Defective. That’s what I was called by my entire family, the defective son. The Domina family was known for their taming abilities and the tight control they had over their magic and bonded pets. In the Domina family the strength of your pet meant everything, and I had trouble taming monsters at all. My talents were in healing and mind magic, not taming.

Growing up I was tested multiple times and when I was younger I was given all sorts of potions and pills that should have increased my natural talents, but my skill at taming never improved. Eventually the family simply gave up on me, and if it wasn’t for the clear resonance of my bloodline indicating I was a true son of the Domina line I would have surely been kicked out or killed. In the eyes of my family I was the black sheep that they couldn’t remove from the flock.

Healing was a valuable skill so my talent in healing magic lessoned the blow to the family name, but even my healing magic had an issue. I healed the body in an incredibly mana efficient way, I simply repaired and regrew damaged tissue and bone instead of relying on the healing properties of light or the benevolence of a god. The downside of my method was that under my healing magic a person would feel everything I did to them instead of a warm and numbing glow. I was the better healer by far, but that didn’t matter when a healing session with me felt like torture.

My talents with mind magic were not even worth bringing up, mind magic itself was a taboo and seen as one of the three types of evil magic. That I had skill in this area of magic was something my family did their best to cover up and hide, it also lessoned my already tenuous value to the family.

I was teased and bullied a lot, called bastard or changeling more times than I could ever hope to count, and neglected by even my own parents. Still this was better than my last two lives, so I didn’t really ever complain.

Today was my thirteenth birthday, the longest I had ever managed to live in any world so far. Today was also the day my family was kicking me out of the territory in the name of ‘experiencing the world’.

*

I had a pouch of assorted coins, a bag of clothes and supplies, and a short sword. That was all my family gave me this morning, the elder that handed me the coin pouch even told me not to ever bother coming back.

If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

“Like I would ever want to…”

While the Domina territory may have been home for other members of my family, it had always been clear that it was never my home. I was tolerated there, and only just barely at that, but it was not a place where I could rest easy or feel safe. Ever since I was seven and it was clear no amount of resources would increase my taming skills I knew that I would have to leave one day. That day just came earlier than I expected, that’s all.

Opening my new coin pouch I saw something that made me smile.

“Not as bad as I expected.”

I had plenty of silver and copper with even a few gold coins sprinkled in. It still wasn’t the hundred gold that was traditional, but it wasn’t a small sum either. I could work with this.

“First priority is food and shelter, then I’ll need protection…”

I looked down at the short blade sheathed at my hip, I was passable at sword play but I wouldn’t trust in those meager skills to save me if I ran into any real danger.

“I’ll either need a slave or a pet, something that can fight as a frontliner and who can guard me while I’m casting.”

That would be the hard part. I didn’t have the skill to tame a strong enough monster on my own, and I had no idea where the nearest slave market was. In fact, other than the nearest city I had no idea where anything was really, my geographical knowledge of the area was confined to the Domina territory and the lands immediately around it.

“So I’ll also need a map…”

And then there was the problem of money, I had plenty right now but once that was used up then I’d be utterly penniless. I also didn’t have a clear skill or trade I could ply. My healing wouldn’t earn me anything once word got out about how painful it was, I couldn’t use my taming for anything much, and my mind magic would get me hanged anywhere in the Dawn kingdoms. My prospects were pretty much limited to being an adventurer, a bandit, or a scribe. None of those options were at all appealing.

“Crap…”

Then there was also the fact that anyone I bought or anything I tamed would be another draw on my limited resources and funds.

“Double crap…”

Oh and I would need a safe place to stay beyond just the occasional inn, someplace where I could practice my magic without the threat of getting lynched as an evil mage by the scared citizens.

I sighed.

“Haaah… Maybe I should try and sneak into the dusk empire after all? At least there I could use my mind magic to get a job as an inquisitor or something…”

Kicking a rock off the road in frustration I tried not to think about how uncertain my life had just become. As stifling and uncomfortable as life in the Domina family had been I had at least always known when my next meal would come and had a room with a bed to call my own.

“Well, worst case scenario I’ll just die and end up reincarnating again…”

I’d really rather not have to go through that anymore though, being a baby again would suck and I want to at least kiss a girl before I die this time.