Chapter One - Amir
This is a project made by "The Boyz" As known as my group chat
Authors - Amir, Nano, Lord Fraud, Lohced, Tusk, And Rocko
A brown skinned male with black dreads going down to his neck, standing at around 5 '6", sat on his back with his arms stretched out, trees surrounding him and a bundle of wood wrapped in rope beside him. His name was Amir. Amir was breathing heavily, sweat dripping down his face, and dirt covering his arms.
A tall dark skinned man with a neatly shaped black afro approached him, the sun beaming on his forehead as sweat dripped down to his cheek and then onto the ground. He looked down at Amir, then at the bundle of wood, which he grabbed and threw onto his back. "I'll carry this, grab the ax," the man said, walking forward and then disappearing into the woods. "Hold on, wait for me..." Amir called out, stopping to catch his breath before jumping up off the ground and grabbing the ax. "I'm coming, Dad!"
Around 30 minutes passed, a village began to appear closer and closer. Amir felt like he was on his last legs, tired and drained from walking so much. He knew he was doing this for a good purpose. Winter was coming in two months, and it was going to be a very cold one. He finally reached the village entrance and walked through the gate. The scenery of the village wasn't what anyone would expect. From the outside, it seemed like the inside would be beautiful. The gates' walls were clean, the grass was nice, and the flowers growing near the village were beautiful, with all sorts of wildlife like bunnies and deer around. But inside, the village was gloomy and depressing. There was trash in every corner, and the small houses were rundown and destroyed..
As Amir and his father walked deeper into the village, someone grabbed onto his father's leg. It was an old woman skinny and frail, with only a few strands of hair left, and lips as dry as the desert. She desperately clung to his legs until his father stopped walking and glanced down at her. The woman mustered her last bit of strength to speak: "Please, Derek, just some water." Derek knew he couldn't spare anything, but he felt sympathy. Ultimately, he lifted his leg, gently shaking it until the old woman released her grip, saying, "Amir, come on." Amir, too, felt sorry for her but knew there was nothing more he could do. With a frown, he continued walking forward, stealing one last glance back at her.
After a few minutes of walking and talking to villagers, they arrived at a small house at the village's edge, one of the few houses there. Derek stopped in front of it, replacing his frown with a smile. Amir followed as they entered the house and were greeted by a little girl and boy. "Daddy! Amir!" exclaimed the little boy, rushing toward Derek, who lifted him onto his back. Amir scooped up the little girl. "How's mom? Is she okay?" Amir asked the little girl, who frowned and hesitated. The little boy jumped in, saying, "She's worse than yesterday and the day before. Her forehead is burning up, and the doctor doesn't have the right equipment." Derek put the boy down and turned toward the pile of wood by the door. "Tomorrow morning, Amir and I are heading to the capital. We're taking a job from something called an Adventurers Guild. It's where people take on numerous jobs like hunting bounties, gathering herbs, hunting beasts, and more. We've stocked enough wood for you; the winter will be tough, but we won't be gone long."
Derek knelt down beside his son. "Your fire magic is getting stronger every day. It may be common, but there are different levels to it. The more you master it, the stronger you'll become. Keep training while we're away, Amir." Amir turned away, feeling embarrassed. He had never been able to use magic; he didn't have an affinity for something called "QI." He remembered a conversation he had overheard his parents having a talk two months ago.
—Two Months Ago—
"Happy 14th Birthday, Amir!" Four voices—those of a little boy, a little girl, Derek, and a woman cheered. "Would you like to see if you have an affinity for 'Qi' in your body?" Derek asked. Amir looked down, took a deep breath, then looked up with a serious expression. 'Yes" Amir was signaled to get up by Derek. "The room." Derek said. Amir knew exactly what he was talking about. He had been in 'the room' many times, only to come out disappointed. He couldn't believe his sister and brother had awakened their abilities earlier than him, it almost made him feel worthless. Amir Began to walk, and not long after, he reached a door. He opened it, walking in, followed by his father. His mother, brother, and sister followed but waited outside the door. The door was then closed and locked. No light came in or out of the room. Inside, it was very dark and had a strong stench. In the middle of the room was a giant circle, almost taking up the entire space. What was it written with? He had no idea, but it wasn't a pen, pencil, or even some sort of chalk
Amir walked into the middle of the circle and then sat down in a smaller circle within the larger one. Derek stood in front of him and looked down at Amir. "Now remember, be as calm as you can. Don't think about anything except channeling 'Qi'." "I understand—" "That means no talking," Derek interrupted. He leaned down, rubbing his hands on the line of the circle, which began to glow, getting lighter and lighter every second until it illuminated the entire room. The light revealed other things in the room, like a bucket collecting water and spider webs in every corner. Amir's eyes began to light up, and his dreadlocks floated into the air. Suddenly, it stopped. The light in his eyes shut off, and his hair fell back down. At that moment, he felt like crying more than ever. His father sighed, turning his head. Amir knew his father felt worse than anyone he had always wished for a son he could teach, one that would surpass him. With Amir being his firstborn child, it broke his heart.
Derek walked out of the room before his smiling daughter and son could say anything. He passed by both of them, disappointed. Amir came out with his fists balled up. He stood there for a few seconds before walking down the hallway, making a right, opening a door, and closing it. It was safe to say that his birthday had been ruined. His brother's and sister's smiles had turned into frowns.
–Later That Night–
The night had quickly fallen, bringing a deep quietness. Amir's siblings knew not to bother him, as this was always a tough time for him. He had read books about people in the capital receiving all sorts of gifts for their birthdays, yet he hadn't received anything, not even a cake. It would have been at least some sort of comfort to know he had 'QI', even if it was a small amount, but he hadn't even gotten that. Later that night, Amir woke up with his stomach growling and his mouth dry. He got out of bed and walked out of his room. As he moved down the hall, he overheard his parents talking loudly from one room over. He slowly crept up and put his ear to the door. "I tried so hard! I just wanted to have a son… A son capable of learning swordsmanship, a son capable of learning how to use magic, even if it was the most basic. Especially as my firstborn… everyone knows you're expected to awaken when you turn six years old. Not having even an ounce of 'QI' is unheard of. He's a curse… The only hope we have left are Meekai and Mateo" Derek felt frustrated to the point where he began to run out of words. His wife tried to calm him. "I know, I know… You were so excited to finally be having a kid and a son at that… Maybe it's our fault. He'll always be an outcast…" she said, tears dropping down her face.
Hearing this, Amir didn't know what emotions to feel. He wasn't sure if he should be sad or angry, but regardless, he turned around, forgetting why he had even left his room in the first place. He laid back down and ended up staying awake the entire night.
–Back To The Present–
Amir snapped back to reality, wiping the sweat from his forehead. "I'm going for a walk around the village." He said. His father nodded, giving him the green light, and Amir walked out the front door and down the hill where his house was situated. A couple of minutes later, he reached the main village and was greeted by a woman. "Aren't you sexy? Have you taken me up on the offer? Three bundles of wood, and I'll give you a night you'll never forget. After all, most people your age would jump at that," she said. The woman looked beautiful with her nice black silk hair, but her appearance was ruined by the ripped clothes she was wearing and the dirt on her legs and arms. Anyone who looked at her could clearly see the clumps of dirt under her fingernails . Amir thought to himself how long it had been since she had taken a bath. But he obviously wouldn't say that out loud. She would most likely get mad and cause a big commotion. "Sorry, no thank you. After all, I'm too young for stuff like that. I'll wait until I'm older, how about that?" A part of the woman couldn't believe what he had said, but most of it went in one ear and out the other. The only thing she really registered was his rejection however, she knew who his father was and didn't dare to raise her hand or do anything that could cause her trouble.
After saying what he had to say, Amir walked past the woman and continued around the village until he stumbled upon a hut. Suddenly, a voice called out, "you think you're so much better than us, don't you?" He looked left and right, behind him, and forward, but he still couldn't see anyone. The voice continued, "We're all too weak to use magic. If you wanted to, you could kill us all and take the last bit of food and water we have, or at least your father could. But you wouldn't even do that. You know you're above us. Your family might not be the richest, but compared to our village, your millionaires trying to fit in. You and your father built your own house on top of the hill, away from all the peasants, huh? Even if you wanted to deny it, you couldn't. I saw what you and your father did earlier. You couldn't even provide that woman with a single piece of wood. You know how harsh the winters get, which is why people like us spend months trying to prepare. But we're always too weak to do anything, so we barely have any supplies when winter comes. At least five of us die every winter…"
The man stopped talking for a minute, and before Amir could respond, he added, "You'll get what's coming to you, you and your whole family." Amir looked as if he was about to lash out, but four people emerged from the shadows. They all looked scrawny and weak, but he knew that even with a full stomach, he couldn't face them. He backed up slowly before running away and making it back to his home up the hill. Amir opened the door, walking in, and closing it behind him he would, then leaned against it, breathing heavily from running. "Is everything okay?" Mateo asked. Amir nodded, assuring him that everything was fine after catching his breath, he stood up straight. "... Well, I took my walk. I know it's going to take us a couple of days, maybe even weeks to get to the capital, so I'll get as much sleep as I can so I won't slow you down, Dad," Amir said, walking towards his room. Derek wanted to say something, but for some reason he couldn't bring himself to speak. Amir took off his shoes, lined them up against the wall, and laid down on the bed. His legs reached out past the end, making it extremely uncomfortable to sleep in, but he slowly began to fall asleep…
Next Chapter - Amir - Part 2