Chapter 6

"My Lord, I am growing concerned. Mii'lian has a disturbing amount of similarities to the Old God of the Sky and Sea. He prefers books to interacting with others. And he does not get along with any of his classmates."

Seth'ius nodded, "Thank you. I will speak with him about it." Seth'ius paced back and forth in front of the doors to the palace but he looked up when his three oldest children walked up.

Lian was wet up to his ankles.

Seth'ius's eyes narrowed in anger. "I have told you to stay out of the water, have I not, Mii'lian?" His voice was cold and hard.

Lian kept his head low, "You have."

Seth'ius's voice started to rise, "Why do you continue to enter it? How many times do I have to tell you it's dangerous?"

Lian still didn't look at him and mumbled, "I don't know."

"Look at me," Seth'ius ordered.

Lian clenched his jaw and took a deep breath. He lifted his head and looked at his father. He was careful not to meet the man's gaze.

Mayu took a deep breath and pressed her lips into a thin line.

"Do not. Enter. The water. I am getting very tired of you not listening to me. I am protecting you. And I will take your safety and well being into my own hands if you will not do as I say."

Lian nodded, lowered his gaze, and apologized.

"Room. Now. I have something else to speak with you about once I speak with your siblings."

Lian left silently. The moment he was out of sit of his father he picked up his pace to a jog until he reached his room. He closed the door and sat on his bed.

The fox rested it's head in his lap and licked his hand while he scratched under it's chin.

Lian jumped when Seth'ius opened the door to his room. He leaned away from him when he sat down next to him on his bed.

Seth'ius's voice was still cold as he said, "Your instructor tells me you aren't getting along with your classmates."

Lian didn't look at him, "No. I don't."

"Why not?" Seth'ius snapped.

"I don't know." Lian shrugged.

"Have you made any attempts to get along with them?"

Lian shrugged, "No."

"Why not?" Seth'ius snapped again.

Lian petted the fox, "They're human. They're not immortal. Why bother? When they're gonna die long before I do."

Seth'ius's anger waned to annoyance, "That's it? You're just afraid of them dying? You know full well they will be with The Dead Mother. They'll be well taken care of."

Lian nodded, "I know."

Seth'ius stood, "Actually interact with your classmates before you decide you don't like them." He left the room, slamming the door shut behind him.

Lian covered his face with his hands and leaned back until he was lying on the bed.

The fox got up and sat on his chest and started licking his chin.

Lian giggled and pulled his hands off of his face to gently push the fox away, "That tickles! Stop it!" He rolled over onto his stomach.

The fox laid down on it's stomach next to him and barked.

Lian looked at it and sighed, "You're probably right, Buddy." He pulled his closest arm out from under him and petted it.

A knock on his door made him jump. He sat bolt upright and folded his hands in his lap. He started to pick at the callouses on his fingers.

"Lian. Can Daria and I come in?" Mayu's voice echoed into his room.

"Sure."

Daria opened the door. "Father told us you said you didn't like people." He said instantly. He stood next to Lian's bed, looking down at him.

Mayu sat down next to Lian and wrapped her arm loosely around his shoulders.

Lian scowled, "That's not quite what I said." He looked away from him older siblings and stared at the spotless white curtains that covered his window, "But no. I don't like people."

Daria crossed his arms over his chest and shifted his weight to his left leg, "Why not?"

Lian rolled his eyes, "People are judgmental, closed minded, and superstitious. And they're perfectly content to talk about nothing that matters. Yet they all get bent out of shape when someone mentions something important."

"Like what?" Daria snapped, "If you can't provide examples-"

"Like," Lian interrupted sharply, "the fact that they worship Mother, view her as a queen, and yet her people are still seen as lesser citizens."

Daria shrugged, "The elves probably prefer it that way."

Mayu sighed, "Mother's people are quiet, like her, yes. But it seems to be a forced silence. They're tense. They walk with their heads held high but their eyes dart like they're afraid of something."

Lian smirked triumphantly at Daria.

"According to Father, it is their job to bring that up if they have in issue with it," Daria insisted.

Lian pressed his lips in an effort to keep from making a comment that would get him in trouble. "Can you guys get out? I want to be alone," He broke the tense silence.

"Seriously?" Daria asked angrily, "You can't just kick us out when you start getting uncomfortable-"

Lian felt every muscle in his body tense. But before he could say anything Mayu interrupted Daria. "It's his bedroom, Daria'lis. He can kick us out whenever he likes," she stated firmly. She got to her feet and made her way to the door. She waited there for Daria to follow her.

Daria stared at her in indignant shock for a handful of seconds. He sighed and rolled his eyes, "Fine." He pulled open the door and left the room without looking at Lian.

Mayu returned to Lian and gently placed her hand on top of his head, "Don't be by yourself too long. It won't do you any good."

Lian nodded, "I won't."

The next day Kayla was out practicing her magic with Tasha and their father. She formed a scythe out of flames and grinned at her older sister.

Tasha fell easily into a defensive stance and put her shield in front of her. She nodded to Kayla.

Kayla leaped forward. The scythe twirled and spun, occasionally hitting an invisible wall.

"Be sure to hit Tasha's shield with every hit!" Seth'ius commanded. He stood off to the side with his arms crossed over his chest watching them. "Don't worry about hitting her. She can take it."

Kayla nodded, "Yes, Daddy!" She jumped back and focused intently on her sister's broad silver, white and gold shield. Her face hardened with determination.

Tasha swallowed and repositioned her shield quickly.

Kayla leaped forward again. This time she only hit the invisible wall twice. Otherwise she hit Tasha's shield with every hit. The shield was left unmarked at the end of it all. Both girls were panting. Tasha was slightly unsteady.

"Sorry," Kayla apologized sweetly.

"Don't apologize," Seth'ius said, "You did very well."

Tasha nodded.

Kayla smiled, "Okay!" She cocked her head to the side when she noticed Lian walking through the courtyard towards the gate over Tasha's shoulder. She jogged up to him, "Lian!" She skipped to a halt in front of him and clasped her hands behind her back. She smiled sweetly, "Hi!"

Lian instantly shot an uneasy glance in Seth'ius's direction.

Their father watched him closely.

Lian turned back to Kayla, "I can't really-"

"Do you wanna join us? We're practicing magic!"

Lian shook his head and glanced at Seth'ius again, "No. No. I'm good."

Kayla studied him for a moment. Her bright grass green eyes bored into him, "What are your powers, Lian?"

Lian raised his eyebrows in surprise but quickly cleared his expression. He shrugged, "I don't know."

Kayla frowned, "You don't know? That's weird. You're so much older than me though."

"Well, maybe I don't have powers."

"But we all have powers," Kayla insisted.

"Well...maybe not," Lian muttered.

Kayla smiled and leaned closer to him. "I think you have powers," she whispered.

Lian chuckled, "Thanks Kayla."

"Kayla!" Seth'ius called.

Kayla pouted.

Lian tensed and started to walk past her.

Kayla waved at him, "Bye bye, Brother!"

Lian waved back awkwardly, "Bye."

"Daddy?" Kayla asked as she approached Seth'ius, "Why doesn't the ocean have any life if Lian is the new god of the sea?"

Lian hung back to listen to the answer.

"It's because of the Old God's treachery. And all the life died when that demon was sealed away. Unfortunately your mother could do nothing about it. The ocean is not her domain."

Lian rolled his eyes, "Should've guessed Father would pin the blame on that guy." He hurried towards the gate of the palace.

Once he made it to the gate he relaxed and slowed his pace.

"Eavesdropping, Lian? That's not like you."

Lian jumped and spun around.

Loc stood behind him with a knowing smirk on his face and a mischievous sparkle in his eyes.

Lian relaxed and crossed his arms over his chest. He put on the most disdainful expression he could muster, "Why do you care?" He studied his younger brother.

Loc wasn't bothered by the intensity of his gaze, "I don't." He shrugged, "I'm just wondering why you seem to believe the Old God of the Sky and Sea isn't to blame."

Lian rolled his eyes, "That guy probably doesn't even exist. There's no proof."

Loc nodded, "Oh." His smirk broadened into a grin, "What happens when you find proof?"

Lian sighed, "There is no proof. People have looked and looked and looked."

Loc's grin didn't fade, "There could be."

"Where?" Lian demanded, "Historians have looked everywhere."

Loc raised an eyebrow, "Have they really? Everywhere?" He walked forward and patted Lian's head, "You'll figure it out. You are after all, the New God of the Sea."

Lian's eyes narrowed, "Why did you even tell me that?"

Loc shrugged, "You told me you didn't believe in him." He bowed slightly but kept his gaze fixed on Lian's face, "A secret for a little bit of information is how I work. How I've always worked." His face softened into a warm smile, "Your fox misses you when you're at class. See you around, Big Brother."

Lian watched Loc skip away in surprise, "Really? He does?" The shadows of a smile crossed his face, "That's nice." He growled suddenly, "Dammit, Loc. You still haven't told me his name!" He left the palace and wandered in the general direction of the school he attended. He was the only one with classes that day because he had to make up the time he'd skipped over the week.

Lian's mind wandered. He mulled over what Loc had said. "Have they not looked everywhere?" He chewed his lower lip, going over a mental list of all the places historians had looked in order to find evidence of the Old God of the Sea. He was, oddly enough, the only one that didn't have any solid evidence of his existence. All of the other Old Gods' Seal Locations had been found within a few tens of thousands of years. Lian stopped the train of thought abruptly, "I am going to die if I go looking for him." He scowled, "Dammit, Loc. Are you trying to get me in trouble?"

He arrived late to his classes but no one said anything to him. He walked down the currently empty halls. He remained lost in thought as opposed to paying any attention in his classes. Within an hour he was the most bored he'd ever been.

In between his third and fourth classes, he used a side door to leave the building. He trotted to a nearby canal, scaled the wall with practiced ease, and rode the water over the edge of the cliff. He climbed out onto the warm sand and sat down. He crossed his legs and buried his right hand in the sand. He wiggled his fingers and giggled. The way it moved between his fingers was oddly entertaining.

Lian found his gaze drawn to the ocean. It was still, and clear. The sun's light reflected off the water, and the millions of coins underneath the surface. He got to his feet and waded into the water. He picked up a couple of the fresher coins and studied them. They weren't very valuable coins, and some were even fake. He tossed them back into the water and made his way back to the beach, "At least they aren't throwing away a lot of money. I'd worry if they did."

He sat back down and stared at the ocean. He didn't really know how long he sat there in silence. It didn't matter. He had the whole day. Seth'ius wouldn't send Daria until an instructor informed his father he hadn't been in most of his classes. And that wouldn't happen until the end of classes when an instructor finally had some spare time.

"It'd be nice to have something to talk to that'll talk back, ya know?" he said eventually. He lowered his gaze, "I spend almost all of my time by myself. Every time I try to talk to one of my siblings Father always glares at me. The way he does when I'm in trouble." He grabbed a handful of sand and started to pull the darker grains out of it. He set them all down in a pile next to him. "But nobody else even wants to come near me. I really don't get it. Why does everybody treat me like I'm...corrupted?" He sighed and let the sand slide through his fingers. He scraped his hand over the sand to disperse it. His gaze turned to the sky. He put his hands behind his head and laid down on his back, "Why is Daria worshiped and treated with kindness and respect and I'm not? They're afraid of the Old God of the Sky and the Sea. Right?" He closed his eyes, "It makes no sense."