Hey guys! Sorry for the wait - this is the last chapter that features Tenebraeus as a twelve-year-old. It's more character development rather than plot development. Also - this is the time when the Dragonborn escorts Esbern to Riverwood from Riften - I don't know if I made it clear...
Just go with it.
Chapter Seven
Family. I always thought that was the most important thing. But it wasn't. It really wasn't. It didn't define you, or give you a special bond with someone - family was a small congregation of people who happened to share physical features.
I realized this when Mercer showed me two figures leaving Riften at night. One was equipped in heavy furs and cumbersome, thick steel armour, a heavy two-handed sword sheathed on his back. The way he held himself - with such pride, and such confidence. There was no doubt on who he was when Mercer identified him as Titus. My brother.
"He didn't even ask about you." Mercer informed me, a small grin echoing through his voice. I kept quiet, watching the figures escape, my hair sweeping over my eyes in the harsh Nordic wind.
"Why would you show me that?" I finally asked. I couldn't understand why he chose to do so - what possible motive he possessed. More importantly, I couldn't understand why my brother had left me.
"I didn't show you anything, he did. That's your brother. The only remaining part of your family, and he's left you. It didn't even take him that long to lose hope either. Just over a month."
"He doesn't know I'm alive."
"You think he would at least ask."
"Why would he ask thieves?"
"Because we would've heard. Stop lying to yourself, he chose not to look for you because he doesn't care." There was a pause. "I'm sorry boy."
"No," I said, turning around at Mercer, all fear and trembling evaporated at the sudden emergence of anger of his audacity, "you enjoyed that." He shook his head.
"You've got this rosy painting in your head, of what you think life should be like. You've got to learn how to take control and see the world the way it truly is - it's the only way you'll be able to survive in it."
"What, like you?" I asked angrily. "Some deadbeat living out of the sewers? No one knows you exist apart from some cut-purses!" I exclaimed angrily.
"You have to get rid of these distractions." Mercer growled.
"These are people that I love - they are not distractions!" I stated strongly - feeling emboldened by my anger.
"Then why can't you summon a flame big enough to burn a man? You've done it before, your body remembers how to, the only thing stopping you is these people that are still knocking about in your head, distracting you."
"These 'people' are my family!" I said, exasperated from repeating my point. "I can't just cut them out of my life! How cold do you expect me to be?" I yelled at him again, not caring about the guards that patrolled this wall.
"Don't forget what this is about!" Mercer hissed at me. "If you can't control your magic, we might as well kill the entire Guild right here and now, so get your head on straight. Or, do you want to go and ask your brother's permission for that too?" He asked in a mocking tone.
"What else do I have to do?" I asked. "Tell me! Why don't you tell me everything I have to do?" I tried to sound as threatening as I could, but Mercer only laughed.
"You're a sad little boy who's far away from home - I'm just trying to stop you exploding into flames."
"I've followed you around, done your petty thievery and listened to your illogical notions - you have no answers! You live in the sewers - you don't know anything about the real world!"
"Shut up and listen to me-"
"I am sick and tired of you telling me what to do!" I bawled at Mercer, rage possessing me completely. "I do not have to do anything you tell me to do!"
Mercer immediately started to back away, staring at my hands. As his face began to glow, I looked down to see the fire emenating from my hands. I could feel the heat - something I hadn't felt before. I began to back away from him.
"What...what's going on?" I asked - all rage and fiery anger forgotten as I felt an immediate return of fear and terror. He looked at the stones beside us, which began to tremble, as well as the stone wall we were standing on. I fell back, grabbing the wall beside us, and noticed the town of Riften that stood below us - it was vibrating terribly; the wooden overpasses that stood above the canals were sounding out in a shuddering series of cracks. I tried to steady myself, and stood up straight, turning to see the stones I had been leaning against had turned into a bright sapphire blue, and felt as cold as ice. I retracted my hand, and looked at it - it was igniting a mist, as cold and wintery as a breeze amongst a snow-topped mountain. Out of the mist, an electric blue spark flew up, snapping past my face by a fraction of an inch. I yelped out in fear, and looked up to an awed Mercer Frey. "What's happening?" I asked again. I closed my eyes, an instant pain shuddering across my skull, all through my skeleton. "I can't control it!" I shouted out in pain. I wrenched open my eyes to see a fist accelerating towards my face.
It all stopped.
*Gasp* Strange right? I hope you guys liked this chapter - it's the shortest one yet, about half the size of previous chapters, but I thought it was a nice little edition to him as a twelve-year-old. Anyway, review what you thought about it, because this is the chapter I'm most unsure about this chapter...
Also, to those who have reviewed, I just want to thank you - it's nice to know that people are reading and enjoying this story! I shall post another chapter later today - I'm just perfecting it.
