“Oi, you wee one, shake yourself out of your stupor and wake up so I can talk some sense into ya.” An aged voice that definitely did not match any of the elves that I knew ground at my eardrums.

I opened my eyes to try and find the intruder in my room. I definitely left everything locked up so I did not know how anyone got in. Standing, or more floating above my dresser, still in the middle of the room after I didn’t put it back last night, was a dwarf with rugged looks and a body shape that definitely was built in the dwarven forges I had read so much about.

“Wipe your tears away so you can see me clearly with your sensitive elf peepers. I will not have the next generation of Gaea left wallowing in his own self-pity just because he doesn't know his place in the world yet.” he moved extremely quickly to give me a good smack on the top of my head and pulled me up by my t-shirt that I hadn’t taken off yesterday. He met my eyes and continued. “You’d better pay close attention or you are going to have a rough three years ya scrawny bastard.”

“Grot, what do you want with me?” I shouted out conscious of the grip he still had of me, eeking it out in fear of the strength that had already left a bump on my head.

He smacked me on the head again in the same spot sending another jolt through my skull. “Don't say that word, ya ignorant bastard. Don't ya know the g-word is condemned by the King ya fool? Stand up so I can get a measure of ya and don't ask questions. I'll explain what is going on here in a sec but I will not have the next generation of one of me best friends spit on the work that he did by uttering that accursed word.

“It’ll be better for ya to understand what is going on if I introduce myself. My name is Ronik Gaea, the Father spirit of Earth and nominated first to help ya through yer journey. As you can see, I am the spiritual representation of the Dwarven Race and am equipped with all knowledge of the Earth.”

I sat stunned half in disbelief, half in awe. After spending years in the library, the information on the Fathers and Mothers was extremely limited but nobody denied their existence because of links with spirits that confirm their existence.

“How do I know that you are actually who you say you are? I mean you are exactly like the Greater Spirits that I have read about and there is no record of the Father or Mother Spirits ever showing up anywhere. Why should I believe you when there is no documented evidence of any of the Father or Mother spirits contracting with any humanoid ever?” I wore a doubting scowl. I had also just woke up from learning that I don’t have a title so I don’t know why any spirit would have an interest in contracting with me.

“If ya want proof, then I’ll give ya proof. Yer sister Seri is contracting one of me daughters with Fire.” A moment later, a small humanoid appeared near Ronik in a pop of flames.

“Heya, Pops. You need anything?” said the ball of burning energy. “Seri and I were practicing in the forest when you called and I would like to get back to her.”

“Nah, ya just proved my point to the ignoramus over here when ya arrived.” He said glaring at me. ”Do ya believe me now ya metalhead or am I going to have to smack yeah again?”

His daughter turned to realize there was someone else in the room. “I know you. Your Seri's brother. If Pops is visiting you, you must be someone special, your sister was telling me you didn’t get a title though this morning.”

I grimaced but Ronik cut her off. “Piper, you Know why I am here. He doesn’t know anything yet, I just needed yer help to knock some sense into him.”

Her chipper voice was very shrill to my depressed ears but thankfully she left. in another pop after giving her “Pops” a short hug. “I guess I have to listen to what you’ve got to say then. I’ve never heard of any Spirits, especially high ranked ones, referring to another Spirit as their ‘Pops’ but I still don’t understand why you need to see me, someone who doesn't have a title at all.”

I was still pissed at myself for not having a useful title and if a big wig like Father Earth was in front of me, I certainly wasn’t going to bow my head in reverence when I don’t have anything to offer.

“Thank ya, ya disrespectful know-it-all. I am going to beat that out of you pretty soon, but first, you need to know that you do have a title but it is going to be another three years before ya get to know what it does for ya.

“Your Predecessor, The Knower as he was known, was me greatest friend other than me wife and I get the same aura from you, so I am not going to let your sorry little-ass sit here and wallow in his own puddle of tears. Get your rear end off the bed, shake my hand, and go to yer damn heart space so I can show you what I mean. Then we are going to march downstairs, explain what is going on to your parents, and then get back on your training regime with an added dwarven kick in the heiny.”

His aggressiveness pushed me to take his hand and I felt the Essence drain out of me in acknowledgment that the contract was complete even though I didn’t consent to this. I sat down and quickly entered the familiar space to find Ronik standing next to me in my spotlight that was dimmed slightly around the edges from Essence use.

“You got a lot of Essence for a 15-year old, tike. When did you break through in meditation? Ronik looked shocked. “It wasn’t right after your titling ceremony, that much I know, but this is a lot for a youngster to have.”

“I broke through when I was eleven. Took me a long time too. I read a lot of books to help perfect my meditation.” I felt a sense of pride from having my work acknowledged by such a legend.

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“That’s quite an impressive feat lad. Most people don’t get to a breakthrough on their own and need to be titled.

Ronik gave me another smack on the head. “Alright you know-it-all, cool your irons, and just remember, lots of mana doesn’t mean jack shit if you can’t use magic worth slag.”

“How does it even work that I feel hurt here? Actually, how are you even here with me? This is supposed to be my spirit and heart space. You shouldn’t be able to enter.”

I got another smack on the head after that question. “I’m the Father of earth ya dimwit. I can do a lot of things that people don’t understand. I'll explain what's goin’ on in a sec. I just need to make a few changes.”

Ronik let out a loud snap and the outer borders of my spotlight dimmed. I felt my mana drain from my body just like when I shook his hand. Amidst the darkness where my braziers stood, one lit with an earthen-colored flame. I felt like a mountain was laid on my chest but every breath was filled with the taste of the earth, which I didn’t know was possible in the heart space.

The wonders in my heart space continued. I was brought to my knees because of the weight as I watched my spotlight grow even more except the outer ring had a deep green and brown color almost like the forest beyond the gates.

Ronik smacked the back of my head with enough force to lay me down on the ground. “Meditate you fool, you're gonna explode if you don't meditate on your new affinity. Hurry or I am gonna smack you again. That’ll help you build your foundations so that I can beat the snot out of yeah for the next 3 years.”

Three years? I still couldn’t breathe properly but if I was going to lift this mountain I needed to do as he said. I worked myself into a sitting position and meditated while thinking about my new affinity. I never imagined that I would have an affinity for magic or even bind with a spirit and here I am with the Father of Earth making a contract with me and smacking me around my heart space.

I finally could breathe after about an hour of meditation and when I opened my eyes Ronik was kneeling in front of the darkened throne. He never made eye contact with me but spoke like he was relieved. “I know you have questions ya know-it-all, ask away now so that we can get you off your ass and apologize to your parents and sister.”

“Why did I not get my Title?” The words came out of my mouth with a choke as it hurt to think about being untitled for the rest of my life.

“The King said you weren’t ready yet and is having you wait till your 18 ya dimwit, I thought at least that much was clear to you when I kept saying 3 years,” Ronik answered with an attitude and a sigh. “For the next three years, I will be helping you build your foundation so when you get your title you ain’t overwhelmed.”

“Who is this king you speak of? You’ve mentioned him twice now and smacked me when I used a word he didn’t like. Why should I listen to a king who lets his people live like how I have lived over the past 15 years of my life?” I came off quite aggressive when I said this and found myself seething with rage as I finished my sentence.

Before I could get another word out of my mouth, I was lifted off of my feet and held by my shirt by a floating dwarf. “Speak like that about the King again and you can kiss the spirits goodbye ya bastard. It's not a King, it’s the King. The big guy upstairs. The one who made this all, and the one who has built you to do. I know you have had to suffer. You had to suffer to be the person you are today, but by his name, you will likely suffer more. And that damn G-word. It is everything unnatural about this world. It is only created by our evil and leads to nothing more than extinction. So damn it boy, you will listen to me when I speak to you. You will become the man I know you can be or so help me I will beat your ass with me own hammer and anvil to mold you into that man.”

Ronik exerted a pressure that I had never felt before. The mountain that had been on my chest earlier was nothing in comparison to the man standing before me now. His grip slowly loosened and I fell to the ground limply.

“Do you have any more questions boy? You better learn pretty quickly or that anvil and hammer are gonna come out a lot faster than you’d think.”

“No, sir.” I gulped down what was left in my dry mouth and Ronik looked at me with a grin that lacked any of the anger that he had expressed before.

“Now that is how you treat your elders. You will address me as Sir until you get your title. I do not want to hear my name till you’ve earned it. Till you get your title you are clay to be molded. Once you get your title you can be more than an apprentice but nothing more till then. Magic and weapons will break yer body over and over till you can build a mansion in a single day, And I better never hear that damned word come out of that mouth again.”

I sat in fear only able to let out another “yes, sir” before he snapped his fingers and I found myself sprawled on the ground of my bedroom with Ronik floating over me. All I could do was gasp for breath as the mountainous feeling was back but not as bad. I had already done this once so I sat and meditated till I could breathe again.

As soon as I opened my eyes Ronik lifted to my feet and looked me dead in the eyes. “What did I tell ya you were gonna do next after you got your questions?”

Before you could land a smack on my head I ran to my door and opened it enough so that I could bound down the stairs. Ronik floated behind me as I rushed into the living room and wrapped my parents up in a massive hug and balled out the words “I’m sorry” till my eyes could no longer produce tears.

“Yer cry-baby boy here is going to be completely fine. He had a little freak out about not getting his title but after I explained what is going on, he owed you both an apology for scaring ya. My name is Ronik Gaea, I am the Father of Earth Spirit and I am now in contract with your son. I beseech you to tell no one about me but you deserve to know why there is a floating dwarf smacking your son for the next three years.” Ronik explained while my parents sat there flabbergasted. My mom had been rubbing my back just like all of the other times she had comforted me in my life and only stopped because she was shocked by who was in her living room.

“Your son will be getting training from me till he gets his title at 18 when he will likely be done with his earth magic training-”

Before he could get another word out my dad piped in “What do you mean he didn’t get a title and will get it at 18?” Don’t all people get their titles at 15? Why is my son any different and why him of all people?”

“Yer who looks like he just passed out in yer arms there is quite special, The King has decided to give him a unique title of which only one person possesses in the entire world. In order for him to get this title, he has to learn a lot. He has to learn what pain feels like, he has to learn what love feels like, and he has to know many more things about this world. Mark my words, he will likely become one of the greatest men on this planet and will likely outlive every elf in this village for 10 or so generations because of his title and power he will be receiving.”

Ronik’s expression changed to one of reminiscence and warmth. “I can see that he has suffered for a long time. I already see his predecessors in him and I will raise him like me own sons.”

Ronik dropped from the ground and kneeled on one knee and bowed his head before my parents who held an unconscious me in their arms. “Thank you for nurturing a boy such as your own. Thank you for raising the man who is going to be a man just like my best friend before him.”

My parents stood before him completely speechless for a moment and then my dad leaned over matching Ronik’s warm look and put a hand on Ronik’s shoulder, “Thank you for being there for our son and we look forward to having you around.”