Tale of Eldramir

The walk from their home to the Alkena manor wasn’t a long one, but it was still long enough to be frustrating as the people in the town gave him weird looks. Most were forced to look away as Warren and Theo flashed their eyes at the people who stared.

It was more annoying than anything, as no one had ever actually done anything to him, but the unfortunate fact of the matter was that most people knew who Void mages were. Especially when they started getting older than five to six years old.

The reason for this was due to a couple of reasons. First was that he wasn’t in school even though he was obviously old enough. The second was because of the fact that upon becoming a Tier one Mage a person’s eye color would change to reflect their respective element. This wasn’t the best indicator for a Tier one Mage, as a few colors were common, but for the more unique colors this worked quite well.

Sometimes, a child not in school was considered a prodigy, but only if their eye color reflected their mana, as it meant that they were prodigies that had already opened their first Chakra before the age of ten. They were usually the children of nobles or those that had connections with the Church that could afford to get access to the various materials that would increase the speed of one’s magical development.

Ezekiel’s family did not have the necessary connections, and even if they did, him becoming and official Tier one Mage would make the fact that he was a Void Mage all the more obvious due to the changes he would undergo. These unfortunate circumstances meant that it was impossible to hide the fact that he was a Void Mage.

Regardless of these circumstances, however, Ezekiel still considered himself to be quite lucky, as he knew for a fact that there were Void Mages that were far worse off than himself. Nowadays, most Void Mages were lucky if they could get work as porters for one of the various parties going in and out of the Lost Wilderness, or on the opposite side of the city near the port area.

He had only been that far into the city once, and it was so far away that it was several hours away by foot. At least one hour by carriage.

He really never realized just how big this city was. But considering a large portion of the city was like a slice of pie cut from a circle to open it up to the northern forest of Erenon it wasn’t too strange for it to be so big. Second biggest city in the Willowbrush Empire as well, so Ezekiel figured that it had to be this big if it was only one step down from the capital.

One would think that such an opening into the heart of the city would be a massive security issue, but invaders would have to first get through the countless Spirit Beings that lived there before they got anywhere close. Most people who entered the Spirit Lands or tried to get into the forest were taken care of fairly quickly if they didn’t have a special Spirit Badge that would allow them to enter without fear of death. The dozens of small patrols that were constantly checking and rechecking the security were another safety precaution.

The various looks that he and his father got weren’t too bad though. Most people were too busy at the moment to really pay them more than a passing glance. It was the end of the week before this year’s awakening ceremony after all. So, everybody around had much more important things to be worrying about than a random kid Void Mage.

“Are you excited for tomorrow?” Warren asked Ezekiel as they got closer to the Alkena manor. It had been a quiet walk up until this point, but as they got closer to the Inner City the number of people increased, as did the number of busy bodies moving about. This meant more distractions so he wasn’t the center of attention any more.

“I’m a bit nervous.” Ezkiel replied with his head down. “My life’s been pretty good. I know it could be worse, but I can’t help but worry that Wendy and Ellen will end up like me.”

Warren couldn’t help but wince as he heard his son’s response. Although he and Evelyn had done their best, it just wasn’t possible to keep people from discriminating against Void Mages. There was too much bad history to just move past it all. If a Void Mage could simply do something with their magic, then maybe things would be different. But the methods for a Void Mage to cultivate mana just didn’t exist, and the cost to do it artificially was too expensive.

He had always hoped that Ezekiel would be the first natural Tier one Void Mage, but as far as he knew, there hadn’t been any progress for the past five years. He sometimes felt like kicking himself for having such high expectations for a child. Millenniums had passed without any signs of Void Magic being discovered, and if it hadn’t happened already, then it wasn’t going to happen anytime soon.

Were Exekiel able to read his father’s mind, he would certainly feel both pride and guilt at the fact that he was fulfilling his father’s hope, but also lying to him about his magic.

“It’s alright to be nervous, but I’d be incredibly happy if your sisters were just like you. Afterall, who wouldn’t want two more genius daughters who managed to pass the test required for acceptance into the Magic Academies.” Warren said with a smile on his face as he ruffled Ezekiel’s hair. Laughing a little as Ezekiel made a small noise of annoyance before trying to tidy up his hair.

“Dad!” Ezekiel said in a huff after finally flattening out his hair again. Warren just chuckled again as they finally arrived at the Alkena Auction House.

Making their way through the gates, Warren and Ezekiel made their way through the large buildings and into the manor area where Sherra was waiting for them, having been notified by the gate guards that they had arrived.

Sherra had changed a fair bit in the past five years. Now with her hair grown out to just past her shoulders and kept in a loose ponytail behind her neck, she was no longer decked out in the uniform and armor of Harkem City guards, she was dressed in the uniform of the Alkena Auction House instead. As well, there was a small rusty red dog sitting next to her.

The dog in question marked the biggest change that Sherra had undergone, as it indicated that she had successfully found and bonded with a compatible Spirit who would share its life with her.

A Tier two Spirit, the fire attributed canine was officially Sherra’s most loyal companion, having undergone an incredible amount of growth, what with it originally being a Tier one Spirit when bonded with just over four years ago. It had Tieried up when helping Sherra undergo her own breakthrough, aiding her in channeling her mana to open her third Chakra, something that Sherra never thought would happen.

“Warren! Ezekiel! It’s good to see you both. How have you been? Are you both ready for the girl’s big day tomorrow?” Sherra spoke at a rapid speed as she questioned Warren and Ezekiel as fast as she could. Even with her change in responsibilities and the fact that she had sent her son away five years ago, nothing had managed to douse her fiery and passionate attitude. The fact that she hadn’t been able to say hello the last few times they had visited also contributed to her currently exuberant behavior.

“Sherra. Good to see you. I’m sorry I missed you the last time I visited.” Warren said with an apologetic wave. Theo then jumped down from Warren’s shoulder and marched up to the small dog on the ground. Although roughly the same size, the fiery pup was utterly submissive to the radiant cat. If dogs could sweat, this one most certainly would be as it sat up straighter in the face of the much more powerful Spirit in front of it. “Theo, don’t be a bully to Feris.”

The small dog, Feris, turned its head to give Warren a thankful look, but immediately looked back at Theo as the cat Spirit hissed loudly. Ezekiel couldn’t help but let out a chuckle as he saw the traditional dog and cat dynamic be reversed like this.

“Hehe, come on now you scaredy dog. Don’t just let him bully you like that, you’re my partner, aren’t you?” Sherra said with a laugh and a smile. Feris gulped nervously before standing up and raising its hackles before giving out a loud bark that echoed through the corridor.

There was little reaction on Theo’s part as the bark just caused some of his fur to be slightly blown back. Theo gave an aloof and careless look as he continued to stare down Feris. Finally, as the three humans watched, Theo gave a short nod before turning and jumping back on Warren’s shoulder.

“... Well, that wasn’t at all pointless.” Ezekiel muttered under his breath as he moved forward to give Sherra a hug. Which she gladly reciprocated. “It’s nice to see you, Lady Sherra. I’m sorry we couldn’t meet much these last couple of weeks.”

“It’s no worry, Ezekiel, even if it’s been a while, it’s always good to see you. Especially when I know you’ve been helping my Shari out as much as you have.” Sherra said as she let go of Ezekiel and ruffled his hair, just as his father had not too long before. He once again gave off an annoyed huff as he tried to straighten out his hair.

“Ezekiel!” a high pitched and happy voice called out from further down the hall.

Caught off guard, Ezekiel wasn’t able to brace himself before a red headed missile hit him from the side. He reflexively used a couple motes of his mana to reinforce his body so that he wouldn’t hurt himself when he hit the ground. Something that neither Sherra nor Warren noticed as they watched in bemusement.

“Shari! What?! Why are you still home? Shouldn’t you be going to school today?” Ezekiel asked in confusion as he looked at the girl lying on top of him.

“Ha! I finally know something you don’t.” Shari said as she sat up and climbed off of Ezekiel. “The Church closes their facilities the day before the Awakening Ceremony in order to ensure that there aren’t any possible issues, as well as to ensure that all the names of the families participating can be sent to the appropriate rooms for their ceremony.”

Shari stood proudly as she explained what was going on. As she stood there, Ezekiel stood up to look at the little girl who was once too shy to speak even a single word in his presence just a few years ago. She was no longer the nervous little mouse she used to be. She had grown up into an excitable ten-year-old, one who was steadfast and stubborn when it came to the things she cared about. Which happened to include Ezekiel after having known him for so long.

“Now c’mon, c’mon, we just got a new batch of items from the Guild. We’ll be auctioning them off soon, but I wanted to show them to you before they all go away.” Shari was practically bouncing in place as she started dragging Ezekiel off to their manor’s storage facilities. “Papa is already over there, so we should be able to go in as soon as we get there!”

“Ah, Shari, Shari! Dad, please help!” Ezekiel said as he was dragged away. Warren just laughed as he saw the two children having fun.

“You’ll be alright son! Go have fun and return that book while you’re at it.” Warren said as Ezekiel was pulled around the corner. The smile on his face dropped as he turned to Sherra.

“New relics from the guild? Ones that that damned cult didn’t get their hands on first?” He said to Sherra as he stood on guard. “I’m surprised that Lord Forret is allowing it, given his most recent ‘City Improvement Reforms.’ Don’t they all have to be checked by the’Lord’s Inspector’s’ before they can go on sale?”

Sherra looked a little nervous for a second. Realizing that this information might be troublesome for Warren, as he was officially employed by the city, and therefore the Harkem family which Lord Forret was currently the temporary head of. At least until his older brother, Duke Harper, returns from the borders of the Desolate Lands.

“... Technically, the new reform only states that relics must be checked before being released for sale to the public. So, if they’re held and sold in private, at an invitation only auction, for instance, or outside the city, then it means that no laws are being broken. Besides, Lord Forret has no right to confiscate these relics if they don’t go up for sale. Until such a time as this occurs, they are considered the private property of the Alkena family.” Sherra said as she fidgeted under Warren’s intense gaze, growing nervous as he didn’t say anything when she finished.

“Good job!” Warren finally said as he gave Sherra a thumbs up. The serious look on his face looked ridiculous as he used a bit of his mana to make his face sparkle as he reassured her that things were okay.

“Warren!” Sherra exclaimed in exasperation. Her friend was always serious when he was on the job, or when it came to his family, but when neither of those were involved, he sometimes acted like far too much of a goofball to be taken seriously.

“What? I can’t be happy that my friends managed to find their way around a ridiculous scheme created by a worthless man who has been trying to enforce rules and laws that would see my son fail at every turn?” Warren asked with a raised eyebrow as he looked at Sherra. “Besides, we both know that the only reason that reform was made was to take a shot at your family’s auction house. You’re one of three organizations that can acquire and sell relics, and the only one that is based in this city. That makes you a target. Especially since it’s well known that you don’t agree with the Count’s stance on things.”

“Well, I’m hoping you’ll be able to keep what I’m about to tell you about a secret for as long as possible. And maybe be there when we hand something over to the Church of Ten.” Sherra says nervously as Feris comes up and rubs against her leg encouragingly. Warren just looks at her curiously, as he can tell that this is something that is seriously bothering her. “One of the relics we acquired. It’s been decided we’re going to give it to the Church of Ten as soon as possible. If those Church of Light cultists get their hands on it, they’re certain to destroy it.”

Warren and Theo both stand up straighter as they hear this. Only the most dangerous of relics were straight up destroyed, as they almost all originated from either the Age of Growth, when the Ancients were still present, or the Age of Hubris, when humanity was at its highest. Almost all relics from those eras were of great contribution to the development of humanity after the Age of Despair fractured the world into factions as they did their best to fight off the Brood’s Cruor.

“Is it dangerous?” Warren asked as he started to take this more seriously. “If it is, then I don’t know why destroying it would be a bad thing. Keeping it from that cult is a must, but keeping it from being destroyed?”

“It’s not dangerous. Not at all. In fact, we can’t figure out what it does at all. We’ve actually only discovered one thing about it.” Sherra explained as she alleviated some of Warren’s worries.

“And that is?” Warren asked, now once again curious as to what the issue was.

Sherra spoke softly, as if worried that her words would be heard even though there was no one even close enough to be able to.

“The relic has mana, but no affinity. It’s a relic left behind by the Ancient of the Void.”