The Birth:
By the time I reached home it was early afternoon already, I took the fastest ride I could get my hands on. As the Riders were out patrolling at that time, it was indeed not the fastest ride possible. I chose the less traveled, direct route and as a result am suffering from a sore hip. Made me realize the reason behind all those complaints about the road, and why merchants as well as travelers avoid our town so eagerly, even though it is right on the way to the capital. Although we cannot blame the roads entirely here, as the town itself has little to offer other than its gloomy atmosphere.
I quickly rushed to the stable at the entrance to hand my horse over and start walking quickly to the center of the town. Every time I enter this town, I can feel the air around getting a lot heavier, people around the path I am walking gather with a heavy look in their eyes, as they brace themselves for the next few words about to leave my lips. As enough of them gather around, I turn towards them and say, mustering the most radiant smile I can” None today, do not worry!” The crowd erupts into multiple happy whispers and some sighs of relief. Unfortunately, this is a part of life for residents of a village filled with soldiers, living in the Zarion region, Northern part of the Kingdom of Basilisk, it is quite common to have few casualties every time I return from a task.
After hearing the news, the villagers quickly disperse to attend to their daily chores while only a few remain, eyeing me with curiosity. A rather old crowd with each having a scar of their own design, old comrades of my Father’s era. I ignore them for now, hoping they will understand my urgency as I will explain it to them later. I soon reached my house, the single most majestic building in the region except for the forts of course. I enter without paying any heed to the bowing guards and enter through the main door. An eerie silence envelops the mansion as hardly anyone is around, I walk through the hallways soon reaching a room where most of the populace of the house seems to be gathered at.
In the room beside it I hear some whispers, that must be the kids. “I didn’t hear any crying though...” says a soft voice, must be Giza. “Somethings definitely wrong...” ponders another, Gino. “Nothing's wrong brother, he is just a Warrior, did father not tell that Warriors never cry?” answers a self-assured voice, "that’s Killion. I feel a broad smile spread across my face listening to him, I walk into the other room trying to suppress it as the kids continue to bicker in the background.
The atmosphere in the other room was heavy enough to make one suspect a death had occurred, as I enter the looks of gloom and sorrow turn slightly into that of relief, I instantly straighten my back expecting the worst. A slim man in his thirty's, in a deep blue robe with gold linings, the healer steps forward to greet me. “Congratulations my Liege, it is a boy” he says with a wry smile. I look around to see 2 women on the chairs beside the bed one holding the hands of the sleeping mother and the other with the boy in hers. Both with desperation in their eyes turn towards me as if begging me to do something, to turn around this situation. I look at person lying on the bed, she looks utterly exhausted, and with marks of tears down her cheeks, as if on a cue, Karen starts explains” She cried herself to a slumber.” Next, I look at the boy, the elder lady holding him like a precious gem gets up to hand it to me, slowly as if the slightest jerk would cause a concussion. I look at the healer with confusion, he starts to explain with no energy behind his words” He was born with four cores, as a result a frail body, I imagine it was a struggle for him to just to keep breathing this long.” Tch, four cores ah, three is bad enough that most abandon their children ,but four.
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The cores which help one wield magic have a will of their own, some peaceful, others aggressive. The latter being the majority, some say it is because of the thousands of years of warfare we have used them for, as a result they are quite territorial and tend to dislike sharing a host. As they formed before the growth of the body, they disrupt the development of it, due to their territorial battles, from an early stage resulting in premature deaths. All being mere speculation of some researchers of course, some just believe it is a curse from the demon kind to avoid our rise in power. Whatever the case, this was sad news for the Zarion household, the always cheerful Katalia might just lose her smile due to this. Fillion receives the boy from his mother and looks down at him with a heavy look with a lot behind it. His body frail, barely any movement other than his faint heartbeat, which grows lighter by the second, his eyes close shut refusing to take even a peek, dark black hair resembling his mother, absolutely unlike his shiny silver mane(as he would prefer calling it),seeing this, Fillion’s eyes grow moist, “Wont you take a look at your father at least once?”, he blurts out in a heavy voice before realizing, listening to this the flood gates around him are released, even the healer, previously lacking energy starts to weep alongside the women. Fillion panics ‘OH crap! So much for being a pilar of support...’The sleeping Katalia wakes up, looking around still half asleep. Her eyes land on Fillion and the baby in his hand.
My eyes meet Katy’s, seeing a desperate look in her eyes, I straighten my back instinctively yet again. Realizing that my next words might open yet another flood gate, I choose my words carefully. I was never good with words like my other brothers, I always preferred letting my action talk, preferably my sword even. Having the habit of telling the truth on their face, I am not suited for this situation, but then I remember the conversation from before, and a broad smile spreads across my face. “Do not worry, my son is a warrior, he shall face all his hardships and be triumphant at the end...!” Katy nods with a wry smile as tears roll down her cheeks.
As if responding to this, the boy kicks my chest, albeit just lightly. As I turn down in surprise, he slowly opens his eyes and lets out a weak cry, his heartbeat stabilizes as I sense the Mana within settle down too. Soon everyone looks at him with both looks of surprise and relief. “Haha, had me worried there lad, even the Asuras never had me so worried.” I say in a joking tone. As the mood in the room lightens the door opens with a bang. In enters a frail looking silver haired old man, with a smug smile on his face, “Ah, Elder, it's been a while.” “What did you say about the Asuras brat??”,” That they are senile old folk with no better work than to lecture others...” I say with half in daze studying the boy's face, without realizing that I was digging a huge grave for myself. Before too soon, a fist is lodged into my abdomen which sends me crashing through the table.
As I try my best to keep the boy from harm's way, I get up to see an all too familiar scene. The old man bowing deeply to the women of the house as each of them berate him with different scoldings
” You senile geezer, how many times have I told you get a hold of your fists”,
“But he was insulting me in front of the newborn lad...”,
”No buts!!What if he was injured by it, he is really frail”
”Yes I am sorry, but of course the brat can handle a little fist or two..”
” You idiot! No ale for you for a week!!”.
“Nooo! Katty come on, help this old man out a little...” he says so as he looks apologetically at her,
“I would make it a month for what you’ve done,” said an angry Katalia. Looking as if he had lost his purpose in life, the old man turns to me, I give him a mischievous smile and hand him the boy.
The old man asked, "What shall he be named?” Regaining some of his energy, I replied puffing out my chest
“Zeffross Zarion!”
“A fine name, thus is born the 105th child of the Zarion household Zeffross Zarion."
He said raising the boy in the air, “May the progenitors bless this child” murmured the priest and the women.