The baptism ceremony was conducted by two elderly elves who carried an amphora between them. The amphora was filled with a mysterious liquid substance. Some of the elves could sense a chill when they approached it, as well as white flames that emanated from the liquid within the amphora. However, these flames did not burn—instead, they were cold to the touch, shimmering with a silvery-white hue.
Moreover, only a few among the elves—their most powerful wizards—could perceive a kind of whispering coming from this magical liquid. This enchanted substance was drawn from their sacred spring by the higher elven magi using the spell "Dóliso", and one of its purposes was to be used in their naming ceremonies.
Enali had taken on the role of godmother to little Nophoivos, and so she approached the amphora with the child in her arms. The two priests chanted the sacred hymns of the ceremony, then took the child and, with the spell "Revíoso", lifted him into the air before them, above the amphora.
Finally, by waving their wands, the two elderly wizards bathed the child—while he was still suspended in the air—with the magical substance from the amphora. Enali then told the two priests to name him Foskar, and thus the young three-year-old Nophoivos was from that day officially welcomed into the elven society.
The elves discovered Foskar's age through certain magical examinations, by which they were able to determine that he was three years old. Time passed, and at the age of seven, young Foskar was sent to the Elven School of Magic, just like all the other seven-year-old elves.
Being the child of Alexander and Sophia, who were both wizards, little Foskar had inherited the gift of magic and was therefore admitted to the magical academy. In contrast, most elven children attended regular schools—just as happens in the human world—because they did not possess enough mana to practice magic or study in a magical institution.
The magical school that Foskar attended was called Thonitho, and it had quite a few students, since in Knosaeon it was more common for someone to possess sufficient mana than it was in the human world.
The young wizard was fortunate to grow up under the care of the kind-hearted Adath family and the beautiful Enali, with her long blonde hair. Thanks to them, he had adapted perfectly to elven society and felt no discomfort or unease.
The Adaths, who loved him dearly, gradually revealed to him that he was not their biological child. Yet Foskar loved them deeply in return and had no desire whatsoever to leave the city of Knosaeon.
Meanwhile, at the School of Magic, young Foskir had made several friends. As for his studies in magic, he was not as talented at first as his elven classmates—but he persevered constantly and kept improving day by day.
The lessons at Thonitho school included arithmetic, spelling, music, painting, various sports, and, of course, magic—though without the use of wands. This was also the main reason why young Foskír struggled.
At Thonitho, magic was practiced up to the age of nine without wands or any other magical instruments, as during those years it was mostly theoretical. Another reason for this approach was to strengthen the children's natural magical abilities, and indeed, this method allowed elves to perform magic quite well even without wands.
After all, elves by nature possess more mana than most human wizards, so it wasn't difficult for them to complete the exercises their teachers assigned—such as telekinesis and levitation of objects.
On the other hand, poor Foskír often felt quite inadequate, since as a human he found it much harder to perform the magical exercises his teacher gave them. Nevertheless, in all other subjects he excelled, never neglecting his studies, as he loved constantly learning new things.
Also, without a wand, he was not very skilled in performing basic spells. Yet there were times when, if he became angry, he would instinctively and unintentionally unleash some form of magic. Moreover, he was quite talented at reading the thoughts of others, which often gave him an advantage. However, his teachers noticed this ability and were prepared for it—they did not allow him to intrude into their minds.
His classmates, on the other hand, were neither as skilled nor as experienced as the teachers, so this talent helped him especially during their games, giving him a small edge. One such game was the elves' favorite sport, Ekavol.
In this game, there were two teams of six players each. Five players were on the field, while one stayed in front of the goal to guard it. The match consisted of two twenty-minute halves, and the team with the most goals at the end won. The game began when the referee, standing in the center of the field, threw the ball high into the air for the two players in front of him to contest.
However, this sport was played telepathically without the use of wands. The only player allowed to physically touch the ball was the goalkeeper, whose job was to protect the goal and block the opponents' shots. All other players had to pass, move, and shoot the ball using telepathic control only, without touching it with any part of their body. Similarly, the opposing team had to try to steal possession of the ball telepathically.
If the ball touched the ground or went out of bounds, possession passed to the opposing team from the spot where it happened, or a free kick was given if a foul occurred.
Because wands were not allowed, young Foskar naturally played as the goalkeeper. He was quite good at this position, since his ability to read the minds of his opponents allowed him to predict where they would shoot—and thus he often managed to block the ball.
Sometimes, the elves would kindly let him play using his wand, but then it became unfair, since Foskír could exert telepathic influence on the ball from a much greater distance and with far more power.
And so, time passed for the young wizard. Despite a few small difficulties in his magic classes, he did remarkably well in most of his subjects and made many good friends.
Of course, there were times when his elven friends teased him about his human appearance, since elves were generally taller and had lighter hair and skin. Foskír, on the other hand, was of average height for a human—but rather short by elven standards. His skin was darker, and both his hair and eyes were black. It wasn't rare for them to call him "shorty" or "sooty" because of his darker features, just to tease him—but Foskír never took offense and laughed along with them.
And so, the years passed, and young Foskír was now nine years old. He eagerly awaited the moment he would finally receive his own wand, so that he could have the same ease in spellcasting as his elven friends.
That year, the students began learning several additional and important subjects—biology, chemistry, ancient runes, astronomy, and, of course, wand magic, through which they would learn more powerful and complex spells.
Thus, all the students of Thonitho went to the city's wandmaker's shop to acquire the wand that suited them best. Likewise, Foskar went with his sister Enali to the wandmaker of Knosaeon the day before.
The shop was bustling with children and their parents who had arrived to choose their very first official wand. Enali and her younger brother entered the store and approached a young clerk to help them find the wand most suitable for Foskar.
The young elf stared at the boy for a moment and said,
"Although I've never sold a wand to a human before, I'm sure I can find something for you. Don't worry."
The young wizard smiled nervously and followed the elf.
"Let's try this one," said the elf. "It's made of black walnut wood, with a dragon-heart core."
Foskír took the wand in his hand and tried the spell "Revíoso" to lift a book lying on a nearby counter. The book rose just a little into the air before falling back down again. Then, he tried another wand—this one of oak, with a wolf-hair core—but once more, the result wasn't satisfactory.
After testing a couple more wands, the shopkeeper finally handed him one made of fir wood, with a unicorn mane core. The moment Foskír touched it—before even attempting a spell—a brilliant white light burst forth from the wand, filling the entire room with radiant glow! Then, he tried "Revíoso" again, this time without uttering the incantation, and the book soared effortlessly into the air.
The beautiful Enali and the shopkeeper both congratulated the young wizard, and he smiled, glowing with pride. The fair-haired Enali, with her emerald eyes, took out her purse and asked the elf for the price of the wand. The elf told her the amount, and Enali paid it without hesitation.
On their way back, the young wizard excitedly cast all sorts of spells, aiming at tree branches and anything else he saw along the path—eager to play with his new wand.
The day passed, and the next morning Lydia woke the young wizard, who was bursting with anticipation to show his wand to his classmates at school. Foskír thought to himself that now he would finally be able to perform just as well as the elves in spellcasting class, and he was truly happy.
So, the nine-year-old wizard got ready, and his mother Lydia took him to Thonitho school, where a new school year was about to begin. Upon arriving, Foskar waved goodbye to his mother and ran into the schoolyard to find his friends and compare their new wands.
The children proudly showed off their wands, and some even demonstrated a few spells to impress the others. One boy managed to transform a cat into a raven, and everyone watched in admiration at his skill.
Soon, the bell rang, and all the students lined up so that the headmaster could announce their class assignments, introduce their new teachers, and finally wish them:
"A wonderful school year to everyone!"
Classes began, and after a few hours came the moment everyone had been waiting for—their first spellcasting lesson with wands. Foskar could hardly wait for it to start.
The teacher entered the classroom and introduced himself as Sotir. The children each introduced themselves in turn, and then he said:
"This year, we'll be learning spells with your wands! It's far more fun and easier to channel magic this way—but you must be much more careful.If you don't use your wands properly, accidents can happen, so I ask all of you to pay close attention during my lessons.Now, can anyone remind us of the three primary methods of performing magic? Who remembers from last year?"
A girl raised her hand, and Sotir nodded for her to speak.
"The most common method," she said, "is by invoking a spell verbally.Then, there's the advanced method, which uses the movement of the body, such as hand gestures.And finally, the most difficult method of all—magic performed purely through thought.Those who can use higher forms of magic are faster and can easily surprise an enemy or opponent."
"Excellent, Eleana," said Sotir with a smile. "Thank you.I'd also like to add that combining these three forms of magic can make a spell even more powerful.Before we begin, I'd like to know—can all of you recognize the magical auras of different types of magic?"
"Yes, we can!" shouted all the children together. "We learned that over the past two years, Master Sotir!"
"Good," he replied. "Because it's important to sense the quality and strength of any magic you encounter—whether in potions, enchanted items, or otherwise.You must be able to tell if the magic is dark or light, deadly or harmless, or whether it's transformative, healing, or of another kind.Now, one by one, I want each of you to come up to the desk and tell me what kind of magical aura these objects before me emit."
He examined them all and then told them that now that they had wands, they should not rely solely on their use.— "You must continue to practice your magical abilities even without a wand," he said, "which is why several of our lessons will also be conducted without one — so that your powers do not weaken."
Time went by, and the studious Foskír began to grow into a very skilled wizard and student in most of his subjects. He was talented and sharp-minded, managing to excel both in the practical and theoretical lessons. He could even brew some of the most complex and intricate magical potions. Moreover, he had learned to interpret quite well the movements of the stars, the meaning of dreams, and in general to understand the signs of the divinatory arts.
There was only one weakness that always troubled him — the practice of magic without a wand. Compared to the elves, this was his most difficult area, though over the years he had improved greatly. Still, Foskír never gave up. He kept training tirelessly, even at home, casting spells without his wand in order to become stronger — just like his classmates.
The years passed, and the young wizard learned much at Thonitho school, eventually graduating with quite good grades and commendable conduct. The reason was that Foskír enjoyed most of his lessons, and so he rarely caused trouble for his teachers, earning their favor.
Now twelve years old, Foskír was enjoying the summer and preparing himself mentally for the coming school year, when he would join the higher school of magic, known as Ezami. Over all these years, the elven kingdom had been monitoring developments in the rest of the world, particularly concerning the magical veil. Foskír himself knew quite a bit, as his father, Oxythar, and his beautiful sister served in the royal army and shared with him what they learned.
He was aware that the Ministry of Magic for humans, with the help of kobolds and obedient skodits, was trying to prevent the Onia from invading through the rift in the magical veil. So far, they had mostly succeeded, defeating the terrifying Onia before they could escape. With the help of the ugly kobolds and skilled skodits—known for their large eyes and pointed ears—the Ministry was managing the situation reasonably well, although there were still many casualties.
However, the Onia sometimes managed to penetrate the Ministry's defenses and escape. These Onia appeared in different regions and often caused destructive attacks on human cities. Occasionally, ordinary humans would witness these strange creatures with their multiple terrifying forms. Naturally, this led to widespread theories about demons, horrifying monsters hiding on Earth, and even extraterrestrials attempting to conquer the world.
The Ministry of Magic investigated these claims and noted that these creatures could change shape at will, fly, and wield strong magical powers. Studying magical mythology, they discovered references to similar mythical beings considered immortal, which they believed were what ordinary humans referred to as "fairies."
Additionally, the appearance of the planet Menesis near our solar system drew the attention of human wizards, who learned that its arrival was a sign of major natural disasters. Library records in the Ministry of Magic described this celestial body as an ominous sign appearing roughly every three thousand years. Even in human mythology, there were references to this planet, often called Nemesis through simple linguistic rearrangement, while among human wizards it was known as Menesis, because its proximity to the solar system heralded catastrophic events.
Folklore among wizards also noted that in the distant past, the appearance of Menesis triggered a massive magical war between two mythical wizarding tribes, the Kikans and the Othyvians. Legend says that the war ended thanks to a child possessing immense magical powers, who brought a conclusion to the bloody conflict.
Reading these myths, the Ministry sought answers and knowledge regarding this celestial body, which seemed to have caused the mysterious Onia invasions of Earth. In 2013, when the Ministry and its allies first confronted this strange invasion, they eventually discovered its point of origin: an island in the Aegean Sea, where a rift periodically opened in the sky, allowing the dreadful Onia to enter our world.
From the moment they identified the location, they stationed guards around the clock to prevent these beings—possibly fairies—from invading. All of this was known to the elves and the twelve-year-old Foskír, who followed these developments with great interest.
Summer passed, and the new school year began once again. This time, however, Foskír was a student at Ezami, the higher school of magic. In his class, he was fortunate to have the wise and powerful elf, Elanor, as his teacher.
The chestnut-blond Elanor was a respected member of the royal council, held a position at the research center in Knosaeon, and was one of the most capable professors at Ezami. He had also managed to invent many new potions and spells, as well as to deepen the understanding and use of magic drawn from the ether source located in Knosaeon. Naturally, all the elves knew and respected him—and young Foskír was no exception, diligently paying attention in Elanor's lessons.
One of the most important things Elanor taught them—and one of the first lessons he gave—was the natural law of magical selection. He explained that magic possesses its own intelligence and will. To help them grasp this, he asked them to recall how they had ultimately acquired their personal wands, demonstrating that the wand itself chooses its wielder.
— "The magic of wands, for example, children," Elanor began, "tends to choose the wizard best suited to it, based on the wand's properties and the character of the mage. In general, you should know that magic is drawn to, selects, and ultimately grants its true power only to the most capable and talented wizards. This is the natural law of magical selection.
"So, if you wish to excel in magic, you must study and practice continuously. The more you train and improve, the more magic you will attract, and it will 'choose' you, allowing you to uncover its secrets and capabilities. According to this law, the descendants of the most powerful wizards and magical lineages often inherit equal or even greater magical power—or mana—from their ancestors. Magic is drawn to the strength of the parents, and most of the time this power is passed on to their children. This is the natural law of magical selection, which governs nature in this way not only in magic but across its entire scope."
Foskír raised his hand, and Elanor gestured for him to speak.
— "Professor, if magic tends to be drawn to the strongest wizards, does that mean that the magical lineages that are stronger will continue to produce increasingly powerful descendants?"
— "Indeed, my young friend, that is exactly what happens and will continue to happen."
— "So, does this mean that all the magical power we call mana will, in the distant future, accumulate only in the strongest magical lineages, while the weaker ones will disappear entirely?"
Elanor looked at young Foskír in astonishment. The boy had grasped something so profound and true about the nature of magic.
— *"What you've inferred, my friend, is a conclusion even the wisest wizards of the Knosaeon council reach. This is why, young students, it is your duty to continually practice and improve in magic—not just for personal gain, but for the future generations of elves. And since our little friend, Foskír, has raised this discussion about the fascinating phenomenon of natural magical selection, I will add this: it is a belief among our wisest wizards—and I share it myself—that magic chooses and is passed down to the next generations of magical lineages in a way similar to how nature selects the strongest, fastest, and most capable animals to survive.
"In the same way, nature determines which creatures will survive, which will be predators and which prey, and those that are not capable enough to cope with their environment perish for various reasons. This is the way nature governs its creations and continuously evolves them. In this manner, every future generation of every species becomes stronger, faster, more resilient, more intelligent, and more capable, better prepared to survive the challenges of life.
"So, my children, you must strive to improve yourselves constantly—physically, mentally, and in the gift of magic—because this is the natural law of magical selection and of nature in its fullest expression."
The twelve-year-old wizard listened attentively to everything their wise teacher revealed. From that moment on, he chose to practice magic even more—and often without his wand—to become as powerful as his classmates, the elves.
As time passed, Foskír's relationship with his teacher, Elanor, grew into a strong friendship. This was because he admired his teacher and remained diligent and capable in most of his studies. In turn, Elanor Eithamon respected him for his excellent performance and his valuable participation in class.