Stars and Swords

Seeds Of Aspiration

Years have passed since that fateful night. The child born that night was now a young boy about to take on formal education for the first time. Lady Celestine, with the handmaidens' help, is very busy preparing young Holos' things for school. Lord Auros meanwhile, is busy doing paperwork, apparently involved with training a new group of warriors under the new King Covigo's orders. This new cabal of individuals were to be called The Order of Aurorai Guardians, an association with members from Polaria and all over Aurorai which would act as the land's last line of defense.

Soon, it was time for young Holos to board the carriage hauling him to school.

"Now then, be a good little boy and listen to the instructor, okay?" reminded Celestine.

"Aye mom, I shall make you proud!" beamed Holos. Soon, he boarded the carriage along with the family butler. Moments later, the carriage sped off, beyond the massive manor gates.

The ride sped through the city, the young boy taking in the sights of the surroundings. The butler entertained the little boy's questions, listening intently. Soon enough, the school gates came up and it was time for young Holos to disembark. Many other carriages were stopping by to drop children, which made for a bustling scene. The child then soon joined the crowd of other children, soon finding his crowd.

Soon, it was time for class. The crowd of children of varying ages began filing into their assigned classrooms, some not yet willing to part with their mothers. Holos sat in the middle aisle, amidst a sizable number of children his age, boy and girl alike. The room was filled with hushed talking, since nobody knew anybody yet. A few moments later, the teacher entered the room, a matronly, stout woman who looked a little strict but not too much to not fit in a toddler's class.

"Good morning little ones." began the teacher formally "I am Mrs. Leonie, and I will be teaching you lot the whole time you little tykes are here. I have been raising well-mannered children for two decades running and you runts will not disrupt that streak. Ye understand?"

"Yes ma'm!" chorused the entire room.

"Now then, introduce yourself to me, and to each other." she told her class. She then beckoned the student on the right end of front row to go first. The kid, who's a girl with a bit of a bucktooth, introduced herself. Not too much later, it was Holos' turn to introduce himself. With a smile, he took to the front of the class to do as he was told.

"I am Holos Azurestar, six years old, son to Auros and Celestine. May we get along well." he recites, then sits down.

The rest of the day went as regular as it could be, getting to the basics of writing and arithmetic. Soon, it was time to depart for the day. Holos by this time had found his little group of friends: a blonde boy,a brown-haired girl, and a purple-haired girl.

"Holos, was it?" inquired the blonde boy.

"Yes, Tennor." he replied.

"Got it. And they are Asuka and Soura." Tennor nodded, gesturing towards the two girls.

"My mom serves in Castle Crystale, what do your parents do?" asked the girl named Asuka.

"My dad trains new Polarian Knights to be strong and brave!" Holos proudly answered.

"Wow, that's sounds cool!" exclaims the girl named Soura. "Do you plan on becoming a knight too when you're bigger!"

"Absolutely! I did hear that there's this new group of even cooler knights called Order of Aurorai Guardians!" exclaimed the silver-haired boy back. "When I grow up, I want to join the Guardians!" he proclaimed loudly.

"I do wonder, can girls like me and Asuka join someday?" wondered Soura.

"That'd be cool! Just like Kizuna and the Valkrs from the Great War!" piped up Tennor.

The quartet continued to regale each other with their own childish tales until it was time to part for the day.

"Bye Holos!" bade Tennor. The rest did the same to each other, including the aforementioned boy. Holos found his ride easily, and the butler was waiting for him inside.

"I see you made friends then, young master Holos?" the slim man inquired.

"Yes, they were very good!" beamed the boy. The boy and the man chatted animatedly all the way throughout the trip back home. Man and child made for a very lively sound that carried all the way back to the Azurestar manor. It was sunset when they made it back in, and his mom beamed at the sight of the carriage.

"Welcome back my boy!" exclaimed the mother as she ran towards said boy. "How was school, little Holos?" she asked.

"It was wonderful mom! I met these new friends today! They were named Tennor, Soura and Asuka!" he excitedly rattled off.

"That's excellent, Holos! Did you do well today?" asked the mom, the pair walking back to their manor as they spoke.

"We just started learning the alphabet," the boy simply replied. The conversation continued onto the living room, and even unto dinner, where Auros was present to hear his boy's tales.

"Listen close, boy." the elder man began, "Dont give the teacher trouble, and do your best in your studies, ok? Don't settle for just enough, give it your all, you hear me, son?" he said sternly.

"Yes father. I will do the Azurestar name justice!" Holos declared.

"Good. Now go eat your veggies." reminded Auros. The boy's face fell into a glum manner, eating said veggies. The rest of the meal went on without much event. The proceeding hours went on as usual, the handmaidens tending to the dishes and the table.

Later that night, the young boy lay in bed with his mother, in the very same chambers the latter birthed the former in.

"Little one...this was where I birthed you." Celestine said quietly to her child. "I will always remember that night...an aurora glimmered through this very room. Do you know what auroras are, my dear Holos?" she said to the child.

"What are they, ma?" the boy asked.

"Beautiful lights in the sky. And they're not just all pretty sky lights...they are the symbol that The Celestium loves everyone. Polarian, Savanese, Diarnuitian, or whoever they are." the mother told the child. Said child was silent and awestruck hearing it.

"But that wasn't all...later that night, your eyes glowed with energy. It was stuff of fairytales and legends." his mom continued., while caressing his silver hair.

"Did I...really do that?" gawked Holos sleepily, to which Celestine nodded. Soon, child fell asleep in the mother's arms. Tomorrow will be another day in the Azurestar household, and a day closer to realizing his potential.