“Few records of the legendary Archmage Zionol Zecronior’s early life still persist to this day. The records of a servant who served his parents faithfully for decades is the source of much of the knowledge we have. This transcript was passed down and copied with perfect precision using magic hundreds of times at the direct command of the servant himself, who must of somehow foresaw the great future his young master had.”
-A Biography of Zion Zecronior, the Man Before the Archmage Chapter 1 Lines 1-5
“Dear. Help,” whispered Henrietta as she lay still in bed.
“What is it? Is something wrong? Did the baby kick again?”, responded her husband, Deother of Renmir, clearly flustered by his wife’s predicament.
“I think my water just broke…”
The names of several servants were screamed until they rang through the halls of the Zecronior mansion demanding that their owners hurry to the room immediately. There was no rest for anyone for that night. The whole mansion was filled with the hustle and bustle of wet nurses and servants traveling to and fro the bedroom bringing what was needed for the birthing and taking away anything soiled.
Suddenly, almost jarringly, all noise stopped. All sounds ceased except for the crying of one baby boy, and a whisper from the lips of his mother announcing to the household and the world his name.
“Zionial, my sweet baby boy,” Henrietta said softly as she held the boy to her chest and gazed into his shining eyes. The image her and her son made seemed as if it were plucked straight from a fairy tale, with their chocolate colored skin and matching bright purple eyes and sparkling silver hair.
“Looks like he got his hair and his eyes from you Henri. Can I hold him?” asked Deother, pleadingly, as if he was afraid of being rejected. As he took the boy into his arms he caught sight of a glimmering light coming out of his eyes that took his breath away, “Henri!”
“I know,” his wife replied, “I saw. He should be the first one in the last 57 years I believe.”
“I never thought our family would have a mage ever again,” remarked Deother, looking at his son like a divine treasure who fell from the heavens, “Our bloodline seems as if it has just caught a second wind!”
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“I hope we can keep him for at least ten years before the empire forces us to send him to their academy for his safety,” she said making exaggerated air quotes as she said safety.
“You know as well as I do how dangerous untamed magic can be. Mages with no guidance are like ticking time bombs so don’t even joke about this, we will send him when he is seven, just as it says in the law.” Deother sternly reprimanded.
Henri grumbled but gave a tacit approval of her husband’s words. The clamor died down and after the baby got his fill the family slept once more as the sun rose.
***
Henri awoke that evening to find that her husband had gotten up without her, and taken her child with him. She then decided that although she should probably lie in bed and recuperate she would instead get up and look for her precious Zionial.
She found him as soon as she opened the door, sitting in a cradle whilst his father taught his older siblings.
“How do you do this one daddy?” asked Eristera, pointing to a math problem. She was adorable in her white onesie, which contrasted sharply with her midnight colored skin.
“Well, for that one you use Rhyter’s Theorem to solve for the missing side. Remember?” Deother answered, unable to resist when she stared at him,. He never was able to keep a tough front when faced with those big blue eyes.
“Which one’s Rhyter’s Theorem daddy?” she asked, seeming very lost and clueless.
“It’s the one with squares and triangles remember? To find the slanted side,” he reminded patiently.
“Ohhh yeeaaah! That means...since side B is 3… and side C is 4... side A is 5 right?” asked Eristera hopefully.
“Perfect!” Henri interjected holding up a thumbs-up sign.
“Mommy!” exclaimed Eristera, running into her mom’s arms and giving her the biggest hug she could manage.
“It’s a bit early in the morning for math isn’t it Deo?” asked Henri, smiling at her daughter.
“Well, we only have so long before we send her to the school. It wouldn’t be good if she got bullied because she’s behind the other kids-”
“You’re teaching her 5th year math!!” yelled his wife, making sure to give a conspiratorial wink as her husband flinched at her sudden outrage.
“Okay! Okay! You win...geez,” Deother conceded, putting his palms up.
“Now, who’s ready for breakfast!” Henrietta announced.
“It’s past noon…,” Deother mumbled.
“Who’s ready for lunch!”
The only response was a mishmash of noises coming from Zionial.