Here's the next chapter. PR credits to ShadowMouse. Hope you all enjoy it!

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I entered the throne room after the announcement. At the end of the room was seated my father and mother on gold and red thrones. My father’s throne was larger than my mother’s. Above them hangs a black and purple banner. The purple created a circle on the black banner and within it was a picture of some kind of bird with two heads, six wings, and twelve tails.

Standing next to my father was a man that had brown hair in a ponytail, black eyes, pale skinned and was the most skinniest person that I know. His name is Rico Vlad and is our Prime Minister. When I looked at him, for a second I thought his eyes looked like they were mad, but the next second it was gone.

I turned my eyes to the person standing next to my mother. She was an old elf from her pointy ears. She had white flowing hair going down her blue and red robes, gold eyes and fair skin. She held a black staff on her left hand.

I walked towards the throne and stopped in front of the steps leading up to the platform where the thrones were placed. I then turned around and applause rang all around me.

I saw some humans with very dark skin and had on all sorts of accessories, ranging from their necks, ears, hands, wrists, and nose. There were also some humans with bronze skin and almost everyone of them had black hair and brown eyes. These humans were all to the left of me while the right had elves and dwarves.

There was an assortment of dwarves as well as high elves. The dwarves were the most boisterous while the elves were just applauding gracefully? I couldn’t really tell just that they were doing exactly what was expected of them. Not too loud and not too soft, it made me feel that something was off.

After the applause died down, my father said, “Turn around my son.”

I did as I was told and I caught a glimpse of my brothers and sisters all smiling to the right of me. I smiled back and turned to face my parents.

My father was standing and said, “Today we have all come here to see my son, the third prince, Zed Rigel, take his magic affinity test. Today is also his announcement day, the day in which he takes up the title of third prince and is blessed by the gods.”

A mild applause, and my father turned to the woman standing next to my mother, “Principal Artermia, if you would please begin the test.”

“Yes, your highness,” said the woman as my father sat back down and she took an orb and walked towards me.

“Prince Zed, please place your hands on the orb to begin the test,” she said holding it out for me to hold.

I reached out and held the orb with both of my hands. Suddenly everything turned black and I couldn’t hear, see, or feel anything. I started panicking not knowing what to do but then a bright light sparked in front of me. It was the orb. It was glowing a gentle white light and I heard a voice saying, What is your name?

I looked around me where the voice came from and couldn’t think of anything else other than the orb. A talking orb? I thought.

And again the voice asked, What is your name?

Zed Rigel, I thought.

Zed Rigel, I am the orb of tests. It is my duty to help you understand your affinity.

But don’t I just get told my affinity? That was how I understood it.

Your affinity is not told you, it becomes you. Your affinity and yourself are one. You should already know what it is, all I need to do is help you understand it.

This is completely different from what I read.

Most do just get told their affinity, but you are different. You retained your personality inside the Black Mist. The Black Mist is a dimension I pulled you in to tell you of your affinity. It usually ends with a small conversation as most do not have a personality here and are merely just dolls that have a vague understanding of what is happening. But you are different, you have a personality, something that the Mist is supposed to separate. As such you are experiencing something only a few have experienced.

You separate our personalities?

It makes the process much easier, it said with a glow?

Now then, what is it you wish you had as an affinity?

Supreme.

Oh, not the Legendary or the Ancient affinity? Most would wish the most powerful be conferred them, yet you do not.

Honestly? Legendary or Ancient would be awesome but I don’t see myself having it. I know that those who have power usually get consumed by it, I don’t want that to happen to me just like it hasn’t my father.

Are you sure?

What?

Are you sure that your father isn’t consumed as well?

My father is kind! He would never do anything so cruel! I thought as I began thinking of the debates that I had with my father. Although there were times that he cringed but I just thought of it as something normal.

Could it be?

It matters not, so Supreme it is then.

Wa- wait! I thought as the darkness slowly disappeared only to be replaced by the throne room. I then heard a voice say, the test may be complete but there is more.

When the darkness disappeared, a crown appeared inside the orb that the woman was holding.

“It is Supreme affinity!” she shouted.With that she returned to her spot next to my mother as “oohs” came from the audience.

I turned to look towards my siblings and they were smiling, I turned to look to my parents and they were grinning from ear to ear.

“It is time for the blessing of the gods,” said my father.

The audience quieted down, and Rico Vlad, the Prime Minister came towards me and took my left hand somewhat forcefully.

He placed a ring onto my pointer finger. It was like a silver band as it had no designs on it. It also was bigger than my finger but when he removed his fingers, the ring glowed and shrunk to fit my finger. A white light shined from the ring towards the banner. The band looked like it was moving and I heard another voice, I, Ongarin, King of the Gods on behalf of the pantheon, grant our blessings on this child, Zed Rigel.

The voice was loud and domineering. It made me fall to my knees just like everyone else did. When the voice disappeared I stood up again, although it felt like I would fall down in any moment. I looked around and everyone was in different states of kneeling or prostrating and getting up and trying to stay standing.

My parents had shocked expressions as they sat back on their thrones.

Did I do something? I thought anxiously trying to remember if I ever did anything to get the king of the gods to personally grant me his blessing but nothing came to mind.

When everyone was more or less back to their original state, my father said smilingly, “If everyone would please go to the ballroom to continue the festivities.”

Everyone exited the throne room, guided by the guards, except for my family, the principal and the prime minister.

We all gathered near the throne room waiting for my father to say something.

“That was unexpected, has there ever been a time in which Ongarin personally did the blessing?” asked my father to the Principal Artemia.

“No there has not been such a time, not even in my hundred years of life,” she replied.

She’s a really old lady?! She doesn’t look like it! I thought with a cringe.

“Well, if the Ongarin wishes to personally bless my son, then Ongarin wishes to personally bless my son,” said my father laughing.

My father has always been like that, not really minding the small details.

“Zed, now that you have received your ring, you should be able to use the skills given to us by the gods.”

“The gods give us skills?” I asked excitedly.

“Yes, so now hold your ring in front of you and say ‘status’,” he said demonstrating to me and an image showed on top of his ring.

Status

Name:Aaron RigelRank:Great GuardianAge:40Race:HumanGender:MaleNationality:Rigel Kingdom

I did the same thing and said, “Status.”

Status

Name:Zed RigelRank:??Age:5Race:HumanGender:MaleNationality:Rigel Kingdom

The image appeared on top of my ring just like it did to my father’s.

“Why is my rank hidden?” I asked my father.

“Because you have just passed received your ring and been blessed,” said my father patiently. “Now do the same thing only say the word, ‘blessings’”.

I did that and the image changed:

Blessings

Blessing of OngarinIncreases overall power.Blessing of MagusIncreases aptitude for magic.Blessing of BlangvinaIncreases aptitude for physical combat. Heightens battle instinctBlessing of JuliaIncreases natural regeneration. Reproduction is more likely.Blessing of FindaIncreases luck for all things including troubleBlessing of the PantheonStrengthens all blessings.

These were very powerful blessings and instantly I knew that Julia’s would be the most troublesome in the future.

Everyone had different reactions to it. My brothers were smiling. My mother and the principal had their hands over their mouths. Rico looked indifferent. My sisters were wide-eyed with their mouths hanging open. My father looked at image, then to me, then to the image over and over again.

Then after what seemed like an eternity, my father said, “Well the gods have taken a liking to our Zed here.”

“A liking?! Dear-”

“Now, now, our guests are waiting for us in the ballroom. No need to keep them waiting,” my father said dispelling my mother’s words.

Everyone filed out to the ballroom while my father told me in a hushed tone, “We’ll continue this later, know that I am proud and happy to see that the gods have found favor in you. I will convince your mother that nothing terrible will happen to you.”

He probably was thinking of Finda’s blessing concerning the trouble part.

“Yes father,” I said nodding.

“All right, let us meet our guests, there is a princess you need to meet,” said my father as he wrapped his arms around me and led me to follow my family that was ahead of us into the ballroom.[/align]

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