Astraea: The Journey of Magic

Sometimes, people are just plain unlucky.

At least, that's how Kuroki thought of himself. How else could one describe him essentially rolling a nat one for his origin story and stats? About being worn into just about the worst family possible for someone like himself?

Kuroki was a fifteen year old junior high school student. He would be entering high school next year, along with all of his friends. He had ambitions to go to a high tech technical school, as he was good at not only coding but also problem solving. Some referred to him as the web wizard, which made him blush a bit, and he was already helping out with his seniors who already went to such schools as they came to him for advice. Kuroki was very good at using his head and his brain. However...

In terms of gym class, it had reached the point where the gym teacher sort of just pitied him at this point. Kuroki was fifteen years old, but he was only 124cm tall. His weight was also not worth mentioning, he was basically a stick figure. Although Kuroki had good control and technique, he had no power. His classmates were generally 20cm taller than him at least, with some even moreso. Kuroki had decent endurance at least, but he often got treated by a child even by his juniors. That said, a good number of classmates did treat him rather well, apparently finding him easy to talk to and get along with, so he had a good number of friends. Sure sometimes he was treated as the adorable class pet, looked after and coddled by everyone, but it made a nice change of pace from his home life.

His father didn't approve of him at all, not one bit, and was even determined to "fix" his son. Kuroki has always had an interest in fantasy and sci fi, but especially magic and psychic powers above all else. His father found that abhorrent, saying that magic was something only girls should be interested, and men trained in martial arts and swordsmanship. He had incredibly strong, rigid, and frankly narrow sighted beliefs about all that. That men should rely on muscles and strength. And as the leader of his own dojo, he made sure to thoroughly educate his son on these matters.

This was made especially worse by his physique. For reasons his father couldn't understand, Kuroki's growth had slowed quite a bit. He was not just the shortest person in his class, but also his grade, with everyone, even the girls, being taller than him. As such his father always made his training extra harsh for him, especially when he perceived Kuroki as having done some slight against his ideals. Which was often. Sometimes this meant dragging Kuroki into the dojo at random for training. He even sometimes made Kuroki strip naked to confirm he was indeed a boy, and then proceeded to make him train as is. His father often liked to use such embarrassment on him as well, saying it was his just deserts for Kuroki embarrassing him with his "antics" and "lack of hard work". Kuroki was pretty sure at least part of his lack of growth was due to his shitty dad though. His mom had left and disappeared years ago, and frankly, Kuroki wouldn't have been surprised if he had killed her for "producing a son like him".

To be honest, it was getting to the point where Kuroki was thinking of running away completely. He already often stayed over at his friend's houses rather than coming home, and a good portion of his clothes were now located at other people's houses as well. The parents of his best friend, Akano, were even the ones who got him his current cell phone, and the division was pretty evident. The only issue was custody laws. He had to at least pretend to still live there, because he learned his father was more than willing to use the cops to make sure he couldn't run away. But it was no secret from Akano Kuroda or his parents about how bad it was getting. Even if he was able to make it so barely a mark or a scar was visible, they had long since become able to see the truth on Kuroki Kyoudo's body.

But as it turned out, sometimes fate can intervene before things reach a critical point.

Kuroki was currently facing a great trial in front of him. Frankly speaking, it was an unfathomable and horrible situation that required him to muster all his strength and courage. It would be, without a doubt, the greatest trial he would ever experience. His inner monologue continued to spiral, as panic and fear overcame him. Yes, he...

"...Kyoudo, are you going to sit there?"

The substitute gym teacher called out to him suddenly, breaking him out of the spiral. Yes, it was P.E. At the moment, they were just doing some basic things like pull ups and such. It was just...

"...sorry, can I borrow a stool please?" Kuroki asked as he stood up and came forward. The substitute gym teacher, who was absolutely not Kuroki's favorite, barely suppressed a grin and a laugh. No, Kuroki was sure he heard a bit of it leak out. However, it couldn't be helped. It was designed for fifteen year olds in mind, but Kuroki was far shorter than the average fifteen-year-old to reach the pull up bars.

Yes, in other words, he needed a boost. He was the only one in class too, even the second shortest person in his class could not reach it.

"Sensei, the stool is over there".

"Here, let me get it".

"Did you eat a bug or something? You look very strange and a bit revolting there, sensei".

As the substitute did not move quick enough, three boys quickly moved in. They were Kuroki's longtime friends since starting elementary school. Akano Kuroda, Reiji Shinoda, and Juno Kamiya.

The teacher seemed to be taken aback a bit, the amusement gone from his face as he even paled a bit under their pressure. Or perhaps it was from the general annoyed aura coming off of many other classmates. Although some couldn't help but giggle at the need for the stool as well, but it was more that they found him adorable then mocking him.

Once that was done, Kuroki proceeded to finish the pull ups. He didn't do too well, but better than in other categories. It probably helped he was so light. He was the lightest person in class thanks to being the smallest in class. Akano Kuroda was pretty short himself, while Juno was normal sized. As for Reiji...Reiji was big enough and strong enough to pick up Kuroki and have him ride around on his shoulders. In fact, that was how they won the Calvery battle during the Sports Festival. Since Reiji alone could support him, the others could focus their energies elsewhere.

That said, the rest of the gym class was annoying. The substitute kept staring at him, and frankly it was getting annoying and was kind of creepy. Thankfully, Akano and the others always stayed close by.

Once that class was over, the rest of it went by quickly. Kuroki got praised a lot, since he was good at problem solving it seemed he was able to use that to get good grades as well. And just like that, another day ended at school. But right when he was done, he was called back to the gym for some reason.

"Uhg. I hope my records didn't get lost again and they make me retake it. It would mean changing to and from my gym clothes again".

"Ah, I will go with you. Maybe we can sort these things out" Akano said, tagging along. Juno and Reiji quickly joined them.

"I don't want to hold you guys up..."

"It's no problem. Besides, after today, I was thinking we could all hit up the bathhouse to clean off and then go to the arcade. How about staying over at my place tonight?"

"That would be great thanks. Do I still have a change of clothes at your uncle's bathhouse though?"

"I can have my mom bring some over".

"That would be great. Thanks a lot".

"No problem. Besides, you really helped me study for my math homework the other day, so I gotta pay you back anyways".

Akano had what he liked to call "a blood feud" with math, apparently stemming back to his father's generation. Kuroki thought it was the easiest subject himself, but to each their own. If there was any subject Kuroki had actual difficulty with, it was history. Not only was there so much of it, sometimes it felt annoyingly subjective depending on the teacher they had. Especially that one who held clear bias towards the age of the samurai and even worn a samurai helmet into class.

The group headed into the gym, where they found the substitute gym teacher and a pair of gym clothes for Kuroki on the table in front of them.

"Hmm, you were supposed to come alone. It seems your results got misplaced, so change quickly into these and redo it all".

Even though he said that, there were others, including girls, in here, and it was clear he was telling Kuroki to change right there in front of everyone. It was obvious this was all set up to harass Kuroki, and it was pretty obvious who as well.

"I don't care if Kuroki's father told you to do this. Even if you are just a substitute, you have no right. Especially if you destroyed school records, that will get you in major trouble you know? Are you ready to be fined and blacklisted?"

Akano spoke clearly and with great strength. Even the substitute had to step back a bit.

"Don't talk to me that way. I am still your teacher..."

"Oh? Then perhaps we should ask the principal then what he thinks" Juno mentioned. "Just so you know, this is not the first time Kuroki's shitty dad had a connection to the gym teacher. We may have failed the first few times, but we learned how to manage these situations you know?"

Reiji then stepped forward.

"Of course, because that shitty dad is so narrowminded, he probably has yet to realize trying these forceful things over and over just doesn't work".

Yes, this was not the first time this had happened. Over the past year or two, the bigger the gap between Kuroki's height and the average height became, the worse their relationship got. It wasn't always there, and wasn't always overt, but Kuroki was planning on running away for a reason. Thankfully, his father had plenty of other students to keep him busy, which was a big reason it had not escalated more.

That, and the fact his father had no intention of letting him run away, apparently considering that as a loss for himself.

The substitute eventually had to back off, running away and noting it was probably a clerical error.

"...thanks guys" Kuroki said, finally taking a breath. He had ended up freezing there out of humiliation and fear. "Akano, I think its best if I stay with you for a few days".

"Sounds like its for the best. Come on, let's go to the bathhouse. Cleanse away the stench of that scum".

The bathhouse in itself was a rather well aged place. It wasn't run down, but there was some wear and tear that gave away how long it had been in operation. Nothing that made it looked dirty or shabby though.

The boys headed into the changing room, and proceeded to strip. They wanted to get their school uniforms off as soon as possible, and they already had fresh clothes here. It wasn't the first time this group had come here immediately after school, especially due to Kuroki's home situation.

As they got fully naked, Akano got a good look at Kuroki's body again. Although clearly developed some bit down there, he lacked any facial, body, or pubic hair currently. However, what Akano was more interested in was seeing if Kuroki had any new wounds. Kuroki didn't always report every injury, partially because he was so used to his dad's beatings that were claimed to be "training", but also because he wasn't the best at taking care of himself. Almost as if the person who should have been the role model for that completely neglected their duties. At least that was Akano's thoughts.

As they put their stuff into the baskets, Akano grabbed one of Kuroki's legs suddenly, but used another arm to keep him balanced as he looked it.

"...did he force you to do more of this so-called training this morning? Even with the exercises today?"

"...mhm. Yeah".

"Alright, come on. Lets get you washed up".

"Eh? I can do it myself!"

Akano shook his head.

"No, someone needs to show you some proper warmth and care for your health".

Akano sat down and had Kuroki sit down on his lap and began to rinse them both off, as well as wash Kuroki's hair. Kuroki was a bit embarrassed by it, but considering how he grew up, he did secretly enjoy it when his friends doted on him. At least to a degree. He hated being treated like a little boy normally, but...this sort of thing every once and awhile, with someone who he shared a strong friendship with, was okay.

Though he did draw a line when Akano started to wash certain areas, doing that himself. Of course he was sure Akano did that just to mess with him a bit as well.

Once that was done, the group of them all got into the bath together. The tension washed away immediately, as they sighed with bliss and happiness.

"This is great".

"This is truly bliss".

"Only a hot springs could beat this".

"So great to be purged of all that darkness".

Kuroki, Akano, Reiji, and Juno all responded accordingly in that order.

"Hey, Kuroki".

"What Akano?"

"I got the latest edition of The Legend of the Arcanist back at my house all ready for you, by the way".

Kuroki's eyes lit up.

"For real? Ahh, I knew i could count on you Aka!" Kuroki said, getting all energetic and hugging Akano.

"Ahahaha. Yeah. My dad got it yesterday for you on the way back from work".

"So this is what a real dad is like!"

Juno and Reiji could only smile wrly on that comment.

"That series has some of the best detailing of how magic works it's so great! And I hear the artist even lives in a nearby town!"

"I know! I really want to visit him~"

And so they engaged in such a happy conversation, their moods getting a double boost from the bath as well as excitedly talking about most of their favorite mangas. Juno actually liked some of the martial arts ones as well, but was considerate enough to not bring up certain ones due to Kuroki's situation and some similarities that could be drawn.

Once they were done, they headed into the changing room, only to quickly cover themselves up again.

"Mom! What are you still doing here?!"

"Sorry, Aka dear. I just wanted to tell you in person that you and Kura are on your own for dinner. We ended up with a coupon for a nearby nice restaurant for two, so we wanted to make sure we make use of it" she said, before she left the room.

"...that's the excuse she claims, but I am pretty sure she just wanted to embarrass us".

"Well, she is a doctor, so she probably wanted to make sure we were all healthy" Reiji mentioned. He didn't include the fact that she had good reason to with Kuroki, not wanting to dampen the mood. They quickly all got changed into fresh clothes, with them stuffing their uniforms into their bags to wash them later.

And so, the group made their way to the arcade, where they proceeded to enjoy their time. Kuroki of course, found games with magic and wizards to be his favorite, and there were a few available. Juno enjoyed fighting games, while Reiji loved racing games. As for Akano, his favorite was shooters. Incidentally, there was a game that had both magic and involved shooting, which made it a game that Kuroki and Akano often played when they came here.

It was a mostly peaceful time, but as they left and began to head home, the sky had changed drastically.

"It was completely sunny without a cloud in the sky a moment ago, but now it looks like its going to be a total downpour" Akano mentioned as the group hurried forward at a brisk pace. Reiji had equipped the Kuroki helmet, since Kuroki had the slowest pace of them all. They made their way towards Akano's place, as it was closest, when the rain came down hard. Even if they were only a few blocks away, it came down so severely they decided to take cover for a bit and try to call someone to bring them some umbrellas.

Reiji let Kuroki down as they waited, but it seemed to only get more and more severe. It almost seemed like a full on typhoon, and even thunder and lightning were observed. It went from gentle sunny day to a superstorm in just an hour, which was really surprising.

As they were observing it, Kuroki had this strange feeling. No, it wasn't just him. Everyone else he could see suddenly became uneasy as well. But all of that was forgotten about in the next moment, when suddenly everything stopped. The rain, the thunder, the lightning. And not as in it ended, but it stopped. It froze in place. One could see the various droplets of water stopped in the air, unmoving and just gloating there. Lightning, which had been striking rapidly all over to the point they could see four different ones near their own position, had also stopped. The rampaging thunder was gone.

And then it all resumed, but in reverse. Water dripping up from the street, raining in reverse. Lightning shot up from the ground, startling everyone. And then, gravity itself seemed to shut off for everyone, as they all began to float for some reason. No, perhaps they were even being pulled upward.

And then everything was blotted out by a sea of white.

Kuroki had this strange feeling of warmth. His mind was a bit blurred and foggy, as it struggled to remember things at first. He remembered the bathhouse, the arcade, walking home with friends, and then...

Kuroki bolted awake as he remembered what happened, and realized he had blacked out. He looked around himself and it appeared he was laying down by a campfire in a forest, with a blue haired man looking at him with a gentle smile. It was someone he didn't recognize, and this area was a place he did not recognize. He didn't see his friends anywhere.

"Where am I?! Who are you?! What did you do with my friends!?"

"You are in the Southern Garva Forest, east of Warden's Rest. I am the wizard who found you collapsed in the forest completely naked, and brought you to my camp for safety. As for your friends, I am afraid I did not see any of them".

There were a lot of things to unpack from that statement, but first Kuroki felt a shiver across his body as the wind blew by. He looked down and he was indeed naked, his bare feet standing in the dirt. Normally, he would react to that immediately, but the man in front of him had said wizard, which was currently causing Kuroki's priorities to skew, partially because from what he remembered and where he was now, it did seem rather magical. Rain and lightning did reverse themselves.

Yes, in other words the thing that fascinated him for so long, but he thought he would never truly exist in reality, was suddenly a possibility for him.

The wizard just looked at him.

"Well, I suppose if you dont mind exposing yourself like that, you might just be able to pass some wizard trials. Though I would appreciate if for my personal reputation, in case anyone comes by, that you please wrap yourself in my cloak" he said non-chalantly. This finally brought Kuroki back down to reality, and he quickly covered himself with his hands.

"...I was just in a daze".

"Yes I figured. I was having you rest on my cloak so you could sleep on something soft and not get dirty, so it's right behind you".

"You don't have anything else for me to wear?"

"Like I said, I actually value my reputation, and I am not some pervert. Why would I have random kid's clothes on me? And this situation is at least easier to explain when I am not half naked or naked in front of a minor. It's one thing if it's a little boy like yourself, but an adult like me? Please spare me".

Kuroki twitched at that, but if that was this man's stance, Kuroki decided not to correct him this time. At least on the off chance he might actually consider Kuroki based on his real age. Kuroki had to briefly give thanks to his total lack of pubic hair at the moment, which was something he hated and was made fun of before.

Plus, what he said made sense. If an adult randomly walked around with kid's clothing, that would be super creepy as hell. He had no right to complain, except to whatever force teleported him here completely naked.

"...so, you found nothing else by me?"

"Nah, although its possible it was hidden by the crater".

"...crater?"

"Yes, I found you in the center of a crater. Just after the sun set, there was a huge amount of shooting stars in the sky, racing off in all directions. Quite a few of them fell to the ground though, impacting this forest. You were the first one I located, and given I had some naked child in front of me, I couldn't exactly go off and investigate the others. For the record, if we talk to anyone else, you should absolutely leave that part out about being found naked in a crater. It will attract the wrong kind of attention, and you will definitely get kidnapped, enslaved, and then probably sold to some pervert who enjoys doing bad things to little boys like yourself".

Kuroki really hated being called a little boy. He was small sure, but the man must have seen his development down there to know he wasn't that little!

"Ah, you look like you hate being called little boy, to the point you forgot about covering yourself" he remarked. "I will admit you have some growth down there, but it's not like its especially so?"

"You didn't need to say that! Why did you even look!" Kuroki said, covering himself again as he started to pick up the cloak. It began to shimmer as he did, and caused the man to go wide eyed.

"Hold it. Stop. Spread your arms out quickly" he said, coming over to Kuroki. Kuroki was hesitant to do so, which caused the wizard to grab his wrists and make him move them. He examined Kuroki closely, placing his ear, which Kuroki learned was pointed, right against Kuroki's belly.

"Umm, what are you..."

"Don't move. Don't make too much sound. I need to be sure about this..."

His eyes seemed to be filled with curiosity and alarm. Kuroki had met quite a few people who gave him a disgusting look. That substitute gym teacher for example. But this was different. This was closer to when his doctor examined him after finding out he had grown only a single centimeter in a year, trying to examine his whole body in addition to tests to see if there was some sort of cause or reason for his shortness. Especially compared to his father, who was at least two meters tall and incredibly muscular.

He proceeded to grab and squish and squeeze various parts of his body, observing things and occasionally murmuring "interesting" and "I see I see". Part of him almost seemed fanatical researcher, not that Kuroki had any room to talk when he went through his magic system research phase. There were some tests better left unsaid though, and by the end Kuroki was seriously wondering if he had misjudged the man's eyes and was rather creeped out.

However, when he was done, he nodded happily.

"It appears you might possess quite the natural talent for magic".

"Eh?"

"I measured the mana veins in your body, and I used a mana sonar to check your torso. You possess quite the strong core for mana, as well as good mana veins for circulating mana through your body. Not only that, but given the..."

He looked rather hesitant to say it and just as creeped out, which improved his reputation with Kuroki once again.

"...the taste of my mana?"

"I was going to go with smell, but its the same thing really".

That explained why he licked the air around Kuroki a few times, as well as for the briefest of moments sweat off of his arm, although he looked throughly disgusted. In fact, Kuroki was pretty sure when he went to examine him from behind, he heard the man vomit somewhere. It must have been the only test available to him in these woods.

And to be honest, the news that he could use magic apparently, so Kuroki was in a very forgiving mood if this gave him details of what he needed to know.

"In any case, it appears the mana of your body has an especially high compatibility with a few things. Divinations and wards, as well as natural mental abilities. But also Storm based magic, Water and ice based magic, and time-based magic. Of course, that doesn't mean you will be limited to those, that is just what your body is best suited for".

"Is there any easier way to test for all this?"

"They have powerful but expensive machines in all branches of the Mages' guild, but they don't really like me there, and given what I saw we needed to confirm immediately. Although in the end practice and hard work is the most important, you have quite the natural talent. I have not had a student like you in a long time" he nodded, finally letting go of Kuroki. "Though I should warn you, I am the type of teacher who tends to be bad at traditional teaching methods, can be brutal at times, and prize thoroughness and efficiency over feelings".

"I would love to!" Kuroki said, jumping right into him with a hug.

"Ah...I love the enthusiasm, but...could you at least put on the cloak first?"

"Does that really matter sensei?!"

Unfortunately for Kuroki, the situation had induced a state of confusion into him. Furthermore, he was now on a high that his dreams came true, so he was entirely unreasonable right now. By tomorrow morning, he would probably have a face that was entirely red with embarrassment, but he wasn't able to think that far ahead right now. The bizarre situation has put him into a frenzy.

"Ah, you seem to be a bit too high on excitement".

"You have to teach me something!"

"Oh boy, I don't mind, but please. If some other traveler sees this...well, I guess if you are my mage apprentice, this isn't as weird. Honestly it saves me a lot. I can just say 'during magic training, some thief stole his clothes'. It's actually pretty common for newbies as a form of hazing after all..."

Kuroki had a lot to unpack from that statement, but all that he cared about was that he got a magic teacher. And that he could use magic. Both facts were amazing.

"...however, first things first, can you cover up please?"

"Teach me something first!"

"Alright alright, but once we get to town, you won't get any more teaching until we get you some damn clothes! Understood?"

Kuroki nodded.

"Very well, I am Amyris Vaelia, and I welcome you to the Ronia Kingdom, my apprentice".

And so, the gears of fate began to turn as Kuroki's journey of magic began.