Cursed Explorer of the Arcana

19690 The 2nd Spring

Neither Luna nor Lucious could have guessed just how troublesome raising a child would be. Elyssia was loud and demanding as a baby, always wailing for their attention and care. They were happy to give her all the affection they had, even as the sleepless nights proved more difficult than night watches in the wilderness.

As she grew older she became more restless, crawling and later toddling aimlessly with curious eyes to explore the small world that was their house or escape outside when the opportunity presented itself. She soon learned to speak, her first words being “Why?” and “No!”, probably originating from her mother. She was crazy adorable as she tilted her head with her long ears and hair in a ponytail while asking questions, the word ‘why’ staying her favorite for many more years.

Like many other babies, she was kept inside the house or held firmly within her parents' arms whenever they brought her outside. The weak are meant to be careful, which couldn’t be more true for anyone below the entire food chain. This being the case, parents look out for children as one would a platinum coin in the slums.

She protested by crying, refusing food, although she didn’t last long, and attempting further escapades at every possible instance. Luna knew the art of being breathing trouble, after all, she wasn’t much different at Elyssia’s age so she knew the ins and outs of waging a war of nerves against her parents. Eli didn’t stand a chance.

She never gave up though. Cute, troublesome, inquisitive, noisy… those attributes all amounted to nothing in the face of her stubbornness.

My name is Elyssia, just simply Elyssia or Eli as my parents call me and I turned seven a few days ago. Some people like Mom have two names, Luna Palatina, and Dad, like me, is just called Lucious, plain and simple

They said only nobility can have more names in this country, which is kinda petty, hogging all the fun. I’m fine with only one name, it's a good one, it's mine. Still, a cool second one like Bestest or something would sound nice.

Elyssia

Age: 7

My parents always say ‘already seven’ and I feel it's more like only seven. Being seven means I can help out with some small chores like dusting or hauling water from the well, even if mom can just magic some up, or some weird useless tasks. As a seven-year-old however, the secret technique of throwing a fit has lost its effectiveness while acting cute and clueless no longer pulls me out of trouble.

I can’t think of a single benefit of being my age. I’m still not allowed to go anywhere without an adult pestering me or do anything even remotely dangerous like climbing a tree. I’m not that fragile for Gods’ sakes.

Every time I try to stand up for myself the same argument stands in my way. ‘Wait till you’re nine’. That’s two stinking years away! I can’t wait that long, that’s really long, almost as long as I’ve been alive… right?

The fun patrol, as I call this excessive parental prudence, makes my life boring, and will continue to do so until I’m nine and unlock my Journey Guide. Right now I have the dumbed-down version which shows what and who I am. I know that even without any fancy blue window, duh…

And so my circumstances bind me to the park and our house, which is quite close to the city center. Dad said it's because we arrived here when the settlement was founded, so there was a lot of space? Like… is it a first come first serve thing? They built our home using mostly bricks because they are better for insulation. I don't know what that means, nevertheless, it's pretty, homey, not too large with just enough room for anything I could need.

I often hear people gossiping about Valeria and the imperial family, so I guess that's where and under whom we live. The whispered words tell about good and bad alike for example how the peace has made us weak, how benevolent the Emperor is, long live the prince of the people blah blah blah... Why all the tittle-tattle when neither can we change anything about nor does it influence our lives? Some people have too much free time...

Anyway, we live near a lot of water that tastes horrible; who would make water just for it to be undrinkable… Mom says it's called seawater and it's salty. Salt tastes nice and water is refreshing so that name doesn't make too much sense. I still love the weird salty water that plays back and forth with the smooth sandy beach, never tired of playing the same game. I love gathering shells, digging in the sand, competing with my friends to see who can hold their breath the longest or going for a simple swim. I'd pick the Azure Shore any day of the week over the park if the adults weren't too lazy to take us there and Mom didn't complain about dirtying my clothes and making them fill with sand every single time. Not even my fault.

Mom can also make solid water or ice as she calls it and it's hard as a rock and touching it is weird. During the summer on the other hand… nice. That massive fireball in the sky, Solaire, just spews its heat until the night arrives and the three marbles take its place. The yellow Lunova, the patchy Arion, and the dark brownish Ebon. I prefer those three, still bright without all the nasty heat.

Mom is also weird because sometimes when I see her, her hair is white, her eyes light purple and her skin shiny pale. Usually on the streets outside she looks different, her hair brown and her eyes a darker blue, her skin isn’t shiny either. She said it's because people don't like her looks and so she decided to keep it a secret. Those people must be stupid, this is a word I learned from Dad and he said to never mention that in front of Mom. They are stupid because I think she’s so much prettier when her hair’s white.

I’m more like Dad, though, with a bit brighter emerald eyes and blondish hair, his is darker and straight while mine’s very light and a bit curly and his ears are also longer than mine.

Dad usually wears cool armor because he’s a hunter. Mom on the other hand is an adventurer, which basically is the same, they just work in different places. When dad is not hunting or playing with me, he plays with mom at night and I hear them being very loud about it... some sort of weird screaming game in their bedroom. When he’s not hunting or playing he's hanging out with the guard, he used to be one. Cool people who look grumpy walking down the streets and reprimand people who don't behave. They can be either really friendly or quite the opposite, their loss.

I’ve also made some friends here, weird ones but my weird ones. Connie, Nia, Jappo, and Frans; together we roam the streets of Meliorport looking for trouble… I mean fun things to do. Connie and Frans are human twins, both with brown hair, brown eyes, and olive skin while Nia is an elf like dad and Jappo is a gnome. Mom told me that if they ask just say I’m a half-elf, which is technically true, it's just that the celestial part is supposed to be a big secret. Connie and Frans are my age and Nia and Jappo are both a month older, despite that I’m still the second tallest among us. Nia can be really irritating and hard to talk to, just like Dad, while Jappo sucks at tag and other sporty games all while winning every smartish one; that's why we don't usually play those. Frans is the biggest troublemaker among us and Connie is a real trickster.

Today is one of those days. I was accompanied to the park, I met up with the gang and we snuck away. Being observed limits our options for fun and simply the act of tricking the adults is one of our favorite sources of entertainment.

“Okay guys, I know what we’re gonna do today.” Says Frans quietly. “We should find Dolores, Mrs. Maple’s cat. Just think about it… we bring Dolores back, we throw in some fancy words and nice smiles then Boom! Reward.” He lays out the plan, rubbing his hands. “Sound good?”

We’re in our secret meet-up spot, aka under the bridge next to the docks. Smells terrible and a bunch of people pass above us and… it doesn't have many good qualities now that I think about it.

“Why are you whispering?” Asks Jappo in a normal volume.

“Yeah, and why would you say guys? Most of us are girls?” I ask, earning nods in agreement from my fellow girls.

“And why do you sound like those soldiers from old James’s tales?” Chimes in Nia and we don’t even try to hold back snickers anymore.

“You guys can stop bugging me, ok? Any ideas on how to catch the cat?” Asks the boy again trying to redirect the conversation with embarrassment written across his face.

“Jappo, any ideas?” Echoes Nia.

“Why me?”

“Because you win every witty game we play and always complain about any plans we make!” I reply, stating the obvious, secretly intent on getting revenge for those lost games.

He huffs and speaks without any time needed to think. “Hmm, we could try to bait her with food, or get a jump on her, or just chase her but first we have to find where she is no?”

The plan seems solid if obvious, he really is our strategist even if I hate to admit that he’s smarter. My pride just won’t let me admit it. At least I’m faster, not as fast as Nia though.

“Then let’s go!” Says Frans as if issuing an order.

“With what cat? We have no idea where she is. And stop miming the soldiers from the stories!” Connie slaps her brother, earning another round of snickers.

***

After a quick lunch break interrupting our mission and a few hours of searching far and wide, we finally locate Dolores. The old black and chunky cat sunbathing lazily on a second-story windowsill near the docks.

“Fran can you get its attention while Nia and I climb up to catch it?” This time I came up with a plan.

“You want to climb up… to the second floor?” Asks Nia as if doubting she heard me right, a hesitant look in her eyes. “The cat has nine lives, we’ve only got one, I don't think this is a good idea.”

I hate losing and this does sound like backing off like a scaredy loser. “We tried calling her name, tried some snacks and nothing worked. If you are scared then I’ll do it, soon we’ll have to go home and I don’t like having my time wasted.”

After some hesitation, Nia agrees even if she’s still unsure. The two of us start climbing, using any hand holds we can find. Nia and I are the best suited for the job because of our elven blood, lending us light graceful yet strong bodies. Things go smoothly, we reach the cat and even manage to pet it, as it's too lazy to run away from us.

Now we’re faced with a mistake I made during the planning phase. How’ll we get her down? We need both of our hands to scale the wall, so there's no way of holding her. Then I get a brilliant idea, I pick Dolorez up and place her on top of my head, looking smug as hell.

“Super dumb idea..” Comes the immediate assessment from Jappo after seeing my questionable plan.

“Don’t worry, it shouldn’t be harder than climbing with a backpack, and getting down is a lot easier.” With that confident remark, I begin my descent.

It’s a bit more difficult with the additional weight but the way down is not too long, and hopefully, I won't make it any shorter with a misstep. A little bit over my height above ground Dolores decides that she has had enough of the trip and hops down right into Connie's hands, begging for attention. The jump sadly makes me lose my grip and with a yelp, I land on my bottom.

“Ouch, feels like my butt’s gonna fall off!” I cry out while rolling on the ground. “Damn beast, tried to kill me.” My indignation only grows when instead of worry in their eyes all I can see is my friends’ barely contained laughter.

I get up with a groan and activate my highest level ‘death stare’. This does it if they break… out laughing.

“Hahaha, run, she’s wounded now’s our chance!” They start fleeing as one, and I already have an idea of what I’ll do once I catch them.

Nia wasn’t wrong, my bum hurts like hell so there’s no way I can keep up. Unless… I snicker as I pretend to run after them and as soon as they round the corner I stop and change my course, going straight towards Mrs. Maple’s home.

***

I arrive before them and set up an ambush in a nearby bush. I don’t have to wait long before my prey arrives.

They walk up to the door, panting a little, with Frans about to knock. With the pieces in place, I spring the trap, leaping from my hiding spot and landing a swift kick on Nia’s bum. The first is quickly followed by a second and third, leaving only Frans unscathed who hurriedly knocks and attempts to escape.

“Your butt is mine!” I sneer wickedly and kick him the strongest just because.

All four of them are wiggling on the ground rubbing their backside as I practice my evil laugh over them.

“Revenge secured, it’s my victory.” I declare with a smug face and hands on my hips, while the others sniff the ground and groan in pain.

Their eyes snap at me with a dangerous glint as they all get up, it's their turn to deliver justice to me. I back away, about to be dogpiled and tickled to death when the door swings open and Mrs. Maple’s questioning gaze lands on us.

“Oh Dolores, you’re home early today.” She says as the cat runs inside between her legs “And what are you doing here children? Playing tag or something?” She asks with genuine curiosity in her eyes.

“Ah, good evening Mrs. Maple, we heard that your cat wandered off so we thought we could find her and get her back.” Nia says with a brilliant smile on her face.

Nice move Nia.

“Oh my, that's very thoughtful of you kids. The old puss lazes around the city daily and leaves the mice for me to catch. She always comes home for dinner though, that cute, ungrateful, and lazy creature.” She shakes her head looking back at her cat. “Anyways, it was fun seeing you kids, have a fun day.” With that, she goes back inside and shuts the door in our faces leaving us just standing there, stunned and unable to process what just happened.

All the previous tickling and stares are redirected from me to Frans in an instant. He starts backing off, raising his hands like a cornered rat.

“Hey, guys, I couldn’t have known, right? It was just a small mistake, right? And look at the bright side, we had fun ri~ght?”

It doesn’t matter how sweet his words are, silver tongue or no, his fate is already sealed.

***

By the time I get home, it's starting to grow dark outside and I'm as dirty as one can be, the aftermath of our free-for-all brawl. Totally spent and starving I make my way to the kitchen, where Mom prepares our dinner.

“Welcome home sweetie, I see you had a lot of fun today.” She greets me and she’s not wrong. “Dinner is ready in a minute.”

Despite our mission being a dead duck from the start, today was really fun. I’m about to sit down at the table when my other parent has to add his part.

“Oh no you don’t, not while looking like that. You’re as messy as someone who rolled around in the dirt. Wash up before the food is ready!” I can't help but roll my eyes, not because he’s wrong, his guess is spot on, I’m just too tired to act nice and obedient.

Dinner is tasty lamb stew melting in my mouth with plenty of veggies and not-so-fresh bread. Mom is a great cook, she’s as good as a Warrior can get. However, I think Dad is a little better and there’s no way I’ll ever say that out loud because I still wish to live a long and happy life.

The curse of wolfing down a good meal claims me right after the last bite rolls down my throat, my eyes feeling heavy, and yawns large enough to eat my feast escaping my mouth. Food coma, my old enemy.

“Someone seems sleepy,” Dad comments. “Just when we were about to have a grown-up conversation.”

His words act like a bucket of cold water, my eyes snapping open right away and I sit up ramrod straight in my chair.

Important things, interesting things… yes, worth every lost moment of sleep.

“You remember when we talked about your species right?” Dad continues, seeing that I’m up and attentive.

“Yeah, Celestial Elf, which means… Status.” I mutter and start reading out loud.

Racial Trait: Celestial Elf: A naturally agile and dexterous body immensely responsive to mana. Control over the arcane permeating every corner of reality is increased through the extensive mana vessel of the body that in turn makes it more vulnerable to outside influences of mana.

“Eli, what did I tell you?” Sighs mom while massaging her forehead.

“Uh, sorry.” I stop kicking the table’s leg, an old habit that’s hard to get rid of.

“No, the other one.” She mutters, looking to be on the verge of tears for some reason. “You don’t need to say it out loud, just think of the blue box or say Status in your head.”

Ah, that one. What does it even matter, saying it gets the job done all the same…

“Say, whenever anyone asked all you told them was that you’re a half-elf, right?” Mom asks, eyes warning me of the consequences of any answer other than yes.

I nod, of course I do. But for real, I did not reveal this secret of mine even to the gang, partly because saying I’m a half-elf is not actually a lie. Mom wants to keep her identity, and in turn mine, as a Celestial a secret for reasons she’s unwilling to tell. All I get is, you’ll understand when you get older, and because people can be very mean.

“And what does your Species Trait do?” Dad asks, returning to the so-called adult topic that is turning out to be very boring.

“Currently, nothing. But when I get older and can wield mana it’ll help me control it better.” I answer, losing interest by the second.

“And?”

“And whatever mana hits me, or heals me, or even tickles me will be much more effective.” I recite the rest of the explanation I heard years ago.

“You sadly inherited your mother’s weakness, not that we have any to begin with.” Dad adds smugly.

My eyes meet with mom’s, both of us knowing damn well what the other thinks. Yeah, elves. Actually, on second thought; I might’ve inherited some of that elven pride as well…

“Uhum, that's… nice?” I’m not too sure where this conversation is going. ”Will I also have cool white hair?”

Mom looks pleased with my question. “No, the cool hair is mine, you also won't have to hide your appearance either.” She leans forward still smiling like the cat who got the cream. “Eli you still have time, two years actually, to think about what you want to be when you grow up. Don't worry even if you change your mind later you can restart. Still, it's good to have an idea already as when you turn nine, your System unlocks and your journey begins.'' Mom has no more goofiness left on her face, we’re back in serious waters; talking about what my future might have in store.

“I think I understand what you mean but it’s not easy to decide. I don’t even know what my options are and I have no idea what would suit me. Mom, Dad can you show me?”