Chapter 5: Fatebringer

Chapter 5: Fatebringer

Ezekiel walked towards the crystal, his heart racing. He took a deep breath and steadied himself, determined to make the most of this opportunity. As he approached the dull crystal, he could feel the eyes of the other students and the members of the great families on him. He heard the whispers of those around him, speculating about his potential affinity. The thought of becoming a powerful mage filled him with excitement. Ezekiel reached out his hand and touched the crystal. He focused all his concentration on summoning his magical abilities.

The boy took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He knew that the Fatebringer crystal would only glow if it sensed an affinity within him. He concentrated hard, focusing on the image of fire and the desire to control it.

Seconds passed, and Ezekiel could feel sweat forming on his brow. He opened his eyes a crack and saw that the crystal was still dull and lifeless. His heart sank. He pressed his eyes shut again and focused his mind even more. He could see the flames dancing in front of his inner eye. An inferno of fire and wrath, destroying all in its path. Still, there was no change in the crystal in front of him.

"Relax your mind, boy." The voice of the headmaster reminded him. His tone was gentle, convincing Ezekiel to give up on the iron hold he had on his thoughts. He let his mind drift. The thoughts that came to him were so very different from moments before.

He saw his father, lifting a stack of heavy crates above his head. A beaming smile emerged on the man's face upon noticing Ezekiel's admiring gaze. He saw a crowd of people, all connected by an invisible net of energy, and then, he saw his hometown from up in the air. His viewpoint drifted up, ever further into the sky. Finally, he looked down at a blue sphere that floated in an endless, dark void.

Without Ezekiel's knowledge, the crystal had started to glow. It was faint at first, but it gradually grew brighter and brighter, until it was almost blinding. When the boy finally opened his eyes, he could hardly believe what he was seeing. He looked around and saw the shocked expression on the faces of the other students. Even the Arch Mage looked surprised.

"Well, well, well, this is most unusual," the Arch Mage declared, his voice full of amazement. "You have a Tri-affinity, my boy. And one of them is even a perfect affinity. I believe this is the first time in my life that I have witnessed both these abnormalities at the same time."

The Arch Mage realized the initiates wouldn't know about affinities and went on to explain.

"The grade of an affinity is the measure of a person's core. It is a rough term to describe how much ambient Mana can be attuned by one's core. The scale goes from minor to perfect. While a minor affinity means your core can only convert up to 10% of the ambient mana, a perfect affinity represents the opposite end of the spectrum. Do you understand?"

Ezekiel could hardly believe what he was hearing he had never even heard of a perfect affinity before. At least none of the thousands of other initiates today had gotten this rating.

He looked over to the Fire section and saw Alexander Feuerkranz, the leader of the Fire students, staring at him with a mixture of shock and jealousy. The Arch Mage's expression was serious as he gazed at Ezekiel, causing a sense of unease to wash over the young man. The whispers and murmurs of the crowd fell silent as they waited for the Arch Mage to continue.

"Unfortunately, Ezekiel's perfect affinity is not Fire," he said, causing a ripple of astonishment to go through the audience. Ezekiel's heart sank as he realized that he would not be able to join the Fire faction as he had hoped. He had never truly considered that his primary affinity could turn out to be anything other than fire. He now regarded the Arch Mage anxiously, as he waited to learn what his future would hold.

The headmaster continued to speak: "In fact, he does not have an affinity with any of the four primary elements of Fire, Water, Earth, and Air, at all."

Like many red-haired individuals, Ezekiel had always hoped for a fire affinity. To discover, today, that he had no affinity for any of the four elements at all was a shock. He couldn't stop himself from demanding an answer. The mix of nervousness and disappointment made the word sound much harsher than he had intended.

"If I don't have a fire affinity, then why did the crystal glow red?!" The boy half screamed at the headmaster. He still had not come to terms with the reality of the situation, leading him to not consider who he was talking to. There was an immediate outcry from the students. How dare a lowly peasant like him speak to the headmaster like that?

The old man waited a moment for the crowd to calm down and then went on to explain to Ezekiel, not unkindly.

"The big red part of your core represents your perfect affinity that is not a Fire affinity, however," the old man began. Here, he paused for a moment, as if he didn't want to say the next words. After a moment of thought, he still explained. "That... that is your Blood affinity."

Murmurs could be heard from the crowd, this news seemed not to be well received.

"You see, boy, advancing into the later stages as a mage is very costly. It requires resources, time, and dedication. For someone with one affinity, it is already a significant undertaking. But for someone with three affinities, it is three times as costly. It requires three times the resources, three times the time, and three times the dedication. But even if you invest all of that, do you think the mage is three times as strong?" Without waiting for Ezekiel to react, he answered his own question.

"The answer is no. In most cases, the mage will not even be as strong as a mage that has focused on a single affinity. Specialization is more often than not the right way to go. You will learn more about that in class, I am sure."

After his rant, the Arch Mage sighed again and continued. "You must understand that no noble family is willing to invest in a mage that is three times as expensive with no additional benefit. It would be a waste of resources for them."

Ezekiel's heart sank as he realized the implications of what the Arch Mage was saying. "So, what does this mean for my future as a mage?" He asked, his voice barely a whisper.

"I am sorry to say this, but your chances of being adopted by any family are not great. I won't lie to you and tell you that you can get yourself out of this with hard work alone. Still, If I were in your place, I would give it my all and see where fate takes me." the Arch Mage replied. There was a strange gleam in his eyes as he added one final line. "Who knows? There might be a quirky old noble who has been looking for a boy just like you."

The boy did not catch the strange look in the headmaster's eyes. It was already gone by the time he finally looked up. There was now a fire in his own gaze. "I understand, I will do whatever it takes."

The Arch Mage smiled and patted Ezekiel on the shoulder. "I have no doubt that you will, boy. Remember, your affinities are gifts, but they also come with responsibilities. Use them wisely, and for the betterment of all."

Ezekiel looked around the room, the jeers and smirks of the crowd still ringing in his ears. He didn't know if he would make it as a mage, but he knew one thing for sure, he was not going to let them laugh at him anymore. He straightened his back, determination set in his eyes, and he walked off the stage with his head held high.

He scanned the room for a place to sit but saw no designated area for Blood mages or Mind mages. No group cheered for him or beckoned him over. Finally, he noticed a small group of people sitting together in the corner, their robes bearing the symbol of the Space element.

Unsure of what to do, he hesitated for a moment before walking over and taking a seat amongst them. His mind was in turmoil as he tried to process the headmaster's words and the reactions of those around him. He felt alone and out of place, not sure how to fit in with the other students, who all seemed to have a clear path ahead of them.

Ezekiel was lost in thought, completely unaware of the surrounding commotion. All around, people congratulated each other or mourned their lack of magical ability. He mechanically followed the small group of Space mages. He hadn't even registered the passage of time, as they made to leave the hall after the conclusion of the ceremony.

His mind was filled with confusion and disappointment as he struggled to come to terms with all that had happened. He had three unusual affinities. None of which were associated with the four primary elements. He felt like he didn't belong anywhere and was unsure of what his future held.

As he walked through the hall, Ezekiel could feel the eyes of the other students on him. He heard snickering and whispers as he passed by, and he was certain that they were laughing at him. He tried to ignore them and focused on catching up to the Space mages, but it was difficult to disregard the constant jeering.

Furthermore, he couldn't help feeling embarrassed and ashamed. How much of a fool had he been for always assuming that he had a fire affinity? He now recognized his own conviction for the wishful thinking that it had always been. In his mind, he imagined that everyone around him was looking at him with disdain.

When he finally reached the Space mages, they gave him cold looks and ignored him. They were making it clear that they didn't consider him to be one of them as well. Ezekiel sighed and grabbed the bag with his uniform and school token from the staff member that passed by, before sitting down in a corner. He was feeling more alone and out of place than ever before.

After a while, one of the staff members took pity on the confused boy. He walked up to Ezekiel and explained to him that only the major faction had student dormitories for the first years. He would need to find a place to stay on his own until he was a second or third-year.

Ezekiel was stunned by this information and had a sinking feeling in his stomach. He had not considered the possibility of not having a place to stay. The staff member told him that there were inns and boarding houses in the city that catered to students, but they could be expensive. Ezekiel nodded, feeling overwhelmed by the sudden change in plans. He thanked the man and decided to head back to the square where the carriage had dropped them off. He was hoping to find his friends and figure out a plan.

As he walked, he couldn't help but feel disappointed in himself for not being the powerful mage he had always dreamed of being.