A broad-shouldered youth with skin as pale as the snow was looking into the mirror of his room his eyes a dark yellow almost golden color his hair an ashen gray. Cornelius was firming his resolve for the day to come 'Today is the day' he thought for today was a special day for the citizens of the Diyu Dynasty it was the day of awakening where all the fifteen-year-olds would go through the test of the gods to see if they were worthy of the gift of magic.

Cornelius had no choice but to succeed for the future of his house depended on it, the House of Amydros was once a powerful dukedom second only to the royal family but that was when the gift was still prevalent in the bloodline before the house started to decline the other noble houses where like vultures taking everything they could. Allies turned their back on them, so the House of Amydros fell to the rank of a mere barony, nobles in all but name.

Cornelius started to get dressed wearing black breaches and a simple blue linen doublet with the house insignia embroidered above his heart on the left side, the insignia was of a sword with draconic wings and a crown at its top the house words reading 'Strength Beyond Measure' words he chose to live by.

Looking around his room he saw his bed with its bronze frame, and his study with books and paper strewn over its surface he sighed and started making his way to the courtyard, the walls were decorated with portraits of the glory days of his once great house, some depicting ancient battlefields and beautiful landscapes beyond his wildest dreams.

He continued walking until he passed a portrait of his family his father looked a lot like him with his broad shoulders gray hair and yellow eyes while his mother looked like a beautiful flower of black with her delicate features black hair and amber eyes.

A hint of sadness gripped his heart as he saw the portrait it had been 5 years since they died in the border war against the kingdom of Varda, 'I wonder if you would be proud of the man I have become' he thought while he continued walking, the halls of his house was mostly empty with only a few servants and guards here and there.

Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

Only the truly loyal ones had remained after the fall of his house so he was truly thankful for the ones that stayed, he finally made his way to the courtyard where Samien was waiting for him.

Samien was the house head butler more than that he was a father figure for Cornelius after his parents passed Samien raised him and trained him in the ways of the sword, he had a lot of respect for Samien he was a former Captain of the Slaughter force, a unit trained for battles of attrition and gorilla warfare, he was an old friend of my father so he decided to help raise me after their passing seeing as I had no other relatives to go too.

"How did you sleep, young master?" Samien asked he was fifty-two years of age, his face marred with scars and wrinkles he wasn't a tall man standing at a modest 5ft7 but even in his old age his muscles were still well defined for an older man, he had a kind smile on his face wearing a simple black butlers suit with a white tie.

"I was too excited so I could hardly sleep" he replied and yawned after he said that.

"Sleep is important young Corne but I have a present for you," Samien said as he extended his hand I only now noticed he had an item wrapped in a blanket as he passed it on to Cornelius. Accepting the gift he felt its weight and wondered what it could be, his curiosity was peeked as unraveled the blankets he saw that it was a beautiful sword its pommel engraved with the head of a dragon he instantly recognized the blade it was his father's sword Sky Breaker.

It was a family heirloom from the first era of the dynasty the sword of the first patriarch legend says it was forged from the bones of a great dragon its blade was of a blurry white, and the sheath was made from grey leather with white accents the family insignia was stitched to it as well.

"Happy birthday young Corne, I kept onto that for this day you are going to need it for the trails to come," he said a smile on his wrinkled face.

"I...I don't know what to say, Thank you so much, Sam," He said a tear running down his youthful face.

"Let's go, the trails wait for no man and we still have to go to the city," he said while motioning to the family carriage it was made from ebony wood a remnant of the past its design was archaic and engraved with dragons in an eternal dance a remnant of a time when the house of Amydros was still known as the house that births dragons, a time when we were the most powerful mage family on the continent besides the hybrids such as the royal families that are rumored to be descendants of the gods.

They made their way to the carriage and prepared for the journey ahead, Looking out the window Cornelius couldn't help but dream about the future to come.