A twelve-year-old Maximus ran down the hall as quietly as he could. He could hear his twin frantically looking for him, a few crashes could be heard in the distance. Maximus chuckled to himself as he heard his brother asking anyone around where his brother was. The two had decided to play a game together and the only aspect to it was that one twin at a time would try to find the other. The twin hiding could do anything they wanted to in order to successfully hide. They offered for Aurora to play with them but she was busy helping their mother with some chores. They were both determined to make her loosen up a bit and be a child.
Their parents were currently in a meeting with their advisors about the upcoming war. The only thing that Maximus knew about the war was that the lycastrals were trying to get back in their good graces. They were once allies but then they decided to side with the covens when they realized that they were currently more successful and were more of a powerhouse. They've been trying to mend the bridge for years but the Lucina's weren't sure. Apparently, a young boy who was only two years older than Maximus was very adamant about fixing the relationship and being on the right side of the war.
While his parents wanted to believe them, their advisors were counseling against it. They were worried that the lycastrals were still working for the coven and were just trying to get information from the Lucina's. Maximus had wanted to meet with them but his parents decided he was still too young.
Maximus rounded a corner and found a floating armoire that was just big enough for him to hide in. He grinned to himself before hustling over to it. He went on his tiptoes and grabbed the bottom of it with the tops of his fingers, using his strength to pull it down. He got it down just enough to open its doors and crawl in. He felt pleased with his hiding spot, his brother would never find him in here.
After a bit, he heard the doors down the hall burst open. Thinking it was his brother, he slammed his hand over his mouth to keep quiet. However, the footsteps were far too heavy to be his brother. Their voices soon became more distinct and Maximus recognized them as his father and one of his advisors.
"Absolutely not! I don't know what in the world made you think I would agree to this," his father shouted as he tried to get away from the man scurrying after him.
"Richard, I am asking you to consider this. He is one of the best warriors we have! Our troops are decreasing by the day." Maximus recognized the voice to be his closest advisor and friends, Gabriel. "We would prepare him for it, he wouldn't get hurt."
"You know, years of being my advisor and that's the first time you've lied. You cannot guarantee he wouldn't get hurt! Even if you could, I would still say no. I would never put my son through that! He's twelve, Gabriel!" Richard yelled angrily and Maximus froze immediately. They were talking about him. They were talking about sending him to fight.
"Do you want your sons to hear you?" Gabriel asked in a hushed tone. "Keep it down."
His father huffed out, pausing for a few moments. "My answer is no, all right?"
"What if I had someone watch him? It's a waste to not use him, Richard. Our troops are being wiped out, soon we won't have anyone left," Gabriel said and it was clear from his tone that he was trying to remain calm, "how about you let him decide?"
"Gabriel... he's my son. He's only twelve," Richard reminded him in a pleading tone, "I... I can't put him in that position."
"But would you consider it?"
The moments of silence that followed felt like an eternity. "I need to go talk to my wife."
The footsteps got quieter as they left the hallway and Maximus was left with a sense of dread. His heart was racing and the armoire suddenly felt far too small. He quickly pushed open the doors and fell out. He landed with a thud, pain bursting through his side but he couldn't be bothered to care. He laid on the ground for a few moments as he tried to calm himself down.
He can't let his father just ship him off to war.
Maximus pushed himself off the ground and ran to the doors he came in through. Bursting through them, his breathing only got worse as he imagined himself on the front lines of a war.
"Maximus."
He turned and saw Aidan standing there looking just as horrified as himself. His twin held his hands out in front of him, letting out a trembling breath. "Maximus, I'm not gonna let them send you away."
"You can't promise me that," Maximus panted out as he shook his head, "I can't stay here."
And with that, he bolted past his brother. He could hear Aidan shouting after him as he ran. He faintly heard his mother and father arguing with Gabriel as he ran through the castle. His mother sounded furious, basically repeating everything Richard said just in an angrier tone. Maximus dodged various floating items, shoving a particularly annoying floating vase against the wall. He felt a sense of relief as he watched it shatter into a million pieces.
He made it outside but could hear Aidan gaining on him. Slamming the grand doors behind him, he saw a particularly large rock only a bit away. With little effort, he picked up the boulder. Just as he saw the doors start to open, he dropped the boulder in front of the doors. He could see his twin staring at him beseechingly.
"I'm sorry."
Maximus sat on a rock in the middle of the forest with his head in between his knees. He let himself cry as hard as he wanted, relieved that no one was around to hear. He assumed the others were out looking for him and he prayed that he had a bit longer out here to let his emotions out.
He couldn't believe that his father would consider sending him off to fight. He wasn't ready for that. Maximus knew that he was a great fighter, but he just wasn't ready for that. He had barely trained at all and couldn't control his strength sometimes. When his anger got the best of him, he couldn't control it.
"Why bother controlling it?" Maximus muttered to himself as he pushed himself off the rock. He glanced around for something to break but couldn't find anything. Then, he realized that everything around him was his to break.
"They think I'm so strong? I'll show them..." Maximus began as he rushed over to a tree that stood at least seventy-feet tall, he squatted and gripped the tree bracingly, "just how strong... I am!" he shouted as he used all his strength to rip the tree from the ground.
He panted heavily with the tree still in his hands. Igniscans frantically fled the tree and other critters lept away onto other tree's branches. Maximus furrowed his eyebrows and began to squeeze the base of the tree. Loud cracks echoed through the woods as splinters pierced his skin. He could feel the skin immediately began to heal itself, the splinters blocking it.
Letting out a scream, he spun around and chucked the tree as far away as he could. The force of the throw knocked down an entire cluster of trees, more igniscans flying away from the scene. His eyes glowed a brilliant purple, his anger and strength consuming him entirely.
"WAS THIS WHAT YOU WANTED?" he screeched up at the sky. "Was this the strength you wanted me to show off?"
He could feel his anger simmering inside of himself like boiling water. Letting out another ferocious scream, he banged his hand against another tree, promptly denting it. "I'll show you all how strong I really am."
Just as he was about to destroy another tree, something caught his eye. A creature stood tall in the destroyed clearing he just made with the tree. A transparent, glowing lion stood in front of him. It had the outline of a lion with long, glowing strand floating all over that moved slowly and elegantly like a jellyfish. They had little gold glowing balls at the end of the strands.
The creature stared down at him and Maximus recognized it as the rare kinaro animal. They were rare to see, let alone walk up to you. It gracefully strode up to a stunned Maximus, staring in amazement at the animal. It landed in front of him and stared intently. It turned its head back slightly as if to gesture to the destroyed nature that Maximus caused.
"I- I'm sorry..." Maximus said in a raspy voice, shaking his head at the destruction. "I don't know if you can understand me... I just... ugh!" He exclaimed as he turned around to punch another tree. Before he landed the blow, he stopped. He whimpered slightly, closing his eyes as he bounced on his heels.
The animal stared as if analyzing him. The strands lifted and made their way towards Maximus. He braced himself, aware that a sting from one of these could kill him. His eyes followed the strand and watched as it went to the spot on the middle of his forehead just above his eyebrows. He expected a stinging sensation, but instead, he felt his anger and stress slip away. He felt nothing but calm.
Maximus saw a glow go through his body, covering him from head to toe. The glow passed through him and into the kinaro. The animal closed her eyes as the process finished.
The warrior was now completely shocked, the kinaro made herself his amicorda.
"You'll protect me?" he asked in a feeble tone. The animal bowed her head in confirmation.
Maximus knew she would always protect him.