Chapter 8: A New Beginning

Arin bid farewell to Maloren at the well and set off towards home. His thoughts swirled as he walked through the dark alleys. He pondered how he would explain the encounter with the Duke to his mother and sisters and what the offer to study at the war academy meant for them. The book in his hands felt heavy, not just physically but in its significance. He recalled everything he had learned about summoners in school and realized that now he would have to apply it in practice. The journey home seemed longer than usual, and with each step, his tension grew. Distant voices and the rustling of leaves in the alleys only heightened his nervousness.

As he passed by abandoned buildings and dilapidated houses he knew well, he felt a mix of joy and hope. He thought about what it would be like to live in Thalorn, a beautiful and safe city where his family could start a new life. With each step closer to home, his heart pounded faster. He played out all the possibilities in his mind, excited for what lay ahead.

When Arin arrived home, his mother Elire and his sisters Livia and Elenor were waiting for him. "Arin, what happened?" his mother asked with concern in her voice. Arin sat down and began recounting the entire story. When he mentioned meeting the Duke in person and that the Duke had kept him alone, his mother gasped, and his sisters squealed.

"The Duke? Really? And what happened next?" his mother asked, still in shock.

Arin continued, "I awakened as a summoner and caught the Duke's attention. He offered me a place to study at the war academy in Thalorn." He showed them the ring and gloves the Duke had given him. "I had to show the well where I found the ring to Maloren, his companion."

"This is incredible," Elenor said. "What does this mean for us?" Livia asked eagerly.

"The Duke's offer includes ensuring our family can live in better conditions in Thalorn if I accept," Arin explained.

His mother nodded, her eyes filled with hope. "This is amazing, Arin. What do you think we should do?" Elire asked, visibly moved.

"We have two days to decide," Arin replied. "We need to decide if I should accept the Duke's offer."

"This is an opportunity we've never had," Livia said excitedly. "What if we really move to Thalorn? We'll have a new life there!"

Elenor looked at Arin with hope in her eyes. "Arin, do you think I'll be able to go to school like the rich students? And will I be able to buy real toys?"

Arin smiled and nodded. "Yes, now we finally have the chance we've deserved. I'll do everything to ensure we become at least middle class, or maybe even princesses," he said with determination in his voice.

His mother started laughing, hugged her children, and began to cry. Tears streamed down her cheeks, but her smile was broad and joyful. "This is something we need to think about carefully. Both sisters squealed with joy and pleaded with their mother and brother: "Please, let's move! We want to live in Thalorn, go to school, and have real toys!" Elenor added, "I've heard that even the worst school in Thalorn would be the best school in other cities. They have the best teachers, the most supplies, and books. The Duke greatly supports education and even supports many more poor classes than in other cities!"

Their mother smiled at them and nodded., She turned to her daughters and said, "Arin might have to do things that aren't completely right in exchange for our better life. We must be sure we are ready for all the sacrifices that may come." Livia and Elenor thought for a moment and then nodded. "We want a better life, Mom. We'll do whatever it takes," Elenor said determinedly.

His mother and sisters were thrilled at the prospect of moving to Thalorn. "I've heard that Thalorn is the most beautiful city far and wide," Elenor said with a sparkle in her eyes. "It's much cleaner and safer than here," Livia added. Arin felt the tension in his chest ease a bit. He saw the hope in his family's eyes, and it gave him courage. "This could be our chance for a new beginning," his mother said with a smile. "We need to think it through, but I'm for it."

Livia and Elenor started discussing what it would be like to live in such a beautiful city. "Do you think we'll have a big house?" Livia asked. "And what if we had a garden?" Elenor added. Arin smiled and nodded. "Yes, it will be a new beginning for us. I'll do everything in my power to make sure we live better. We won't have to live in this filth and squalor anymore. We finally have a real chance at a better life."

And it was decided, the offer was accepted. Mother told them not to speak about what happened today to anyone. They were still living in the slums, and she couldn't stop thinking about how lucky Arin was that no one had taken the ring from him. Now, as he walked home from school with the book in hand, her mind raced with worry.

As Arin finished his story, he suddenly realized that the Duke hadn't given him the promised five gold coins. "I forgot, the Duke was supposed to give me five gold coins," he said thoughtfully.

His mother shrugged and smiled. "It doesn't matter. If we decide to accept his offer, everything will change. And if we agree to it, tomorrow you'll go to the tavern and tell Maloren our decision," she replied calmly.

Arin nodded. "Alright, I'll tell him tomorrow." He saw the determination in his mother's eyes and knew she meant it. It was up to him to prepare now. He knew it would be difficult, but he also knew he had his family's support.

The family gave Arin space so he could focus. "Go to your room and start studying the book," his mother said. Arin hugged her and kissed his sisters. Livia squeezed his hand, and Elenor shouted, "Thanks, bro!" Arin smiled and headed to his room.

He placed the book on a small nightstand and examined its cover. He began reading the diagram on the front page. When he first looked at the text, it was incomprehensible, but as he focused, the text began to change and he could read it. It said "Summon Familiar." Arin exclaimed, "I finally did it!" He triumphantly clenched his fist in the air.

When he opened the book, he felt a magical energy pulsing from it, similar to when he first put on the ring in the well. He started reading the first lines of the book, which, despite looking huge and worn on the outside, had only 15 pages. They described the spell "Summon Familiar" and began with an explanation that summoning costs 350 mana at the first level and increases with the difficulty of the summoned familiars. There were examples of low-level monsters that could be summoned, with mana costs for some: the lowest being 350 (poisonous rat / wild dog) to 400 (giant spider / wolf) and more. From chapter 11, there was theory on summoning and additional detailed information. On the last page, there was an imprint that looked like a mark on his right hand.

Without much thought, Arin placed his right palm on the page of the book. At first, he felt nothing, but after a brief moment, the ring on his hand began to glow and change color. Arin realized that according to the book, this kind of absorption shouldn't be happening... But before he could react, the ring absorbed the book, there was a faint hum, and the book lost all its magical power. The ring quieted and returned to its normal state. Arin was stunned.

It terrified him immensely because what had happened wasn't described in the book or in school. He reflected on his attributes:

Level: 1

Summoner

Strength: 10

Agility: 10 (+5)

Intelligence: 40

Willpower: 40 (+3)

Endurance: 25

Mana: 400 (+30)

Health: 250

Magic equipment:

(rare) gloves of concealment (adding +5 agility and +3 Willpower and ability to conceal rings on hand)

(???) Ring (???)

Skills/Spells:

Summon Familiar (+)

He was amazed that not only had a skills/spells column appeared in his attribute window, where he had the spell he had learned, but the ring had also appeared, which hadn't been there before when he had checked the window multiple times. He expected to feel different or that it would somehow elevate him, but he felt no change at all. But what did the plus sign after the spell mean?