Golden Child [Rewriting]

*Chapter 4

CHAPTER 4

It snowed the night Nuri Bachmann's scream pierced through the crisp mountain air. It was the first snow of that winter, but the atmosphere inside the hut was warm and loving, and as they pulled the small boy out of his mother's warm and safe womb, she looked at him once and named him Nuri – my fire – because she'd known he'd be a fire wielder like his father had been. The first time he ignited was when he was four, and his father had told him to light the fire, but didn't provide him with flint nor rock, and he had focused hard on the small set up in front of him and visualised his hands setting on fire, and they did. At first he was scared and immediately called his father back to the campsite. His father simply smiled and pet him on the head as he watched his son light the fire proudly. He hadn't known it then but his destiny was decided that day. From then on, his father trained him diligently in the art of fire wielding, teaching him the peaceful ways of the Aureans, but like all boys, Nuri had wanted to use his power to show off to the other children in the village, and he discovered his cursed ability when he was nine, as an ear-piercing scream wrecked through the crisp mountain air once again, and his useless tears fell upon the charred corpse of his childhood nemesis.

The sky was red as they emerged from the secret garden, and there were shrieks and groans everywhere, like a cacophony of distress, misery, and fear. Nuri gazed around the garden anxiously, the little lights no longer shining ethereally, but almost sinisterly as he heard the tortured wails coming from inside the dance hall, just like he had heard that day, standing over his parents' bodies as he gazed up at the sky, asking Mother Nature why she had forsaken him... He was snapped out of his daze as Ignis swore next to him.

"What's happening?" Nuri managed to ask, despite all the terrible memories that were resurfacing.

Ignis ignored his question, and placed a hand on his shoulder, "you can either stay here, or come with me, but either way I cannot guarantee your safety, Nuri." His name slid off Ignis' tongue easily, while his voice held determination.

Nuri repeated his earlier question as he looked up to the darkening, scarlet sky, almost if asking Mother Nature why she had forsaken him again.

"This ball is launched every year to celebrate the peace treaty between the humans and the Magi Clans," Ignis launched into an explanation, "however, there are a couple of rogue nations who refuse to abide. There was talk of an attack among the Magi Clans, but I didn't think they'd get past the front gate, as it's protected by a spell." Nuri's confused expression remained on his face, "you're not from a Magi Clan, then are you?"

"I'm of Aurean descent." He stated, almost proudly.

"Then your people won't concern themselves with issues between the Magi Clans and the humans. It makes sense you wouldn't know." Ignis replied, then he turned to Nuri with a determined and overconfident smile stuck on his face, "fight or flight?"

Despite Nuri's peaceful upbringing, he couldn't stand by and watch all these people perish, "fight." He said with the same determined smile on his face. Ignis nodded and they went to face their first assailants. Nuri and Ignis fired effortlessly toward the enemies, but it seemed they were unaffected by their magic, and Ignis forced Nuri to retreat. Back inside the castle, they regrouped, and Ignis pitched a theory.

"Have you ever heard of Magi and Aureans joining forces?" Ignis asked.

"No, not really. My mentor isn't too big on Magi History." Nuri admitted.

Despite the dreary backdrop, Ignis clapped his hands together excitedly, "lesson time then! Every mage uses mana embedded in their bloodstream to conjure spells, much like you who draws from nature, or sometimes your own life force. So in theory if our energy is compatible, we'd be able to create a new form of combined magic that would be able to defeat those dark mages out there." He explained, "in a sense, our personalities would compliment each other and in turn so would our energy. Would you be willing to try something like that?"