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Ch.1

Pained groans and pants of a woman in distress filled the room, outside a man swung his sword over and over to distract himself from his wife's cries. The midwife and maid had pushed him out of the house because his anxious pacing had been wearing their nerves and the floorboards thin in equal measure. With a final cry of pain their child was born into the world and he was allowed back into his own home, “how is she” he called out with worry.

“Your wife is fine, she has taken to the healing well, she is a strong woman” The midwife replied as she stepped out, her apron still covered in blood and bodily fluids. “Now go see to your wife and son”

“You're a blessing on this village Agatha” the man replied before making his way into the bedroom. Laying there in the glow of afterbirth with a flushed face was the light of his life, the lady Ethenriel, cradling their sun in her arms, Her golden hair cascading over the pillows and bedding that propped her up. The bloodied sheets and afterbirth cleaned and discarded by their faithful maid, “how is he my love” he whispered with his deep loving tone.

“Hungry, she chuckled” with her sing song voice, “I wonder who he will take after” she pondered as she gently whispered sweet nothings to the new born boy. “Have you thought of a name, we agreed that if he was a boy you'd get to choose his name and if we had a daughter that I would choose” she whispered softly as he drifted off into the nothingness of sleep.

He stood there for a moment idly staring at ring on his right ring finger, a black dragon eating it's own tail, this ring, his name was a double edged sword it could prove to be just as much a curse or a blessing. “Zamiel” he muttered feeling a weight in his chest. With a sigh he sat beside his wife, basking in her radiant beauty, a warm smile split his handsome rugged face. He took Ethenriel in his arms and looked upon his son, such a fragile little thing, the boy had raven black hair opposite of his mother's golden locks. He only hoped that he could give his son the life that he deserved, he gently brushed the boy's hair with his hand before drifting off to sleep.

Zamiel proved to be a quiet infant, one had to wonder what thoughts were hidden behind his sharp crimson eyes, as he crawled about and explored his surroundings. Even with the help of their maid he was proving to be quite a troublesome child, a quality that would only increased with age. Still he couldn't help but wait for excitement for the day he could begin training his son, such thoughts filled his heart with pride.

I was trapped in a body that was not my own in many ways, I could not speak, not for lack of trying or my own thoughts, my mouth was an underdeveloped mushy mess much like my pudgy body. Still I took comfort in the warmth of my mother's embrace and my father's funny face, I still had memories and knowledge that no child should possess. Foggy vague remembrances of a long forgotten and distant war, trying to remember such things only brought pain to my mind. Perhaps it was better to leave the suffering and pain in the past and to embrace my new reality.

My surroundings were strange, almost alien, the hardwood floors were covered with the furs of fearsome beasts, some I could recognize some were far too alien to me. Strangest perhaps were the unusual particles that infused all things, they were an ethereal blue color and phased through solid objects and people as if there did not exist. Stranger still was I could feel them around me, like static electricity running across my skin. They clung to me just as they seemed to surround my mother, I found that with some concentration I could manipulate these strange motes of light. Moving them about seemingly with my mind, I could change and shape them to my will, I could even dram them into my core. I would spend every day concentrating and drawing these motes of blue light into my self until I would feel dizzy and sick, but each day found my self drawing more and more of the energy into myself.

With the passage of time I could feel my body growing stronger, no longer did I have to crawl about, I know carried myself unsteadily upon my own legs. My mouth though still rough around was able to form words more complex than oohs and ahhs, I lost some of my feelings of helplessness. I also lost sight of the strange motes of light, instead I could feel them in their air around me, I continues drawing them into my core and practiced new ideas that came into my mind. I developed a core of the energy and began to circulate it throughout my body, my experiments were a product of boredom as there was little for me to do confined in our home.

The maid was the bane of my existence, constantly trying to keep me confined to her relatively defined safe space, still her bright beautiful smile brought a warmth and joy I had little known to my heart. The same could be said of my mother who possessed an otherworldly beauty, with a tall slim frame, radiant golden locks, and delicate pointed ears. Come to think of it I had never seen a reflection of my self,”are my ears pointed” I pondered as I sat in the maids lap. I reached up clumsily feeling my ears, though much less pronounced I still bore pointed ears, I couldn't help but wonder if she was a mythological creature known as an elf.

My father on the other had was a ruggedly handsome fellow built like a black bear , much of his time was spent either practicing with a blade in the front yard or pouring over books and maps. During such times he sat me upon his lap ans speak of the world, he'd tell tales of old battles and distant places.

It was around my third birthday when I finally began to be able to sneak around without supervision, by this time my memories were little more than fleeting fever dreams. I had grown to accept and enjoy the comfort of my new life.

One day as I sat swirling the strange energy permeating my surroundings I opened my mouth with a question that had been rolling around my mind, “Mama” I called out getting her attention. I had to experiment for a while to determine which name would cause her the deepest joy, at first I had called her mother but her eyes would frown for some reason.

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“Yes Zamiel, what's on your mind” She replied while observing her son. He was an unusual child, quiet, contemplative, and curious. He never seemed to act selfishly, if anything he was too mature for his own good, except when it came to the times he would climb into Layriel's lap like a demanding puppy. She could never say no to his sad crimson eyes and mischievous smile, the boy would probably grow up into a real heart breaker.

“What's is the energy that permeates the world around us, I can feel it coursing through my body like lightning” I inquired with a furrowed brow.

There was a clatter as she dropped a pan she was putting away before rushing over to my side “tell me everything” she says as she looks at me with crystal blue eyes filled with panic and concern.

I screwed up my face cutely for a moment before giving her a reassuring nod. “I first noticed them shortly after I was born, fuzzy blue lights, I tried to play with them and took them into myself, day after day I kept drawing them into my self till I was almost sick, I visualized a ball within my self and poured the energy into the ball. I don't see the lights any more but I can still feel them clinging to me like when you rub your feet on the rugs. I also learned how to circulate the energy through my body” I explained with out trying to use any overly large words. Ethenriel stood there with a blank look of shock as she tried to absorb the information I had fed her, her shocked expression was oddly cute.

“Layriel get Alric now” she barked as she reached out to her son wondering how she had not noticed it sooner, either her son didn't posses enough power yet, or he was preventing passive Aether leakage. “The energy you felt is called Aether, it is the source of all arcane magic, a blessed gift from the Aetherium, the sea of souls. Aether radiates into our world through the veil, not everyone is capable of interacting with it, those who can are called mages” Ethenriel explained with a warm smile but I could see the worry in her eyes.

“What is a mage” I inquire strange thoughts echo in my mind from that world, something from stories of old but lost to the mires of the darkness.

“Mages are individual who are capable of wielding magic, though there are many different types of mages, with a bit of testing we can ascertain the nature of your gift she explained warmly.

“What's wrong, Layriel called for me” Alric called out with a slight edge or worry in his voice as he burst into the room, sword still in hand.

“Nothing is wrong my love, our son is a prodigy, barely three years old and he's already a mage” Ethenriel responded beaming with pride seemingly outlined with a golden glow.

There was moment of pause before Alric let out a sigh of relief, “So it's not that” he thought to himself as he idly rubbed the ring on his finger. “Hahaha, that's my boy” he said with booming voice and pride in equal measure. “Can you start his training or should I call in a few favor's, I still have some gold saved up” he questioned taking his wife in one arm and his son in the other.

“I won't know for sure before Zamiel is tested, his affinities may be incompatible with my own” She explained whilst nuzzling her husband's burly chest.

Weeks had passed before anything had come as a result of my discovery, still I continued working on my core, I had gotten to a point where I was able to empty an entire room of Aether before the I began to feel sick now, and my recovery time after each bout of sickness lowered down to half a day. I was concentrating the Aether twice a day now instead of only once, and I felt as if I could keep pushing my self further and further with each try.

It was late one afternoon when the door was suddenly opened and a busty woman in her mid thirties burst into the room, her bosom bouncing with each movement underneath her low cut form fitting bodice . I was mesmerized by those glorious bouncing and swaying cups, and her long creamy thighs that kept poking though the slits of her dress.

“Alric, Ethenriel” the woman shouted seemingly not noticing as she stormed about looking for my parents.

“Eh, Sariel, Alric was supposed to meet you tonight at the tavern” my mother exclaimed in confusion.

“Sorry sis no chance in the Nether was I gonna wait, I flew over soon as I heard I received the letter, a mage at the age of three, where, where is my nephew, oh Alric must be so proud” Sariel practically gushed as she wiggled her voluptuous frame obscenely.

“Calm down hun, he's right behind you, Zamiel introduce your self to our guest, she's a friend of your father's and I” Ethenriel let out a sigh of exasperation. “Of course my husband had to tell her of all people, still never look a gift horse in the mouth I suppose” she inwardly monologue.

I walked over to towards the voluptuous beauty pretending to be shy and gently tugged on one of her sleeves “hi aunty Sariel” I tried my best to pour on my childish charm.

“A-a-aunty, soo adorable” Sariel squealed wrapping me up in both arms pressing me tightly into her expansive breasts, enjoying their supple softness while putting up a fake struggle whilst smiling obscenely. A smile that did not escape my mother's gaze causing me to guiltily looked ashamed.

“I swear that boy is going to be just as bad as his father, already three and he's reeling in the affection of women like an overactive fisherman” she mentally huffed.

After a round of tea during which I was completely monopolized by Sariel who kept me firmly seated on her cushy lap, much to my mother's chagrin, they finally got down to business.

“So, you want me to administer an affinity test to Zamiel, or just a basic power diagnostic” Sariel questioned while playfully caressing my head.

“Preferably both, I'd have tried it myself but our magic might be vastly incompatible” Ethenriel sighed in mild frustration. I couldn't help but enjoy my mother's masked jealousy at some one else receiving my affections, it was very cute.

“So you have reason to believe he's an arcane mage and not a Druid such as yourself, a reasonable thought, though it is possible to inherit divine magic the chances of that are very rare, especially for those born outside of Vellathen” Sariel explained in a scholarly tone.

“Alright, let me bring my things in and get set up in the guest room, and don't worry about the costs, I owe you and your husband a lot, plus he's so cute I just can't help my self” she squealed before disappearing back outside and dragging in a large chest on wheels.

“Zamiel” my mother said my name in a tone that made me guiltily hang my head as I walked over to her, “bad” she spoke before pinching both of my cheeks till they were cherry red. “Now get some supper and get ready for bed” she commanded pointing towards the kitchen.

“Yes Mother” I replied cheerfully giving her a hug before grabbing my dinner and settling down for the night to dream of a strange and wondrous future.