Square one

The clouds were stormy and the wind howled as it blew through the streets. He was created, he could feel the breaths of those around him, he could hear their loud voices and he could smell them. One of them smelt delicious and the other which he already found himself nibbling on... bitter.

The night was cold, too cold. So cold that it seemed like it would hail anytime soon. The city seemed dead, not a light turned on in any of the buildings and not a sign of life on the streets. He knocked on the door.

His friend had told him to come visit them today, however, he was scared. His friend had a side that not everyone knew, a side that would play with the rules of nature and the principles that hold it.

"Come in," A voice said, it was so low that he almost didn't hear it.

"Excuse me," He pushed the door in and saw a monstrosity on the ground. It had horns that protruded through its forehead, a tail that looked like that of an alligator and different colored eyes. "No."

He didn't notice it but there was blood on the floor and the baby had a finger in its mouth. "Hana... what happened?"

She didn't say a word, she slouched over on the bed and looked at her child. She had just given birth to him and he had committed an act of violence. She didn't know what to feel. Tears? Joy? what should she have felt? She felt nothing. "Ugly child."

"Is that Yuri? no, don't tell me Yuri is dead."

"That's his son, the kid that I and Yuri were waiting for..." Hana rolled her back onto the bed and covered her eyes. "What should I do Roman? What should I do!"

"..." Roman didn't say a word, he was a founder of Vancrest and his being here was taboo. "Did Yuri say anything?"

"No. The kid ate him immediately after he was pulled out."

"Yuri was a daemon after all, that bastard got infected by Merlo!"

"All of a sudden you're sorry?" Hana laughed. "He said he didn't want to go to the Titanfall clan's village that day but you forced him and in the process, he was infected with Merlo's blood."

"I'm sorry, we used all the healing magic we could. The infection wouldn't stop."

"His last wish was for us to have a kid." Hana looked over at the child that licked the blood off the floor. "Didn't know it was possible to create that."

"It's okay, I'll.... I'll take care of it." Roman walked toward the kid but stopped immediately Hana shouted.

"I don't have much time left, so it's okay. I'll stay with the kid till I die." Hana told him. "I have cancer you know, Yuri said he wanted to make me a mama before I died but funny how he died before me."

"I'll take care of it."

"Don't Roman... It's fine, I'll keep it till I eventually pass away but even after that don't kill it." Hana told him as she struggled to sit up. "He's my responsibility and I won't end his life... come here, baby."

The little daemon baby crawled toward her and she carried him.

"Igor..." Hana said calmly.

"What?" Roman asked."

"His name is Igor. Igor Dragonstead."

"Why Igor?" Roman asked.

"Doesn't he look like one?"

"Looks more like Frank to me."

A stroke of lightning graced the skies and thunder followed behind it with a boom that shook the hearts of mortals.

"...." Igor looked around him, he had no idea where he was. "What a horrible dream."

"What did you dream about," Liric sat down next to him and passed him a cup of tea. "Drink."

"I don't remember..." Igor grabbed the cup and slowly drank from it. "I think it was a dream about my past but just like most events from my past, I can't seem to remember them."

"You're human, nobody can recall events from their childhood that easily." Igor grabbed a book and slid it to Igor. "We'll be training from now on."

"Training," Igor took a sip of the tea and opened the book. "Wait... TRAINING!?"

"Yeah."

"Me and you? together? training?" Igor asked with stars in his eyes.

"I did promise you that." Liric laughed. "What's your max act? at one go of course."

"I could cast a pretty mean act twenty if I needed to." Igor read the book and dropped the tea when he saw the contents. "These are spells, B rank spells. A rank spells. S rank spells? why are you showing me these."

"So today won't happen again." Liric walked into his kitchen.

"Today?" Igor was so excited about the fact that he would train with Liric that he forgot what happened today. "Ula, Rex...Diana." Igor dropped the book and clamped his arms together.

"Look, it wasn't your fault." Liric walked into the room and sat next to him again. "Nobody in your situation would've been able to do anything. Don't blame yourself."

Igor quickly finished his tea and dropped the cup, "Teach me."

Liric saw it again, a flash of courage that shone in the boy's eyes. Liric had hope that Igor would be a valuable asset in the fight against Merlo but would he? Now that he didn't have the advent of mist, he wasn't as strong as he normally would be. This made him question his use, so for now he would train Igor.

"We have a week before Vancrest starts the next exams," Liric said. "Are you going to evolve?"

"Evolve?" Igor asked.

"Take the next step, are you ready to become a better you? To become stronger."

"I'm ready!" Igor shouted.

"Then your room is on the left at the end of the hall, we start tomorrow."

"Yes sir." Igor walked toward the left and stopped. "Wait... WHAT?"