Chapter One

SETH

"Now? What are we going to do?" I oddly asked Uncle. He stood back up to his feet and walked away from me. At a distance he turned around pulling a knife from his coat.

"At the moment, you are only a Potential-Caster in the process of becoming a True-Caster. First, we need to find out exactly what kind of power your true nature holds." Uncle disappeared from my sight in a flash which caught my full attention. "W-what? Where'd you go?" I became frightened.

"Behind you." I turned quickly to the sound of his voice and suddenly a knife was place beneath my chin onto my neck. I gulped with the knife pressing up against my throat before he removed it. "If I were an enemy you'd already be dead, boy."

"How. . .did you? You were moving so fast!" I stuttered.

"I know. What I did there just now is called the impetus ability. It's one of the natural abilities developed in a human body. It is known to all, as 'Will' or 'Will Power'. There are five known abilities that can be activated if you train hard enough. Some prodigies develop these skills with ease."

"What are these abilities, Uncle?"

"The 'Impetus ability' gives you the power to move at light speed. The 'Sensus ability' enables you to sense danger and act appropriately to avoid it. The 'Oculus ability', commonly used by a scouting region or sharp shooter is the power to see something of far distance at close range. The 'Saltus ability' allows the user to leap high up to 100ft off of the ground. This ability can be dangerous depending on how high you jump. Unless you are able to use the 'Validus ability' you must not jump up to 100 feet. The 'Validus ability' turns your body as hard as titanium. It can be impenetrable depending on your level of mastery."

"Wow! When can I learn those?" I asked in amazement.

"I'm sorry, Seth, humans cannot do what casters can and casters cannot do what humans can. It's just in our blood, separated by nature. You're not a human."

"But Mom was a human, wasn't she?" I ask with a saddened expression.

"One cannot be both caster and human. You may have been born a human because of Saraphine's blood. However after her death, your father's genes manifested within you and you became a Potential-Caster, extinguishing all traces of human DNA within you. I do believe if Saraphine hadn't passed, you would've never gained magic and remained a human." Uncle turned and started walking off again.

"Defend yourself! I'm going to forcefully release your power while also heightening your responsive reactions." He disappeared from before my eyes again and I became cautiously frightened. I stepped back then unexpectedly a sudden slice appeared on my shoulder. A painful sensation erupted as I yelled while staring at the blood draining from the open flesh wound.

"Ahhh! It hurts!" I cried.

"Of course it does." I looked to where he had appeared while my eyes watered.

"I'm only ten! Are you trying to kill me?!" I screamed.

"I'm trying to train you. I will continue slicing you until you release your power! Hopefully you don't die of blood loss before you do, or Anna's going to kill me next." He flashed away again and everything that happened after went by so fast. My thigh, my forearm, my ankle, my back. Those are the few places I can recall him dividing my flesh. Everything's stinging and hurting all at once that I can't pinpoint an exact sore. I tried to keep up with his movements because by now I was only scared. "Think about what you're fighting for and release it!"

"I'm trying!" I shouted with my voice completely on edge. "I don't want to die. You're my Uncle, you wouldn't kill me!"

"It's a pity that you'd think that," he said still flashing all over the place. "If I'm capable of attempting to kill you as an infant, why do you think it'll be any less difficult to kill you as a boy?"

My eyes widened and filled with tears when he said that. I wasn't afraid anymore. I was simply sad. I just dropped to my knees giving up my little bit of will to fight.

"Crying?" he asked standing over me. "You're soft, you're weak, and you're going to die! Fear, shock, and anger. The three major adrenaline that makes your body do impossible things. Many people have released their concealed abilities by one of those reactions. But you, you cannot release anything if you're always sad." He turned and started walking away again. "I'm heading back home," he sounded upset.

He's right. I'm always sad, always crying. I'm weak. What am I fighting for? If the world wants me dead then why are they trying so hard to keep me alive? The world hates me. I'm not wanted by humans nor casters.

"You tried to kill me because I killed her, didn't you?" I asked, still sitting in the forest grass. "It's all my fault that my mother died." I began to tear up. He didn't turn around to speak but he spoke anyway.

"Among other reasons, that was one of them. Though I cannot have you blaming yourself for her death. A human carrying a magical child causes a strain on their body. Their life force would slowly drain until the time of the baby's birth. Even after knowing this, she still decided to have you. Even before she knew you, she cared for you, Seth. That's what a mother's love is. She wanted you to live, and I want you to live." He looked back at me and by then I was in tears. "Cherish her memories by doing just that and becoming stronger. Saraphine lives on in you." He continued walking.

I closed my eyes and didn't fight back the tears. I really wish I knew what a mother's love felt like. Even though I don't, I'm just really happy to know that you loved me, mom.

A spark of fire suddenly caught in the grass beside me. I stood up slowly while staring at the flames that had appeared. Without warning, it extended and formed a circle around me. All of these lines started to come to me and form another smaller circle. Words and symbols started to form in the fire beneath me.

"Uncle! What's happening?" I started freaking out.

"Seth. . .Seth!" I heard him call. I watched him run back my way. He stopped and kept his distance. "It's. . .it's a magic circle. Seth, whatever's happening, do not fight it! Embrace it!"

"Embrace it?! O-Okay. I'm not afraid. I want to become strong. I'm going to survive for her," I told myself. The flames started to come together and form in the air in front of my face. It started take a shape of something. In a matter of seconds, I noticed what it was. A flaming bird the size of an eagle hovered before me.

"You are the caster that has summoned me? A boy? Interesting. . ." My heart nearly sank when it spoke, a heavy masculine voice. "Do you accept me?" It asked. I looked over at uncle and he nods his head.

"Y-yes," I stuttered.

"Do you accept all of me?" he repeated. I took a deep breath.

"I do! I accept you!" I said strongly.

"Then the bond has been written. From this day forward, we will be one and my power will be yours until death. I bestow upon you, the power of the Phoenix." It rapidly flew directly at my chest.

"Ahh!" I screamed in pain as I watched it seep through my skin and into my body. "Make it stop!" My hands and body started to tremble while I endured agonizing pain. I dropped to the grass tensed all through my body.

"You're going through a form of metamorphosis. As soon as whatever's supposed to happen is completed, the pain will lift. Just a little longer, Seth."

I looked at my trembling arms and saw these markings starting to appear on my left arm.

A symbol of a bird was the only thing I recognized. The others were just words that I didn't comprehend. My entire left arm was filled with these markings in black ink. The pain lifted and I felt nothing at all. Uncle walked over to me and stretched his hand down. I took hold of it and stood to my feet.

"That's my first time ever witnessing a bond between caster and spirit. How do you feel?"

I looked at my palm and concentrated on manifesting my flames. It ignited without even a struggle. I held a small ball of fire in my palms and I smiled.

"I feel great, Uncle!" I balled my fist quickly extinguishing the flames. "These symbols, what do they mean?" I looked up at him.

"My guess is that those are the markings of the phoenix which gives you the ability to use fire magic."

"You mean the bird that just flew in me? I wasn't expecting that. What was that?"

"They're called animal spirits. They're celestial beings that too carry the holds of magic. Once fused with a caster, that caster will gain abilities in which they can use without the use of Monarian language. It's called physical magic. Physical magic is way more powerful than Monarian spells and can give you the ability to break through them." He started looking at me strangely. "How'd you release your power?"

"I'm not sure. I was thinking about my mother. About how much she really loved me. Then, everything just escalated."

"I was wrong. . .Controlling your power by fear, shock, or anger would make you impulsive. Those aren't the only things that can activate one's true nature. You released your power because you felt love. You're different from many casters I've encountered. Don't ever change that about you, Seth. Always care for every living thing."

"Yes, Uncle. I promise."

He petted me on my head and smiled. "Now. Since I cannot teach you Monarian magic, I will have to advance your physical magic. It will take a few years and trust me, the training will be no less harsh than it is now. You have a lot to learn and I will teach you everything I know. When you get older, you'll have to decide the path you'll walk. Are you ready?"

"I am!" I answered without hesitation. It's safe to say that we trained all day that day, and the day after that. Every chance we got we trained in the forest or went hunting for supper. The three of us were just like a happy family.