Inheritance

Part 2. Chapter 65: Risk and Reward

It wasn't just the fact that both of them were neither entirely male nor female, it was their attitudes and personalities.

They're both so naïve and... helpless. Terran mused to himself.

As if she were in the same room as him, he could hear his mother's voice beckoning him into a memory.

"Little brother is hungry, Terran!" He remembered mother calling when Terran was fifteen and Francis was ten.

Terran ran down the stairs in an oversized night shirt and helped mother make breakfast. Francis, in the meanwhile, sat at the table and did the things that all annoying little kids did.

He sang, swayed his legs back and forth, and asked his big brother endless, inane questions while Terran fried up some eggs over the fire pit.

"What's the academy like, Terry?" Francis asked, using his brother's pet name.

"Clean and uptight." Terran replied.

"Where's dad, Terry?" Francis queried as he whistled as loudly as he could muster.

Terran rolled his eyes. "Guarding the queen like he always is around this time."

"When can I join you at the academy, Terry?" Francis asked for what felt like the thirtieth time that week.

Terran frowned. "Francis... You know we can't let you attend the academy. Stay here with mom where you'll be safe."

Francis pouted, crossing his arms. "For how long? Until I'm an old man with gray hair?"

Mother pressed a worried hand to her heart, silently pleading to Terran to turn Francis away from his foolish dreams.

"You know the dangers, Francis. If they find out about you..." Terran began to lecture.

Francis puffed his cheeks out, leaning his chin into his palms. "Nobody would find out, I promise! I'll be careful! It's not fair that I have to spend all my time cooped up indoors... It's not my fault that I'm a mistake..."

Mother's eyes glistened with tears. She turned away with a sob.

Terran's gaze lifted from the eggs he was cooking to his mother's back.

"You've upset mother!" Terran scolded Francis. "Why would you do that? You know she hates it when you talk about yourself that way!"

"I'm sorry!" Mother sniffled and ran out of the room.

"I don't see why she's upset... I'm the one who has to live with this body." Francis' voice was choked with shame.

Terran was unbelievably stressed. He felt like he was responsible for both his mother and his brother because their father was gone all day.

Terran finished cooking breakfast in silence and then plopped a plate of eggs and bacon in front of his brother. He took a seat in the chair across from Francis'.

"I'm not hungry..." Francis claimed.

Terran crossed his arms with a smirk. "Oh really?"

Francis glanced down at his plate. His mouth watered. He licked his lips.

Francis defiantly said, "You're going to be late to the academy!"

"That's fine. I'd rather make sure that my brother doesn't starve to death." Terran looked up at the ceiling, whistling cheerfully.

Francis couldn't tear his eyes away from the tasty meal.

The food beckoned Francis.

"Fine!" Francis said petulantly while stuffing a piece of bacon into his mouth.