Age of Heroes (Age of Heroes Chronicles)

Days passed, and Arial tried to work his way through his stunned mind to make sense of things.

He had been taken beyond the flashing lights of the library and back to the moment of his birth, this he had accepted, but how, he had no idea.

His knowledge and his memories remained intact, his internal energy still at the high level he had trained it to be.

Not that it mattered much at this moment – in his infant body he was limited.

He spent his first few weeks staring at his tiny body.

He held his fingers above his face and watched as he clumsily manipulated them, working them through each other, clinging to any objects that were within his reach.

He had once thought that babies must be so bored all the time, barely able to move, but Arial was in complete awe of everything around him.

At times the shock almost overcame him, and he reacted in the only way a baby could: by bursting into hard tears.

But seeing his parents' loving faces appear instantly at his side, his cries subsided. He had missed them terribly.

Was this god's work? Arial wondered. He didn't know if his prayer had been heard, but it seemed he had been granted his wish.

He had a second chance.

His first step would be to strengthen his foundation.

Considering he was much too young to move, he couldn't possibly train his swordplay as he had in the library, so he settled for practicing the meditation technique he had learned from Levitia's journal.

He marveled at the incredible opportunity he had been given; through cultivating his internal energy from the youngest possible age he would become great, like the heroes in the stories his father would tell.

Arial would have the knowledge and the power to end the coming tragedies before they began. Humanity would survive this time; he would make sure of it.

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A happy and peaceful year passed.

Nothing makes Arial happier to see the faces of his parent again. It almost makes him be able to rest those dark noises he used to heard when he was in a bad moment.

Sometimes he would wake up from his sleep fearing that all of this was a dream.

Arial learned to crawl and walk quickly, and his parents often bragged about their clever little boy, unaware that the entire time Arial was meditating and cultivating his internal energy.

He had read in Levitia's books that beginning at the age of six would have a remarkable effect on a person's strength in adulthood.

Many people believe even among the High Lords that doing that to six years old will have an adverse effect.

But Levitia himself had started training at the age of four.

But Arial knew he would need more power than Levitia. He would be the first to discover what a person could become if they started training from the very beginning.

By far the most wonderful thing that had come from Arial's miracle was the chance to see his parents' faces again.

The devastation of losing them had torn a hole in his mind, and although they were with him, alive and loving, Arial still suffered flashbacks to that dreadful day when he had seen their blood splattered across the bedroom.

He found he could no longer enter the room without shaking violently, much to the bewilderment of his parents.

He wouldn't let that happen again.

No, he thought, this time it would be different.

His father was a family man, and a farmer.

He had inherited thirty acres of land from his father, which would one day become Arial's.

The farm boasted all manner of crops, but their specialty was cabbages and grains.

The year before Arial's birth, his father had bought an ox which his mother had become greatly attached to.

Between them they could usually plow an acre of land every day, and his mother would plant seeds from the last year's harvest.

Knowing she loved to be outdoors, his father had set aside a section of land just for his mother's gardens.

The harvest was plenty to keep their family fed, with leftovers stored in a large barn when the year had been kind to them.

Although they were by no means a rich family, they always had everything they needed.

Arial's ambitions had become great; he was no longer content with his fate of inheriting the farm, he had to be more, much more, although he was still unsure what exactly that would mean.

He knew he needed power, credibility, and influence, but he didn't know how he would achieve it.

At least time was now on his side, and the knowledge of what was going to happen.

The tax people rarely came to the farm because of the forest that inhibited the land.

There were no castles near his home – the lands were ruled by the House of Alan.

The neighboring towns of Goodlad, Catnip and the Shire were ruled by the House of Rodan, while the House of Villion ruled Yorken Town, Skystead, and Pitmad, as well as the city of Watery Tears.

The House of Zephyr controlled the Bilial Harbours and the merchant quarters.

However, the House of Palais, ruler of Shadow Sound City, Hexham Town, Valais and Skaldruk, resided in one of the strongest castles in the Dukedom.

Their allegiance was sworn to the House of Alan.

Arial recited from his memories what he knew about the Dukedom. If this is God's work, then this must be his will.

Then let me bring light and shine this darkness away. He quoted the Holy Book of Light in his mind whilst making his resolution.

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Third chapter for the day. Hope you like it