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There was no denying the fact that Damion was an exceptionally gifted child. Despite being born two months premature, he was surprisingly strong, and could push himself into a sitting position after only a month. He was very alert, always paying close attention to everything that went on around him, seeming to almost analyze everything that he saw and heard. He was also an unnaturally quiet child, not easily upset or startled. He would usually just sit, watching everyone around him with interest, seeming to almost absorb every detail of a room and its occupants.
By the time he was four months old, Damion discovered that he could escape his playpen with very little effort. While everyone's attention was elsewhere, he would carefully slip over the bars of his playpen, then crawl out of the nursery door, setting off on his own to explore the castle. When discovered missing, the entire castle was turned upside down in a frantic search, but he was almost always found within an hour, examining an interesting suit of armor, hiding under a desk, or sleeping peacefully in the shadows under a staircase.
After several such incidents where the entire castle staff had to join the search, they decided to take special precautions to try to put a stop to his wanderings. They had a special playpen constructed with taller rails to try to hamper his escape, and put extra servants in the nursery to watch him day and night, but it didn't even seem to slow him down. He would just pile all his toys together into a makeshift ladder, then, after making sure everyone was distracted, he would make his escape.
At eight months old, Damion took his first steps, and the castle became a place of constant havoc. He was continually disappearing on his wanderings despite all their attempts to prevent him from escaping. He seemed to have an uncanny ability to choose just the right moment to try and make his getaway. They tried everything short of a padlocked cage without any success, until one morning Lady Skie decided to allow him to explore wherever he wished, with her following along closely behind to ensure that he wasn't injured. He went from chamber to chamber, examining each room and its contents thoroughly before moving to the next. After several weeks of these kinds of wanderings, he had explored almost every room in the entire castle. After that, he seemed much more content with his surroundings, and even stopped escaping his playpen.
As the months passed, Damion began growing at an astonishing rate. It seemed a person could almost watch him grow taller right before their very eyes. His appetite also began to grow, and he was soon eating nearly as much as a full-grown man at each meal. Lord Michael and Lady Skie once again summoned the best clerics in the region to examine Damion and ensure his health. The clerics spent several days examining him thoroughly, much to his displeasure, and when they were finished, they concluded that he was in perfect health, and his enormous appetite was due to his rapid growth. His body seemed to be burning away the food nearly as fast as he could eat it. It was an uncommon affliction, but not completely unheard of. They reassured Lord Michael and Lady Skie that he would be fine, and the growth spurt would eventually subside, then recommended that Damion be provided with plenty of food, and got plenty of rest.
If his appearance and rapid growth wasn't strange enough, unexplainable things began to happen around Damion. It started with little things disappearing from high shelves, well out of Damion's reach, then reappearing later in his playpen. Or books would suddenly float down from their shelves and across the room, scaring the wits out of whoever was nearby. Strange balls of colorful light would sometimes materialize and dance through the room, then suddenly vanish without a trace, leaving everyone startled and scratching their heads. No one could seem to figure out the source of the strange phenomenon.
Then, not long after his second birthday, Lord Michael and Lady Skie were sitting in the study talking while Damion quietly stared out of the open window at the bustling town below.
“I am a little worried,” Lady Skie began, her face clouded with concern. “He is far too quiet for a child of his age. I cannot remember the last time he cried out, or even made a sound. It’s unnatural.” She glanced at Damion fondly. “He is obviously very intelligent, and when he looks into your eyes, it is almost like he is looking into your soul.”
Lord Michael laughed. “His gaze is rather unnerving, isn't it?” He was enormously proud of his strapping young son. Damion was already standing three and a half feet tall, and was growing taller each day. By now, the village tailors had grown used to replacing his clothes nearly every week. “It’s like he almost knows what you’re thinking.” He looked over at his son and smiled. “He’s just quiet. We know he’s not mute. The clerics ruled that out long ago.”
“I don’t know what it could be, then. Maybe he just cannot talk.” She paused as Damion turned away from the window, and walked over to her side. He tugged on her arm, and pointed at a small furry object high atop a bookcase on the far side of the room. “That's his favorite toy.” She smiled, preparing to retrieve it from its perch.
Before she had a chance to rise to retrieve it, the toy suddenly rose into the air and slowly began to float down and across the room to Damion's outstretched hands. He looked up at his father and nanny with an innocent smile, then happily sat down to play, seeming oblivious to their stares of surprise and astonishment.
“D-Did you do that?” Lord Michael's face was pale, and his hands shook slightly. He was staring at his son with a look of total disbelief.
“Nay, milord!” She was just as shocked as he was. “It was not me! I-I think it was Damion!” The boy continued to play with his toy, oblivious to the unusual event that stunned his father and nanny. “It just floated down to him, as if by magic!”
Lord Michael rose unsteadily to his feet and lifted his son into his arms. The young boy giggled, then threw his arms about his father's neck, hugging him tightly. “That's impossible!” He scoffed. “Damion couldn’t have used magic. He’s only a child. It takes years to develop a magical talent, and only a few are able to wield it to any real effect.”
Lady Skie shook her head. “It is the only possible explanation. We are the only people here. What else could have done it?”
“This room must be haunted.” Lord Michael began looking around the chamber wildly.
“Don’t be ridiculous!” She paused as a thought struck her. “This may explain those strange balls of light, and why things keep disappearing and reappearing in his playpen. I have been trying to figure that out for months.” She gave the boy an appraising look. “It certainly explains a few things. The servants have been complaining for several weeks now that strange things seem to happen in this nursery. I had dismissed it as idle gossip and storytelling, but perhaps there was something to it after all.”
Lord Michael still looked skeptical. “I refuse to accept that it was Damion. There is no possible way he could be using magic.” He glanced down at his son, who was watching their conversation with a keen interest, then looked back at Lady Skie, his eyes full of uncertainty. “But just to be on the safe side, let's start keeping closer eye on him, just in case.” He sighed deeply, cradling the boy closer to him. “How did you do that, my little one?” He whispered, more to himself than to his son.
Damion fixed his father with a serious gaze then answered with his very first word. “Magic.”
Lord Michael's jaw dropped open in astonishment. “Skie? D-Did you hear that?”
Lady Skie was just as stunned. “See if you can get him to say it again!”
But it was too late. Damion's attention had already wandered elsewhere, and no amount of coaxing could compel him to repeat himself. Lord Michael finally gave up, sighing. “This still doesn't prove that he can use magic. But even if he can, there isn't really much we can do about it. We can only hope that he doesn't do anything spectacular to make others aware of his powers.”
Lady Skie gently took Damion from his father and placed him on the floor to play. “I believe we should keep this secret, for now, or at least until we can find out for sure if he possesses the gift.
We have never concealed the fact that his abnormality was caused by the dragonspawn, but this may be more than the common people could take. If word got out that he could use magic, his life could be in danger.”
Lord Michael nodded his agreement. He knew full well how despised magic-users were throughout the land; how they were spurned and hated by most, and distrusted by all. “I agree. We must tell no one of this until we can determine if he actually has any powers.” He glanced down at his son, who had curled up in front of the fireplace and fallen asleep. “Is there any way to find out for sure if he can actually use magic, and if so, how strong it is?”
Lady Skie shook her head. “There isn’t any way to measure the power of someone's magic. We will just have to wait and see. I just hope he doesn’t decide to start demonstrating his abilities to everyone. That could cause some serious problems!”
He glanced back down at his son's slumbering form. “What other surprises do you have in store for us, little one?” He murmured. He looked back to Skie. “I trust no one else with this secret. If word gets out there is a magic-user in the castle, the villagers may revolt. Damion's appearance is already a strain for them to accept. If this gets out, he will no longer be safe here in the castle.”
She sighed sadly. “The gods have blessed Damion with many gifts, but I fear these gifts will bring him many hardships. He will always be different from others, and this new power might place him in great peril.”
Lord Michael glanced down at his slumbering son and sighed. “Let's just hope that he doesn't begin making the servants vanish into thin air. That would be rather difficult to explain.”