Chapter 9: A Newborn Fawn

Slowly, Raegar made his way over to the basket, intrigued by the food in front of him. He picked one up, turning it over in his hands. It was brown and about the size of a golf ball, which only deepened his confusion. 'What kind of fruit is this? I'm guessing some kind of fantasy fruit,' he thought, still uncertain about what to make of it. Raegar continued to examine the fruit, his fingers tracing its smooth surface as he marveled at its unusual appearance. As he brought it closer, an earthy aroma reached his nose, catching him off guard, and causing him to think, 'Why does it smell like dirt?' With a shrug, he inhaled deeply, and to his surprise, the scent was rich, almost as if the very essence of the earth itself had been captured within the fruit. It was unlike anything he had ever smelled before. But then, as he focused on the fruit, he sensed something unusual, a flow of Earth Aether coming from it. The sensation was unlike anything he had experienced before. It was a deep, stabilizing force that made him feel more grounded. 'Are these Aether Fruits of some kind?' he mused after thinking about it for a while. Raegar took a bite of the strange fruit. The moment his teeth sank into it, a surge of sensations overwhelmed him. It felt as if minerals flooded his body, the deep essence of the earth filling him. The Aether rushed through his body as the taste of metal and rocks filled his mouth, but it wasn't horrible. ''That was strange, but I didn't dislike it,'' he muttered before closing his eyes to focus on the energy inside him, only to get another shock. Seconds later, he was floating inside a dreamlike world where nine pools sat quietly and the atmosphere gave off a calming effect. They reminded him of small containers the size of a soccer ball, but glowing liquid slowly dripped into them. Each one glowed a different color that was the distinct element for Aether. Then there was the biggest one in the center, circled by the others, causing him to think, 'Are these my Aether Pools? Why are there so many and what is this big one for?' He immediately noticed three distinct types of Aether converging, each flowing with rhythm and color. As it gathered, the pool slowly filled. Intrigued, he focused, watching with growing curiosity as the yellow energy finally spilled over into one of the smaller pools nearby. 'It left some Aether in the bigger pool, but not much?' he pondered when seeing this. After checking that out, he returned to the real world with a lot of questions just as the door suddenly flew open, slamming against the wall. A large, imposing man stepped inside. He halted abruptly when his eyes met Raegar's. For a moment, the two stared at each other in tense silence, the air heavy with unspoken recognition. Despite the years and the unfamiliar setting, Raegar recognized the newcomer as his grandfather, Griffin Vaelthorne. They had met when he was much younger, along with his grandmother, and even now, the older man carried an unmistakable presence that reminded him of a lion. The man had a mane of thick, fluffy white hair framing his strong features, and his piercing red eyes mirrored Raegar's own. The only difference was Griffin's sheer size. He towered over six feet tall, his frame massive and powerful, like a seasoned warrior carved from stone. ''Looks like my little grandson has finally woke up,'' the big man said while closing the door behind him and sitting down in a nearby chair. ''Everyone else is asleep,'' he concluded. Raegar gave a brief nod before retreating into his inner world, his focus drawn to the Lightning and Fire pools swirling with energy. A spark of excitement lit within him, and he attempted to cast Stormfire Bullet. The moment he tried, a sharp, excruciating pain tore through his body, which made his world go white for a second, forcing a yelp from his lips while thinking, 'What's going on? This hurts so much.' Before he could recover from the sudden pain that threatened to knock him out, a heavy smack landed on the back of his head, which sent his world spinning while bringing him out of the brain fog by the old man's gruff voice. ''Stupid boy! Don't even think about using magic right now,'' Griffin scolded, his tone a mix of frustration and concern. ''Your pools or body hasn't healed yet. You need to fully recover before attempting any of that foolishness again.'' Raegar gave his grandfather a dirty look while rubbing his head, ''Why hit me, old man? I was only testing my magic.'' Griffin chuckled, ''The more you try to use it, the worse it will be in the long run. Rest for now and you'll heal in no time,'' he said. ''Okay, why are there all different Aether Pools? I remember reading that the most anyone can have is three and they're known as Triarch Mages, but I have nine,'' he asked his grandfather. The older man stroked his blonde beard thoughtfully before responding. ''You're right,'' he said, ''But there's something beyond that, the legends would call you a Tetraarch Mage.'' He paused, his piercing red eyes locking onto his. ''Tetraarch Mages are rare, boy. Their power is unmatched, but there hasn't been one in generations. All I remember is that magic flows through them like second nature,'' Griffin said, a note of pride and curiosity in his voice. Raegar hesitated, unsure how to respond, before changing the subject. ''If I remember correctly,'' he began, ''It's going to take me a lot longer than the average student to get to higher tiers, or even level up since I have to progress with all eight elements individually.'' Griffin sighed but nodded to confirm the news. ''Unfortunately, yes, but it's not all bad news. When you reach the next tier, your power will far surpass that of others your age. You won't just be strong, you'll be in a league of your own.'' 'That sounds amazing, but I'm going to have to work hard,' he thought with glowing red eyes. ''I've decided that I will train you in hand-to-hand combat little one,'' his grandfather suddenly commented. When Raegar heard this he was confused, causing him to ask, ''I have two years before I start Drakenwood Academy. Will that be enough time to learn?'' 'Hopefully, I can start using magic before the Aether Test when I turn fifteen,' he pondered, as his grandfather was thinking to himself. Griffin stood up with a confused expression after a few minutes of musing to himself. ''Yes. I can teach you a fair bit before classes start, but why would you choose to go there? Isn't it the worst of the four academies in Dawnfire?'' ''Yes, but they have dozens of dungeons that the students can explore if they're strong enough and it goes toward the overall grades,'' Raegar replied in an excited voice. ''They also work on merit and not family status. After all, I come from a count's family.'' His grandfather nodded while rubbing his beard. ''Yes, that is a good way to think. The brats in the Dawnfire Academy look down on anything below a Duke. You could use my name, but I doubt you're like that.'' Raegar chuckled when hearing that. A spark of determination appeared in his eyes as he pushed himself to his feet, though his legs trembled from weakness thanks to the damage his body received. ''I don't care about all that, old man,'' he said, his voice steady. ''I just want to learn how to use magic before the Enrollment Tests.'' Griffin raised an eyebrow, a faint smirk tugging at his lips. ''Ambitious, aren't you?'' he muttered, crossing his arms. ''Well, if you're that eager, we'd better start as soon as you're able to stand without looking like a newborn fawn.'' Raegar laughed when hearing this before lying down again, as the pain was too much. Seconds after, an older woman with grey-white hair and big pink eyes appeared who looked like a mature version of his mother. ''What are you two troublemakers up to?'' she questioned in a tired voice. He watched his grandfather go stiff before turning to the woman with a worried expression, ''I was just getting to know our grandson, my love, he's a wonderful boy.'' 'This must be my grandmother Elysia Vaelthorne,' he thought when seeing the mature woman staring at Griffin. ''You didn't say that when you smacked me,'' Raegar said with a sly smirk that only his grandfather could see. When Elysia heard that, her eyes narrowed at the old man, who retorted with a shocked expression, ''I mean yes I smacked him, but that was only because he tried to use his magic,'' he explained. The white-haired woman narrowed her eyes, causing Raegar to chuckle but let out a startled yelp, ''Why did you hit me?'' he said while rubbing his head. [Drop some Power Stones, Reviews, and Comments, as it will help the book grow]