The Prologue

Catherine, a slave, must report her progress to her current owner.

Prologue

Inside a cell there sat 3 slaves, 2 children and 1 adult. The adult was a woman and the mother of the 2 children who were boys.  The woman’s hair was gold and her eyes were crimson. She was supposedly 40 years of age but her appearance was that of a 20 year old. Many have gone so far as to say she looks like a Goddess. Her name was Catherine Phoenix.

Phoenix was the name of the family that owned her. Slaves have their last names replaced by that of the family they serve. The boys’ names were Leonard Phoenix and Joseph Phoenix, the sons of Catherine.

The children were twins but their appearances were completely different. Leonard had black hair and blue eyes whereas Joseph had golden hair and red eyes just like his mother. According to their mother Leonard looked exactly like their father. The boys were both 6 years old. All 3 of them wore tattered clothing.

“Make way for Master Phoenix!”

A guard shouted from outside their cell. The pair of 3 stood. Leonard and Joseph were energetic so they got to their feet quickly but Catherine rose up in a sluggish manner. The 3 slaves faced the entrance to their cell. Beyond the bars they could see a man.

This man was the one who owned them. His name was Jonathan Phoenix, the heir of the Noble House Phoenix. He had long red hair that reached his back and orange eyes. He wore a black coat over a white shirt and red trousers. Catherine chuckled lightly upon seeing him. But the 3 knelt down in front of him, if they hadn’t, there would most certainly be numerous scorch marks across their bodies.

“I guess you took my advice and threw away that robe. But this isn’t exactly the clothing I had in mind.”

Catherine spoke whilst observing him. Jonathan took a step towards the cell. The slaves stood shortly after.

“I didn’t wish to change my clothing but after Jessica insisted that I follow your advice for 3 WEEKS! There was no other option. And then she insisted that she chose my clothing as well.”

Jonathan was clearly irritated and found no humor in the situation unlike Catherine who let out a laugh.

“Yeah, I always did like her but her fashion sense and mine don’t really go together.”

“I agree. But that’s enough small talk.”

Jonathan’s face looked much more serious now.

“What are the results?”

Catherine too was more serious.

“Leonard and Joseph have gotten stronger and faster but their swordsmanship is garbage. Joseph has taken an interest in Alchemy and is very damn good at it for a 6 year old and Leonard only just started delving into magic. There’s one problem about that though, I can’t find out what his magecraft is! It’s possible that he won’t be able to use magic at all.”

Their owner walked back and forth for a few moments, thinking about the information he has just received.

“An Alchemist would be exceedingly useful. According to your previous years report Leonard is the more physically fit of the boys, is that still true?”

“Yeah, Leonard is stronger and faster but Joseph’s not just better at swordplay but also smarter. Sorry Leonard but that’s just true.”

The boy did not speak up but was visibly hurt.

“From this info it would seem that Joseph is the more useful of the 2. Start training Joseph on magic and make Leonard a better soldier. I need slaves with great utility or ones that are useful in combat. Do not disappoint me Catherine, you’ve been a great slave thus far and it would be a shame if you couldn’t prepare your children adequately in time.”

The Phoenix began to walk away from the cell.

“Don’t worry about that Phoenix. They’ll be more prepared than you know.”

Jonathan stopped and turned around for a moment.

“Is that a threat?”

Despite how much of a harmless comment it seemed to be on Catherine’s part, for her to make such a statement is not ordinary, nor is it a good sign for her enemies.

“No, it’s a reassurance.”

The woman said with a smile.

“It better be.”

Jonathan resumed his walk to the exit.

“Leonard, Joseph, training’s just gotten a lot rougher.”

That sentence sent shivers down their spines. The boys had been having a tough time with their training already. If it was to be any harder they didn’t know if they would last. But they had no other choice so they accepted their fate and steeled themselves for the 365 days to come.

End of Prologue

Author's Note

The descriptions annoy me a tad bit but I'm a little too lazy to fix them at the moment. Still though, I'd like to hear what's wrong with them. And also what is PRECISELY the problem with my dialogue as this is a very dialogue heavy chapter.