Zorn walked through the empty halls of the manor the only people he had seen so far was James and Stephen who were still manning the front gate when he arrived. They had inquired to him about what had happened at the ceremony, but he quickly brushed them off and said that he would explain later. They looked a bit hurt by his abrupt dismissal, and he would need to apologize later. At the moment however his thoughts were racing and he could hardly stop to have an idle conversation. He needed answers. Nothing else even mattered at the moment.

The halls were completely empty, the usually lively halls were desolate and empty of any human presence. He burst into the same place he had had lunch with his mother only a couple hours before. And just looked at her. He now knew what she was, but he just couldn't see it. How was she an elemental? Not even just an elemental she was at least a high grade elemental, maybe even queen grade to be able to make offspring with a God. The different planes were something he had learned a lot about from scholar Padrenn, and he knew that there was no possible way an elemental of her supposed power could have descended into the lower plane for so long. "Are you even my real mother?" He had to know he had to ask, because if he didn't… he didn't even know what he would do.

Cassandra Gale Elemental Queen of Air looked at him with a hurt expression "of course I'm your mother."

Zorn had known that to be true. His own racial abilities carved into his very soul told him that, but had to ask. "Then how are you here? By my estimation you have probably been here in this plane for twenty years, and there is no possible way a queen grade elemental could have descended for so long. Not without tremendous expense not only monetary, but also in power for this to have happened. Not to mention who I now know my father is." Zorn ranted in an angry tone as he passed side to side.

"Twenty-five years." Cassandra corrected in a whisper, but Zorn's ears still heard the words.

Zorn stopped his passing to look at his mother. "What was that?"

"It took twenty-five years. The first five were for laying the groundwork. As you well know the noble house of Gale is a young house in the grand scheme of things. It took five years to lay the groundwork to become a noble. Then another two to have both your father and I in the same place at the same time so that we could conceive you. It took several tries for me to become pregnant and we only finally succeeded on the last possible attempt.

Zorn stopped his passing and turned on his mother, “But how is that possible!” Zorn almost shouted at his mother. Realizing what he had done he immediately took a breath to calm himself. “I’m sorry I didn't mean to shout.”

“It's fine.” I know this must be hard for you to finally find out.

He just nodded, “I have many questions.”

“Not surprising. Please start with the question that is bothering you the most.”

Zorn listened to his mothers words and reorganized his ricing thoughts just like Scholar Padrenn had taught him to do. After his mind was in order he asked his first question. “How did if I don't miss my guess an elemental queen manage to leave her plane of power for so long?”

“That question has two answers, the first which if you already expect the answer to is that this is my plane of origin. The second answer is lots of very expensive magical artifacts.”

Zorn nodded, “That's why you were able to conceive a ‘Human’ baby. Because you are an ascendant.”

Cassandra hesitated for a moment as if hesitant to answer, but resigned herself a moment later. “I am not just an ascendant, but your father and I were one of the first ascendants.”

Zorn let out a hiss of air when he heard his mothers words. “You were alive during the cataclysm?”

“Yes your father and I both were.” Cassandra confirmed.

Zorn continued his rapid passing as his mother waited patiently for his next question. The cataclysm had happened hundreds of years ago. It was an event which had reshaped their very world. There weren't many records left of what life had been like before the event, but to meet someone who had lived through such an event and was still alive today was rare. And apparently both his mother and father were such people. His mind was once again racing, and this time he couldn't force it to calm down. As he slumped into a chair across from his mother he let out a single word. “Why?”

It wasn't really a question, but Cassandra seemed to have guessed what he really meant. The short answer is because something we believe will be worse than the cataclysm is coming, and we need heroes to stop our fears from coming to pass. I know how that might sound to you, but let me assure you I gathered the best people I could possibly find to help train you as you were growing up to make sure you reached your full potential. A grandmaster at arms to train your body and teach you how to properly wield weapons. A master chef and master alchemist to help you reach your peak physique. A master scholar to train your mind, and finally a grandmaster gardener that would be able to grow the right herbs and plants so that the chef and the alchemist could make you any food and tinctures that you might need for your physique. It took all of this and more to make you into what you are right now."

Zorn sat there dumbfounded. "But why?" He said in a pleading voice. All of the fight and massive confrontation he had built this up to be in his mind on the walk back home drained away. "Why go through all this trouble for… me?"

His mother stood up and walked around the table to cup his cheek. "Because we love you. Now there are other reasons as well, but as you learn more about what you are and who I and your father are, always remember we did all of this in the end because we love you. Even if your father can't be here himself he has watched over and protected you with his winds all of your life, and I in my own grand opinion of myself think I have raised a great young man." His mother bent down and hugged in a sitting form. "However this talk isn't over yet there is more you must know before it is time for me to leave this plane."

Zorn was startled out of his melancholy. "What do you mean leave, you can't leave." even as Zorn said it he knew that it wasn't true. If his mother really was an elemental queen she had been away from her realm of power for far too long and every second that she delayed going back to the elemental plane would only make it worse. He still had no idea how she had really managed to stay in this realm for as long as she had.

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"The artifacts I have been using to delay my need to leave are failing, and I no longer have a choice. By tomorrow I will be forced to return to the elemental plane. Now come follow me, we have much to discuss tonight.”

Zorn stood and began to follow his mother. “Where are we going?”

“The Vault.”

His mother led him down many of the manor's corridors that were still eerily empty, and down into a spiral staircase that led deeper underground. "Where is everyone?"

"I sent them all to their homes for the day or for the ones who live here I sent them out to party and celebrate your awakening."

The walk had allowed Zorn to clear his thoughts slightly and a new question came to mind. "Mom?”

“Yes Zorn?”

“How in the world did you manage to get three masters and two grandmasters to work for you? Most kingdoms have wars over even one grandmaster let alone two of them?"

"I simply offered them a plan for them to advance and near unlimited resources. I provided Gordon extremely rare herbs to grow and harvest. Then I offered those same herbs to both Elna and Meranda so that they can make high level foods and potions. I also gave all three of them many rare books so that they may further their research any time they were not teaching you. Padrenn was honestly the easiest to convince. I just had to give him access to a few of my rare books and weekly conversations with me where he could ask me any questions he wanted about the calamity.Lastly I provided Lazarus with a safe place to raise and train his kids as well as a promising pupil that he can shape any way he wants.” Cassandra said as she turned back and smirked at Zorn making it very clear to him who that theoretical pupil was. “If anything Gordon is getting the most out of this deal he is on the cusp of becoming a Sage and reaching the peak of his profession."

That was news to Zorn. Someone being on the cusp of becoming a sage was a huge accomplishment and would be cause for celebration anywhere in the world. Let alone just how rare such an accomplishment was. "What about all of the other staff?”

“Most maids are just hired help, but the rest, like all of the kitchen staff, we don't even pay. They came to work here just to learn from a master chef. Granted, Meranda is also on the cusp of becoming a grandmaster.” Cassandra seemed to be locked in her own thoughts for a moment before she came back to herself. “Anyways Most of them hope they will be able to advance their professions by working under a Master. That also goes for most of the guards, and all the staff under Gordon and Elna. Almost all of the staff under Mrs. Hanns are just hired help from the city. Someone has to keep this place clean after all."

When they finally reached the bottom of the spiral staircase they stood in front of a massive metal door absolutely covered in arcane runes. It was the entrance to the manor's vault. It wasn't until that exact moment that a thought struck him. “Wait, why would a Grandmaster at Arms want me as a pupil?”

His mother gave him a mischievous and with a grand flourish put her hand on a small rectangle in the center of the door. At that moment a massive gust of air blew the large metal door wide open to reveal what was inside. “This is why.” Inside was a room only about twenty feet by twenty long and wide, but it was absolutely filled with different weapons and armor. And a large table in the center were another series of weapons and one set of armor were carefully arranged. “Why wouldn't a Grandmaster want the opportunity to be the one who trains a sage in the making.”

The majority of the weapons inside were polearms. There were some daggers and short swords as well, but the vast majority of them were polearms of every shape and size. There was also a bow that he could see, but there was only one. Then there was the armor. There were only three sets of leather armor. One was black as the night. The next was its exact opposite: it was pure white in color. No blemishes at all could be seen on its surface. The last in comparison was plane by comparison. It was yellow in color and seemed to be covered in the scales.

Zorn just stood there in awe of what was before him, and what did his mom mean by a Sage in making? Putting thoughts to words he asked. “What do you mean a Sage in the making?” Zorn asked as he walked into the vault. Examining the plethora of items inside

“Well, Lazarus doesn't know the whole truth, but suffice it to say your father on the day you were born performed a divine ritual at immense cost to himself. That ritual allowed him to glimpse into your very being to discover every single martial weapon and armor that you have a strong affinity with. When I told Lazarus a slightly altered version of the truth he began planning how to train you that very same day. You should have seen him, he was a man on a mission planning out the best possible way to maximize your potential and training time to prepare you to begin to climb the road of true martial mastery that no one in recent memory has mastered. Too many prodigies to mention fall short on their path and fall short of what they could become. You however won't have that problem which is what Lazarus realized. You have all of the information you need to become a martial Sage. Now it's just a matter of whether or not you have the talent to claim it.”

“How in the world did you gather all of these items, they all look extremely high quality.” Zorn said dumbfounded once again.

“Oh, these weapons and armor just aren't high quality. Each of them are also able to be soul bound and either have the ability to grow or evolve with its user.” Cassandra said in a matter of fact tone.

Zorn was stupefied yet again “HOW!” he shouted in surprise.

“There is one more member of my little team I put together. You may remember him from when you were a child. If I recall correctly you called him Mr. Adventure. His real name and title is The Grand Adventurer Arcadius. When one progresses as far as he has in his chosen trade it begins to take a certain type of quest to advance further. In his case its Grand quests. They are types of things that are on the scale of continents and can take years or even decades to complete. So when I came to him and offered him such a quest he jumped on the offer.”

“What exactly was the quest you sent him on?”

“Nothing much really.” Cassandra turned and gave Zorn a mischievous smile. “Only to make a Sage: gather fourteen weapons and three complete sets of armor that each have the soulbound property and either the evolve or the growth property. Then I gave him the list of each weapon and Armor type that was needed and sent him on his way. He managed to gather everything needed in a little over ten years. After gathering all of the items he also managed to complete another grand quest. So once this one is finally completed he will become a Sage of an Adventure.”

“Wait, he hasn't completed this quest yet? Hasn't he gathered everything that he needed to?”

“Yes he has, however the items have not yet been received by their chosen recipient so it has not been completed. To do so you will need to soul bind to every single weapon and armor piece here and only then will it be completed.”

“Every single weapon and armor piece?” Zorn questioned.

“Every single one.” Cassandra confirmed

“But that will take hours if not days.”

“Well then you better get started.”