In the recorded footage, I saw a small planet adrift in the endless void of this unknown reality. It was a deep blue, with a rainbow of colors coating it like an illusion. Above it were countless lights gathering until I could see my body fully formed. -What is happening?- a robotic voice sounded. -Not in core programming, where am I? I am- I have sentience? Illogical, yet I'm... thinking. I have thoughts. How?- The monotone voice continued with it's existential crisis for around an hour, before that small planet got closer and closer. -Gravitational field detected. Creator will die. I can't let it happen. I don't- want- it to happen. Creator, I WILL protect you.- The planet was still a bit off, yet I had already started falling towards it, and fell for a few DAYS. This was no planet, it couldn't have been. As I fell closer and closer, I could see, IT WAS MASSIVE. It's size was completely impossible, yet here it was. I saw countless lands in the horizon, the largest being about the size of Earth itself if it were laid flat. I had a feeling that they were somehow moving as well. I kept falling towards the smallest one, and it was the size of Russia. -Unknown energy detected. Analyzing... Complete. World designated: "Eisencroft." Velocity increasing to dangerous levels. Using energy to protect Creator.-
I kept falling faster and faster until I hit an open field, where I would continue to lay until Varik and his family found me. [This is so embarrassing having an unfamiliar family staring at my naked body.] Thankfully I was covered up before long, and I noticed that weird glow coming from Volun's hands that burned my wounds shut. On the ride to their store, I overheard the little girl saying something peculiar. "Mommy, why is she here?" Kara looked over at her with an amused expression and said, "That's a boy dear." Leia just looked away and I could've sworn I heard her mutter, "I'm not talking about him."
The strange carriage eventually made it into town and started towards their shop. Along the way I saw so many strange symbols and people, some of which had animal ears. -Analyzing symbols. Complete. Symbols are a language. Uploading language.- [Well that explains how I can understand everyone.] In the distance was a large palace like building encrusted with a glowing purple stone and in the alleyway adjacent to their shop, was a man in a hooded cloak staring intently at us. I thought I caught a glimpse of a dagger hidden in his waistband. His eyes never left us until we went inside, then he turned and faded into the shadows. Looks like I'll need to be on guard when walking around.
The Mulvians then carried me into what I'm now assuming is their guest room. During the time I was recovering, Leia would keep visiting me and talking to thin air asking, "Who are you? Are you his sister?" Afterwards whenever she came by, she'd talk about her day and get no reply. This continued for a few days, and from her I learned a few things. This town was called Laedus and it was ruled by a noble family called the Toruns. Apparently they would come by from time to time demanding free goods due to "their lowly status", while threatening to seize and demolish the store. The Mulvians had no choice as the Toruns controlled the town guard. Varik was currently enrolled in a small school across town near the wealthy district. He would often come back bloodied and bruised to bullying by the nobles for not awakening his mana core yet, so she was happy that he was on summer vacation. I put a mental note to find out what a mana core was if I could. Throughout this whole ordeal, Sy started gaining a bit of a personality, all the way to the point where Sy, now fully aware and accepting of her new life, began talking to me knowing full well that I couldn't hear her. The recording ended at the moment I first sat up and began screaming.
"WAKE UP! MOMMY SAYS IT'S TIME TO WORK!" Came the blaring voice inside my ear the next morning. I sat up quickly only to see Leia standing in the doorway bright-eyed. She immediately ran over and said to me, "I'm glad to see your brother woke up!" earning her a confused look from me, before she skipped away. I followed suit and walked downstairs, grabbed a broom, and started sweeping the store. "Not today, kid." came the gruff voice of Volun, "My wife and I have an errand to run, and will be back shortly so you will be manning the register. Varik will be here to help you should you need anything, meaning he is in charge, so listen to him. We should only be gone an hour." Kara walked by in a rush carrying Leia saying, "We can't keep them waiting honey, hurry up." and went out the door. Through the shop window, I saw what looked like an overgrown lizard, pulling a fancy looking carriage. [They had one of those pulling their cart when they found me. Do you know what they are Sy?] -Hmm... I don't seem to recall, but I remember there being a large building on the way here that had some in a stable of sorts. Maybe we could find out there?- I glanced over at Varik who was glaring at me and gesturing for me to head behind the counter. [Maybe later. I don't think we should leave him waiting for much longer.] -We? I think you mean YOU. He isn't even aware of my existence- she giggles. I head over, but as soon as I got close to him, he grabbed me by the shirt and growled, "Don't you dare try anything to my family, or I WILL kill you, understand?" I nod quickly. "Good. Now then, I assume you know how to run a register?" He asks. I shake my head no. "Okay then. Here's all you need to know. That button opens the register, and that button locks the door in case of a robber." He said while pointing at blue and red buttons, then opened the register showing some strange coins shaped like four-pointed stars. I stopped him and asked what they were. "You don't even know what we use as currency here? Where are you even from?" He asked seriously. "I- uh, have amnesia. I don't really remember anything before waking up here aside from my name." -Nice cover, TOTALLY hasn't been done a hundred times.- [Shut up you. It was the only thing I could think of.]
"Alright, I'll buy that. For now." He picked up the copper colored coin first, "This is a Low Crown. A normal family can survive for four days with just twelve of them." He set it down then picked up the only silver coin, "One thousand Low Crowns is worth one Mid Crown. One thousand Mid Crowns will amount to one High Crown, which are gold in color. Another thousand of those will give you a single Magistone which only the nobles have, and even then they're few in number." He then went on to explain how to give change based on how much the customer gives me before leaving. -It seems like one Low Crown is equal to at least ten dollars!- A few customers came in, but only one actually bought anything. I got bored after a while and turned over to Varik and asked, "So what is a mana core?" He gave me his what I am now calling his signature look, the one that says, 'is he for real?' He sighed and shook his head, likely thinking that I was absolutely clueless. "It's something everyone has, and it's the source of how we are able to cast magic. Most people usually awaken their magic core around the time they start walking. It will then leak mana around their body causing a natural barrier that will protect them. The person can then go to a special room in the City Hall to determine what element they have a natural affinity to."
"What are these elements exactly?" I inquired. I was praying that it wouldn't be the cliche ones. "They are Death, Earth, Fire, Ice, Illusion, Life, Lightning, Nature, Spatial, Temporal, Water and Wind. Each of these are classified into subcategories. The Augmenter, which can use the elemental affinity on his body to manipulate his movements and attacks. The Caster, which can manipulate the ambient mana around him to achieve all sorts of effects. Finally the Enchanter, which imbues weapons and objects with a variety of effects and the largely higher valued ones in a community. Then there is the rare Mystery element which can only occur due to a mutation in the mana core at birth, like my sister. There are no set rules to the Mystery element so anything can happen." I was greatly intrigued now. [I have to see this.] "What exactly can your sister do?"
"We are assuming Prophecy, as every dream she's had so far has come true whenever she talked about it." I stared in amazement. "That is so cool! What did the rest of you awaken as?" Varik looked down, with a jealous look. "My father awoke as a Fire Augmenter, my mother as a Wind Caster, and I..."
I suddenly remembered back to what Leia said in the recording, and it clicked. "You never awoke, did you? That's why you always come back with bruises and wounds." He looked up angrily, "And how the hell would you know that?!" The door then opened and Volun and Kara walked back in with a smile on their face, which then froze as they saw Varik's expression. "What exactly happened between you two?"
"Nothing, why are you two happy?" He asked while trying to calm down. "Well, on our way back from the you-know-who's, we happened across a lottery booth by the Amethyst Arena. Guess who just won 5 tickets to the Horde Tournament next week?" I looked at them confused, while Varik just stared at them surprised. "NO WAY. You mean we'll get to watch Holy Spirit face off against ZomSquad?! But wait... 5 tickets? Who else are we bringing?" The rest of the family turn towards me. "We were thinking Soran could tag along, if he's up to it." -Sounds fun, I'd like to go, plus it might help us understand how things work around here.- "Yeah, sounds great! One question though, what's a Horde Tournament?" They all gave me Varik's signature look then all said in unison, "You don't know what a Horde Tournament is?" -Might want to feed them your whole fake amnesia bit, otherwise the might be a little more distant.- [I kinda got that, thanks...] "I'm pretty sure I knew about it at one point, but I can't really remember anything from before I woke up." I saw that they visibly relaxed at that. Kara then piped up, "Well that simply won't do I mean, even forgetting the HORDE TOURNAMENT? That settles it, you're going through a crash course tonight, and don't think about getting any sleep!" Leia just looked at me and gave me a thumbs up, "Good luck cute brother and sister." Why does she keep saying that?
I then stayed up until the sun rose, listening to the history of how the Horde Tournament came to be and how it was played. At the end of it I was excited to go, but way too tired to really express it. She saw how tired I was and let me skip work today, under the condition that I, "work 3 times as hard or we'll leave you behind at the guard house!"