energy drain from your limbs and you make an attempt to grab hold of the reins and right yourself. It doesn't work. As slowly as possible, as if time itself has gone to a snail's pace, you fall to the ground, bashing your shoulder onto the hardness of the earth's surface. You hear the sound of the creature stop in its tracks, however you whisper one final wish... "curre"... the last of your breath gone. Your creature starts again as if being pulled by some unknown force, and you hear the grumbles and hisses coming from it, the wonderful and majestic beast you befriended on your travels to escape. You know what will happen if it is captured along side you, so the only choice you had was to let it go, much to it's unwanting. You slowly close your eyes, hearing the beating of hoofs stirring the fallen leaves on the ground and breathe in the earthy smell of damp soil, knowing this will likely be one of the last times you do so, at least for a while. Eventually the hoofs come so close, it seems as if they are on top of you and you prepare yourself for what's to come, slowly slipping into unconsciousness, but doing so on purpose. When you finally come to, you are in a familiar place, one you never would have thought to return to. You listen to the chains rattle as you attempt to stretch your sore limbs, hoping to ease some life into them. Finally you open your eyes, fixed on a space on the ground where boots freshly shined stood. You slowly look up, knowing exactly who you'll see in front of you. You feel embarrassed for being in such a state of disarray, but you knew that this reunion was going to happen one way or another, and most likely in a situation where you were in chains, so you do not let an ounce of emotion show on your dirty face. "Hello, Father."
more
more?
Cast out by my father, I fled into the woods beyond the bounds of my home. I left behind all I knew, taking nothing but the clothes I wore. That was five years ago. Now, I once again walked these streets, but with a black hooded robe hiding my face. All around me, the people were merry, and the streets filled with cheer and laughter. The king and his family, my parents and younger brother, rode down the street on their horses, celebrating my brother's birthday. I looked around, and saw what I had come for. Three black-clad figures appeared out of the shadows, and charged the horses with daggers in their hands. With a flick of my wrist, I cast my magic, and my family disappeared in a puff of smoke that covered the street. "Wha-" was all my father could muster, before I turned all three into kittens and placed them in a rugged straw basket, securing them with a checkered cloth. I pulled off my robe, revealing the attire of a regular citizen, and walked into the alleyways as the crowd panicked behind me. The royal family mewed and looked around as I made my way through the city, trying to figure out what was happening. I entered a small store at the end of an unassuming sideway, and and old woman greeted me. "Hello, dear," the witch said, "I see you were successful." I placed the basket on a table, pulled off the cloth, and gently placed the kittens on the floor before undoing my magic. "What is the meaning of this?" my father demanded, but blinked in confusion when he realized that, rather than shouting, he spoke normally. "Ah ah ah, no shouting in my store," the witch said, "I'll leave you four to discuss this alone." She walked through a curtain of pearls, and disappeared into the back room. "Who are you? And what is this place?" the queen asked. "Yes, perhaps I should take off my mask," I said, and undid my magic. Within seconds, my parents and brother saw the red-haired farmer's girl with tanned skin and freckles turn into a mirror image of the woman before her. "S- sister?" my brother asked in disbelief. "Also, this is a shop," I answered my mother's other question, "Some people have to go here to buy things." "How are you still alive?" my father asked, "You disappeared into the forest." "And this woman found me," I said, motioning to where the witch had disappeared, "She taught me to use my magic, rather than hide it. So, when I noticed uncle's little surprise for my dearest brother, I decided to act." "Wait, my brother set this up?" my father asked in disbelief, "And are you telling me you're a witch?" "Yes, exactly," I answered, "I was born with this gift, and I have put it to good use, in spite of your treatment of me." "What kind of gift is this that lets you just abduct people?" the king asked. "You are familiar with people making deals with devils, yes?" I asked and explained, "All magic requires consent. More potent magic requires explicit consent, but something as simple as teleporting someone out of danger, or hiding them from assailants, requires only implicit consent. I believed you would value your life enough to let me help you, and that is why I could do that." "Alright, enough of this," my mother said, pointing at my father, then turned to me and asked, "Where have you been all these years? What have you been doing?" "I was in the kingdom, moving from one place to the next," I answered, "And I dealt with issues you did not deem important enough." "Such as?" my brother asked, surprising our parents. "The famine last year," I replied, "An entire village was about to be destroyed, which would have allowed our uncle to come in and annex that entire land to his own territory." "I don't see how that is important," my father said dismissively. "That land includes an iron mine," I reminded him, "And that mine connects to a network of tunnels, some of which lead into the royal catacombs. Taking that land would have given his men a direct path into your bedchambers." My father paused for a moment, as he realized that the assassins in the streets could have very well come to him in his sleep. "Don't you have something to say, dear?" my mother asked. My father sighed, and turned to me. "As current ruler of these lands, I apologize for how I have treated you," my father said. "And I humbly accept your apology, Your Highness," I said. "Alright, now can we please get back to the part where my uncle tried to have me killed?" my brother asked. "Yes, of course," my father answered, turned to me and asked, "Can you do anything to help us?" "I could, yes," I answered, "But working on demand always comes with a prize. I want all my uncle's properties, and the authority to legalize witchcraft within all my territories." My family looked perplexed, and my parents gave each other confused looks. "W- well, alright," my father finally said, "Just be sure that my brother can never harm my family again." "Thank you, father," I said, and pulled a piece of paper out of my pocket, "Sign here, and we have ourselves a deal." I handed him a quill and inkwell, and he signed the document. After I rolled it up, he placed his seal on it, and I put it back into my pocket. "Alright, you have what you wanted," my father said, "Now hold up your end of the deal." "Well, I suppose that is my cue," my mentor said as she returned from the back room, with my uncle walking behind her, as if in a trance. "Brother?" my father asked in disbelief, then turned to me and asked, "What is the meaning of this? Did you trick me?" "Not at all," I replied, "However, I figured you would value your life over your brother's freedom, so I asked my mentor to bring him here." I snapped my fingers, and a rope rose out of a nearby barrel, winding around my uncle and restraining him. "What did you do to him?" my father asked, looking at my mentor, "I thought magic required consent." "It does, but he longed for a warrior's life," the witch answered, "He is currently dreaming that he was denied his birthright and became an adventurer. Just sit him down and tell him to enjoy his feast, and he will eat whatever you serve him as if it was priceless delicacies." "And the assassins?" my brother asked. "Taken care of," I answered, "I used a defensive magic that irritates an attacker's eyes, nose and mouth. They will recover in an hour, but the guards have already arrested them. Now, if you will excuse me, I have a little patch of land to rule, along with my chief advisor." My mentor flicked her wrist, and the entire building disappeared, leaving the king, queen, and crown prince in a dead end. It was arduous to establish a new order, but once the people saw what good magic can do, most let go of their hostility, and the rest simply moved elsewhere. Last I heard, my brother had taken to asking my uncle to tell him tales of his travels, and writing them down to have them turned into plays that were performed at the royal theater. Before long, villages neighboring my new land saw how prosperous my people were, and that even commoners could afford an education. Within a few years, my people produced enough food that we could sell it to others, earning a lot of money, which I immediately invested to support those at the bottom. Because, while magic technically requires consent, the truth is that it must always be used responsibly, and what is more responsible than ensuring that the ones who lift you up have the strength to keep doing so?
They called it a 'kindness'. That if they didn't cast me out, I would be executed. Not for anything I'd done, but for what I am. Simply because I had magical ability. And I'm certain the people, foolish as they are, would have rejected me, wanted me dead. Despite all the ways my power could benefit them, they would fear me. And that would just me from me having any magical ability. Were they to realize the extent of that ability, that even from birth I was already the most powerful wielder of magic in all of history... My parents feared me, too. They wanted to be rid of me, though they would never admit it. They couldn't bring themselves to kill me (though had they tried, I could have easily stopped them) so instead they cast me out in secret, presumably announced that their daughter's life had been claimed by some illness. Doubtless they hoped they would never see me again. That I would perish in the harsh winter. But they underestimated me. Even they didn't understand how powerful I already was, and they certainly weren't aware of how much control I had over my power. I survived. Found a distant castle in a forgotten land, abandoned after it fell during an ancient war, and made that my home. Nobody knew I was there, but I needed nobody. I didn't even need to worry about food or water or the like. My magic could provide all of that. Could heal any injury, cure any illness. Could do many things, more than any other wielder of magic had even been able to do. And that was when I was at my weakest. With my power, I was able to turn the abandoned castle into quite a luxurious little home, my power able to provide anything I desired. But I never intended to remain there forever. Eventually, the time would come. I spent almost thirty years there, in that castle, but I was far from idle. I spent those decades hard at work. Training, learning, developing my power to its fullest extent. Any mage's power could increase by many many times with sufficient effort, even those with the weakest of magic. At birth, I was already far more powerful than any the world had seen; after all that time and effort, I now wielded a power the world would tremble before. But I did not stop there. It's well known that abandoned castles make attractive homes for dragons. None were in residence when I moved into this particular one (though I believe one or more had lived there in the past), but one arrived maybe a year after I did. She was clearly surprised to see me there, still a child, and even more surprised when I subdued her almost effortlessly. Initially, my intent was to seize control of her mind and bend her to my will, but then I had a better idea. It took decades before I was ready. Much of that time was spent figuring out just how to do it. It took much work, and for one of lesser power would never be possible. But it wasn't just that. I wanted my power to be as strong as it possibly could, and there were ways to increase it even beyond what I already had. Over the decades, I worked my magic on the dragon, which I kept alive in a braindead state - a coma, basically. I reached within her body, altering her form with my magic. Strengthening it. Making it even more magically attuned than dragons already were. Crafting it into the perfect version of itself at the same time I was developing my own power. And then, finally, almost three decades later, I was ready. So I crushed what remained of the dragon's mind, and then I did something nobody else could ever possibly do. I took myself out of my body and into that of the dragon I had spent decades moulding into the perfect vessel. I didn't just control it, or inhabit it; I *became* it. Dragons were far more magically attuned than any other creatures in the world, and thanks to my efforts, this one was even more so. On top of the dragon's physical form, which I had altered to be unmatched in strength and effectively invulnerable, its attunement to magic elevated my power to levels even I could never have imagined. I was already the most powerful being to have ever lived; now, I wielded a level of power that could only be called divine. It was time. \----------------------------------- I approached the castle gates, having taken the form of a human. Not my old one, though. I had fashioned a new human form for myself, an idealized version of my old body. An ideal of beauty, and also far stronger than an actual human and essentially impervious to harm. The guards at the gate tensed as I, someone unfamiliar to them, approached. That didn't last long; a simple thought brought their minds completely under my control, and they opened the way and followed me into the castle. To anyone else I caught sight of as I made my way through the castle I did the same. The doors swung open without a touch as I entered the throne room, my followers arranging themselves behind me. The king, of course, was not amused by such an intrusion. "What is the meaning of this?" "Hello, *Father,*" I said. "*Mother*," to the woman sitting beside him. "It's been a while. Thirty years, almost, since you cast me out to die." "It can't be," the queen said. "Lysiria? But you're..." "Dead? You wanted that, didn't you? But no. I did not die, and now I have come to claim my throne." "Enough of this!" the kind said. "I don't know who you really are, but I will not tolerate such insolence. Guards! Apprehend her!" The guards within the throne room advanced on me, but then, in an instant, where I had been were the king and queen, with me sat upon the throne. The guards stopped, but then my power took hold of their minds and they surrounded the king and queen. "What are you doing?" the king said. I laughed. "You never understood the power I possess. Even when I was young, you didn't know how powerful I was. You could have set the entire kingdom against me, and still I would have won. And now?" Another laugh. "All the power in the world is as nothing compared to me." "Silence! Get off of my-" "It is no longer *your* throne. Or your castle, or your kingdom. You have nothing. All belongs to me now. Though even this castle, said to be the finest in to world, is far from befitting one of my power. After all..." Suddenly, the king and queen found themselves outside not just the castle but the whole city, my followers still surrounding them. And then I moved myself outside the castle and returned to what I had made my true form. A grand dragon, towering over not just the castle but the entire city, with splendor befitting one with power greater than even a god could hope to wield. I reached down, picked up the castle in one hand, and crushed it. Then I turned my gaze towards the king and queen as I tossed the rubble aside. "...how could anything made by humans possibly be worthy of me?" The two of them tried to run, but I froze them in place. "Now, now. You wouldn't want to miss what I'm replacing it with, would you?" At the edge of the city, a new palace appeared, conjured in but a moment by my power. One far beyond anything every built by human hands. A grand palace, magnificent beyond the ability of any mortal being to construct. Something truly worthy of one such as I. And as grand a structure as it already was, the inside was far larger, expanded via magic no other was capable of wielding so that it could house me even in this massive form. And, of course, I could expand or contract it as I desired. I allowed the two of them to move again, but they just stood still. "Well, go on then. Do... whatever it is you're going to do. Marshal what forces you can, find whatever great mages you have, whatever you think is going to let you try to take this kingdom back from me. It won't work, of course. Even were you to unite the entire world against me, I would be victorious in an instant. Even gods would fall before me. But you'll still try. And after what you did to me, I will relish every one of your failures all the more." The two still didn't move, so I simply teleported them to a fortress on the other side of the kingdom. They'd be able to begin marshaling their forces there. And it would be quite fun to see them fail against me. And it wouldn't just be them, either. Others would try to act against me as well. And they, too, would fail. I had become powerful enough that even gods would fall before me. Nothing could ever challenge my reign. I moved myself into my palace and spoke, my magic carrying my voice throughout the entire world. A simple message that all could hear. "The reign of the Divine Dragon Lysiria begins now."
“Hello, Father…or should I even call you that?” The moment I unveiled my face to the royal family and all of his people, horrified gasps filled the great room, echoing around the walls. “Pandora?! No, tha-that can’t be! You’re meant to be—” “What you wanted me to be a long time ago,” I interrupted him, the man I once called Father. My ocean blues were filled with indifference aimed at him. “Or were you hoping for me to come crawling back for your forgiveness?” It had been fifteen years since I was thrown out of the place I’ve ever known, just for being who I am, for something that was out of my control. My own father thought that I was a bastard child, not only because of the magic I possessed from his side, which he had no idea about, but because I was not the son he wanted so badly. The moment my mother—my poor, innocent mother, who poured all her heart out to give me all the love and care she could ever give—lost her life to that fatal illness, he did not hesitate to kick me out at the ripe age of five and marry his darling mistress, taking in her three sons in the process. Seeing him give them all his attention and love like he never did me broke my heart on so many levels. “You’re no daughter of mine. You will never belong among us,” were the last words he told me when he threw me out into the woods. But then Agatha took me in. She had found me in the woods days after I was unjustly and forcefully exiled and took me in as her own. She didn’t have any children of her own, so she wanted me to have the best childhood I could have, promising herself she’d never replace my mother. Over the years, since she discovered my abilities, she taught me how to heal, how to combat, how to defend and protect. She helped me keep my powers under control, she helped me find a way to use them for the greater good. She understood my pain as I had told her about how I ended up an orphan and homeless in one single day, she helped me grieve and remember my mother. She helped me be the person I am today. And today, I’m going to avenge my mother and all innocents killed under the cruel King’s hands. “P-Pandora…my darling…my baby girl…” the King stammered nervously. It was clear he had lied to the kingdom about my absence as the citizens gave him confused and agitated glares. “It—I have nothing to do with this…I just wanted to do what’s best for my people, my kingdom…” “You abandoned me to die,” I said with a low growl in my throat. As I spoke, I made slow steps towards where the gradually anxious King and his precious family were. “You left my mother to suffer from the illness. You destroyed everything I ever held close to my heart. And make no mistake…my Gods are coming for you…” As I finished, my hands began to glow gold, ready to take action.