It has been 4 years since the Erhart met the white image, yet the memory of that event seems to be as fresh as yesterday. he is glad that he is still able to hold onto not only that memory but his former self’s memory too and is less glad about the fact that no matter how hard he tries he cannot forget some parts about his past he did not like. As if the memory of his past is embedded into his brain like the markings on a gold tablet, unweathered by even the greatest effort of the nature.

After nearly two years of walking and tumbling. Erhart felt that his new body is finally fit enough to start his long planned training and studying schedule, ‘When one is finally able see into his future, that is when he will be able to grasp onto his fate.’ This quote said by old Erhart’s master and like many other words or quotes given him by his mater they ring in his ear from time to time. Ever since Erhart came to this world. From time to time he will have flash backs of his old life. Like now, the flash back is often about his master that crazy old man and him drinking tea in the bamboo forest, praising the moon, viewing the stars while chatting not through words, but through the dances of their blades and fists.

in just seconds, Erhart seem to have relived all the times he was with his master “How would that old man feel when I died? Will he be sad? Hopefully he can find a new and better apprentice than me. A student that will not kill himself in such a stupid... w..a..y.” one mark after another, circular wet marks are added the dry wooden floor. Soon the sprinklings turn pouring, tears rolls down Erhart’s cheek like a small waterfall. Unrestraint by the age, unable to control his emotions. Through his shouting and crying, he releases all the regrets he has about his past life and all the longings he has for his loved one.

Slowly and surly Erhart is able to regain the control over his emotions. ‘Enough time has been wasted’, Erhart tells himself. Slowly, but surly walks towards the door of his room, reaching for the handle.

“WHAT’S WRONG!”

The door is slammed open, nearly hitting Erhart head on. But luckily the Fortuna, Goddess of fortune is on Erhart’s side this time, Erhart is given enough distance for him to shoot backwards, falling onto the floor. ‘God, If I get killed again. That wouldn’t be very fun’ Erhart thinks. “GOD! ARE YOU ALRIGHT LITTLE ERHART?” a beautiful, brown haired young woman rushes into the room, helping Earhart up, checking him all over, consecutively overwhelming Erhart with questions like, “Are you hurt?”, “What happened, I hurried here because I heard you crying, did you trip yourself?”

“I am fine Amelia, really you do not need to… Hey? Why are you crying?”Erhart was just about to shout back at her that she is one that made him fall onto the ground, but is suddenly at a loss when he saw tears falling down from Amelia’s eyes.

“Please be careful, Erhart, after losing John I do not wish to lose another member of the family. And , and you , never cried before not even when you are half your size now. When I was told you are Crying out of no where by Mrs Mia. I was so scared and rushed back, Please don’t scare be like that.” Amelia says. Erhart after listening to her words, feels a sense of loss of words. So, he said nothing, simply lowering his head and apologises, “Sorry Amelia. Sorry for scaring you.”

He knows whenever Amelia mentions “John” her dead younger brother. She is in a state of total panic and apprehension. Ever since Erhart’s new self is found by Amelia’s father, Jorah, in the mountain next to their village. He had been long seen as a new part of their family. At first Erhart thought the only reason why Amelia cared for him is because she tried to redirect her longing for her dead brother to him. But as time goes on, he realised even if John had not died. Amelia would still care for him and love him, like she had been for the past four year, like what she had been doing to the every members of the village. ‘The world isn’t always filled with bad people, the number of Goodness in this world will always outnumber the number of Evil.’Erhart remembers what his master have always said.

…….

The place Erhart where now lives in, is a small and peaceful [Human] bloodline village. Hidden within the [7 Fingers] Mountain, undisturbed by the outside world. Occasionally maybe during the [The Day of The Gift] a man or two will follow Jorah into the nearest town to trade away some herbs and ores for some gifts for the children. All the town’s huts looked quite similar, constructed with polished pine wood and connected with a mixture of silt and river mud with glutinous rice on top.

To Erhart’s surprise despite not having a school or any useful public structure in the town. The town is equipped with a huge, tower like library built on the remains of a broken windmill. As the spoken language used in {Cuood} is what known to Erhart as English. Through conversion of alphabets into {Cuood}’s language, Erhart is able learn the written language of {Cuood} in just few weeks and because of that the library became Erhart’s favourite place to go. Ever since his arrival at this village, he had always been seen by the adults of the village as an abnormal child. To them compare to other child of similar age, he is much more knowledgeable and mature, he also never plays with other children and for most of the time, he locks himself either in his room in Jorah’s house or in the library. Occasionally the adults also spots him writing notes in a language never seen before. But they never bothered to ask, as they know Erhart is a sensible kid and will not try anything dangerous. But in truth they are so wrong.

…….

From the research Erhart had done in the library, he found that a few thousand years ago [Human] stood amongst the other nine great races as the ten great races and fought with or against most of them in during the great War. “How can human not go extinct? “this question had been bothering him for quite a while now. Compare to most other races, human is naturally weaker, as according to the white image. Human cannot undergo [Blood Awakening] therefore cannot gain [Blood Awakening Abilities]. To find out the reason he directed his research onto human technologies, thinking maybe human have superior technologies and weapons. But he was also wrong, compare to the Dwarven Tinkering and Elven Woodcraft, even at a few hundred years ago, weapons made by dwarfs’ are so much better than the ones human can even dream to make.

“Why?” If [Human] had been this weak in military power the whole time. Not to say, only in the last few hundred years pure blood [Human] race are going towards extinction. He will not even be a bit surprised, if [Human] race was to disappear thousand years ago. Then he stumbled upon some legends and stories. Every night before he went to sleep, Amelia will read some stories for him. Despite the fact he had no interest in them what so ever and says there is absolutely no need for her to do so, as after her hard day of working and taking care of the family she must be tired. But Amelia keeps insist on doing it “You cannot just stuff yourself full with those non-fiction books. Sometimes a growing boy need some imagination and creativity!” she always says. And it is all thank to those stories, Erhart learns about the past [Human] heroes, “Ulta the Dragon Slayer”, “Yue the Moonlight Sword”, “Mollie the Forest Ranger” …… Despite being half sleep while listening to those childish legends, Erhart concluds an interesting fact. That all these [Heroes] in one form or another are stronger than average [Human], despite having under proved quotes like “Sky turned red when they were born.” Or “The baby is shining in luminous light when he or she was born.” From Erhart’s understanding, before those [Heroes] found or made “that thing”. They are just normal people. “what is that thing.” Erhart has always been asks himself. A breakthrough seems to have been made

……..

Erhart, from occasionally having conversations with the elders of the village. He learns that the library of the village is not built by any of the past or present villagers. It is given to the village by Wicca Edinburg, the Last [Arch Alchemist]. In this world Alchemists are not always a bunch or crazy people or swindlers who hoped to gain benefits through the lies and deceptions. Wicca was a real researcher, and to Erhart’s surprise this celebrity had spent most of his late life in this remote and seemingly insignificant village. Some Elders of the village even states they had chance to meet with this Last [Arch Alchemist] in person and confirms the fact that some of Wicca’s research note were left in the library, luckily, without needing to go through all the trouble and finding a trap door with the hidden documents in it. Erharts, through simply asking for some of the elders and Jorah’s help politely. In just a single morning he is able to collect nearly all the documents, notes and drafts of Wicca’s study. Other than having to read the terrible handwriting Wicca had and rearrange all the notes. Erhart is quite pleased that he is finally able find some information on the “thing” that allows [Human] to rival with other great races thousands of years ago; the “thing” labelled by the [Arch Alchemist] to have allowed [Human] the collect and control [Ewa], an unknown substance that can act not only as matter, wave, force and energy too, theorised by the Alchemist to be the foundation of all the [Blood Awakening Abilities]. But to Erhart, [Ewa] are the basis to what will be known as magic to this world.