"Master... why the name Luminous? When you found me that day in the snowy field, were you not hesitant to keep a stranger such as me in the Harmony?" I asked the old man. Ever since I spent more time with them, I never doubted the answers that I was given because I believed in them although a lot of other questions had always made me more curious. They somehow became the pieces of a puzzle that I was trying to fit in my mind. But until then, I still could not remember anything past the day I was founded.
"Luminous. Something that is clear, bright, and enlightening. Just like your eyes, they are luminous." He explained my name with just a few words. After hearing his answer, I've wanted to know more why. So many questions lingered in my mind and until now, I'm not satisfied. Selfish as it may sound, I want... no, I need to know more about where I came from and who I truly am. Unfortunately, I did not and do not know where to start.
The once brunette man with a beard has become so much older. His neatly tied hair is very long in length and almost all of its strands have become white so did his beard and eyebrows. With so much years that have passed, I've almost forgotten what he looked like.
"Another dream...? It's so vivid again. But why is the past repeating itself?" The sun started to rise again and I could already hear the birds' chirping. I got up from my bed and went downstairs to wash my face. I boiled the fresh milk that Lania got from her goat at the backyard for my morning cup. I realized that Lania is still not awake so I decided to leave a note.
Lania,
I will be out for a while. I will be back by afternoon. Take care of yourself for me. I will be back, I promise.
I carved the note on a bark of a tree since we did not have any paper and pen. Our home was so isolated that only in the slightest chance someone could find it. So isolated that we're almost uncivilized. And so, I set out to travel to Ellinia along with my bag with a knife, small piece of cloth, some fruits, and a bag of water if ever I get lost and to regain my energy since the place is a huge forest. I had also carved a wooden rod in case uncertain dangers should happen. I wasn't able to try but I hoped that I will be able to cast spells with it as my master has taught me.
To be frank, I do not know which road leads to Ellinia and all I have is my years of basic training and my instincts with me for these kinds of situation. My master was a very wise man and has not only taught me about light magic but has also taught me about survival skills.
"Hmm. Elluel's hidden entrance is somewhat similar to the environment. My lead to Ellinia should start there." I thought. It's true that Elluel has a hidden entrance in defence to the Black Mage. And in order to get to the kingdom of elves, you had to have a special type of amulet to gain entrance given by high authorities or even the ruler himself else the entrance becomes invisible to your senses. Upon entering the hidden entrance, a main gate will be seen with a powerful magic barrier. You were then observed by the colour of your aura depending on your intention; red for bad, blue for neutral, and green for good and this was only seen by Elluel's specialists that guarded the gate. Its mechanism was indeed effective. It also signified that if you were welcomed to their kingdom, you were considered as an ally. At that time of crisis by the Black Mage, a lot of warriors were lost, not only the elves, and the hidden entrance was set so they could implement the highest security measures as possible to ensure the civilians' safety which was a top priority. It was understandable that even I would do the same to my people.
I continued to walk along the road and I saw a monster beside a tree from afar. It looked similarly to the evil eye but it was pale and almost transparent. It was single-eyed and its body was similar to a lizard. It was huge; almost the size of a crocodile and it has humps all over its body. I sneaked into it and slowly took my knife out my bag.
"Luminous, my friend, there are a lot of powerful monsters in this world. Each has their own strengths and as well as weaknesses. It's not just about defeating your enemy. It's about strategy. And no matter how weak they look, never underestimate them as the cliché says." Aran, who was a friend of mine, once told me those words. It wasn't the greatest advice I have ever heard but he had a point. At first impression meeting Aran, he looked like a warrior who only knew how to slay his enemies, but as our friendship grew, I realized he was a very intelligent man. And at the time when I last saw him on my way through the Black Mage's castle, although exhausted from our battles, he still smiled at me.
I'm now starting to think if he and the others are still alive.
I leaped to my feet and stabbed the monster with my knife. The monster immediately turned its sight to me as soon as I made a sound but not fast enough. I was able to cut the side of its stomach that it started to bleed green and howled in pain.
"Your blood does not quite seem to fit your complexity, my friend." I smiled and said those words as if the monster could understand what I was saying.
I quickly jumped back as it tried to swing its tail towards my feet. In a certain amount of time its wounds began to heal. As I thought, the single-eyed monster was closely related to the evil eye which can regenerate or renew its lost body parts except for its head. I charged again but this time, I planned to aim for its head to cut it off. I leaped to my feet the second time and stabbed its skull and pulled my knife towards me. The monster's body was cut in half, lengthwise, almost cut in two. It finally dropped to its feet as blood flowed from its body on the ground.
I walked towards the nearby tree and slid each side of my knife on its bark to remove the dripping green blood and cleaned the remaining stain with a piece of cloth. I sat on the ground to catch my breath and sighed in relief. But while I was resting, I began to hear simultaneous growls. It was as if a pack of monsters are hidden near my location, watching me. I carefully observed my surroundings while holding my knife backwards with my left arm and dropped my bag but as soon I started to turn my head upward, I saw more evil-eyes coming out of the hole within the huge dead tree. It must've been their house.
"Good. More target practice. It's time to put my hunting skills in use. 8… 10… 11…" I counted every monster that jumped off and surrounded me. I prepared my stance position and locked my eyes on one of the monsters.
And in that very moment, after centuries of being unconscious, I was ready to use magic again.
End of chapter III. I know first impressions are very important and everything especially on Chapter I but that has been my plan from the very beginning. If I'm consistent enough then I'd be able to update once a week and again, reviews and suggestions are very much appreciated.