A warm wind blew through an open window in the Frenost household with smells of a new morning. As the sun rose, sunlight entered a small room in the mansion's east wing. A small boy sat in the center of this room with his eyes closed meditatively. The world around Lanthim was so calming, a silent nothingness that filled all creation. All present was himself and his constant companion, the mana within him.
Before he understood what this power inside of him was, he would spend countless hours experimenting. Not only how to use it but also how it affected the world around him. From what he had learned over the few months since his birth. In this world, mana was a form of energy. Or so he had thought. However, it was a naturally accruing phenomenon. That not only interacted with but sustained all creation as he continued day by day, his understanding of its composition and form. At least the form it would take when interacting with another elemental substance increased.
Lanthim's time in this world could be seen as short compared to some; only eleven months had passed since he had come to this strange place.
Some strange people and places were so foreign to him. Regardless, he continued his everyday activities as they had always been. He was a servant who kept coming and going, and his caretaker, Milty, constantly watched him. Ever since the incident eight months earlier, she was almost glued to him, watching everything he did.
So, once he had learned to walk, which was only a few days from when he first learned how to manipulate mana. He decided it would be better not to let many know. It was interesting, being carried everywhere during the day. Then, when everyone had gone to sleep for the night, he would walk about the house, watching and learning all he could about the place he called home.
Eventually, after a few nights of clamouring about, he found the room he currently inhabited. A small room with a single large window allowed one to look towards the town below. As well as the surrounding countryside unobstructed. Far enough out of the way that no one ever needed to go there. Except for the occasional cleaning, but that happened rarely. Due not to the distance needed to cover to get to it. It was empty, with no furniture or drapes for the windows, just a bare room.
This created the perfect place for Lanthim to escape from the rest and learn of this power and any applications it could have. The constant feeling he had when he would use mana was almost intoxicating. At least for the first few times he tried using it. In the beginning, he just moved it around his body. He found it rather uncomfortable that mana is a constantly moving force. While it could move from place to place, One's body, most of the time, would move on its own throughout the body. This would cause problems for Lanthim because this power constantly moves throughout the body. All it would take was a simple step to cause discomfort. Just bending his knees would cut off the flow, and he would drop to the floor or stumble.
Milty had almost caught him one morning as he was making his way back to where his apartments were located. He had spent much of that night in meditation. So he didn't feel at all tired, however, if he was caught. Out of his bed by Milty, further study on his own with no interruption would be impossible. However, on the way, he noticed something he was not expecting: the door to his apartment was open.
Slowly, he made his way to the door, scanning the room as he moved. He felt the mana in his legs being cut off with every step. The sensation was so uncomfortable every time he would bend his knees to make the next advancing step. The flow would cut off momentarily, but that second felt so long. Placing his foot on the floor was an uncomfortable action. However, he had to make sure that he had not been compromised. So, continuing to his room, he found no one present except a cat curled up on his bed.
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Almost four months passed since that morning. Now, as Lanthim continued to train was in the same small room. The day welcomed him and reminded him of his need to no longer be in this place. Withdrawing himself from the room, he silently closed the door behind him. Lanthim was much more confident in his ability to quietly return to his rooms without being found out, as luck would have it. He was able to get there almost twenty minutes before the morning call.
"Young Master, It is time to greet the day." [Felyma]
Lanthim, roused from his fake sleep by the throwing open of the drapes, the sun beating mightly on his face. Sitting up, he looked at the maid who had invaded his room. She was Felyma, a Demi-human, or to use a more Lucrentian term, Tylami. It was a very demeaning term given to any individual who looked human but was not. Her lineage spoke loudly through her very prominent ears and tail, for they resembled that of a wolf, and very few of this type of demi-human remained in the world.
"Why is it that no matter the day, you always have to do this every morning, Felyma? The sun comes through the window too strongly this time of day." [Lanthim]
Lanthim slid out of bed, and slippers on the floor were placed for her. So he would not have to walk on the cold floor. Felyma stood silently with his day dress in one arm.
"Of course, I wake you up every morning, young master. It is my duty, after all." [Felyma]
She answered kindly. Felyma always seemed to smile regardless of circumstance. This did not change the fact that the sun was in the worst possible position. At this time of day, when she would open the window drapes, it would be right there.
Getting off his bed, the maid began changing the young master. Unlike other great clans, she had worked over the years. Their children would scream and run around the house. Making every kind of unreasonable demand one could think of. This child would wake up every morning, and he only had to complain about the time she would open the drapes.
She had started working in the Frenost Estate in the southern Gritalia region of the Laurentian Empire. Felyma served for most of her life as a maidservant. Her training at the Maklifrin Academy, in the far east of the empire, pushed her into a strong position as a rank 7 Mana assault user. However, since the empire had long been at peace with its neighbours and had no real ambition to expand further, the use of powerful combatants was almost nonexistent.
So, after many long years and countless clans hiring her just to let her go. She ended up with this little child who never acted like many others. He would almost effortlessly wake up every morning, change, then be off to heavens know where, and just as he would disappear, he would later return with a satisfied look on his face. An absolute mystery, he was always watching others, always listening. Then, when he would speak, she would feel almost at a loss at how clear and controlled his ability to talk to Tolanrim, the primary language of the empire.
"You seem to be in good spirits today." [Lanthim]
Lanthim noted as she dressed him.
"Yes, tomorrow will be my third month here. I have rarely spent more than a few weeks at a time employed by a single clan." [Felyma]
Her response was clear, as for the smile she could not help but show. So little time has passed since that day three months ago. The two had met on the steps of the Estate. At that time, Milty, his caretaker, would carry him about. Felyma could still remember the look on her face when Lanthim walked out of his room asking for his breakfast.
The sun was now slightly cresting the top of the window, overlooking the vast forest surrounding the mountain. Both stood looking out the window, and Lanthim stood closer, seeing the expansiveness of these lands. Slowly, he turned an almost adult-like gaze on his face. Holding his right hand outward, he drew purified mana to a single point just above his hand. The mass of power was overwhelming, an endless torrent that would not yield. However, the boy was unmoved, calm, and unlike the mana that was churning and engulfing everything about him. The pure mana in his body maintained a coherent mass as if almost no purified mana was being used.
"Young master, what are you doing?" [Felyma]
Felyma, at this moment, felt nothing but terror, as well as she should if he were to die; her job and very likely life would end.
"I wonder, sometimes, the same thing." [Lanthim]
Lanthim answered as he stood, the flow becoming increasingly more controlled and dense.
Felyma looked on; the feeling of terror had left, and now her only emotion was awe. Above the palm of this little boy was a perfect sphere of water he had made.