After being aware of the elven time distortion effect, I was a bit conservative about reaching new milestones. I didn’t want to show off. Well, show off even more. My idea was to look like a normal baby, albeit an intelligent one. It may be borderline stupid to try this after everything I have done already, but just because I’m knee-deep in the mud, it doesn’t mean I should struggle against the sludge and make things worse.

But my patience also had a limit. Some people would like to be spoon-fed, to ignore responsibilities, a deadbeat and laidback life. Not me. I wanted to carry my burdens. This was, of course, a remnant of my previous incarnation’s consciousness. Memories didn’t seem to carry well after death, but my spirit and personality certainly did.

I felt alienated from my own family just because I couldn’t participate, but this ended today.

I was locked in my room. I wasn’t in time out or anything, I was literally incapable of opening my room’s door. Perhaps another oversight from my half-incompetent parents. I still had a magical way to open the door, though. I cried.

My parents who were spending time in the living room/kitchen came immediately. I wasn’t a crybaby, so every time I cried it gave them a sense of urgency.

“I think we should teach him magic.” Tel’am commented out of nowhere.

Liliana and Tel’am sat on a pile of cushions that resembled a sofa. Liliana looked at her husband. She first thought that he was playing with her, but her Tel’am kept his typical stoic face. He was being serious.

“It’s a bit early.” She added. “Edrie doesn’t even know how to walk.”

“Some high-born teach their children to cast before walking. And there’s also the mana pool formation, the mana flows, it doesn’t seem that far-fetched.” Her husband responded.

“Yes, but we aren’t high-born.” Liliana said, trying to ignore Tel’am’s very valid points. She also didn’t like much the idea of her little baby delving into magic at this age.

“We may not, but Edrie is surely better suited that those ego-inflated high-born.” Tel’am made his point.

“I know, I know.” Liliana held Tel’am’s hands. “I just think it’s a bit too early. Magic can be dangerous, especially in the hands of those that cannot comprehend its power.”

“Don’t worry, I’m sure he can han-“ Tel’am was interrupted by the wail of a baby, Edrie’s wail.

Both Liliana and Tel’am rushed to Edrie’s room. Tel’am opened the door to find Edrie sitting on top of a pillow and a book in front of his little legs.

“Aah.” He cooed once he noticed them.

“Are you alright, Edrie?” Liliana asked.

“Aah.” Edrie grunted in affirmation.

Then he started walking.

It was sloppy at first, but he rapidly gained ground and stability. Slowly but surely approaching his parents. It was so sudden. Just like when he talked for the first time.

Liliana and Tel’am were dumbfounded, petrified to the spot. The speed was prodigious, far faster than their acquaintance parents had told them.

“So, now he’s late in magic, isn’t he?” Tel’am quipped. Whilst his voice was joking, his face betrayed him as he was focused on the feat of his son.

Lilin jabbed Tel’am in the stomach with a quick swoop and welcomed Edrie in her arms. “You’ve done it!” She praised her child while ignoring her husband. She patted her son for minutes without a foreseeable end. A glimpse of her excitement and worry.

I was being carried on my father’s shoulders, who was walking across the street. My father was a giant, standing at a towering two meters and beyond. Mother was shorter, around one-hundred eighty centimeters, but considerably tall for a woman. Elves tended to be taller than my previous species, or so my forgotten knowledge told me.

It felt amazing being at a higher position than my father. Being a baby handicapped my field of view, yet now I could see everything. Well, not everything, but I stood ten times higher than walking position and the difference was astonishing.

I couldn’t deny it was funny how something so simple could amaze baby-me. I was literally in a world of magic and possibly deities, and what surprised me was being at high highs.

Father was humming a melody, obviously happy from previous events. The rhythm was quite catchy and soon I found myself humming in unison with my dad. He wasn’t surprised by my musical sense (I doubted he would be able to be surprised more after my feat of strength) and even though I was really off-tune, he was further invigorated in his humming.

The main avenue was still awe-inspiring as always. It wasn’t a simple colorful street filled with glasses, flowers, and tapestries. It had soul. Just by strolling you could feel energy flowing into you.

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

Two boys run around the street, one pursuing the other. This scene struck me in a manner. The city had been alive and overflowing so far, but slow in a way. It was the first time I actually saw an elf running, even if they were over-energetic children. For long I thought deep in my mind that elves were incapable of running or feeling in a hurry. It made some sense as my subconcious told me they were long-lived and very patient.

I believed we were having a walk, but that idea was proven wrong when father stopped in front of a shop. The shop had a neatly decorated banner with two twelve-pointed stars, one concentrical to the other, one engraved in gold, the other in silver. There was also text beneath the image, albeit too complicated for my basic understanding of elven. At most I could recognize the letters that composed the words, but nothing else.

Father rose me in the air and promptly landed me on the ground with affection. He offered his hand. Ah, I see. He wants to walk alongside me into the shop.

Another point to make is that I finally wore clothes, no more being naked with a diaper on top, or a little cloth if the day was cold. My clothing was a simple blue onesie which contrasted nicely with my violet skin and fulfilled every baby’s basic necessities. It was cute, though. And pretty comfortable at that.

To be honest, I was grateful that father carried me all the way here, my baby noodle-legs were too feeble to withstand long walks. Hells, I doubted I could walk more than a dozen of meters without tiring myself out, and that’s a huge supposition I’m making. Probably I would fall asleep at the second meter mark without outside assistance.

As father opened the door, a bell rung above us, alerting the shopkeeper.

Once I was inside, I noticed this wasn’t your typical shop neither clerk.

The place was filled with glowing pieces of stone, a myriad of ink pots, scrolls and books filling up the shelves equally, bubbling concoctions that were clearly potions. The place was overflowing, akin to standard elven decoration. But it wasn’t vanity items that littered the place, but a thousand books and trinkets which looked magical to my eyes, whether that was truly the case or not.

But what attracted me more was the shopkeeper. I expected a grumpy old man, an imagination brought by my previous self, yet I got a bountiful elven lady. Her hair was longer than the counter let me see, a comically large witch hat larger than her, her long ears (shorter than mother’s) which pierced through the hat, a deep-blue tunic engraved with gold like the banner in the entrance.

Hmm, my maternal bond theory regarding the ears has been thoroughly disproven. It was definitely the length that mattered. Maybe the shape too.

In summary, she was extravagant at minimum. But pompous suited her better. She was a witch worthy of fairy tales.

“Oh, Tel’am, long time no see.” The female shopkeeper said. Her wording may seem energetic and friendly, yet her tone was deadbeat. “What brings you to my dwelling?”

“This little guy, Novela.” Tel’am patted Edrie on the head. “I wanted you to check his affinities.”

“So soon?” Novela asked the father. “If I recall correctly, you married half a decade ago, and this boy doesn’t look more than two.”

“He’s one.” Which only made the shopkeeper look at him like a madman. “My son is special.”

“Tel’am, no offense, but everyone tells me that.” Novela said in a manner that seemed to actually intend to offend.

“Will you send us away, though?” Tel’am inquired.

“No.” She sighed, then left the hat on the counter, as if it weighted her down. “A good businesswoman won’t deny taking away her customer’s money. Does he know how to channel mana?”

“He doesn’t.” Tel’am looked at Edrie with a hint of doubt. His child was so intelligent that maybe he did, even if he couldn’t communicate it. At this point, it wouldn’t surprise him if that was the case.

“The probe it is then.” Novela said. “Come here, boy.” She made a motion with her hands to invite him.

“Go, Edrie. Follow her.” Tel’am gave a light boost to Edrie’s back.

“Met’ni fal ton ri mon. Unes sami tin fers, shal’do.” The lady who I thought she was called Novela, according to my father’s introduction, told me.

I had no idea what she was saying. While my parents talked slowly and used easy words as to let me learn, Novela didn’t give a damn. And I don’t mean she didn’t notice she was talking to a child and forgot to go easier, by her face, I can know she directly couldn’t care less. No, that was the face of someone who was intentionally making it harder for others.

Novela took out a glass stick with a handle made of three copper rings which had inscribed little runes. Then she grabbed me with ease and sat me down on a small wooden chair. A child could have sat itself with ease, a baby… yeah, that’s downright impossible.

“Me’to dar finis ol’nir, te.” I may not understand the words, but the context and her face were identically of a doctor with a syringe ready who said, ‘this will hurt a bit’. Oh, damn. Am I in the elven doctor? I hope not.

Before I could ready myself, the round tip of the glass wand touched the palm of my hand.

Arahdfakfhsfsafa… Yes. Simply, yes.

If it wasn’t for the fact that I was seated, I could probably have fallen to the ground. Who would do this to a newborn?

And what in the name of the Lady of the River was that? It didn’t seem to hurt my body, though. It felt as if she touched something else. The feeling was familiar, a sensation I hadn’t experienced for a while, yet I could remember clearly, unlike many other things. I recalled my stay at the River of the Dead. I remembered what I was back there.

A soul.

Did she just puncture my soul with that glass stick?

“What are the results?” Tel’am asked as Novela dropped the glass wand in a metallic plaque which had inscribed tens upon tens of circumscribed circles. She traced the wand in circles for a few seconds, with each completed rotation the plaque glowed brighter and brighter.

“Well…” She unconsciously said as she looked at the new lights coming from the plate. “A lot of low-mediocre affinities to a lot of elements, as expected of a young ellari.” She disregarded all low affinities as a wizard would never give them use. “What is noticeable is a mediocre-medium time affinity and… For the High Arcanist!”

“What, what did you see?” Tel’am asked, clearly alerted by Novela’s rise of tone.

“Ehem.” Novela cleared her throat and recomposed herself. She inahled air and exhaled it slowly. Then blinked a few times and double-checked the results. “Arcane and Soul affinity. Both superb.”

“Pardon me?” Tel’am said as his sight was locked towards the enchanted metallic slab, as his brain did a quick reboot.

“Your child has a little lower or equivalent Arcane affinity to the High Arcanist.” Novela explained once more in a slower manner, shocked as Tel’am, maintained a faux façade of composure.

“My child is as strong as the strongest high ellari to exist?” Tel’am eyes devoured Edrie.

“Has the potential to be, but in theory, yes.” Novela rectified.

Unbeknownst to Edrie and contrary to his wishes to not highlight, that moment he triggered several thousand alarms.