Magnificent Mage of Life

The banquet

ANAKIN WALKED INTO his room and closed the door. He felt angry and cheated upon by fate. Why would some children have this thing called Life while others would not?

He paced the length of his room, agitated.

But what exactly was Life? He asked himself. He was still trying to get more familiar with this new world that he found himself in.

He looked healthy. He felt healthy, and he was alive, but still, he had been told that he had almost no life. He looked at his hands carefully and willed with all his might, then he snapped his fingers, just as he had seen Daryth do a few minutes ago.

He was half expecting that some miracle would occur and a flame would pop on his finger.

But there was nothing. Nothing happened. He sighed and walked out of his room. He was headed to the royal library where he could read everything he wanted about Life in Ansalon.

The library was a tall room with a very high ceiling. There were people in thick hooded robes walking around. These were a sector of the Feys that were tasked with journaling every event in history. They also took care of the library and knew every information held in the library books.

Anakin looked around. He had never been here before so he took his time, walking slowly amongst the shelves that towered over him.

A young fey came to stand beside him and bowed deeply. "Your Highness, Prince Anakin," He said in a high whispery voice. "What brings you to the library today?"

"I want to read on a particular topic…" Anakin replied. "I want to read about Life."

"Aah," The fey said thoughtfully. He held out his hand to Anakin, "If my prince may hold on to me."

Anakin was confused, but he took the thin leathery hand of the fey and immediately, they vanished and appeared half a second later at another part of the library.

"Here are all the books we have on Life," The fey said. "Have a good read, Your Highness," and he disappeared again, leaving Anakin to stare in awe at the tall shelves filled with books.

He grabbed three books from the closest shelves, they were heavier than they looked and he almost collapsed under their weight.

"How am I so weak?" He asked himself as he staggered to a desk nearby. He dropped the books hard and almost slumped from exhaustion.

After a minute of catching his breath, he sat down and began to read. He was oblivious when the sun went down and the great banquet that he was supposed to be present at, started.

But he learned enough.

According to the texts, Life was magic and it was present everywhere in Ansalon.

And when a child is born, he is tested by the healer druids. They would determine if the child has Life flowing in his veins or not.

A child of lower status born without any trace of Life is born alive, but he or she will not have any connection to the magic that fills the air and enriches the blood of Ansalonians. He would be let to live, but only to plow the fields of the villages as a peasant farmer. A child of the higher status and dignitaries born without any trace of Life would be immediately handed over to a special group of people. Nothing was written about those types of children, but Anakin guessed that they were killed.

But then... In Anakin's case, it was a rare phenomenon, but he was born with a very tiny amount of Life, enough to feel the magic, but not enough to wield it, and when his mates had started showing forth their potential, he would be left alone glumly.

Given that his father, Lord Hederick Castello, had one of the strongest flows of life recorded in the century, it had caused a lot of buzz throughout the continent that his son had a sparse amount of it.

Anakin flipped the final page of the first book, he was done with one. The book had given him more insight into this world.

He started to open the next book but stopped when he heard the sound of someone approaching.

He watched apprehensively until the person came into view and was relieved to see that it was the soldier who had rescued him from the ditch. Commander Arlen.

The commander bowed and asked, "Since when did my Lord take a liking to the library?"

Anakin looked blankly. "Is there a problem?"

The commander shook his grizzly head. "Your tutors have complained severally about your, um, stubbornness at learning. So I am only just surprised to find you here."

Anakin closed the book he was about to start. "Why are you here, ser Arlen?" He asked.

"The grand banquet has started… a few hours ago," Arlen replied. "You should be there. Your mother is worried, and your father is… well, angry."

The way Arlen said it, it was obvious that Lord Hederick was always angry at Anakin for not living up to his expectations.

Anakin sighed. "I'm done here, anyway." He pushed the book aside and they floated up to their shelved spaces from where he had taken them from.

"After you," Arlen said and stood aside for Anakin to walk past first.

They went up to his room for Anakin to change into something more befitting of a prince before Arlen escorted Anakin to the hall where the feast was taking place. Arlen led Anakin through a back door, so he entered directly behind the high table where his family was seated.

His father, a large almost bear-ish hairy-looking man sat at the middle of the high table. His mother, looking beautiful as ever sat on the left side of his father. There was an empty seat, which was for him, and then Daryth.

Anakin quickly slid into the empty, trying to be unnoticed. His mother smiled and patted his back as he sat down. Daryth poked his thigh with a sharp knife under the table and smiled.

Anakin ignored the pain and looked at the other end of the table. On his father's right hand was another heavy-looking man, wrapped in a thick fur coat. This man was in deep conversation with his father and they seemed not to notice any other thing going on in the banquet hall.

Beside the man with the thick coat, sat a young girl. She was about Anakin's age but she had snow-white hair. She looked angelic.

Daryth poked Anakin again and said, "Stop staring at her." Anakin glared at him and was about to retort when the man talking with his father raised his head and his eyes fell on Anakin. He said, "Your Highness, it seems like your son is finally here."

Lord Hederick turned and stared at Anakin harshly.

"He still hasn't shown any improvements, has he?" The man asked.

Lord Hederick shook his head. "Not at all."

"That is a pity," The man said. The sides of his lips downturned in a sneer. "For a boy as fine as this one not to have any Life." He shook his head.

"Well, he has Life," Anakin's mother butted in. "He's just, a little behind his peers."

"Hmm, I see," The man said, stroking his goatee. Then he stood up and cleared his throat to get the attention of the hall. "I propose a toast," He raised his gold goblet. "To the future union between the Capital and the north. It shall be fruitful and peaceful. Cheers!"

The people in the hall all raised their gold cups and drank to the toast, and then the chatter resumed again.

Anakin tapped his mother and asked, "What union did he talk of?"

The queen smiled and whispered, "That girl there is his daughter. Arya. And she is your potential wife."

Anakin's eyes widened as he looked at her. "Potential wife?"

"Yes, dear. Having the north on our side is a very smart tactic. You will soon get to learn about politics."

"What of warfare?" Anakin asked. He could not still forget the urge he had felt when he first saw Commander Arlen's sword.

"Warfare?" His mother asked, surprised. "Anakin? You can not even stand the sight of blood, and your life level is so low. You can't be involved with war now."

He wanted to press the issue but his mother turned away to attend to another woman who had come with a package. This woman had pointed ears and Anakin could not hold himself from staring.

"Stop. Staring," Daryth jabbed Anakin with a knife again. "What is wrong with you?"

"That hurt," Anakin said, rubbing the spot.

"Not as much as the fall down the ditch, didn't it?" Daryth asked.

"Did you expect me to die?" Anakin asked.

Daryth's eyes wavered slightly, "W-what are you talking about?" He asked. "Don't talk to me anymore." And he looked ahead stiffly.

Queen Elena looked at the two of them. She did not know what was going on between them, but she said, "I understand this banquet is boring you both," She turned to her husband and added, "Certainly the children can take a walk together to get acquainted."

King Hederick seemed to consider it.

"Besides, the men here would soon get drunk, that is not a place you want the children to be." The queen pressed. That seemed to do it because the king grunted and nodded.

"Lady Arya should go with them," He said looking at her father, Lord Bard.

Lord Bard grunted and nodded. As his daughter stood up, he said to her, "Stick closer to the one that can protect you." He was referring to Daryth, the one with a warrior's amount of life.

If that comment annoyed King Hederick, he did not show any reaction.

Arya bowed daintily before she and the boys walked out of the hall using the back door. Queen Elena gestured to Commander Arlen to follow the kids, he bowed deeply before turning and walking behind them.