4 Despair
When Tifeo placed his hand on the sphere it began to glow with a dazzling white light.
One of the man, seeing the light, said "It seems your mana is really dense. To have this density at the first level is really impressive. Seems like our clan has generated another genius".
"Humph, it's natural, he's my brother after all" said Sheila with a face full of pride and solemnity.
Hearing the praise of the man and his sister bragging of him made Tifeo happy and proud. He felt like, at this moment, all the efforts he made and all the blood he shed were rewarded.
"Young miss is right. Now, even if I deem it unnecessary, we will perform the attribute examination" said the man and, with a snap of his fingers, made nine small pedestal appear from thin air.
On every pedestal there was inscribed a different symbol. They were the symbols of the different attributes: earth, air, water, fire, light, darkness, lightning, nature and iron.
Other than the symbols, on top of the pedestals, there were different objects representing the attributes and they were respectively: a rock, a bottle filled with a strange white mist, a basin of water, a candle, a small black pearl, a small white pearl, an iron sphere covered by small arc of electricity and a ceremonial dagger.
"These pedestals represent the nine attributes. When we will began the examination the mana contained in the sphere will be released and, attracted from one of the objects, it will enter the pedestal and will light the respective symbol" after saying this the man touched the sphere and the light emitted by it began to weaken.
After the light went out the sphere began to emit a white mist that then began to go toward the ceremonial dagger and, after being absorbed by it, the symbol on the pedestal emitted a dim light.
When Tifeo saw the sphere emit the white mist he's heart began to beat wildly and a joyous expression began to sprout on his face but, after seeing the mist heading towards the ceremonial dagger, he felt his heart began to sink in despair and his previously joyous expression distorted in a startled one.
"Wh-What happened? Shouldn't the mist have gone toward the candle? Why is it gone toward the dagger?" said Sheila with a confused expression.
"It's... IMPOSSIBILE. Because of our bloodline every member of the clan have the fire attribute. There must be a problem with the sphere" said the man with wide open eyes.
"What happened?" said elder Liu that, after hearing the scream of the man, approached them.
"Elder Liu... There must be a problem with the sphere. It said that I have the iron attribute but it's impossible, I'm a member of the Ignis and we can't have an attribute different than the fire attribute and, moreover, the iron attribute is an exclusive of the warriors, there can't be a mage with the iron attribute right?" said Tifeo with a pleading tone.
Elder Liu, after hearing his pleading tone, said in a insecure and reassuring tone "I... don't know, it shouldn't be possible. We can repeat the examination and, if the results remain the same, we will find a solution. Okay little rascal?".
After hearing elder Liu reassuring tone Tifeo regained a bit of hope, hope that he lost again after the second examination gave the same result.
"Sigh I need to inform the clan master. Tifeo, Sheila came with me" said elder Liu before heading toward the exit.
Hearing this Tifeo began to walk toward the exit while wearing a sad face. He was afraid, afraid of deluding his father again, afraid of see again that cold gaze full of delusion but, most of all, he was afraid of deluding the expectations of elder Liu and of his sister, the only two people he really cared of.
Afraid of seeing his sister face he began to walk without turning towards her when, suddenly, she hugged him and said with a warm voice "Don't be afraid, everything will go well" and than began to walk toward elder Liu without waiting for his answer.
Hearing her Tifeo regained his hope and his sad face transformed into a brave one.
After a brief walk they arrived before a majestic house, the house where the master clan Alos and his family lived.
They entered the house and, after passing through an hallway decorated with paintings of the previous masters, arrived before a big door.
"Are you ready?" said elder Liu with a voice full of concern.
"Yes, let's go" said Tifeo and mustering all his courage pushed the door.
When they entered the room they saw a man with red hair and eyes. He seemed in the forties and possessed a majestic and awe inspiring aura around him accentuated by his stern expression.
The man was holding a book with his right hand and, when he saw the trio, he ignored Sheila and Tifeo and said with a tone full of authority "Why are you here elder Liu?".
Tifeo, noticing the disinterested expression of his father even after not having seen him for three years, felt a tinge of pain stab his heart and thinked "Even after not seeing each other for this long his expression hasn't even wavered?".
"Master, we are here because Tifeo has formed his mana core but, after making the attribute examination, we have discovered he has the iron attribute" said respectfully elder Liu.
When Alos heard elder Liu his cold gaze, for a moment, changed into one full of melancholy and than changed again into one of disdain before being redirected toward Tifeo.
Seeing his father gaze all the hopes Tifeo harbored in his heart disappeared and were replaced by despair, a despair that become like an abyss after hearing his words "You can't even do right a simple thing like forming a mana core. You are my biggest failure".
"Elder Liu came with me we need to reunite the council to talk of this"
"Yes master"
After hearing his father and elder Liu Tifeo asked "What will happen to me?".
"You will probably be exiled, our clan doesn't accept people with an attribute different than fire" answered Alos with a tone full of disdain and then said "Wait here, we will talk with the other elder and then return".
After saying this he walked out of the room with elder Liu leaving behind a despairing Tifeo.
After waiting for an agonizing hour Alos and elder Liu returned.
When elder Liu saw the despairing Tifeo he said whit a sad tone "I'm... sorry, I've tried to help you but the other elders hasn't agreed with me".
"It's alright elder Liu, you have tried your best" said Tifeo trying to smile.
After hearing him Alos said "Tifeo Ignis, after a careful examination I and the other elder have agreed that you will be exiled from the clan. You have two days to take all your belongings and, as a compensation, you can take with you one of the techniques of the tenple of an attribute different than the fire".
Hearing his father words Tifeo sad expression became one of confusion and he thinked "I can take one of the techniques of the clan? But our techniques are what made our clan one of the strongest, even the weakests are priceless in the outside world. Maybe father wants to help me?"
Thinking this Tifeo began to look at his father with a grateful expression and Alos, seeing his gaze, said "Don't look at me like this, it's only thanks of elder Liu that you can take a technique with you. He has pleaded the other elder to help you".
Hearing this Tifeo directed his gaze toward elder Liu but, before being able to thank him, his father said "And now go, I don't want even to see you, failure of a son".
Hearing his father words all the despair that Tifeo tried to seal at the bottom of his heart resurfaced and he began to walk out of the room, leaving behind a sad elder Liu and an expressionless Sheila.
