"Yeah, but I would keep that a secret, like I said, I don't know if you were supposed to know that." We stopped in front of the bathing area. "This is it."
"We are going to talk more when I am done." He sent me a smile. "Honestly, it's good to see you, Veer, truly, you've grown so much." He opened the door to get into a spot to bathe in. "I want to hear more about this fight with the Retainer."
"I'll tell you all about it later." I spun around. "I'm going to be in the main tent waiting for you."
Arthur entered the door, then responded to me. "I'll be out in ten minutes." I started to walk up to the main tent, where Drogo and some others did their planning.
I couldn't help but smile, my brother was finally home.
The war will pick back up soon, but now, I'll be fighting with Arthur. I totally forgot about the ships, I knew they were coming; however, I am pretty sure we will discover them the same day Arthur returns.
I stepped into the tent, inside was Helen, Tessia, and Adam. "You didn't wash your cloak." Helen pointed at me, and I realized it was still on my shoulder.
"Oh, shit." I pulled off of me. "I'll probably just run it under water, I don't feel like walking back to the bathing area." I threw it on the ground, near the entrance of the tent. "I'll deal with it later."
"Haha." Helen and Tess laughed.
"I can't believe Arthur is back." Adam spoke up from the chair he was sitting in. "He took out a horde, just like you do, Veer, maybe not as aggressively."
"He seems off." Tessia spoke up. "You think he's still the Arthur we knew, right?"
"Yeah." I told her as I sat down across from her. "He's the same, you have to talk to him, and you'll see."
"He's probably a little off, because he just got back." Helen answered her. "He'll warm up."
"I guess." Tess will see eventually that he is fine. "How are you going to deal with the whole him not wanting you to be here?"
"I think he's accepted it, to some degree." I was fighting in the war no matter what, but I still want my brother's approval. "He seemed proud of me when we parted ways moments ago."
"Arthur is an older brother, of course he would worry about you fighting in the war, and I'm sure all he's been told, is how strong they supposedly are." Helen was right, I don't remember what the Asura's tell him, but I do know they throw the fact that the Retainers and Scythes are insanely dangerous.
"Oh, I know, I wasn't upset when he got mad, I understood." The other soldiers were returning to the base, I felt Drogo approaching the tent. "They are back, Drogo should be here in about a couple seconds."
Tess had her head in her hands, leaning on the table, thinking about something. "Veer, did you know?"
"Know about what?" I asked Adam.
"That Arthur was back, you started to clap while everyone was freaking out." Oh, he was referring to that.
"Yeah, I did, but I wanted it to be a surprise for everyone, I didn't know he was going to make other soldiers piss their pants." The tent flap opened, and Drogo walked inside.
"Good, you're all here." Drogo made his way to a seat at the table. "If it wasn't for you Veer, I would have thought taking a whole horde out alone, was in impossible." So that's why Drogo didn't question Arthur as much, he knew that it was possible because of me. "You two must be the most dangerous brothers in Dicathen, maybe the world."
"Haha, you're probably right." Adam turned to me. "We got Demon one, and Demon two."
"You can't call us both Demons, that's stupid." I told Adam as I turned to Drogo. "I want to apologize for not giving you a heads up, I knew he was there the whole time, so if he scared a couple soldiers, that's on me."
"You're fine, even if you told me, I think he still would have scared the shit out of people." Arthur was finished washing up, he's returning with Sylvie. "I don't even know what to say in my report, do I say, a boy showed up, killed them all, and then returned with us."
"That's exactly what you say." Arthur walked, his auburn hanging like mine past his ears. "If you're reporting to Elder Virion, he'll understand."
"Arthur, how'd you get there?" Helen asked as he sat down next to Tessia.
"It's where I landed, I wasn't expecting it myself, I just appeared in the middle of the horde, and then you guys showed up after I killed them."
"Tch, typical Leywin child." Adam shook his head with a slight smile on his face, something I didn't see on him often.
"That's really the whole story, not much more to say." Arthur faced me. "I was thinking about this, you cleared floors yourself, does that mean you took out mutated mana beast by yourself?"
"Yeah." The only dangerous one was the Sand Demon, the others, I killed with ease. "I wasn't by myself though, I killed them by myself, but there were people with me."
"The Sand Demon." Adam brought up. "He killed a Sand Demon, while all of us tried to help, but really couldn't."
"Wow, a Sand Demon, I've never seen one, but I know they are strong." Arthur looked proud, which made me happy. "Veer, when did you hit white core?"
"Two months ago? Somewhere around there." I don't remember to be honest. "That reminds me, when we get back, I have something to give you as a gift." I was talking about Uto's horn. It should strengthen him before the battles begin.
"Okay." Arthur said, I wonder if Darvus will challenge him, knowing me changed him a little, I saved him from death. Arthur was my older brother, so I didn't know if Darvus would have to challenge him because of his pride, since he couldn't defeat me in a battle.
"If that's all, we don't need to discuss the events that went on any further." Drogo stood up. "You can leave, Arthur Leywin, it's been honor, I'm assuming you'll be joining your brother over at the Twin Horn's tent."
"Yeah." We all stood up, I grabbed my cloak, however, as we were exiting, Arthur grabbed Tessia and pulled her to the side. "You guys go on ahead."
Adam, Helen, and I all exchanged a laugh and smiles as we walked away from them. "What a cute couple." Helen said out loud. "Arthur better not be playing that girl."
"I don't think he is."
"Me neither." Helen agreed with me, I could see Jasmine, Angela, and Durden at the fire, waiting for us to return, they wanted to speak more with Arthur more. "He looks happy with her."
"Yeah."
"Where's Arthur?" Jasmine asked us as we got closer to them.
"He's talking with the Princess." Adam told her, and Jasmine understood. "Angela, did you pack up the supplies we left in the tent?"
"Yeah, I did, are we leaving today?" I sat down next to Jasmine. "Veer, you're almost as tall as Arthur now."
"Angela, don't lie to him." Adam sat down. "He's still at least six to seven inches shorter."
"Adam, I was trying to be nice." Angela scolded him. "Don't listen to him, Veer."
"It's fine, Angela, I know I'm shorter." It was unfortunate, but it hasn't been holding me back. "I think I am leaving today as well." I placed the cloak I was holding on the ground to the side and started to conjure water in my hands.
"Oh, damn!" Angela exclaimed.
"You're going to go back with Arthur, right?" I nodded at Adam. "Makes sense, he didn't want you here."
"I'm not leaving the war; I'm just going to stop with fighting in the dungeons all day." Jagrette was the next Retainer we were going to be fighting, if Arthur and I fought her together, we were going to win easily.
"You think that the war is going to evolve to on ground battles soon?" Helen knew what I was thinking about, it was obvious the war was going to change eventually.
"I do."
"What do you know about war though?" Adam asked me, I was an eleven year old, so I could see why he would ask that. "You've never fought in one."
"I've never been in a war, but I know how people think, and I'm good at strategizing." I also knew everything that was going to happen, so that helped me.
"Oh, yeah, you're good at strategizing, it was your brilliant plan to jump into the sand while your body was encased in ice." Adam was speaking sarcastically.
"I'll admit, that wasn't my best plan, but did it work?" I shrugged at him.
"He's got you there." Jasmine told him, I turned toward Arthur, he was walking over to Tessia's team. "Look, Arthur's going over to the Princess's team."
"She is probably going to introduce him to them." This was the moment of truth, was Darvus going to challenge him, I highly doubted it.
"Yeah, she talks a lot about him, so I'm sure they're happy to put a name to a face." Helen started to walk over to her tent. "I'm going to start packing up my stuff, we are moving out soon."
Knowing that we were leaving made me anxious to return back to the castle. I know I just got here and everything, but the only reason I wanted to come back into the dungeons was to see Arthur on the pile of corpses. It was exactly how I pictured it too, it was worth the wait.
"Veer, do you think Arthur is stronger than you?" Jasmine asked from my side.
"If we were fighting straight up, anything goes, then no, I am stronger. If we fought with a sword only, I would lose, he's way better than me." My blood magic would allow me to defeat him, at least I thought, my core level was higher than his, so I'm pretty sure I could control his body.
"Your blood magic gives you an advantage in every fight." Angela said. "You could probably control him with it."
"Yeah, the little Demon is white core now, he could probably control a Lance." Adam knew how my powers worked; they all did.
"I can, I did it the other day." I thought back to the other day, when I controlled the three Lances at once.
"See." Adam waved his hands at me, and I sensed the portal activating and two figures stepping through it, I stood up immediately. "What?"
"Looks like we are leaving now." I picked my cloak up, shot wind over it, to speed up the drying process, then swung it on me. "I'll see you all again." I told them, giving Adam one last look, if I don't do anything, he may die, I'm going to make sure that doesn't happen.
"See ya." They all said, giving me a smile.
I walked over to Arthur and Tessia, they turned to me. "Arthur our ride is here."
"Who?" He asked, not sensing them, I guess.
"You don't sense them?" I looked over at the two approaching figures, people bowed to them as they walked by, seeing how it was the Commander of the army.
"Is that my grandfather?" Tessia asked as the two of them stood up.
"I didn't sense them, impressive Veer." Arthur turned to Tessia's team. "It was nice meeting you all, make sure to take care of her."
"Hey!" Tess exclaimed as we started to walk toward them. "I take care of them."
"I know and keep doing it." Arthur told her. Aldir and Elder Virion were standing now near the main tent, by themselves, waiting for us to get to them.
"I'm coming with you." Tess said, I wanted to tell her that she wasn't, but it wasn't my place.
"Arthur, it's good to see you, my boy." Elder Virion spoke as we got close to them. "Veer, Tessia."
"Gramps, it's been a while." Arthur shot him a smile. "Aldir." Arthur didn't know him that well, he was here in Dicathen while he was in Epheotus.
"We've come to retrieve Veer and you." Elder Virion said, and then turned back toward the portal. "It's good to see that you are well."
"Likewise, gramps." Sylvie jumped off of Arthur's head, and onto mine.
"Tessia, you're staying." When she heard this from gramps, I could see her face getting red.
"Gran-Commander, Arthur just got back, let me comeback." Elder Virion turned back to Tessia.
"This is what we talked about, you are to stay here, and work your way up from the bottom." I could see that she didn't like this but understood.
"Tessia, I'll see you again, just make sure to stay safe." Arthur spoke to her with a kind tone. "You're doing well in here from what I have been told from your team, keep it up."
"Fine." Tessia responded. "Bye, Art." The two hugged, and then Tessia walked over to me. "Tell him how great you have been." She hugged me, and then turned to gramps and Aldir. "Commander, Master Aldir." She saluted, and then walked away.
"Let's go." Elder Virion and Aldir started to walk back to the portal, I was surprised Drogo didn't come out to see them, he did in the novel.
Arthur motioned for me to follow him, and we walked side by side behind them. "How much has Virion told you." Aldir asked my brother.
"A decent amount." Aldir shot me a look with his third eye, he had a hood on, but since I was short, I could see under it.
"There's a lot we need to speak to you about." Elder Virion spoke seriously. "Veer, how has everything been? You, okay?"
"Okay?" Arthur turned to me. "What does he mean?"
"I'm fine, gramps, we'll talk about it later." I assured them both as we stepped through the portal and arrived back in the Floating Castle. Waiting for us there was Ellie, Boo, dad, and mom.
Elder Virion, Aldir, and I stayed back, as Ellie ran up and hugged Arthur. "Brother!" Ellie exclaimed in his arms. "You're back!"
"El." Arthur said quietly, but still was able to be heard. "You've grown."
"I know!" They backed away from each other, and my parents came in and hugged him as well. I could see the look of surprise in his face, my parents, however, looked happy to see him, which for some reason, made me happy. I walked up to everyone and stood next to Ellie and Boo.
"But I thought?" Arthur said questionably.
"You thought what, Arthur? You're our son, we raised you, taken care of you, we don't care about these memories you have, you're our son no matter what." My mother smiled as she spoke, and I could see Arthur lighten up a little. "We all love you."
"Thanks." As Arthur spoke to them, Boo swatted down on him, Arthur blocked the attack easily. "And who is this?!"
"This is Boo!" Ellie exclaimed, running up to her bond as he backed away from Arthur.
"Boo?" He looked at me, and I shrugged.
"Boo likes you." Ellie told him.
"You can communicate with it?" Ellie nodded her head. "He's your bond?"
"Yeah, Sylvie!" Sylvie shot toward Ellie, from the top of my head, and landed in her arms. "You're still so cute."
"Arthur, there will be time to speak with your family later, we need to talk with Veer and you." Elder Virion and Aldir began to walk toward the council room. "I'm sorry Rey, Alice."
"It's fine, we understand, Veer, bring him to the balcony when you're done." My mother looked at me, and I gave her a thumbs up. They all started to leave us, giving Arthur glances of joy.
"Let's go." Arthur and I followed the two toward the council room.
"It's good to see you two together." Elder Virion peeked at us. "Arthur, your brother has been nothing but dominant out in the field, I can tell you don't like that, but if he wasn't out there, Tessia would be dead."
"What?!" Arthur exclaimed, looking at the both of us as we entered into the council room where no one else was. "Tessia almost died?"