Although I don't like to be the center of attention, I always loved my birthdays. A human custom introduced by father. Mother always sent us outside in the morning to collect so that she could take the kitchen apart in peace. She was a grandiose alchemist and elementalist, but after baking or cooking the kitchen always looked like a Night Hunter had raged, which is why Miara or I usually took over. Even though she was a natural disaster in the kitchen, her cakes were always tasty.
When Miara and I came back from collecting, Mother had already decorated the house a little. Not much, since mother knew my dislikes, but it was obvious. A small garland and a festively laid table with a cake in the middle. Behind her place lay a great gift. About 4 feet in length, but very narrow. What could that be? "There you are finally" it came from the kitchen.
It was a festive meal. She had surpassed herself again. After we had cleared the table, mother fingered a bottle from the shelves. A 150-year-old Samman from the Duergar. "I have kept this bottle for a long time" she says to herself, while she looks at the bottle slightly dreamy. "Your father brought it. I've always wondered how he got the grim pessimists to give him a bottle of their best ales," she says, slightly snivelling and pours out 3 cups. "Your training is going well" she addressed to me "You have already proven your magic in several situations, so we should make your training more interesting. Miara, can you please?". She pointed to the longish package that Miara gave me with a comment "Wow, that's hard".
Instead of what usual, I tore away the packaging and opened the box. My mother's battle stave came out. "I can not accept that" I said as I slid my fingers gently over the stave. The jumping sparks from the stave into my fingers were not unpleasant, on the contrary. And although I touched the stave only gently, I felt the power flowing through my fingers into me. "Yes, you can. I have tuned it to yo, and it should serve you faithfully, as it did to me in the slave revolt of Sshamath". When I took it out of the box, sparks poured into my arm and the crystal at the tip lit up. "It's beautiful" came enthusiastically from me. "I will hold him in honor" I assured mother.
