"Michail young man, wake up or I will douse you and your bed in water". Michail woke up hearing the angry ramblings of his mother Yena. He stretched his hands and legs and sat cross legged on his bed. His stomach rumbled signalling the arrival of hunger. He got up and went to meet his mother before she started filling the pail with water.
Yena was a strong lady. After Michails father Joseph Drunn died in the Wailing forest she brought Michail up on her own. The Druuns were an accomplished family of warriors. It is said in the old records that the grandfather of Michail has slain a Boefician in the great war hundred years ago. But all past glory aside, the Druuns were just a shadow of their past. With the death of Joseph the family was nearly eliminated from the annals of history if not for the pregnant Yena. The birth of Michail eleven years ago brought hope. A hope of keeping the family line alive. Michail is the last Druun. Even though the Druuns have fallen from glory Yena has kept the family running.
The Druuns have a shop in the City of Ruin close to their house. The shop deals with products from the Wailing forest. The wailing forest is a forbidden area lying to the west of the Megalithic ruins. There used to be a channel of lava flowing from Mount Krafkans before hundred years in there. This caused the Wailing forest to be full of vitality and forest produce. Lumberjacks, hunters and gatherers thrived there before the great war. But now the Wailing forest can only be traversed by warriors and mages of sufficient strength. Anyone traversing the Wailing forest at night ends up missing. Some say the Boeficians who became trees devour them, others say there are malevolent spirits that hunts at night takes them. It was a night mission with the Caretakers that took Josephs life. The Druun family never got to see his body.
"Mom, I have been thinking and I would like to try the admissions exams for the Caretakers Academy."
Yena was stumped. "Over my dead body young man, or have you forgotten what they did to your father."
Michail saw his mothers face full of indignation and a hint of sadness. But it was only for a moment. Michael wanted to find why his father was sent to the Wailing forest. He wanted to know how his father died. Unbeknown to Yena, the children of Michails age called him a bastard. Joseph was the target of envy of many during his prime age. A veteran warrior who could traverse the Wailing forest like its his home during the day, a handsome man who married a beautiful woman. He had everything before the Druuns fell, money, power and connections with the Caretakers. After Josephs death Yena took over the family business, the shop. Even though it was not as prosperous as it was in its prime, many connections of Josepeh still existed and the Druuns could still make a good living. It should also be known that after Josephs death the Caretakers promised Yena that her child will be able to attend the admissions exams when he came of age for free.
It should not be misunderstood that the admissions exams were of less importance. Anyone who wishes to participate in the exam must go through a tough background check. And to participate one has to have the best talent. The promise to Yena made it so that her child can circumvent all these and even if he has mediocre talent in magic or warrior energy he can get a shot. This backdoor made many people jealous of Michail.
But Yena never intended to use this. She wanted her son to be as far away as possible from the Caretakers as possible. She had lost her husband due to the mission issued by the council. She did not want to lose her son too.
"Mom, I will be careful. Look everyone in the city my age are registering for the talent assessment. If I try and get a good talent, I too can take part in the admissions. And if I get through, someday I will be a caretaker. I can take care of the family, you and grandma never will have to work. No one will look down on the Druuns. I can find what happened to ..."
"Michail Orpheleus Druun, how dare you say that. The only thing waiting for you if you try to find what happened to your father is death. You hear me. I am prohibiting you from participating in the matters of the Council of Caretakers. Let those old fogeys live or die. But you are not to interact with anything related to the council." Yena bellowed angrily.
Michail watched as his mother stomped angrily out the door of the house, cross the road and sat at the counter of their store on the other side.