Quasar Guestino's Point of View
***
The carriage rocked down the cobbled roads, slowly leaving Litenvail city, going towards the Guestino dukedom.
His wife and kids were long asleep, but Quasar couldn't find the same comforts. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw his face staring at him from the dark.
'Why do they have to be so similar? It worries me that Ojero will follow down his footsteps. I fear more than anything what would've happened if Ojero had awakened an illegal. I regret that name more every day...'
As his thoughts went on and on, although he didn't believe he would ever find sleep, his body demanded it and soon enough he found himself deep in a dream, one he would always regret.
"Quasar... Hey Quasar! Quasar!"
Quasar jolted awake in the carriage, the rocking having stopped.
"Eh? Whats going on? Who is there?"
A boy, perhaps of the age 14 popped into view. He had pitch black hair and emerald green eyes, not unlike Quasars own.
"We have to head to the awakening ceremony, quickly, we will be late!"
Quasar felt the excitement in his veins, today was his Magi Day! He would find his powers and take start on his journey to be a great magi, like his father!
The boy suddenly grabbed Quasar by the scruff of his white and gold suit, and yanked out of the carriage, straight into the mud, and fell over laughing while Quasar started scrambling, making the mud spread more.
"Hey! This is a new suit!"
"Hahaha! You should see your face! Priceless!"
Suddenly, Quasar reached up and pulled the boy down into the mud with him.
"Hey, what are you doin- AUGH"
The boy fell face-first into the mud, getting some in his mouth and nose, and started spitting and coughing to get it out.
"Speugh! You didn't have to do that!"
Quasar started laughing it up, before composing himself and looking him straight in the eye, while imitating his voice.
"For the look on your face? It was worth it. Absolutely 'priceless'"
The boys looked at each other for moment, before both falling back in the mud laughing. They sat there for a while, side by side, laughing it up.
However, it was a young man came up to them, shaking his head.
"Young master, you have ruined your clothes! You should go change quickly, before your father finds out!"
"Oh, cut it out Vulkupa! We are just having fun, enjoying everything we can before father can send us off to some stuffy academy where we have to read books and listen to strict old people all day! Let us enjoy our youth!"
"You know I can not do that, young master. Send your friend home and go get dressed, quickly now!"
"Oh fine, you fun hating young-old man!"
Quasar said all this in a huff, before turning to his friend.
"Ok, I'll see you later tonight at the festival!"
"Cya Quasar!"
The boy turned and ran off, out of the gates and down the road towards the village.
"Come now young master, we must've dally."
"Alright, alright, I'm coming!"
A few hours later and Quasar was in a new suit, standing on the temple platform in Litenvail cities High Temple. The priest walked onto the platform, and addressed the crowd.
"Welcome people of the Kingdom of Riote, today we celebrate the birth of new magi into our lands! May they be blessed by the gods with powers to help make our kingdom grow in both body and soul!"
The priest stopped to allow the crowd to applaud him, and then he looked towards the noble booths, which Quasars parents were.
"Today we greet our esteemed guests, and the list of nobles gracing us today is as follows: The Guestinos, The...."
As the priest went down the list, name after name, Quasar made a silent vow that when his children had their Magi Day he would pull some kind of favor to get rid of this part. No way he would make his children in the same manner he has to. No point for more than him to suffer.
Finally, the priest finished the last name on the list and took a deep breath before moving on.
"It is time to start the ceremony!"
The priest then turned to the children, and said his scripted lines.
"Children of Riote, today is the day to determine your future! Here we have many representatives of the various academies both in our borders and throughout the continent."
"Are you prepared to harness magical energy, this mana flowing inside you? Today you shall see what truly lies within yourself, what your true strength is!"
"To awaken the powers inside you, you must reach deep within. Envision your mana core as a roiling ball of magic, let it flow and circle around your body."
As Quasar looked in, his core was white and yellow, and looked as if it was sparking. It greatly excited him, and he could practically feel the strength it could grant him.
"For those of you who can not see it, try again quickly, but if nothing shows up, it sadly means you are not magical. Those of you who are afflicted with this, please step off the stage now."
A few children walked off the platform then, many of them in tears, and a few with looks of shock and disbelief. Quasar felt some sympathy for them, but knew they wouldn't be judged too harshly by the farming families they almost certainly came from.
"Now, to fully awaken, you must reach into that core, and grip it. Then, you must apply mental pressure it till it breaks."
"Some of you may feel mild discomfort at this stage, but you must push on and fight it. Push through the pain, and the powers of the elements will be in your grasp."
Quasar started compressing, and he felt a rush of energy start to fill him. His entire body started shaking faster and faster as he applied pressure, then suddenly it burst, and a quick flash of yellow and white echoed from him.
The priest came over to congratulate him.
"Good going child! You have awakened an element of at least the legendary status, if not two! You have go-"
The priest stopped short as a chilling feeling filled the room, and a grayish white light filled the entire room with an audible bang. The audience fell back in shock, and so did many kids near the source.
Suddenly, men in long robes burst into the room, all wearing royal purple robes and masks.
"Surround the illegal!"
They all fanned out around the source of the power burst, and from them there emanated an almost palpable sense of magical strength.
"Child, you have been found guilty of awakening the mythical rarity power known as 'souls void.' This ability has been dubbed an illegal power, and therefore you have been sentence to immediate death."
Suddenly, the spots in Quasars eyes left, and he could clearly see who it was. It was his friend, standing there in shock, wearing a very basic set of gray commoner clothes, probably the only his parents could afford.
"What? What do you mean? What did I do?"
The reality of the situation seemed to hit the boy all at once. 'Sentenced to death? What? Why? Whats going on?'
His eyes met Quasars, and he breathed an internal sigh of relief.
"Quasar! Help me! Surely your family can help me right? This must be some misunderstanding!"
Quasar was in so much shock it almost didn't register, and he hesitated. It was this moment he would always regret, for the rest of his life.
Seeing his hesitation, tears welled up in the boys eyes.
"Everyone has abandoned me? No one? Mother? Father?"
No one stepped up, no one offered help. A sudden clarity filled the boys eyes, as the tears stopped. In him, something snapped. His eyes changed, what were a second ago saddened but pure, turned cracked and destroyed.
"Fire on the illegal! Now!"
As sudden powers, stronger than even the nobles had seen, fired off from the masked men shot towards the boy, he moved.
Suddenly one of the attackers fell to the ground, as a grayish wisp left his body and flew towards the boy. From him, a sudden feeling of power flew out, and a barrier of gray energy surrounded him.
Quasar saw all this, and suddenly changed his mind. He tried to rush to the boy, to help him no matter the cost, but he had tripped over a fallen youths foot.
"Crap! He took a soul! Everyone kill him now!"
The boy looked across all the faces of everyone, before landing on Quasars scared and hurt look from falling. Anger filled his face as a gray flash appeared from him, and he was gone.
The robed men yelled out in rage, and one even discharged a fireball into the marble platform.
"DAMN IT! HE GOT AWAY. Put all units on alert, an illegal is on the run. Age 14, hair black, eyes green, power is souls void."
The man then looked across the crowd and landed on the nobles child the boy yelled out to. He walked over to Quasar, and gruffly pulled him up.
"Boy, what was that kids name? Withholding information can result in very painful repercussions, so answer us now and answer honestly."
Quasar couldn't believe it, and without knowing he answer.
"His name is Ojero"