"Uncle Nic!" 4 year old Lyssa charged into his open arms, giggling hysterically. Eyes glowing violet and then flashing back to her normal blue.
Luka waved and regally walked up to Nic from his spot next to his nursemaid to gently hug him.
The maturity and resemblance to Magnus scared Nic so much that he forgot to wrap his arms around the boy for a little longer than appropriate.
The last time Nic saw Luka was a little less than a year ago. He could hardly talk well at the time, and everyone was very excited to find out if Luka inherited Cleo's fiery passionate personality, or his father's quiet fashion.
Nic was a little disappointed that Luka...definitely was more like Magnus. He supposed that being around an almost wordless man daily will have that effect on a person, especially a child. At least his face was a near image to his mother's.
"Where's Uncle Ashur?" Lyssa asked, interrupting Nic's thoughts.
Nic looked up at Lucia and, after her nod of approval, took the hands of the children to direct them into the Jewel of Kraeshia.
After meeting up with Ashur, they spent the rest of the day touring the part of the Jewel that was closer to the emerald palace towers. Fortunately, that area was the most stunning part of the large island. Nic let out a breath of relief when Luka and Lyssa didn't ask to see more of the city. It wasn't that he couldn't show them more, it was that Nic would have an extremely difficult time trying to explain to young toddlers that the Jewel, a supposedly city was the size of a 1/3 of Mytica and would be impossible even walk through in a day.
Nic gazed lovingly at his "adopted" niece and nephew. Lyssa was playing around with her elementia, showcasing stunning displays of fire magic. Lucia was holding Luka's hand at a safe distance, prepared to ward off Lyssa's power with her own in case she loses control, amethyst ring glowing violet along with Lyssa's eyes underneath the light of dusk.
He remembered a time when that ring was on the finger of the then princess of war, Cleiona Bellos. However, Nic does not know how Lucia ended with it.
Luka watched his cousin's display of fire with a curious expression. It was one of the many qualities that the young boy possessed. His intelligence was uncanny. But Nic also knew that this would make Luka a lurking danger to his future enemies.
With a pang to the heart, Nic was brought back to a simpler time in his life. A girl with flowing blonde hair, cerulean eyes glittering under the sunlight. The extended leg came as a huge surprise to Nic, and he crashed to the ground to break his nose. Cleo was purposely stalling behind to do that from her careful observation, and though she didn't intend for him to break his nose, the tactic would've ended with bruises everywhere anyways.
Now, he stared at the son she exchanged her life for. Despite the black hair, quiet nature and regal posture, and even how his face was nearly identical to Cleo's, the fire and power in his young eyes were flowing out of him. What truly frightened Nic from the shocking revelation was that this boy, was barely 3 years old. A mere toddler, and his animated energy was scalding hot.
It burned open wounds that were just starting to scar in Nic's heart. He didn't bother to wipe away the hot tears that splashed down onto his cheeks.