Ellie Leywin
"Where is my son, Elder Virion?" My mother has been crying for the last week because of Veer. "You said you could find him, where is he?" My family at the moment was in the council room with Elder Virion, Aldir, Tessia, and Queen Eralith.
My father put an arm around my mother. "Honey, he's trying his best."
"I assure you Alice, we are looking for him, and when he pops up, we'll figure everything out." Elder Virion spoke calmly. "However, I have a feeling he wants to stay out there and fight." That was true, I already knew that though, we all did.
"He is way too young to be fighting in the front lines." My mom cried out. "Veer, is barely nine."
"And yet he possesses a power not even I can describe." Aldir spoke, and everyone turned to him. "I assure you, Mrs. Leywin, wherever he is, he is doing more good than harm." He paused for a second, then continued. "I believe next to Arthur, Virion might be one of the greatest assets in this war, and I understand we talked about waiting until he was older but holding him up in the castle against his will is also not right. He knows what he can do, we know what he can do, you should have faith in your son and his strength."
The room fell even more silent, that was until Tessia spoke up. "Then, you should let me go out as well." Elder Virion and Queen Eralith shot her a look of disapproval. "Veer is younger than me, and if you placed me on a team with him, I could make sure he was safe."
"No." Elder Virion answered quickly. "At least not yet." I saw the look on Tessia's face brightened by the words, not yet. "Lord Aldir has a point, Viriong might be the strongest mage that isn't a Lance in Dicathen, and might grow into Lance strength."
"I don't care, he shouldn't be out there." My mother continued to plead. "Rey, don't you think I'm right?" She looked my father in the eyes, but he didn't respond right away. "Rey?"
"I think I have to agree with Elder Virion, but you are right, honey, he is way too young to be fighting in a war, I should be." I turned to my father.
"No, dad." I told him. "Arthur is the only person that should be fighting in the war!" I shouted, he shouldn't even be either, but he was one of the strongest mages in Dicathen, my parents flinched from his name. Why was that?
"El." My father rested a hand on my head. "Arthur is strong, but I, as the father, should be fighting."
"You have to wait, Rey." Elder Virion stood up. "If something would happen to you when Arthur was gone, he would never be able to forgive himself." That was true, I didn't know what was going on with my parents and him, but Arthur would be distraught if something did happen to our father. "It's the same with Veer, that's why we are tracking him down."
"Alice, I'm sure he is fine." The Queen smiled. "Virion is such a good kid, all he wants to do it help."
"I know, your majesty, he's just too young." My mother didn't want Veer fighting in the war, neither did I, but what I witnessed the day he left proved Lord Aldir and Elder Virion's point.
"Can I say something." I raised my hand shyly.
"Of course, Ellie." Elder Virion waved for me to speak.
"I was there to witness Veer take out the guards near the portal, even me." I already told everyone this story, so it wasn't a surprise. "He took the guards down without even breaking a sweat, I don't want my brother to be fighting in the war, but what I saw proved your point, Elder Virion."
"Ellie, you're right." Lord Aldir's eye tracked me, a little freaky. "He took down high class mages without flinching or even really trying, but if he is in the dungeons, they are unpredictable as your parents know. It's not just his strength at test, but his knowledge."
"Exactly." My mother exclaimed. "We all know Veer, he's a troublemaker."
"He has grown a lot though, honey." My father backed Veer up, I had to agree. "I agree, he shouldn't be in the dungeon, but if he is in there with the right people, I feel a lot better."
My mother started to tear up a little. "Are you suggesting our son should stay wherever he is, if he is with the right people?"
"Of course not, Alice." He hugged her. "I care about Veer, just as much as you, but do you really think we can stop him from fighting now? He is at the mid silver core stage and is the only Blood Deviant in existence."
The door behind us swung open, and a guard came running in with a piece of paper. "Alfred, what is it?" Elder Virion asked with authority.
"Uhh." He looked at my family. "I don't know if I should announce this Elder Virion with civilians in here." Did he just call us civilians?
"It's fine." Elder Virion waved his concerns away.
Alfred began to read from the paper. "The scout team sent into the Iron Tombs have suffered a tremendous blow, but they have discovered mana beast with weapons, they lost almost two teams." The guard ended and looked at us and then back to Elder Virion. "It also says they would have lost more if it wasn't for this one mage who protected everyone."
"I understand, send word to Lance Bairon to arrange a battle group of thirty mages to help them out from here on out." The Iron Tombs? I've never heard of that dungeon; I wonder what's going on there. "Alacryans could be hiding out in there, or even a mutated mana beast, so be quick about it."
Alfred bowed. "Yes, Commander Virion." and started for the door.
"Wait!" Elder Virion shouted, and Alfred stopped, and turned to him. "Who was the mage that it says protected everyone?"
"Let me check." He started reading the paper again. "Oh, he calls himself Veer, the Commander of the scout team says he single handedly killed most of the beast they fought against." The guard finished and everyone fell silent, that's my younger brother for you.
"No, no, no, that's a joke, right?" My mother started to cry in my father's arms. "He is in the Iron Tombs? Do they describe the mage at all? Is it a boy?" She asked out loud, he is the only person that would call himself Veer.
"He's in the Iron Tombs?" My father said in disbelief. "Holy shit."
Elder Virion started to walk around the table. "Change of plans, Alfred go and report to Lance Bairon, I'll go and retrieve Virion, Lord Aldir, would you like to join me?"
"Yes." Aldir stood up as well and followed Elder Virion.
"You force him to come back no matter what! I have a few words for that boy!" My mother cried out. "He can't just run away into danger like his brot--." She threw her head in my dad's chest.
"We'll get him, Alice, but maybe Rey would like to join me as well?" My father gave him a knowing look, and then pushed my mother away slowly, looking into her eyes.
"Let me go see how he is doing and get him back here." He gave her a smile.
"What if he wants to stay out there? You guys are right, he is strong, but he is young!" I walked up and grabbed my mother's hand.
"I'll make a deal with him." My father still had a smile on his face. "If he wants to fight in the war, it has to be with the Twin Horns." My mother tightened her grip on my hand. "Wouldn't that be better?"
"No! My youngest child should not be fighting in any war!" He tilted her head at her.
"Honey, I know that's what you want, but I don't see that happening, let me go and see what I can do, okay?" He rested his head on hers. "Trust me, and trust Veer."
"Fine."
My father, Elder Virion, and Aldir all turned away, and started for the Iron Tombs, Veer was going to be in for a nice surprise when they got there. He is going to be all embarrassed that his father showed up.
"Mom, don't worry, everything will be fine." I told her.
"She's right, Mrs. Leywin." Tessia said shyly from behind me. "Veer, is a very capable mage."
"I know, I'm just scared of what this war is going to do to him." She started to wipe away her tears. "I don't want him to change because of the war." I didn't want my brother to change too.
"None of us want him to change, mom." I told her.
"Yeah." Tessia said.
I wanted to fight in the war, but I was too weak, and nothing like my brothers.
Thinking about my younger brother does worry me, I don't want my fire starting twin to leave me. What would war do to him?