Departure

Returning back to the manor was an awkward affair, we had been traveling as a group of 3 now in relative silence for the short duration of the trip; however although being short; it had felt a lot longer than it probably was. There was a certain weight added in the air, the kind of weight where you feel too oppressed to even speak. Telling Elise of her enrollment had been a mixed bag, she had appeared ecstatic at first but then seemed to realize that she would be going without me; and training alongside Sidius no less. I'd never seen anyone deflate so fast before, like being taken from a height only to be slammed into the ground from a great fall.

The messenger walked alongside us and must feel the tension as I know I felt it; given that he hadn't said a word since we'd departed. The looks we gave must have stifled him from the start, honestly I wasn't even sure what expression I was making right now. Was I angry? Sad? Jealous? Or maybe some combination of the three. Whatever look I had on it must have been a dark one, the messenger would look away when our eyes would occasionally meet along the trail.

My thoughts went back to Elise; the woman I'd known since childhood - the only person in this damned hamlet that interested me in the slightest truth be known, and she was soon to be leaving me here on my own to go and train for 5 years at some up jumped boarding school. Why couldn't we have been born at the same time? Life was truly unfair in that regard.

"We're approaching the manor now, best of luck Elise." He announced suddenly, I was so deep in thought that I hadn't noticed where we were - let alone the sounds of combat as they rang out down the incline all the way to greet us home. Clearly the instructor had wasted no time in initiating the test; he hadn't even waited for Elise to arrive which was to her disadvantage; the more of the test she watched the more she could prepare for when it was her turn. Picking up the pace for her sake we made for the gates which we were soon heralded inside by the guards that stood watch.

"Sir Gate is approaching, raise the portcullis!" One of the guards announced to those below who soon began cranking the mechanisms that raised the heavy set gate upwards. Elise didn't even wait for the gate to be fully raised before she slinked under and bee-lined towards the ever growing sounds of battle.

"Hey!" I called out to her in caution, but found myself chasing after her never the less by slinking under just the same as she had. Following her we soon arrived at the clearing where the instructors giant frame came into view first. He was a tall and stout man at roughly 6 and a half feet with bulging muscles and now with the robe he wore previously discarded; short greying hair along the sides of his mean, hard face; the top of his head was still a natural mahogany brown that had yet to frail covered his head.

In his hands was a steel broadsword so blindingly light that it almost stung to look at for too long - it was a long blade to be sure, a decent bit little longer than my own - and was decorated with golden gilding around the guard that encrusted jewels that were inlaid along the cross section and then down into the pomel where a single blue gem of pure radiance took the form of the entire pomel itself. I was transfixed on it; it was the largest whole gemstone I'd ever seen, even back on earth this thing would have been the most expensive gem ever discovered without question. And what's more is its clarity; it sparkled like the sun itself, like it wasn't just a refraction of the suns light but a replication of its own star beam.

*Clang*

I'd almost forgotten who the instructor was sparring with; my brother jumped into view and swung his sibling sword to my own directly at his opponents blinding blade. Seeing my brother for the first time since he had maimed me brought all kinds of emotions broiling to the surface. I was angry at him for doing this to me, I was sad that we didn't connect in the way that I had wanted to, I was glad to see him go, but I was concerned for how my parents would feel given the uncertainty of what the future held for us as a family unit.

Looking over to Elise I could see her hands clench around the handle of her short sword still in its sheath, her eyes were not on the instructor or even the fight I suspected; but instead her dark gaze was transfixed onto Sidius' own form as he dodged and weaved around the battlefield; trying to find a way to pierce his indomitable opponent who was merely brushing off any and all attacks sent his way. Watching the instructor up close I was transfixed on his swordplay; each stroke was minimalist but purposeful, with no waste in movement whatsoever he only utilized the strength needed to parry or deflect my brothers swing with deft precision.

It was honestly a masterclass of combat happening right before my eyes that was a culmination from decades of experience, the way he held his sword wasn't as a simple tool to some meager ends; but as an extension of his physical form, the way he utilized it was eye opening to say the least. By using the bare minimum **** required he could conserve his strength; and what's more is that by wearing out his opponent he can only extend the difference in their twos stamina. Looking to my brothers brow I could see beads of sweat were now starting to penetrate the surface of his skin, and that his breathing had heavied from the short but intense bout. My brothers style was to brute **** his opponent and overwhelm them with strength - and looking from this exchange I recognized now the weaknesses of that approach.

Looking at them now I understood what the trial was meant to be testing, or at the very least imparting to the examinee; that a real fight, a real battle between combatants aiming to kill the other isn't something you can always brute ****. When your life is on the line, you need to be utilizing more than just your brawn to be the one that walks away in the end. With my brothers relentless blows and ever growing desperation in his output lead me to believe that he hadn't taken away anything from the sparring match at all. Perhaps all he understands is overwhelming ****, and when he can't do that to his opponent he doubles, triples and quadruples down in his efforts to overwhelm. Well against a man like this instructor, who exuded absolute confidence and was in complete control of the fight; such efforts to overwhelm are wasted.

"Arrgghh!!" Sidius growled out, as he thrust forward into his opponents pelvis - only to get his blade knocked to the side. This time however it wasn't just a simple block; but a followed-up knee to the stomach that sent him rolling backwards several times until he crashed into the low stone fencing that encircled the yard. "Gack!!" Sidius coughed up phlem and spittle from his mouth as the wind was all but **** out of his lungs from the blow. Shakily he lifted himself back up onto his feet but was clearly having trouble breathing again, gasping in short bursts to kickstart his lungs.

"A tired enemy is an easy foe to face, do you understand now?" The instructor approached him slowly, purposefully positioning himself into a dominant stance that left little question who was winning this fight. My brother clenched his teeth and stood up defiantly; however what shocked me the most was that instead of charging in like a beast as he had done many times prior; this time he held a more defensive pose and positioned himself on his opponents unguarded side to better restrict the instructors offensive. Had he actually learnt a lesson from this fight?

"Good form, well lets see how you react to this then." The instructor changed up his stance with a raised sword that guarded his opponents new angle with a switch up in footwork. Now bee lining on Sidius; the instructor was looking to go on the offensive. Striking down his sword, Sidius reacted by jumping deftly backwards instead of taking the full **** of the blow by attempting to block it; which given the debris that parted fathers courtyard from the impact of his sword - I would say brother made the correct decision. Seeing Sidius actually growing as a combatant into fields he had been formerly deaf to was scarily surprising to me, that he could go years and years doing as he pleased because no one could challenge him; to suddenly adhering to the lessons he had forsaken for such a reason.

"Impressive reaction timing, you're a little unrefined but the potential is certainly there." The instructor sheathed his sword, it was over? Just like that? Seeing that the battle was decided Sidius collapsed to one knee as he began to catch up on his breath. Had the brief fight really been that taxing? It felt like we had gone at it for a lot longer the night before without tiring; either Sidius had seriously over extended or this old man was a major threat.

"Given some training you'd make a fine addition to the vanguard unit, your temperament needs discipline that's for certain; but your fearlessness would be a boon to your regiment." The instructor fished out a silver flask and took a swig from its contents. "But don't forget that fearlessness is a double edged sword, you're just as likely to fall from it as you are to thrive because of it. I've seen many cadets thrust themselves into the thicket of battle prematurely; all because they lacked caution. They think they're better than they really are, they get complacent and cocky - lacking fear could just as easily be your end, take these words to heart young Gate because I've seen far too many of your type come and then go than I'd care to remember." Screwing up the lid of his flask he deposited the container into an inner coat pocket. Sidius merely sneered at the comment.

"I very much doubt you would have seen my type, I can assure you." The instructor seemed to allow a downed dog to lick his wounds as he deigned to ignore the comment and turned instead to look towards Elise.

"Ahh, Ms Rivers I assume." She nodded her head. "I've heard you are intending to take up the Rearguard division; an archer I take it by looking at your bow?" Again she nodded. "Very well, your test won't be a duel since your role on the battlefield will be as a supporting division. For that reason; your test will be based around accuracy and ****." As he was speaking he picked up some circular grey disks from the side of the stone railing, looking like frisbees from my old world; or perhaps larger versions of those flying pellets they let loose in shooting ranges.

"This disk is enchanted with the ability to detect **** - upon your arrow connecting to the device; a number known locally to our institution as '**** Units' will be fixed to the plate showing us how you scored. The test is an arbitrary one and is up to my discretion whether or not I see potential in your scores; as I will be tracking both the number of disks you hit as well as factoring in the **** of the impact. Do you have any questions or are you free to begin this test?" The instructor asked.

"Yes, I was told that this test is mandatory? You see, I was hoping to apply to the hunters guild instead." She asked hopefully, that was right I had almost forgotten that her goals lay elsewhere than some military academy. However the instructor dashed her desires with a simple shake of his head.

"I'm afraid it is mandatory enlistment for those of respectable houses, the Rivers family being one such family given your fathers merchant connections and status to our countries economics sector. I know it goes without saying; but as a reminder - if you purposefully throw the test then I will know about it and your family will be fined considerably for the infraction." Hearing that she sighed aloud, I felt bad for her in that moment because being a hunter was all she'd ever spoken about as a kid; I learned then and there that having wealth and status doesn't always mean more freedom nor agency to do as you please. In some cases you're more restricted than an everyman going about his life.

"Fret not; after your training you may defer to your own calling in life - with the caveat that should our country ever go to war with another that you will be called upon for mandatory service to protect king and country." Hearing that uplifted her a little; but still the enforcement seemed a little restrictive. I don't suppose this world has the concept of a conscientious objector yet? Probably not I guessed.

"Then I'm as ready as I'll ever be." Elise gave the go ahead. Nodding the instructor got into position and Elise readied her bow.

"I've been told that from here we can shoot our arrows without worry of where they might land, is that correct sir?" The instructor motioned towards my father.

"Yes I've seen to it that the fields are evacuated for the day; there should be no one in that general direction for many miles." Arthur confirmed. Pleased with the answer, the instructor first turned to Elise to give her the look that told her to get ready; then sent the frisbee high into the air where it curved its trajectory mid flight from the spin. Elise waited for this change in flight path and then let loose her first arrow, which narrowly clipped the disk on its side; sending the device hurling to the floor.

"Very well done; patience is your best friend as an archer - sometimes waiting for the right moment to strike yields the most results." The instructor complimented her, following up by giving her that same look as he soon sent another disk soaring up into the air. This one however flipped many times and had a much more chaotic flight path, Elise loosed her arrow but missed by a large margin, the wayward disk traveled a small while more before it all but plummeted to the ground.

"Keep focused, your enemy won't always be easy to predict - in the chaos of battle many factors come into play and it's your role as a Rearguard to make sense of the senseless. Here's your last shot now; drown out all of the noise and really focus this time." The instructor cautioned as he sent the final disk into the air. This time he really put some power into his throw as the thing sliced through the very wind itself, catching upon a strong gust that caught it adrift further than it would have traveled elsewise - Elise focused in on the disk and enchanted her bow and arrow with the aspect of wind just as I had taught her; letting loose a shot so powerful a gust of wind had sent a plume of dust scattering behind her from the **** of her own bowstring. Soaring through the air with a piercing sound that was almost screeching; the arrow soon found it's mark as it landed dead center with the plate and even amplified it's trajectory somewhat more as it travelled even further and faster than when the gust of wind had first caught it; sinking itself deep into the clearly quite durable plate until eventually it dropped from the sky with a resounding crash.

"Incredible, so you've learnt enchantments already have you? I don't have to even read the results of the test to know that you're a promising individual indeed." Elise brightened up from the praise, but then looked to me with a wide smile.

"Well I had a very good teacher." Seeing she was referring to me, the instructor paid me notice for the first time this morning. Looking me up and down in an evaluating way almost made me feel like I was being tested also.

"The younger Gate child I take it given the hair, and with an eye patch. A recent infliction?" He surmised, my parents froze momentarily at the mention. I see, so they don't want the family secret to get out to a man like him, I suppose fathers reputation would be damaged if what truly happened to me got out. Sighing I took on the assignment unasked of me but was implicitly the case.

"Yes, a terrible accident in training. We were sparring with real swords and I made a fatal mistake in footing. A freak accident really." I promised I wouldn't make excuses for him and yet here I am, for the sake of my family I am breaking my own promise.

"Who is this 'we' you're referring to? And a spar with real swords before the age of adulthood?" He looked at me skeptically, which was understandable given the real circumstance.

"My brother Sidius" I sprinkled the lie with a little bit of truth to better camouflage the deception. "And it is of my opinion that true improvement as a warrior only comes when the stakes are raised; to instill the instincts of a warrior relying only on wooden props would be like expecting turnips to rise given only the bare basics such as dirt to grow; the rain is a hardship but it is a necessary component for growth and without it the individual would never rise to its full potential." I surprised even myself with that analogy; I suppose it worked and was reassured further when the instructor returned an approving smile back at me.

"Well said, even if the spar cost you an eye I can see that your courage has not dimmed from the loss. A real couple of tiger pups you've raised here Arthur." Father **** a smile back that perhaps myself alone was the only one to catch the strain. "And if I take Elise' meaning earlier; it was you who taught her the wind enchantment?" I was hoping to let her take the achievement as her own since truly it was - but I suppose Elise wasn't the type of person to take what she felt was undue credit.

"That's right. I've studied magic quite a bit and saw the potential such an enchantment could have if utilized on the bow and arrow simultaneously. In truth I've only just taught her this morning, right before you arrived we were finishing up." To this his eyes widened slightly.

"You mean to say that you mastered such a skill in a single morning?" Elise nodded slowly, to this the instructor grinned so wide he looked almost feral with excitement.

"Well Ms Rivers, I'm glad that I made the journey all this way to meet you. I assure you that you will have a very eye opening experience during your time with BrightWood; a student of your caliber will go very far under our tutorage, I'm most certain. Just so long as you stick to your training and adhere to the regime." Then the instructor turned on me next. "And you, Gate youngest. I have a feeling I will be making a very pleasant return journey in a couple of years time, truth be known I would love to test you now but policy prevents me from sparring with a minor." As I was being complemented by this presence of a man; I could feel and even see out the corner of my eyes; my brothers jealous stares. Turning to him he looked away, the moment our eyes met was brief but I could feel sparks dash between us, and as soon as it had started - it came to an end.

"Ahh, here they are. Right on time." Drawing my attention back to the instructor I watched as the disks he had thrown previously were now hovering through the air, soon making their way into the instructors hand. "Since you missed the second target, I'll just throw this one to the floor and get to your results." The instructor said as he held out the first disk that she had hit with a regular arrow. "The first hit landed on the edge, and scored you 960 **** units. Impressive for an upwards shot, but nothing too crazy. With training we can get that **** number pumped up quite significantly with the training regiment we have in store for you, not to fret." He reassured her, however right now Elise' face was a mask towards her emotions, I couldn't quite tell how she was taking all of this news that she was to be spirited away, I'm not even sure if she cares about her scores at all. "And as for your second hit, let me see here." Flipping over the disk he looked to the one underneath and whistled with raised brows at the discovery. "A **** unit score of 11'690, over a ten times increase from your previous attempt. The academy will love to learn of this when we return, I can't promise you anything so I don't want to get your hopes up prematurely; but with scores like this you can certainly have your name thrown into the hat for captain later on down the line if your results follow this same trajectory of your performance today." Again Elise seemed to be numb to the praise, if she had heard what he had said she didn't do a very good job of conveying it.

"I see that today has been a lot to take in. I'm not a monster, I know that dragging you from your friends and family is a tough business. It happened to me as boy, your father too I've heard it on good authority." He motioned that last part to me, so father had also been enlisted into the royal army? I suppose it sounds obvious now that I know all reputable households must serve; but I guess I just never gave it real thought before. "But nevertheless; this is how our society works. Life is tough and we each have our own struggles, our own lots in life that we must deal with. There's no sense fighting it, if that was your intention." Unfurling his flask again he took another deep swig from the container that I supposed by now was some hard liquor, wiping his chin of the moisture left behind he continued. "Besides, it's really not so bad once you arrive; and in fact many would kill to be in your twos position." Looking to the clock face that extended from one of fathers courtyard pillars he marked the time. "Let's see, it is now just before ten in the morning; I want to leave here by midday so that we can reach the next settlement before nightfall - that gives you both two hours to pack your belongings, say your farewells and then meet me by the hamlets main gate to depart for the capital. And don't do something stupid like run away, you won't get far and you don't want to get on my bad side." With that he left, out through the manor gates and disappearing down the trail.

Elise followed behind him wordlessly, as if in some kind of a trance. I supposed she was heading home to spend the last few hours with her family, I wanted to chase after her and see if she was alright; but I don't need to ask a question I already know the answer to. Better not to interrupt her last hours of freedom spent amongst loved ones. It was then that I felt a strong hand place itself on my shoulder, looking up I saw father smiling down at me.

"You've made our family proud son, I knew the instructor would take to you fondly." Then his smile dimmed a little as he continued on with the main reason he'd approached me. "Listen, me and your mothers are going inside now to give you and Sidius some private time together to talk things out; you have my word that he is very amenable and has expressed deep regrets for his actions the other day - I know you're a smart lad, heavens knows how with a father like me, you must take after your mother in that regard." He chuckled weakly, I could see that he must have worried all day about me and Sidius, the instructor and how our melodrama might affect things not just for ourselves; but for our households standing also.

"You're really smart, super smart in fact. I've never seen or heard a kid take to magic quite like you have, not just magic but swordsmanship also. Now I'm asking you to be another kind of smart, our household depends on unity; if there are divisions between us then we'll fall just like the previous lords of this land; unity is key. I know that I can trust you to make these smart decisions; you did a wonderful job earlier covering for your brother in front of the instructor after all." He left the rest unsaid but I read the message loud and clear. He wanted me to forgive and let live, move past the maiming and hear my brother out. The idea soured my stomach but seeing my fathers practically begging look swayed me to swallow down the bile that rose from within. Father didn't feel as I felt in that moment, how could he understand the wrath that I felt gushing from Sidius when he struck struck me? In that moment we were bonded; I could feel things that father couldn't ever know.

"Very well, I'll speak to him." I found myself conceding almost subconsciously, with a reassuring squeeze father smiled one last time and then left the yard to the both of us. Looking over to him, he was besides the spot where we had initially started the duel. How fitting, I supposed, that we would end the duel with speaking when we had started it all because of the lack of communication between us both. He had his eyes cast down and off to the side as I approached, I recognized that he could barely turn to look at me. Was this regret? Sorrow? A marking of a guilty conscious? To see these characteristics on a man usually so proud and snobbish almost felt alien to me, like he had been taken over by a body snatcher or had been poorly cloned in a vat. He wasn't quite himself.

The two of us stood several feet apart for a short while not really saying anything, I didn't know whether I should start or if he was to go first. The silence was deafening after a point and just as I was about to speak, Sidius opened his mouth.

"I'm sorry." He began with a hoarse tone, it was a simple apology but I could tell that he meant it. I'd never seen him like this before; he looked so ashamed and downtrodden. I felt my heart pang for him even though he had taken my left eye from me, even if in that moment up on the hill there was nothing but rage; now all I saw was a man going through the throughs of shame, guilt and regret for his actions. Now that the rage had subsided; clarity had settled in and he had time to grow a true appreciation for his deeds.

"Why did you do it?" I found myself asking in a low voice, although I hurt for him; I hurt for myself also. We'd never been particularly close as siblings, that was true; but I had thought we had shared a familial rivalry that pushed us both forward as we competed. I just never knew that there was so much resentment underlining all of our verbal bouts, hiding just beneath the surface - and that I had never considered even once that things had turned this dark.

"I... I don't know, it was just in that moment, the pity you felt towards me... I hated it" He spoke softly and it was the first time I'd seen this reflective side from him. "I hate that I'm always seen as second best to you, by the commoners, the guards, the cadets, mothers, father; even the damned instructor." Sidius huffed that last part with exasperation. "Half hawk; that's what they call me right? Don't think I don't hear them snickering behind my back where they think I'm out of hearing range, I've got those sensory enhancements too don't forget. I'm older than you by two years and yet they treat me as if I'm the younger brother." He looked at me briefly but then quickly shot his glance elsewhere, still unable to look me in my one good eye.

"I know that doesn't excuse my actions, honestly I didn't even feel in control of myself when you went to pick me up; the moment you stretched your hand out to me I felt..." He paused and let the sentence hang there for a moment. Made him feel what? Why did that feeling make him do that to me? All I had felt from him in that moment was rage.

"You could feel my pity?" I asked, referring back to an earlier statement. He nodded slowly to confirm my suspicions; so it was true that he could also experience what I was feeling just the same way as I could do with him.

"In that moment where we fought, how did we-" I went to go ask but Sidius now looked at me in all seriousness.

"When everything turned white? And just after, we had been teleported on top of that hill?" He finished my question for me. So it wasn't just me that experienced that; but both of us at the same time had the same recounting of that weird incident.

"I have no idea, one minute we're in fathers courtyard; and then we're in another yard that I sometimes frequent a short distance away." I admitted.

"Father and I thought it might have been one of your spells, but when the dome came up and stopped our parents from... From stopping me; I knew that it wouldn't have been your magic at play." Yes, there was a dome I seemed to recall. What kind of magic was that, and who had casted it if not Sidius nor myself? I'd have to consult father some more about that courtyard atop the hill; or otherwise go seek out a library or something to better research my answer if he failed to provide answers.

"The dome activated when I had tried to cast my enhancements; whatever **** was at work there was trying to make it so that I couldn't defend myself properly." Yet another bout of shame rippled through my brothers face as he realized that I had been entirely handicapped that whole fight, and that he had still technically lost to me despite his advantages.

"What I did... I didn't feel like it was me, my insecurities took over and, and I guess my body just acted on its own." My brother now **** himself the best that he could to truly look at me full on now; looking at my eyepatch and finally taking in the extents of his sordid handiwork. "I don't expect that you could ever forgive me for what I've done; but I promise that I'll train hard to become a better person while I'm away so that something like this never happens again. I'm done letting my insecurities define me and distract me from my own goals in life." Sidius spoke in a way that continued to shock me, who was this person I was speaking to? I hardly recognized him now. How had he grown so much overnight? I almost felt like my misfortune was just a stepping stone for his own personal growth; leaving in its wake a bitter feeling as I was still left in that place of resentment - and yet being **** into letting go at the same time.

"I... I don't know if I can ever forgive you fully, what you did wasn't an accident or simply just 'losing control' of your body as you're trying to claim; it was intentional-" As I was dressing him down Sidius raised his voice in a decided tone for the first time since this conversation had started.

"During that time... During that time I slipped into a dream, I last remember your hand extending towards me and then I just drifted away into sleep; and when I opened my eyes next in that new place... All I can remember were white roots, strangling me, binding me, pulling me downwards; ever downwards into some dark pit where light ceased to venture." Hearing him say that involuntarily raised both my brows as I then recalled my own dream, hadn't there also been white roots involved in mine? Finding that these similarities and shared experiences were too accurate to give any way for doubt on my part; I began to question whether Sidius was in complete control of himself that night... After all; that same magic that locked us into a one on one could also be at fault for Sidius' actions that night. It occurred to me then that Sidius had never acted in that way before; there had been no warning signs for true maliciousness. Perhaps I had misjudged him? My stance wavered after his dream admission as it casted doubt on many things that built up his image in my minds eye.

"I... Also, white roots." I blurted out all at once, seeing his face drop as both of us came to realize that perhaps there was more at play here than we had first thought. "And a mud monster?" To that he shook his head. So then why had I been the only one treated to some eldritch dirt machination? Gods this wasn't making any kind of sense.

"We both dreamed the same dream, we both saw and felt the magic that transported us and then locked us into a duel; I think someone... Or some thing is coming after us Edward." My brother said straight faced, and I wanted to dispel such claims and tell him off for being so superstitious - but in a world of magic and uncharted borders I found that I couldn't be so strident. If what he's saying is true; then why us? Why now? I doubt even father would know this, but I suppose it doesn't hurt to ask.

"Look, I can't take back what I did; but I can try and make things right by you. Some day, and in some way I hope you can come to forgive me." With that he went to leave, and for a hot second I truly considered letting him. But somewhere deep inside I knew that it wasn't right, my inner voice told me I ought to be doing something instead right about now.

"Wait." I called out to him, I thought back to our twos relationship and how it had strained, how we had always struggled to communicate with the other - I had always seen this as a problem solely on Sidius' end; but perhaps that wasn't the truth of it. Perhaps I also shared in this misunderstanding, though the fault for the injury does lie at Sidius' feet; it could also be true that Sidius was not quite himself that night. And wasn't the problem stemming from a lack of understanding? I felt like this short conversation had granted me more of an understanding between us than the near two decades up until this point ever had. So in an odd sense; our duel really had cleared the lines between us.

"I forgive you, I can see already that you have changed for the better... The betrayal still hurts and I may still need more time to get past it; but if you truly were under some kind of control... And I have no reason to doubt you given our oddities during and after the duel seem to match up; perhaps you are not at total fault... And that's good enough for me." Hearing this my brother smiled and then looked away quickly as his eyes began to mist over slightly.

"The evening air is a little stuffy is it not?" He sniffled, still trying to maintain his pride. Laughing I could see that the old him was still there somewhat; although now I had the feeling that he was going to be much more introspective than he had ever been before. A new part of me felt good for him; but still a shard of that bitterness remained. That he gets to move on, and I have to remain with one eye for the rest of my days was a sour pill to swallow; but perhaps a necessary one.

As he went to leave towards the house I turned to look at the gate that remained open still and briefly considered visiting Elise and wait outside her house for when she was done saying her goodbyes to her family, but just as I made to set out; I heard the door open behind me and watched as Veronica approached me with tearful eyes; embracing me in a huge as she caught up to me.

"Thank you for forgiving him Edward, we all know that he deeply regrets himself for what he did that night, and I'm so glad that you can see past his mistakes just this once." She squeezed me to her tightly as tears streaked her face, rubbing blackened mascara like stains down her cheeks. "You've taken a load off of everyone's minds, especially your father who on top of worrying about your sibling relationship and your wellbeing, was also worried sick with what you might say to the instructor; had you said the wrong thing then our household would suffer egregiously from the rumors that would spread back to the capital." I had figured as much myself, harkening back to historical times in my own world; as a hobbyist of history myself I knew that reputation was key in upholding a prestigious family; and that damages to reputation could easily bring down a dynasty in a single generation. Telling white lies was better than those meant to benefit me at someone else's expense I supposed, but still having to spread falsehoods for others sake still left a foul taste in my mouth all the same. But still; I understood that this was something I had to do, if not for my own sake then for the sake of my family.

A family that I had to say had grown on me through the years, my old family in my past life left a lot to be desired for; to understate the issues we had. Even now I think my current family, even post maiming, is a great deal more functional than the one I had back in England. My old mother was a drunkard as well as a **** addict; that would be more likely to be found passed out in somebody elses bed for the night than at home seeing to me even when I was a baby - and the old man that she cheated on regularly who was supposed to be my father was completely vacant and indifferent to me - I think the only thing he ever did for my sake was teach me to tie my shoelaces; and even then that was to hurry me up so we could leave the house to further his own ends. Nothing was never done in my own best interests, and that's why when one night I was getting ready for bed, only to find child protection services and a slew of policemen had made **** entry into our 'home' where they supposedly found my father in his room with a gun in his lap, and my mothers cold dead corpse besides his feet. Before they could shout orders at him he already had the hunting rifle to his mouth where he proceeded to paint the room with his greymatter.

I remember wondering for a long time how he had even managed to get his hands on a gun let alone a rifle in England; but I supposed he must have robbed one or had a permit for a small caliber hunting rifle himself at some point, I know they allowed certain permits to own guns but they were a lot more strict in their usage than they are in the states or elsewhere. At any rate; being made a ward of the state and sent to an orphanage after your suicidal father kills your cheating, **** addled whore mother in a fit of rage one night might be just a little bit worse than being born into a loving family with a black sheep for a first born, just maybe.

"I think we finally came to an understanding, I can't promise things will go back to how they used to be; but I think we can move past this." Hearing this she tiptoed and planted a small kiss on my forehead.

"God bless you son, your patience & mercy should be an example to us all" With one last smile she left, but not before adding: "I offered to be the one to come and speak with you; everyone else didn't want to overload you right now. I know that you'll come back to us when you're good and ready; go and speak to Elise now if you can - this might be the last that you'll be able to for some time." She knew where I was headed off to? I suppose there really is no secrets in this place, even in the privacy of ones own mind it seems. Smiling I headed off down the path and through the gate and made my way towards the River family residence.

---

The sun was overhead now and the heat was really beginning to beat down on me; most residents had heard about the instructors arrival by now and were going about their daily gossips; the instructor was a fearsome 7 foot tall fire breathing southerner with pitch black scaly skin, no the instructor was a greying old dwarf with stunted legs and broad shoulders with a piercing scar going down the side of his face from his eye to his lips, the instructor had simultaneously both passed Elise & Sidius as well as failing them. It was interesting to see how fast falsehoods spread from just one or more bad sources, however I ruined the pranksters fun by setting the record straight when asked by the commoners as they past me by.

For I had been waiting outside Elise's home now for almost two hours, not wanting to disturb her whilst she said her farewells and spent the unbeknownst to herself when she had woken up this morning; poorly rationed time left with her family. From my vantage point atop the cobbled stone wall that I perched myself from whilst I waited for her; I could see down the path where a small crowd had gathered around a cage that housed a single individual - the man I myself had freed of his upper appendages; the wife murderer known as William Peck.

The commoners surrounded his cage and were hurling small rocks, pebbles or rotten vegetation at him, condemning him to die for his actions. It appears that during his stay at the justice tower; he had been found guilty of the crimes levied against him as I knew no doubt that he would be. I couldn't lie, I was tempted to go and join them all but I felt that as a member of high society; I ought to set a good refined example to the commoners. Because how would it look like if the lords son disarmed a convict and then hurled things at him behind bars and in chains - completely unable to defend himself on account on his missing appendages? It wouldn't look very dignified of me, is what I decided.

Then, hearing the click of a hatch I turned to look as Elise breached through her doorway and froze in place momentarily as our eyes met, then looking away in a blush. I hadn't had my enhancements on for once to give them some privacy; just what had they been talking about inside?

"Did you hear anything?" She asked in a shy voice, barely above a whisper. Shaking my head no and then imbuing myself with the enhancements in front of her to show that I indeed hadn't had them on caused a wave of relief to wash over her face. Now I really was interested in what they had spoken of.

"How did things go? I'm sure it must have come as a surprise to them." I asked empathetically.

"They took it better than I expected, but I think they're putting on a brave face so that they don't make me panic." She laughed. "And they guessed it was coming but wasn't quite sure. I was told that this day might come and that I ought to be prepared for it, but I guess I never really took those words to heart. Maybe I just wanted to pretend that it could never happen, how easily we fall into comfortable delusions." She sighed sadly.

"Don't worry, I'll join you soon enough and then you won't be alone." I offered her a reassuring smile that she returned with one of her own; a light pinkish hue to her cheeks.

"Honestly, I wish you were the one coming in place of Sidius. The fact that I have to travel and train alongside him is nauseating, after what he did for you... Why did you cover for him Edward?" I knew it would come to this, and I supposed now was a good a time as any to relay to her mine and Sidius' conversation just shortly after she & the instructor had left the courtyard. As I detailed the dreams we had, along with the teleportation & the forcefield that neither myself nor my brother - and in fact no one there present to witness it had any clue as to the cause, Elise listened on thoughtfully as I explained it all the best that I understood it.

"I don't know if it was Sidius that snapped and he just revealed his true self in that moment; or if something got a hold of him and **** his hand. It's all far too strange and beyond my comprehension currently, so I've chosen to forgive him for now, though I can just as easily revoke my forgiveness if he gives me grounds to doubt him in the future. For now I just want to move past this and get on with my life." I finished. Elise nodded slowly as she resigned herself to the choice, I could tell she could see the logic behind it by just the look she gave me.

"I understand, there's too much causes for doubt, but if you really were teleported then that is something the adults are going to want to hear." I almost smirked when she referred to them as adults, like she wasn't an adult herself now or something. "There hasn't been a magic caster capable of teleportation in thousands of years, that spell was lost to the cataclysm all those ages ago, or so the old wives tales go." She was referring to the stories her deceased grandma used to tell her before bed, I'd sometimes hear her spinning such yarn when I went over to her house to collect Elise for training. Maybe there was some truth to her tales, or maybe it was mostly just yarn.

"I'm interested myself but I don't think anyone in this secluded little place will know much of anything regarding magic; let alone anomalies like forcefields & teleportation. I might ask father but I doubt he'd know anything, he's devoted himself to the sword, not the spells found in dusty old tomes." It was my turn to sigh now, perhaps I wasn't as content with the simplism of this hamlet after all; I found myself now yearning for answers that were opaque to me.

"While I'm in the capital, in my free time I will ask around and see what I can find out about the subject." Elise offered helpfully, my eyes lit up at the prospect but then I thought on how it might hinder her progression if she was always following up on my questions, rummaging through rotten textbooks or chasing some historian for answers. I didn't want her to be doing all of that for my sake if it meant negatively impacting her studies.

"I would love that, but running around on my behalf instead of training will only slow you down behind all the others. I'm sure I can figure it out on my-" Just as I was about to finish, she interrupted noisily.

"It wouldn't be for free, I'd need payment for my time and effort! And besides I want to do it. You just owe me something first." She looked at me determinedly, and so I braced myself; accepting the cost unspoken.

"What's that?" I asked inquisitively; interested in knowing what she could possibly ever want from me.

"A... A kiss." She almost whispered that last part out but with my hearing enhancements there was no way I could mistake it for anything else. I just looked at her in complete shock for several seconds before I realized that I had shut down, rebooting myself I looked at her like it was the first time I'd truly seen her. I had just seen her as a friend, I never expected that there could be anything more between us; and that might have a lot to do with my experiences with women in my past life. I was always the one to approach and inevitably get rejected, I'd never even heard of the woman taking the initiative for a change. My mind raced, was it just a kiss she wanted? Was it more? Did she like me or was this just a fleeting crush?

"S-sorry, forget I said that! It was a joke!" She turned on her heel and made to run away, like a bundle of awkwardness on stilts she wobbled and lost footing several times before my brain caught up with what the fuck was happening. Catching up to her quickly I grabbed at her wrist and spun her around until she was cheek to chest, looking up at me with wistful eyes. Well here it goes, I'm gonna kiss her. It isn't weird, we're only two years apart right? The Romeo and Juliet laws would save me, if this world had them I guessed. Leaning down gently I clasped her chin and and lifted up slightly for the embrace. As our lips met lightning coursed through me, from the center of my chest and all the way down into my fingers and toes. Had kissing always been this intense? It felt like we were stuck there for an eternity, time slowed down and the rest of the world faded away until only us two remained. Holding her to me I realized how soft she felt despite her training, her form was unmistakably that of a woman's; with two mounds that continued to press further and further into me as the kiss deepened.

Finally, feeling the urge to breath we separated breathlessly. Panting we looked at one another and as soon as I saw her flushed face, gleaming with desire and enraptured by my touch; I felt my heart skip a beat and then speed up. Just what was happening to me? What were these feelings, why was my body reacting so dramatically to just her kiss? I knew then and there that I was smitten, and from the looks on her face I could tell the feeling was mutual.

"How was that for payment?" I grinned wickedly between pants, Elise however was about to tiptoe upwards to kiss me again when the both of us heard a courteous clearing of the throat coming from behind Elise. Christ, I hadn't even heard anyone approach, I must have really zoned out badly.

"Sorry to rush things along, but we'll be departing now." The instructor stood there with his flask in hand before taking another swig. "The next settlement is a 5 hour carriage ride away, and I'd like to get indoors before it gets dark." The instructor explained with a fastening of his flask. He really picked an awkward time to appear, damned old man... Elise turned to me and gave me a look that told me that she wanted me to come with her, and I almost offered it before the greying behemoth spoke up again. "As much as we'd like Edwards talent at BrightWood, a minor is still a minor. He has much to learn still as a lords son and besides, rules are rules." He spoke gruffly, like that part wasn't just directed towards me. Elise saddened at that admission, but then **** a happy smile for my own sake I figured.

"Don't worry, it won't be long until we're together again." She kissed my cheek chastely and then ran off to join the instructor who offered me a short nod before he too went to depart.

"I'll wait for you!" She shouted out as she carried her pack over to the instructor where the two walked side by side up the small incline towards where Sidius was waiting for them. I suppose this was it then, I'd be on my own without my brother and... friend? Girlfriend? I still wasn't sure. But she said she'd wait for me, so I supposed the latter? Life was about to get a lot more boring as well as lonely I figured, it was just my luck that when things started to spice up in my life that it'd all be put on hold.

I waited and watched from a distance as they both entered the carriage, Elise gave one last look to me where we both waved our farewells. I wondered if she was upset that I wasn't there fully to see her off; but I knew she would understand that despite things being cleared up between me and Sidius, that things were still a little delicate. Time would heal all wounds I was sure of that. Seeing her take off in the blackened carriage it really settled on me that I wouldn't see her again for another two years. I felt a little deflated in that moment but soon picked my spirits back up, now wasn't the time to dwell on things; it was time to seek answers and to train much harder so that when I see her again; I can be the kind of man that will deserve her attention.