The Imperial Chronicles: Augustus

Life in Trosen

Arc I – Young Augustus

Holy Year 1526 – Barony of Trosen

"Wake up Augustus! You would not want to be late for class." a gentle voice called out from outside the house. "I've heard Father Diocles does not tolerate tardiness."

"Ughhh... just give me five more minutes." answered a groggy Augustus as he placed a pillow in his eyes to block out the sun. He has a habit of staying up late at night and this results in him usually sleeping until noon. Today was no exception, even though it is the first day of his schooling. He heard his door being opened and someone coming in before the voice called again, less gentle this time.

"No! You've already said that three times. You really should start sleeping early like a normal person." Emilia told her son as she ripped away the pillow from his face. The boy just groaned in complaint before turning his body and laying down on his stomach, burying his face on the bed.

Emilia sighed. There really is no helping the boy. Closing her eyes, she started concentrating. She gathered the water vapor in the room and started to condense them just above Augustus's body. She then forced the heat to leave the mass of water, bringing it to ice cold temperatures before letting it fall upon the poor boy.

"Gaaah!! Cold! Cold!" Augustus screamed as he started to flail around and shiver uncontrollably. Damn mages and their spells.

As an apothecary in their village she is one of the civilians versed in magic. While she is specialized in alchemy, which allows her to make potions and medicines for a living, she also practices other disciplines such as elementalism which she used just now to wake up the sleepyhead she calls her son.

"Awake now?" teased Emilia while smirking in amusement. "Go, get ready to leave. I thought you couldn't wait to learn magic."

Augustus sighed in resignation and sat up as soon as Emilia left the room to get back to her shop. Alchemists must get ready early to keep their potions brewing. As his mother said, of course Augustus could not wait to learn magic. He did not just mean alchemy and basic elementalism like his mother but real magic. The magic that the mages of old used to slay dragons and conjure storms. It is unfortunate however that he just has to settle for learning from the local church for now. Maybe if he performed reasonably well, he could get a recommendation to one of the prestigious mage academies scattered in the Empire.

He started to stack his pillows and clean up the puddle that his mother made. It was as he wiped the last of the droplets that a loud bell rang seven times, its sound being heard all across the town.

"Great, it's only seven o'clock. I still have more than an hour and a half before I need to arrive at the church. Why does she insist on having me wake up as early as her?" Augustus complained under his breath. He made sure his mother did not hear him though, lest he gets an electric shock.

Deciding that the cold surprise his mother gave him was more than enough to consider himself washed, he slipped into his favorite pair of outfits. Unlike other more preppy teens of his age, he prefers the comfortable match of a simple cotton shirt and a pair of shorts. While he cares not for his looks, his mother's standing -and money- as an alchemist affords him such decent clothes considering that cotton is usually only available for the tradesmen and nobility. After getting dressed and grabbing his backpack, he bid his mother goodbye.

"Bye mom, 'gotta leave now!" he shouted as he walked through the door.

"Wait, I have something for you to do! Come here for a moment August." Emilia called after him.

"What is it?" August asked as he entered his mother's laboratory. He could see her shuffling around corked glass tubes, reading the labels one after another.