CHAPTER 1: Early Days

CECILIA

I hope the others are okay.

"Congratulations, your majesty! Miss Eralith is a healthy baby."

Healthy baby?

I opened my eyes. I was held by an old man past his prime, all his facial features being sharp and a gaze that could kill someone on contact. His hair is pure white and tied in the back and his face is cleanly shaven.

He looked away from me. "What will her name be?" he said.

"Me and Alduin have already decided. Tessia, Tessia Eralith." said the woman who I can presume is my new mother. She has the look of a middle-aged woman, a bit past the bloom of youth. Her eyes are round, shimmering a light blue hue, contrasting well with her lush pink lips, while her silver hair falls in curls down her back.

Looking at where my new mother spoke, I observed my new father. He had the look of a middle-aged man. He was tall, with a muscular body, in a clad in a loose, decorated robe. His emerald eyes were slanted upward and his lips slightly formed a smile.

The father's name is Alduin. And from the clothing that they were wearing and how the doctor called them majesty, they are important.

But their skin is paler than most people and their hair is a light color. Emerald eyes that shined unnatural and abnormal pointy ears.

This is a strange new world?

TIMESKIP

I never was so proud as I was today. That might be because I was never proud in my past life as "the legacy" but still, I'm proud.

I can crawl!

2 months have passed since I was born. And I learnt many things about me, my family and this world.

First my new name Tessia Eralith from the royal family. Eralith is the ruler of the entire elven kingdom. This world also possesses magic. I don't know exactly what it is but I saw it when my grandpa was training.

TIMESKIP

Being the princess of the elven kingdom, there were always 2 bodyguards in my presence because I sneak out so many times in the library. Every time I tried to sneak to the library. I would be sent back with a picture book.

Walking through the castle I saw my grandpa. Virion... I at least assumed when I overheard my parents talking... looked at my book. "You're getting bored of these aren't you? How about I teach you how to read?"

Many will declare someone who wanted to teach a 6 month child how to read, insane. That's why I wasn't surprised when the guard began to question his sanity. "But Mister Eralith, she is only 6 month old."

"And?" Virion said. "She is always sneaking to the library."

"That's why we gave her a picture book."

"That's assuming she wanted a picture book." Virion turned to me. "You wanna know how to read?" I nodded and he grabbed me like a normal person. "You guards can take a break for today."

After walking to the library.

TIMESKIP

2 years have passed. I finally achieved having the ability to control my own body and communicate in simple words and gestures. I still remember the faces of both of our parents when I muttered "mama" and "dada" for the first time. My grandpa tried to make me say "grandpa" but I never let him because I needed to use it for a special moment.

When Virion taught me how to read, I expected to read those giant books that actually had any information but he only gave books with some small sentences per page. Children books that were meant for a 6 year old. Gradually increasing overtime from small children's books to simple novels, I can say that I surpassed the reading comprehension of a 12 year old in this new language.

I walked to Virion. "Grampwa Viri, can I read those books?" I said while pointing to the book called "magic 101".

He would've said something about 'you're to young' or something like that but the effects of first time being called grandpa (even tho it failed) and the added effects of the cute nickname (I couldn't fully pronounce his name because of my underdeveloped vocal cords) from his grandkid changed his mind.

His face was filled with pride till he remembered what I asked. "Sure but let me grab it," He said before walking to the books. "Magic 101? This isn't a good book for beginners but this is a good beginner book." Grabbing the book and returning and flipping the cover to the first page..

Beginner's Guide for the Privileged Mage

While the power to control mana is largely genetic, there are many cases where children of Magic come out unable to sense the mana around them. A recent census showed that roughly 1 in a 100 children are able to sense mana, but the extent of which could only be tested when their mana core first completely developed anywhere from their early adolescence to late teen years. It will be apparent when a mage first awakens by the initial repellence of the surrounding mana when their mana core manifests. This results in a translucent barrier forming around the awakened that lasts a couple of minutes.

*Flip*

Mana can be used in a couple of ways. The two most common methods of utilizing mana are: enhancement of the body with mana (augmenter), and emission of mana to the outside world (conjurer).

Augmenters are most commonly seen amongst warriors who utilize mana, channeling it through their body to strengthen themselves and their attacks.

The practice of conjuring is seen in Mages, who, after utilizing their mana, can cast spells to give off a certain effect on the surrounding area or directly at a target.

Weaknesses and Limitations

While augmenters can possess incredible strength, defense and agility, their weakness lies in their limited range.

Conjurers possess unfathomable powers, being able to bend their surroundings to their will. However, such powers come with limits. Unlike augmenters, who utilize most of the mana in their own mana cores, conjurers need to borrow mana from the outside world, in addition to their own mana core, to exert mana into their surroundings in the form of a spell.

While both types of Mages, or Mana Manipulators, for the more scientifically accurate term, depend on and are categorized by their mana core, augmenters and conjurers also have different ways of measuring their aptitude.

*flip*

An augmenter's prowess or talent is measured by the strength of the mana channels in their body, which measures the speed and efficiency in relocating their mana from their mana core into various parts of their bodies.

A conjurer's power and talent, comparatively, is measured by the power of their mana veins, which indicates the speed and effectiveness of absorbing mana from the outside world to cast a spell.

Fundamentals of Augmenting

Unlike conjuring, much less time can be spent gathering the surrounding mana. Efficient use of augmenting requires speed and precision in the use of the mana from your core and less from the mana in the atmosphere..

This was where it clicked, augmenting was very close to using ki, except you could also draw mana in from your surroundings. The reason why there weren't any kinds of conjurers in my old world of Earth was because there was no mana in the atmosphere to draw from and create a phenomenon.

Augmenting requires proper distribution of mana into different parts of the body, depending on how the user sees fit. While it seems simple at a glance, augmenting requires much insight into the individual's own body. Being able to utilize the mana channels efficiently requires years of both mental and physical practice.

*flip*

Because augmenting involves extracting mana in its purest form from the user's mana core, there are no highly notable distinctions in an elemental sense at an early stage. However, augmenters are able to control their mana more freely, resulting in vastly different forms of fighting through augmentation.

*flip*

The phenomenon called 'Backlash' occurs in both types of practitioners. For augmenters, it occurs from depletion of the mana core, causing extreme bodily pain, depending on how strenuous the damage to the mana core is. For conjurers, backlash occurs from overfilling of the mana core. This is caused by overuse of spells beyond the practitioner's capacity, or using a spell too powerful for his or her mana core to handle.

Closing the book and my eyes, I concentrated. Controlling my breathing, I tried to sense mana. In an instant I felt the mana in my body. It wasn't some mana but like a sea. Almost as if my connection with mana laid deeper than everyone.

Before I could read the conjurer part. "I think you need to sleep." I was suddenly grabbed by Virion. I shall try to sense mana later in my bed.