CHAPTER 6: THE PRODIGAL SON

The average mage in recorded history has known to have 7 awakenings in their lifetimes, out of those 7 times, only 5 chances will be had to advance the 5 circles of known magic talent. While these should not be considered the rules for everyone in terms of magical progression, it is well known to happen primarily in the early and prime of life. Most mages awaken between the ages of 5 and 7, to enter the first circle, the circle of mind, body, and spirit. With careful nurturing, with the help of careful nurturing and primary education, they may advance to the second circle by age 11 to 13. At this phase, mages work either the elements of Fire, Water, Earth or Wind by taking secondary education from an institute of mage craft until they awaken into the third circle by age 17 to 19. That is when you specialize in the first advanced usage of the primary elements at a tertiary institute of mage craft until the fourth awakening, by age 23 to 29. That is when a mage will attend the highest institute of learning to refine forth and eventually fifth and be acknowledged as master mage by age 31 to 37.

There are some cases where some awakens by at the latest 19 and have their fourth fifth awakening between 41 and 53, but these cases are rare and often criticized as inferior potential. The Erebus was a known family to have some of the youngest mages to ever achieve master status at an early age, Leon the patriarch of the Erebus name managed this at the age of 25, while his wife Orsa achieved it at 23. The eldest of the Erebus sisters, Tundra, had her first awakening at age 5, considered to be better than average. The second eldest Vera had her awakening at age 4 considered to be exceptional, but third eldest Helena was considered a national born genius awakening at age 3, for these reasons, she looked at her with exceptional interest. Hiring private tutors and intensive study, she managed to break into the second circle by age 5, and by 13 she was the youngest pupil to ever be admitted into the highest institute in the Fortis, the Pyro-kinetic Institute of Mage Craft. The youngest of the family was Anthony, the only son and highest hope for the house of Erebus.

Being the last born son, but also the first born male, his father Leon had high hopes that one day he would take over the family household and uphold the heritage of the Erebus name. Hoping that the talent of his sisters would be inherent for his son, he would let him sit in Helena's private lessons, since the time he was able to crawl. Like any natural born toddler he found the lectures and studying of little interest, but when it came to practical application he showed great amusement at his sister's natural athletic abilities.

"To be a great elemental is to not only master you spirit and soul, but also your body and mind." His father would lecture the toddler as he stared at his sister's tumble twirl and move her body like a premature ballerina. "Our family is a gift in the soul, but it's important to nurture all these elements to break into the elemental circle."

Like any toddler, Anthony paid little attention to these lectures, but laughed and applauded while watching his sister perform amazing feet of prowess that even a professional athlete would have difficulty accomplishing. It was in his 3rd year when he witnessed his sister finally break into the elemental circle. It started as a simple breathing exercise like any other, but escalated into another dance routine with fists and feet flailing in every direction, until she pressed on her stomach after inhaling the deepest breath so far.

A faint glow of red began to surround his sister as sparks started flaring from his nostrils, then like a mighty eagle she let out a mighty roar that made the whole room vibrate with sound. From her screens a large plume of fire spontaneously emerged a few feet in front of her face causing smoke to fill the room with a charred burnt smell. Her father started praising and clapping their hands at his miraculous feet that he practically picked his daughter off the floor.

"Congratulations, my daughter." Leon clapped with admiration. "You've reached your second awakening." While her father was thrilled, her private tutor was less than impressive.

"It was only on instinct, might as well have been a 5 year old's temper tantrum." The wrinkled old master instructor criticized as he straightened the whiskers on his face. "True Fire Magic uses the power of soul and commands the power of spirit to obey on command."

"Your wisdom is greatly appreciated, Master Orion." Leon bowed to the white haired scholar. "However, in light of my daughter's accomplishment I believe training should be cut short today so that we can celebrate this monument's occasion."

He sighed with a long deep breath, but before bowing his head before his employer. "As you wish, General Erebus."

"Come on Ellie, let's go tell mommy the good news, and then we'll have the biggest feast tonight with all your favorite foods."

"Awright!" She cheered as she leaped up into her father's arms as he carried her out the door.

In the moment when the Master Orion, Leon and Helena left the training room, they had forgotten that Anthony had been sitting by the sidelines watching everything in amazement. With nobody around to mind him he walked over to where his sister was standing and started breathing in the air, holding his breath then releasing it like his sister with his cheeks puffed out like a blowfish.

"Bah." He called out in his meek childish voice. When that failed he tired again, this time taking a deeper breath and opening his mouth wider pretending to breathe fire.

"Bah!" He cried louder and stronger than before. This time he held his breath until he was practically blue in the face and then released a sound that was almost shriek like his sister.

"Baaaaaah!" He screamed in frustration.

Then he fell back on his but and started breathing extractively. In all the excitement of replicating his sister's performance he had forgotten that he had been taking so many deep breaths his tiny lungs were exhausted. Luckily, his mother was there to see him collapse to the floor and she immediately ran to his side and held her finger up in front of his face. She moved her finger as a small speck of light appeared at the tip of his finger, she began to wave it back and forth using her free hand to pat his tiny head as she moved the light back and forth.

"Look at the pretty light baby and just breathe." She moved her finger back and forth in front of his eyes. "Breath naturally, just in and out... in and out."

He focused on the calming effect of the pretty pale light and started to listen to the soothing sound of his mother's voice. He started to breathe, moving easy, catching his breath, until the light faded from his hand and she scooped him up in her arms.

"You scared me, baby boy." Grabbed him tightly and patted his back. "What were you doing, holding your breath for so long?"

"I tryna be like hisser. She made a big boom, like, bah!" He imitated the sound of a fireball.

"Oh, I can't believe you father, leaving you here all alone, unsupervised when he's supposed to be watching you while you sister trains. What's the point of even having a day off from work if you only take the time to watch your sister's progress without watching his other children? He never paid much attention to your eldest sister when she became an Elemental and now she's in her tertiary school, and Vera is always in her room studying those books for secondary school. Doesn't he understand that these are the most crucial times in your life, to just focus on one child."

She rambled on as she held her child and walked down the halls of their grand mansion passing through the many fixtures that showcased the family's opulent lineage. This did little to impress Anthony as she simply hugged his mother's neck tightly and wiped the frown across her lips to turn it into a smile.

"No cry mama." He patted her face for comfort. "I don't mean make you sad."

"It's not your fault, Ant." It was his nickname for him, a term he accepted with pride. "Remember that story I always told you?"

"Uh-huh." He said, trying to recall. "Ant work hard and build biiiig house."

"He he, close enough, baby." She rubbed his head in comfort.

His mother was always a source of inspiration, although he didn't understand the true meaning of these words until much later. When he was little his mom would often call him Lil Ant for he reminded her of an old story she used to hear when she was young. It was the same story that her mother had told her when she was finished her training as a master mage at one of the earliest ages of 23.

Orsa did not come from the wealthiest of families, in fact many of her accomplishments were often belittled by the wealthy and impoverished alike. Although of humble origins, she awakened at the age of 5 granting her a full scholarship into a prestigious primary school. Because of her humble origins, she was often ridiculed by the more affluent families, and even her former friends were warned to associate with her for fear of noble reprisals. Her childhood was lonely and isolated from her peers, but every night when she was feeling low, she remembered the story that she told all her children when they were feeling down. It was the same story that her mother told her every night when she was younger and feeling down.

"Once there was a little ant who wanted to build a home atop a tall mountain. All the other ants would dig in the dirt, but she wanted to make that home because she felt that it would be the best view in all the land. All the other ants laughed and said 'you'll never make it up that mountain, the journey is too hard and the soil is too rough,' but she paid them no mind. She traveled up rocks and trees, and the scorching sun and snowy snow, but in time she made it up that mountain to the very, very top. On that mountain she builds a kingdom, and all the other ants come from all around and make her queen, because those who make the impossible happen will find that anything is possible if you try your hardest."

It was a common story said by common people, but to Orsa it was a motto she instilled deep in her heart. It's what made her bear through the primary, secondary, and tertiary school, and made her one of the youngest master mages to come out of the Pyro-kinetic Institute of Mage Craft of the Empire of Neoptolemus. It was her many accomplishments that allowed the family Erebus to allow their only son Leon to marry a person of lower breeding hoping that his remarkable soul would translate to superior offspring. Now, she only wished that all her children would learn to shine as bright as the light of her own 5th Circle magical abilities.