HoGW Special: An Incident At School

An Incident At School

Dearest Mother,

Mother, there’s been an incident at school. Remember my friend? Callum from the House of Trace? He’s been injured. It’s bad. The healers are uncertain about whether they can even heal injuries as bad as his. I do not know what to do. 

In my last letter home, I mentioned that our teacher felt we were ready to start learning more advanced techniques and that he wanted us to try breath skills. I have also mentioned, in letters past, mine and Callum’s rivalry with Hildebrand from the House of Gulsprout and his fellows. I suppose you can see where this going. Hildebrand caused Callum's grievous injuries.

It all started nice enough. It always starts nice enough. The teacher was teaching us the skill [Dragon’s Breath] as well as leading us in practising it. Callum proved himself the best student and took to the technique naturally. Eventually, the teacher asked him to demonstrate. He was proud to do so, as was I. My friend was the best student in Meister fire skills class. Callum set himself to show off amidst the teachers praise.  

It was then I saw it: the ground beneath him pull him off his feet. Callum must not have even realised it until it was too late. It was a horrifying sight. One I shudder to recall. Callum fell on his face, [Dragon’s Breath] still spewing from his maw. It burned him. It burned him so terribly and in his panic and haste, he was unable to cancel the freshly learned technique. A healer told me he suffered a backlash from trying and that his throat is in a worse state than his face.  

The teacher acted fast. It is most definitely the only reason Callum is still alive but it was also too late. I watched, stunned into paralysis as they took him away, more than half of his front blackened and burnt with smoke rising from his mouth. I am ashamed, mother. I did nothing. Ours is a class for fire cultivators. There’s only one person with attributes of fire and earth; Hildebrand. He was- is the only one who could have done it.

I saw him. After the incident. I looked over at him. He looked just as shocked as I was. I don’t think the reality had struck him at that moment. I knew immediately that he had probably intended it as a prank. Something to bring Callum down a notch after he had attained the coveted first place in that particular class. However, Callum was now injured, his fate unknown. I had just seen him burst into flame right in front of me. Even so, to my great shame, I did nothing as I stared at his attacker and possible killer. 

Callum and I would go around the academy’s ground together, marching together like in the stories Dad would tell me. We called each other sworn brothers. Now, he’s lying wrapped up in a healer’s bed. He’ll live but he’ll probably never talk again. His face is all but gone and his eyes...they melted in the flames. And yet, his attacker walks free. There’s talk he might be expelled but I hear his family is negotiating with the Academy authorities. 

As Callum’s sworn brother, I should have marched up to him by now, Striking him down from the shadows or challenging him to a duel for what he has done to my friend. Nevertheless, I know that he did not mean to and that knowledge holds me back. 

We pulled so many pranks on each other in the past. This one went horribly wrong but what if one of the others had too? What if one I had pulled caused this same effect? Knowing how easy it could be me in his place and him in Callum’s stays my hand. 

Mother, I am confused. Numbed and confused is all I am right now. What do I do? 

Your son, Alexis