Unfamiliar with Zero
Disclaimer I own nothing in this sand box.
I was born like so many are in a small house near the beach. it was unremarkable i suppose except in so far as i lived before . and maybe i will again as age come and pass with the turning of the wheel ... maybe if the wheel of time was right. My last life i remembered mostly i liked math language and science never got a degree. I loved my last family. Dad died when i was in my teens .I never got married or really dated no kids. Ill try to change that this time around. My name this life is Johann Van Sant I'm the oldest three. My siblings are a pair of twins names Mary and Amalia.
Willim Van Sant never quite understood his eldest a bright sullen boy with bouts of mania. Little Johann did his chores on there freehold well enough , but then he would go over the family budget and then do some math on the side to see next years possible budget. The boy was strange. When It was time for the tithe in the boys thirteenth year It was found the boy had magic he was both relieved and concerned his son would be conscripted by the Prince but there would be a yearly tax credit on the Household. Relieved that the tax burden would lighten concerned that the plans to extend the fields would slow. If Johann did well maybe they would be ennobled it had happened before and would again. Willim himself wasn't a mage but he had gone a viking a time or two so he had noticed what mages tended to do. His wife Aletta was a mage if not very strong but she was skilled she could mold earth quite well and built dikes into the sea to extend there fields .Apparently the dikes that lasted weren't exactly easy, getting rid of salt in the sand was. Turning that sand into soil was disgusting mixing that years shit with leaves and branches.
Margave Baldwin of Vlanderhaven was a man of fear. Fear of Gallia fear of Swedes Fear of Germania fear for his people . It kept him up at night he needed more mages more men more land . He had a small army and a few mages but spies no not a lot mage spies even rarer. If he could plant some mages in other lands that had a similar position and they stayed loyal maybe he could get enough warning buy some time. He wrote up his plan and sent it to the prince . He took a drink to time allies and enemies reveled.
888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888 In the small orchard near the edge of the property on ii south side stood a youngish woman and her son alike in height and color both small fair of skin dark of hair one with purple eyes one with blue.
Aletta knew beyond a doubt her son was smart the ease with witch he learned mathematics proved that. So she expected that starting to teach what she knew of magic probably would go well if she knew how to start. It was always good to have a firm foundation.
She took a deep breath ... then another "The first thing you need to know is a wand or staff or whatever is not necessary ..Only focus. How you focus is up to you My Teacher taught me through a little archery and some meditation. You are one with your target that sort of thing . That helps but we can cheat have you noticed any of the plums around the farm?" Her son looked a little lost at the non sequitur . His blue eyes widened with a thought.
"In the account books there labeled as Dirigible Plums we well them as brandy to the Margave for the Militia. So do they really make you fly?" he let out with a rush.
She answered" Kind of sort of not really they help you float a little in air so you can move on the bounce ." she giggled a little" but what it will let us do is help you get in touch with your magic. So you'll eat a couple and I'll lead you in a focus exercise then a minor spell like mage hand. " She handed her son a couple of plums and sat .
Johann sat and ate and listened and felt like a fool. "Breathe in..listen to the world Breathe out focus on yourself...Breathe in your place in the world..Breathe out your emotions let them drop away. Breathe in" She droned on . He listened and tried to follow along...he felt something rising the falling he needed ..he needed to ..he needed too throw up...he did.
Aletta knew this could happen at least he didn't wet himself that happened sometimes when you felt your magic for the first time and it scared you with how big and ever present magic was . It never did her she was pretty weak compared to others and recovered slowly as well. She reached out with her mind her magic and scooped up the vomit. " Breathe in the world ... breathe out you ...breathe out " . His eyes were closed as he listened . she started lifting then dropping the vomit in time with voice "in and ...out. in...out" She felt more than saw his magic joining in on the lift and drop. "your eyes open them." His eyes opened and she saw a amazed and excited expression cross his face " its okay to stop .. with the vomit . We font know what you attuned to and no one is good at everything just try a couple things every day . playing with water pick up rocks lighting leaves . All spells are just like this picking up things . countering is wrestling your magic affecting there magic. most people have a range within which there comfortable working. So play around a little and practice don't try to much at once and feel free to help with the dikes ... and the wood chopping. And if you feel tired Stop this isn't your body This is Your mind Your soul Yourself. It can burn so much and so fiercely your body will wither trying to feed it that is how the Fallen happen so stop take a rest when you need to."
Johann looked at the the vomit at his feet. He had so many ideas wanted to try charcoal was mostly carbon right . graphene armor fireballs ... His head snapped up he spoke up " Mom did you say fallen?"
"Fallen " she corrected. " The Fallen are like feral people. All magic burning it self trying to stay bright . no soul no conscience no thought beyond hunger. they still have body's though if barely there shells of themselves stick like arms hollow bellies Burnt out eyes . Any other questions? "
" Transmuting things? " he asked. " I've tried a few things" She replied" ice to water was as easy as breathing water to ice a little harder.. wood to charcoal doable smoke to ash a little like herding cats . pears to apples Impossible i saw a fellow student try she passed out i thought she might've fell. Copper to Silver " She grinned wide " I can do that be careful you might go to far and die you so past Gold and end up with nothing in your hands and dieing of wasting sickness. Any others?"
"Time?" He questioned. She shrugged "Wouldn't even know how to start Teleporting as well"
"Flight?" he asked. " Ever try to pick yourself up and throw?" she answered. " Go on go try it yourself I've got to pull salt out of the new north west field. Be safe and careful." so saying she walked off humming a song " We sing all night and drink all day ..then youll ride along with me to dance with jack o the shadows."
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Johann looked at his moms back as she walked away . " well I suppose i should start with chores? .. " he spoke . so saying he walked to the shed grabbed the ax .. and went to the log nearby . He tried grabbing the ax like he did the vomit and swung. The Ax sat there on the ground ignoring him . " Right focus breathe in and out " he thought aloud. In and.. out In and ...out he reached out with his hand and grabbed the ax focus.. in and out ... swung he felt something shifting as he swung ... shit shit shit he couldn't stop the ax .
Willem looked up as his son ran up into spinning room . " DAD DAad DAd I broke the log when splitting wood" he yelled. "Good for you son " he said .
"you don't understand the long under the other one you know the big one. " Johann explained.
"Aah ...well I suppose your next chore is to make a new splitting rock instead of a log don't forget to bring it to the same spot . Don't break the axe " He Laughed. That boy of his. back to work..
Author notes this is my first fic be kind . OK so I am doing this help practice typing. I'm pushing back the time line of familiar of zero to just before charlemange never mind that its like the hundred years war or later Agnes has a flintlock pistol. so definitely pre French Revolution . Also I know Anime it doesn't have to make sense . I am dnd ing this Si fic no one wins just because i said so. Tabitha won't get a dragon realistically she would cheese the hell out it...And I Think I saw a beholder in that scene Do you really want to go fishing with familiars some on might get a balor or something worse .