[center][color=dodgerblue][h2]Alexander[/h2][/color] [i]4 years ago[/i][/center] [hr] [i]Alex pushed his energy into the center of his outstretched hands. The ball of lightening started to take shape as he continued to pour his energy into it...but. A sudden sharp pain across his back made him flinch and let out a small grunt.[color=Khaki]"Too slow!"[/color] sneered a pompous looking man. The man wasn't particularly tall but was rather thin with dark hair and a face that had the great misfortune of resembling a rat. [color=Khaki]"Your not pouring in enough power! And you lack control!"[/color] The man said, emphasizing the last word with another slap of the riding crop he used to "teach" his students the proper ways of using lightening. Alex hated him. His methods were asinine and ineffective. But he had no choice. His father stood nearby, watching with the same dissatisfied glare he always watched Alex with. He had pushed Alex for as long as he could remembering, not just wanting, but demanding that Alex become a warrior like his father. A killer was closer to the truth but this was the hand Alex was dealt. And so Alex pushed. He pushed more and more of his own power into the ball of lightening. He could feel it leaving his body and flowing into the shaky ball that was forming. [color=Khaki]"No, no, no you aren't controlling it enough. You must force the energy to do what you want!"[/color] His instructor shouted without offering any real advice on HOW Alex was supposed to do that. Alex attempted to force his will on the lightening but it resisted his attempts. The ball of lightening kept growing, saping his energy as it did. [color=Khaki]"Worthless fool you aren't listening!"[/color] His tutor shouted as he whipped the riding crop against the back of Alex's head. The sudden pain was too much. Alex wasn't sure what happened or how it did but he suddenly felt the lightening leave his control. There was a boom like thunder, a flash, and a sudden and horrible scream of pain. Alex felt exhausted. His knees grew weak as slumped to the ground. He sat there for a moment, trying to comprehend what had just happened. Was the man..had he just... [color=FireBrick]"You little fool.... Do you have any idea how much it cost me to hire that man?"[/color] The back of a large hand slammed into the side of Alex's face and sent him sliding across the ground. Alex couldn't tell if the pain made him more lucid or less. [color=DodgerBlue]"Please father...I don't.."[/color] [color=FireBrick]"Silence."[/color] His fathers voice came out as a terrible whisper. [color=FireBrick]"I hire you tutor after tutor and still you fail. You are pointless. And to think your mother died for such a worthless little cretin."[/color] Those words slammed into Alex causing more pain then anything that had happened so far today. Tears slowly started to flow as he curled himself up into a ball facing away from his father. [color=FireBrick]"Now you cry?! What an embarrassment. I'm ashamed to call you my son."[/color] A sudden heat engulfed the room. Terror erupted inside of Alex but he was too weak to run like he wanted to. [color=FireBrick]"But if you are so eager to act like a baby, I will give you something to cry about."[/color] A whip of blue flames streaked forward from his fathers hand. It danced in the air a moment, its eerie light sending chills, oddly enough, down Alex's spine. The whip cracked and a sudden and horrible burning pain exploded across Alex's back...[/i] [hr] Alex shot up, sucking in air as if he had just been struck. His hand flew to his back, expecting to feel the same monstrous pain that he had experienced 4 years ago, but there was nothing. Only a large, angry red scar that he could only just make out underneath his clothes. Alex let out a little sigh of relief before looking around. Where was he? The last thing he remembered was.... Aww dammit, he had over done it. Alex smacked his forehead and let out a sigh. He had used to much energy. It wasn't all the surprising, he hadn't pushed himself to his limits in years, so he hand't actually been sure what they were but still, it was embarrassing. Alex spotted black spot on his arm out of the corner of his eye and looked down to see "Less energy next time doofus!" scrawled on his arm. Great. He stood and walked over to the nearby sink to try to wash it off, but it was stubborn as hell. It must have been done with a permanent marker.... Even better. Well, with enough effort rubbing alcohol would get rid of it....although it would probably leave his skin raw with how hard he would have scrub. As he looked around the room he caught sight of his face in the mirror. Had she....had she drawn on his face too? COOL! THATS JUST FANTASTIC! Now he would have to scrub at his face for who knew how long too. Wasn't this childish behavior for a teacher? Oh well, he probably deserved it. She must have dragged him all the way here. She probably didn't want him as a student now because of all the trouble he had caused her. This was gonna end just like all the others. Resigned, Alex searched the cabinets until he found rubbing alcohol. He then started the long arduous process of trying to get the ink off of his face at least. The ink was stubborn, and his face would probably be red and peeling by the time he finished, but he'd take that over this. Still, one good thing had come from today. He had managed to overcome his fear of his power, at least a little. That dream, no, those memories, made Alex shudder a little. But it was time to move on, it was time to move past what had happened. He was older, he had more control now. Now he just needed to find that sweet spot between not using enough power, and using so much he passed out. 10 minutes later Alex would certainly be in front of the sink when Drow came back, still scrubbing away with rubbing alcohol, the ink very slowly dulling and his skin beginning to turn red. [@liferusher]