8 Years

Things seemed to resume their normal pace after Max's personal adventure and that faithful night of which the boy was told about the night of his birth. His father seemed to accept his half-truth as the two's relationship continued to blossom and business resumed rather quickly. Ken and Max stayed in Alpine till the month ended, winter's first snowfall beckoning their leave from Alpine so business could continue to prosper.

Max visited everyone in town, presenting gifts of thanks for their willingness to teach him. Fine silk for the tailor, a new hand-made hammer for the blacksmith, rare seeds for the farmer, new cookware for Gladis as thanks for teaching him to cook and acting as his grandmother. Gladis had tears in her eyes as she choked out her goodbye, squeezing the boy tightly with profound strength as she thanked the boy for his kindness and going under her wing for learning something that she valued so deeply.

The next goodbye was the hardest as he walked into the small book shop, sorrowfully approaching with goodbyes as he looked towards Olivia with teary eyes and she met his gaze with tears of joy. She had been his mother figure for six months, taking her into her tutelage and encouraging his learning with little asked back from him as he gifted her all of his old books, hoping to encourage her to move her from this little shop and develop the town's library and magic sanctum to further her research as well as spread her name farther within Allaria.

The two embraced deeply with promises to contact one another often as little Athens came wobbling out, wanting to join in the embrace as Max lifted him into the air and hugged the boy, his own brother from another family and left him a unique pendent that Max had made the helped with reading.

The pendent was similar to speed reader, a skill he had obtained. Though speed reader was much more potent, the pendant allowed for an increased read speed of fifteen percent where speed reader reduced comprehension and read time exponentially and allowed Max to blaze through many books and book series a day. The owlet happily accepted with a coo as Max struggled to leave but knew that this growing town was not yet ready for him to settle down in it's hearth as he slowly walked back to Ken, stepping into the carriage with tears in his eyes as he bided his temporary home goodbye.

The road ahead of him seemed to twist and curve as his life was still ahead of him. As if time lost all semblance and Max's growth seemed to plateau but the business grew. Ken and Max began to more thoroughly organize their trade route, within the first year the two had gone to the merchant's guild and applied for a company contract and financing. This was a huge step for the two as Ashcrop and Son was founded, their growing demand for their services met with a response as the two still wouldn't settle down for an office and always kept on the move.

By the end of the first year, they had a fleet of five strong, including themselves as they never broke even, even merchants with little experience were selling out of the goods and making a profit. The two were excited as Max took to the sidelines a bit, taking over the finances and shipments that were to be received, meeting spots, and what went where. When not doing this he was gathering more supplies for his own products to put into the hands of their merchants. From potions to nick-knacks. Nice affordable clothing became available, cheap but effective potions were in the hands of the masses, accelerating the amount of work a common man could perform and taking those in sickness out of it and into health.

Max would even receive special requests that he tried his best to fulfill, from potions that helped impudence to ones that would prolong one's life after an allergy. Max felt a bit like a snake oil salesman with his potions but their effectiveness spoke for itself since demand became more than he could handle and by year two Ashcrop and Son had expanded more. Their fleet had grown to ten, investing their money into businesses capable of learning the skills and development of Max's products to provide people with affordable things and a good life.

Each year they saw prosperity and a flow of income that Ken was hellbent on using to help the world, even if the world wouldn't help them. Of course, with prosperity came hard times as the frequency of bandit attacks were becoming more prominent on their caravans which Max and Ken would answer themselves. The two would sidetrack their time from the road to quickly answer bandits and thiefs' call with action, swift as the wind as well. With their combined efforts the two were able to keep mortality down as rumors of merchants being strong fighters as well spread.

By the middle of the third year the company had won a contract with the adventures guild for escorts, allowing for rank three adventurers and up to take on a rather easy going and decently profiting job or if they even sought a job as a caravan guard with Ashcrop and Son they could apply. Things looked up for Ken and Max as they slowly made the merchant's guild much more unified, a whopping forty percent of the guild soon was filled with solely Ashcrop and Son employees as artisan guilds began to pop up in every city.

Ken was ecstatic, never thinking that his life would be so prosperous though his heart still yearned for the one thing he could never have, Max's mother. Even if Ashcrop and Son had become a big name and the two famous within the trading world, ships in their name, general stores taking root in cities he would never be able to buy her back, to buy back his time with her. Though it put a strict damper on his heart he never let it bode him down, always waking up with a smile since he had a reason to keep it, Max.

Though Max was always busy with the company he never once faltered to tend to his own needs and training. He would practice his magic and sword skills, in the coming years he would transfer from just a sword to balancing his sword with a whip, learning under his father even still as it allowed the two to bond.

Even with his growth things became stale even with the training and practice he would perform he was never quite able to go beyond just the peak he had reached. Ken had noticed, feeling some partial guilt due to taking a beast and caging it. He felt that the business was stunting the growth Max was capable of obtaining, his gut telling him that his son was destined for great things but he knew that as of now he was providing the boy with a safe haven.

Max had grown through his growth was physical over skills. Eight years had passed since that faithful run-in with the wolves, meeting Olivia and becoming the capable individual he was today. Max was thirteen and stood five foot five, a surprising height for a boy his age, his hair was platinum silver, his ears still pointed. While his hair had grown past his shoulders every few months Max had no signs of facial hair, though he was only thirteen. The world was still hostile towards Elves and Half-Elves alike, causing Max to always mask his heritage though now he would simply cast a spell with elf magic to have a prolonged illusion to hide.

Today however was his birthday, night had fallen and his father had asked him to come to a local inn in a town they were currently in. Max wasn't too sure what he was up to but as he entered the dark room some of the mages within the company caused candles and lamps to reignite, the group yelling a loud and heart,

"Surprise!"

This caught Max off guard a good bit as he was quick to draw his blade in his right hand and a spell in the other, everyone going quiet and wide-eyed as silence fell over the group. Soon the group of men and women burst into laughter as Max dispelled his spell and sheathed his sword, his father patting the boy on the back with a smile.

"Happy birthday son, from all of us. Without your hard work and ventures into different avenues of the world we, all of us wouldn't be here. Today is ma boy's birthday, take and eat your fill! Drink this tavern dry and celebrate, for even though the stars may be dark and the moon missing the stars in our hearts and the flames of our souls shall light up the night!"

Everyone cheered and hollered in joy as everyone began to feast and celebrate, a smile on Max's face as he went to take part in the festivities only for Ken to stop him and motioned towards the door. Stepping out and waiting for Max to follow as he pulled out this world's equivalent of tobacco called smoke weed. As Max followed he lit his father's pipe and looked towards the blighted sky as his father quietly puffed on the pipe.

"Max, you've grown into a fine young man. You're accomplished, helped build this business into a company but... I think it's time that I give you the key to your cage so you can grow to be the mighty beast you are meant to be. You've made life for people easier, you've managed to somehow help the world while gaining nothing but that being said when I ask our employees just who you are they say, my son. That makes me proud but my shadow is no place for you to stay my son. You're meant to cast a shadow so, when I say the name Ashcrop I want the first name to come to mind Maxamillian, not Kenneth. After tonight I want you to go to Spitfire mountains, within the mountain is a dwarven city by the name Bastion"

Ken fumbles with something in his pocket as he pulls his pipe from his mouth, offering the envelope and what looked to be a coin of sorts to a teary-eyed Max, processing what his father spoke of. The ambitions that Ken had in him for Max seemed to reach well above the clouds as the man bit back tears. He knew this had to happen, just as his mother willed him out of the house for one less mouth to feed, Ken was doing it for the good of his only begotten son.

"Take these to the great smiths', the blacksmith Alibaster will be there. That being said I want you to give him both to him. He knows what they are, and he will make you a weapon like Loke Carca. This is your rite of proving my son, once you do this you are to go on your own adventures and make a life for yourself. Just... Just don't forget your old man, you will always be my son and nothing will change that. Dry your tears, we have a party to attend."

Ken brings Max into a deep embrace as Max bites back his tears, hugging his father deeply and reveling in the closeness the two shared. They just held each other for some time as they hugged, slowly pulling away as they went back into the party, a plethora of gifts awaiting the boy as the night began to blur with laughing, food, and fun. In the back of the boy's head, he dwelled on the thoughts of what tomorrow would bring and just what he was going to have to do. The night though long and joyous held the next day's stark of a long trek in mind.

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{{Maxamillian Ashcrop; Pupil of Olivia Maim}}

Race: Half-Elf

Age: Thirteen

Health: 255

Human Mana: 1650/1650

Elven Mana: 6555/6555

Level: 1

Stats: Str(15), Dex(45) Con(25), Int(55), Wis(50) Cha(40)

Skills: Dwarvish (Fluent), Gnomish (Fluent), Common (Fluent), Elvish (Fluent), Teietian (Fluent), Economics (MAX), Basic Math (MAX), Drawing(Adept Lvl: 8), Sales (MAX) Mana Separation (Adept Lvl: 7), Basic Fishing (MAX), Basic Human Tailoring (MAX), Human Blacksmithing (Adept Lvl: 4), Magic Theory (MAX) Primal Magic (Basic Lvl: 3), Adept Magic (Master Lvl: 8), Tracking (Adept Lvl: 5), Gnomish Cooking (Adept Lvl: 4), Basic Farming (Basic Lvl: 8) Basic Potion Making (MAX), Chemistry (Adept Lvl: 8), Herbology (MAX), Stealth (Basic Lvl: 4)

Racial Skills: Human Adaptability (MAX), Elven Magic (Adept: Lvl: 2), Magic Circuits(Fixed, Adept Lvl: 8), Elven Dexterity (MAX), Increased Charisma (MAX), Elven Mind(MAX), Elven Hunter's Step (Adept Lvl: 4)

Unique Skills: VICE (MAX) Speed Reading (MAX)

Unique Titles: Pupil of Olivia Maim, Jack of All Trades, Mastermind of Ashcrop, and Son, Unsung Hero of the World

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