Elias Leywin POV
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ARTHUR!" Everyone cried out in unison.
Festive threads draped from balcony to bannister. The Twin Horns mingled with the Helsteas and my own family, laughter weaving through the music like a steady current. Arthur bowed. "Thank you all for bearing with me!" Sylvie dipped her small head beside him, copying the motion with solemn pride, which made her look adorable.
Steam curled from the banquet table. The scent of beef stew, honey-glazed duck and fresh bread thickened the air. I had already stolen a piece when no one was looking. Mum had made Arthur's favourites herself. She had let me help, or rather, stand in the way while stirring what she placed in front of me.
The celebration stretched through every room. Ellie chased Sylvie in wide, breathless circles. Glasses clinked. Servants slipped between guests with practised ease. I stayed near the wall with a warm plate pressed to my chest, watching Arthur.
He smiled easily among adults. Even Uncle Vincent's stiff posture softened at something he said.
We drifted outside to a long table beneath the open sky. Adam's laughter boomed across the garden, picking up the conversation, "Oh, come on now! You think that was bad? Remember the time Jasmine-?"
Jasmine slid into her seat and lifted a hand in the universal stop sign in Adam's direction, cutting him off before he could continue. "Adam, you seem to forget the time a horned mole snuck up on you while you were relieving yourself in the dungeon. As I recall, you got so scared, you landed flat on your back, screaming and... spraying pee everywhere like a fountain." She sipped her tea, not even bothering to look at the petrified Adam.
Food burst from my mouth as laughter seized my chest. Father roared. Vincent hid his face. Adam paled. The women shook their heads in quiet disappointment.
"No! Y-You! I thought n-no one was awake when that happened?!" Adam's face turned ghostly pale, and his shoulders slumped in utter defeat.
Ellie, not wanting to be left out, tried to join the conversation "I learned the word 'elbow' today," Ellie announced. "It has two vowels."
"That's great, Ellie!" Lilia replied.
Ellie beamed and leaned into Mum's side.
"How do you spell it?" I asked with a smirk.
She raised a finger to her lips. Mum shot me a glare, telling me to shut up, which I obeyed.
---
After dinner, the party moved to the lounge where a fresh fire crackled. The scent of burning pine and smoke filled the air, inspiring a feeling of calm. I shuffled in after everyone else and climbed into the armchair closest to the fireplace. Its warmth was a godsend.
"Lias," Dad called, beckoning me over to his side.
He handed Arthur a wrapped package, one side bulging oddly. "Happy Birthday again, Son. This present is from your mother and me, and of course, Ellie and Lias as well."
Mum had to keep Ellie from tearing into it herself, her little fingers twitching with excitement.
Arthur peeled back the cloth, and I leaned forward, trying to get a better look. Inside was a single black glove. It looked like something a knight would wear, but it had three glowing white stones set across the back of the hand like tiny stars.
"I hunted the material myself," Dad said with pride.
"And I imbued healing spells into the stones," Mum added softly. "Each one can be used once."
Arthur looked down at it with wide eyes. "Thanks, Mom, Dad, Lias, Ellie. I love it."
He pulled us all into a big hug before then styling the glove on his left hand, watching how the stones shimmered in the light of the fire.
"Um, Big Bro..."I called, looking to my feet.
He smiled down at me. "What is it, Lias?"
"I made you something." I looked up at him as I reached under a nearby sofa and retrieved a meter-long length of red fabric. I held it at arm's length and presented it to him. I struggled to meet his eye. "Mum helped me make it last week."
He retrieved it from my hands and wrapped it around his neck. "Thank you, Lias." My brother smiled at me as he ruffled my hair.
"Ahem! Next is us!" Vincent interjected as he pulled out a small box. He dramatically got down on one knee and opened the box, revealing two silver rings, one plain and one with a small, clear gem.
Arthur blinked. "Uh..."
"Honey! Stop teasing the boy!" Tabitha smacked Vincent's shoulder while he held in his laughter.
"Okay, okay! Arthur, this is more of a present for your family than for you, but I'm sure you'll appreciate it as well."
"This ring," Vincent pulled out the plain ring, "Is what you will be wearing, while this ring," he handed the gemmed ring to my mother, "Is what your mother will be wearing."
Tabitha continued for him, "Alice, while Arthur is wearing the ring, you'll be able to tell whether he's okay or not. The plain ring can keep tabs on the mana circulation that naturally flows in a mage's body. If the natural mana flow stops, the ring you're holding, Alice, will glow red and emit a high-pitched sound."
"We thought really hard on what Arthur may need during his time as an adventurer, but Lilia was actually the one who brought up the possibility of giving a present that'll help him and you guys. Unfortunately, the rings can't do much more than that, but I thought this would bring you some peace of mind, Alice, Rey." Vincent added as he shrugged his shoulders.
My mother teared up as she clutched the ring close to her chest. "Oh, Tabitha, Lilia, thank you!" She hugged both of them in a tight embrace. "Thank you, Vincent." She gave Vincent a deep bow while he shook his hands.
The corners of Arthur's mouth curled upward as he watched our mother's relief.
The next gift came from the Twin Horns. Durden, the gentle giant, stepped forward and handed Arthur two tightly rolled scrolls.
"You see, we also thought along the same lines as the Helstea family. We couldn't really think of what to give the little monster, so we decided on this!" Adam declared I'm a theatrical tone while dramatically waving his arm.
"Those two scrolls are sound transmission scrolls! I'm not going to elaborate on how expensive these were, because they were extremely expens- ouch!" Jasmine smacked the back of Adam's head.
"*Cough!* Anyways! With this, you now have a one-time communication channel. Just infuse mana into the scroll, Arthur, and you'll be able to send a message to the other scroll. After the holder of the other scroll, Mama Leywin, receives it, she can then send the reply! When the reply is sent, and the other person reads it, the parchment will then turn to ashes! TADA! You're welcome!" Adam gave a dramatic bow.
Arthur bowed his head. "Thank you... all of you."
He gave each of the Twin Horns and the Helstea family a hug, thanking them for the presents.
---
One by one, the guests began to leave. The Twin Horns left for their inn, and the Helsteas returned upstairs. Lilia yawned and sleepily leaned on her mother's arm. I sat next to Sylvie, watching the flicker of the fireplace, my hands running across her scales as my sister curled up next to her, using her tail as a makeshift pillow.
Arthur was quiet now, seated beside Mum and Dad on a sofa just behind me.
"Tomorrow is the big day, Son. Are you excited?" Dad asked, his hands on Arthur's shoulders.
'Why were you leaving, you idiot? You should be here with us... With me...'
Clothes rustled behind me as Mum hugged Arthur tightly, pressing his face into her chest. "I'll be fine," Arthur said softly. "I promise I'll try to be back every chance I get. And you'll be able to know if anything happens." He flashed his ring at her.
She smiled and did the same.
"Lias."
"Yes, Bi-g Roouu." I said through a yawn, rubbing my eyes as they struggled to stay open.
"I'm going to be up early in the morning. Would you join me for some last-minute training? There's one more thing I should teach you before I leave." He said, climbing down from between our parents, a familiar warm smile lining his lips.
"Okay, Art." I yawned, looking up at my brother with half-shut eyes.
---
"Lias."
The voice came softly at first, brushing against the edges of my sleep like a faint breeze. I mumbled something incoherent and clutched my pillow tighter.
"Liaaas," Arthur whispered again, giving my shoulder a gentle shake.
"Five more minutes..." I groaned as I turned away from him.
He sighed quietly, then shook me a little harder. "Lias. Wake up. Come on."
I forced one eye open and found the blurry shape of my brother crouched beside me. His hair was a mess, and the pale amber light of pre-dawn traced the edges of his face.
"Lias," he called out again, more insistent now. "Get up, sleepyhead. You're going to miss it."
"Yes, Bi-g BRooouu..." yawning, I stretched my arms overhead as my joints popped and pushed myself upright, blinking against the heaviness dragging at my eyelids. "What time is it...?"
"Early," Arthur said with a grin, offering his hand. "Too early. But I'm leaving soon, and there's one more thing I want to teach you. Remember?"
"Okay, Art..." I murmured, swaying slightly as I rubbed my eyes. He climbed down from my bed and moved with quiet purpose.
He sifted through my wardrobe, pulling out a pair of black shorts and a white shirt, laying them on the edge of my bed as I began to undress.
We slipped out of the bedroom together, careful not to wake anyone. The hall was dim and silent, the house still asleep. I held onto the hem of Arthur's sleeve as we made our way toward the door.
The cold hit the moment we stepped outside. I gasped and hugged myself as the breeze cut through my thin shirt. Arthur immediately unfastened his cloak and wrapped it around my shoulders in one smooth motion.
"Better?" he asked.
I nodded, too busy shivering to answer.
"It'll warm up once the sun rises," he informed, a faint sadness touching his smile.
Arthur led me across the dew-slick grass to the concrete patio where he had fought the Director only a few weeks ago. The sky was beginning to blush with streaks of peach and lavender as the sun climbed against Xyrus City's horizon.
We stood there for a long while. It was just the two of us here at this moment. I let out a slow breath, watching it fog in the morning air.
Arthur knelt in front of me, sitting on his heels.
I copied my brother, letting my tired knees fall onto the stone below.
Arthur sat still, watching me closely as the first golds of dawn crept across the sky, outlining the edge of the Helstea estate in a soft halo of light.
"Before we start," Arthur said quietly, "You need to promise me something."
I blinked up at him, still half awake.
"This is something you can't tell anyone about. Not Mom, not Dad. Not anyone," he stared deep into my eyes.
Something in his tone chased away the last of my sleep. "Okay..." Wind tugged at the edges of the cloak
Arthur nodded slowly. "It's dangerous. But more than that, it's not something humans are supposed to learn."
I stared wide-eyed up at him. "What?"
His words hung in the air between us. He hesitated before he swallowed any latent regret. "How does a human, or rather any other person, regenerate mana?"
'Is he serious?'
"By meditating... It's the first thing you taught me." I answered with a tilt of my head.
A proud smile cracked his lips as he continued. "Bingo."
'What's he getting at...'
He exhaled through his nose, his gaze distant. "What would you say if I could teach you a technique that lets you regenerate mana while moving?"
"Isn't that cheating?" I asked with crossed arms.
He puffed out his chest as he changed the topic. "You know how to swim, right?" he said, smirking slightly.
"I do, Dad taught me last summer."
"Before you put your head underwater, you take a breath of air, correct?"
"Obviously..."
"Think of that breath as meditating, regenerating mana," he said to me as he opened his palm. "Once you run out, you're out until you meditate or rather, take another breath of air."
"Makes sense I guess."
"In a battle, when you run out of mana, you're as good as dead," he clenched his fist tightly before him.
'Well, that's one morbid thought...'
"But what if it wasn't? What if you could breathe and swim underwater at the same time?"
"I'm not a fish, Art." I looked at him blankly, face set in a deadpan.
He cracked a smile. "This technique was taught to me by someone that wasn't Human, Elf or even a Dwarf..." His teeth gritted. "She was a dragon," Arthur said at last. "Her name was Sylvia, and she was Sylvie's mother."
I shot to my feet. "SYLVIE'S A DRAGON!?!"
'That lazy Lizard was a Dragon.'
My brother covered his mouth as he let out a laugh at my overanimated reaction. "She is," he said, a smile returning to his face. "Since this was taught to me by a dragon, you could maybe understand why it's important to keep this secret..."
I nodded my head violently.
"Good. Then let's begin," he stood and offered me a hand.
He took two steps back before continuing.
He stepped back. "Since your core is still immature, you should be able to learn this. Start by gathering mana while standing still. We'll work up from there."
He closed his eyes, drawing mana with effortless ease.
"Show off," I muttered.
I folded my hands over my chest and closed my eyes, then focused on the edge of each breath, checking over each individual particle of mana as they swirled down my mana veins and into my core.
When I opened my eyes, the flow weakened.
"Good," Arthur said. "Now keep doing it with your eyes open."
I inhaled slowly, aware of everything at once. Birds chirped. Wind stirred the trees. Light crept over the horizon.
'The world's so loud...'
With much trouble, I managed to draw in mana, though far less than before; nonetheless, I had.
"Very good, Lias. Now take a step."
I moved my right foot forward. The flow shattered instantly.
'Damn it.'
I gritted my teeth.
"It's okay, try again", I looked up to see my brother smiling.
I did as he commanded, failing again and again.
I collapsed onto the floor after more failure when my exhaustion began to take toll.
He placed a hand on my shoulder. "Lia-"
"Why do you have to leave?" I asked, cutting him off as tears welled in the corners of my eyes.
"Lias I-"
"Do you hate me? Do you hate Mum? Dad? What about El?" I asked erratically as my brother's grip tightened.
"Lias!" he barked.
I jumped at his change in tone. I looked up, our eyes meeting.
"The love I have for you, Mum, Dad, and Ellie," he said quietly, firmly resting his hand on my shoulder, "Is the most important thing in the entire world to me. That's why I need to leave."
"But-"
He cut me off. "I need to get stronger, even if that means we're apart again."
"I know, it's just..."
"I'll miss you too, Little Brother," he added, helping me to my feet.
I exhaled, letting the tightness in my chest loosen.
"Relax," he said. "Don't force it. Let it flow through you. Like you belong to it."
I took a step. And another. An-
Pain seized me, and I collapsed forward, holding my chest.
"Lias!" Arthur caught me before I hit the ground.
"I did it..." I whispered as my vision blurred.
He let out a breath that almost sounded like a laugh. "Yeah. You did."
---
Hello everyone, Rius here,
Hope you all enjoyed this chapter. See you tomorrow for Chapter 11.
Thank you to Lancelot Dragonroad for beta-reading and editing.
Rius Out.