It was late afternoon as the magical city of Vane floated peacefully through the skies of the Katarina Zone. Just off the west edge of the city Meribia could be seen spreading out across the coastline. A bell sounded from someplace within Vane, announcing the end of another day at the Magic Academy. The doors to the study halls opened up and children ranging from the ages of six all the way to twenty exited. Carla Ausa watched from the window of her study in the Guild mansion with a pleasant smile on her face. When all the children were out of sight, she sighed and turned away.
The Head Mistress of the Magic Guild stopped several feet from the window to look herself over. No matter what Mirage said the black dress she was wearing did nothing to lessen the existence of her protruding stomach. Grumbling to herself, Carla grabbed a book off of her desk and left the office. She walked out into the hall, and the pair of guild knights standing outside her door greeted her. A flip nod was all either man received from her as she continued down the hall. She stopped at the east wing stairs and frowned.
Carla quickly muttered the words to a simple levitation spell, but as usual nothing happened. After a few more failed tries she gave up completely and took the mundane way down to the first floor. Ever since she had reached the second trimester of her pregnancy, her magic had decided to come and go as it pleased. Simple spells that she had been doing since she was five wouldn't even work. Several minutes, and a whole lot of cursing later, Carla made it down the stairs.
"Now don't you use that language," she told her stomach. "At least not until Connery steals something from you for the first time." The Head Mistress chuckled to herself and continued on her way.
Carla finally reached the den. As requested there was a fire already crackling in the fire place, and there was a tray of snack foods set up on the coffee table between the room's two red velvet chairs. Carla nodded and walked over to one of the chairs. Then she, not quite gracefully, settled into a chair with a satisfied sigh. Next she put her feet up on the foot stool and opened her book. Not three minutes had gone by before...
"Aunt Carla!"
"Right on time," muttered the Head Mistress.
Seconds later a young boy of about seven came scampering into the den. Standing at about four foot seven, the boy was wearing a standard reddish brown school robe with the Guild sigil on the front. His features were distinct and handsome, and his left blue eye and right green eye shone brightly over his constant smile. His dark blond hair was cut short and partially parted just to the right with several blue tinged bangs jutting out and down over the left side of his forehead.
Carla closed her book and smiled at her, if not really, nephew. "Good evening, Dante. How were classes?"
The child shrugged. "All right, I guess." He folded his hands behind his head. "Professor Micral started teaching us elemental combinations, but since I figured that out a year ago it was pretty boring."
"You should still listen," she chided. "Micral is a good teacher. He can help learn how to weave the strands correctly." Carla gave him a half smile. "I don't think we need another incident like that fire water you tried to create last semester."
Dante gave her an innocent look. "It wasn't my fault, Aunt Carla. Connery mixed the wrong magics together with his transfer machine."
"That is why he is an inventor and not a mage," she replied. The Head Mistress shook her head and motioned for him to sit. "We've still got a couple of hours before dinner. Did you do all your homework?"
"Yesterday," answered Dante.
Carla thinned her eyes at her young nephew. One day he was going to be quite the wizard. He was already at the top of his age group and the next two age groups for that matter. The only thing Carla had to make sure about was that he never got a swelled head about his abilities. "All right then. What do you want to do until dinner?"
Dante's eyes lit up. "Can I go play with Hyal?"
"Oh no!" said Carla quickly. "You and that green dragon are still in trouble for that fly by you did to the Governor's Mansion in Meribia. You're just lucky your parents are still on the Blue Star and didn't hear about it. No, you are under house arrest, kiddo."
There was silence for a few minutes. "Well," Dante said finally. "How about a story?"
Carla raised an eyebrow. "That's doable. Which one do you want to hear this time?"
A huge smile spread across the child's face. "The one where Dad met Mom!"
"That's only one part of the big one," said Carla after a whistle. "You sure you want to hear the whole thing?"
Dante nodded enthusiastically. "Okay." Carla straightened in her chair and folded her hands over her book. "This story has roots that run all the way back to several important and monumental events. These events were so great and so powerful that they set the tides of time lapping against the edges of the universe..."