ACT 1
The year is 545…
In a small, quiet but still popular town in the Southland, under the late afternoon sunlight, the townspeople go about their daily activities, although their daily activity all had a touch of literal magic.
Like a farmer creating water from his hand to spray his plants or a builder who flies up, carrying a set of concrete blocks to the top of an uncompleted building.
The marketplace is especially busy since the town is also a popular pit stop for travelers heading for the Capital City.
Among the busy citizens and moving carriages, a young travelling couple explore the vibrant environment with happy smiles on their faces before stumbling across an old trinket store.
The gentleman opens the door for his lady, with the jingling bell above the door signaling their presence.
"Welcome, welcome." The friendly-looking storekeeper said with warm smile as he steps away from the counter and approaches them. "You look like you've travelled far… so why don't you take something here as a souvenir for your future child, huh?"
The couple shares a look of content, especially the woman who rubs her swollen belly.
"What do you recommend?" The man asked with a strange accent.
"Well, there are plenty options here. How about…"
As the storekeeper goes on about his products while guiding them through the store, he fails to notice a small figure sneak past them and moves to the book section.
The boy, wearing a black hoodie and blue jeans quietly searches through the bookshelves. A nearby mirror reflects his bronze-colored skin and characteristic snow-white curly hair.
His navy-blue glowing eyes widen in excitement once he finds the book he is looking for.
"Nice." He mumbled as he picks out the book, titled The Tales of Great Mages and flips through it. He barely looks at a picture when a sudden loud throat clearing causes him to flinch. He turns slowly to find the store owner glaring at him, his towering body completely overshadowing the little boy.
"Hi." The boy said with a shaky smile.
"Hello, Dominic." The owner replied with a seemingly friendly smile.
A brief moment later…
"Hey! Let me go! Hey!" The boy: Dominic or just, Dom by his friends, shouted as the store owner carries him out of the store, telepathically and drops him on the ground.
"How many times have I told you? If you don't have any money, don't come here." The storekeeper grumbled, his warm business smile now a cold, bitter scowl.
Dom glares as he stands. "Come on, man. I'm super broke. And it's just one book that nobody wants. Can't I just, have it?"
"No." The storekeeper said, harshly as he turns away.
Dom fumes and clenches his fists. "You stupid bald cheapskate!"
The storekeeper stops with a flash of sunlight reflecting on his smooth bald head as if to emphasis Dom's point. He turns back to Dom, his scowl even more menacing just as a fist loudly smacks down on Dom's head.
Dom grunts with hands on his head as he turns to find a 6-foot-tall man in his mid 40s now standing behind him.
"Pops." Dom said as he lowers his hands to his side.
The man grits his teeth, nearly crushing the lit cigarette in his mouth. "You dumb-ass." He said as he delivers another knock into Dom's head. While Dom rubs his aching skull, the man turns to the storekeeper. "I'm really sorry about him."
The storekeeper huffs in their direction. "Just… make sure he doesn't do it again." He said before scrambling after the couple now leaving the store in disappointment.
The man sighs heavily and looks down at Dom who holds his head down in shame. "Come on." He said as he taps Dom's shoulder and walks away with Dom quietly following him.
About 20 minutes later…
In a small, humble restaurant within the town, Dom, now wearing an old, damp apron washes the dirty dishes in the kitchen. As he works, he gives occasional glances at the tall man who he calls Pops, fries some food on a stove.
A teenager, wearing a cleaner apron suddenly enters the room. "Another order." He said as he hands a paper over to Pops.
Pops glances at the paper, instantly memorizing its content while the teen takes the new set of food and exits the kitchen.
"What?" Pops asked without once turning to face Dom.
"Are you mad?" Dom asked with a frown.
Pops glances at him. "Yes and no." He said as he removes the frying pan and puts a large pot on the stove.
"I'm mad that you snuck out of work to peek at some book… but I'm also mad at myself for not being able to buy it for you." He suddenly frowns. "Not to mention, you're beginning to sound like me. And that's not a good thing."
Dom's frown deepens. "Sorry." He said, weakly.
Pops sighs. "It's not your fault. I'm not exactly father material. Hell, I can barely take care of myself…talk less of a kid." He said as he dishes the fried food.
Dom thinks about Pops' words for a moment and suddenly smiles. "Well, I'm happy you're taking care of me. That orphanage across town looks like hell." Dom stops talking once he hears himself. "Sorry."
"It's okay." Pops chuckled as he begins to season the soup in the pot. "I'm happy taking care of you too. Despite the rough edges, you're a good kid."
The boy's smile widens. "And despite the rough edges, you're a good dad."
Pops laugh just as the teen brings in another order.
A few hours later…
Under the evening sky, the teen returns home, leaving Pops and Dom to clean the now quiet restaurant.
"Why do you like that book so much anyway?" Pops asked as he sweeps.
Dom looks up from the floor he is mopping. "Because it talks about the Monarchs."
Pops rolls his eyes. "Of course it does." He said as he reaches into his pocket and pulls out a cigarette pack.
He taps one out before noticing Dom's glare. "Chill. It's just my third one today, scout's honour." He said as he holds up a lighter and Dom narrows his eyes as he watches Pops take a whiff.
"I don't know why you love that thing so much. It smells like burnt shit." Dom said with a look of disgust as the familiar disturbing smell already reaches his nasal senses.
"You're too young to understand." Pops scoffed as he returns his pack and lighter. "So… the Monarchs. You still want to be one?" He asked as he finishes up sweeping the floor.
"Not just any Monarch." Dom said as he carries the mop bucket and moves to the newly swept spot while Pops goes to sit down. "Commander."
Pops lets out another puff of smoke with his eyes fixed on the ceiling. "Ethan Maximus. The Mage Emperor, huh." Pops mumbled in thought.
Dom sets the bucket down. "I'm going to surpass him and become the greatest knight in history." He starts cleaning the floor.
Pops looks at him with curious eyes. "I still don't get why you even want to become a soldier in the first place. The war has been over for 35 years already. You don't need to fight."
Dom smiles as he sets the mop down to pick up a damp rag. "You know the Knights aren't part of the Royal Army. Wars aren't the only thing they do. They save people from thieves, monsters and even natural accidents." He said as he wipes a table with the rag. "They're real-life superheroes."
Pops lets out a large puff of smoke before speaking again; "But you do know that the Monarchs is an exclusive group, right? They've not had a single replacement since the originals."
"I know. But they're almost gone now." Dom said as he dips the dirty rag into a nearby bowl of water. "The only one left now is the Dragon and people say he's retiring soon. Which means," He squeezes the soaked rag and heads to another table. "There's more than enough slots for new ones."
"You're not the only one thinking like that, kid." Pops takes another smoke and puffs it out. "You'd be competing with countless soldiers, not to mention the royal bloods… especially if you're going for the very top."
"I know." Dom smirks. "And I'm going to beat them all."
Pops grins with pride. "That's my boy."
"But…" Dom stops cleaning once he looks out the window to find a small group of children playing with magic. "It still sucks that I don't have an affinity yet."
Pops frown once he sees the sad look on Dom's face. "A mage's affinity usually shows around 6. But I'm already 10 and all my friends unlocked theirs a long time ago." His grip tightens on the rag. "It's like I'm already being left behind."
Pops rubs his dry black-gray hair with a sigh. "Don't worry about it."
"But-"
"Listen." Pops cuts him off. "Everyone's different. Some manifest their affinities early, some late. But they all show up, eventually." He shrugs and points his lit stick at Dom. "I may not be crazy about the Monarchs like you but even I know some stuffs about them. When did the Dragon get his affinity?"
Dom furrows his brows in thought. "18." He said.
"And became a Monarch at 20." Pops added as he takes another smoke. "It didn't matter that it was late. What mattered was what he did when it came."
Pops shrugs again. "Besides, getting that affinity doesn't mean shit if you don't train it. Sure, they're talented monsters like the Dragon who mastered his magic within 2 years but in the end, it'll still take time and effort to build your magic and become the best. You understand?"
Dom nods, Pops' simple words easing the unrest in his little mind. He looks at Pops with a now renewed smile. "I still wonder you left the royal army, though. You sound like a Squad Captain."
"That's because I was a Captain." Pops said.
Dom's eyes widen. "You never told me that."
"You never asked." He takes his almost finished stick out of his mouth.
"Why did you quit?" Dom asked.
Pops' eyes darken. "That's why I said you're too young to understand." He presses the lit cigarette bud against his palm with a sizzle. "You're still looking at them with the eyes of a fanboy. Once you see what war really is, how fucked up shit can really get…" He spares Dom a serious gaze. "You'd want to disappear too."
Dom stares at him for a moment, his expression conflicted before scoffing. "Well, I won't give up. No matter what I see, I won't change my mind."
Pops laughs at Dom's naivety as he stands. "We'll see about that."
Dom smirks as Pops rubs his head and takes the mop bucket away. him.
A couple more minutes, they finally finish cleaning up, lock the shop up and head home.
Meanwhile...
In the woods just outside the town, two hunters are on their way back home, each holding their captured prey in blood-stained sacks and chatting, their deep voices the only source of life in the silent forest.
That's when one of them notices a cloaked man stagger out of from behind a tree before stumbling to the ground.
"Hey." The hunter said as he quickly approaches the man with his friend right behind him. He slowly pulls the weak man up onto his lap. "What the hell were you doing out here at this… time…" He trails off once he sees the dried blood on the man's cloak.
He turns to look at the man's face, but the cloak's hood leaves his identity hidden, except for the eerie green glowing eyes piercing through the hood's shadow.
Before the hunter could speak again, a wave of green mana surges out from the man and slices through the hunter's body.
The second hunter gasps as he stumbles to the floor in shock, his partners blood slowly inching its way along on the soil towards him.
With wide eyes, he watches as the attacker pushes his partner's lifeless body aside and stands. But once he sees the attacker stagger, he sees it as his chance and runs, his weapon and captured prey abandoned on the ground.
Unfortunately, before he could get far, the attacker raises an arm and sends out another attack that slices the fleeing hunter's body into three horizontal parts which land with a wet thud.
The attacker lets out a sigh before chuckling. "Lucky me." He said as he hungrily licks his lips...