The First Cultivator

"I'm sorry. The child's mana pool is too small," the man in crimson robes said, his face impassive as he began putting away his tools. At eleven, Azura knew what this meant even though her mother told her repeatedly that it wouldn't be true. That she, among all her kind, would be different, that she could be a mage.

"That can't be right," her mother pleaded as if her words would change the reality of the situation.

"Kin don't have awakened mana pools," the man said. The disgust was evident.

"She's half-human, and her father was a mage," Azura's mother said, adding a note of desperation.

"That's why I said her mana pool is too small. She can't use magic," the man retorted. He finished putting away the last of his magic instruments and shut his bag. He dusted off his robes as he turned around to leave. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have other things to attend to."

"Could we make it bigger? Give her mana potions or something?" Azura's mother said, clutching her daughter to her chest. The two were similar yet completely different. Azura's hair was a light blue, resembling the underbelly of a bluebird, courtesy of her father's lineage. Her skin was pale, and her face was perfectly human except for her ears. Instead of the round ears of a human, she inherited her mother's cat ears, with the very tips white, like a snow-topped mountain on top of her head. Azura's resemblance to a human extended down to her knees, except for a long, flowing tail, the same light blue as her hair, with the color gradually fading to a white tip. Her kin traits became more pronounced from her calves down, with light blue fur down to her ankles. Her feet, or rather paws, were cat-like, with four toes and claws covered in white fur. The presence of so much blue was a sure sign that she would have magic, or so her mother had told her. However, overcoming the burden of her mother's heritage would not be easy.

"Mana pools don't grow. If you want to poison the child with excessive mana, go right ahead." The mage said as he left their meager home.

Azura's mother let out a defeated sigh. She stood there a full minute, clutching her child in her arms. Unlike Azura, her mother was fully kin. Cat-kin, to be specific. Her fur was pure white, covering her entire body, which included a long, fluffy tail, much like her own, except for the color. Her face wasn't dissimilar to a domesticated cat's, with characteristic ears on top. She released her child, kneeling to meet Azura's eyes, her own teary. Both their eyes were vivid green with vertical pupils.

"I'm so sorry, honey," her mother sobbed.

"It's okay, Mom," Azura said softly. It wasn't, but what else could she say? Now, she would be treated just like all the other kin. A magicless burden fit only for menial tasks or a bed toy for those with magic. Or a soldier sent to fight the mists. Azura shuddered, banishing the thought.

"Can I go play?" Azura asked as her mother got to her feet.

Her mother sniffed. "Sure, just be back for dinner. Stay clear of any mage."

Mages, Azura didn't know how to feel about them. They could cure the sick, create wondrous magical items, and defend everyone from the mists. Most of all, they could use magic. But they ruled absolutely and were cruel to non-magical folk, or nulls, as they call them. Perhaps it wouldn't have been so bad if there were only a few, but that wasn't the case. Almost all of the humans had magic of some kind or another. Those that didn't were pariahs. Of course, that included the entirety of the kin race. The elves were even worse, snobbish pricks. Azura shook her head, dismissing the depressing thoughts as she raced out the door.

Azura dashed down the cobbled streets of the city of Deepmere. She jumped over piles of trash and horse droppings, her worries over the future falling away. The buildings were, well, a generous term she could apply would be shabby. They didn't live in the slums but only by the narrowest margins. Here, kin of all types did business with the few rare humans that traded with them. The humans wore cheap clothes and had hair that was either black or brown. That was particularly notable as a sign of a lack of magical talent. Any significant mage had vivid hair colors ranging from the colors of the rainbow. Generally, the mage's power could be determined by the rainbow's spectrum, with red being the weakest and violet being the strongest. Her mother was overjoyed when she was born with blue hair and fur. Now, it was ashes. She supposed she had more magical power than other kin, but it didn't matter. A simple light spell would exhaust her mana and give her mana fatigue. Any mage would tell you that was like having a hangover as an irate sergeant yelled in your face.

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

A loud bang caused Azura's head to snap to the left as a young kin dashed out from a door. He saw Azura and then grinned widely.

"Azura, you couldn't catch a sloth-kin!" Then he dashed away laughing.

"…OH, YEAH!" Azura shouted, failing to come up with a better retort as she sped after him. Vengeance shall be hers! Provided that she could catch him.

The boy was Toren, a real troublemaker, just like her. That was why they got along so well. It also helped that he was half-human as well. Toren was a brown-haired half rabbit-kin with long rabbit ears, a cotton tail, and large rabbit feet. Otherwise, he looked human with tan skin and blue eyes. Like most of his kin race, he was fast! Azura gritted her teeth, trying to keep up.

She was gaining as they raced down alleys and past food stalls, ignoring the yelling adults. Toren glanced back, smirked, and went into overdrive. Azura gasped as she pushed herself to the limit. Azura was definitely going to catch him this time. Then she would sit on him, tickle his ears, and pull on his tail. Yes, that would be a fitting punishment for the bucket of water he tossed on her last time. It might even be considered the revenge of the century. Perhaps a bard would sing of her exploits.

Just as the pair turned down a dead end and Azura was almost upon him, Toren leaped high onto the wall, compressing himself above her. He was frozen like that for a moment as Azura gaped at him before exploding past her. Azura instinctively reached upward but wasn't close as Toren deftly evaded her grasp. She was so distracted watching her prey escape that she failed to do the obvious and stop before she hit the wall. Azura felt a jolt of pain as she was flattened against an immovable object. She, alas, was no unstoppable force. Like Toren, she was frozen for a moment before crumbling backward.

The next thing she knew, Toren was looking down at her, his cocky grin taunting her. "I win again!"

Azura groaned and accepted the hand that the boy extended to her. The world spun around her as she got to her feet. No doubt, an elite team of mages must be casting a disorienting spell on her. What else could it be? She looked down to dispel the evil magic plaguing her, and she noticed a white caulk outline of a girl with a tail that just so happened to be exactly where she had been lying. Would the wonders of coincidence never cease? She deliberately chose to ignore the white dust on Toren's fingers.

"So, how did it go?" Toren asked as the pair walked back to the main path.

Azura limped slightly, "They said it was too small."

"Well, you're young. They might get bigger," he replied, staring at Azura's non-existent chest.

"TEN THOUSAND TON HAMMER FIST!" Azura shouted as she swung her fist down toward the blasphemer's head. Toren easily dodged, laughing. She attributed his narrow escape to her recent incapacitation, which in no way was her fault.

She glared at him, and the boy became uncharacteristically serious.

"That sucks," he said as he came back to her side.

"Yeah." Azura kicked a loose stone as they resumed walking.

"You didn't want to be one of those haughty mages anyway," Toren said sagely. "I heard that they don't even know how to wipe their own asses. They hire special servants to help them."

Azura laughed. Then she paused, evaluating the boy. "They don't do that… do they?"

"It's true. My uncle's brother's nephew has a job doing just that."

"If your uncle had a brother, wouldn't that mean he is also your uncle?"

Toren shook his head sadly. "Once you're more experienced, like me, you will understand these things."

"You're only 3 months older!" Azura scoffed.

"Perhaps, but I do have 12 siblings. That means I have 12 times the experience you do. Thus, I'm nearly an adult." He puffed out his chest.

"The only thing adult about you is…" Azura started and waited for divine inspiration for a crushing remark so devastating that Toren would have no choice but to acknowledge his obvious inferiority and prostrate himself before her. Any second now. Shit, nothing was coming to her. The moment stretched on, and Azura knew she had to act.

"… Your face." She declared.

Toren looked at her and shook his head in disgust.

"Pathetic," he said.

Azura didn't respond, her ears drooping. How could she? That summed up her day thus far. Toren seemed to sense the change in the mood and quickly decided to implement his backup plan.

"Come on, follow me! We have important work to do. The freedom of all kin hangs in the balance." Without waiting, he sped off, but not so fast as to be a challenge.

Azura's mood and ears picked up. Her tail swished as she trailed after him. This should be fun.