Two years had passed but now the tranquility of the town had been interrupted by the arrival of a new character. The man has black hair and blue eyes. His hair falls in soft waves around his face, neither too handsome nor ugly. His blue eyes are piercing and expressive, reflecting a mixture of determination and wisdom.
He wears a dark blue tunic, simply cut and unostentatiously unadorned mixed with loose pieces of silver armor. The tunic and small metal plates give him comfort and freedom of movement as he performs his magical feats.
In his hands, he holds a black wooden staff, simple but well carved. The staff is an essential tool for channeling his magic and is perfectly suited to his fighting style.
With a firm step and a cloak billowing in the wind, the man entered the village, his presence immediately drawing the attention of the inhabitants. For his clothing and the coat of arms of the empire denoted him as a soldier of the empire.
Roland, who had not been informed of the wizard's arrival, stood in the center of town to greet him. Their eyes met in an instant, and recognition lit up their faces. It had been a long time since they had fought together on the battlefield, and now they had the opportunity to meet once more.
"Alistair!" exclaimed Roland with a smile, shaking the young mage's hand in a firm grip. "It's a pleasure to see you again, little ruffian. I'm glad you decided to visit our humble village."
Alistair returned the smile and nodded, his eyes shining with gratitude. "It is an honor to be here, Captain. My time under your tutelage in the military was transformative. Thanks to you, I have managed to overcome my own obstacles and become a Wizard."
Roland nodded, remembering Alistair's tumultuous past. "I remember those days well, when you entered the army as a troubled young man. But your determination and your desire to provide for your family led you down a path of growth and betterment. It makes me proud to see how you have become the powerful wizard you are now."
The young mage nodded humbly, but there was a glint of ambition in his eyes. "Although I am grateful for all that I have accomplished, my quest for merit is not yet over. I have accepted a mission to investigate sightings of a rare magical beast that have been occurring in the nearby skies."
Roland frowned, interested in the task given to Alistair. "A magical beast, you say. That sounds intriguing and dangerous. If you need help in your search, I can assign someone who knows this area well."
At that moment, Roland looked over to Luzbel, who had been observing the conversation from a distance, respectfully. "Luzbel, this is an old subordinate in the army, accompany him on his quest and help him in whatever he needs. You have great knowledge of this land and your knowledge will be invaluable."
***
Luzbel and Alistair continued their way through the thick forest, their footsteps echoing through the trees and the sun's rays filtering through the green canopies. Nature seemed to vibrate with a magical aura as they searched tirelessly for the magical black flame beast.
Young Luzbel, with his inexhaustible curiosity, could contain himself no longer and broke the silence. "Alistair, what exactly does this magical beast look like, and why is it so important to find it?"
Alistair smiled at the boy's curiosity and decided to share his knowledge. "This beast we seek is a bird made of black flames, it has been sighted on a multitude of occasions for twelve years now. The reason for our search is simple: you never know the power and temperament that these beasts can possess, and although in these twelve years the superiors have not given it importance I believe that it can be my ladder to the position of Captain. Besides it would be a disgrace if it were a creature of legendary level and caused havoc and destruction in the empire."
As they continued walking, Luzbel couldn't help his fascination with magic. "Alistair, can you tell me what magic is really like? I've never had the chance to see it up close."
Alistair smiled, understanding the young man's curiosity. "It's understandable that, living in this small town far from civilization, you haven't witnessed mana in action." With a graceful wave of his hand, Alistair conjured an ice spell that enveloped a nearby tree. The ice expanded rapidly, freezing from the trunk to the top of the tree turning it into a transparent sculpture. Alistair approached the tree and struck it with a finger causing the tree to fracture into thousands of pieces.
Luzbel was stunned, amazed by the spectacle of magic. "Amazing! Will I be able to learn to do that too?"
Alistair pondered for a moment, assessing the possibilities. "I don't think it's possible, Luzbel. To accomplish that, you would need to have awakened your magical talent and, at 14, it is unlikely that you would have gone through that process. Besides, it would be extremely rare for this small town to be able to give birth to another awakened other than the Captain."
Luzbel was quick to reply, excited. "But I've already been awakened, Alistair. It was when I was five years old."
Alistair let out an incredulous laugh. "That's impossible, kid. No one wakes up at such a young age."
At Alistair's disbelief, Luzbel decided to demonstrate the trick he had learned after years of self-learning. Concentrating his energy, he formed a small fireball the size of a thumb and launched it towards a nearby tree. The fiery projectile hit the trunk and left a small burn about an inch in radius, leaving Alistair completely petrified.
The mage let out a disbelieving whisper. "It's impossible... completely impossible."
After a moment of silence, Alistair regained his composure and looked at Luzbel in shock and disbelief. "How old do you say you are and when did you wake up, child?"
Luzbel, not quite understanding the implications of his early awakening, replied innocently. "I am 12 years old, but my magical talent manifested when I was barely 5 years old."
Alistair, in shock, let out an exclamation. "Good heavens, what kind of a little monster are you?"
Luzbel, puzzled by Alistair's overreaction, asked in confusion. "I don't understand why you're so surprised.Grandfather Roland said it was a rare case but aren't you exaggerating?"
Alistair looked at him as if he had four arms, trying to take in the magnitude of what he had just heard. Finally, he found the words to respond. "Child, in the world, people usually awaken their magical talent around the age of fourteen. And in very exceptional cases, the most talented may awaken earlier. However, in the entire history of the continent, the person who has awakened at the earliest age is the Great Magician, an omnipotent existence in the way of mana.And he did it at the age of ten, now you are telling me that you have awakened at the age of five.Do you now understand the implications of this?"
Luzbel was stunned, his mouth hanging open like a fish out of water. The shock of Alistair's revelation struck him like a bolt of lightning, leaving him frozen in place.
Alistair, seeing Luzbel's daze, decided to break the silence. "Boy, if what you say is true, how is it possible that the Captain didn't train and prepare you to take you to the Citadel of the Silver Dawn?"
Luzbel shrugged his shoulders helplessly and explained, "My mother doesn't want me to learn magic and wants me to stay in the village. And Grandfather Roland doesn't want to antagonize my mother."
Outrage seized Alistair. "This is sacrilege to magic. A talent brought by the heavens like you should not stay in this small town without exploring the ways of mana. From this moment on, I refuse to allow it. I will teach you magic, Luzbel. And when we find the magical Beast, we will convince your mother of the importance of your destiny. Or if necessary, you can escape with me to Arx Regni, where your skills will be valued and developed."
Commitment and determination echoed in Alistair's words, and Luzbel felt a mixture of fear and excitement. Her life was about to change completely, stepping into a world of magic and adventure she had only secretly dreamed of. With Alistair by his side, a new chapter of his destiny was about to begin, he would finally achieve the dream he had been longing for for 7 years now.