(Liam's POV)
We were close! I just knew it. We had finally arrived at the Forest of Elshire. There was heavy fog to it all, which made it all so hard to travel, however, Father had probably navigated his way. I assumed that he must have been here countless times before to do so.
When we entered the Forest of Elshire I could see Mother's gentle smile once more. I knew though it was just a gentle smile, I could instantly tell that she was really happy to be where she truly belonged. The nostalgia must have been hitting her hard. I just couldn't wait to see what the Kingdom of Elenoir had in store for us.
While it was all so good and exciting, I couldn't help but feel unease about it all. I'm not quite sure why, but it was as if someone had been watching me the whole time. But it must have been my mind playing tricks on me, after all, I couldn't see what was going on outside. I was with Mother inside the carriage.
If father and mother couldn't sense it, then it was probably just my imagination playing again. After all, I was just a 4-year-old kid. I just probably heard things. Yeah heard things, that's all. Nothing more and nothing less.
The day has grown dark, it was time for a pit stop. All of us were outside of the carriage, letting the fire that Mother had made consume around us with such warmth.
"Hey, their kiddo are you up for another spar?" Father flashed a grin at me, while he ate his food.
"Gabriel, isn't it a bit too late to do your shenanigans?" Mother gave out a slight chuckle, to which Father sighed deeply in defeat.
"Come on mum just one sparring match please?" I tugged on Mother's sleeve.
"Yeah! What Liam said please?" Father did the same, we tugged on mothers sleeve together.
Mother looked at the both of us, rubbing her forehead. "Boys will be boys, you guys are so much alike. . . Fine, just this once." Mother smiled.
"Yes!" We both got to the ground, jumping in the air.
"Could you commence the duel for us Mum?" I asked. Mother immediately got up from the ground standing between us, she raised her hand.
"Begin."
(Gabriel's POV)
WHOOSH!
I feel like I've been smiling a lot more lately than usual. Not that I don't mind that is. What a mage Liam was going to be.
Throughout the times I had sparred with him, there was one thing he never did. He never wanted to get the first strike. I would always have to be the one to pressure him into attacking me.
But now, but now it was different. He had thrown the first attack. I was surprised but happy to see this, I saw in the corner of my eye, Aerilyn watching with great interest. Not like she didn't watch with great interest all the time, but she must have noticed what I was noticing.
After all, it was a big deal when it came to sparring. A sparring expert I'd say.
His speed and power were coming along very well. I could even feel the wind that had blown past me with his punch.
It was time to level it up a step. And that he did.
His fist grew fire on them.
Nicely done! But how long could he keep this up?
WHOOSH!
PHOOSH!
SWOOSH!
It seemed that not only did he have fire on his hands, but his movement had also gotten more rapid than ever before. I could still easily dodge and weave his movements, but there was a bit more flair to his movements.
I knew training him to his boiling point would be worth it. Not only that, I could see on his face that he was enjoying it. But I still needed to let him know about the reality of it all.
WOOSH!
GUH!
I knew Aerilyn would not be happy about what I had just done, and I knew that I was probably going to pay for it later. After all, I guess I did deserve it.
With one clean kick to Liam's chest, I sent him flying, rolling onto the ground. I made sure that kick wasn't hard enough hurt him too badly, but it was enough to determine how resilient he was when it came to the battle.
I wasn't going to half-ass Liam. Liam needed to know the reality of fighting and that it wasn't always going to go his way and that it wasn't going to be easy all the time. He needed to be prepared and be ready for the worse. This was just an inch of what I could do.
Come on Liam get up.
Get up and show me more.
And he proved me right. Actually, he always had been proving me right all this time.
For what was a kick that must have felt incredibly painful to Liam, he had managed to get up even if it took a bit, but he still did.
Liam today had shown me something different. True resilience to get back up from the ground. I knew that he must have been using all his Mana to get back up. Whenever we had spars, Liam would always go full out no matter how small of a fight it is. It was just in his nature to never give up.
ZAP!
What was that noise?
ZAP! ZAP!
There it was again. Where was it coming from?
"Gabriel. . . Look." Aerilyn pointed her finger at Liam.
I turned my head to see. . . No way. . . That shouldn't be possible, not at his age at least.
An electric flow was surrounding his body, acting like a shield of sorts. How was this possible? A deviant at the age of 4. Liam never stops impressing me.
Liam pointed his finger at me, electricity going down his finger. In fact, all the electricity was going down that one finger of his.
BANG!
What immense power was this? I had time to brace for the impact, but I didn't expect this. Liam had sent me flying, getting shocked both figuratively and literally. I could feel my body burning up, as I landed on the floor. It wasn't enough to knock me out, but it was enough to make me some sort of pain.
I groaned, getting back up as I saw Aerilyn cradling the exhausted Liam in her arms. "Liam will be alright. . . He'll just be out for a bit. He completely used up all his Mana though."
"I can't believe that he's a deviant! But you don't look so surprised Aerilyn."
"He is a prodigy after all. Besides there are probably a lot more things he just hasn't unlocked yet." Aerilyn planted her lips onto Liam's forehead. "But Gabriel you didn't have to hurt him that much." She said in a sweet tone that dripped with a bit of anger as she smiled at me.
I scratched the back of my head, chuckling nervously. "At least we know he is a deviant. . . Am I right?"
Aerilyn rolled her eyes standing up. "We're going to be in the carriage. We should head off soon."
I sighed to myself. Gabriel you've done it again. But hey at least I got something cool to see. From my baby boy to top it all off.
(Liam's POV)
"You're awake sweetheart."
The first thing I saw waking up was me in my mother's arms, smiling at me. I recall somewhat what had happened but not too much that I could picture anything. All I could remember was sparring father and that it got a bit too serious at the end of the spar.
"What happened, mum?" I groaned in pain. I didn't expect it to hurt this much. Whatever father did, really did a number on me.
"Let's just say you impressed Father."
"You sure did kiddo!" Father said not looking back at us.
"Mum, are we almost there yet?"
"Yes dear. . . Just a couple of more hours and we'll be there." I could hear the excitement that was bottling up within her. We have been on the road for quite a while now. We didn't have the best things to eat but Mother could always turn a meal that had no flavour into something that was savoury and delicious. A great cook. No one could compare to her not even the cooks in my past life could compare.
"Mum are we go-"
Frozen. It was the only way to describe it. Mother was ever so still, like a mannequin. I tugged on her sleeve but to no response. She didn't move one bit. Frozen like a stone.
I was too focused on my Mother that I realised that the carriage had come to a stop as well.
"Father!" I called out but to no response. He too was frozen.
What was going on? It was as if time had frozen itself, and I was the only one that could talk speak or think. Why was everything like this?
But then, but then, a sound. A noise. I could hear murmurs from outside. The closer it came, the closer I felt unease. It was the exact same feeling had before, but this time it was heavier in my heart, my heart was sinking.
I couldn't move one bit at all.
WHOOSH!
And then someone came in the carriage.
A man with a sculpted face with luxurious platinum blonde hair. He had deep eyes that stared at me. I wasn't quite sure who he was, but I had a feeling that he wasn't normal.
I tried to get as far as possible in the carriage, to the point where my back was against the carriage. My voice quivered looking at him.
"Everything is alright little one." He sat down in front of me. "I have a gift for you."
"W-Who are you?" I asked, cowardly in fear. I was a Prince in my past life, but he had a presence of something far stronger than that of a prince or even a king.
"You don't remember do you." He muttered. Almost as if he was saying that to himself and then to me.
He dug something out of his pocket, a shiny egg. But I knew immediately that this wasn't just any other normal egg, it had something else to it. And there was something else he had with him.
"This is a gift from your father little one." He said, placing it in my pocket. "And the other gift, it might hurt just a bit."
"Wh-"
GUH!
The searing pain had entered my body like poison. After what felt like hours of pain, we were only seconds until it stopped.
"F-Father? But why didn't my father just give it to me myself? He's right there" I asked desperately, pointing at my father who was frozen on his horse.
The man deeply sighed looking at me with a sincere look on his face. His face had changed, and the atmosphere has changed but it looked as if he was holding back tears. Or something like that.
"It's not from this father, it's from your other father little one."
"Other father? Who?"
"Lo-"
"We don't have much time left. . . It's time you say your goodbyes to the little one."
Another man had opened the carriage and he looked at me with such great respect, as if I was some sort of god.
Both of his eyes were closed but he had an eye on his forehead.
"Listen to me little one." The platinum blonde hair made touched my cheeks with both of his hands as both of our foreheads touched one another, staring at me. "You won't remember this conversation, this will be the last time I can interfere like this with you until you grow much older. I just want you to know that I will always be there watching your progress and making you a better person. I will always be here for you, no matter what happens. I am here to protect you." He stood up exiting the carriage, not before looking back at me over his shoulder.
"Until we meet again." He gave me the most deepest bow that could only resemble respect for me.
WHOOSH!
"We're here sweetheart." Mother woke me up. My head hurt, I didn't know why, but I felt something heavy in my pocket. Never mind that we had finally arrived!
For this was. . .
Unseen.