Book 1: Chapter 4

“Lowest grade!” The old man declared proudly.

“Low. Low grade?” Cyil scratched his head. “Uhhhh that’s still really cool, elder!”

“What do you mean,” the old man asked in response. “You think that’s cool? Why? Why is it cool? You know that it’s nothing to be proud of right?”

“Yes it is really cool,” Cyil furiously nodded his head. “Even if it is the lowest grade you still can be a mage and use magic! A lot of other people can only dream of it but you can actually do it!” Cyil answered with words that shocked the old man.”So I think that’s something that is really cool.”

“Right. You’re right, kid. But you must also know the nature of humans. If you let them know of the taste of a bone then they would then surely desire the taste of the meat that was on that bone. So when I found out I could use magic, I was not happy but instead angered that I had such a low grade elemental body. I craved for strength but I could only revel in my own misery and work harder than others to fill in my deficit. It was not until I encountered that someone that I could see how foolish I was. The amount of work I put in. You couldn’t imagine… but I am getting a little too sentimental. I must be getting old, ha.”

“Elder….”

“Say no more. Let’s continue. You wanted to know the type of my elemental body? I can tell you, I am special. Have you ever heard of a dual-elemental body?”

“Dual-elemental body? I think my mom said those are people who can communicate and use two elements! But they are very very very rare.”

“Haha your mom is quite knowledgeable! She’s right, they are extremely rare, and I have a dual-elemental body!”

“Whaaa,” at this point, Cyil’s eyes were as wide as saucers and his open mouth could fit an entire loaf of bread.

“Surprised? I was too, since I didn’t even know of this until I was already older. Typically when you’re born, whether you have an elemental body and which type it is can be determined right away. The only reason the second element of my elemental body was not discovered until later was because it was an extremely rare type and was not as strong as my other element--the wind element. This hidden element of mine was the darkness type!”

“Darkness?!” Cyil had been surprised so many times since he awoke that he started to wonder if he was in a dream and if he was still sleeping nicely back in his old cottage. “But elder! Mom told me that only the dark races can use the darkness element! Are you from the dark races? You sure don’t look like one.”

“Yes, but no. I am human, but the darkness element can be harnessed by humans and other beings who are not from the dark races. It is just that the five kings proclaim anyone who utilizes dark magic as evil and as an intruder from the dark races thus dark mages don’t publicize their magic.”

“Then people who use dark magic are not evil?”

“No. Remember, there are no absolutes in this continent. It is just the people or entity that decides whether something is good or bad. There are even those from the dark races who can be considered ‘good’.”

This latest piece of news shocked Cyil the most. His very mind shook. But the entire dark race was evil! That’s what everyone had told him and all that he had learned. Cyil couldn’t believe it too easily.

“My dad was killed by the dark races. At the border. They killed him.” Cyil whispered.

Seeing the lost eyes of the boy staring at him the old man said, “War is a terrible thing and when it comes it is the masses who suffer the most. Would you stop it if you could?”

“Yes!” Cyil replied without hesitation.

“And how can you stop war?”

“With,” Cyil thought to himself. “Mom says love is the strongest force on this continent and that it can defeat anything!”

Now it was the old man’s turn to stagger in surprise. After recovering the old man straightened himself. “Ahem. That is certainly true. Your mother is right. But to protect love you need strength! Only with strength can you protect those who you love!”

As those words rang out with a firm conviction, Cyil’s eyes glowed.

“Boy, do you want strength?! Do you want the power to protect your loved ones? To protect those innocents who cannot fend for themselves?!”

“Yes! I want to make sure no harm can come to my mom! I want to make sure all my friends and their families at the village will never have to worry about the dark forces. I want to be as strong as my dad.”

“Good,” the old man grinned at Cyil’s answers.

“And most of all, I want to avenge my father! Those from the dark races, I will kill-”

*pak*

Cyil didn’t see it happen but he could feel an invisible hand slap him across the face and it immediately brought tears to his eyes.

“Foolish child.” The old man whose eyes gradually softened did not regret his action, but instead began to reprimand the now crying Cyil.