Her name was Lilith Noya, Lilith for the lilies that lay next to the bed where she was born. Noya was Ancient Speak for One With No Name. And being nameless was a curse. A name was part of who you were, in fact, it made you who you would become one day. For instance, a boy named Maximus would go on to become a general or important leader in society, while a girl named Isabelle would become some noble man's wife and spend her days in long ball gowns, dripping with jewelry as she elegantly ate escargot and danced.

But Lilith's mother had died before giving her name, and the only other person alive who might know the answer was missing, if not dead. Without a name, she was without a future.

***

Caesar Maximus' II father was a general in the Great War Of Three where he lost his leg. After the war was won, the Almighty and Highly Humble King Reynard The Brave offered Caesar Maximus Sr. ( Max's/ Caesar Maximus II 's father.) anything he desired as a reward for his sacrifice of his leg. Maximus Sr. asked that his son be made a knight once he was born and that he and his family may live in the King's castle for generations to come.

But there was a problem. When our hero, Caesar Maximus The Second was born, he was born without any ability*. He had come from a long line of Strikers (People who can summon lightning at will) His father was so furious he sent out word that no magic was to be performed in the presence of his son and breaking that rule could be punished by banishment or death. So Caesar Maximus The Second grew up not really ever knowing his father, because to know his father, he'd have to know magic**.

* Max was born in the Kingdom of Bellum, where everyone of important bloodline (And occasionally people of an unimpressive bloodline) was born with an ability. There had been two documented times that the children of someone important were born without an ability, but it hadn't happened for hundreds of thousands of years. So, therefore, Max being of a VERY important bloodline... this fact was very important.

** His father had what was regarded as a reckless ability (reckless abilities are rare), where his magic would unpredictably flare up. Of course, because he was a lightning striker, I feel the need to clarify that all that would happen would be that a little sparkle of static would dance across his palm. But if he broke his own rule, he would be banished or executed, so he didn't take any chances.

***

Serafina was blind from birth. At least, that's what she was told. She had a few memories that didn't line up to what she was told. A flash of painfully bright green light, bright splotches of flowers draped on a weathered stone wall, a pretty woman laughing as she twirled in a long, bright, billowing gown. But when she asked the old nursemaid who had helped her mother give birth, she had insisted those were just things her mind made up to help cope with never seeing the beauty of the world*.

Serafina navigated the world with her smell and touch, and so far, even though she lived on the streets of Artifex's capital, Trahere, with no parents to guide her around, she had survived by her smell and touch.

She pickpocketed those who smelled rich with gold, because they, of course, could spare a couple rings and silver coins. And so far she was ok. Yes, she was a thief, but Serafina was a survivor.

* The main reason being blind in Artifex was a big deal was because Artifex was a kingdom of artists, and one cannot be an artist if they can't look at art for inspiration or even see the canvas.