VLADIMIR: The Last Blood Mage

Vladimir's Assessment

During the meeting with I and lord Marshall in his study, Gilbert being a pyromancer teleported into Chelsea's room without the knowledge of the 4th-ranked guard.

A ring of fire appeared in the centre of Chelsea's room. Out of the fire, Gilbert stepped out of it and the ring of fire disappeared without any mark on the hardwood floor.

"Chelsea my dear". Gilbert took a chair and sat down by Chelsea's bedside.

"Gill-Gilbert is that you? " Chelsea had unexpectedly woken up.

"Yes, milady, it is I, your loyal butler. I heard of what had happened and I came to see how you are faring".

"Gilbert, I am sorry. " Chelsea tried to sit up on her bed.

"No milady. You need your rest, please lay down. You need your rest".

Chelsea laid back down. "if I wasn't so stubborn, I would not have made everyone worry".

"milady do not despair. It was not your fault". Gilbert tried to console her before taking his leave.

"Milady, you are safe now". he assured her.

"Thank you" Chelsea smiled.

"Milady, I'll take my leave now. Be well". With that Gilbert stood up from the chair and walked to the centre of the room.

"AVETICUF"

And a ring of fire enveloped Gilbert's figure and he was no longer there when the fire dispersed.

"I wonder how long I would be on this bed". Chelsea took out her notebook from her drawer and began scribbling.

THREE DAYS LATER...

--knock, knock---

It wasn't even dawn yet and someone was already knocking on my door. " come in".

A male servant stepped into my room. "Young sir, my lord has sent for you".

"Hmm, right now?". the time was still early it was still dark out.

"Yes, young sir my lord says you must come immediately"

"Alright". I stood up and followed him to the other side of the mansion to the entrance of lord Marshall's study.

"Come...in...". A voice sounded in my head, so loud I had a headache on the spot.

I stepped forward and opened the door to see lord marshall looking through the window.

"Vladimir, you have a very strong soul, do you know that? "

"Thank you, Lord Marshall".

"Sit down".I walked forward and sat down in front of his desk.

Lord Marshall turned around to face me and started walking towards his chair. "A message came for you"

"For me?". because I knew I had no one, and my grandmother had already died some years back.

"Yes, for you, it came from the academic Bureau". Lord marshall dipped his hand into his cabinet withdrew a golden scroll and handed it to me.

"Open it".

I opened the scroll to read, and it read

TO THE HOUSE OF LORD MARSHALL...

*** The letter just read that the procedures for the tests had been changed. That the old way of assessing mages has become outdated and a new way has been developed. The candidate has to just place his hands on a crystal ball and the number of rings that appear on the ball would be his potential in the realm of magic and elemental control. ***

I closed the scroll and handed it back to lord marshall.

"You are done reading?".

"Yes".

Lord Marshall leaned back in his chair. " Your assessment is today, go and freshen up. And good luck don't let me down"

"I will not".

"You may leave".

"Thank you". I stood up, bowed and left the room.

By this time Chelsea had gotten better. She could walk now. Meanwhile, after I left the room, I took my bath and wore a black garb.

I came down from my room to see Chelsea eating her breakfast.

"Vladimir, where are you off to?".

"Did you forget? my assessment is today".

"Ahh! Yes I remember. Wait for me I would like to go with you"

"Take your time. I will be outside".

"Okay".

After some time, longer than expected Chelsea stepped out of the mansion. wearing a sleeveless midnight blue gown, with her hair swaying in the wind. She looked like a dream.

"I can see that you took your time. I have to ask are you sure you are going with me?".

Chelsea looked confused because of my question.

"What do you mean?".

"How do I put it? You look breathtaking as though you were going to see your fiancé".

"You are crazy, I have to look good everywhere I go. I am the city lord's daughter... That's the requirement for my social status"

"Alright, then this way our little diva". I helped her into the carriage. She stopped and turned around to look at me.

" Who are you calling little? We look the same age, you know".

"Of course, I know we are the same age. Hurry up I am running late".

"Okay... Okay... Don't rush me". Chelsea stepped into the carriage and I followed behind her at a safe distance.

We got inside and the carriage started moving.

"OPEN THE GATES". A soldier ordered.

The carriage had been going for some time, a long time. Such that I had to ask. "Chelsea are we not there yet?".

"Hmm, oh soon. By the way, Vladimir I have something to tell you".

Chelsea was tense now, and I noticed.

"Tell me". I responded.

Chelsea adjusted her posture to face me. Her face was stern but it made it look more like a carved artwork.

"Remember what happened some days ago?"

"Yes, I do". This was a topic I didn't want to talk about.

"Remember what you did to me?". At this point the room became cold and it became hard to breathe. It was as though someone held a life to my neck and I did not get this feeling from Chelsea.

"Yes, I remember. I had apologised hadn't I?".

"You have, but you defiled me you know?". At this point I almost died from blood lust coming from the outside of the carriage.

I think Chelsea noticed the change in my countenance but waved it off because of the issue we were discussing.

"I only kissed you and it was by mistake"

After those words escaped my mouth, the room changed from cold to boiling hot. "Yes, I know but what is done is done".

"So what do you want me to do?".

"Marry me".

"What? !!". At this point I almost puked out blood partly from the shock of what Chelsea said and the killing intent coming from outside the carriage.

I had to come up with something to get me out of this.

"You are serious?". I said with a dumbfounded expression.

"Yes I am serious. Vladimir I want to tell you something". Chelsea's already solemn face got more grave.

"I see you are serious. Tell me, what is it? "

"Vladimir, I have had a suitor since birth"

"That's good, no? "

"No it's not". Chelsea paused for some time.

"The suitor is the first son of King Tofel, Densel"

"hmm tell me more". I leaned in closer.

"He, I mean Densel is worse than his father. I wish I could tell you more but we have entered the lands of the academic bureau. I'll tell you after your assessment".

"Okay" I looked out the window and all I saw was a vast green land. so extensive as though it had no end.

The carriage stopped and we stepped down. As my feet touched the ground the scene changed from an empty grassland to a grassland filled with people and structures. I saw people from different backgrounds and households. All the guards there had different designs engraved on their armour.

The least rank of a soldier here was the 4th rank, clad in red armour.

"It's a relic, exclusive only to the bureaus. Please close your mouth you are embarrassing me"

At this point, I marvelled. So much so that I did not notice that the pressure from the killing intent had stopped.

Chelsea continued to talk after we had started moving towards our tent. "Everybody present here for the test is either the child of a prestigious family or winner of the academic bureau's competition or a loved servant of a prestigious family that's where you fall in. But your status is higher than theirs because your backer is my father, a lord level mage and the strongest lord level mage in the five continents"

"...". I nodded in affirmation.

By the time Chelsea had ended her explanation, we were in front of a large tent with a banner of a blue Chinese dragon.

"This is where we would stay before you are called up". The tent's flap was opened by a bowing servant. "Please do come in milady".

The tent was larger than I anticipated. It had everything, from a beautiful blue dragon embroidered rug for the floor to the exquisite furniture inside this was even more majestic than lord Marshall's study.

As all good things come to an end; before I could get comfortable, an academic bureau official came to inform us that it was my turn.

"Already?". I asked Chelsea.

"Yes, already remember what I told you about my father that's why".

"Hmm, how long will it take?". I asked the official.

"It would be over before you know it".

The official led me to a larger tent. where I was to be registered.

"Your rune?". The registrar asked me for the rune which...

"here"...I handed the rune over to her.

After she had read the name of the household I came from, her head shot up to look at me. "You are from the house of lord marshall of the Blue Dragon City".

"I guess that's what's on the rune. So yes I am from the household of the Lord Marshall".

The registrar handed over the rune to me. "Please move along".

"Thank you".

I took the rune and walked towards a place where chairs were arranged and sat down, waiting. After some time all the chairs were filled.

"Hi". I heard a female voice beside me.

"Do I know you?". I was not in the mood to talk, I never even raised my head to respond.

"No, you don't, let me introduce myself. I am Darcie".

"I am Vladimir ". I answered still not raising my head.

I guess she felt a little dejected. "Can't you look... ".

Her words were cut short as I raised my head.

"What?! , can't you see I am not in the mood to... "

Before I completed my words I heard an announcement. " Please Vladimir of the household of lord marshall, step forward"

"No wonder he is arrogant, he came from the house of the Lord Marshall". the girl said to herself.

I got up and walked towards the small exquisite tower of around twelve floors.

"Come with me". The official who had made the announcement said to me.

I followed him into the tower, we walked towards the stairs instead of going up. the stairs led downwards. "Take this way, keep going till you reach the end".

The official turned around and left without letting me say anything. The stairs were lit up dimly by fire torches so I felt relatively alright.

And then I felt the wind and abruptly the fire went out. I could not even see my own hands in this darkness. At that time green specks of light came to be, escaping through the stone walls and floating around me giving me this sinister sensation.

I continued my walk downstairs. As I kept moving more and more specks of the ominous green light kept increasing in number. At a point, they stopped floating around and swam towards me.

The instant one of those lights touched me I felt an excruciating pain all over my body. It felt as though a thousand needles were used to puncture my skin, it drove me nuts.

I was on the verge of ruination when I felt something snap in me. The green specks flew out of my body. " THIS IS ENOUGH!" I heard a voice come out from my mouth. I had lost control of my body at this point.

It was as though I was watching a drama.