Magic Talent Assessment
(Einsvaroe House, Early Morning)
Elicia and Kensworth wake up due to the sunlight while Damien appears annoyed at the sudden light and begins to swat at it groggily. "Time to wake up little Damien today is a important day afterall." says Elicia. "Please mom five more minutes." says Damien slightly less groggily. Elicia looks amused and conjures a ball of water which splashes against Damien's face. "AGH.. Ugh, mooom that's cold." pouts Damien now completely awake and slightly wet. Kensworth seems to chuckle before Elicia points her hand at him after which water particles seem to gather in the palm of her hand. Seeing this Kensworth hurriedly gets out of bed while coughing awkwardly. " She's right Damien today is a big day. For now why don't you get dressed and wash up." says Kensworth clearly whipped.
Damien just nods while going to the bathroom. Elicia smiles at Kensworth amused before going to the closet and picking out some clothes for Damien that suspiciously fit rather well. Damien enters the bathroom while taking his shroud off. He goes to the tub while looking at the knob and tries to turn or spin it which doesn't work. After which he tries practically everything to get the water running, none of which work. " Umm mom, how do i get the water running?" asks Damien with slightly red cheeks. " Hmm oh you just infuse your mana into the sigil on top of the nob." replies Elicia. " Um and how do i do that?" inquires Damien with slightly redder cheeks. Damien hears the sound of the stairs creaking slightly before Elicia walks in while Damien stares at the floor embarrassed. Elicia beckons Damien to the tub while saying " All you have to do is gather your mana in the palm of your hand and then release it while touching the sigil." Elicia does exactly that which causes the sigil to glow a bright blue. Soon the faucet starts spewing out hot water filling the tub.
"See it's not very hard, though as you are right now I doubt you can channel your mana. But that is fine after all once your magic potential is scanned I will teach you everything you need to know about using mana!" Elicia states excitedly. " Umm, Magic potential? What's that?" Damian asks confusedly while tilting his head to the side cutely. Elicia squeals at Damian's cuteness before having a look of shock appear on her face at Damian's response. " You mean you don't know what magic potential is? Well actually I suppose it does make sense your only 5 years old and even if you had heard the term before, given your lost memory there's no real way for you to recognize it." Elicia states calmly. After talking a bit Elicia puts her hand on the knob and cuts off the water due to the fact that the tub is now full of warm water. Damian gets into the tub while Elicia grabs a soap bar and a sponge while beginning to wash Damian.
" Well basically your magical potential is the totality of the capability of your magic. It involves things like your Elemental Affinity, Magical Talent, Bloodline Heritage, and the quality and quantity of your mana. There's more to it then that of course but those are the most important things. It's imperative to scan one's magical potential as quickly as possible so that they have the best chance to improve and train their magic. The degree of your magical potential can and will decide almost anything you do in life." Elicia states concisely while washing Damian's hair. " Wow, that sounds really important, but doesn't that mean those with low magic potential are really limited in what they can and can't do?" Damian asks somewhat worried. At that Elicia looks down and appears to be sad almost as if she is remembering something particularly upsetting. " Yes it does those with a low magic potential are very limited in what they can and can't do. It's sad but unfortunately that's simply the way things have been for centuries, it's not so easy to change something that's been a tradition for such a long period of time." Elicia says while frowning.
Damian looks sad that he made her remember something so obviously uncomfortable to her and attempts to cheer her up. " Don't worry, I may not know anything about myself or where come from but i'm sure i won't be bad at magic. So you don't need to worry about me." Damian states firmly and cheerfully. Elicia smiles at Damian while finishing scrubbing his hair " Honestly your just the cutest thing. Well i'm glad you feel that way afterall your taking the assessment today. Anyway time to start cleaning your body." Elicia states while rubbing his head. Damian flushes and begins pouting at that " Mom, please don't embarrass me i can wash my own body. Wait did you say we're doing it today, isn't that a bit early?" Damian finishes. " Well of course I did say it was best to do it as soon as possible once your done washing and put on your clothes were going to the chapel to have your talent scanned. Though I will be introducing you to some people in the village before we get there." Elicia explains. " Anyway if you're sure then i'll just leave washing your body to you, your clothes are just outside so you can pick them up once your done. Just make sure to not stay in the bath too long okay?" Elicia says while getting out of the tub.
Damian looks surprised to see that her clothes aren't even the slightest bit wet but quickly realizes that it probably has to due with her being a water mage. " Honestly im capable of taking care of myself I don't need to be constantly watched over." Damian states embarrassed. " Oh is that so but still I am your mother aren't I, it's fine if i worry at least a little bit about you." Elicia explains. Damian looks surprised at that for some reason and grabs his head in clear pain. " Damian are you okay? Is something the wrong?" Elicia states worriedly. " Uh no it's nothing just a bit off i guess. Im fine, i'll just finish up and be down soon." Damian responds while brushing off her concern. Elicia looks worried but just sighs and accepts it while leaving the room. 'Why did I hesitate to answer her question? It's almost like that was wrong somehow.' Damian thinks before shaking his head. " It doesn't matter she and her husband promised to care of me so I have no reason to distrust them." Damian reaffirms to himself while washing his body.
Meanwhile, Elicia is walking downstairs while having a worried look on her face. Soon after Elicia sees Kensworth sitting on the couch while giving her a stern look. Elicia simply sighs at this before taking a seat on the nearby chair while turning her attention towards her husband. " Im assuming you noticed the issues with Damien right?" Kensworth asks his wife seriously. Elicia simply nods sadly afterall how could she not notice, a child acting like that wasn't natural or normal at all. Kensworth sighs at how quiet his wife is being about it, though to be fair it wasn't easy to accept that a child's mind had been affected by magic when you cared for the said child so much. Kensworth and Elicia had noticed rather quickly that Damien wasn't normal at all and they didn't mean his clear magic heritage. Afterall what kind of child accepts anyone,no matter how kind, as their parental figure within just a few minutes of meeting them. But more than that his intellect was clearly far beyond any 5 year old. He spoke with eloquence and finesse that even a child of a powerful noble would find hard to do at an even older age.
It concerned both of them that Damien had mind magic used so effectively on him despite his powerful mind. " What do you think it is? I've never heard of mental magic capable of so thoroughly affecting anyone without it being obvious." Elicia asked sadly. " I have no idea, if it wasn't for how unnatural his reaction to us was i wouldn't have even known he was under mental magic at all. There was no magic trace at all nor any kind of indication that he was under anybodies influence. Only a powerful member of one of the more magically attuned races could pull something like that." Kensworth stated annoyed. " Do you think that it has to do with the church? Have they tracked us down again and if so we will have to leave." Elicia asks worriedly. Kensworth shakes his head while stating "No I don't think the church has to do with it. The only way that could happen is if Isaiah ratted us out and we both know he's too smart to risk his neck like that."
Elicia goes to say something however before that can happen a creaking from the stairs tells her that Damien has finished taking a shower and has gotten dressed. " We'll talk about this later ok? For now let's just introduce him to some of the town and get his talent assessed." Kensworth states firmly. Elicia nods while looking at Damien who was dressed in the clothes she made for him. Damien was wearing a small black shirt with long sleeves which fit rather snuggly. On his legs was a pair of white pants with a pair of brown leather boots fit on to his feet while the black and red gilded shroud which had been wrapped around the majority of his body had been replaced as a scarf. Said scarf was wrapped around his neck several times over before draping down his back before hitting the ground slightly.
Elicia couldn't help but think that it suited him rather well. Damien blushed a bit at the attention before moving towards the door while Kensworth and Elicia got up to go with him. " So who are we going to meet? I'm really excited to see." Damien asked impatiently. " Well for now were going to meet Boris and his son Adam at the guard post. After that we'll meet miss Anne, Boris's wife, to restock on some bread and baking supplies. Finally just before going to the chapel we'll meet Idril and her husband Abram who are the towns hunter and tailor duo. That's about it really." Kensworth states rather quickly as Elicia opens the door to let them all through. Elicia then closes the door and locks it behind them before heading down the path with the others.
After a few minutes of walking, Elicia, Kensworth, and Damian reach the guard post which was the largest building in the entire town. It was made out of stone bricks and had a tower with a bell at the top of the roof. A wooden sign above the door had the word "guard post" written in big bold letters. As they approach the front door of the guard post, a large man with blonde hair and a scar on his left eye exits. Kensworth smiles slightly before talking to the man who he introduces as Boris the head guard. " So Boris, this is my and Elicia's son Damian." Kensworth says while gesturing to the little boy who is shyly hiding behind Elicia. Boris grins widely before kneeling down to Damian's level while stating " It's nice to meet you Damian my names Boris and i'm the head guard for the town. You know we're all excited to hear about your talent assessment today aren't we Adam." Boris gestures to a dirty blonde haired teenager who looks like a slightly younger version of Boris and is looking at Damian curiously.
Damian is shocked for a second before saying "Um its nice to meet you too sir and thank you." Damian blushes slightly before looking at Adam and waving nervously. Adam waves back a bit confused but smiles at Damian none the less. " Well, i'm sorry to say but me and my family have to go. Were going to be a bit late for his assessment if we don't hurry. Come on Damian lets go." Kensworth says while walking away with Damian and Elicia. After walking away from the guard post, Kensworth, Elicia, and Damian walk towards a bakery called "Anne's Bakery" before walking inside. Upon entering the bakery a beautiful blonde haired woman is seen behind the counter. She looks at the customers before grinning and moving around the counter and walking towards the family.
" Oh my is this your son Kensworth and Elicia?" The woman asks happily. " Yup this is our son Damian, were here to get some bread and other baking supplies. Do you have any recommendations for the kid Anne?" Kensworth answers. " Well i'd recommend some blueberry tarts for sure. As for the other baking supplies ill have someone box them up and bring them to your house later. For now ill just box up the bread and the tarts. You three head outside while you wait for the food and I will meet you there in a minute." Anne states before moving back behind the counter and pulling out a piece of paper. Kensworth and his family nod before leaving the bakery and waiting for Anne outside. A minute passes before Anne walks out of the bakery with a box filled with food and hands it to Elicia who takes it gratefully. " Thank you Anne. I'll see you later okay." Elicia says happily.
" See you later, oh and good luck on your assessment Damian. I can't wait to hear the results." Anne replies just as happily. Anne waves goodbye before walking back into her bakery as Kensworth, Elicia, and Damian walk down the street. After a short amount of time, the three reach a wooden cabin that looks relatively normal if not a bit bigger than the other buildings. The words " Idril's Tailor and Leatherworks" were painted onto a wooden sign attached to the wall next to the door. Kensworth moves towards the door while gesturing for Elicia and Damian to follow. The three enter the shop and see a red haired woman working at a sewing table with a black haired man sharpening a dagger. The woman notices the family first and turns to greet them. " Hello Kensworth, Elicia, and I presume your the little one Damian. It's nice to meet you, I'm Idril and the one sharpening the knife is my husband Abram. You know i'm very excited to hear about the results of your talent assessment." Abram scoffs at that while replying rudely " Don't be so quick to congratulate him, Idril, his talent could be trash." Idril glares at him in response " Abram you should have a little more faith. You're just jealous that he's so young and could possibly have a better affinity then you."
" I doubt that." Abram scoffs once again. Damian looks confused and turns to Kensworth and whispers "What does she mean by affinity?" Kensworth chuckles slightly at Damian's question and responds " Well affinities are the things that decide the element and type of magic one is most proficient in. For example my main affinity is plasma magic while Elicia's main affinity is nature magic. However magic talent while related to magic affinity is not the same thing. It has to do with how well one can use their magic and how quickly it can develop. You will be tested for both so don't worry too much about it. Anyway we have to go Idril, Abram. It was nice seeing you again. Bye." Kensworth waves goodbye while heading out the door. The three begin walking towards the chapel as Damian ponders what he had been told. 'I wonder what kind of affinity i have. I can't wait to know.'
Kensworth, Elicia, and Damian eventually reach the chapel after a short walk. The chapel was a large building made out of stone bricks that had a stained glass window on the side. Two statues of a woman holding a book and a man with a sword and shield stood in front of the church. The sign on the top had the words "The Church of Light" inscribed into the wood. Kensworth, Elicia, and Damian approached the large doors and entered the church. The inside of the church was large and spacious. A single row of pews was set up while an alter could be seen at the end of the room. In front of the alter was a woman dressed in a simple white robe that had the insignia of a golden book and a golden sword emblazoned on the front. She was talking to a priest wearing the same kind of robe as her except with the insignia of a golden book and shield.
The priest and woman turned and looked at the family and smiled. The woman spoke first "Ah, Kensworth and Elicia its good to see you two again. Is this little Damian? Why its such a pleasure to meet you." Damian nods slightly at that before looking at the priest confused. The priest seemed to notice his gaze and smiled slightly before saying "Well its a pleasure to meet you, young Damian, I am Isaiah, a pastor of the church of light. Now the lady here is Sister Elisabeth, a member of the church." The pastor then bids the sister away while gesturing to the family. The sister smiles kindly in understanding bowing slightly before leaving to attend to her duties.
" Now Damian, as you have been told, you will be tested for both magical potential and your affinity today. It's imperative that we do this as quickly as possible so that your training can begin. If you'll follow me I'll take you to the testing room." Isaiah said politely while moving towards the back of the chapel. Kensworth, Elicia, and Damian followed the pastor. After a bit of walking, they entered a small room with a pedestal in the center and a crystal ball floating slightly above it. Kensworth, Elicia, and Damian waited at the entrance while the pastor went over to the pedestal and began preparing the test. Soon the pastor gestured to Damian to stand in front of the crystal. As Damian approaches the crystal ball he notices the metal pedestal it sits above is covered in strange runic symbols which glow faintly.
Damian moves his hand towards the crystal ball which after touching it immediately flashes intensely, first as a reddish-gold color then as dark purple before finally switching to a pitch black which was noticeably more intense than the other two. Damian pulls his hand back confused at the sight before him. He looks towards his parents and the pastor who look at him shocked and concerned. His mother looks extremely worried while the pastor is looking at him in extreme fear while sweating. The pastor's hands are shaking noticeably while Kensworth stares at the crystal ball in confusion before realization seems to cross his face. He begins to look between Damian and the crystal ball before his eyes widen in shock.
The pastor suddenly begins chanting fervently "Oh goddess please save us, show mercy on this child. Oh goddess please have mercy." Kensworth grabs the pastor by the shoulder and shakes him lightly, clearly attempting to calm him down. After a few minutes the pastor calms down but the fear is still prevalent in his expression. Kensworth and Elicia look extremely worried about the results. They look at the pastor who looks at the ground before looking at Damian sadly. " I apologize but while the boy's affinities are nothing short of miraculous the fact that his main affinity is darkness magic of all things is... unfortunate." The pastor says solemnly. " Darkness magic? What's so wrong about that? It seems kind of cool actually." Damian states curiously.
" Well I suppose I shouldn't be surprised you don't understand." The pastor sighs before explaining " Darkness magic is a rare affinity that involves using shadows, and darkness itself. It is also one of the rarest and strongest elemental affinities. Unfortunately, it is also the affinity with the worst reputation." Kensworth nods at the pastor's statement before explaining further "Darkness magic is the most feared elemental affinity because of the fact that its users are primarily demons, evil creatures who thrive off of suffering and hedonism. There has only been a couple of instances where a human was capable of using darkness magic and their stories don't exactly end well."
Damian looks at the ground sadly at that. He didn't really mind his affinity as it was part of him but the thought that his affinity would cause everyone to avoid him was hard to swallow. Kensworth notices the sadness on Damian's face and kneels down next to him. He then grabs his shoulders and turns Damian towards him. Damian looks at him and sees the firm expression on his father's face. Kensworth speaks firmly to him "Now you listen here. Just because your affinity is darkness magic doesn't make you evil. I can assure you that we would never abandon you and that the people in this town will treat you no different. And if anyone has a problem with that then they can deal with me and your mother. "Damian's eyes widen in shock at the declaration before a large smile breaks out across his face. He hugs his father tightly and whispers "Thank you" before backing away and looking at the pastor who still looks sad.
" Well the results of your magical talent are a lot better." The pastor says with a slight smile. " It's incredible your magical talent is almost unparalleled, as far as i know only the royal family and the archmage have equal or higher magical talents in the entire kingdom. That is to say that you could become a mage far stronger than most. With the proper training you could even rival the king himself in terms of raw power." The pastor states proudly. Damian's eyes widen in shock and awe at the pastor's statement. 'I could become stronger than the king himself, that's insane. Wait a minute.' " What about the other two colors that showed up? Reddish gold and purple?" Damian asked confused. The pastor and Kensworth look at each other before turning to Damian and smiling. " Well, Damian your magical potential isn't just amazing it's outright ridiculous. While it's true that you have a very high magical talent in darkness magic, that was simply your main affinity. It was the one that stood out the most. But those other colors were also your affinities. They are not as strong as your main affinity but they are not weak either." The pastor states amazed.
"The reddish-gold color represents plasma magic which is quite rare as the strongest of the second stage affinities, while the purple one represents gravity magic which like darkness magic is extremely rare due to being a third stage affinity. It is rather odd that both of your other affinities are equal to each other not to mention how close they are in talent to your main one. But that's neither here nor there however don't get a big head your affinities merely represent your potential not your power it will take years of training before you can match even a tier 3 mage much less a tier 6 like the archmage. You are still only a child after all." The pastor lectures.
"Among humans your talent can be considered one of the best however compared to the more magically capable races such as the elves or the fairies you'd be considered above average. Your Main Affinity is a low-major in terms of talent, whereas your other two are both low-greater respectively.
"Wait a minute, I thought I heard the word major earlier. What does that mean?" Damian inquired.
"Well, the ranking for talents goes like this, Lesser, Minor, Average, Greater, Major, Grand and Transcendent. Then there are sub-talent which are low, mid, high, top and peak. Anyway that's enough of that you'll learn more about magic classifications from your teachers which will likely be your parents. So why don't you three head home now." The pastor states happily.
Kensworth smiles at the pastor's statement while nodding in agreement. "Yes that would be good, it's getting late and I'm sure Damian's hungry after the days events." Elicia says happily. Damian looks at the two confusedly and is about to protest that he's not hungry but is quickly silenced when his stomach rumbles loudly. Damian blushes a deep red while pouting and the other three chuckle at his misfortune. Kensworth grabs the food from earlier while the family leaves the chapel. Damian is led by his mother while Kensworth walks beside them. 'Well that was certainly eventful, though I can't help but feel something is wrong.' While they are leaving the church however the pastor stares at them from the window at Damian in particular while frowning before going back to his duties.