Virion Leywin
(One Week Later)
Ellie and I turned eleven today, and it was also the day I was going back into the dungeons, it was a gift to me, but not towards my family. I knew they wanted me to stay the whole day, and I planned on staying for at least lunch.
Arthur was going to be here in about three weeks, give or take days, I don't know the exact date he returns, but I know the signs that will tell me when to prepare. I wanted to see my big brother so badly.
"Good morning, Veer." My mother said as I walked into the dining hall, and noticed my entire family was there. "Happy birthday." She got up and hugged me.
"Thanks, mom." I embraced her hug.
My father hugged me next. "Happy birthday."
"Thanks." I embraced his hug as well, and then walked over to Ellie. "Happy birthday, big sister." She smiled at me, and we hugged.
"Happy birthday, little brother." I laughed as we separated. "We are eleven now, isn't that cool?"
"I don't feel any different." I told her as we all took our seats, I did live a year longer than I did in my last life.
A maid placed a plate of food in front of me, it was eggs, I sent her a smile. "Relish in your younger years, you two, you're going to get old one day, like your mother and I." My dad smiled at us.
"When are you leaving, Veer?" Ellie asked, and the atmosphere changed.
"I was thinking after lunch, but I may go sooner." I told her, I knew this would make them all angry, but I really wanted to leave the castle, not them, I love my family. "If that is okay, I know it's our birthday, but I want to get back."
"I still think you should stay back; I don't care if you are feeling better." My mother glared at me; it was obvious that she wanted me to stay here where it was safe. "What happens if you find yourself in front of another Retainer?"
"He'll take it down, isn't that right, Veer?" My dad was the opposite of my mother, he accepted the fact that I was fighting in the war a long time ago.
"Yep." I assured him, and everyone. I wasn't going to see a Retainer again for a while, I think, there's always a chance one shows up. "Mom, I'll be fine."
"I want to go with you." Ellie said seriously.
My parents responded quickly. "Absolutely not, over my dead body." My mother shook her head, reinforcing what she said.
"Nope." My dad shrugged at her. "You are too young." Oh, he messed up, shouldn't have brought age into this.
"I am the same age as Veer, we literally both turned eleven today." Ellie pouted at them, and I just went in and started to eat my food, trying to act like I wasn't there. "I don't care that he is stronger, I can still help people."
"No, Ellie." My mother glared at her and then at me, my eyes widened in fear by the way she looked at me. Did she want me to say something? Shit, what do I do?
"But mom!" Ellie continued to pout.
"Ellie, you'll join the war one day, but that's not today." I gave her a reassuring smile, and looked at my mom, she wasn't glaring at me, I did something right, let's go.
"Hopefully, the war ends before you do get old enough, then you won't have to fight in it." My dad's plate was already gone, they did start eating before me.
"You all suck." Ellie crossed her arms and looked at the wall. "I wish Arthur was here."
"He'll be back soon." I told her as I stuffed my face with a forkful of eggs.
"Really?!" Ellie exclaimed, turning back to us. "You really think so?!"
"They said he could be gone for multiple years; it would have only been two." My mom looked at me like she actually cared about the conversation. They finally accepted the fact that Arthur was still their son, no matter the circumstances.
"It's a guess, but I think he'll be back in the coming months." I placed my fork down onto my plate as I finished. "The war is going to pick up anytime soon, I'm sure you two are thinking the same thing, so we are going to need Arthur."
"I hope he comes home soon." Ellie spoke sadly. "I miss him."
"We all do." I said as I looked around the room. "You know, speaking of reunions, well, it's not really a reunion, I saw them a couple months ago, but the Twin Horns are going to be at the dungeon I was going to today."
"I heard; you have to make sure to say hello to everyone for me." My dad told me. "I bet they will be happy to see you."
"Yeah, I am excited to see them as well, it's been a while." The last time I saw them was at the Sand Grotto where I killed the hundred Alacryans, I did see Helen now and then in the castle when she came to relay information to Elder Virion.
"You know, the two of you, have made us both proud parents." My mother, who was sitting next to me, grabbed my face with one hand. "You both are great children, I couldn't of asked for a better set of twins."
"Mom, stop." Ellie said, as she started to get embarrassed, in front of who, I didn't know.
"Thanks, mom." I leaned my face into the palm of her hand.
"I love you two." She said as she stared at the two of us.
"We love you too, mom." Ellie told her for the both of us.
"Hey, what about me, no love for your father?" I leaned away from my mother's hand, and turned to my father, who had his hands up in the air.
"Dad, we love you too." I assured him.
"I almost forgot; I have both your gifts." My mother handed me a small box, and Ellie a larger one. "Ellie, open yours first."
"Okay." Ellie began to open her gift, and I sat and watched. "No way." She pulled out a new quiver for her arrows that weren't mana formed. "I needed a new one!"
"We know, Elder Virion had it specially made for us to give to you." My dad seemed proud of this. "Veer, your turn." Everyone shifted their gaze to me, and my small box.
I began to open it, and inside was a bracelet with three pearls in it. I already knew what it was, she gave Arthur one of these in the novel. I pulled it out, and my mother spoke. "The crystals come off, if you smash them over your body, they will heal you partially."
"Wow, thanks mom, this will come in handy in the dungeons." I leaned over and hugged her.
"I know you already have your phoenix bracelet that you got from Arthur, but you can where this one on your other hand." The red phoenix bracelet never comes off of my right wrist, not even when I shower, I didn't want to lose it. I slipped the new bracelet onto my left hand and showed it off.
"You look even fancier now." My dad shot a smile at me. "We want you to be safe in the dungeons, even if you are stronger than all the mana beast, you never know what will happen next in there."
"So be careful! Try not to resort to the crystals on the bracelet, because that will mean that you are injured." "My mom added, and I waved my arms in defense.
"I promise to be careful; you don't have to worry about that." I stood up. "Want to take a walk to the balcony?"
"That sounds like a great idea." My father stood up next, and everyone joined him. "Let's go." We all started to walk out of the dining hall together, I was walking next to my mother.
"I think you should stay a little longer." My mom got closer to me. "You can always go back into the dungeons later."
"Mom, I've been gone far too long, and I can tell you for a fact, I'll be out of the dungeons again soon, and when that happens, you are going to be wishing that I was back in them." I was talking about when the real battles begin, like the ones outside the dungeons.
"I'll never wish for you to be back in the dungeons." She would wish that I never left the castle, like Ellie. "But I see what you are saying."
"I'll say this again." I spoke loudly so the whole family could speak. "Neither of you should fight in the war, and before you say anything, hear me out." We all continued to walk, I know I brought this up before, but I was going to try again, but rephrase it better. "If anything would happen to either one of you, it would break Arthur and me, and that would hurt Dicathen. To be honest, I don't know what's going on with Arthur and you two, it's not my business, but if both of you really want to help Dicathen, don't join the war."
Everyone was silent, maybe I did a good job, I lied to them, I knew what was going on between them, but it was a white lie.
My dad spoke first. "That's a valid point, Veer." He fell silent for a mere second, then went on. "But your mother and I can't sit here and do nothing, you understand that you feel it too."
"I do." Damn, I really thought that was a good speech. "I was only trying to convince you to stay."
"We know, and we understand, but we are going to join the war." I nodded at my dad's words as I stared at the ground. "Nothing will happen to us, when the Twin Horns are at one hundred percent, we are unstoppable." I wanted to tell him that he died in the war, but I didn't, because I was going to change that.
"I agree with Veer, I don't want to be left alone in the castle." Ellie shot at them. "It will be so boring; the other kids suck here."
"Ellie." My mother did the evil glare thing again, why did that scare me more than Uto. "You won't be alone, there are a lot of people here who care about you."
"I know, but they aren't family." Ellie said as we arrived on the balcony, Boo was waiting for her. The bear was gigantic now, it was quite a scary mana beast if you didn't know him. "Boo, did you miss me?" Ellie ran a hand through his fur.
"You'll be fine here, El." My father sat down in a chair, and my mother took the other one across from him. I decided to conjure a seat made from ice under me and sat down on it.
"Shouldn't they stay Boo?" Ellie ignored my dad, and started to talk to Boo like we weren't here.
It was almost time to return to the dungeons, I was starting to get excited, either because I wanted to fight mana beast again, or it was because Arthur was going to show up there sooner or later.
"Veer, you are our only child without a bond, I feel kind of bad." My mother turned to me.
"Mom, that's not a big deal, I don't need one." Soon, I was going to have one that was made with this thing in the palm of my hand. I had no clue what it was going to be, but no matter what, it was going to be dangerous.
"Are you sure?" She asked me.
"It's not like you can go and find a bond for me." I shrugged. "So, yeah, it's fine."
"He's right, Alice." My dad told her. "We would have to be extremely lucky to find a bond for him."
"I don't need one." I told them again. "I'm good with everything I have now."
"That's good to hear." My mother leaned back in her chair. "I thought the youngest child was supposed to be the most difficult, Rey."
"Are you saying he isn't difficult?" My father asked her, and I looked at him, offended by his words.
"I am definitely not difficult, maybe when I was younger, but not now." I shook my head, stunned by my father's words.
"I am only playing." We all started to laugh, except for Ellie, who was still talking and petting Boo.