3 Calm Before The Storm

A year had passed since our previous installment with the family, it is now Ziro's birthday where he finally gets to have his magic aptitude tested and the family take the day off to spend the day with him. This is the day they have waited for and the day he had waited for, the outcome of the test would change a lot but they were ready for both outcomes. Even if he didn't have any potential as a magic caster, he could always be an adventurer.

Ziro had woken from his slumber and sat up to the sudden surprise of his older brother jumping onto his bed with glee. Shaking the tired child as he laughed to wake him up as quick as he could for his special day.

"Come on Ziro you sleepy head, this is your day and you sleep in of all things!" Dakon shouted with a bright smile on his face, Ziro giggled at his brother and rubbed his eyes as he was fully awake now.

The brothers ran from their beds to the living room and kitchen, the parents already awake and having breakfast ready for them. Both of them smiling as they entered, the mother walking up and giving her child an embracing hug, walking him to the table and sitting him up on his chair.

He ate his breakfast of eggs and bacon, Dakon joining him and his father as they ate together before their big surprise. Ziro finished his meal first before thanking his mother for the meal, passing her the plate as his father went into the other room.

Bringing back some boxes, he placed them on the table for Ziro to reach. As he unboxed them and pulled out some wooden toys he wanted from the town, he only went with his father to look around while buying for the farm. But he saw a toy shop and had some toys he had been forward to.

He wrapped his arms around his father and thanked him dearly for the toys he got for his child, opening the next box it was an old fantasy book called "The old gods" it was a book the family had owned for a while but the mother had gotten a new copy for him since he enjoyed her reading it to him. Now he was able to read but not as good as her he could now read it himself.

"Thank you, mom." Ziro said with a wide smile, hugging his mother after for the present and putting away the boxes after, holding the book close.

"Happy birthday Ziro." The family gleefully said together as they presented him his cake on the table. Having six candles on his cake for him to blow out.

His face was as happy as can be, his family did all this for him and he couldn't be more grateful for a family as caring as his. "Come on blow the candles out and think of a wish brother." Dakon would say to his brother, standing beside him.

He breathed and blew out putting out the candles, thinking to himself about the book he read about mystical fighters and the strong magic casters. He wished in his thoughts to be one of the strongest one day and be an adventurer with his brother Dakon. As he opened his eyes after blowing out the candles, he saw his family clapping together for him, being hugged from all around by his family. Taking in the moment so he could cherish it forever.

After he had some cake, the family took him to the close nearby village. This was the big moment of the day, where he met the village elder to have his aptitude in magic checked. He was taken into the grand hall with his family, meeting the elder with a smile being excited and holding it in.

"So you must be Ziro?" The wise elder spoke to the child, though he was serious he still did have a greeting smile. Holding out his hand from his cloak. He was a fragile old man so he was only able to do not much in magic, but he still knew some things still. Ziro shook his hand and looked up at the old man, his brown cloak around his entire body and how he had a large white beard that reached his chest which made Ziro giggle when he saw it.

The elder guided him to the back of the hall, where they would meet some people from the guild, two magic casters, and an apprentice under then going through a lesson in feeling the energy from someone. The family watched as he stood next to the elder, the people from the guild introduced themselves to the child and family behind him.

"We are from the guild here to see if your boy has what it takes, understand that if he does he will be recommended and welcomed into a school of learning and caring. He will be wealthy and healthy we assure you, however, if he doesn't have what it takes we cannot take him in so easily." The magic caster would say, he was serious about his job and wanted to recruit as much as possible for the guild.

The family nodded and understood fully aware of the outcomes, ready to accept it. Then they began, they focused their minds towards the child to feel any energy coming from him. A sharp thin line of red energy outlined him. For not even a fraction of a second, as the boy was distracted by a bird getting caught by an eagle the boys' energy would soon become a monstrocity able to reach the ceiling. The casters blinking and looking back at the boy with still a small red line covering his body.

Shaking their head and thinking nothing of it, then sighed. "It seems your boy has no foundation to go from, there is something there but it can't go anywhere significant." They would announce to the child and the family. The boy looked down to the floor, saddened he sniffed and held back the tears that were trying to break free.

His family was saddened too but still supported him, his brother holding him from behind to assure him. "It's okay, it just means you cannot be a magic caster is all." Dakon would tell his brother, rubbing Ziros' hair gently. He nodded in response and smiled slightly. Walking back to his mother and holding her hand as he stood by her side between her and his mother.

Euphoria rubbing his shoulder and they left together, Ziro was still sad as they left the town. They tried cheering him up by buying him an ice cream cone. Barely eating it as he walked back, he sat down at the table and finished his ice cream cone. The family not sure how to make him happy, he grabbed his book and headed to bed wishing them goodnight as he took an early rest.

Reading through the book of a man who could wield a sword better than no other person, he would rival the gods in feats of skilled swordsmanship it was unparalleled. An undefeated streak to go with it, to make the man more fearsome he had friends equally strong in different aspects. They focused entirely on their own way of fighting being magic or a type of weapon even explosives.

The man had people under him as well, created beings who would have titles that can shake kingdoms if they were heard of. Along with an army of soldiers who sought perfection in the way of the blade. The more Ziro read the more he thought about it, this man reached so high and feared so many by focusing entirely in a sword. It was like a fighter who only worked on his arms, sure it was a disadvantage in some situations but the man trained so hard in that one thing that he mastered the others greatly too.

Learning the basics of magic he could even take armies down in a swing of his arm, unarmed combat he would easily take them out without a struggle. If he used a different weapon he would still beat another master. He was truly a paragon, and so the man called himself that. The top tier paragon.

Ziro knew what he could achieve, even if it was just a story he could become it if he worked hard enough. He learned a life lesson that day, one that would change his entire thought of being and make him start his own story.