Chapter 1
The Kingdom of Alovia has a strong diversity of people. My home village alone had elves, humans, dwarves, and several other species of people. We even had a teacher that was a centaur. What I mean is that Alovia is usually open minded in its people and culture. Everyone feels welcomed and that they have a place. But there’s a subcategory that most people don’t think of.
In this world, the people can easily be divided into two groups, no matter the species. There’s the Magic Users, and everyone else. To be a Magic User, you must have a high capacity for Mana. Magic Users are able to control their Mana to weave and create from nothing. Non-Magic Users still have Mana, and thus can still be affected by the Magic around them. They otherwise don’t contain the Mana required to weave Magic. Within the Magic Users, there are subcategories.
There are Mages, who are able to control all types of Magic, especially anything natural to the world. They are born with the strongest Magic capabilities and often show their capabilities early in their life. Mages are usually born of other Mages, but it’s not uncommon for the gene to show recessively.
The next level would be Sorcerers. Those are the Magic Users that later discovered their Mana control through study. They often show signs of Magic control after the start of maturation. But they don’t fully gain the control like Mages without spending years dedicated to learning to control their Mana.
Finally, there are Witches and Worlocks. These are the Magic Users can come from any of the categories but usually fall to using dark Magic. Unnatural Magic that warp and distort the natural functions of the world. And they usually only getting this power by pledging to one of the dark forces in this world.
Most people think that no matter what, everyone has some Mana. It’s how our world works. We can’t live without Mana. But I am living proof that that is incorrect. There is a small subcategory under the Non-Magic Users. The Magic Resistant. This is for those born without Mana. And unlike what most people think. We are able to live full lives without Mana.
There is one thing that makes it a blessing and a curse though. Magic doesn’t affect us. No matter the Magic, if it’s used in a way that would normally affect someone, it is nullified. There are very few Magic Resistant individuals. I’m the only one I know of within this kingdom. Though it’s not impossible, it’s rare to happen.
What made it rarer is that my family lineage came from strong Magic Users. For as long as I could remember in our family history, everyone was a Magic User. Though they may not have been in high ranks, they were leaders of our village. High expectations were on me during my birth. But I showed no sign of Magic capabilities.
My parents never minded the fact I couldn’t use Magic. They still loved me the same. It wasn’t until my adolescence that we learned I was Magic Resistant. I don’t have many memories of what happened, but I had an accident, and a healer couldn’t heal me with her Magic. They tried multiple healers and no one was able to help me.
It was at that time that we learned about Magic Resistant individuals and how no Magic would be able to hurt me. But no Magic would be able to help me either. I was in a comatose state for three days. And even after waking, I was not fully responsive for an additional two weeks. I spent most of my twelfth year bedridden. After some time healing, I learned about my situation and I had to learn to live in a world where I couldn’t depend on Magic in any situation. I can’t say it was difficult. I was already living without Magic, but I did have to be more careful in situations because I wouldn’t have any healing Magic to help me recover from injuries.
I don’t know how I decided it, but I eventually became a protector. I learned swordplay and focused on becoming physically stronger to protect those around me. I didn’t listen to my parents when they wanted me to be careful apparently. But I found joy in my duties. I felt I had a purpose.
As I grew in skills and command, I eventually became a Knight of the Army of Alovia. And after some time there, I was promoted to a Knight of the Royal Guard. I started working for the King.
My name is Tiathir. The first Magic Resistant Knight of the Kingdom of Alovia. And this is where my story starts.
The ceremony had just ended. King Darian had just welcomed his new recruits of Royal Guard and specifically welcomed me as the newest Combat Trainer for his army. A cry went out in the hall as everyone was celebrating the new recruits. My dear friend, Lynda, came up to me with a smile. She was one of the few female Knights let into the Royal Guard with the new recruits.
Lynda had been with me since we first started working as protectors. She was my closest friend. I wouldn’t have made it this far without her. And though we were two of the three women brought into the guard, it wasn’t uncommon for women to become Knights. We just also still lived in a day that most families wanted their daughters to focus on other things than becoming protectors.
Though as far as I knew, I was the first female combat trainer.
“Captain.” Lynda said with a fist over her heart.
“You know you don’t need to do that.” I told her.
She smirked. “You need to be given respect.”
I rolled my eyes. “Let’s just go to the celebration, and then get to our rooms. We have a long day tomorrow. And I don’t know about you, but some of these other Knights don’t look enthusiastic about me being the new trainer.”
“They’ll learn.” She said as she turned and followed me. “I wouldn’t want to be in your boots, but if anything, I’m glad it’s you.”
As we followed the crowd to the banquet hall, I noticed a familiar individual making his way the opposite direction. I hadn’t seen him in years. He looked up and caught sight of me. His face remained like stone, but I caught a small flash of surprise in his eyes. It lasted only a moment, but it was there. His eyes remained on me as he stepped through the crown and stopped in front of me. I too stopped in my tracks and looked up at him.
He towered over me by a full head. His black hair looked a bit of a mess. He must have been working nonstop for a while. I could see some fatigue on his face, but he did a good job of not showing it affect him. His eyes were still a piercing green color that seemed to bore into my soul.
“Xander.” I acknowledged. “It’s been a while.”
His expression remained neutral. “It has. I believe congratulations are in order here.”
“And to you too. Your recent discovery will change many lives.” I responded.
He gave a curt nod. “Now that you are a Knight of the Royal Guard, you must know that regular medical check ups are a requirement. You will be required more so due to your condition. I hope you will not fight me on these requirements.”
“I understand, sir.”
His jaw clenched for a moment before relaxing again. “Good. Come see me after training tomorrow for a preliminary physical.”
“Yes, sir.” I agreed.
He walked past Lynda and me. Her eyes were wide as she watched him leave. By this time, we were the only ones in the hall. She looked at me with confusion.
“He hasn’t changed.” I muttered.
“You know the revolutionary Xander?” She questioned.
I scoffed. “Revolutionary? Please don’t stoke his ego. We grew up in the same village. He was my closest friend. Linked at the hip since we were learning to walk. But then, randomly, he became cold and distant. I don’t think he really likes me anymore. If anything, he will tolerate me being here.”
“Blot, that’s a shame.” She responded as she glanced back to where Xander went.
“You probably should work on that language now.” I responded. “We should set a good example.”
“Quesh, you’re right.”
I chucked as I knew she would have some struggles with that. We continued to the banquet hall. The evening was filled with celebration in welcoming the new recruits. As the night began to settle, I eventually left the group and went to my designated room. I wanted to have good rest for tomorrow. I knew I had a rough first day. It wasn’t often a new recruit was put as a Combat Trainer. I would need to prove
