The carriage bounced over a rut in the road, rattling its contents. Ciar, nestled in his mother's arms, bolted awake. He leaned his head back, forgetting once again about the two new protrusions on his head. The tips of his dull gray horns poked into the soft flesh of his mother's neck, pricking the skin a little before Mariam awoke with a start. After realizing the cause of the small pain in her neck, she smiled down at him, shifting his horns gently to the side. Ciar smiled back at her. He would have reached out to help her, or at least apologized for his mistake, but he already knew she would simply tell him she was fine and that she loved him so much.
Closing his eyes again, Ciar sighed in his heart. It had been nearly two weeks since the horns started growing. At first, both of his parents had been jubilant, as he was incredibly early. Usually, Fellite children did not start growing horns until their first birthday, yet here he was, growing them at 11 months old. They knew what the horns meant. Soon, their son would start emitting a mana signature, as he would be unable to control his mana enough to stop the leak. This was common in Fellite children, as the horns signified a jump in magic power. This raw jump in power manifested itself in the shape of horns on the Fellite's head. These horns were extremely mana sensitive, and often grew large with a larger mana pool. With enough control, a Fellite could control how large their horns were, and in rare cases, manipulate their appearance. However, his parent's joy soon turned to worry, as even three weeks after growth, he still emitted no mana signature. While this was not unheard of, children with this symptom often lacked mana all together, and would be shunned by the Fellite community. His horns were also a dull grey color, once again ignoring a both traits from his mother and father. This development had spurred them on toward Osarith with renewed vigor.
Ciar had thought about simply telling them that his mana was replaced by Void Power, but he stopped himself. He would have to wait until his birthday to do that. He had learned, through eavesdropping on his parents conversations, that children only gained access to the system at the age of one. Nobody had ever gained access early, and nobody had ever gained access late. Due to this development, Ciar had forced himself to hold out. He and his parents were both more comfortable with his way of speaking now. He had slowly began to say more words and form more complete sentences. His parents, while amazed, had taken his development well, often helping his vocabulary grow by pointing out things around them and telling him what they were. His mother, especially, took great joy in teaching him. She had told him numerous stories over the past 5 months, and his knowledge had grown exponentially as a result.
In just three days, he would turn 1 year old in this new life. After that, he could tell his parents about his Void Power. While he hoped this could ease one of their worries, he also wondered if it might cause another one. He still did not know if anyone had ever had Void Power before, or if he was unique. This prospect scared him a little, but he had decided to trust his parents. Over the first year of his new life, his outlook on the world around him had changed drastically. Emotions had started to feel much more natural, as opposed to the void he felt before. He had slowly developed a love for his 'parents.' He could tell that both of them loved him dearly, and he naturally began to reciprocate that love. He knew he could trust them with his secret. Reaffirming his decision in his mind, Ciar once more drifted asleep under the the faint light of the rising sun.
Three days later, Ciar turned 1. His parents had stopped the cart by the edge of the road and prepared a small celebration for him. His father had disappeared briefly, returning later with a small hare tucked under one arm. While the rabbit roasted slowly over a small fire, his mother had turned to him, a question forming on her lips.
"Ciar, have you noticed anything strange? Like floating screens and messages?" She asked, her voice soothing.
"Yes. What are they?" Ciar responded, feigning ignorance about the system.
"It's something called the system. It tells us what spells and skills we have, how much health and mana we have, and a lot of other useful things. If you look at the boxes, you should be able to read them. This is because the system exists in your mind, and you can naturally understand it."
"Why did I never have before?" Ciar asked, still keeping up his ploy.
"The system only appears to children on their first birthday. It stays with them the rest of their life. Now Ciar, there is something that mom and dad would like you to check. First, I want you to think status. Can you do that?"
"Yes." Ciar responded. 'Status'.
Status Name: Ciar Race: Primordial Oblivion (Primordial) Age: 1 year (about 50 million years) Sex: male Fame: 0 Currency: 0G,0S,0C Class: none Subclass: none Subclass: none Subclass: none Level: 1 (0/20) Skill Points: 0 Titles none Attributes Health: 50/50 Void Power: 120/120 Health Regen: 1.0/min Void Power Regen: 1.5/min Strength: 3 Constitution: 3 Dexterity: 3 Perception: 3 Intelligence: 30 Wisdom: 25 WIllpower: 25 Spirit: NA (sub)Physical Resistance: 3 (sub)Magic Resistance: 25 Skills Void Body (MAX) Void Mind (MAX) Void Power (MAX) Void Control (MAX) Primordial Oblivion (MAX) Status Conceal (MAX) none none Spells none
"Wow!" Ciar said, as if marveling at his status.
'It seems as if my health has increased significantly with age. My Void Power has also slightly grown, perhaps due to my horns. My physical attributes have improved as well, though my mental ones remained the same. I would have thought they would have gone up with all the knowledge I have been learning recently. Maybe there is a limit to how much it can increase from basic world knowledge.' Ciar thought as he inspected his status.
"Now," Mariam said, "if you look right next to your health, you should see a box with the word Mana in it. Can you tell mother what it says in that box?" Mariam asked, her voiced tinged with worry.
"It doesn't say mana. It says Void Power." Ciar responded, slightly worried as he watched for his parents' reactions. Mariam's mouth dropped open, and Isaac stopped spinning the rabbit over the fire. They glanced at each other, mouths still open. Mariam turned back to Ciar, reaching out and grasping his shoulders. She knelt in front of him, staring straight into his eyes.
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
"You are sure that is what it says Ciar. Absolutely sure." She said, enunciating the last two words with distinct syllables.
"Y-Yes," Ciar stammered, now scared something was wrong, " It says V-Void Power: 120/120."
Mariam's face froze again, before she pulled him into a tight hug, he sobs wracking her body.
"Oh Ciar...Ciar...I can't believe it. You're void-touched. Your a void-touched!" She sobbed. She sat back, smiling through her tears. Isaac, abandoning the hare, came over and hugged Ciar tight, before turning and joyfully embracing his wife.
"This explains everything!" He said excitedly. "The early development. The hair, the eyes, the horns. The lack of Mana signature. Everything! I can't believe we didn't think of it before. I guess...it's just so rare it never crossed our minds."
Tears of relief began to fill Ciar's eyes. He had been worried his parents would hate him. That they would cast him out as a monster. Now that that worry had been vanquished, he felt a sense of relief he had never experienced before. It was as if a great burden had been lifted off his shoulders. A lot more than just the worry of his parents love had been put to rest with those statements. He now knew that a status check would not be necessary. He felt liberated. Free from an oppressive fear that had lingered in the back of his mind since the beginning of the journey. He stumbled forward into the welcoming arms of his parents. The family spent the next few minutes just sitting there, crying tears of relief.
"I think," Isaac said as he pulled away, "we need to explain to you what it means to be void-touched."
Ciar simply nodded. He wanted to know as well. If there was something truly special about having Void Power in this world, than he would rather know about it.
"You see Ciar, void-touched are very very rare. People still aren't sure how they come to exist. They seem to appear at random, without any relation to status or parentage. Void-touched do not have access to mana, but instead harness something called Void Power. This is much more powerful than mana, though it is limiting as well. You won't be able to cast elemental magic, but your expertise in other areas will make up for it. Void-touched often develop much faster than other beings, and they characteristically have gray hair and eyes. We simply didn't think of the option since only 3 void-touched have ever existed in the known history of the world. All three are great historical figures who brought about great change. You are a special person, Ciar. Your power is not something to be ashamed of. No, it is something you should embrace. Your destiny is much larger than your mother and I." Isaac explained, his voice filled with pride.
Ciar stared back at his father, slightly confused.
'Three void-touched? I am positive the Progenitor only sent down one spawn before me. That was many years ago, but I remember it clearly. Did the Progenitor simply deem the other two worthy of have Void Power? Well, I guess it really doesn't matter much. If void-touched are such well respected individuals, it seems I won't have to worry about being hated for my looks. Though, I'm not sure if I want to be famous. I think I would rather explore the world in relative peace...'
Shaking himself, he returned his attention to his father, who was staring at him expectantly, waiting for him to say something.
"So...I'm special?" Ciar asked, deciding to act like her was confused and surprised about this new development.
"Very special Ciar. I reckon you can get into just about any academy in Osarith." Mariam replied.
"What if...I don't want people to know I'm void-touched?" Ciar asked, uncertain how the question would be received.
A look of confusion flashed across both his parents, before Isaac responded uncertainty.
"If that is what you want, we can request a private appraisal from instructors. I bet they would gladly keep your secret just for the opportunity to teach a void-touched."
"Let's do it that way." Ciar responded, his voice resolute.
His parents looked down at him, nodding in agreement. He sensed that, while they couldn't quite completely understand his decision, they knew why he had done it. He didn't want a lot of fake friends that were only drawn to him because of his power. He wanted friends that truly valued him as a person.
---------------------------------------------
Several months later, Osarith finally came into view. Ciar stared at it, mesmerized by the city. While Mariam had described it too him, nothing compared to actually seeing it. The first thing one would notice is that the city was floating. The massive island hung in the air, tethered to the ground by great cables. The cables often flickered with magical power, lighting up the sky with a dazzling display of power. Great walls were the only thing visible on the island besides the teleportation pads positioned outside them at the four cardinal directions. While not much could be seen of the city above, the same could not be said for below. Surrounding the crater that used to house the landmass the upper city now rested on, a large circle of houses sat. This was the Decrepitus, the most run down portion of the city. They did not have the privilege of walls or of being in the air. The only access to the city proper was the four great teleportation pads. In the ground city, this pads were housed inside large towers that dominated their surroundings. Under constant guard, only those with special permission or money could enter the city proper. In this manner, the nobles and middle class lorded above the poor. They kept the upper city clean of the filth below, while still collecting taxes from it.
When he had first heard of the city, he had wondered how the people of the Decrepitus did not revolt. Upon asking Mariam, he had learned that there had been several revolts, but not a single one had made it past the teleportation circles. The circles supply of magical powered was located in a single power plant located at the core of the landmass. All the nobles had to do was shut the teleportation circles down, and nobody from the ground below could get up. Then, utilizing the magician corps, they could rain death upon the people below, punishing them for the rebellion. It was a cruel, unchangeable fate that awaited the people living in the Decrepitus. Only with extreme luck would one ever make it up to the city above.
When they had passed through the Decrepitus, Ciar tried to ignore the people that stared at him from the shadows. Many were missing various different body parts, though some seemed to have reattached limbs that did not quite fit their body. Upon seeing Ciar looking at these people, Mariam had quickly covered his eyes and pulled him close to her, keeping him there until they reached the teleportation tower. As they approached, a guard stopped them and asked them for the teleportation fare. While expensive, Isaac had anticipated it, and had the money ready. With all the travel expenses, Isaac had figured he had just enough money to rent a small room in an inn until he found a job that could pay for a better home. After the tax, Mariam and Isaac both had their statuses check by the guard. The process took all of three seconds. Both of them placed their hands on a small ball that floated above a pedestal. The guard read their status as it was transmitted to him through the magic link. After confirming they were non-hostile, the guard allowed them to pass.
Upon entering the tower, Ciar realized it was not simply one big teleportation circle. The tower had a diameter of about 200 meters, and its inside was completely hollow. There were no upper floors, and the ground floor was covered in over a thousand circles of differing size. One circle, positioned in the center of the room, was about 50 meters in diameter. Ciar assumed this was used to transport large caravans or groups of soldiers. Using a smaller teleportation portal designed for one carriage, the family felt the space around them warp. The next second, they were standing in the open air, on top of a large teleportation platform positioned just outside the southern gate of the Communia Wall. Isaac and Mariam both had to have their statuses checked again, this time with a larger ball, before they could enter the Communia district. Isaac managed to find a room in small, but well kept inn near the edge of the ring. With his current amount of 60 silvers, they would be able to rent the room for 20 days. Isaac hoped that that would be enough time for him to land some kind of guard job in the city. Mariam had volunteered to work as well, but Isaac had vetoed her decision, telling her she needed to stay with Ciar.
The room was small, with only one bed, a desk, and a closet to keep clothing in. The carriage was kept in the stables located to the right of the inn. Ciar fell asleep between his parents, enjoying the sensation of finally have a good bed beneath him.