The market was shimmering like amber under the afternoon sun. Tapestry of many scents and colors were swirling through the air. Suddenly, between the crowd of people, a boy came running out of nowhere. His hair was white like snow, and his crimson eyes looked like liquid ruby. Without seeing anywhere, he sprinted through the market. His steps kicked up dust as he raced through the market alone.
In a corner, some boys were hurting a cub of a doid. A doid is a magical creature resembling a dog with a horn on its head. Although it is as tiny as a cub, it grows larger and stronger when enraged. Doids are typically found in friendly dungeons and are known for being docile, making them great pets.
"Hey, you guys, why are you hurting that cub?" Blaze shouted with a trembling voice. They knew just by hearing his voice that he was scared of them.
One of the boys turned to him. His tall and fat figure gave a cold vibe. He asked, "Huh? Do you have a problem with that? It's just a stray. Who will tell me what I can or cannot do to this cub?"
Blaze's heart raced as he reasoned with them, "No, stop! Don't you have any pity?"
The leader of the bullies ridiculed Blaze. He waved off Blaze's plea and said, "What's your problem anyway, boy? I will do what I want to do. Who the hell are you to tell me what I'll do, huh? You wanna fight or something?"
"No, I just want you to stop hurting him," Blaze said with a steady voice.
After that, with a cold grin, he told his lackeys, "So you won't go, huh? Boy's let's teach him a lesson. He'll never interfere in others' affairs after that, hahah."
They started to beat him up. He could feel the pain in all his body but he didn't cry. Suddenly, a powerful, steady voice broke through the mess, "Heeeyy, stoop. You bullies. Just wait there for a moment." Someone was coming to help.
Realizing that trouble was approaching, the boys exchanged panicked glances. "Oh no, run! Someone is coming. If he catches us, there will be a problem." The boss of the gang cried out and the three of them rushed out of there.
A tall, rugged man rushed over there. He looked worried and asked, "Blaze, are you okay?"
With some effort, Blaze pushed himself up, grimacing. "Oh, guess I am alright. Thanks, Uncle Rock. You saved my life this time."
Then the tall, rugged man replied, "You don't have to thank me. If you want to express your gratitude, thank her, because she was the one who alerted me that some boys were ganging up on you." His voice was steady, but he was concerned about Blaze.
Blaze turned and saw Lisa. She was standing there with a concerned yet relieved face.
"Oh, Lisa, thank you. You saved my butt here."
"No, don't worry about that. But why were they beating you up?" She asked Blaze with her soft voice.
Blaze sighed, looking back at the alley where the boys had been.
"They were hurting that poor little cub, and I tried to stop them."
Lisa looked concerned, her brow furrowing as she gazed at the cub that lay nearby, trembling and bruised. "Oh, poor little cub. He looks beaten."
Blaze gently knelt down toward the frightened doid. It looked like he was barely managing to stand.
"Here, come here, don't worry; I won't hurt you," Blaze said to calm him.
The doid came to Blaze and collapsed. They took that to Blaze's home with them.
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"Mom, I am home," Blaze said as he stepped in the main door of his house.
"What took you that long? And what about the task I asked you to do?" His mother, Luna Lumbell, asked.
"Sorry! I totally forgot to drop this off with Mr. Yamada."
"What? What did you say? Come here, now."
But who listens to whom? Blaze went to his room with the doid.
"Oh, Lisa, you're here too. Come on in!"
"Thank you for having me, Mrs. Lumnell."
Blaze's mother, Luna Lumnell. She always exudes an aura that is full of peacefulness and tranquil elegance, just like moonlight. Her presence is both soothing and formidable. She always embodies a rare duality that is akin to the peace of a starlit sky intertwined with the ferocity of a thunderstorm. Her long and silver white hairs flow gracefully on her back. It looks like strands of moonlight that are dancing in the breeze.
Her blue eyes look calm, yet they hold the deepness of an endless ocean. They can mesmerize anyone who gets caught in the ice of these eyes as if they are unveiling so many secrets from their soul with only a mere glance.
In contrast to the fiery temperaments of her husband and children, Luna stands in a gentle equilibrium amidst the chaos. She is the steady wind that cools the flames of the Lumnell family, providing a peaceful anchor that tempers their passionate spirits and nurtures a sense of harmony within their vibrant home.
Lisa is the only childhood friend that Blaze has. They have a bond that has flourished since they were young kids. Blaze, when he was only seven, met Lisa, who was a year small, at six. Since then, they have cherished their friendship. Now, it has been eight years, making so many memories of their playing, fighting with every little adventures.
Lisa's gentle and kind heart always thought of others. Her long black hair flows on her back like black silk, waving and shining with the light that it caught. Her mesmerizing blue eyes look deep and luminous. Those eyes sparkled with an inner light that embodied the soothing tanquility of a serene dawn. They radiate a calmness that can ease even the most troubled mind. They look like a pair of well which are filled with unspoken emotions. Her voice is soft and melodic. Whenever she speaks, it's heard like a gentle stream meandering over smooth stones, inviting others to pause and listen to the sweetness of her words.
Lisa asked Blaze what he was trying to do.
"Oh, just trying to help that doid out."
After putting on some medicine and bandages, Blaze headed off to grab some milk for the doid cub, which looked like it hadn't eaten in days. He came back with milk and bread, and when he fed it to the doid, it devoured the food like it was given a second chance at life.
"Auf, auf."
"Awe, that's so cute!" Lisa said.
"Yeah, it's the first time I hear its sound."
"Alright then, Blaze, you need to give him a proper name."
"What? I have to name him?"
"Yep! You found him, so it's all on you."
"Woof, woof."
"Okay, let's see... he's a fluffy little ball of white, so soft and light he looks like a piece of the sky just fell. His fur is thick and kind of curls at the tips like a fluffy cloud. So, I'm thinking his name should be Cloudy. What do you think?"
"Woof, woof."
"Looks like he likes the name you picked, Blaze."
"Of course, only the best from me!"
"Yeah, typical for a narcissist! Ha ha! Blaze, check out his horn."
"Wait, did it change color? It was black before, and now it's turning white?"
"Yep! I know why. It changes color depending on his mood. Before, he was really sad, which is why it was black. Now that he seems happy, it has turned white! It also signifies his loyalty to you."
"Woof, woof."
"That's awesome!"
"Right?"
Then, they headed to the backyard to play.
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When they reached the backyard of their house, they saw Blaze's father Ignis Lumnell and his young sister Lili Lumnell. Blaze's father, Ignis, was kneeling in the mud beside the garden. His hands and clothes looked covered in rich and dark mud. He looked like he was sowing seeds in the garden. And beside Ignis was Blaze's little sister Lili Lumnell. She had a watering pot in her hand. She was watering the flower plants. When she was watering the plants, a little bit of water splashed on her, and a soft chuckle escaped her.
The garden was full of colorful flowers. It had tulips and daisies which were playing with the wind. The freshly turned soil filled the air with an earthy aroma.
Ignis Lumnell is a man who commands attention the moment he enters a room. Slightly taller than the average bear, stout in the shoulders and thick at the core, His hair is red like flames, and he carries himself with the confidence of a battle-hardened warrior and the wisdom of a learned scholar. He was a battle mage. Ignis was a fire mage of superior level, always seeking power. He is also a knight and an accomplished swordsman, ranking at the advanced level. There are only a handful of individuals who possess flame magic at the superior level—merely a countable few.
Lili lumnell is Blaze's sister. She has long hair of a golden red color. Whenever she runs, her hair runs together. Her hair's always been neat. Her flaming red eyes, blazing like her father and brother. She's always happy. Whenever you see her, she is somewhere acting like an adult. She's 10, but many times, Blaze feels like she is the older one. Her eyes always sparkle, especially when she's talking about magical stuffs.
Blaze and Lisa greeted them with a friendly hello. When Lili saw the little dog, she beamed with happiness.
"Look, Dad, Onii-chan brought a puppy with him! So cute. Hello there, Mr. Puppy!"
"Lili, isn't he adorable?" Lisa replied.
"His name is Cloudy. I came up with that name. Isn't it cool?"
"Yeah!" Lili exclaimed.
They all gathered around, playing with Cloudy.
Then Ignis said, "That's quite an interesting doid you've got there. Where did you find him?"
"Oh, it's a long story. I saved him from some bullies," Blaze explained.
"Good job! He'll be a steadfast friend. Make sure to take good care of him and train him well. Doids can become strong if they are trained properly. Meet up with me later; I'll help you train him."
"Thanks, Dad!"
"I also called for a magic teacher for you. The next day, an evaluator will come to see if you have any affinity for magic or not. If you have an affinity for magic, your teacher will come. And, don't worry too much if you don't have an affinity— you can still become stronger with a sword. You'll get much stronger if you try your hardest."
"Yes, Dad! I'll become the strongest in the world."
Blaze became more cheerful as he heard about magic. He and Lisa talked about what his teacher might be like, and Blaze expressed his desire to become stronger than anyone else in this verse.
Then Lisa asked, "What do you want to do after you become strong?"
"I don't know yet, but I'm sure I'll figure it out once I'm stronger," Blaze replied.
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Blaze's father told them to go to the back of the house with Cloudy, as it was a spacious place ideal for training and practicing magic. So, they went to the backyard. When they arrived, they found Blaze's father reading a large rock. Ignis then encouraged Cloudy to fire a magical blast. Cloudy tried, but the blast was so weak that it couldn't even reach the rock. He attempted again, but the result was the same, and his horn turned blue.
"Looks like he's feeling sad. He can't use the magical blast very well. Don't worry, I'll do something about it. It's getting dark, so let's call it a day," Ignis said.
"Okay, Dad. Don't worry, Cloudy. Dad said he'll help you, so everything will be all right."
"Woof woof!" Cloudy responded, now feeling happy again.
Then they headed home. As soon as they got there, a girl jumped on Blaze.
"Oni-chan, where've you been? I went to grandma's place. She was super happy and was wondering why you and Lili didn't come."
"Oh Mili, check it out, that's my new buddy. His name's Cloudy."
"Hey there, Mr. Cloudy. You're so adorable and fluffy!"
Cloudy tipped.
Mili is Blaze's little sister, the same age as Lili. Actually, Lili and Mili are identical twins. Unlike Ignis and Lili, Mili had white hair just like her mother and brother. Her short hair always looked so cute on her. They would start flying whenever a small breeze came by. Her silver eyes always sparkled whenever she was with his brother. Always talking playfully. She was the closest one with Blaze. Even though they are Identical twin, Lili is calm and peaceful while Mili has always been vibrant and restless. Always doing this or that, full of raw energy.
A lavender ribbon was always neatly tied in Mili's short, while her white hair added a playful touch to her appearance. This accessory always added a delicate aura to her presence. Together the twins always captivated anyone they met.
Luna, from the kitchen, called for the sibling trio and their father to come. "Dinner is ready. Everyone come fast." After listening to her, everyone went to the dinner table. Eisha was there, readying the dinner table. And Luna was giving the finishing touches to her food. The beautiful and tasty aroma of food filled the air with sweetness.
Eisha is the diligent maid of the Lumnell family. She is an elf with sparking golden hair and golden eyes like molten lava. Her long golden hairs always float on her back like a river of liquid gold.
Once everything was prepared, Ignis and Luna settled themselves on one side of the elegant table. Across from them, Blaze occupied the middle of the opposite side with his twin sisters at each side. The moment they shared in the dinner table was filled with love as they peacefully enjoyed and savored the meal.
"Thanks for dinner, it was awesome!"
"Dad, when's my teacher coming? I can't wait!"
"They're coming tomorrow morning."
"Oh man, I think I'm just too excited!"
Can he truly wield the power of magic? Should we not get carried away with this excitement?