VOLUME 1 - THE MAGIC OF ALNEATIS
CHAPTER 1 - THE DETECTION
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Recommended music : Dark Fantasy Studio - Fallen leaves (link in the footnote)
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Once upon a time, there was a world that was very different from ours.
In this world, all living beings were able to sense the six primal powers. Some could even tap into their strength and manipulate them. It was commonly called: magic. This magic existed in many forms and it was as diverse as the peoples who used it, as distinct as each creature that walked, ran, crawled, or flew across the surface of this strange planet.
In this world, there were fantastic animals and people with incredible powers.
In this world, there was also a very ordinary mountain, high without being gigantic, and covered by a scattered forest of fir trees. In the late afternoon sun, whose rays passed easily through the treetops to illuminate the leaves on the ground, a slender child moved slowly and with the graceful agility of the hunter. His gentle footsteps seemed to caress the fine carpet of thorns that littered the ground and all of his attention was focused on a trunk not far from him. The light seemed to envelop him like a shiny cloak, reflecting off his blond hair and bringing out his blue-gray eyes. His delicate lips stretched out in a concentrated smile, revealing little white teeth.
Suddenly, the boy ran like a spring with his arms forward and his hands almost closed but his target, a magnificent butterfly with wings of all colors, was faster than him and flew away nonchalantly. He then quietly flew back and forth, as if to taunt him, before finally disappearing behind a tree. The child, instead of getting angry, smiled even more: he enjoyed the pleasure of this hunt and he had not said his last word. As he watched the animal move away, his eyes suddenly turned golden, similar to those of a wild cat. Instantly, the world as he perceived it was transformed, and it became stranger: everything he saw seemed to emit a color, an aura, more or less strong. The butterfly, for example, shone particularly brightly and stood out from the rest of the forest. The hunt therefore resumed and the hunter set off again in pursuit of his prey.
The next attempt was no more successful than the first, but the next one nearly succeeded. After stealthily approaching his target, the child's hands had managed to close around him, effectively making a makeshift cage: he was holding it! The hunter's face was adorned with a proud and victorious smile, which finally turned into a grimace of disappointment when the butterfly, which was trying to escape, suddenly began to melt, turning into a strange and slimy multi-colored liquid. It slipped through the boy's fingers despite his efforts to catch him and fell to the ground. Before he reached it, the animal returned to its original form and moved away again, much more quickly this time.
As the child was about to pursue him, he heard the sound of a foghorn in the distance. The throbbing sound seemed to call him, and the frustrated hunter took one last vexed look at the place where his target had disappeared, then he turned and ran towards the village.
When he left the forest, the view of the hamlet where he had grown up was offered to him. There wasn't much here: a few houses scattered on the mountainside, mostly shepherds' and farmers' homes. Few people lived in the small community, and even fewer went there throughout the year. The nearest town was a half-day trip away, the capital almost a week. The child, whose name was Elenael, lived alone with his grandfather, Alric, who he saw cutting wood in the distance. The old man would probably use it for fire or to make sculptures for sale at the market.
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Alric saw him arrive with a kind smile. In a voice made a bit rocky by living in the open air, he asked him:
“So Elenael, how was your butterfly hunt?”
The boy answered him with pride:
“Grandpa! I almost got a new one for my collection! This one had the power of water...” Then his face showed disappointment and he added with less energy: “He managed to escape through my fingers.”
His grandfather laughed and comforted him. “It doesn't matter, animals are meant to live in freedom, not locked in jars. Go and wash up and get ready to have dinner.”
Elenael gave him a quick hug and went back into the house singing. His grandfather watched him leave with a bit of sadness, as he knew that his grandson often felt alone: his parents had disappeared soon after he was born and he had not known them. On top of that, no other children of Elenael's age who could have played with him lived nearby. Yet, despite his solitude, he was always full of energy and kindness for the villagers. Everyone loved him here. With a wrinkled forehead and a worried face, Alric went back in.
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Recommended music : Dark Fantasy Studio - Let me out (link in the footnote)
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Night had fallen while Elenael and Alric were preparing the meal and they were both sitting at their plates. As usual, the boy talked - a lot - and his grandfather listened patiently. During a moment of silence, while Elenael was eating his soup with a slight face, Alric asked him with a smile, “So what color was this butterfly?”
“It was very beautiful: its wings were mostly yellow and green. Its light reminded me of that of the moon when it reflects on the pond...”
Alric frowned. This was a secret, shared only between the two of them: from an early age, Elenael was able to see things when he concentrated and observed people or animals. Even in this world filled with magic, Alric did not know anyone who could distinguish the aura of living beings. This worried him a bit, as he was afraid it would draw attention to his grandson who was still just a young child. In fact, when the boy first told him about it, he did not believe it. Yet after Elenael described the light of several other villagers, the old man was forced to admit that the power was real. These sensations that he saw allowed him to roughly understand the character and magic of those he was targeting. It was unbelievable!
“Do you remember what I told you, Elenael?” Alric asked gravely, his gray eyes fixed on those of his grandson.
“Yes, grandpa: I should not tell anyone about my gift and I should not use it, except in case of danger...”
The boy seemed to think that the situation was unfair. And it was, indeed: he was forced to hide something that made him unique, to repress something that he should have been proud of.
“I explained to you, for humans, it's the ritual of detection that allows you to use magic. You haven't passed it yet, so your power makes you an irregular. And some people don't like anything out of the ordinary... Don't worry, you're going to be nine soon, so you'll be able to stop hiding it...”
Elenael nodded energetically, excited and eager.
The magic in this world was a strange thing: for some animals, like the butterfly, it manifested naturally and it was as easy for them to manipulate it as it was to breathe. Humans, on the other hand, needed rituals to gain access to it. In the country of Elenael, when a child was around 9 years old, he took part in a ceremony called the detection that awakened the power that lay dormant within him. He would then know if he could use it and with what strength. For the lucky ones who had the gift, a second ritual was then conducted to discover the primary power and affinity of the future magician. This was unique to everyone and many said it was a reflection of the soul: for example, someone who handled water was often a gentle and caring person, even if that was not always true. It was possible to develop and transform this gift later on. The element with which the magician was connected could be among the primal elements - such as fire, water, air, earth, light, or darkness - or secondary. These were rarer and could take many forms such as lightning, crystal, ice...
These rituals were of great importance in Alnaetis, the country where Elenael lived, as it would often determine the place that each person could occupy in society. Elenael was well aware of this and it frightened him as much as it excited him. Soon... Soon it would be time to go to the capital and to face his destiny... For the little boy, it was the beginning of his adventure, the first step on his journey into this mysterious and enchanting world...