Chapter 16: CHAPTER 16: A Ring Of Fire

"...I definitely can't wait to get back and tell Headmaster Dramus everything that happened here...but if you give me back the crystal, I won't even mention it," Ashen continued speaking not hearing a word Makin said, his mood getting better by the second the moment he noticed that Makin was walking towards him with the crystal ball in his hand,

Ignoring Wein completely, not noticing the scared look on his face and Dosan who stuck to Makin's side, prepared to back Makin up no matter what as he walked confidently beside him, stretching his knuckles to produce a grating sound,

Looking straight into Ashen's eyes with a slight smile on his face, Makin stretched out the crystal ball in his hands to Ashen,

"You're right. What kind of student would I be if I couldn't even get my own globe and instead stole it from you? And...more importantly, I don't want Headmaster Dramus to hear anything bad about me," Makin said with a sad and repentant expression on his face,

Surprised to see and hear Makin speak that way and even more delighted that his threats had worked and his fearlessness was why he was getting his globe back, Ashen smiled stepping forward to receive it,

"Thanks. I'm glad you feel that way," Ashen said with a sigh, as he reached out to touch the globe feeling more convinced when he saw the look of shock on Dosan's face as Makin was about to give him the globe,

With barely thirty minutes more for the very short test to be over, Ashen was sure that Makin was strong enough to get another globe but he knew his own chances were probably closer to zero,

"Nah it's fine...It's your crystal and you deserve to have it for as long as you live," Makin continued, passing the ball completely into Ashen's hands only to immediately cast a spell as he did without even giving him a chance to enjoy holding it,

"Anulus ignis," Makin suddenly shouted pointing his wand at the floor where Ashen stood as fire suddenly busted out to surround him, hot enough to not only burn the iced ground where he stood but to instantly scald Ashen's hands hard enough for him to drop the globe he held as Dosan quickly bent to pick it up,

"For a minute there you had me worried…," Dosan said speaking with the globe in his hands,

"What is going on?" Ashen yelled at Makin who seemed to be getting his breath back after using almost all his mana on a spell that made Ashen unable to take a single step in any direction, even as the flames roared hotter, Clearly showing how impossible it was for Ashen to escape without being severely burnt,

"Falius Airus," Ashen yelled casting a wind spell he had heard before but hadn't ever tried as he tried to cool down the fire surrounding him,

"Falius Airus!" He yelled, repeating the spell again using as much mana as he could, and also since he didn't know any ice spells, only to discover that regardless of how hard he tried, the fire simply grew stronger,

"Oh...don't bother wasting what little strength you have, it won't work," Makin softly explained staring at his handiwork with pride, since fire spells were one of the hardest for students to master,

"Trapping me here doesn't mean you still get to keep the globe," Ashen bravely began, more annoyed than terrified seeing the ring of fire he was stuck in,

Confidently he continued speaking, seeing Dosan with his globe in his hands and unwilling to let it be,

"Everyone at the academy will hear about this…,"

"Really?" Makin simply asked with a huge smirk on his face,

"What…," Ashen said with a confused expression on his face, looking at the three of them, not surprised to see Wein completely avoid his gaze,

Ashen tried to stay still even as he felt the heat from the fire that surrounded him but couldn't the moment he saw Makin take out a small object from his pocket as he began to explain,

"I bought it as a failsafe but who would have imagined that I'd be using it on you," Makin said as he looked at the object in his hand,

"Makin? What the hell are you doing?" Wein suddenly shouted as it seemed like he knew what the object in his friend's hands was capable of,

Dosan also wanted to ask the same question but with a shrug, he kept his mouth shut as he continued to stare at what was happening,

Ignoring everything else around him, Makin simply twisted the small object in his hand open, right before tossing right beside Ashen,

"That will make sure that no one ever gets to hear you speak,"

"You would never...you would never hurt me…" Ashen said even as he himself looked as if he couldn't believe the words he said,

"Of course not. I intend to kill you," Makin patiently said with a smile even as the small ball in his hands suddenly began to open and slowly the fire surrounding Ashen began to grow bigger, strong enough to melt the ice and the ground as even the ice water slowly began to dry up,

"Aaaaaah….," Ashen screamed folding more into himself, as he tried his best to avoid the fire that seemed to grow by the second, trying to come up with a solution that would keep him from getting burnt,

"Don't do this Makin," Wein pleaded stepping forward to stand in front of Makin and beg on Ashen's behalf as he himself could feel the heat from the fire that was starting to grow not to mention Ashen that was stuck in it,

"Please Wein, It's already done," was all Makin said as he turned around signalling to Dosan for them to leave even as he pulled Wein away lest his friend got burnt,

"Don't worry, I'll find you someone else to play with...trust me I always do," Makin said the moment he noticed the sad expression on Wein's face even as he nodded in acceptance,

"Fine…," was the startling reply Dosan heard Wein say, surprised to see the smile that sprung up on his face since he actually thought Wein liked the boy Makin set on fire,

"I want him younger and with a darker shade of hair than mine and way more innocent than Ashen was," Wein listed with a look of indifference on his face, tired of pretending and more annoyed than sad that he would have to start his manipulation skills all over again just to get his own human pet, since Necromancy, the forbidden act of magic was all he wanted to practice and the whole reason he fell in love with magic in the first place.