Orphan Life

Families gathered around their new granted loved ones while town folks gave their quick salutations and left. Althea was sitting on the edge of the stage where Bryce joins her.

"Are you okay, Thea?"

Bryce's question jerks her out of her longing stares of families being happy and celebrating together. From this moment on, they are now adults and as such can explore as adventurers.

"Yeah, I just can't wait to find out how the crystal has improved my powers." She replies.

Bryce knew that she was thinking of her parents that have long since passed due to a monster subjugation that went awry. Bryce's parents were also killed in the very same tragedy. The city of Kauven backs into the Forlorn Forest. For the most part, it is safe enough for even the lowest F rank adventurers. However, every generation or so beasts would mutate and grow stronger. If unchecked, the beasts would come close enough to the city walls. Adventurers of all level would be called to help defeat them. Orphans of these heroes are taken care of by the city and that is how the two met and became friends.

When children receive their elemental blessing, a grant is assigned to you to help you in growing and understanding your powers. Children are matched with mentors that have the same elemental blessing. This is done because learning elemental control is complex and nuanced. Still, matching is a tricky thing to do.

Within an element, a person usually grows powers that focus on certain abilities that would be unique when compared to someone of even the same element. For example, a water blessed person can have solely defense related skills such as: water shields, healing pools, and reflective attacks. Another water blessed may only be able to do offensive skills: piercing rain, water slice, or scald. Ever so often, a prodigious blessed could have a prolific list of skills. This was the case for both Althea and Bryce.

Two talented adventurers could have an offspring gifted with tremendous potential, a sad but true reality for Althea and Bryce. Their parents paid with their lives to ensure the safety of Kauven for years to come.

When Althea received her blessing, she didn't have parents to teach her. Thus, the town elders assigned her a mentor of similar element, the Light battle mage, Wentlas. They both had what is considered a Light element variant. Althea could create Light magic which she could manipulate in many creative and devastating ways. She could manifest Light daggers that could be thrown as projectiles, translucent shields made of Light, and Light swords that she could control with her mind. With the head druid priest as her mentor, she spent years not only learning how to wield weapons but also how to effectively fight in battle. She learned strategy, battle tactics, and magic control from the Head Druid of Kauven.

Her parents will never come back. The mistress who ran the orphanage and her mentor, Wentlas were the closest thing she has ever had to knowing what loving parents felt like.

She quietly prays for her parents. A second later, she drags Bryce by the hand.

"Let's go. Mistress Juliet will be pissed if we are late for curfew again!"