Chapter 1
Chapter wasn't edited yet, feel free to point errors, and constructive criticism is more than welcome.
Somewhere in the busy streets of the merchant district, in the royal city of Alderia kingdom, three young children are running away from one particularly furious vendor.
`` Brats! Come back here! Someone stop them, they stole from me!’’
His shouts dissipated in the loudly morning crowd with only a few hearing but none caring.
`` Anduyn, I can’t believe the plan actually worked! The bread is all ours to eat now hahaha!’’ Said one of the kids while laughing.
`` I believe we will have enough for two whole days if we don’t eat everything in one go meaning…’’ said one kid
`` Then we will have to steal again tomorrow’’ sighted Anduyn, with a faint smile.
`` We will be fine, after all your wind affinity makes stealing more easily!’’ responded the first boy, who also happened to be the smallest of them.
`` Kert, my wind affinity is really weak, nearly useless…’’
`` but not totally useless! The ability of speeding him, even if it is not much, is definitely useful!’’ responded the tallest kid of the trio.
`` I guess you’re right Burr, but still, I would love to be stronger, if I was we wouldn’t have to live in the slums anymore.’’
`` You are not the only one!’’ replied Kert.
`` At least you have something, me and Kert don’t have anything.’’ Replied Burr.
`` I know, but I still want more power, at least enough so we all have a peaceful life, that is my ultimate goal!’’ Said Anduyn, nearly shouting the last part.
While the three children were talking they kept running, the once paved and full of activity streets became road of dirt and mug, filled with even more people. the atmosphere was completely different, no shouting, no occasional laugh; only whispers and begging. The houses went from stone to dirt, and the people from luxurious clothes to rags or even no clothes at all for most children, but the most disturbing was that the three kids didn’t pay attention to any of that, a sign they already were used to the everyday life in the slums.
The slums were filled with orphan, criminals, and mostly by the ones who had no affinity. In this word magic dictated everything, along with money. Any human could use magic, however not anyone could possess an affinity toward an element of magic, and those people would live in poverty, or even worse, as their status could even fall to the level of the semi-humans, and they then would be sell into slavery.
Anduyn had an affinity, however it was the lowest ranked affinity one could get with an element ranking from 1 to 10. The simple reason why having a strong affinity with an element is essential in that world is because you would have an easier time learning spells from that particular element, but you would also access more powerful spell inaccessible for others with lower ranked affinity. If you had no affinity with an element you could only learn ranked 0 spells in that particular element, a rank 1 affinity for rank 0 and 1 spell and so on.
Anduyn knew he had a rank 1 affinity with wind as he was ``checked’’ by an old man once with the use of a weird crystal ball. Would he have a high affinity, and it happens really rarely; a noble family could decide to take him in. People from the church or from nobility would often go in the slums as to discover any hidden talent they could try to rope in, but it was rarely seen; in the last decade it never happened.
For most children in the slums, the day they were checked their hopes would crumble; it would only result in them learning they do not belong anywhere other than in the lower social classes of society, as they know that talent decide your rank on the social standing. Most people in the slums know there is no escape, but a few individuals decided to create a group so that they could one day get out of the lower level of society and live freely.
The three young kids were part of that group which numbered about 200, ranging from 6 to 18-year-old. After reaching 18 most would leave the city to try their luck in other places of the world, but the outside world was filled with demonic beast and are too dangerous for the average person. What Anduyn and the others didn’t know was that no one who ever left made it past a month.
Anduyn POV
`` Anduyn you are here!’’ As the three children reached what they called home, they were greeted by the voice of a young looking girl, her age couldn’t be older than 7, which was the age of Anduyn.
`` Hi Leena, how are you doing?’’ asked Anduyn.
`` Haaa, only for you Anduyn, lucky! I wish big sister paid more attention to me!’’ jokingly said Kert.
`` Anduyn, Kert and I are going to put the bread in the stocking area, see ya’’ Sai Burr
`` But I want to talk to…Hey stop training me! What are you doing!’’ Said Kert while he was being dragged away by Burr who gave a smile to Anduyn.
` Burr it’s not what you think…’ thought Anduyn, he considered Leena like a small sister, furthermore unlike the older boys he never talked about the girls like they did before sleeping sometimes, his brain entirely focused on getting a better life.
`` Anduyn, I heard you guys went stealing once more…’’ said Leena with a sad figure.
`` Sorry Leena, but we had to do it to feed ourselves, furthermore we never steal from the same merchant twice as to not make them suffer too much.’’
`` Nice try, but I know it’s because merchants are always more wary to day after being stolen from.
` Leena has always been very perceptive, sometimes even too perceptive…’
`` But…I know we have to do it, I just feel sad we have to do something like that to survive, when will we be able to live without hurting?’’ She was sad but she, like all the others, knew we had to do something wrong in order to live, and gradually came to acceptance with it; we had no choice after all.
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`` Don’t worry, I am sure we will find a way, we just need to keep trying harder!’’
`` At what?’’ She asked.
`` At life!’’ I said full of determination.
`` I don’t even understand what you are saying…’’ She said sighing, however we could see a faint smile, which was enough to make me smile too.
`` Hey guys dinner will be served soon! If you don’t come your share will be eaten by someone else!’’ Said one older girl who seemed to be about 16.
As the said that we all started moving toward the central building of our home. This central building was where we ate and slept, and thus had a special place in the heart of each child in our group, it was the place we had the most memories of.
We grab our portion of food, which was ``collected’’ by different small groups, and reach for the usual table with the usual people. First there were Kert and Burr, two of my closest friends who also were in the same group as I. There were also Brand and Luscious, two brothers who seemed to be day and night when put next to each other, Brand had a fire affinity and Luscious an ice one, and their characters when compared were like day and night, Brand was very hot headed and direct, while Luscious was calm and taciturn. Our table were actually very big and each had around 15 children or so, but the fact that our ages were pretty close made it so we became closer than with others.
`` Yo Anduyn how ya doing!’’ nearly shouted Brand.
`` Good, today we have enough bread for everybody, not something that happens often!’’ I responded
`` We wont be hungry anymore!’’ joyfully said Kert.
`` That is until tomorrow…’’ deplored Luscious.
`` It does not change the fact we wont have anyone go hungry today!’’
`` Brand is right, let’s just eat and be happy everyone can do the same’’ said Burr.
`` Yeah let’s eat before-‘’ started Leena.
`` before it gets cold?’’
`` Luscious stop, we can’t afford to act like that! Don’t forget we all will make out of here one day!’’ Said Brand.
`` It’s just…I just want to eat something warm you know? At least once…’’
`` One day you will, and so will everybody here, we just have to keep hoping!’’ Leena suddenly cheerfully said.
``Hey Anduyn you heard about the princess?’’ asked Brand.
`` Actually we haven’t heard any news, what about the princess?’’
We often would share news while eating. Because we had about 30 groups of 3 all over the city when we were getting food we often would hear the news of the city. We were actually pretty acknowledgeable on the current events.
`` They said she caught some kind of disease, some even speak of curse that made her not being able to use magic!’’
`` If that rumor is true then they probably are going to do anything to cure the princess!’’
`` She is still a princess; she will get to live a peaceful life even without being able to use magic while we are here’’
Luscious never liked the inequality in the world, and his hate for the nobility was unrivalled by no one.
`` Gu-guys! There are people in shining armor outside!’’ a kid shouted
`` Shining armor!? Knights!’’ Brand and Burr always wanted to become knights, to see real one would be heaven to them.
I didn’t understand why knights would be here… they certainly wouldn’t come because we stole bread, knights were only used in battles against great monsters, or to protect the officials of the government or the church. There was only one other thing why you would use knight, and that was for recruitment purpose...but no one in our group got checked today, why are they here?
`` Everyone in the building, we ask you to immediately step out, by order of the church of Alcenia!’’ I heard someone saying outside.
Without any other choice we started slowly walking toward the exit, whispering and also wondering what exactly was happening. We were then ordered in a single line and one old men dressed with a white robe started to put his hand on one kid at a time, then releasing a bright light before passing onto the next kid.
It continued until he reached Leena who was next to me, at which point he stopped.
`` She is the one! Affinity 8 with light! With proper training she could reach 10! She will be going with us!’’
Wait, we could ``train’’ our affinity? I wondered, until he said she was going with them at which I tried to protect her.
`` You can’t take her with you! She is part of our family, and she doesn’t want to go with you!’’ I argued
`` Haaa kid…I think you don’t understand; you can’t stop me. But don’t worry she will have a nice life.’’
`` Cardinal, we can’t afford to tarnish our reputation, what if they go saying we kidnap the girl?’’
Said one of the knight.
`` Well well…’’ He did the same thing with me as he did to all the others before saying `` Haha truly my luck! This kid has an affinity toward wind! Probably the best gift something could give to the king in this times…Take the girl and the boy, you know what to do with the others.’’
The Cardinal then took Leena and left while a knight caught me.
`` I will be taking that kid to the royal family, kill the rest.’’ Said the king who carried me.
`` I won’t let you!’’ I tired casting a spell but I only know how to speed up, nothing else. I move so as to free myself from the knight, but I feel something behind my head and fall unconscious to the screams of the others running for their life.