Chapter 3: The first lesson
Around midnight, Jesp and David left their rooms quietly to avoid waking up Kael. They made their way to Orin and Dorian's office, determined to uncover more about Kael—his past and the mysterious connection to a god, a rare and powerful form of magic that only the highest-ranking priests can achieve.
"So you gonna tell us where you found the squirt, don't get me wrong he seems precious but i didn't expect you to accept that quest and suddenly bring back a kid?" Davit expressed not beating around the bush
"Especially one with celestial magic" Jesp added
"Orin and I found him at an orphanage on the outskirts of the city," Dorian said casually, his tone oddly indifferent. "His old village was destroyed ten years ago." avoiding Jesp's and Davit's gazes, seemingly not wanting to dive into the details
"Allow me to explain his story," said Orin.
Orin's voice dropped to a somber tone, the weight of his words pulling the room into silence. "Kael was found wandering the ruins of his village after the attack. He was just a child then, barely old enough to understand what had happened." He paused, glancing at Dorian, who nodded silently. "The orphanage on the outskirts took him in, but they had no idea what he carried—no idea of the celestial magic hidden within him."
Jesp frowned, leaning against the doorframe. "And that's when you stepped in?"
Orin nodded. "We sensed it—his connection to the divine. It's rare, powerful, and dangerous. If word gets out…" He let the sentence trail off, the implication clear.
"So that's another reason you want me to train him" Jesp said, arms crossed
"Precisely, plus it wouldn't be bad to increase our fire power" Orin said with a slight grin
"LITERALLY" Davit exclaimed in his usual sarcastic self
"Anyway... That's all for now, you can go back to your rooms" Dorian sighed,
"Aye aye boss" as Jesp and Davit chuckled before leaving
In the morning, Kael woke up peacefully with no noise or children running around, he took a moment to take in the peacefulness of his surroundings. There's a sense of newfound comfort in his new room, but also the lingering worry about his godly magic which would slowly start disappearing.
Jesp knocked Kael's door, "Morning, come on it's time for breakfast"
"Give me a minute to get dressed", Kael replied while yawning
After Kael got dressed, he and Jesp went to the dining hall where the met up with everyone and there was a face Kael didn't recognize
"Morning Abel, did you just return from your mission today?" Jesp said while having at Abel
"Yeah I did and I take it this is the newbie the others told me about," Abel said while looking at Kael "I'm Abel, pleasure to meet you"
"I'm Kael, thank you for having me" Kael said politely
"Oh and he has earth dragon magic" Jesp added casually
"Dragon?!, at this point I shouldn't be surprised" Kael said while letting out a big sigh
First devils, then gods, now dragons, this world has it all, Kael begun longing for the orphanage, it was so much simpler than this.
After breakfast, Kael and Jesp made their way to the training grounds at the beach. The gentle sound of waves rolling onto the shore filled the air, and the salty breeze carried with it a sense of calm—an ironic backdrop for what Kael suspected would be anything but a relaxing morning.
"Let's start with the basics," Jesp said, stopping a few feet from the water's edge. His tone had shifted, less playful and more instructive, as if he were stepping into a role he rarely used. "We'll begin by understanding mana—what it is and how it works."
Kael listened intently, his eyes bright with curiosity.
"Mana is the magical energy that exists in all things," Jesp began, gesturing broadly toward the ocean and sky. "It's in the air, the plants, the sea, even within you. Think of it as the invisible current that powers everything magical in our world."
Kael nodded, his excitement bubbling beneath the surface.
"Magic," Jesp continued, "comes in many forms—elemental, like Davit's lightning magic, or unique abilities, like enhancing speed or summoning spirits. Some people even manipulate gravity. But not everyone starts the same way."
Kael tilted his head, intrigued.
"Magic can be unofficially divided into three types," Jesp said, raising three fingers. "First, there are those born with a magic affinity, like Davit. It's natural, part of who they are. Second, there's learned magic—like Abel's earth dragon magic. He wasn't born with it. He absorbed it from a magical stone and trained to wield it."
"And the third?" Kael interrupted, his voice eager.
Jesp smiled. "The third is people like you and me—those with connections to higher beings. Gods, devils, dragons, spirits—entities that grant us power. It's rare, and it comes with a price. But it's also the most unpredictable kind of magic. No two connections are the same."
Kael's mind whirled. Gods, devils, dragons… His world felt impossibly vast, like standing at the edge of an endless sea.
"Now," Jesp said, clapping his hands together, "let's move to the fun part. I'm going to help you feel and understand mana."
Kael blinked. "Feel it? How?"
"Turn around."
"Uh… okay." Kael hesitated before doing as he was told.
Jesp placed a firm hand on Kael's back. The warmth of his touch was followed by something strange—like a soft pulse that spread through Kael's body.
"Do you feel it?" Jesp asked, his voice steady.
Kael closed his eyes, focusing. At first, it was faint—a tingling sensation at the edge of his awareness. Then it grew, like a gentle current weaving through him. It was warm, yet weightless, and it seemed to hum in harmony with the rhythm of his breath.
"I… I think so," Kael murmured.
"That's mana," Jesp said with a grin. "Your body can sense it, even if you don't know how to use it yet. Keep focusing. Get used to the flow. Once you understand how it feels, we'll move on to controlling it."
Kael opened his eyes, a mixture of wonder and determination on his face. This was only the beginning.
"Now, try on your own," Jesp instructed, stepping back to give Kael some space. His arms were crossed, but his expression was calm and encouraging. "Try to replicate what you felt just now."
"Alright," Kael said, his voice filled with anticipation. He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath as he tried to recall the strange yet exhilarating sensation of mana flowing through him.
At first, there was nothing—just the sound of waves in the distance and the faint rustle of wind. Kael furrowed his brow, his focus narrowing to the stillness within himself. He remembered the warmth, the gentle pulse Jesp had introduced, and he willed himself to feel it again.
A flicker. It was faint, almost imperceptible, but there. It felt like the faint hum of an awakening heartbeat deep inside.
"I think I've got it!" Kael exclaimed, his excitement spilling over. But just as he began to grasp the sensation, it shifted.
The warmth of the mana pulsing through him deepened, turning almost electric. His heart raced as the flow intensified, no longer a gentle ripple but a surging current. A strange sensation washed over him—like being watched.
Then he saw them.
A golden pair of eyes, luminous and unblinking, stared back at him from somewhere beyond his vision. They weren't in front of him, nor behind. The eyes came from within, as if peering through the very core of his being.
Kael gasped, stumbling back. The world around him dimmed, the sound of the waves fading into a distant murmur. Those eyes… they felt familiar, full of pain and anger, like that day. A pressure settled over him, making it hard to breathe.
"Kael!" Jesp's voice cut through the haze, grounding him. "What's wrong?"
Kael blinked rapidly, the golden eyes vanishing as quickly as they had appeared. The world snapped back into focus—the beach, the waves, the sunlight—but his chest heaved as if he had just surfaced from deep underwater.
"I… I don't know," Kael stammered, clutching his chest. "There were… eyes. Staring at me. Golden eyes."
"Ok ok, i think that could have been your god" Jesp said nervously, "How about we end it here for today and you can go rest and relax, also tomorrow we're gonna go check the stores so we can get you new clothes" Jesp added, calming down a bit.
Kael had crazy idea that can go either super well or terribly wrong but it was worth a shot.
"Ok see you at dinner", Kael said and bolted for his room.
"Well that didn't go as planned, maybe i took it too far" Jesp sighed.
Back in Kael's room, Kael sat cross-legged in the middle of his room, his mind buzzing with the memory of the golden eyes. They hadn't been a figment of his imagination, he was sure of it now. The way they had stared into him, full of power and anger—it felt like a silent command, as though the god was calling out to him from within.
He shut his eyes and took a deep breath, trying once more to settle into a state of calm. Focus
But this time, it wasn't the warm pulse of mana he sensed first. No, this time, the very air felt thick with something else—a presence. He tried to push it aside, but the golden eyes flashed behind his eyelids once more, burning like twin suns.
"Kael," a voice whispered in his mind—low, rich, and unsettling. It wasn't spoken aloud, but it resonated through him, vibrating in his bones. "Do not resist me, my little flame."
The world around Kael dissolved in an instant. His vision blurred, his body lifted as though weightless, and before he could comprehend what was happening, the darkness around him shifted. He was no longer in his room, nor was he in Aerolia anymore.
He was somewhere else entirely.
The place he found himself in was haunting—like the ruins of a palace that had once been magnificent, but now lay shattered and forgotten. Marble columns were broken, scattered around like the remnants of a forgotten time. Fragments of ornate stonework lay abandoned, crumbled beneath the weight of centuries. But amidst the devastation, one structure remained intact—a throne.
The throne was magnificent, yet imposing, crafted from smooth obsidian. It gleamed like the darkest of stones, but it was etched with ancient golden markings, spiraling and intertwining like the tendrils of flame. The very air around it felt charged, almost alive with an energy that both beckoned and warned. As Kael stood there, rooted to the ground, the space around the throne seemed to hum with the presence of something far older than time itself.
And there, sitting upon the throne, was the god who had given him this power all those years ago.
The god was a striking figure, yet strange in his contrast. His long, wild white hair cascaded down like a flowing river of snow, yet fiery red highlights flickered through the strands, almost as if the flames themselves were imprisoned within. His white skin was full of black and red runes. The bronze gauntlets and poleyns on his arms and legs gleamed like ancient relics, their surfaces scorched but unyielding.
But what caught Kael's attention most were his eyes—those golden eyes, burning with an intensity that felt like they could consume him in an instant. They were ancient, filled with the weight of ages and a terrifying power. Yet, despite the destruction they promised, there was something else in them—something softer, almost… gentle? As if the god himself was something more than just a force of annihilation, as if his fury was tempered by a long, slow sorrow.
"Welcome my little flame, we finally meet," Said the unknown god, "I'm called Azesis, I'm the god of fire and destruction" his voice firm yet not harsh, he trully emitted the aura of a god.
"Why me? Why give me this power?" Kael was desperate for answers,
"I felt your anger and will to survive. That's why the flame chose you," Azesis replied, his voice unchanged, a steady force in the chaos of Kael's mind.
Kael's hands clenched into fists at his sides, his breath shaky as frustration began to bubble up inside him. He took a step forward, not out of confidence, but a deep-seated need for answers. "What does that even mean? You chose me for what? To be a weapon? A tool for your destruction?"
Azesis's deep, rumbling laughter echoed around them, and Kael froze, his throat tightening. The god's gaze never wavered, and he spoke with an eerie calm. "Oh, you're serious?" he said, his tone amused but not mocking. "Kael, the flame burns, yes. It consumes, yes. But it also cleanses, it creates, it builds. The fire doesn't make the choice. The one who wields it decides what to burn. I thought you were smarter than that."
Kael winced at the god's words, but the sting only added to his frustration. "Then what am I supposed to do with this?" Kael whispered, more to himself than Azesis. "I don't know what I'm supposed to be."
Azesis leaned forward, his presence like an immovable force, pressing into Kael's chest, filling the space around them. "You are not meant to be anything other than yourself, Kael. The flame is a part of you. In time, you will learn to wield it as you were meant to. But only you can decide what path to take."
Kael's chest tightened, guilt mixing with uncertainty as his mind churned. "I don't want to hurt people… like I hurt Margaret." The words felt heavy, laden with the weight of his past mistakes.
Azesis's gaze softened, but it was hard to tell if it was out of sympathy or simply because the god had seen countless souls like Kael's. "Then don't," Azesis said, the simplicity of his answer carrying an unsettling weight. "Control it, and use it to protect the people you care for."
Kael stood frozen, the weight of Azesis's words pressing down on him. Could he really control it? Could he stop the fire from burning those he loved? The crackle of the flame inside him roared in his ears, wild and untamed, but Kael didn't know how to command it.
Azesis's voice interrupted his thoughts once again, this time softer, almost like a warning. "You wonder if you can control it," Azesis said, his gaze unwavering. "But there is something you must understand, Kael. The flame that burns within you does not harm you. You are immune to it, just as I am. You can absorb it, shape it to your will, without fear of it consuming you."
Kael's breath caught in his throat. The revelation hit him harder than he expected. He had never considered that. "I—I can absorb it?" Kael stammered, disbelief in his voice.
"Yes," Azesis replied, his voice steady, full of quiet certainty. "The fire is yours. It will not burn you. You are my vessel, Kael. It is part of you, and you can control it, wield it without fear of destruction. But you must learn to master that power—to guide it with purpose."
Kael's thoughts spiraled, his heart pounding with both relief and apprehension. Absorb the flame? Could he really do that? Could he finally learn to control the fire that had defined him for so long?
"Now it's time for you to go back, my little flame. Until we meet again."
The god's words echoed in Kael's mind as the overwhelming presence of Azesis began to fade...
Suddenly, Kael jolted upright, he was back in his room, sitting on the floor with his legs crossed beneath him. The eerie, immense power that had filled his senses was gone. Only the quiet solitude of his room remained.
A sharp, uncomfortable sensation shot through his legs. They were numb, the circulation cut off from sitting in the same position for so long. Kael winced, trying to stretch them out, but his limbs felt stiff and uncooperative.
He glanced at the clock on his wall: 18:07 PM.
"There's still time," Kael murmured to himself.
With a surge of newfound determination, he bolted out of his room. The weight of Azesis's words still burned in his chest, but now there was a sense of purpose to them—a reason to push forward. His goal was clear. It was time to test his limits.
Kael reached Jesp's door in record time and began knocking frantically, as if there were no tomorrow.
"What's up?" Jesp called, slightly confused, opening the door. His brow furrowed at the urgency of Kael's knocking.
"ROUND 2," Kael declared, his eyes gleaming with fierce determination. "I want to test something."
Jesp raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised by Kael's sudden energy. "Test something? What, like more magic training? You sure you're ready for that after... well, what happened earlier?"
"I got it," Kael insisted, his voice unwavering. There was a newfound strength in it, an unspoken confidence that hadn't been there before.
Jesp studied him for a moment, noticing the shift in Kael—his usual uncertainty replaced with something more solid. The same fire Kael had once struggled to control now burned with purpose. With a sigh, Jesp crossed his arms.
"Alright, alright. You're not gonna let this go, are you?"
"Nope," Kael said with a smirk. "Not until I get it down."
Jesp shook his head but couldn't help the small chuckle that escaped him. "Fine. Let's see what you've got, then. Follow me."
The duo made their way to the training grounds, their footsteps crunching in the sand as they approached the familiar stretch of beach. The waves crashed in the distance, but the air was charged with something else now—the tension of impending action, of a test that Kael had been waiting for.
Jesp glanced over at Kael, noticing the fire in his eyes that hadn't been there before. "Alright, kid. You're serious about this, huh?"
"Absolutely" Kael said, more focused than ever before
Jesp gave him an approving look, but his expression quickly turned serious. "Alright, then. Let's see what you've got. Remember—this isn't just about showing off. It's about control. Focus. If you lose it, things can go south real quick."
Kael nodded, already feeling the heat stirring in his chest, the warmth of Azesis's flame that always seemed to be waiting just below the surface. It was different now, though. His breath came in steady, controlled waves as he focused inward, calling on the fire without letting it consume him.
Jesp took a step back, eyeing Kael with a mix of caution and curiosity. "Ready when you are, kid. Show me what you can do."
With a deep breath, Kael pushed forward, visualising his fists being engulfed by the black flames he is supposed to control, he felt the heat build slowly at first, swirling within his chest, before extending outward, spreading to his arms, when they finally appeared.
"It doesn't hurt at all" Kael thought in awe, feeling the fire pulse within him, as if it were an extension of his own body.
Excited by the raw power at his disposal, Kael rushed at Jesp, his fists poised to strike. The flames crackled in the air, the weight of their presence almost overwhelming. He aimed a quick jab toward Jesp's midsection, testing his speed and precision.
But Jesp was ready. With a swift, practiced sidestep, he narrowly avoided the punch, the wind from Kael's strike barely grazing his skin. Kael's fist cut through the air with a hiss as the flames flared, but Jesp was already repositioning, a sly grin on his face.
"You're quick," Jesp said, his voice low, his gaze never leaving Kael. "But you're not the only one with moves. You need to think faster, anticipate."
Kael, undeterred, circled around, his feet shifting as he prepared for another strike. His breath was steady, his mind racing. He could feel the black flames wrapping tighter around his arms, but this time, he wasn't going to charge in blindly. He had learned enough from his previous attempts to realize that he needed to be smarter—anticipate Jesp's movements.
Kael's eyes narrowed, analyzing Jesp's stance, his movements, the way Jesp's foot hovered slightly to the left. Kael's muscles tensed, and without hesitation, he launched himself forward, this time planning for Jesp to dodge to the right.
But Kael wasn't aiming for a simple punch. Instead, he pushed himself further, manipulating the flames that had already gathered around him. His focus sharpened, and a strange sensation bubbled up within him, like the heat was rising in his chest, searching for an outlet.
Kael opened his mouth and, with a surge of focus, released a burst of fire. The dark flames shot forward, crackling violently through the air. It wasn't a perfect stream, more like an erratic jet of fire, but it was enough to catch Jesp off guard.
The flames, though imperfect, scorched the air with a deep, heavy heat that Jesp hadn't expected. The blast hit him head-on, throwing him to the ground. Jesp grunted as the force of the impact knocked the wind out of him, the flames searing his arm and singeing his tunic.
"It's hot and it hurts a bit, but it's not burning me," Jesp said, pushing himself up with a grin, clearly impressed. "You actually managed to learn to control it so quickly. That's amazing, Kael."
"I can't believe that actually worked. You went too easy on me," Kael said with a grin, his breath still heavy from the exertion.
Jesp raised an eyebrow, his grin matching Kael's. "Is that so? Maybe you're just getting better. I'll have to make sure I don't go easy on you next time."
Kael's grin widened. "Bring it on. I'm ready for whatever you've got."
Jesp chuckled and stood up, brushing himself off. "Alright, alright. Don't get too cocky. You've still got a lot to learn, now let's go show off to the others."