Ellie Leywin
I missed my two brothers, I was sad they left to do things for our continent without me, but I knew that I couldn't help out like they do. I could only do my part, by staying inside the Floating Castle and training,
Boo was now taller than me, and he got a lot thicker, I was currently shooting my bow at a target twenty feet from me. I've done this so many times, it's rare that I miss. Helen only comes by when she has to report to Elder Virion, and when she does, Veer comes back as well.
Elder Virion told me that my little brother has been doing good things down in the dungeons. He said without him, they wouldn't clear them as fast. I didn't know if that was true or not, but Veer was a Blood Deviant.
"Ellie, what are you doing?" My dad asked, as he walked onto the balcony. I released the arrow I had on my string, and it hit the target dead on. "Nice shot." He exclaimed.
"I'm just practicing." I told him and drew another arrow. "Where's mom?"
"She's laying in bed." He stood next to me as I released the next arrow, and it hit the target again. "Your mother had a rough night." I turned to him.
"Again?" My mother hasn't been handling Veer and Arthur both leaving too good, which I understood. Your oldest and youngest both leave to fight in the war, while your middle child is useless.
"You know your mother doesn't want Veer fighting, she thinks he is too young, which I agree." He paused and then rubbed Boo's head. "But Veer is a Blood Deviant, and a powerful mage, it's hard to say no to someone with that much power." Veer was a mid stage silver core mage, who knows, he could be a white core soon.
"I know, dad." I smiled up at him. "I agree with mom, I understand why Arthur is fighting, we know he is strong, but Veer is younger than me, and even Princess Tessia isn't involved in the war." Tessia still wasn't fighting in the war, she bugs Elder Virion about it all the time, but he hasn't budged.
"Yeah, if Veer was a couple years older, I wouldn't mind it, but you and him are only nine, so it's hard." I wish I had Veer's powers. "However, he wants to fight, so he will fight, it's hard to stop someone with that mentality." I would agree, it would be hard to stop him at all, because of his strength.
"He has been trained by strong people, so he has that going for him as well." I believe he was trained by Elder Virion, Aldir, and Lance Aya.
"Yeah, he has, maybe the most powerful people in Dicathen." My dad tilted his head. "I am curious, who is going to be stronger, Arthur when he gets back, or Veer when he grows up a little more and gets experience."
"Veer was already close to Arthur's level, but Arthur has always been stronger, so I have to say Arthur." Veer maybe a Blood Deviant, but Arthur was always the strongest. Oh, that reminds me, Arthur also trained Veer.
"I might have to agree with you there, but from what Helen tells me, Veer is also a force of nature." I didn't know much of his time in the Iron Tombs, just that he killed a mutant beast by himself. "What he did before coming back to us that day, was just, was just terrifying." What did Veer do?
"I thought he just killed a shit ton of beast?" I asked him.
"Watch your mouth." My mother said, as she entered onto the balcony. "He did just kill beasts; your father is just shocked in how many he killed." She gave my father a look that I knew, it was the stop talking look. What did Veer do?
"Oh." I replied, not trying to pry and make them mad. "I thought you were sleeping, mom?"
"I decided to get up and watch you train." She said honestly as she hugged dad in front of me. "Is there any word on how Veer is doing?"
"Actually, Elder Virion told me to come see him when I could." He turned away from me with my mother and stared down the hall. "Do you want to go see if it is news on Veer?"
"Yeah." She answered quickly. "Ellie, do you want to come with us?"
"Of course." I swung my bow over my back, if I could learn what Veer is doing at the moment, that would be awesome. "Boo, stay here, you know they don't like it when you come into the council room."
My bond gave me a sad face, and it made me laugh, then I followed my parents back into the palace. "I wonder what Veer is up to anyways."
"He's probably fighting against armies of mana beast, that's what he was doing last time, not a lot changes usually when you are down there." He stopped for a second. "Unless they discovered something."
"I hope it's nothing dangerous." My mother said wearily. "I can't wait for him to come back." I couldn't wait either, I also missed Arthur, but I knew he wouldn't be back for a while. They said he could be gone for years. I don't know how though; it seems like the war is already starting.
"I'm sure he is fine, Alice." My father assured her. "Nothing changed probably." We turned the corner and into the hallway the council room was in. There were two guards guarding it, and as we approached, they stared at us. "We are here to see Elder Virion." My father told them, and they opened the doors.
They knew him already, so they never really questioned who he was and why he was here, inside the room was Elder Virion and Aldir. "The Leywins, what a nice surprise." Elder Virion stood up and started to walk over to us from behind the desk. Aldir got up slowly and followed him towards us.
"Elder Virion." My father said, and we all bowed to him. "You sent word."
"Yes, I have news on Virion." He gave us a warm smile, something he doesn't do often, at least when I see him. "His team found the mutant mana beast residing inside the Sand Grotto, and they are preparing to attack it any time now."
My parents' eyes went large. "They found the mutant? And they are going to fight it now?" My mother said questioningly. "Is it safe? I know he fought one already, but this one could be stronger."
"They have around fifty men there, Alice, Virion will be okay." Elder Virion assured her. "And Virion is a one man army himself, so I'm sure they will be fine."
"Do you know what beast it is?" My father asked, he was an adventurer, so he knew how strong each beast was or could be. "The Sand Grotto was known to house sand like creatures, but I don't really know any of the strong ones."
"We do not yet." Aldir answered. "I have been reading reports on all the teams there to make sure Virion was safe, and I believe whatever the beast is, he'll be able to take care of it."
"That means a lot to us coming from you." My father spoke, this man was a god, so he knew what he was talking about, if he says Virion is safe, then I am sure he is.
"Unless new reports show up, he'll be back here soon." Elder Virion told us, and I could see smiles creep onto my parents' faces. "That's all I wanted to tell you, Virion and his team are thriving."
"That's good to hear." My mother placed a hand over her heart. "I will always worry about him, but hearing this made me feel better." For some reason I felt like we were jinxing him.
"Yeah, thank you again, Elder Virion." My father bowed. "We are thankful for all you have done for us."
"There is no need for that, Rey, I have spent a lot of time with both of your boys, and I have put in my own effort to train them. I have grown to care for them as well, so hearing good news about them makes me happy." Elder Virion did train them both.
The door behind us opened up, and a man in white armor walked in, it was Lance Bairon. "Lance Bairon." My dad said then bowed, mom and I joined him.
"Commander Virion, we need to talk." He stared at us wearily, then back to Elder Virion. What was that look for? "Alone, if possible." He turned back to us. What is his deal?
"Alright, I'll talk to you all later." Elder Virion sent us another smile then turned to Lance Bairon. "Let's hear it." We made our way to the exit, and they made their way back to the council desk.
"I wonder what is so serious." My mother asked my father.
"Nothing that worries us, so we shouldn't intrude." My father said as we made our exit. I did wonder what it was about, Lance Bairon never sent us that look before, it was almost like he was trying to keep something from us, but what? What would a Lance want to keep secret from us?
"You are right." My mother answered. "I'm just curious though."
"I am too, we'll get our chance when we get involved." I knew my parents were waiting to join the war until Arthur returned, but that meant I would be staying here alone, by myself, with no one to talk to. I would rather go along with them.
"I don't want you guys to join the war, Arthur and Veer are already in it, why do you have to?" I asked as we turned down the hall.
"We have a responsibility to our nation, and to our children to fight in the war." My father rested a hand on my head. "You know that, even if Veer and Arthur are fighting in it, we have to too." I looked up at my smiling parents. "We'll be fine Ellie, nothing would happen, you know your parents are strong."
"You're pretty old." I let a thought slip out of my mouth.
"Ellie." My mother exclaimed.
My dad laughed. "Haha." then bent down and picked me up. "You think I am old, huh, well I got news for you dear, this old man still is powerful." He started spinning me in the air.
"Stop." I tried to pry myself away from him as he spun me, but his grip was too tight.
"Haha." My mother laughed as well. "And all I would be doing is healing people, El, there is no need to worry."
Finally, he stopped spinning me, and placed me back on the ground. "See, your old man still is strong, I'll be fine, no soldier or beast would lay a hand on me." He smiled proudly at me, I just shook my head and started to walk away again.
"Yeah, but your still old." I smiled, and started to run down the hall, and back to the balcony where Boo was.
"You little ---." My father's words were cut off as I got further away from him, I could see Boo on the balcony, waiting for me to return to him. He hated it when I left him alone.
"Boo." I called out, and my bond turned to me. "Did you miss me?" I asked as I stood right in front of him. He made a noise, then licked my face. "I wasn't even gone for that long." I smiled as I ran my hand through his fur.
I moved to the side of the balcony where the chairs were and sat down. "Veer and his team found a mutant beast in the dungeon they were in." I told him, as he sat down next to me on the ground. "They will be fighting it sometime soon; I hope he will stay safe." I rested my hand on Boo's head. "Everyone said he was going to be fine, but a mutated mana beast can't be a weak opponent, even for him."
Boo moved his head, so it was on my lap, and nuzzled his head into me. "You better be okay, Veer." I said out loud, hoping my words would get to him.