A year and a half later

I'm now five years old. I have learned a lot about this world so far, but it's still very.. Strange..

My parents told me that there are three kinds of magic. Earth magic, Water magic, and Air magic. Everyone can use magic, but most are inept at it, and have a hard time maintaining their aura.

And you can't use all of them. Most people can use two, and a few can only use one. These are considered ``servants'' of their given element and are highly revered, because they are considered favored by their element, and often their magical powers are advanced. My father once told me a tale of a water magician who was stronger than anyone, who could heal severed limbs and regrow them. He died a hundred years before I was born though, and no one has been able to recreate that feat since then.

There is no fire magic though.

Fire is considered evil, and destructive, and the literal depiction of death. It is envisioned as a beast that runs amok, and devours everything in it's path, before it consumes itself.

Father also told me about the tiny lizards that are on his and my mothers shoulders. He told me it's a guardian spirit, or a familiar, who will only guard you if you are blessed by the spirits. He told me he got his on a journey, where it came to him in the form of a woman made from water. He told me that the spirits always come in the form of ``kin'', which are the ``purest'' of the people. When I asked him what he meant by that, he told me that people come in several varieties, Kin, Kieth, and Beastmen. My parents are Kin, along with Alfred. Kin are considered a minority, though they are not uncommon and they are mostly treated with respect and reverance. Most other people are Kieth, which is to say they are still humanoid, but they don't look human. My uncle Graham is a Kieth, as are all the people in the village. They have animal characteristics, like a tail, horns, and animal feet. But they still have a human build, and their hands are also very human. Although people are said to be one or the other, it's actually a gradual difference more so than an absolute one.

Beastmen are different. They are also humanoid, but they can't be mistaken for a human, and indeed they don't act like one. They are almost always nomads that keep on the move away from society, and most of the time they are bad news. My father told me to run and tell everyone if I ever saw one. Whether this is superstition, racism, or that they are actually dangerous I don't really care finding out first hand, he was quite adamant that they are to be avoided.

I was also told that the color of ones hair shows what element you belong to. Red is earth, green is water, and blue is air. When people have two elements, one will be the dominant one, and that will be your general hair color. The other one is submissive, and can be seen when your hair is ruffled. My hair is black, but when it's ruffled it becomes blue. My father says he think that means I'm a servant of Air, but he's not sure because he has never seen black hair before.

Every now and then, his familiar crawls down form his shoulders to play with me. He calls her Tera, and she is really playful. She nips my fingers a every time, but she makes sure not to hurt me. My father always look on with a smile on his face. I once asked him if all familiars were like this, and he told me that they differ from element to element. Tera is a water elemental familiar, as is my mothers familiar Aria, and they are supposedly always these lizard-like creatures. Earth elemental familiars are supposedly serpents with mana pearls in a hexagon line pattern along their side. They can be as long as a man, but they're supposedly not all that thick, so carrying one around shouldn't be hard. The last one, the air elemental familiar, is a wyvern-like reptile with mana crystals along it's head, body, wings and legs.

My mothers familiar, Aria, isn't nearly as playful. Once I tried to pet her, and she raised her head away from my hand, clearly too proud for me to touch her. I guess they have distinct personalities too.

I do hope I get one, both of my parents have this special smile on their face when their familiar nudges against their neck asking for food.

But enough of that, today my parents and me are on our way to an inland village, Lowmount, to get some medicinal items for my fathers business. As I havent been inland before, my parents decided to make a trip out of it. And so, we are currently on a horse drawn carriage on a dirt road. We haven't talked much, my parents were never the most talkative people on earth, so I've spent most of the time playing with Tera.

``What's that?''

My mother mutters, wondering.

I turn to look ahead. Further along the road a carriage is turned over.

My parents shortly glance at each other, and my father increases the speed of the carriage.

When we aproach the carriage, it's clear that something went down. The horse is gone, and there are bloody drag marks on the ground leading into the forest.

And the carriage is empty.

Except for the pool of blood and the severed forearm.

Is this for real?

Is that an arm?

``.. A velnak then.. Rather rare this close to the coast.''

``True, but these marks are unmistakable.''

``Might still be eating, bette-''

Mid sentence, my father is cut off as a giant lizard the size of a pony, with a glowing crystal on it's forehead, trudges out of the forest. It's mouth is covered in blood, and it's sharp eyes are looking directly at us.

``And there it is. Mind if I take this one, or do you want to roshambo?''

My mother says, looking at my father with a slightly amused expression.

``Nono, you take this one, I do not mind.''

After giving a slight nod, my mother jumps down from the carriage.

``Watch closely Nathan, you may very well have to do this one day''

My father says, looking into my eyes.

They don't seem worried. I was a about to freak out, but the look on my fathers face made me calm down.

I give him a nod, and focus my attention on my mother.

``Freedom of the air gather through me, by the will of the son, I command!, Lord of the air, listen to your child, grant me the means to defend!''

Following my mothers fast and precise invocations, a blue gaseous aura spreads from her spine across her back and slithers down her limbs. It's not as radient as the one my father produces when he invokes water magic, but he told me that's because it's not my mothers primary element.

At the same time, two showrtswords appear in her hands, both radiently blue and transparent.

As soon as she finish her incantations, a tentacle with a sharp glaive tip blows out from the mouth of the velnak, heading straight for her.

Steeling herself, she takes a stance, and take the hit.

The tentacle passes straight through her body. Half a moment later, she starts shimmering before reappering and cutting the tip of the tentacle.

``Do not worry Nathan, your mother uses mirages to confuse her opponent. Something of this caliber cannot hurt her.''

My father says reassuringly.

Having one tentacle cut, the velnak vinces in pain and launches two new tentacles at my mother, trying to cut her from each side with the razor sharp glaive tips. She avoids both attacks by jumping and bending her body just enough to avoid the tentacles, cutting them both off midair in an elegant combination of movements before landing in a half kneeling position, balancing with the swords to each side.

``Pff, showoff.''

Crying out in pain, the velnak pulls in it's tentacles and charge at my mother. Slowly getting to her feet, she stares at the giant reptile as it opens it's maw to reveal rows of sharp pointy teeth and launch at her.

Stepping lightly to the left, she swing the swords in an circle around herself, and cuts the monster in three.

``What took you so long?''

My father yells at her, a clear smirk on his face.

``We can not all throw rocks at our enemies, Shale. Besides, I did not want to get my dress dirty.''

She laughs back at him.

And she was right.

There wasn't a single smudge on her dress.