My chest sank as I exhaled a controlled breath.
Air left me as I drank in another breath of the mana-rich air that filled the training room.
Grass brushed my thighs as my mana spread around me. It left me in pulses that matched my breathing. Pulling towards me with an inhale and pushing away with an exhale.
The world faded as I sank deeper and deeper into my subconscious.
Mana flowed through me in slow currents.
I followed its path carefully, tracing each stream as it travelled through my core before branching throughout my body.
I guided the warmth through my body, letting it consume me.
The sensation spread from my chest into my limbs. It slipped through my shoulders before settling behind my eyes. Golden wisps flickered at the edge of my awareness as Avalon responded to my call.
I had long grown used to its presence, and it mine in turn. It welcomed me; it adored me.
'Why though? Why would fire… why would flame-'
I ignored the thought as I released another held breath.
The cool air of the chamber faded beneath flame's embrace until I could no longer tell where my body ended, and the mana began.
The sensation deepened as my world was consumed by the dark.
'What are you?'
The question slipped through my mind before I could stop it.
Warmth swelled within my chest. It was almost Familiar. Affectionate in nature.
It was like back when I was a child… well, as a younger child, when Mum would hold my hand as we walked around the markets. Or even when Dad first showed me how to swing a sword.
This feeling was impossible. This warmth. This familiarity. It shouldn't be possible for flame, no matter how great or radiant, to be maternal or even paternal.
'What do you want of me?'
Gold danced beneath my eyelids, as faint embers waved around me.
Hesitantly I reached an arm forward. I knew it wouldn't hurt me. It's done the opposite and then some, but being afraid of fire is primal. Its warmth. Its aggression.
But it isn't harsh.
This flame. This radiance. It is calm and welcoming.
A smile cracked my lips.
It reminds me of Ho-
"Lias, come quick!" Kat's voice shouted.
My eyes snapped open as they shot towards her. I scrambled to my feet as I ran to the hunched-over girl.
"What's wrong?" I asked, my hand instinctively going to her back.
She heaved slightly, drinking in air.
"I-it's Arthur," she panted, "He's hurt."
---
"Arthur!" I shouted as I burst into the infirmary. The doors slammed against the wall as I pushed them away.
The room wasn't particularly large. A handful of beds occupied either side of the polished floor, separated by white curtains that had been drawn back.
I scanned the room. My pace faltered as I saw him.
My brother lay wearing little more than a loose, thin gown one might see at the hospitals in Xyrus or Etistin. Bandages wrapped around his chest as they failed to cover the fresh burns that crawled up his neck. What little skin remained uncovered looked pale beneath the lights hanging overhead.
"...the Guild healers should arrive shortly," a nurse said to the brunette who stood near my brother's bed. She was tall, especially for a woman; beautiful too, she had a real tomboyish charm about her.
'Art…'
I took a hesitant step towards him.
"I take it you're Elias?" the pony-tailed brunette said, looking up from a clipboard. She handed it to a nurse who hovered to my brother's side as she turned to face me.
I nodded distractedly.
My attention remained fixed on Arthur.
The closer I got, the worse he looked.
'Damn it…'
My jaw squeaked as my teeth pressed together. My knuckles whitened as my fist tensed.
"I'm Professor Glory; I'm Arthur's Team-Fighting Mechanics teacher," the woman said with an apologetic smile.
I moved to my brother's side and took a seat next to him. Taking his hand in my own, I let out a shallow exhale.
"I'm here, Art," I smiled, squeezing his hand.
I let my mana flow from me towards my brother's burns.
Gold radiated from him for a brief moment before fading into the surrounding aether.
"You're a deviant, right?" the professor asked, leaning against a nearby cabinet.
I released my brother's hand, setting it down atop his duvet.
"I'm not entirely sure…" I admitted, "But my father is a fire attribute augmenter, and my mother is also a healing deviant. So maybe that has something to do with it…" My hand moved to my cheek. Scratching it, I looked back up at her with a smile. "Though I guess that doesn't make much sense since neither of my siblings has inherited similar abilities."
"Either way, it is remarkable."
"Thank you." I nodded, turning back to my brother.
A suffocating calm washed over the room as the room grew silent. That is, if you ignore the breathing and distant workings of the infirmary's nurses. The professor's eyes burned a hole in the back of my head. After a moment, I broke it and turned back to face her.
"How did he end up like…"
She clenched her jaw, and for a moment I thought she might avoid answering me. Instead, she let out a slow breath and pushed herself away from the cabinet.
"Princess Tessia collapsed during her match."
"What does that have to do with Arthur?"
The professor laughed softly.
There wasn't any humour in it.
"Quite a lot, actually."
I turned fully towards her.
She crossed her arms beneath her chest before looking towards Arthur.
"The Princess was fighting Prince Curtis. Everything was going well until she suddenly lost consciousness."
A frown tugged at my lips. "Lost consciousness? Do you know why? Is she here? Is she awake?" I asked, kicking myself up from my chair.
"She's with her grandfather, and as for why… I couldn't tell you," she shrugged.
"Then how did my brother end up with burns down his back?"
I turned back to Art. His breathing was calm but shallow. It whistled slightly through his teeth as he enjoyed the peace pain had brought him.
"Do you remember the spell Prince Curtis used with his bond during the Summer tournament against you?"
"I do," I nodded.
"Curtis had already unleashed it when Princess Tessia collapsed, making her incapable of dodging."
The room felt noticeably quieter. Not the same dullness as earlier, but the implication of her words it…
I shook off the thought.
"I, as well as many other students, were already moving to intervene to intercept the attack, but..." Her jaw tensed with a slight squeak. "We were all too far away to reach her in time."
'Of course, he has to put himself in danger to protect his girlfriend.' I sighed.
"I take it that Art got there first?"
She nodded.
"He was across the training field fighting against another student, Lucas, where in the next moment he..." Her eyes softened slightly. "The next moment he was standing over the Princess."
"He's an idiot…" I murmured.
"That's more or less what Director Goodsky also said," she smiled to herself, "But at least he's got you to fix him."
I let out a sigh as I fell back down onto the chair.
"Then I'll leave him in your care, Elias," she said, striding towards the door. She stopped and turned back to face me, "I know you're not officially a student, but I was planning on taking my class out on a dungeon raid in the winter; having a healer join us would help settle the nerves of the students-"
"I'll be sure to think about it," I said, smiling back at her.
---
"...Lias."
The voice was barely more than a whisper. For a moment, I thought I imagined it.
My head snapped up towards him. Arthur stared back at me through lidded eyes.
"Art?"
My chair scraped loudly against the floor as I shot to my feet.
His lips twitched up into a smile as I embraced him.
"Careful," he groaned, patting my back.
I held him tighter.
"How's Tess?" he asked, pulling away slightly.
I pulled him close. "Not a scratch on her, thanks to you, you big idiot."
"Lias," he groaned again, "I can't breathe."
"You don't deserve to," I grumbled into his shoulder.
He patted the back of my head as we settled into a silence unbecoming of either of us.
"ARTHUR!"
My brother winced as a torpedo in the shape of an eight-year-old girl smashed into his port side.
"Art, honey, are you okay? Director Goodsky, she said that…" my mother asked, sweeping towards us as she sat on the edge of the bed, kissing the back of his hand.
"Mom, I'm fine," Arthur chuckled weakly.
She shot me a look.
'What did I do?'
"Brother!" Ellie cried, climbing halfway onto the mattress. "Are you okay now? Does it still hurt? Did Lias have to regrow an arm for you? Would it grow back weird? Can I touch it?"
"No."
"To which one?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Yes."
She grunted, letting our brother go as she sulked off to a chair next to the bed opposite.
"How are you feeling, Art?" Dad asked, placing a hand on Mum's shoulder. "Director Goodsky didn't really tell us what happened yet. How did you get hurt so badly on the first day of school?!"
"A lot happened," he said, smiling up at our father, "But one thing I can tell you is that I won."
"Bullshit."
"Lias!" Mum shouted, slapping the back of my head.
"Ow!" I yelped.
Arthur burst out laughing. Though he immediately regretted it as he clutched his ribs.
"He's only joking," Grandma Cynthia smiled as she led a procession of silver hair behind her.
King Alduin led the group with an easy smile he'd become synonymous with. Beside him, Queen Merial looked as ethereal as always, standing tall as a teenage girl hid behind her.
The princess lingered half a step behind her parents, hands clasped tightly before her as she uncharacteristically hid behind them.
Art's shoulders visibly de-stressed upon seeing her, especially seeing her acting like this. Perhaps it was relief that she was unharmed that caused him to smile so giddily.
"Hey, Tess."
She looked away immediately.
'Oooo, that's a good sign...'
"You look terrible," she blurted.
'What are you doing, you idiot!'
My brother recoiled slightly as he looked himself over.
'She's wrong but… come on, walk to his side and bat your eyelashes and just… uhhhh.'
"…I was hit by an A-Class Mana beast's attack so…"
The two stared at each other until the tension between them was shattered by both of them laughing.
Arthur's laughter lasted all of three seconds before his face twisted.
"Ow."
The room eased as the royals, excluding Tess, moved to my brother's side.
"So what exactly happened? I know World Howl is fast and all, but you should definitely be able to dodge it, so what caused you to well… collapse?"
"I-" she looked over her shoulder towards her Grandfather.
He nodded.
"I've been having issues with my mana core."
"Oh?" I sounded, "And why's that?" I asked, clicking my back.
Her head darted side to side before she leaned close.
"Art gave me a beast will." She whispered
"He gave you a what!?" I blurted.
Her hand shot forward as she covered my mouth.
"Yes, a beast will, and until I've fully integrated it, I'd appreciate it if it wasn't shared with the entire continent."
"H-hot ip," I hummed against her hand.
She removed her palm.
"Got it," I smirked, flashing her a thumbs up.
We both rejoined the group that had begun interrogating my brother.
"I'M TELLING YOU HE'S MY BEST FRIEND!"
The familiar shout echoed through the corridor into our room
Arthur groaned, pinching his nose.
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN I CAN'T GO IN THERE! HE'S MY ROOMMATE. PEOPLE LITERALLY SAY 'AND THEY WERE ROOMMATES' ABOUT US!"
I looked to my brother, who did the same back to me.
With a groan, I walked towards the door and opened it enough so I could poke my head out.
"Hey guys, you can let him in," I said, looking between the two tired elven guards.
The pair stepped aside.
"Thanks, Lias," he smiled, patting my shoulder. "How's that big idiot doing?" He asked, wrapping an arm over my shoulder.
Eight sets of eyes stared at us.
Red crept up the boy's neck as he finally noticed that he and I weren't alone in the room with my brother.
"Uhhh, I'll come back later…"
Slowly, he started to edge back away from me and out of the room.