(One Year Later)
I was leaving today; my training was over. It's been two and a half years since I left my family, and I am now seven. The war was getting closer and closer, I was trying to prepare myself but how could I. I don't know what war is, I've never seen it in person, and reading about it is much different.
I was still in the solid yellow stage, but my magic put me in white core talent. My blood magic especially, because I was the only one who had it. I could literally remove the ability to use magic from someone, and let's not forget I have mastered my Serpent's Will. That alone gives me extraordinary power.
"Let's go Veer, we need to get going." Tessia said from the carriage that was taking us to Xyrus. Tessia was starting her apprenticeship with Director Goodsky one year before Arthur goes to the academy.
I stood before the King, Queen, and Elder Virion and bowed to them. "Thank you again, for hosting me this whole time. I truly appreciate everything you did for me over the last two years, and gramps I owe you one for all the training." I smiled at them.
"Yeah, you do brat." Elder Virion said with a smug look on his face.
I then turned to Tessia who was rushing to leave. "You should really say goodbye."
"I did already." Tessia shouted.
"It was an honor to host another Leywin boy, you will always be welcomed here, Virion." The King actually smiled at me, something I didn't see him do a lot.
"We wish nothing but the best for you and your family." The Queen walked past me and patted my head, then went to Tessia and hugged her. The Queen was nice to me the whole time I was here. "I'm going to miss you, Tessia."
"Me too, mom, but we should get going." Tessia exclaimed and got into the carriage. "Let's go, Veer."
"Can I ask you something, Veer?" King Eralith said, and I nodded, I couldn't say no to him. "Can you ask Arthur to keep an eye on her, while she is in Xyrus?"
"Of course." I smiled. "I'm positive that Arthur wouldn't let anything happen to her, even if no one asked him to."
They laughed. "That's good to hear." The King said as I turned and got into the carriage with Tessia. "Be safe, you two."
"We will be!" Tessia waved to them. "I'm so excited." She was acting like it; I didn't need her to tell me. "We are going to Xyrus!"
"Yeah, I guess for you it's pretty exciting, but I'm more excited to see my family." I paused as we started to move. "Are you coming with me to see Arthur?"
"No, I'm going to wait until I see him at the academy." She was staring out the window of the carriage now. "You know why we are going to the academy first, right?"
"To drop you off?" I said questioningly.
She shook her head. "Grandfather talked to Director Goodsky and wanted her to meet you." That's a joke, right? Oh my god. "I think he wants her to let you into the academy."
"Oh, can I pass on that?" Tessia shot me a weird looking face. "I rather wait until I'm older."
"This is for when you're older, I think." Tessia was now questioning her knowledge. "Hmm, maybe not, I don't know, but I know she wants to see you now."
The Alacryan spy, who isn't a bad person, just put in a bad situation. I rather not show an Alacryan what I can do before the war, I don't know much about her bond. What if it gives information to Agrona?
"You think I could skip it?" She shook her head no. "That sucks."
"Why? Even if it's for you to attend while you are younger, isn't it an honor to go to Xyrus Academy?"
"Pftt, there's no point in going. I would just cling to Arthur because I wouldn't be able to make friends." I rested my jaw on the window, as I looked outside. "I would be four years younger than everyone, it just weird."
"You wouldn't cling to me?" Tessia said seriously. "I would make sure everyone treated you with respect."
"Thanks for the offer, but I'm gonna have to decline." I laughed as I picked my head up. "I don't think I could cling to anyone to be honest. I would just sit in my room alone." I wouldn't want to bother anyone.
"Oh, come on, Veer. You could follow Arthur or me and we wouldn't care. You are like my little brother." How true is that? I laughed in my head. I would be if Arthur and her got together.
"Haha, I still rather not go."
"You are going if you get in, that's final" Tessia shot at me.
"What? Are you, my mother?" I said jokingly. "I'll decide later, that's if I get in."
Xyrus Academy could teach me a lot, but not enough in one year. I won't learn anything that I don't know already. I could meet new people, they'll be older, but I'm sure my maturity would allow me to make friends.
"No, but if you don't accept it because you're scared about making friends, I'll be mad at you." Tessia was looking at me seriously, was she really not joking? "I'm sure Arthur would be mad at you as well, if he knew what you could do."
"Tess, Arthur was in the same position I was in, and decided to wait until he was twelve." Now, he wanted to become an adventurer, so it was a little different. Actually, thinking of that, I could become an adventurer for a year while Arthur was in the academy. "Maybe I want to become an adventurer."
"Don't be stupid, you are coming to the academy." It was like she was ordering me. "If you trust me, you would go."
I don't know, the thought of becoming an adventurer for a year sounds pretty good to me. I'll get some experience before the war with dungeon, and I'll be training.
"We'll see." I told her.
After some time, we made it through the portal and into Xyrus City, it's just how I remembered it.
"Oh my god, this place is amazing!" Tessia basically had her head out of the carriage. "It's so different from Elenoir." Yeah, instead of trees as houses, there are actually houses here.
I laughed. "I forgot this is your first time here."
"Yeah, it's wonder." She continued to stare with her head out of the carriage.
"Tess, please keep your body in the vehicle at all times." I told her. "Also, shouldn't you be acting a little more like a princess."
She got back into the carriage. "Listen, I'm here as a student not a princess now. I can do what I want."
"You are so wrong." I watched as we passed the people walking on the side of the road. "No matter where you go, you are still considered a princess."
"I know, just let me have this moment please." She pouted at me. "Stop acting like Arthur."
"My bad." I put my hands up in defense. "But you know that everyone is still going to treat you like a princess."
"You don't."
I smiled and nodded my head. "That may be true, but there's a reason for that." I still consider her a princess; I just act normally around her.
"I'll tell them not too, like I did for Arthur and you." I yawned as she spoke. "Don't go to sleep, you need to be ready for Director Goodsky."
"I'm not going to sleep, and I don't need to be ready for her. It's doesn't matter to me if I get in or not." I told her as I leaned my head against my hand. "And we both know that I can take any student on in a fight."
"Yeah, but this is the director, Veer." She got quieter. "Your blood magic won't work as well on her."
"So, what?" I shrugged. "I have other skills up my sleeve."
"Maybe, not as strong as blood magic." She's right sort of.
"No, but I have skills that make my blood magic stronger." I told her and she realized what I meant. "I'm not going that far though." The Alacryan spy is not seeing my phase two, and probably not even my blood magic. Why even risk it?
"As long as you try a little, I'll be happy." Jeez, she was acting like an older sister.
"Thanks, I really needed your approval." I said sarcastically as I smiled at her.
Oh shit, I just remembered Elijah is most likely at the house now. Honestly, I could probably wake up Nico by depriving his brain of blood, I don't know what would happen. It would be fun to see the interaction between Arthur and Nico.
After about twenty more minutes we arrived at the school, it was pretty fancy. The buildings had a beautiful design to them, and I noticed standing in front of one was the Director.
"I see the Director." I said, and Tessia looked out the window I was looking out of.
"This place is wonderful, look at all the students." Tessia and I were staring at the students as we went by them.
"I forgot the school year started already." I told her, that's why students were walking on campus.
"Yeah, that's why I wanted to get here as soon as possible." Tessia said as the carriage came to a stop, and a guard opened the door.
Being the gentleman I was, I got out first and then held out my hand for Tessia to take. "Here, my lady." I laughed as she took my hand.
"Thanks, Veer." She laughed as well.
"It's good to finally meet the granddaughter of Virion." A voice said from behind me, and I forgot that Director Goodsky was there. I quickly turned around. "And you must be Virion Leywin, Arthur Leywin's brother."
"It's good to meet you ma'am." Tessia bowed to her.
I wasn't bowing to an Alacryan. "I'm honored you know who I am, Director Goodsky."
"My new disciple and a student of Virion, I've heard great things about the two of you." She turned and waved for us to follow her. "Princess Tessia you are going to be training under me for a year before actually attending the academy, but I need to see your skills, Virion. I wasn't told much about you, just that you are like your brother. So, before I can accept you, I need to make sure you are good enough."
"Thank's, ma'am." Tessia smiled after getting complemented.
"That's fine." I said plainly, not wanting to be here. We followed her into a building and ended up on a training field. "I'm assuming you want me to spar someone." There were raised bleachers on one side of the training field, and students were sitting in some of the seats.
"Yes, not someone though, me." Director Goodsky said as she turned around and faced me.
"Remember to try, Veer." Tessia gave me a meaningful look. "And good luck." She made her way up to the bleachers, with a smile on her face.
I sighed as I stood in front of the Director, and all the students that were in the room looked down at me.
"Shall we begin?" The Director was looking at me with a curious expression. "If you are anything like your brother, I already know you'll pass, but Arthur's powers are one of a kind, so I'm curious to see why Virion talked so highly about you."
I heard the students in the room start to talk.
"It's just a kid."
"Probably from a noble house."
"His dad and mom got him here."
"Let's see him lose to the Director."
I didn't really care what they said, it just annoyed me that they were in the room to see my powers.
"Let's just get this over with." I rolled up my sleeves. "I'm assuming I can't use a weapon."
"No, you can."
"Are you going to?"
"No."
"Then I won't either, Director." I activated "Blood Oath."
"Very well, show me what you can do." I reinforced my body with mana and then launched myself at her using wind to make me faster.
A barrier of wind formed around the director as I got close, and I stopped my approach. I raised my hand and formed water arrows in the sky, maybe about twenty of them. I then covered my body in red flames and got ready to attack.
That's when I saw Director Goodsky mouth. "Tri Elemental." Her eyes were wide, and I was smiling. I sent the arrows at her and ran at her simultaneously.
I focused on her knees, and used blood magic to make her topple over, I saw the look of confusion in her eyes as she was falling over.
Her wind barrier protected her from my water arrows, but I got through and swung a fist at her face as she was on her knees looking at me. She launched another spell of wind at me, and it sent me flying, I used my own wind magic to stay on my feet.
I let the blood magic spell on her knees go, so she could stand up. I don't think she knew how I did, which works for me.
Forming a fire ball in my right hand, I placed wind magic behind it to increase the speed at which I launched it at. Then I formed an icicle with my left hand and aimed the two at the Director.
She had a look of surprise on her face, I knew she had a stronger core than me, but I was going to attempt to limit her whole body. I conjured water scythes around me and added them to the attack I was going to hit the director with.
Her eyes were wide again, from the sight of me wielding four different elements, but she didn't know about the blood magic, which made it five spells at once. I launched them all at her, and then made her drop to her knees once again and kept her there. I couldn't control her arms though.
The spells collided with a wind wall, but the direct was still knocked backwards. I stood there and just watched, as she gathered herself
She got back up to her feet, unharmed but in shock. "I think we can call it there." I told her.
Everyone was silent on the bleachers, and then Direct Goodsky spoke up. "You are a tri elemental and a deviant in ice magic!" She said in a surprised voice. "I don't know how you did it, but I lost control over my legs. You are exactly like your brother; you pass with flying colors."
"Thank you, Director." I said with a bored smile on my face.
She smiled as she got close to me, here it comes. "One last test." I quickly used my blood magic on myself, making it so I couldn't hear anything. "---- --------." She mouthed something as a barrier formed around us, I assumed it was her sound magic.
I stood there nonchalantly staring up at her, with an unamused face. I was unaffected by it, I pretended to yawn, and the spell disappeared.
I let the blood flow back into my ears, so I could hear again. "I don't understand." She spoke. "No student has ever just stood there."
"Remember, us Leywin boys are no normal students." I turned to Tessia walking up to me.
"Is he with the Princess?"
"Did you see him almost defeat the Director?"
"Who the hell is this kid?"
People started to chat again.
"You did amazing, Veer." Tessia said as she stood next to me. "Isn't he amazing."
"He truly is." Director Goodsky started to examine me. "Are you going to be joining next year when your brother does?"
"I don't know yet, could I get back to you on that."
"Veer!" Tessia hit me on the back. "You have too."
"She's right, you would be wasting your talents if you wait to come here." What if I wanted to become an adventurer?
"I understand, but could you give me some time." I paused. "I would like to talk to my family about it, I'll be four years younger than everyone. I think that was one of Arthur's reasons as well, on why he didn't attend the academy sooner."
"Fine." The Director turned away. "Tessia, your training will start tomorrow, and Veer, you may go home to think about my offer. I hope to see you again."
"Thank you, Director." I turned and started to walk back to the carriage.
"Hold on." Tessia walked with me. "You actually hit her with a spell, she was knocked back. That was amazing, she didn't even hit you."
"She didn't use any attack spells, so she wasn't really trying." I told her honestly. We went outside and I turned to her. "Are you sure you don't want to come with me to see Arthur?"
"No, I'll wait." She smiled. "Come here though, I'm going to miss you." She walked up and hugged me. "I better see you next year."
"We'll see."
---
I was finally home, I got out of the carriage and walked up to the door. I opened it up and standing there were two familiar faces. They stared at me in shock, they didn't know that I was coming home.
"Hey mom, hey big sister." I smiled as I stood there.
"My baby boy!" My mother ran up and hugged me. "Oh, are you home now for good!"
"Yes, mom." I buried my head into her shoulder, I could feel her tears of joy hitting my back. "There's no need to cry, mother."
"I'm just happy you are home." She let me go and I faced Ellie, who I was taller than by a couple inches.
"Come give your big sister a hug." Ellie opened her arms, and I walked up and hugged her.
"You are more like a little sister now; you are so short." I laughed and she pushed me away. "I'm just joking with you."
"Let's go see big brother and dad." Ellie grabbed my hand and pulled me up the stairs to the living rom. I turned to my mother who was watching us with a huge smile on her face. The Leywin twins were back together. We walked into the room and Ellie shouted. "Little brother is back!"
Everyone snapped their head toward me and got up instantly. "My boy." My father ran up and picked me up off the ground. "You're back."
"Hey, dad." I smiled as he placed me back onto the ground. I noticed four other faces in the room, I knew he would be here, it was Arthur, Aunty Tabitha, Uncle Vincent, and Elijah.
I walked up and hugged Arthur. "How was your time as an adventurer?"
"Good, how was your time in Elenoir?" He asked as I backed up from him.
"It was fun, I spoke with Tess a lot." I gave him a wink. "Tried to hook you up."
My brother's face did something I didn't think could, he blushed. "Veer, what did you do?"
"Nothing." I laughed. "Uncle Vincent, Aunty Tabitha." I walked over and hugged them as everyone got situated in the room.
"It's good to see you, Veer." Aunty Tabitha patted my head.
"What new story did one of your sons bring home this time, Rey." Uncle Vincent laughed.
I turned to Elijah. "Hi." I said, placing out my hand. "It's nice to meet you, I'm Veer."
He stood up quickly from his seat on the couch and took my hand. "Veer, it's nice to meet you, my name is Elijah." I smiled falsely and turned back to my brother.
"What core are you at?" I asked him.
"I'm at the light orange stage why?" He tilted his head at me, I noticed Sylvie wasn't in the room, maybe she was sleeping.
"Damn, you gotta keep up with me. I'm at solid yellow." Everyone went silent except for Uncle Vincent who spit out whatever he was drinking. "I should also mention that I go into Xyrus Academy this afternoon, by fighting Director Goodsky."
No one said a word, they just all stared at me. You could hear a pin drop. I looked around the room, no one was willing to speak.
That was until Ellie spoke up. "Your joking?"
Then my dad. "Yellow, and what! You fought with the Director and got into the academy?!"
"I'm serious with everything." I turned to Arthur. "She wants me to come with you, when you go next year." Everyone froze once again. "Go on and ask your questions."
After about an eternity later, they stopped with all the questions. Uncle Vincent and Aunty Tabitha went to bed, and I learned that Lilia was at the academy already. I knew that already though.
It was just my family now in the living room, I was about to bring up a question that would decide my fate.
"Mom, dad." Everyone turned to me. "There is something that I would like to ask."
"What is it, dear." My mother wrapped a hand around my shoulder as I sat next to her on the couch.
"I want to do what Arthur did." I paused. "I want to become an adventurer like he did, I rather not go to school at such a young age."
"No!" My mother shouted. "Not happening."
"Why?" I asked.
"You are too young." She looked at Arthur. "And you aren't like Arthur."
That hurt for some reason, but I knew I wasn't like Arthur. "Honey, that's not fair." My dad spoke up for me. "We let Arthur go, under certain rules. We should do the same for him if he wants."
"Rey! He's our youngest and we just got him back."
"Mom, I have no intention of starting now. I want to wait until I'm eight like Arthur did. I would also like it if Jasmine or another Twin Horn member came with me." I told them.
"I agree with mom." Arthur was against me going? "I was lucky to survive, Veer. I think you should stay away from the dungeons."
"Arthur?" I said, I thought he would be on my side.
"I'm serious, Veer." Arthur didn't think I could survive.
"You see!" My mother chimed back in. "Even Arthur doesn't want him to go." I noticed that Elijah and Ellie were trying to stay quiet.
"I know I'm not Arthur, but I wish you would treat us the same." I stood up. "I have a stronger core than Arthur and I'm younger."
"Your core doesn't judge how strong you are." Arthur said.
"I'm sorry, Veer, but I won't allow you to become and adventure." My mother said, and I turned to my father, and he just shrugged. "You can go to the academy with Arthur if you would like, but that is it."
I sighed. "Fine." I sat back down and leaned my head against my mom's shoulder. "I won't become an adventurer."
"Thank you for understanding my concerns." My mother wrapped her arm around me again. "I love you."
"I love you too." I could feel everyone watching us, but it felt good to be in her arms again.
"Dessert?" Ellie said, and the serious tension in the air disappeared, everyone started to laugh.