9 Snakes of the Past (I)

Jimmy Stark was born on the 5th day during the Month of Falling Leaves, in a large stone hospital within the city of Eastwick, West of Gilvenheim. His cries, like the sounds of many others being born into the world, pierced the walls as well as the ears of doctors who ensured his birth went well, and his mother would later cradle him in his arms, naming him James Avalior Stark IV.

"Remember what I told you." James Stark the III, who was known as Baron Eastwick, reminded her. His wife Aurora glared at him.

"We are not going to infuse him with magic." she spoke firmly but quietly. Not far from her bed were other patients following their surgeries, some of them were treated for broken bones, if not the horrendous case of amputation.

"I have already prepared everything." the Baron Eastwick spoke. "He will arrive in the city in a few more months from now."

"Husband, I beg you by the grace of the Almighty above, do not allow our son to become a Cerrit." she whispered to his ear.

The Baron looked at the hospital workers who had conducted the surgery well accordingly, and ensured the healthy birth of his son. He took out a large pouch with coins, and dropped it into the hands of the lead doctor. It was heavy in the doctor's hands.

"T-Thank you, Baron Eastwick." the doctor bowed his head as with his colleagues.

"Please accept this as both a donation for the hospital, as well as my utter gratitude toward your service." the Baron spoke. "Now, if you don't mind, my wife and I require some time alone."

The doctor nodded his head, and he left the couple with their son to themselves. The doctor's colleagues soon followed.

The Baron turned toward Aurora, before grabbing an empty stool and sitting by her side. He sighed at the sight of his son, Jimmy.

"I know you are worried about how our son would fare in this world." the Baron. "But please, your paranoia is simply too much."

"Too much? I am a cautious man Aurora, we've been together for so long, known each other for the longest time, you should know this."

"Have you forgotten that this nation is still trying to get used to the presence of magic?"

"On the contrary my dear, the nation has started to implement elemental magic into specialized academies, in addition to the funding of buildings to teach alchemy." The Baron spoke. "Even I have shared my donations, for in addition to making our lives easier, we are also preparing guardians of the nation, even if we won't be at war with other countries, but there is still the case of nation, the beasts that roam around the lands and you can agree with me that is out of human control."

"Even so, the magic you want to infuse our son with is far different from normal magic. You are referring to Cerrit magic. You know the consequences do you not? Has history not taught you anything about the Cerritulus?"

"Aurora, as much as I can agree that Cerrits are unpredictable and dangerous, that is only because the previous Cerrits have not been controlled from early on. That will not happen to our son here."

"Besides, he can protect himself and you from potential threats of society or perhaps the influence of demons." the Baron added.

"Demons, you are mad."

"No, I am not. I know what's best."

Aurora was still cradling Jimmy in her arms, she looked at his innocent eyes, and he was holding her finger tightly. "James." she said to her husband. His gray eyes pierced her gaze.

The Baron held one of her hands tightly. "I swear that I will take full responsibility of Jimmy by the time the magic is complete. You have my word."

***

The Baron and his wife went home, a large fortress like residence towering over most of Eastwick. Months had passed since Jimmy's birth.

Aurora stood against a chair in her room, Jimmy was on her bed and his head was on a pillow. The Baron excused himself from the room, before he returned with a cloaked figure.

The figure was as tall as her husband, but the figure's lower face was filled with scars, and he looked up at her with his own set of green eyes.

"Who are you?" she asked, her tone was demanding.

"At the moment, someone who is doing your husband a favor." the figure said. "After this, I am no one."

The figure took out a large glass ball, it was filled with black and gray smoke, Aurora swore she saw the outlines of white snakes hovering inside, and hisses were heard.

"Where did you get that?" Aurora asked.

"A part of the world that isn't your own." the figure spoke in an ominous tone. Next, he turned to the Baron. "Once I infuse your son with this magic, there is no turning back."

"I understand." the Baron spoke.

"No turning back? You mean-"

"Your son will gain magic akin to that of a snake, but he will have to learn everything as he goes on with his life. He will also not be invincible. No Cerrit has been invincible."

"Before you do anything to my son, I demand to know where you got that magic inside that glass ball." Aurora raised her voice.

"The Underworld." the cloaked figure admitted. "My colleagues and I once participated in the Purging of demons during the Year of Terror, and what you see in the glass ball belonged to the snakes of the underworld, representatives of temptation, they could not be truly purged, only the figure holding them."

"Understandably, you and your husband must keep your son's status as a Cerrit discreet." the figure added. "Many Cerritulus before him had to endure society's harsh views in addition to the backlash most people had, knowing that such magic requires extreme control."

Aurora folded her arms, as she saw Jimmy on the bed. She then approached her husband. "You swear that you will hold everything responsible?"

"Of course dear, I will." the Baron spoke. "I only want the best for Jimmy, especially when he grows into a man, I do not wish for him to spend too much of his life learning magic to defend himself."

"Excuse me." Aurora spoke in a sad tone, leaving the room. "Do not call me unless my son gets through this." she then went out of the room.

"Then I shall begin." the figure spoke as he positioned the glass ball filled with snakes near Jimmy, as the Baron watched on. A beam of light appeared from the ball, as the transparent looking snakes with a black outline began to slither its way from out of the ball, and into Jimmy's chest.

The very young Jimmy had his eyes opened widely at the sight of the beam of light. His instincts kicked in and began to cry at the snake of the snakes with piercing eyes, part of the black and gray smoke soon entered his body smoothly.

The glass ball was soon empty and the figure stepped back slowly. THe Baron approached his son and picked him up in his arms, cradling him.

"It's okay, it's all over." the Baron spoke. "When will it take effect?"

"At the moment, the magic is currently trying to find its place in your son's mind and soul." the figure folded his arms. "I trust you are true to your word indeed, Baron, to your wife about taking care of your son like this."

"With all due respect, but I do not expect you to care." The Baron countered. "I have paid you, and if I need to pay more should Jimmy's magic start to be outside of my control, I will be sure to inform you."

"Very well, but do bear in mind Baron, if your son needs to be enrolled into the School of Cerrit at some point in his life, he will meet other Cerrits, whose abilities may be significantly different from others. Do I make myself clear?"

"It is clear." Baron Eastwick.

"Good, then I shall take my leave, and you shall never speak of this to anyone. It is bad enough that this form of magic must be transferred to someone else, that it cannot be truly destroyed even after death."