xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx CHAPTER TWO - Weyard Reborn xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

February 3, 2023 - 4:58pm

My House

Long time no writing huh?

Sorry for the long delay. If you forgot who I am, too bad I don't feel like reminding ya.

The reason for my long absence is it was time for me to do my usual rounds of gambling and saying Hi to some old friends of mine in Tolbi. It's a long story, but I'll share it with my listening public because my vacation does relate to my family life.

As said I live in Vale and have a family of great people. My Father Felix and my mother Emma are geologists who study up on Weyard's recent activity. Believe this, but the world was once flat when it was drained of its resources thanks to the lighthouses. Since the lighthouses and its glowing beacons of power are the source of all Alchemy, everything grew and prospered at one time.

Powerful mages sealed that power away in Vale's Sol Sanctum after people misused Alchemy. But that in turn hurted the planet more than it helped against people's greed.

The beacons were put out and crystallized into Elemental stars and were at rest at the Sol Sanctum.

My father and his friends lit the lighthouses with those elemental stars and the world is growing again, albeit slowly, but oceans, mountains and land are rising from the void and prospering. The world of Weyard is becoming more and more the planet it once was.

Because the planet is growing, its become harder to reach the emerging lands and finding out what's out there. As far as the continents are concerned, were just a bunch of continents all together in a huge ocean lost. Exploration is impossible and thanks to the insane boat prices to explore, only the rich and wealthy can set out and explore the lands.

I know I'm supposed to let you in on my family life, but I feel its wise to explain things since lots of things have changed when compare to the old times where my father was an asskicking mercenary fighting monsters and saving the world.

Because the prices for ferries and boats have skyrocketed, poor, simple folk like me are just left behind and wonder what the outside world is like all driven by that force and curiosity.

The only one whose really made headlines about the world was the man who discovered and changed the history of Weyard aside from my own fathers own doing.

Eugene Davonshire is a scientist and geologist who is the definition of Big Bucks. He went off to explore emerging mountains about a decade ago and came back with paydirt.

He unearthed crystals that contained various powers within them which he called them "Magi Crystals" He found hundreds of these gems in the surrounding mountain areas and learned that they can be used as a power source without the help of the elemental lighthouses or alchemy at all.

A huge baby boom exploded after that in which people have made hundreds of new inventions using the crystals as a power source. Pretty awesome considering that Weyard is getting more 'bigger' in terms of technology and society.

Eugene took his prized invention and set up base at the main location where crystals were growing. He called the place "Site 1" and continues research there.

Fellow scientists and geologists took up residence in the surrounding mountain areas and held their own experiments and research. This is a huge boom to the economy and many people have benefited from it thanks to this Magi Crystal discovery.

This is where my family comes in. My folks took up jobs as geologists to study up on this new phenomena and have been doing it around the time as the crystals were discovered.

My dad and his team of researchers like my uncle Isaac and aunt Jenna did more researching and learned that there are problems with the crystals.

Some crystals, it was learned, had some negative side effects when used by adepts. There are crystals that bestow Psynergy to the user even whether they're an adept or human and its more risky to the former. These crystals are often dangerous because they can conflict with a person, mainly an adept's own powers and cause negative side effects like mental disorders, illness, or even death.

Pretty bad stuff to get involved with if you're an adept. But the majority of crystals are safe, but that doesn't mean the dangerous ones are all found.

:door opens:

Felix: "Ethan did you see my... "

Ethan: "DAMN!"

Felix: "So you're the one who has my Crystal Report."

Ethan: "Sorry Pops, just felt like looking it over."

Felix: "Sorry, but that's classified information son."

:Pops takes it back and leaves my room:

Err yeah, I was reading off of that file. I sure as hell have no idea what's going on with this World that much, but I felt the reader, that's you guys, needed a clear idea about what's going on.

I'll finish up with these brief statements. My folks' jobs revolve around my family life as well. My family is always busy with their touring all over the place doing research on the Magi Crystals. My parents never stay at one place at one time, meaning they never stay at Vale because they are always going place to place with the team looking for new discoveries.

This is where I am involved.

THE DAMN PEOPLE NEVER LET ME GO WITH THEM!!

I ALWAYS stay in Vale and never go with them to digs. I'm "too young" apparently and I'll just be a burden to them. This is part of my frustrations being a loner in a town where everyone despises you and looks down on you.

Damn them all.

I've had my share of babysitters, the majority of them being an old woman named Miss Rivers who I crash at most of the time. She's a nice woman, but she has too many cats living with her and she smokes all the damn time, its annoying, so I'm always out on the village.

She doesn't mind me being with her, hell she's probably the only one outside of my other family who will let me have a place to stay.

My other family is my cousin Miyuki who is the daughter of my uncle and Aunt Isaac. But my Aunt and Uncle are always with my parents, their house too is empty.

Miyuki is overseas in a very good Alchemy school, so I hardly ever see her at all.

Hmm, that reminds me, she is supposed to return to Vale either today or tomorrow after some trip she was on. I guess I'll see the cuz again after a year or so.

Don't think of me being a miserable kid living in a jail town. I do have my share of fun. This I'm looking forward to sharing with you all is what I like to do in my spare time.

I've taken a liking to gambling and card games. I can't explain it but my luck is nothing to scuff at. I've taken up the craft of card games whether its poker, old maid, whatever, I seem to draw the right card at the right time. I'm really amazed at how well I can play.

It's rewarded me pretty good and I enjoy it a lot. I picked up this craft a few years ago when my folks actually gave a damn and took me to Tolbi, a huge city, gambling town and its tradition lies with a tournament held there yearly. That's where I stumbled upon my "second family".

Looking for directions, my folks went to a local tavern called the "King Cat" tavern and gaming facility. My father asking for directions, I loomed around and played some games. There were some poker tables so I decided to have some fun. It didn't strike as odd that I won 7 or 8 games and I drew a crowd. I won the next two games and the manager took interest of me. The Manager named "Big Pops" took notice of me and asked me if I wanted to be taken under his wing. My folks refused, but I wanted to enjoy these games more.

We left, but I'll never forget the time I first went to the tavern and played the tables.

In fact, hehehehehehe. I actually came back. A month after that, my folks had left to go on a dig and I snuck aboard the ferry to Tolbi and I came back to the club and agreed to be Pops' apprentice. I learned more of the craft of all the card games, slot machines and became a gambling prodigy.

I found my happiness after all. After that it became routine, I would sneak onboard and go to Tolbi and continue my gambling spree. The security at the docks sucks so bad, you could smuggle anything. Hahahaha. I keep winning and made the Tavern a hit and Pops very rich. I don't give a damn for the money; I just enjoy playing cards and working there. Pops did offer me a share of the money, but that's not important to me.

This is my Bliss, my happiness. All that parental neglect, but I survived thus far.

That's all for now. I'll update once I go see Miyuki come back from her trip. For now...

- E-Man