TBATE - Brother's Once More

The Twin Horns

Reynolds Leywin

As I absentmindedly took a sip from my cup of coffee, a scalding sensation startled me out of my daze. Vince and I were seated around the small table on the outside patio as we discussed some business plans on the Helstea Auction House. The topic had shifted towards the security parameters and how we were currently approaching the stages where it was necessary to completely restructure and enhance the guard teams.

Alongside capable non-mage adventurers, we had recently managed to recruit a few long range augmenters, making up an extremely powerful addition to the security. While it was still widely prevalent for augmenters to go the melee route due to functionality and ease, ranged augmenters, like archers and crossbowmen, continued to be a much more powerful asset in defensive settings. Vince poked at me a few times whether conjurers should be employed for the upcoming event.

"Hmmm...I know how beneficial it'd be to have conjurers that could set up barriers and help support the augmenters, but I'm against it." I took another, more careful sip from my cup.

"You mind elaborating? You just said how helpful it'd be to have them," he rebutted as he rhythmically stirred his tea.

Setting down my cup, I replied, "If we're just talking about firepower, I'd be all for it, but you know it's not as simple as that, Vince. It would affect team morale having even a few conjurers in a team of augmenters. You know yourself how snobby most conjurers can get. I swear they think they're angel incarnates; most of them think of augmenters as some sort of primitive beasts for using their hands to fight. Even if we do manage to find a few that aren't so rotten, the team would start thinking we're hiring conjurers because I don't trust them."

Vince's gaze was focused blankly on a stained smudge on the table; it was obvious what he was thinking. "You have a point. I left you completely in charge of the security aspects, so we'll go with what you say, but we need to be absolutely sure the 10th Anniversary Helstea Auction goes well. Even the Royal Family will be there this time. We can't let any commotions get too big."

I simply nodded in agreement, giving my friend an appreciative smile.

"Oh right! We need to take your son with us to the Tenth Anniversary Auction. He had mentioned he wanted a sword, right? I didn't know you had taught him how to use the sword. I expected the boy to take after you on the infighting style you're so good at with your gauntlets."

"Sigh. I never taught Arthur how to use the sword, Vince. He's already had a grasp of sword fighting since he was four years old. Jayden as well," I let out, disbelieving the words that came out of my own mouth.

"You can't be serious... Lilia was still scared to go down the stairs by herself when she was four," a bewildered Vince sputtered.

I continued, "He apparently learned by watching me train and reading books on swords. Vince, that's not even the part I care about. It's when we spar, though. His gaze when we practice, his reactions and fighting style. I don't feel like I'm sparring with my eight-year-old son.

It feels like I'm fighting some veteran sword master. The only reason I can handle him right now is because his body is still immature, but the way he reacts to my moves...it's something that only comes with decades of experience in life-or-death fighting."

"Mmm...I can't say I don't know what you're talking about. I sometimes find myself wondering if your sons are actually only eight. Are you scared of them, Rey?" he asked seriously.

"No. In fact, that's one thing I've become more and more sure of. No matter what, they're still my sons. I know they care deeply about their family, too and that's all I could ask for as their father."