Awakening My Sovereign Authority

Chapter 2

The kick was brutally strong. Julian was lifted off the ground and thrown three feet backward. He landed hard on his broken ribs. A sharp scream escaped his lips, and he curled into a ball, shaking uncontrollably. 

"Don't ever call me brother," Dominic said. His voice was completely cold. 

Julian stared at him through blurry, tear-filled eyes. He could not understand what was happening. His brain refused to accept it. "Dom... what are you doing?"

"I am cleaning up my team," Dominic said simply. He crossed his arms over his perfect silver armor. "The Silvermoon Vanguard is officially moving up. Yesterday, I signed a contract with the Golden Sands Guild. They are going to sponsor us. They are going to give us a mansion in the inner city, unlimited money, and a spot in the national tournaments."

"That's... that's amazing," Julian choked out, holding his bleeding stomach. "We dreamed about this..."

"I dreamed about this," Dominic corrected him. "You were just a tool I used to get here."

Julian froze. The words hurt more than the broken ribs. 

"The Golden Sands Guild demands absolute perfection," Dominic explained, looking down his nose at Julian. "They want a team made entirely of elite combat classes. Strikers. Mages. Tanks. They do not want a pathetic Support class dragging down their brand."

"Dragging you down?" Julian asked. Anger finally started to push through his terrible pain. He forced himself to sit up on one arm. "I kept you alive! Every time you took a hit, I bled for you! You wouldn't be standing here without me!"

"Oh, please," Caleb laughed from the side. The big tank crossed his heavy arms. "Don't act like you are special, Julian. You don't swing a sword. You don't cast fire. All you do is stand in the back and act like a sponge. Anyone can be a sponge."

Julian looked at Caleb in disbelief. Then he looked at Sophia. 

Sophia was Julian’s friend. Or so he thought. They had studied together in the academy. When Julian awakened his weak Support ability, people laughed at him. Sophia was the one who told him that every team needed a good support. 

"Sophia?" Julian asked, his voice breaking. "Tell them. Tell them how much I do for this team."

Sophia flinched. She looked at Julian, seeing his burned arm and his blood-stained clothes. For a second, a flash of deep guilt crossed her face. But then, she turned her head away and looked at the ground. She did not say a single word. She was choosing the money and the fame over him. 

Julian’s heart shattered. He finally understood. They were all in on this. 

"Society only respects power, Julian," Dominic said, pulling a glowing silver badge from his pocket. It was the captain's master crest. "In a world of magic and monsters, nobody cares about the guy who hides in the back and cries. You are dead weight. And I am cutting you loose."

Dominic pressed his thumb onto the silver badge. "By my authority as Captain, I revoke Julian Carter’s membership from the Silvermoon Vanguard."

A loud snap echoed in the air. 

On Julian’s chest, the silver moon pin attached to his jacket suddenly turned black and cracked into pieces. 

Instantly, Julian felt a cold wind rush over his skin. The Guild’s protective magic ward—a shield that kept the toxic air and minor monsters of the valley away—disappeared from his body. He was now completely unprotected in one of the most dangerous places on earth. 

"You're kicking me out here?" Julian asked, panic finally setting in. "We are in the middle of Demon's Maw Valley! I don't have my wards! I don't have a weapon! If you leave me here, I will die!"

"That sounds like a personal problem," Dominic smiled cruelly. 

Dominic reached into his bag and pulled out a blue, glowing scroll. A Teleportation Scroll. 

"Wait!" Julian shouted, trying to drag himself forward through the dirt. His fingers clawed at the rocks. "Take me back to the city! Kick me out there! Please! Dominic, don't do this!"

Caleb walked over to Dominic, placing a hand on the captain's shoulder. Sophia finally looked up, staring at the glowing blue scroll. She still did not look at Julian. 

"Goodbye, Julian," Dominic said. "Try not to scream too loudly when the monsters find you. It’s embarrassing."

Dominic ripped the blue scroll in half. 

A bright circle of blue light surrounded Dominic, Caleb, and Sophia. The wind howled as the magical energy spun around them faster and faster. 

Julian reached his bloody hand out, crying out for them to stop. But with a loud whoosh, the blue light shot up into the sky. 

They were gone. 

Julian was completely alone. 

The silence of the valley was heavy and terrifying. The sun was beginning to set, hiding behind the tall, jagged mountains. The sky turned a deep, dark purple, matching the blood of the Drake. 

The temperature dropped rapidly. The cold bit into Julian’s burned skin. He shivered violently. He tried to stand, but his broken ribs ground together, sending a blinding flash of pain through his brain. He collapsed back into the dirt, panting heavily. He was going to die here. 

He had given his blood, his sweat, and his youth to make Dominic a star. He had taken on every burden, suffered every pain, and stayed in the shadows so they could shine. And this was his reward. To be thrown away like trash in a monster's graveyard. 

“No,” Julian thought, biting his lip until he tasted fresh blood. “I can't die like this. Not for them.” 

He tried to push himself backward, dragging his useless legs across the sharp rocks. He needed to find a cave. He needed to hide his scent. The smell of his own blood was strong, mixing with the metallic smell of the dead Abyssal Drake. 

Suddenly, a low sound echoed through the canyon. 

Julian froze. His heart stopped beating for a second. It was a growl. Deep, wet, and hungry. 

Julian slowly turned his head toward the dark shadows of the rocks where his team had just been standing. 

The shadows seemed to be moving. They twisted and stretched. Then, from the absolute darkness, a pair of glowing red eyes appeared. 

Then another pair. 

And another. 

Within seconds, twelve pairs of glowing red eyes were staring at him from the darkness. 

A massive creature stepped out of the shadows. It was an Abyssal Wolf. It was the size of a horse, with fur as black as night and thick saliva dripping from its razor-sharp teeth. The wolf sniffed the air, its eyes locking directly onto Julian’s bleeding stomach. 

Julian was completely defenseless. He had no sword. He had no fire. He had no protective wards. He was just a Support class with broken bones, bleeding out in the dirt. 

The Alpha Wolf let out a terrifying howl that shook the ground. The pack lowered their heads, getting ready to charge. 

Julian watched them come, knowing that in exactly three seconds, they were going to tear him to pieces.