It's the year 1001. Within a small village by the seashore, cut off from the rest of the world by the surrounding forest, and vast sea, sits a mother and her son in a rocking chair. Fire cracks in the background as it keeps the house heated. The moonlight shines through the glass window in his room.
After a while she lets out a sigh of defeat.The mom gives up trying to rock her son to sleep. She reaches over to a nearby bookshelf and pulls out a thin, worn book.
???: "Mama will read you only one story, okay? It's really getting late, Ro-baby. You need to go to sleep."
She reaches out and scratches her sons head as she flips the book open. Her son looks up at her with tired, yet happy eyes.
???: "Story first, Mama!"
The mother smiles happily. She begins to read as her son stares at the simple illustrations.
???: "Many years ago there was a prophet. They lived alone on the edge of the world, where it was said you could hear the heart of the world beating."
The mother turns the page as her son lifts his hands up in unsuspecting suprise. She continues.
???: "It was like the heart was speaking to the prophet. Everytime it beat, the ground shook... the prophet would see a glimpse into the future. He saw stars, a group of stars that shined brightly together illuminating the world beneath them."
Her son begins to nod off as his head leans back against her chest. His hands fall to his sides. The mother flips to the final pages.
???: "The world would need their light. As the shadows within the world will always try to devour it. The prophet would look every night, trying to find those stars up in the sky. Eventually he gave up, he knew they would one day show up to take the world into their warmth and soothe the shadows until the beating stopped."
She looks down and immediately smiles with joy seeing her cute baby sleeping so soundly. She puts the book back on the shelf, then picks him up into her soft arms and carries him to his crib. She kisses the little horn on his bald head as she runs her finger down his cheek. She lies him down in his crib and tucks him in. The moonlight illuminates the young boy.
She slowly begins to walk away. She takes one look back as she arrives at the doorway. She admires how his pink skin glows in the moonlight. She blows him a kiss.
???: "Goodnight, Iskaro."
She closes the door and walks out to the living room. The cracking fire gets louder as the room comes into view. The red skin of her husband on the couch is a stark contrast to the soft brown from the wood and the dark sky behind him. She looks down at his hands as he fiddles with an arrow.
???: "What's the matter, Rokhar? Where'd that arrow come from?"
Her husband unrolls the message attached to the arrow and reads it to himself. His gaze grows more and more aggravated as he reads. He takes a deep breath before he looks up at her.
Rokhar: "Maelis, my love. I'm afraid I must go back to Drazkar. It seems they've found out I escaped and they're threatening to kill us all if I don't."
She looks at him with disappointment and sadness, even though she knew this would probably happen someday. She rubs her arm awkwardly knowing she's not going to be able to make him stay.
Maelis: "How do you know they won't hurt us, even if you do go? What if they hurt you instead? I can't live in peace knowing that."
He would stand up and walk towards her. He'd lean down slightly and wrap his arms around her waist. He hugs her tightly.
Rokhar: "I'm not as strong as I used to be. I can't risk not taking this chance. This is my only shot at trying to protect what we fought so hard to get. Let our son be memory of that."
She digs her nails into his back as tears form in her eyes. She bites her lip to stop it from trembling.
Maelis: "I know, I know, but... You boys are my everything. I'll be left half empty without you. Promise you'll come back, these years are going to be rough without you and I need the hope, even if it's false that you'll come back to me."
Tears would fall down Rokhar's face first. He nods his head before speaking.
Rokhar: "Yes, I promise. I'll come back. One day we'll be reunited again, Mae. Take care of yourself and our boy. Will you help me pack? I don't want to forget anything?"
She playfully slaps his back as she buried her face in his chest, silently crying against him.
Maelis: "You're going to fall apart without me aren't you?"
Rokhar smiles to himself as he slowly pulls away. He holds her hand gently and guides her to their bedroom.
After packing his things, and leaving some purposely behind, he heads into his sons room. He walks right up to the crib and lays on of his sheathed Dao blades right beside him.
Rokhar: "I remember when I got my first weapon, Iskaro. You're even younger than I was. Now we each have one of these blades. It's your responsibility to give it back to me one day, okay?"
Rokhar gently caresses the back of his nails against his son's cheek. Tears begin to fall down his face once again. He stands and wipes his face. He backs away a few steps, unable to take his eyes of his son that he may never see again.
Rokhar leaves the room and slowly shuts the door. The fire goes out in the fireplace. He walks towards the front door and hears sobbing from his bedroom. He clenches his fist enough to draw blood. He wants to console his wife, but he knows that many more nights like this will come.
Rokhar: "So long, my peace."
Rokhar opens the door and steps outside. His metal prosthetic leg clanks against the stone path as he shuts the door behind him. He walks off in the silence of the night, the moonlight illuminating his tears as they fall to the ground.
...
13 years later...
Iskaro's POV...
I sit atop a guard tower overlooking the village. The people shopping, the kids playing, and the laundry hanging. I overlook the outside walls. Impatiently waiting for any monster to wander into my sight. I balance my blade on my fingernail, trying to keep my hands busy.
Iskaro: "There have been so many news articles in the past few years talking about increased monster numbers in Valeris. I'm really not seeing it."
I continue to keep an eye out throughout the day. Eventually I'd spot some E-Rank Water Slimes over by the shore. I grab my burlap sack and Dao blade before I hop down from the guard tower and walk along the wall protecting the village.
Iskaro: "I guess this is more money in my pocket. It's all just going to be wasted on Magic School applications anyway. It's not like it matters."
I hop down off of the wall and head down towards the shore. The smell of salt fills the air as the sound of waves crashing against rocks fills my ears. The horde of Water Slimes look cuter and cuter the closer I get.
Iskaro: "Alright, you cuties. Who wants to get killed first?"
I look down at them with a smile on my face before I'm suddenly, and relentlessly blasted with water. I'm now completely soaked and irritated. I walk up and crouch down. I stick my hand into the Water Slime and rip its Soul Orb out. The slime slowly melts into a puddle of water, infuriating his fellow companions.
Iskaro: "Don't look at me like that. I was being friendly. You guys are the ones who ruined it."
...
I finish putting the last Soul Orb from the Water Slimes into my burlap sack as my shift finishes. I head back into the village and walk around, while spinning the sack in my hand. I get my usual stares as I walk around the village. You'd figure after 15 years, they'd get used to the guy with pink skin and a white horn at the top of his forehead. Or maybe I'm the problem for thinking they're judging me based off of how I look.
Before I realize it I'm at the merchant's booth. I wait patiently for my turn in the line. Once it comes, I step up and set my burlap sack down on the counter. I pull the sides down, revealing the 12 E-Rank Water Slime Soul Orbs.
???: "Hey, kid. Is that all you got from today's watch? I'm starting to think those newspapers about the increased monster numbers are a lie, maybe they're trying to get more people to become adventurers or join the military."
I snap my fingers in front of his face, finally getting his attention after calling his name multiple times.
Iskaro: "Frank, I get it. I was thinking the same thing. Just give me my 24 Bronze Pum so I can go back home already."
Frank rolls his eyes at me. He turns around and opens a drawer with small bronze beads in it. He scoops some into a small pouch before he spins back around and holds them out towards me.
Frank: "Here you go, kid. Maybe you can buy a new attitude. That's why you keep getting rejected from those magical schools, you know?"
I look at him with a deadpan look before I grab the sack of 24 Bronze Pum. I begin to walk away before I look back over my shoulder.
Iskaro: "No, Frank. My lack of magic is why I keep getting rejected."
I turn my head forward and grab my burlap sack before I walk off.
Frank: "You see what I mean about that attitude?"
I bow my head in frustration. I know he's right, but damn, is he annoying about it. I walk to my house the closer I get, the better the smell. I finish walking up the small hill, my mom stands outside, her large, light green grimoire by her side as she dries the laundry with her magic. She's never talked much about her past, but all I know is that her grimoire is stacked with spell pages.
She catches me staring as she looks over her shoulder at me.
Maelis: "Don't judge your mother just because I fell asleep and started the laundry late."
I smile at her as I finish walking up to our cozy home.
Iskaro: "I wasn't doing that at all. Dinner smells great, Mama. I'm going to head inside and get changed."
As I head inside I hear her call out to me. I lean my head past the door with one foot in the house, so I can look at her.
Maelis: "You got a letter today from a magic academy. I set it on your bed. I think the name was 'Bastion's Magical Battling Academy'."
I sound surprised. That name, it really doesn't sound familiar. I'm sure I would've remembered the trip I took to get there and what tests I had to take to get in.
Iskaro: "Alright, I'll check it out. Thanks for telling me."
I head inside and close the door behind me. I walk over to my room. I drop my burlap sack and sheathed Dao blade on the rocking chair. I walk past the pile of rejection letters on the floor. I sit down on my bed and pick the envelope up. The sun shines directly through my window, illuminating the envelope as I hold it up. I open it and begin to read it.
Iskaro: "Greetings, Iskaro Durnhart. We here at 'Bastion's Magical Battling Academy' have just opened up in the Capital of Valeris, 'Lumereth'. We have been reviewing students all across the continent seeing who's the best fit. Our dream is to create top-tier mages who accel in battle. We believe you fit this vision. We are aware that you are currently unable to use magic, however you're unique heritage and physical capabilities are more than enough to fit our criteria. Please come to 'Lumereth' within these summer months if you'd like to join."
I don't even read who signed the letter. I'm getting hand picked to go to school, a brand new school? I don't like what I'm smelling. Increased monster numbers? A new school specifically for creating top-tier mages?
How suspicious...I unconsciously sniff the air and my hesitation clears as a gorgeous scent floods my senses.
Iskaro: "That's right, I got to get changed, so I can eat dinner already!"
End of Iskaro's POV...
End of Chapter 1...