"The Duskwalker Arts are simultaneously the most remarkable and unremarkable set of Arts in existence. Although what they accomplish can seem almost supernatural, even in comparison to other Nodes, their actual ability isn't too complex at all. The only thing they can manipulate is the past after all."

-Artful Insights, by Edward Duskwalker

Much like other children, Daniel was supposed to find out what Node he had when he turned 7 years old. Much like other children, he woke up that day and begged his father to take him early, and maybe the specialist will identify his Node before anyone else. Much like other children, Daniel was forced to wait a little while before going to the ceremony, much to his disappointment. Much like other children, he waited in that crowd of people he knew near the village centre, their names called one by one to come up to the front. Much like other children, Daniel's name was called and he approached the elderly specialist, his soul probed with an Information Art.

Much unlike other children, Daniel was deemed artless.

Much like other children, he went to school the next day. Much like other children, Daniel was forced to attend lessons on the safe use of arts, to ensure kids won't abuse their new discovered powers. Much unlike other children, Daniel was bullied by his supposed 'friends', treating him like a training dummy for their Arts. Much unlike other children, he had to hide his sometimes serious injuries and lie to his father about the bruises and scratches he got. Much like other children, Daniel had to sometimes take care of relatives while his father was away. Much unlike other children, his sole surviving relative, his grandfather, was half-blind and wheelchair-bound. Much unlike other children, Daniel was hit and abused by his grandfather for making mistakes while he was taking care of him. Much like other children, Daniel begged for his father to come back from a trip out of town, so he could finally see him again.

Much unlike other children, Daniel never saw his father again.

Much unlike other children, Daniel was forced to live with his abusive grandfather, both of his parents now either dead or missing. Much unlike other children, Daniel was bullied well past his nursery days, the injuries only becoming worse. Much unlike other children, the abuse from his grandfather only became more severe. Much unlike other children, Daniel was almost strangled to death by his grandfather, only allowed to live after his grandfather became lucid again. Much unlike other children, his grandfather always wrote off his fits of rage as mere episodes, nothing as serious as Daniel claimed like strangling and hitting. Much unlike other children, Daniel stopped going to school. Much like other children, Daniel immersed himself in stories of Alandriel and the Guild, hearing that that was the place his father went. Much unlike other children, Daniel only ever read fairy tales of it, being confined to the story books that his father left behind. Much unlike other children, Daniel dug out a small amulet with a drawn picture in, depicting his mother. Much unlike other children, his old bullies sought him out and destroyed the amulet, almost killing him in the process and leaving him for dead near the town centre. Much unlike other children, the parents found out. Much unlike other children, some adults found him and nursed him back to health. Much unlike other children, Daniel's bullies were punished, but not nearly enough as he would have liked. Much unlike other children, his grandfather was reprimanded for not taking better care of him, but the home abuse never came to light.

Much unlike other children, Daniel's bullying and abuse continued. In fact, the abuse and bullying never ceased. The only way Daniel could manage to stop it was by escaping the village, by somehow contacting the 'uncle' his father always talked about seeking out if Daniel was ever in a pinch. If only it was that simple.

As soon as sunlight began to stream through his window and into his room, Daniel woke up. One of his eyes was still too painful to open fully, the black-eye he'd gotten from his grandfather a couple weeks ago still there, yet faded. Good. Getting dressed, Daniel almost went to wake up grandfather, ready to get hit again, but then he realised what this day was supposed to be. With an uncharacteristic smile on his face, Daniel rushed downstairs and hastily served himself some bread with jam. Leaving it at the kitchen table half eaten, Daniel stormed out of the house and sprinted directly to the post-office. Fishing out of his trouser pockets was a small stamp he had gotten a hand of a few days back. The post-office was usually too busy during the weekends so he couldn't afford to get noticed by posting a card before. But now, it was a school-day. All of his 'friends' would be at school, eager to come home and possibly pick on Daniel again. Though the post-office closed on the first day after the weekend, if Daniel went just after sunrise, the post-office should only be getting ready to close for the day. Nobody would be at the post-office at this time either, adult or child; it would be perfect. The only problem was that the post-office was on the other side of the village.

Running faster than he could ever remember running in his life, Daniel began to close in on the office, just enough to see the clerk there beginning to turn off lamps and locking doors.

"Wait! Please, wait!" Daniel called out, grabbing the clerks attention, but only making himself more out-of-breath. Daniel could see the clerk let out a big sigh and slowly re-open things again, leaving the front door open and walking inside. Skidding to a halt just outside, Daniel took a moment to catch his breath before stepping inside.

Though Daniel knew the office was always busy due to seeing how many people were in the office at a time usually, the inside was surprisingly cramped for a usually busy place. A small carpeted reception, and a single wooden bench on the side to sit down. There were two boxes on the opposite side, with a slit to post things through, and a desk area flush with the wall to talk with the clerk. By the time Daniel arrived, the clerk was already on the other side of the separating wall, sitting down and ready to attend to him.

This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

"So, kid, what do you want?" The tired clerk muttered, the bags under his eyes very clearly visible.

"Uhm, I would like- like to post something..."

"Yes? To where?"

"Alandriel, sir..."

"Do you have a stamp?"

"Yes, right here," Daniel said, relieved that he could send something. Showing the clerk the orange-tinted stamp, his tired eyes shot open for a moment before squinting in apprehension. Oh no.

"Kid, this is a premium stamp: not only do you not need this to post to Alandriel, but its quite expensive. You sure you want to use this of all things on what I assume to be a simple letter?"

"Yes! Yes, I- I do." Daniel beamed, relieved that he didn't suspect that he stole the stamp, instead of what Daniel actually did when he 'found' it on the floor.

"Fine. Just wait a moment..." The clerk sighed, going into his desk and digging out a bronze plate, an ornate pen and a thick envelope. "As this is a premium order, you'll be writing in soul-infused bronze; you don't need to worry about the consequences of that, you're just a little kid after all, but after writing our message with this pen, slip it into the envelope and with the same pen write the name of the person you want to send to. No need for an address, as this is the advantage of a premium stamp."

Daniel couldn't believe how lucky he was. It was only on an off chance that he stole this stamp, and he hadn't thought about what he would do without an address; and now, it seems, he didn't need one! Taking his things, Daniel took a seat on the bench in the reception, looking at the blank bronze plate on his lap. When he tried to write on it with a pen, however, nothing happened. Did this thing need soul-energy? Is that what soul-infused mean?!

"Oh, that, just click the top in and it will activate. Sorry about that, guess a little kid like you doesn't know how to use soul energy yet."

Breathing yet another sigh of relief, Daniel clicked in a button on top of the gold, engraved pen. In an instant mist began to materialise at the button and the tip, the phantom-white 'energy' surging through the pen's engravings and coming out in a somewhat liquid form at the bottom of it. Afraid it would somehow run out, Daniel hastily began to write. Daniel expected the pen to make a scratching sound as it engraved his writings on the plate but instead the pen penetrated the plate like a knife through butter, but not easily enough that he could go all the way through. So, he wrote:

To Iago Duskwalker,

But stopped. He didn't know what to write. Daniel was only ever told the name and was unsure if the man even knew who Daniel was! After all, this man who was supposed to take care of him never even sent a message or sent a letter of his father's whereabouts. If this supposed protector of Daniel couldn't even bother to check up on him, would he even bother to read his letter? No, Daniel couldn't let despair overtake him now. Especially now.

My name is Daniel Raigeki. My father told me to contact you if I was in trouble.

Please help me. I am being harmed by my friends, and my grandfather is hitting me. I believe he tried to kill me at one point.

I have no idea if you will see this. You never contacted me even when my father went missing.

Just please, I beg you. Take me away from the village, do anything but let me stay here any longer.

For all I care you could enlist me in something like the Guild and throw me away. At least that would be better than the situation I'm currently in.

From an unworthy son,

Daniel

The second Daniel's pen hit the plate the second time, the words didn't stop flowing. Despite thinking that he would stumble or make a mistake, the words flowed effortlessly. Of course, Daniel couldn't fit everything he wanted to write on the plate, it wasn't too large after all, though it still felt good to have somewhere to put all his troubles on. Without him realising, tears began to flow as he finished the 'l' on his name. He could finally tell someone about it. Daniel could be seen. Though the clerk was obviously annoyed at staying past closing, his tired expression melted when he saw the boy crying yet in the end, he decided to leave him alone to cry. Better to let a cry like that out than bottling it up.

After cleaning the plate of his tears and turning the pen 'off', Daniel inserted the plate into the envelope, licking the edges and sealing. He stamped the top right corner of the envelope front, and activated the pen once more. It was there that he wrote again:

To: Iago Duskwalker

Daniel approached the post-bin and slid the envelope in. Giving the clerk an apologetic look as he handed in the pen, Daniel ran out of the post-office, hoping that he wasn't hit again by his grandfather for waking him up late.

* * *

Much unlike other children, a stranger came down claiming to be Daniel's uncle to his grandfather, and took the boy away. Much unlike other children, the uncle Iago and Daniel stayed in a small inn, instead of at home. Much unlike other children, Iago asked Daniel to tell him about his life, including his father. Much unlike other children, it seemed that his father never told the people he knew that he had a son, only a deceased lover. Much unlike other children, Daniel was - in a way - secretly trained by his father, from what Iago could find out at least, being taught basic swordsmanship when he was only barely older than a toddler. Much unlike other children, Daniel stayed with his uncle for a couple months in that inn, while Iago made the proper arrangements for him to be taken away from his grandfather and be admitted to the Guild. Much unlike other children, Iago decided not to tell Daniel that his father had died, thinking it better to give him a goal away from the abuse and sad life he was already stuck to, so that he would find out on his own. Much unlike other children, Daniel was successfully admitted to the Guild and was sad to hear that Iago had to go back to Alandriel, but he was also lucky in not having to go back to his grandfather, staying in the prepaid inn room. Much unlike other children, a carriage came for Daniel and he only had to sneak into his grandfather's house to get the rest of his stuff before he left for Alandriel.

However, much like other children, Daniel had finally found someone who loved him.