(Author: Hello! Well, Elgar's childhood, until he enters a sect or academy, will be the main focus of the story. How many chapters? I don't know. Since the releases are at random, I apologize as it is a side project. Now, let's find out which element attribute Elgar has. Enjoy.)
----------Chapter 2: Attribute Test--------------------
"Today's the day!" Edward laughed as he burst into Elgar's room, their mother smiling behind him. "You've been patiently waiting for this day, on the outside, but we both know you just couldn't wait."
"Thank you, brother," Elgar said. Even when he was a snake and dragon, he seldom trusted others as they were all plotting to kill him. Having a family was foreign to him, no matter how many years passed. Elgar could honestly say, he had never been forced to talk so much over the course of his past lives' combination of seventeen hundred years. Magical beasts weren't very social unless they were of the same race.
"The time has come, Elgar," his mother, Rebecca, smiled. "I remember being struck by a tribulation lightning many years ago. It was when I was examined that I discovered I was actually pregnant. You are destined for great things, even if it not to be the emperor. Otherwise, we would have both perished.
"Actually, it was me sacrificing most of my magical beast core," Elgar thought as he nodded.
"Father is hoping you would wield great grandfather's hammer," Edward said. "You do have the tyrannical strength. Might have been the lightning. It is lightning from the Heavens. I'm sure you have another attribute besides fire. Most of us do and almost no child of our Firetail clan did not have an attribute. Well, we've never had one with the water attribute, no matter how gifted the spouse's family was."
"However, some people die in the attribute test," Rebecca warned. "Not only is your attribute tested, your body will awaken and gain the ability to absorb nature energy. All matters regarding to rank will be explained during the attribute test. Tell me, what kind of person do you wish to be, once you become a Cultivator? What will you do with your new found power?"
"I wish to enter the Immortal Realm," Elgar answered without hesitation. "I wonder what lies beyond the Heavens."
"Then the road is very difficult," the empress sighed, knowing her son was determined. "Many people wish to become an immortal, but many fail, even after a whole millennia. Very few actually succeed. The black lava dragon, many years ago, also failed. It was such a mighty creature but it must have been in a weakened state to fail."
Elgar said nothing as Edward grinned, "Immortality? Don't worry about it. Take your time. Let's hurry to the Great Plaza. Most of the generals, ministers, nobles, and other important people and guests are already there. They are anxious to see the three stars of today's main event."
The trio walked out of Elgar's room and entered the Great Plaza, just a couple dozen yards away. Ian and Sarah were already there, sitting in the center of the plaza as ten priests stood before ten cauldrons. According to Elgar's study on humans, the element attributes humans normally cultivated consisted of ten elements. They were fire, water, earth, wind, lighting, darkness, light, wood, magma, and chaos. The lava element was a combination earth and fire. Only humans with demon blood had chaos affinity and humans that were descended from magical beasts could not cultivate the main opposing element of their ancestor. For him, it was the element of water. They were also incapable of cultivating light and darkness. That meant Elgar could not cultivate chaos, light, darkness, and water elemental energy.
Elgar sat behind both of his elder, twin siblings. They seemed to be sitting in a triangular formation as all eyes turned to the priests, the ones who would be initiating the attribute test. Many chairs and tables, with food, were available for the audience to relax and watch. Normally, children took the attribute test in a classroom with many others. However, the three children were children of the emperor! Naturally, their attribute test was more important for the nation and various sects, clans, and academies that wished to form closer relations to the emperor.
"We have gathered here today to commence the attribute test of three children of the emperor. They have all reached the age of seven and have been verified to have talent to cultivate nature energy and become Cultivators. Today, they take their first steps onto that path," an eleventh priest announced when the emperor nodded at him. "For tradition's sake, we will still test for the four element attributes that will not appear as the children are descended from a magical beast. Do not expect them to have the attributes of chaos, light, darkness, or water. By your will, Imperial Majesty."
"Begin," the emperor ordered, all talk silencing as the audience alternatively stared between the three children and the ten priests while the chief priest made an invisible barrier around the plaza out of nature energy.
"We call upon the stars of the universe to send the energy of the Cosmos onto these children. May they receive enlightenment and awaken the nature energy within them," the ten priests chanted, lifting their hands into the air.
"Oooh!" the audience cried as the skies cleared, revealing outer space within one mile from above the priests.
"Receive their power and attune yourself with nature," the priests chanted as the audience admired the Cosmos.
"The first to be tested is Ian, son of Durin, of the Clan Firetail," the chief priest shouted as the ten cauldrons started to emit a faint light of many colors.
All ten cauldrons grew pillars of light, reaching the Cosmos as the ten lower priests chanted, "May the elemental energy show favor to the child. May he receive the blessing of the Cosmos and awaken as a Cultivator!"
"The blessing of fire has appeared," a priest cried as the column of light from his cauldron now fell on Ian.
The blessing of earth has appeared," another priest cried.
"The blessing of wind has appeared," a third priest said, the other seven cauldrons no longer emitting a column of light into the Cosmos.
"The Cosmos has not rejected Ian, son of Durin. The child is blessed with triple element attributes," the chief priest announced. Everyone knew Ian was not rejected as he was not harmed or killed. If he was, then he did not have any element attribute and would be a basic Cultivator.
"Triple attributes. Ian is more talented than his brother. Pity the whore of a mother is more concerned about her first born," Edward sighed, his mother smacking his head as the ritual continued.
"The second to be tested is Sarah, daughter of Durin, of the Clan Firetail," the chief priest continued as Ian began meditating and absorbing the elemental energy that fell on his body while the light columns disappeared.
"May the elemental energy show favor to the child. May she receive the blessing of the Cosmos and awaken as a Cultivator!" the ten priests chanted again.
"The blessing of fire has appeared," a priest said.
"The blessing of wood has appeared," another said, many members of the audience both shocked and disappointed. Wood was a great element for healing but fire was more offense oriented. Healers needed a defensive element attribute. The girl would have to decide to safely cultivate one or take a risk and cultivate both.
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"The Cosmos has not rejected Sarah, daughter of Durin. She is blessed with double element attributes," the chief priest said, sighing as he stared at the emperor while Sarah began absorbing the elemental energy to solidify her ability to absorb them. Making a decision would come later, upon choosing a cultivation method.
"He would have had quadruple element attributes if he had fire," Edward said, staring at Elgar whose turn was next. "He's as talented as me. We're the sons of two powerful clans."
"I'll be happy with just one," the empress said, hoping her son had an element. "Shush now. The chief priest is starting again."
"The last to be tested is Elgar, son of Durin, of Clan Firetail," the chief priest announced.
"May the elemental energy show favor to the child. May he receive the blessing of the Cosmos and awaken as a Cultivator!" the ten priests chanted for a third time.
"The blessing of lightning has appeared," a priest said, the emperor and empress standing on their feet. They had no doubts as to how the empress survived the tribulation lightning. The child had such a high affinity to the elemental attribute.
"The blessing of magma has appeared," a priest declared, the two rulers falling onto their chairs in shock. Again, they thought back to that fateful day, when the Ash Fall Empire's army fought another nation's army. Back then, a black-scaled lava dragon had appeared and failed to ascend to the Immortal Realm. The empress began to think about how the dragon had caused the numerous eruptions of lava geysers. She thought it was fate for her son to have the magma element as even a Dragon Mark appeared on her son's chest a few days ago, when he turned seven.
"So much power. Ha. My inner nature cannot be denied. My fire may have been taken, but my poison and magma affinities endure. I can accept a trade of fire for lightning. It came from the very Heavens that denied me!" Elgar laughed inwardly, cultivating the elemental energy from the columns of light.
Many people were surprised to see someone with the magma element. Even though the wood element was made from the light, earth, and water elements; it was not as rare as the magma element. Having element attributes for both magma and lightning, it was as if the boy could cultivate the power of the land and sky!
"The three children have been blessed by the Cosmos," the chief priest began, silencing the crowd. "Now is the time to awaken the Star Spirit."
This time many people were excited. This was the real reason they attended the attribute test of the three children. Cultivators formed a Star Lake and could begin to use nature techniques after the Star Lake formed. Magical beasts utilized the elements as they fought. It was natural for them as they had magical beast cores. Even demons had magical horns that enabled them to use the power of nature with their techniques.
When the Star Spirit is awakened, a Star Lake forms. Star Spirits also carried a unique innate ability. The reason Cultivators were feared, if they had an element attribute, was that they were the only ones able to use the innate abilities of their Star Spirit, one for each element. Naturally, those without element attributes had no ability granted to them by their Star Spirit. Fighting against a Cultivator who uses elemental techniques, techniques above basic nature techniques, was bad enough. If they wanted to use their innate abilities, any other Cultivator would wisely flee for his life!
"It's appearing," an excited man cried, all eyes turning to Ian. They watched as a magnificent, white feathered phoenix appeared from his body. It shrieked as it spread its wings, a crown of gold feathers on its head.
"Ian, son of Durin, has awakened his Star Spirit: Phoenix King," the chief priest shouted.
Sarah cried out as her spirit awakened. A majestic phoenix also appeared from her body. It had shining emerald feathers with a crown of orange feathers on its head. Many members of the royal family stood up, including the relatives and elders. Why? Her Star Spirit was a Sacred Phoenix, the very same kind of phoenix the Firetail Clan was descended on. There was no question as the tail feathers of Sarah's spirit were tipped with flames.
"Sarah, daughter of Durin, has awakened her Star Spirit: Sacred Phoenix," the chief priest cried, falling to both knees in shock and reverence. Everyone began to think. Was their ancestor also capable of fire and wood? Now they knew why their ancestors feathers were emerald and not crimson. Some had speculations in the past, but they never really believed it was the Sacred Phoenix! No wonder. No wonder most of its descendants had element attributes.
As everyone gazed at Sarah's spirit, Elgar felt so much power swirl within his body. He clutched his heart as a Star Lake appeared. Why did it appear there? It was because the heart was the core of the human body. Just as it pumped blood throughout the body, it would also inject nature and elemental energy into the blood to enrich the body and enable it to become the body of a Cultivator!
Elgar cried out as his Star Spirit finally revealed itself. A black dragon, with a stripe of gold scales on both sides of its body, roared as it soared from his body. Poisoned mist seemed to emanate from its body as lightning crackled around its antlers and claws. It looked terrifyingly similar to the black-scaled lava dragon, but it appeared to be a mutated variation.
"It's true. It must have been fate," the empress whispered as she and Edward were the only ones who truly paid attention to Elgar's awakening.
"Ahem. Elgar, son of Durin, has awakened his Star Spirit: Calamity Dragon," the chief priest cried, fear and awe in his voice. However, most people just stared at Sarah. Including her bizarre combination of element affinities, she had the greatest Star Spirit, in the Ash Fall Empire's opinion. Most did not notice Ian and Elgar leave the plaza as they rushed to get acquainted with the princess.
"Calamity Dragon," Edward said as he followed his mother and brother to the Empress's chambers.
"Affinity for the element attributes of lightning and magma," the empress smiled. "Good. It will definitely help Elgar become an immortal. The only problem lies in picking a suitable cultivation method and training regiment. The hammer of father's grandfather will be a suitable weapon. It is a magical ranked weapon, a weapon that evolves with its wielder."
"I'm going to use a hammer?" Elgar asked.
"Yes. You have the necessary strength and even the right elements for it. Swords would be wasted with the magma element and axes would be wasted with the lightning element. Don't even get me stared on maces and spears," Edward agreed.
"He should also learn to use hidden weapons, like throwing knives. Especially when living in the palace, there are many who would attempt to assassinate him," the empress said.
"Do I get a say in this? I would really like to wield a giant sword," Elgar started.
"Just shut up," Edward laughed.
"It's for your own good," the empress said at nearly the same time.
"If only I had my claws or serpentine body," Elgar thought, staring at his human hands. "Humans are....fragile creatures. They need weapons to make up for what they lack. Even clothes and armor."