Arisen

Rain pours continuously in the quiet streets of Hasnaia town. A woman is running, holding an infant covered in thick sheets. As she run past multiple houses, she then stopped in front of dim lighted front house with a small roof on the entrance. She gently put the infant, tears fallen from her eyes, she kisses the infant and slowly runs away.

Moments later, the door opens. A mother gestures her left hand to the dim lamp in front of her door. Suddenly, the lamp becomes brighter than earlier and then she saw the infant below her.

-

"Oh my, goodness gracious. What in the heavens made you layed here?"

The mother is somewhat surprised but also like it's not the first time happened to her.

-

"Damiel, honey. There's a baby outside our house, quick get a towel or the rain will get the baby wet."

Damiel, the breadwinner of the family. Once a warrior of the kingdom but eventually pulled out because of the curse he received from the Witch they've encountered. Occasionally, he goes to the town hall to recover for his injuries and especially receive a blessing from the town's mage.

-

He noticed that the baby suddenly cries when the curse mark got near to the baby holding by his wife and the curse mark reacts as it is glowing slowly. Then some purple aura sips out and slowly going to the baby. His wife noticed it too and immediately backs away.

-

"What's wrong with your curse mark? Did it just suddenly wants to transfer to the baby?"

Damiel is also confused but at the same time he remembers something. 

"Maybe, it's the Witch's child. She felt guilty and send her child to me so I can forgive her." Damiel's tone suddenly change when explaining his theory.

"What's wrong with you? The Witch isn't even a human said the town's mage. Remember? She can't bear a child." His wife is mad after hearing his explanation. 

-

"But what if?" Damiel still insisting his message. But her wife had enough of it and took the towel from him drying up the baby she's holding. Later, they went to rest and will take care the baby they just adopted. 

- - -

The next day, Hasnaia Town rung its bell to start the morning. Greenish light beams pillar shines up to the sky. It's the daily work of the esquire mages to protect the town from residues of the void outside the town. A group of cavaliers or called by the locals "the patriots" consisting of two maia users and three knights. They're patrolling and at the same time asking the neighborhood about a suspicious woman seen yesterday. 

-

Each houses are being asked, one of the houses are the Ladroft residence. "Excuse us, madam Teresa Visage-Ladroft, the 4th generation Ember Mage of the kingdom." The lead knight asked the lady of the house about the suspicious woman who is carrying something that would concern the town.

"Oh you flatter me with that long title. You know that's me in my prime ages. I'm a humble housewife now. Right, Damiel?" Teresa ask her husband for confirmation but Damiel is busy changing the clothes of the baby that got just cleaned.

-

"Goodness, madam. When did you have a child? Why didn't you celebrate it with the townspeople?" One of the patriots is surprised and asked again, "Is it a boy or a girl? What's the baby's name?"

-

"Uh.. " Both Damiel and Teresa didn't quickly gave an answer but Teresa dismisses it with a clever one. "He's a handsome baby with a name that you will guess and if your guesses are near the answer. I will give you a reward." Damiel gave a sigh of relief while the patriots are contented on what they've heard then given farewell and continued their search for the suspicious woman.

-

Teresa closes the door slowly and quickly asked Damiel, "What will we call him?!".

"I don't know! Don't just suddenly ask me!" In the midst of their baby name brainstorming. They didn't notice the sudden change of Damiel's curse mark fading from his arm. The baby didn't cry as well. The couple had decided to just call for an Elin that especializes in reading of affinities to help them decide for the baby's name.

- - -

Afternoon, the Elin arrived to Ladroft residence. After a short chatter with Teresa and Damiel, the Elin proceed to point her long staff to the baby and read its maia affinity. Minutes had passed, the perfect round crystal of the long staff changes its color from Yellow Green to Blue but shifts to Red and settles to Violet but with a tiny Yellow orb moving inside the crystal. The Elin is confused but amazed on the process while Damiel's eyes are wide opened as if he saw it before. While Teresa fall asleep because she went sleep late taking care of the baby.

-

"It's familiar to me. But I can't clearly remember where did I saw it. Anyway, Xyl. What is his affinity?" Damiel asked the Elin and looked at Teresa, raising both his eyebrows.

"I would say, he's a Void's child but with a bit of Skye maia." Telling this to Damiel like it's a normal matter but it's not as Damiel is shocked and ask Xyl again for confirmation. 

-

"I'll repeat it to you, he has a void affinity and a bit of Skye maia. Think of him like the dessert we used to eat in the central. Like a rootcraft recipe with a bit of cheese." Xyl is just normally telling to Damiel with a shocked expression. Problematic on how he will explain it to Teresa.

"Now that you know he's affinity. What will you name him then? Also don't forget the fee. I'm almost out of budget since last week." Xyl asking Damiel with a smile on her face.

Damiel took a deep breath and then give the money to Xyl.

-

Also told her that the name will be decided after he tells it to Teresa. Xyl departs and the night comes. He still is problematic about the fact that the child has a void affinity which can be led to trouble and what will Teresa will say about it. Scenarios are building up in Damiel's mind, one is Teresa may give the child to the capital which is good in a way but something is telling him that the child is innocent and might experience bad from the authorities. Second is Teresa might do it herself since she's the former mage of the 4th generation and has a grudge to the residues of the void. She might kill it without mercy. His chest tightens as the concern is rising but he went at ease when the baby holds his finger and making happy sounds. 

-

Tears falls from his eyes and carries the baby from the makeshift cradle. Teresa wakes up seeing his husband happily carrying the baby. She walks up to him slowly from the bed and whispers to him. "Honey, I'm sorry I didn't give you a child but I will promise you no matter what happens I will take care of him as if he is our child." Damiel heard her and also hug her with one arm saying without hesitation that the child they will take care of has a void affinity. He is very surprised as if Teresa hasn't heard him and still hugging him with the baby. 

-

"Like I told you, no matter what happens. Right? What's happens in the past is not in the present. Always remember that."

- - -

"Arise! Azravael! Arise!"

Damiel holding the baby high up while Teresa laughs like they're announcing a new king inside their house. And while his arms are stretched up high, Teresa notices the absence of her husband's curse mark. She then asked him where it went. Damiel answered confusingly and immediately lay down the baby. They pull the sheets from the baby expecting to find the curse mark on its body but there's none. The baby just giggles on what they've did. They both sigh in relief although they wonder why does it reacts when the baby came. Why?