Kestevere stood off against his father, a Baron on the outskirts of the kingdom. The title was given grudgingly to his father when he’d save a major in a battle over a decade ago. Since then, his father had opened his land up for anyone that needed a place to heal and to begin again. No form of prejudice was allowed within the land that his father had fought for.

Years later, it was now Kestevere’s turn to learn to fight for the land and for these people. His father had entered into adulthood as a simple footsoldier, but it was Kestevere’s duty to rise above his station and elevate his family’s status. With a backer, education, and training, Brondin hoped that his son would be able to utilize the resources that he’d fought for.

This duel was one that was started as a form of preparation and a test to see if his son had been diligent with his training.

“Ready son?” Brondin asked the small child before him, treating him as an equal. The two stood in the ready position, but he sought to teach his son chivalry as well.

“Ready,” the child affirmed, dashing in to try to catch his father off guard. It was something that his father had defended against time and again. Kestevere fought with wild abandon, swinging the sword with technique, but without the finesse that a more experienced fighter would use. His father kept the same easygoing smile that he had begun with, parrying the blows as they came towards him. The two fell into a rhythm, so when Brondin saw the opportunity to knock the child’s legs out from beneath him, he took it.

“What have I told you about not following the rhythm of battle?” The man asked the boy. He was breathing sharply, having exhausted his initial energy. The boy stood slowly, taking a deep breath as he did so. “Stay out of the rhythm. Like this,” Brondin said, beginning what he considered to be a slow assault on the boy.

Slash. Slash. Overhead. Thrust. Slash, thrust. Overhead, slash, slash, thrust, slash.

The blows came faster towards the boy who was slowly being overwhelmed by the assault. A single failure in blocking or dodging would lead to a painful lesson that he felt he’d learned far too many times. That was why, after the strikes that he endured and had focused on, it hurt his pride more than anything to have once again had his legs swept from beneath him. A rush of energy burst from within, and he was back on his feet and dashed in faster than he’d ever moved.

Brondin saw that his son was surrounded in a wildly flaring light around his body. He prepared himself for what was coming. Kestevere swept his sword up towards his father leaving afterimages in its wake. Brondin met his son’s practice blade with his own, using both of his hands to guard against the strike of a ten-year-old child. Even though it was a mighty strike, Kestevere was able to pull the blade back and land a kick into the back of his father’s knee. The older man stumbled, tucking into a roll to place some distance between him and his son.

As soon as he was up and the attention was back on his son, he ducked under the wooden blade that his son swung towards him. Luckily, whatever battle flow that had struck Kestevere didn’t enhance his knowledge or technique, so Brondin took the chance to strike his son in the stomach with his fist. This sent Kestevere tumbling towards the house wall where he stopped rolling just shy of it.

“Whew, time really flies. I didn’t expect that he’d awaken to the system at such a young age,” his father muttered with a chuckle. He began walking towards his son so that he could take him inside to rest when a cloaked individual strode through the gate that led towards the house. The figure turned his head towards Kestevere, and then Brondin met his eye.

An amethyst colored eye that shined with magic.

Brondin knew what that meant, and he also knew that he’d have to break the news to his wife. He only hoped that Kestevere would handle things well.

* * *

Kestevere awoke to the sound of his father speaking in the other room.

“I don’t want to have to send him yet, but there isn’t a choice. He awoke this afternoon, and this scout just happened to be close enough to sense it,” his father said, muttering curses underneath his breath.

“It’s true that I was nearby due to coincidence, but that doesn’t negate my duties, Lord Brondin,” a whispery voice responded. It was a voice that seemed sad to Kestevere, and he got out of bed to peak into the hall. They were speaking down the hall from him, and he couldn’t hear the voices anymore so he crept towards the dining room. The three adults sat at the table, and the smell of his mother’s beef stewed caused his stomach to growl. He looked down at his stomach as if that would make it stop, and when he looked back up he found himself face to face with someone whose eye shined like a purple jewel. The shock elicited a yelp out of him, and he was on his feet when his mother and father got up from the table.

“Apologies for the fright, child,” the man said, rising from his squatting position. The man moved silently, as if he didn’t exist. Kestevere found himself hoping that he was a specter that could be banished.

As if my parents would allow a specter into our home. He scoffed.

“Come and sit, Kest,” his mother bid him, patting the chair to the left of her. It was a chair left open between her and his father, and that didn’t bode well. Usually it meant that his father had to go away for some time, or his mother would be going down to the village to help a very sick person for a small while.

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“This man is actually here for you,” his father began, glancing towards the one-eyed man. “He was nearby when you and I had our practice match. During the fight, you awakened to the system. I know that I’ve told you about the system before, but now you can really understand what it means to be part of the system.

If you say the word ‘menu’, it will bring you to the menu where you can see your current power. For only being ten, you’re quite strong, but you awakened to your magical power as well. That’s why you were able to briefly keep up with me during the fight,” his father finished. Kestevere thought for a second before saying ‘menu’.

Kestevere Avalon

Age: 10

Class: Undecided

Awakening: Undecided

Awakening Level: N/A

Level: 1

EXP: 0

EXP to next level: 100

VIT: 6

STR: 6

AGI: 7

MAG: 1

INT: 4

WIS: 3

Skills:

Mana Manipulation lvl 1: The ability to control mana throughout the body. Mana can be used for strengthening, or manipulated for attacking. As levels rise, less mana is wasted and activation is faster.

Kest looked at his status screen and felt disappointed at first. None of his numbers were above the single digits, and he felt as if he was losing against something or someone. Maybe himself.

“Those ability levels aren’t bad at all Kest,” his father said, earning him a pouting look. “Really, most kids your age wouldn’t be above three in those points you see. In fact, most wouldn’t have awakened to the system yet.”

“So… that means that I’m not losing or bad?” Kest asked his father.

“Well, that depends on your view,” his father said with a sad smile, “there is always someone stronger. Always someone that has been granted a boon from the gods that you are lacking. It’s luck that really keeps you alive, and that isn’t something measured by the system. Even the gods seem to have trouble quantifying a concept like luck.”

“Oh,” Kest said, thinking of his father’s words. The man across the table interrupted Kest’s thoughts though.

“Young man, this is a significant development in your life,” the man began, only continuing when he fully had Kest’s attention, “you’re rather young to have awakening to the system. It isn’t unheard of, but it is a rarity. With that said, now that I’ve found that you’ve awoken, I was speaking to your parents here about the next steps your life will have to take.”

“What steps?” Kest asked, looking between his mother and father.

“Kest, sweetie, you’ll have to leave with this man,” his mother began before his father gave a grunt and she stopped speaking.

“It’s a requirement of the Kingdom of Grande that upon awakening to the system, if not found, the individual must attend an academy. Depending on the location, you will go to one of nine academies. The goal is to raise a volunteer-based fighting force for the Kingdom, and to train all civilians in the art of self-defense so that there is less crime, and also less accidents from untrained magic usage,” his father said in a long breath, as if it was drilled into him.

“In other words, in three days you’re going with me. You can return after your ascension service requirement is completed,” the man across the table summarized.

“What, that’s required again,” Brondin asked the man who gave his outburst a sharp glare.

“Yes. There have been rumors that we must prepare for,” was all the man responded with. Kest sat in his chair beginning to sob at hearing that he had to leave his family. It wasn’t something that had ever been discussed before now, so the news was a shock to him. His mother wrapped her arm around him, trying to comfort the child that was confused and scared.

“Kest, I know it seems like a long time, but you’ll be able to visit a few times a year! I was able to see your father quite a few times around the holidays, so you’ll be fine. I promise,” she said, unable to keep her own voice from wavering.

“Kest,” his father said, raising the boy’s chin so that he was looking his father in the eye, “it’s going to be something you hate right now. It’s something you’ll hate in the moment. You may not chase a career in the military like I initially did, but this is valuable so that one day you can be Baron Kestevere Avalon. Nobles must be symbols of strength for their people.”

“I’m not going,” Kest said quietly, slipping from the chair, climbing beneath the table, and running to his room before slamming the door. “I won’t go. They can’t make me go if they can’t find me,” he said, already packing some clothes and hidden snacks into a bag that he carry into the woods so that he could hide until the jewel-eyed man was gone.

* * *

Brondin sat with his head between his hands. The pure frustration that filled him in that moment was only overshadowed by his own sadness. His son had just awakened, and he wanted a little while to train him before he began to train at the academy. Just a little while would have been enough.

“Isn’t there any way that I could have a small amount of time before we have to send him away? Maybe a week or two,” Brondin practically pleaded with the scout.

“No, the next group marked for entry to Sandervale Academy will be enrolled in seven days. That’s why I’m giving him the three days here,” the cloaked man said, “unless you’d like me to take him now?”

“No,” Brondin said, lowering his head as a quiet sob escaped Alexia’s lips, “He’ll be prepared to go in three days.”

“Good, then I’ll find an inn down the hill. I’ve heard that you have rather fine inns for visiting guests,” the man said before leaving the house. Brondin sat comforting his wife and vowing to speak to Kest in the morning. He would teach him and train him as much as he could manage before he left in three days.

The couple consoled one another on the way to the bedroom, turning all of the mana lanterns off before going to sleep. It was then that a tired Kest crept out of his room and managed to silently leave his home.

“I’ll be back mom and dad. That man will leave in a few days,” he said, psyching himself up for the trek into the woods.

*Author's Note:

Thank you for reading an giving "The Hero General's Journey" a shot! Please let me know what you think of it! I'm going to try to post every Sunday to start with, and hopefully I can get into a rhythm that will allow for more posts per week eventually!

-JB Cooke