A single holo Pic print

“Yes I did and I have something for you that might make this a memorable day for you.”

He fished something out of the inner pocket of his shabby coat. It was a single holo Pic prin t, rolled up. The kind they send out for Yuletide with a single Image on it. I unrolled it and the three-dimensional picture of a young beautiful woman in a maroon velvet dress with golden seams came to life. She held a small child in her arms.

A voice I never thought to hear again said. “I hope this reaches you in that lonely old tower of yours. Behold, this is my Firstborn, my son Eric. Promise me you shaggy old Wizard to teach him some of the things you know, and let him, when he comes of age, listen to your great wisdom. He is born into this beautiful but hard world. He is, as you well know son to a very hard father who will demand much of him, but if you teach him as you have taught me, my dear gone brother and my beloved father all the things about the ancient Rite of passage and the truth he will triumph so he can rightfully choose whatever path he wants to go. Happy Yuletide Old Man, yours Ilva Olafson .” The woman kissed the child, the rest washed away as my tears in could not hold back dripped on the holo-emitter. This was Ilva my mother! I watched it several times again, while the Old man had taken the sub under water and we were on our way. My mother had known him and he had trained Grandfather and her brother, the son grandfather lost in a Sub Accident. She had asked him to train me and not some chance meeting, not some person with ulterior motives, but mother and I as if she had spoken directly to me I would not just try my best to make grandfather proud. I would learn everything there was to learn about the ancient challenge and then demand to be tested before those cursed Elders. My revenge would not have to wait till I was sixteen. I would kill father and that brood infesting my Burg!”