—Kael Drakewill's point of view—
—Hello, Master Aleph, it's a pleasure to meet you. My name is Kael Drakewill and I'm 3 years old.
I answered the best way I could think of, since I was never actually taught how to do it, like my father said. But I already had an idea of what to do.
—What a polite little guy. As you may have heard, I'm beast-bearer Master Aleph Arknite. My presence today is because of you; I hope your parents told you why.
—Of course! They told me you were coming to measure my potential or something like that. They said you're a very important person and that it would be an honor to meet someone like you.
—Haha, thanks, I'm flattered, but it's not such a big deal. I'm just another servant and citizen of the empire, like you. But enough small talk. Let's see if this trip here was worth it; if not, your parents will have to put you to work, even if you're still a kid, to pay for it, hehe.
Maybe the master noticed my face turning gloomy when I heard that, because he just laughed a little afterward.
—Haha, just kidding, little one. These jobs are some of the favorites among our faction.
—We can connect with people no matter who they are, and without it being permanent.
—You know, every person is a different world; no one is the same as another, at least that's what I think. Why do I say this? Because, like I said, this is our favorite work, how we can explore and learn more about behavior, instinct, emotions, and also the form of the human soul and body. For them it's an evaluation, but for us it's more than that; it's a way of life. We give people hope.
—A kid like you could be a bearer; you could help develop and protect an empire, the world if we go further. That sounds like a dream, don't you think?
I felt motivated and excited by everything he said, but I didn't say anything; I just nodded and kept listening carefully.
—But just like we give it, we can also take it away. That's what happens when, in the rare case, a person doesn't have enough ether energy to handle the connection and the power that comes with linking with a creature. It's devastating news, not just for the evaluator but also for the family. It's common to see people like that being degraded or treated unfairly. This happens in about one out of every ten thousand people, and like I said, it affects the family too because it doesn't matter if your father or a relative is, for example, a double-bearer of category 4 or even the king himself. Those kinds of people will insult and humiliate the poor person, and for them, as I said, your relatives don't matter. They might even think that, being a direct descendant, the problem starts with your father or mother... they're the original flaw. That's why status doesn't matter."
The master stood there silent for a couple of seconds. Then he cleared his throat and went on.
—Well, we're not here for me to tell you the history of Bonds, are we? Let's get to the main point of my visit. Let's start from the beginning: please take off any clothing from the waist up.
—…
It seemed strange to me, but I followed his instructions without complaining. I took off the only shirt I was wearing and waited.
—Good, now I want you to close your eyes and show me your back. Also raise whichever arm you want to shoulder height.
I did what he told me, waited another moment, and then I noticed a light shining behind me, as warm as the sun. After that, I just felt a small prick on the shoulder blade of the arm I had raised, and another right in the middle of my back—except this one hurt a lot more.
It felt like they were drilling straight into my spine. That made me fall to my knees. I looked at my parents, but they looked calm, almost like they didn't care. In the end, I just looked back down at the ground. The pain went on for about twenty more seconds before fading away.
Albert helped me stand, and I turned to look at the master.
At first, he seemed confused; then it looked like he had reached a conclusion. He gave me a quick look and then spoke to my parents.
—All right, the results are… single-space bearer, double element: fire and earth. That's all.
The moment my parents heard the word "bearer," their expectant faces turned to joy and excitement. It seemed like everything went well, but something bothered me: he said I was a single bearer with affinity for fire and earth, but didn't that completely contradict what that figure had told me in my dream?
I thought about mentioning it to the master or my parents, but I held back. It didn't feel right or like the right moment, so I just pushed it to the back of my mind.
—Single bearer with two elements, that's amazing, Kael. My son, I'm even more proud of you, hahaha.
My father said.
He lifted me up and tossed me into the air. Both of them, even the master, were smiling and looked happy. That made me happy too.
—All right, looks like my work here is done. I have other matters to attend to, so I'll be leaving now.
—Thank you very much, Master Aleph. You don't know how much I appreciate the help you've given us today. I'll repay you someday, you have my word.
—Haha, thank you, Mr. Albert, but just having done my job is enough. Though if you want to repay me, how about sending Kael to an academy when he's old enough? That would be a big step in his growth. Maybe I could even help him myself—it would be an honor.
—The honor would be ours, Master Aleph. I'd be glad to leave him in your care. I've heard great things about you.
The master just smiled and nodded.
He looked at me one last time.
—I'll be waiting, Kael Drakewill. Don't let me down, hehe.
The master left after saying those words. Once the patio door closed, my parents hugged me.
—Kael, my little one, I'm so proud of you. You don't know how happy I am for you.
Mother sobbed for a while as she hugged me along with father. She calmed down after a bit, and they let me go.
—Shall we go inside?
My father asked.
—Sure,
I replied.
Once inside the house, my father sat next to me on the couch.
—From now on, the training will be a bit more intense, Kael. I hope you can handle it because I won't have mercy, hahaha.
My father said, laughing.
—Hehe, all right, I'll be waiting for your training, dad.
—Good. It's been a long day, so take a bath and go to sleep, okay?
—Yes, sir,
I said like a soldier taking orders.
—Good night, dad! Mom!
—Good night, son!
they both said at the same time.
When I entered the bathroom, I took off my clothes and looked at myself in the mirror. Maybe someone would think that after something like today, something would change, but it didn't seem like it. I kept looking for a while until, when I lifted my arm a little, I noticed a strange spot, darker than my skin. Turning my arm over, I could see some kind of mark or tattoo that went from my elbow up to my back or beyond, but I couldn't tell. I turned my back to the mirror, and there it was—it reached the center of my back, right where I had felt the pain from the master's bond. It looked like a line or pattern, but it was barely visible. I got dressed again and quickly left the bathroom. I went to my parents, who were cleaning and washing the dinner dishes. When I was behind them, for some reason my voice came out louder than I expected, so I startled them a little.
They both turned around at the same time. I spoke first.
—Dad, mom, something's wrong with me... look!
I took off my shirt and showed them my arm and back. They froze.
I thought the worst, but then they just started laughing out loud.
—Hahaha, oh little one, you gave me quite a scare. Don't do that again, okay?
—There's nothing wrong or defective with you. That there is your Path, something like a tattoo that appears after a master evaluates you, when you discover your qualities or form a bond. Every bearer has one, though it varies depending on the spaces and the elements you have affinity with. And from what I see so far, it only traces the single space you have and the earth element, but it's nothing to worry about, I assure you. I can tell you about it later, if you want.
I calmed down when I heard that. I thought it was a death mark or something—that wouldn't have been good.
I let out a sigh before speaking.
—Thanks, dad. Sorry for scaring you, and yes, I'd like you to tell me more when you can.
I said good night to them again before washing up and going to bed.
While lying down, I thought about everything father, mother, and Master Aleph had said, but also about that other person. I was really sleepy, so I decided it would be a waste of time to keep going with that. I got comfortable and, before I knew it, I was deeply asleep.