Humanity's Greatest Warlock

A fairly wrinkled old man stood at the edge of a cliff gazing out at the vast kingdom in the distance with glowing orange eyes. The kingdom of Aldesty, home to the most talented mages the human realm had to offer, but yet there was nothing they could do to protect themselves from the dark days ahead of them.

The wind whipped around his oversized robes as he supported his frame on a crooked wooden staff. The air so high up was biting cold and painful to inhale, but he endured it all as he patiently waited for a sliver of hope to bolster his resolve to face the future.

He clutched his chest in pain and slid down to the floor still gripping his staff tightly.  

"Agh, this damn old heart. I can't believe that I, the great sage has been reduced to such a pathetic state. But even if I have to fight the demon Lord himself, I'll remain here until I hear that sound of hope"

The old sage smiled to himself through the pain as a faint sound reached his ears. He felt his entire self being filled with purpose and he got up shakily with the support of his staff. He cupped his ears to hear the sound clearer and he confirmed it. It was the cry of a new born child, and it was not any new born child... it was a child of hope.

He chuckled loudly before whispering into the wind "You'll have to suffer quite a bit, you'll have to make some poor choices, you'll have to carry a lot of regrets... But one day, you'll make everything right"

The old sage then hobbled away from the cliff with his staff, his eyes burning brighter than ever and his face set in determination.

***

In a large room in an equally large mansion, three women and a tall bespectacled man were gathered around a grand four poster bed with crimson red sheets, watching the new born gently sucking on it's mother's breasts. The man had a commanding presence and carried himself so gracefully that one would immediately guess that he was a noble.

And he was the eighty sixth Duke of the Regis Duchy, Stephen Malcolm Regis II. He had crimson red hair which was the most common hair colour for the Regis family members. His lean, solid body was fitted into a white  shirt with it's sleeves rolled up to reveal slightly muscular arms. His coal black eyes stared coldly down at his own blood, a healthy looking baby boy, without a hint of joy on his face. Instead, he was looking at the child with open faced displeasure.

"Why does he have your green eyes!? And why is his hair burgundy in colour, we Regis' are meant to have crimson red hair. It's as if he's defying the family right from birth... Are you sure this kid is even mine!?"

Stephen was angrily grilling his wife with absurd questions not minding the pain she was in and all she could do to keep from yelling back at him was to watch as her son suckled her.

Duchess Dorothy Regis was wife of Duke Stephen Regis and mother to two children; Amelia Regis and the newly born child she was carrying in her arms. She had a naturally weak body and so the pain of childbirth weighs double on her. She felt like yelling at her husband though she'd only end up getting the beating of her life. Stephen was a cold hearted monster and she knew not to try his patience.

"He's your son... I can swear to it," she said in a low but angry voice. 

Stephen was way past reasoning and everyone in the room was surprised when he violently grabbed the baby and yanked him out of his mother's grip.

"My Lord! Please be careful, he's still just a few hours old. He's as brittle as a..."

The old midwife wearing the crimson red livery of the Regis house stopped talking when Stephen glared at her.

"Don't tell me how to take care of my child, you hag. Get out of my sight before you infect me with your... "

Stephen suddenly trailed off in the middle of his sentence and everyone present started wondering at what surprised him enough to stare open mouthed at his son.  

"This boy... this boy... What the hell?"

"What is it Stephen?"

Stephen then smiled at his child. Though it was not a caring smile or a smile of joy. It was the smile of someone plotting how to use someone else.

"You, old hag" he pointed at the old midwife "Run to Evander's room and tell him to get out the word that, the new born child of Stephen Regis has shown to be capable of possessing magic from the tender age of one hour."

The old woman gaped at him for a few seconds hardly believing her ears.

"Now!"

She turned around and raced out of the room with a joyous shriek.

Dorothy could only stare at her husband and son with a tired expression and a small smile.

"What shall we name him?"

Stephen raised his son into the air and cocked his head to the side.

"How about... Aaron Desmond Regis, the new heir of the Regis duchy"

Stephen grinned as Dorothy's expression    

soured.

"I thought Amelia was supposed to be heir. She's only four but she's already showing aptitude for Mana and she's your first born... it's her birthright"  

Dorothy made a weak argument but her husband's mind was set on making Aaron his heir.

"It's not her birthright Dorothy, it's the birthright of the first son of the house. A Duke is generally preferred to a Duchess therefore, Aaron is the best choice for heir"

Stephen's self-satisfied smile at his own explanation was repulsive to his wife, but she had no say in political family matters because she was not a magic user.

Magic users commonly known as mages, were the privileged few in the kingdom born with the ability to use the natural magical energy inherent in the human realm known as Mana. 

The kingdom of Aldesty was the land with the largest amount of magic users, around 30-35% of it's population have been proven to be able to use mana. It was also the kingdom with the most talented mages.

Mages were ranked solely on strength into seven grades and one super class. Grade seven was the rank for the weakest of mages and Grade one was the accepted upper limit of most mages, but some grade ones were stronger than the others, giving rise to the unofficial rank; Grade One Transcedents.

But there was a rank that surpassed all others, and since the rank was so special as to be called a super class, people who had attained this rank were called Special Grade Mages.

Stephen Regis was ranked officially as a grade one mage but unofficially as a grade one transcedent. He was the head of the Regis family, which was the most talented magic family in Aldesty.

His achievements both as a mage and a leader were so impressive that he was named as one of the twelve strongest mages in the kingdom. 

Dorothy sighed as she took Aaron back from her husband. She could only imagine what he would have to go through if he didn't meet up to Stephen's expectations. She shook her head in pity for her son with only one thought in her head.

'Damn you, Stephen Regis.'