Life as a Baby - PT 2

After my first birthday I've steadily been getting better at reading this new language, I still suck at it.

But I can't write because it would give me away to my parents. So I've been trying to memorize the symbols of the letters and match them with the alphabet I know.

I haven't gotten far, what really helps is when I watch my mother read as she will point to words and sound them out for me, Which feels demeaning but definitely works.

After my first birthday I've been hearing sounds outside of our home like people walking about when my parents are sleeping.

It seems like someone or some people have started to spy on my family.

A month after my birthday I finally heard some moving in our home. It was the sound of foot prints on the wood I know it but I couldn't think of any reason why or what I should do, so I just waited.

It's not like there is anything in this house worth stealing except for the vegetables I guess, so why our home? And why now?

Once I heard the footprints get close to the bedroom door I knew I had to act.

And well being a baby makes that hard since I can barely walk but I have a perfect plan for this person.

I lay still faking sleep just in case, and once I hear the invader step into my parents bedroom i begin crying at the top of my lungs.

Suffice to say, I am quite the screamer.

Once I'm crying my father jolts awake and looks right at our invader. In the blink of an eye father is In front of the man and takes him down effortlessly.

Wow, either he's very strong or this invader is very weak. Either way go dad! I'm giving you a mental thumbs up for that.

Not long after my mother is beside my father and I've never seen her angry before, but it's terrifying.

As she stand over this invader you could practically feel the temperature of the room rising and it may be a trick of my mind but I could swear that their is flames dancing in her hair.

Father tries to calm her down "Malinda, calm down your gonna make the room boil. I already have him check on Enzo."

At the mention of my name mother spins around and thoroughly checks me all over then holds me which must soothe her since the temperature drops considerably.

A mental note to never make mother angry has been made.

Over her shoulder I can see my father pick the man up over his shoulder "this isn't a place for interrogation, I'll take him to father and we will find out what's going on. Stay here and watch Enzo I'll be back soon."

After he leaves for a moment my mother stands still before she holds me out and looks me in the eyes curiously. It doesn't last long before she shakes her head and gets back in bed rocking me to sleep.

Curse this body and that it gets tired so easily! I'll fix this as soon as I can. But for now a little sleep wouldn't hurt after all I did save the day.

…

Nothing else exciting has happened since then, I'm 5 now.

So now that I'm older I can actually talk to my parents and move around as I please.

It's finally time for me to learn some things about this world

And we are definitely starting with magic!

Mother is cooking dinner as I come into the kitchen "hello mother, may I ask you something?"

She doesn't even look away from what she is doing as she nods "of course sweetie, what is it you would like to know?"

I stand across from her. I honestly have been trying to wait for this as I don't know what's the normal here.

"Well you see I'd like to learn some magic. Like what you do with the fire."

Mother freezes mid chop and thinks for a moment or I figure she's thinking it over.

But when her head pops up and her eyes are practically glowing while she smiles, I'm a little taken back by this reaction.

"Sweetie you don't know how happy I'd be if you were a fire magician like me, but sadly we don't know what your element or talent in general will be yet. So if I were to try and get you to start learning my families magic and you aren't compatible with fire it could harm you in the long run. I hope you can understand."

"So it's not genetic? I mean since your a fire magician shouldn't that make me one? And what do you mean my talent?"

She sighs "no, but I guess it wouldn't hurt to explain things to you now, I just hope you can understand me."

Well of course I'll understand I can finally learn something and it seems something important for people in this world.

"Once a person reaches the age of 10 they will be tested by a royal representative. The test that is performed tells the child and there family what kind of talent the child has as well as what affinities if any. For example when I was tested my talent was magician with a fire affinity. Your father had a sword talent with a wind affinity. So you could take after one of us or you could get something completely different. Do you understand?"

So basically there is no way to tell until that test, fudge buckets! I mean I want to learn now if I have to wait another five years of just sitting around here I'll go crazy.

"I understand mother, what about the priest that came when I was younger? I thought he measured my talent?"

She doesn't meet me eye after hearing that

"Well that priest was sent by the king your fathers father, it was way to early if you ask me. But that was different him specifically is proficient at detecting a person's potential, basically if someone will achieve great thing in there life or just be mediocre. Don't worry about that, you did fine and I'm sure you will do great things one day."

Hold on she just tried to slide it in that my grandfather is the KING! If that's true why are we way out here and not in the city? I've already learned a good bit I'll hold off on the questions for now. But wow if my grandfather is the king then that means I could be king one day! Now I'm so excited, how awesome would it be to be a king!

I leave the kitchen and let her finish cooking but now is the time for my next plan.

I quietly walk over to the study and open it up I look around half expecting mother to be staring me down. I don't understand why she doesn't want me to come in here since it's just books. But I'm finally inside.

I quickly move over to the bookshelf and start scanning the spines of each book trying to find something that stand out or catches my interest

At first nothing seems super interesting, so I decide on a book called "the study of magic" I pull it out and as fast as I can get out of the study and dash into the bedroom. It's time to do some reading.

The book doesn't look very interesting a dark cover with white lettering.

The first page is a drawing of a star that has a symbol on each of the points that has a caption reading

"We study magic to achieve what the Contillians have already accomplished."

Weird, what or who are the Contillians? I'd guess they are a group of super magicians like the best of the best.

After reading a bit more the book goes onto to telling about how magic is used in this day and age and how all people can use magic it just depends on how attuned somebody is with magic itself.

Which after reading that I felt enlightened, so much so I reread it a few times just to be sure. But I'm definitely sure this means is that there is some way I can start to learn magic now. I just need to feel the magic.

However you do that!? I mean come on that's vague! Just feel the magic says the book.

I hide the book away. I'll read it some more later and see if I can figure anything out from it. But why is this book hinting that anyone could use magic when mother says it depends on your talent? One of them is wrong but why is that?