Alex held his comatose brother upright, one hand on the back of his head, curled into his fluffy brown hair, and the other squeezing the boy's small hand. Caiellis was breathing at a regular pace now, appearing as though he was in a peaceful sleep, though nothing could be further from the truth. The prince had ventured into his Mind Realm for the second time on this day, Alex's warnings about him being far too exhausted to be attempting the Summoning trial going unheeded.
A couple of minutes ago, Cai had gasped in pain and started convulsing – his older brother had tried to comfort him but it was up to his little brother to remove himself from the danger, and there was naught that he could do to help other than keep a hold on his body. The middle Lucerna hoped that he had imparted the seriousness of the situation to his brother when he had lifted him off of his feet and cut off his breathing; Caiellis had promised to exit the Mind Realm if he went into anything he couldn't handle, but knowing his brother the boy wouldn't give up until absolutely necessary. If there was one trait that all Lucernas seemed to possess, it would certainly be stubbornness.
Now his baby brother had calmed down, and Alex assumed that he had overcome whatever challenged him. He stroked the smaller boy's wavy hair fondly, his little brother the one person in his life that he felt closest to. He definitely meant what he had said earlier, currently Caiellis was indeed the most precious individual in his life. And that was why it was hard for him to just let his brother venture into the tribulations of his psyche, even if he understood that it was absolutely necessary and that a Lucerna without a Summoning was nothing in comparison to one with a First Sisterhood angel at their beck and call.
There were other people he had cared about in his life, though none surpassing his affection for his little brother. Alexander had frequently courted girls despite the fact his father had forbidden his sons from having a partner until they were eighteen – Marik hadn't exactly been there to stop him during the civil war, and Tristram and Tybalt had been more concerned by more important matters than whether or not one of their charges was involving themselves in a relationship (Tristram had simply given him a "man to man" talk on being careful and how to properly treat a woman).
Many girls were attracted to him due to his confidence, charming looks (though he feared that his little brother was on the road to beating or at least matching him there) and personality, although he had never quite found anything in most of them so far that convinced him want to remain with them.
Alexander had often cancelled dates and meetings with friends when his younger brother wanted to spend time with him – at one point in his life he would have considered that especially lame, but as he got older he realised just how much he enjoyed being with the little man and teaching him about the world. Tristram and Tybalt had been excellent mentors and protectors of the royal sons, but it had been up to Alex to teach Caiellis about life as an adolescent as the younger waded into that tumultuous sea. While the older men educated him on how to properly wield a sword and rule a kingdom, Alex had taught him about girls and friendship. Although on the other hand he had, on plenty of occasions when the two boys were at odds, pretended that his younger brother didn't exist and gone out without him.
Caiellis was his little brother, the person that he was supposed to protect, the person that he made mistakes for so that he didn't have to suffer through them himself, his best friend and rival - a boy that he sometimes severely disliked (but never hated, even if he had told Cai that he felt that way in their more heated fights) but always loved. And to think some of the Light-Bearers (come to think of it, the majority of those who had suggested it were now aligned with Johnias or dead from what Hierarch Tybalt had told him) had insisted that his infant brother be killed just because of his Summoning.
Perhaps he should have notified the Scholaria Magnus officials as to Cai's whereabouts instead of permitting him to thrust himself back into the trials of Summoning, but if he was being honest knowing that Caiellis was safe was more than enough for him. He would take the no doubt exhausted boy back to the academy later.
The older brother heard a crackle of energy and peered down at his sibling – coruscating arcs of golden and purple lightning were sparking over the birthmark on his right cheek. Alex had never seen that before, and automatically held his little brother closer, ignoring the slight sting the mana pouring out of the Black Sun caused as he increased his proximity.
Abruptly, Caiellis's eyes snapped open, one orb filled with holy light while the other was suffused in abyssal blackness, gazing blankly up at the world - his pupils indistinguishable from his irises. He stared straight forwards for a few seconds, mana borne power billowing around him, and Alex rolled back, a shield of White and Red mana blocking the effects of the tempest beginning to form around Cai.
He thought that perhaps he should have been protecting his brother, but somehow instinctively knew that the energies would not harm the youngest Lucerna, and when he let go of Caiellis the boy remained in the same position Alex had left him, held aloft a few inches off of the ground by the influx of sheer power. Shadows swirled around him, but as the prince slowly rose to his feet and tilted his head upwards a pillar of pale yet no less brilliant light spilled out from the heavens, illuminating him in White mana.
Instead of dispelling the shadows, the light began to mix with them, coating some in shining gold while other patches of the conjured night wrapped around the luminescence, entwined in a lover's embrace like the natural two opposing forces was to be combined. As if by some sudden command, the darkness and the light poured into Caiellis, who stood unaffected by the maelstrom of tenebrosity mixed with radiance. Alex had to shield his face to avoid being blinded by the brightest shadows and darkest light, his mind still alert and his body ready to rush to the aid of his brother.
A few seconds of quiet passed, and he gingerly removed the conjured mana shield with the lowering of his hand, his eyes immediately fixing on Caiellis. The boy was stood still, calmness emanating from him in the aftermath of the orderly yet hugely formidable display. His head slowly turned towards Alexander, Cai's eyes back to their normal emerald-green lustre. Instead of panic, fear or pain, all they showed was positivity – not an ecstatic happiness, but a quiet contentment.
Then a small smile split his young face, a genuine grin of joy that made Alex's heart sore. He's done it! It was the most cheerful he had seen his little brother in a long time, and the middle Lucerna felt pride well up inside of him.
"I did it," he announced softly, gazing through his older brother instead of at him, his mental functions locked up in thought with his body lagging behind.
The emotions he was experiencing felt strange to Caiellis – he had assumed he'd be delighted, and despite Orzhova's ominous declaration playing over in his mind, he knew that wasn't blocking the feelings of joy. He certainly felt excited, satisfied with himself and his performance, but didn't want to punch the air in triumph or jump in ecstatic joy or anything. It wasn't as if he was unhappy, or felt hollow, he just didn't think finally achieving something that had made he go as far as devaluing his own life, push away his brother who had always been there for him and self-harm - a shameful act by a Lucerna on all accounts - wouldn't come with a burst of euphoria. He felt tired, but quietly happy. That would have to do.
Cai could say that he felt a weight lift off his shoulders, but that would be a lie – he had realised that the pressure would always be there, it was a part of being the royalty of Lucael. But the crushing felt much less intense, and he felt that now he could finally breathe again.
No sooner than he had thought the words, the boy felt himself being lifted into the air – of course Alexander would be overjoyed, revelling in his little brother's achievement. He was soon wrapped in a bone-crushing hug, and seeing his brother's blue eyes shining in merriment and pride brought a greater sense of satisfaction to Caiellis. He curled his own arms around Alex's chest (somewhat embarrassed that they didn't reach all the way round), before squirming and pushing when the seventeen year old's limbs began to squeeze the air out of his lungs - angels above, can't Alex just hug me without making it uncomfortable?
"I'm proud of you, squirt!" he declared loudly as he put him down, and his little brother smirked. How many nicknames did he have again? Often times they were demeaning, but in others - such as right now - they showed his sibling's affection. Alex's excited eyes met his, and the eldest son of the king enthusiastically asked: "Are you going to Summon her then?"
"Her name is Orzhova, and I have nowhere near enough mana for that." Caiellis admitted – he could barely even stand up, and would be swaying if not for Alex's hands providing an anchor for him to lean on. Attempting a single trial in a day drained him, consigning him to waste the rest of the day resting, and the one he did the first time on this introductory day was by far worse than any he had experienced prior. Alex nodded understandingly, swiftly appreciating that Caiellis was putting on a show of endurance now by just staying on his feet.
"Can I say "I told you so!"?" Alexander snickered, his little brother rolling his eyes.
"I was right about doing it a second time though, don't forget that," he informed the taller male, wanting to ensure that Alexander knew he was still capable of doing things by himself. With the fact that his autonomy in the palace had led to him self harming and his health deteriorating, he was aware that his brother had every right to believe he needed to once again take a more active role in caring for Caiellis - whilst that would still be appreciated, he would prefer it if he could retain the independence he had striven for at the end of the war.
"Yeah, I know. And sorry about earlier," Alex apologised, although Cai had already pardoned him for it, comprehending why his older brother had hurt him. Sliding to his knees and then crossing his legs, almost as tall as Caiellis even then, he suggested: "Why don't you stop acting so tough for a moment and sit down? Trust me, your big brother's lap is a lot more comfortable than standing up when you're exhausted."
Cai shot an annoyed and bemused glance at him, petulantly sitting away from his brother, muttering, "I'm not five."
Contrary to what one would think if they had viewed the two princes' interactions in the past few days, in times without stress Alex usually wasn't so affectionate, preferring to maintain a more "macho" facade and showing his support in more subtle ways - a casual punch on the arm there, a shoulder squeeze here - and now that they were older sometimes it took Cai by surprise (especially with the utter lack of anything resembling even simple friendliness between them before the final battle between their father and uncle), and he wasn't sure if this was a method of his brother teasing his own predilection towards open displays of love - or a younger Caiellis's constant want to be in hugs with his sibling, or his craving for his big brother's approval.
"Fine, be that way. I'll just have to eat the Honey Liquorice on my own then," Alexander mock sighed, grinning mischievously when he saw Cai's eyes light up in surprise. He took out the sweets – they were his little brother's absolute favourite, although they were in very short supply in Lucael as the resources once used to create the luxurious delicacies were devoted to more important causes.
When he had seen them in a shop in one of the neutral villages they halted at during the journey (with Caiellis declining to get off the ship and continuing to read in spite of his brother's urging), he knew that he just had to purchase them – luckily whatever was in the sugary liquorice stopped it from going off after a day in his jacket pocket, as he had quickly forgotten about them in his encounter with Kaled. Alex shuffled down next to Caiellis, not wanting his brother to tire himself out further, and slowly unwrapped the packet, smirking as he saw the boy's eyes widening despite himself.
He knew how much his baby brother absolutely adored the sweets, but he hadn't eaten them since his seventh birthday, which had been the last time they had procured some from Scientia Mos. Before that, when their mother was still alive, toddler Caiellis had gorged upon a jar of them that Emili accidentally left open, going completely hyper and almost seriously injuring himself by falling down the palace staircase. The boy's mother had restricted the sweets for birthdays and special occasions, and they stuck to that rule ever since, even though there was no chance now that Caiellis would eat too many of them.
"Where did you get them?" the boy asked in awe of his brother's powers to manage to constantly please him when he set his mind to it, and Alexander laughed and winked conspiratorially.
"Big brother secret," he teased, tapping the vaguely irritated boy on the nose.
"May I repeat the fact that I am no longer five years of age?"
"Nope," Alex replied, answering the clearly rhetorical question just to tease his brother further. Caiellis rolled his eyes, intrigued to see if he would still find the saccharine confectionery as delicious and addictive as he had in his childhood.
After a few minutes of excitedly devouring the Honey Liquorice, Alexander revising his opinion on his little brother's appetite for the sweets but allowing the boy to eat all of them instead of taxing a few (holding his hands up when Cai tried to offer him some), the blonde pulled out a circular device, which was instantly analysed by Caiellis.
"What is that?" he inquired, his soft voice weary, and Alexander smiled. Although it would be no issue for him to carry a sleeping Caiellis back to his room, he suspected that the smaller boy would protest at such treatment afterwards, so he hoped that the food would give his little brother sufficient energy to stay awake until the time came for him to rest.
"A mana-communicator. Dad gave it to me. Said we should use it to contact him in an emergency, or if something important happened. This definitely classifies as important," he insisted as soon as he saw Cai about to object – his little brother obviously didn't want to speak to the king. Alex couldn't really blame him - though he had not been there when Marik had spoken to his youngest son after his return to Capitalia Lux (perhaps he should have been, but he would barely be able to protest against his father anyway), the fact that whatever had been said had obviously hurt the youngest member of their family was evinced in the spiraling descent into despair Caiellis had undergone.
But their father needed to know, needed to be proud of Caiellis. Not just for his sake, but for all of the Lucerna family's, as Alexander hated seeing his little brother so broken and hurt that he cared little for the state of his own body and had desperately tried to avoid any form of help. He wanted emotional closure for Cai more than anything else, and wanted their dad to hear of his achievement.
"Why didn't he give us each one?" the little man inquired, his sleepy eyes drifting over Alexander's own before snapping back into focus tinted with curiosity
"He only had one set, and obviously the big brother is more mature and sensible, so he gave it to me."
"Keep telling yourself that," Caiellis retorted sarcastically, and Alex laughed good-naturedly, thumping his brother lightly on the arm and rolling his eyes at Cai's scowl - he barely put any force into it!
"Anyway, we're going to speak to him. No buts, Caiellis, he needs to know," Alexander firmly told him. I need him to know.
.*.*.*.
Marik Ensis Lucerna sat in the small room, the pen in his hands mechanically scrawling over the documents in front of him – the slips of paper represented his orders to the two leaders of each other city, and would be sent by couriers embarking upon monorail trains the following day. It was currently the fastest way of transferring information until the large-scale communicators - a product of the Lucaelian and Yentarian alliance - were finished and installed. The king technically didn't have to spend time writing out the orders, just emblazon it with the seal of Lucerna after reviewing and approving of it, but Marik felt as if it was his duty to painstakingly transcribe his orders onto paper.
Many of the Hierarchs and Guardians were asking for more resources from Capitalia Lux to help build back the metropolises and replenish the resources expended now that the civil war had ended, but one particular message that caught his eyes was from Aretis of the City of the Sun. Civitas Sol, the closest city to the border between Lucael and Welkas, had been plagued in recent years by bandits from the New Empire, although the diplomats and representatives from there vigorously denied that their "Orders" were associated with them and that the attacks were simply the doing of lone factions within the domain.
However, the frequency of attacks on supply lines and lone travellers and traders between the two nations had increased (as those that had survived had been able to attest that the aggressors were clad in the attire of Welkas), the bandits becoming more and more brazen after the Kingdom of Light had been forced to divert its military inwards to deal with the more pressing threat of traitors.
Had Johnias not caused the largest and most violent conflict between Lucaelians that had ever blighted the Kingdom of Light, he would have taken the leaders of the New Empire to task sooner. The king had hoped that the attacks, like a persistent itch left ignored, would die down eventually - and that had happened for a time after defeating his treacherous twin brother - though it had been a foolish wish and whether or not the rulers of Welkas could control the bandits he would not allow the sanctity of his kingdom to be impeached upon any longer. Especially not now the marauding parties had penetrated into Lucaelian territories.
Talks between the bordering factions had become more heated, trading agreements that Marik had worked hard to broker were cancelled, and tension rose – Marik knew if nothing changed it would only be a matter of time before he was required to declare war. Some of the Light-bearers, most notably Guardian Oleic of the aforementioned City of the Sun and Hierarch Francis of Gol, were already baying for a righteous crusade to remind the Welkalite people why the Old Empire had stayed far away from Lucael, but Marik would wait to see if diplomacy could prevail. He didn't want to throw his people into another campaign, although he could clearly see where the two were coming from – a decisive victory would certainly be preferable to a protracted conflict.
Zoned out, the king didn't notice the mana-communicator in his pocket pinging repeatedly until at least thirty seconds after it started. Jolting into action, Marik instantly fished the ornate circular apparatus out and placed it on the desk, brightening the grey room with a flash of his White mana that allowed him to speak to his children. He dearly hoped it wasn't something urgent, though knew that his reliable eldest son wouldn't bother him unless it was.
"Dad," Alexander's voice cut across the room, near exactly the same sound as if his son was sat right next to him – the benefits of being firm allies with the Yentarian Republic were wonderful indeed. Marik couldn't detect anything wrong with Alex's tone (though then again this could be the result of technological speech) so assumed the talk had been initiated because of something important but not harmful. Marik breathed out a silent exhale of relief, not realising he had been holding it in within the time between his answering of the communique and his son's word.
"Hello son. It is nice to speak to you again. Was there something you wished to talk about?" he asked, pleasantly, trying to keep irritation that had sprung from nowhere out of his voice – it wasn't like his sons were pestering him, far from it, and the paperwork could wait. Besides, he had recently resolved - through no small internal quarrel with himself, though the sight of his little boy's self-inflicted wounds had shifted the argument in favour of one outcome - to pay more heed to his children now that the war had ceased. He could never give them his undivided attention, but clearly ignoring them had been extremely detrimental - particularly to his less emotionally stable youngest.
Alex replied quickly with: "Cai needs to speak to you." Marik's interest piqued and he leaned forwards in his seat in spite of the fact that it wouldn't actually increase the volume of the words and nor could his sons see. He felt a pang of regret when he heard his youngest distantly pleading: "Can't you just tell him?"
Evidently the boy still wasn't ready to accept him quite yet; it had been foolish to assume that just because the king gave him a present Caiellis would instantly open up to him. He listened as he heard a shuffle of limbs and a grunt of annoyance, evidence that a slight scuffle was taking place between the two boys.
"Father," Caiellis's soft voice rang out when the noise ended, sounding weary but pleased in the same instance, but fatherly concern made Marik narrow his eyes. There was something partially off as to the way the kid spoke, though it seemed to have a physical component and not an emotional one.
"Good morning Caiellis. Are you alright? You sound strained," the king inquired, and his son sighed, though it wasn't quite with the same despondence that the eldest Lucerna had become accustomed to from his few interactions with his youngest son.
"That's because," he responded tiredly, Marik able to hear the exasperation seeping through his words - he clearly did not want to be speaking to his dad, "Alex has me in a headlock."
"Oh," Marik chuckled quietly, ensuring that he wouldn't be heard and infuriate the thirteen year old even further. Clearly the big brother had needed to use force to make his youngest talk to him, which only sharpened his sense of guilt. He near automatically warned: "Don't hurt your brother, Alexander."
"Yeah, yeah," was his older son's sardonic reply, and Marik detected the sound of hair being ruffled a little too roughly for the recipient's liking. Despite that, once the tormenting had finished his ears picked up on the quiet noise of Alexander shifting his restricting grip, obviously concerned that if their father had noted the effects of the headlock on his youngest then he was enacting it a bit too hard for his liking. Nonetheless, the monarch knew for certain that Alexander wouldn't have weakened it enough to let Caiellis escape if he didn't put all of his effort into it, and with how tired his second son seemed it would most likely be an impossible task.
"I completed the Summoning. Orzhova is mine to command," Caiellis suddenly proclaimed, happiness warring with exhaustion in his tone, and the king felt a large smile work its way onto his somewhat pale but healthy features. He felt immensely proud, but a modicum of annoyance also entered his thoughts – the second his later-born left the pressure from his father, he passed the trial. Marik soon shook that off, reminding himself how difficult his son had found the trial, and that he should be revelling in the youngster's achievement instead of taking it as a personal slight - perhaps it was his altered approach after Alexander's shouted warnings that provided the push, though he seriously doubted that.
"How did you do it? Did one of the different tests simply react to you more, or was there a link between them that you previously hadn't discovered?" he asked, forgetting to actually congratulate Caiellis on what he had done.
"You never told me they were all unique!" Alexander cried indignantly, Caiellis instantly apologising to his big brother, a hint of fright in his young voice. "Don't worry, it's fine. You just should have told me," the older boy instantly placated; he had forgotten just how tired his younger sibling was.
"Before I continue," Caiellis said, "Alex, promise not to beat me up for this."
"I can't promise that I won't kick your skinny ass some time in the future for what you might say now, but right now I won't. Not until you've got some rest, it would be unfair otherwise. Ok?" Marik briefly wondered if it was ever "fair" for Alexander to tussle with his younger brother, but if there was one universal constant it was that siblings - especially brothers - would fight one another, and the king wasn't going to change that.
"That will have to do. Anyway, the first time I attempted Orzhova's trial today, the more pain I was under the closer I seemed to get to her. I almost died doing it, but was about to reach the Angel of the Black Sun when someone unplugged the Summoning Bay, a piece of equipment that allows others to monitor your health and watch your progress," Caiellis explained efficiently, the anger and frustration he had felt at the time currently absent from his soft voice, "After storming off as I couldn't control my mana for a few minutes, I started thinking about what could possibly connect the different trials – there was nothing apart from one factor."
"Which was?" Marik questioned expectantly, appreciating his son's contextual explanation but wishing to cut to the chase of the matter.
"The only common factor in the tests was my mortality," the boy stated gravely, "So at the start of the next trial I ignored the world presented to me and killed myself. When-"
"You did what?!" both older Lucernas exclaimed loudly in unison, the shock in their voices prevalent. Caiellis rolled his eyes and smiled – Alexander and their dad sounded exactly the same. Alex freed him from the headlock and spun the smaller boy around, placing his large hands on skeletal shoulders, before shouting, "What the fuck, Cai?! Why would you do such a stupid, reckless thing?! I can't believe you, Caiellis! After all I said, you go ahead and do that! WHY?!"
Marik abruptly snapped shut his mouth that was gaping open, his eldest son's anger carried well over into the room despite him not being the one holding the communication device. His concern for Caiellis warred with both his pride in the boy's month-long determination that had finally been rewarded and that same almost guilty sensation that told him his smallest son had been right to risk himself if he had deduced that it was the only way to achieve his.
The father, dad, within him that had been locked away since the fateful night of Emili's murder and had only now begun to reach out of its austere cage, baulked at such a thought, extending fingers of grief and guilt into his iron mind before he clamped down on them. The King Marik, who had much more of a monopoly of his emotions, knew well that there was no honour or victory without sacrifice, and that if he had passed the Summoning trial then it had evidently been worth the risk. This part of the man was only mildly worried for his child, as the loss of a Lucerna heir within their own mind was unheard of and would be a huge loss to Lucael.
He could well understand Alexander's fury, as he felt it himself at the fact that his youngest had taken such a foolhardy gamble without consulting anyone first (though he knew there were several very good reasons for that), but when he heard his thirteen year old's whimpered sniffle Marik became irritated that the single thing Caiellis had done correctly since the end of the civil war was met with anger instead of congratulation, and now his clearly exhausted boy who dearly needed rest was being scared by his older brother.
To that end, he injected authority that brooked no dissent into his voice as he commanded, cutting off the beginning of another tirade from the seventeen year old: "Alexander, stop shouting at your brother. Caiellis needs rest, not you yelling at him." His stern tone sliced through the start of his son's words, silencing him immediately. He didn't bring up the fact that the elder teen was frightening Caiellis, attributing his clear fear to lethargy and his evident respect of his older brother and leaving it unsaid - it was embarrassing enough for the boy without his father the king pointing it out.
"Sorry, Cai. What you did was incredibly stupid, but I understand why you thought that you should - and part of that is my fault. Look, little bro, I'm not mad at you, ok?" there was a pause, and Marik could feel both his youngest's dubious glance and the apologetic smile that he somehow knew would be splitting his eldest's handsome features, "I know, I know - weird way of showing it, huh? But I'm not angry with you, and you've gotta believe that."
The forty year old, despite being the father of these two adolescents who had helped raise one of them for eight years, felt that he was intruding on an intimate moment that he didn't deserve to be a part of, and tilted his head away from the filigree sphere laid out on the table in front of him. The words of his older boy were a stark reminder that, if he had the inclination or time, there was so much more to learn about both of his sons.
"Don't worry ... I - I calculated that the chance of failure was quite low," he lied into the yawning void of silence that had opened up, the correct figure being more around fifty percent - not that any equations he did make were anywhere near accurate, as this had been a matter of the mind. Because Marik wasn't right next to the boys, he couldn't detect the falsity of his words, but as Alexander gazed apologetically at him he instantly realised that Caiellis was lying when his little sibling avoided eye contact.
"Caiellis, don't lie to us," he admonished softly, a far cry from his earlier yelling, "What was the real chance of failure?"
"About half..." the youngest Lucerna muttered despondently under his breath, already anticipating the startled response from his elders, so cutting in before they said anything, his voice full of a steel that he didn't know he had, "It was my choice to do that, my gamble to take. I don't want to hear about how my Summoning is not worth my life, or how I should value myself more. I'm fully aware of that. The risk to reward ratio was fine as long as it got that burden off my back."
"Caiellis..." the king began to say, some measure of guilt seeping into his tone, before his youngest interrupted. "Save it, dad. I've already forgiven you for it."
Taken aback, Marik remained silent for a short moment, before he began smiling again. Though he had not done much to aid his son - his duty as a monarch necessitating that he could not spend time with them and his own disinclination towards doing so serving to push him even further away from his youngest - evidently taking him down to the reliquary and making an effort seemed to have been appreciated by the boy.
"Well, I'm extremely proud of you," he beamed, adding somewhat awkwardly - the words that had once been so natural to him feeling forced and stunted, "Proud of you both, in fact. I don't tell either of you nearly enough."
"Thanks, dad," Alex grinned back at the communicator as his brother quietly repeated the words. He gently eased the device out of Cai's white-knuckled grip, the younger male startled at how hard he was inadvertently holding it, before saying, "See you soon."
The connection ended, and Marik sat wearily down in his chair. Even if he hadn't borne the brunt of it, arguing with Caiellis felt like he was arguing with himself – the boy was probably going to become more and more stubborn as he got further into his teenage years, it had taken Marik until he was at least nineteen before he stopped questioning every single one of his father's orders. Johnias had always been the perfect one – the better soldier, diplomat, mage and ruler, while Marik had been the screw up, prone to acting coldly around people. His twin brother had been more warm and emotionally-driven, the kingdom's favourite, maybe that was what had driven him to betray Lucael after the Death-Vision of their father named Marik as the next monarch.
He knew that Johnias had taken an interest in his youngest ever since the boy's birth – at the time it was a blessing, as plenty of the then sixteen Light-bearers treated the infant with suspicion due to the hated Angel of the Black Sun returning for the first time. Now he realised that Johnias wanted Caiellis because of the boy's innate and almost unheard of White and Black mana, whilst the treacherous brother himself had been forced to sacrifice his Summoning to obtain the latter, losing the ability to use the former.
Marik wondered where the betrayer was – it would have been risky and fool-hardy of him to venture into the abyss and vengefully hunt his twin down, although he would have done so without the council of his greatest advisers and friends. His brother would be planning something, he was certain of it - Johnias never surrendered - and when he reared his nefarious head again, Lucael would be ready.
.*.*.*.
"I can't believe you sometimes," Alexander grumbled when the connection ended, his little brother tilting his head away in shame. Rolling his eyes at the fact that he was going to have to initiate another emotional moment, the taller boy knelt down to his brother's height, clasping his gaunt face in his hands and softly turning it so that he could gaze into the emerald depths of his brother's eyes. At any other moment, Cai might have resisted and the elder would have had to apply some of his strength in holding him still, but the energy to fight had been drained out of the youngest Lucerna and he solemnly let his big brother have his way with him. Alex sighed, resolving to be quick, "I mean, really? After all that I said to you - and did you to - you go ahead and do that?"
"Look at me please, little brother," he spoke as the boy's eyes meandered anywhere but the blue orbs of his older brother - probably frightened of what he might find there, Alexander realised. To that end, he made his gaze as soft as possible whilst still conveying his point, smiling slightly at Caiellis. Tears pricked the edges of his eyes, but he clearly didn't have the drive to brush them away, and while Alex knew he was verging on ruining his baby brother's triumphant moment there were still things he had to say. "We are going talk about this later, alright Cai? Another time, when you aren't so tired and stressed."
"But right now: please promise me that you will tell me how you feel if the pressure ever gets to you again, Caiellis. You know that I'm here for you - that is what big brothers are for, and its about time that I started embracing that again instead of leaving you to face your challenges alone. This is as much my fault as it is yours - much more, in fact - and I need you to know that I will drop anything for you." Caiellis gulped nervously as Alex moved his hands down to the boy's too-skinny shoulders, before murmuring quietly, ashamed at the fact that his brother was feeling guilty because of him, "M'kay."
"Right. C'mere," he ordered as he let go of the boy and holding out his arms, Cai shooting him a doubtful glance before wrapping his own arms around his brother's chest and leaning his head on a broad shoulder (only able to do so as Alex hadn't stood back up yet). A quiet: "I love you, big brother," almost imperceptible over the peaceful waterfall in the background, escaped Caiellis's lips, and Alexander beamed. That made it all worth it.
The older boy's arms fastened around his back, gently hugging him for a moment before squeezing tightly and lightly shoving him away, extending to his full height again and grinning at his little sibling. He teased, no sting to be found in the words, "Angels above, Cai, I'm sure that you find a way to make every moment an emotional one."
Caiellis favoured him with an innocent smile, flashing his adorable dimples at his older brother and causing Alexander's heart to melt even more. "Anyway. I'm proud of you, short stuff, and even if I don't quite agree with your method you still did very well to figure out and pass Orzhova's trial." He reached out and stuck a hand in the smaller boy's half-curled mop of brown hair, ruffling it more softly than usual in deference to the kiddo's tiredness but still hard enough to evoke annoyance as he exclaimed, "I knew you could do it, nerd."
He stopped his tousling, letting his hand rest in his brother's fluffy locks that probably required cutting soon before they became a distraction that a Lucerna could not afford. The seventeen year old had not anticipated being with his brother for such a duration since they arrived at the academy and Caiellis had near instantly left him (probably prompted by Alex's friends among the selected adolescents coming to see him), as he had been intending to almost fully respect the kid's wishes about being more independent. He would prefer to keep his brother here longer, but with Cai's eyelids drooping he suggested: "Well, are we going to head back now? I'll ask the teachers to see if you can rest for the remainder of the day. I'm sure they should let you."
"Na-ah," the boy shook his head slightly childishly, which made his brother smirk. It wasn't often Caiellis acted his age, and when he did it was much more likely to be angsty pre-teen (or actually young teenager now) than the little kid he was. "I'm fine. I can go back to lessons."
"You certainly look fine-" Alex's sarcasm was cut off when Cai took one step and tripped, landing face first in the undergrowth and murmuring a curse that was muffled by the plants. The older boy rolled his eyes at his brother's wilful perseverance, walking towards him and pulling the weightless child up, hefting him onto his back. "Don't complain, baby brother. And no, you aren't five."
"Wait a second," after getting comfortable and slotting his thin legs properly into the gaps between Alex's arms and chest, wrapping his arms around his big brother's shoulders, Caiellis suddenly looked back at Tranquillity's Descent, "Can you get one of those lotus flowers? I think Annia would like them."
"Ooh, who's that? Your girlfriend?" Alexander teased, and his little brother went bright red. The elder prince could tell that, despite the reality that he was the only person other than Cai in this location and he couldn't see him, the squirt shrunk against his back, as if instinctively trying to conceal his embarrassment.
"She's just a friend," he refuted quickly, causing the older prince to chuckle.
"It's ok to have a girlfriend little brother, I promise I won't tell dad." That elicited a grunt of annoyance from the younger boy and a small fist thumping into his back, at which Alexander laughed, taunting, "That's the hardest you can do it? That was barely a punch! I'm sure your new girlfriend wouldn't be very impressed with that."
"She's just a friend," the prince repeated sulkily; he wasn't in the mood for teasing and he certainly didn't care for Annia in the sense of courting (which was one of the very few topics his mentally challenged brother ever thought about). She was nice, and her fascination for knowledge was something they had in common, but right now Caiellis didn't want a partner – he was only thirteen, he didn't think he was ready for a relationship, and if he was then he wouldn't choose Annia. In fact, he didn't know who he would choose, but just assumed he would realise when he met them.
Besides, their father had officially implemented a ban on girlfriends for his sons during the civil war (apparently he had seen fit to indirectly inform Tybalt of that without seeing the young princes) that hadn't gone obeyed by his brother (nor had their carers particularly minded as long as it didn't disrupt anything else) and displeasing the man was a possibility he would rather like to avoid.
"Keep telling yourself that," he mimicked Caiellis's voice in a mocking and high pitched tone, hearing his brother sigh tiredly, "Forget it."
Nonetheless, he carefully knelt down and scooped up one of the admittedly visually alluring flowers, handing it to Caiellis, the younger boy taking it silently after a moment's delay.
When they had got back to the academy, it was already lunchtime, but the younger Lucerna was allowed to go into his room and straight to bed, not eating anything despite Alexander's insistence that he needed to aid his body in replenishing his energy before slumber. He was glad about the fact that his older brother had allowed him to disembark before they arrived in the Scholaria building, permitting him to retain some measure of pride in front of students he didn't know. Alex kept a hand clamped firmly but not painfully his shoulder, maintaining the illusion that Cai could still walk upright whilst virtually keeping him on his feet by himself. All this was done without a word said about it between them, making Caiellis even more grateful he had a brother that could be so empathetic at times.
"Night, baby brother," Alexander snicked as Cai tiredly snuggled down on his bed, struggling to even reply to his brother. His body was exhausted despite the sugar ingested earlier, but his mind was alight with emotions and thoughts, a blazing forest fire that would not be extinguished by the lethargy of the rest of him.
About two hours after he got underneath the covers, Caiellis finally got to sleep. The second he did so, he felt himself being pulled out of his dreams, a surreal feeling of drifting aimlessly through liquid velvet that ended when he opened his eyes. He looked around – he was in the abandoned cathedral where he met Orzhova a few hours ago, illuminated by the almost oppressive light shining through the stained glass.
"Hello again, Caiellis," a melancholy and otherworldly voice echoed throughout the dizzyingly tall church, and the boy spun around, coming face to face with his newly obtained Summoning. She glanced at him expressionlessly apart from a deep sadness in her eyes – it was like looking at his own reflection in angelic form, though elevated to become something far more than he could ever hope to be.
"Orzhova," he said quietly, nervously, his voice stretched out across the room. He had heard of the interactions between Summoner and Summoning in the former's mind, Alexander himself sometimes conversing with Aurelia in his own personal Mind Realm – his older brother had often told him about it, both to satiate his curiosity concerning the First Sisterhood and to prepare him for this time, but Caiellis's Sancturia angel was more divergent than the Warleader.
Whilst Aurelia had appeared to many Lucernas over the years and been part of numerous military victories, saving thousands of lives and purging the enemies of Lucael, Orzhova was an entirely different matter – in fact Caiellis was certain his brother's Summoning had been used by Queen Matrice to slay the self-titled Emperor of Light, which would hopefully not be a source of contention between his angel and sibling.
Xarius had used the angel to fight against other factions, never revealing her potential for Black magic until he revealed his plot to become king, using her to murder his own sister and terrorize the population into compliance. She had slaughtered thousands of innocent soldiers -and even worse, children - without even batting an eyelid, though at least nowhere did it say the angel took pleasure in it.
As if sensing Cai thinking about her violent past, Orzhova's face became noticeably more dejected. She took a step towards him, gold inlaid heels clacking on the stone floor in a noise that echoed across the cavernous nave, gazing down at him in a mixture of emotions that Caiellis found difficult to interpret, so far removed from human feelings as they were.
"You are probably thinking: "Why couldn't my Summoning be any of the other First Sisterhood Angels – my father has been blessed by Akroma and my brother has Aurelia, why couldn't Avacyn, Iona or Razia have appeared to me at birth? Even less common angels, like Jenara of Queen Arie, Numia of King Lukem, or even Feather of King Acarn, would be infinitely preferable to the Angel of the Black Sun." Am I correct?"
Orzhova seemed hurt, and Caiellis felt the strange instinctual desire to refute her claims – but he knew that lying to the angel would not achieve anything.
"Well, many of my sisters wanted to become the Summoning of such an ethereally powerful infant, especially after Aurelia and Akroma had already entered the world and were entrusted to those who were more suited to martial prowess. However, I decided to aid you myself – I am disgraced in the Sisterhood, scorned by my sisters and their daughters after what I did in service to Xarius. I sensed a great potential in him, though he proved to be unsuitable – he could only control light or darkness, not both, and lusted after the latter. The balance was never achieved, although I followed his commands dutifully - as you well know." Although she spoke the words swiftly, her melodic voice was still inflected with a sonorous hint that kept it from being perceived as anything close to hasty.
"And I am guessing that you have sensed a similar potential in me," Caiellis deduced, the angel nodding solemnly. He wasn't quite sure how he felt about that - his capacity for darkness that he had only truly displayed once before in the past scared him.
"I am truly sorry – you will be hated and feared by your peers just as I am, for nothing under your own control. But I can tell you this: ultimately, Xarius was a greedy fool that wanted nothing more than to become more and more powerful at the expense of everyone else. He had no higher goals, and was even intending to offer me up in an Infernal Bargain, just like your uncle did with poor Serenity, when he realised that I wasn't able to serve his demands as well as a demon would. I fully admit that I made a mistake in choosing him."
"Yet still you murdered thousands under his orders," the boy stated sombrely, glancing anxiously at the floor as Orzhova narrowed her black orbs, a wave of nervousness washing over him. She grabbed Caiellis's chin with her free left hand, the skin of her pale fingers smooth and cold, and forced her Summoner to meet her liquid night gaze. The grip was gentle, coming nowhere close to harming him, yet Cai knew that he wouldn't be able to turn away if he tried.
"Have you ever wondered why, out of all the remaining First Sisterhood angels, I have appeared to Lucernan infants the least?" Orzhova asked, clearly waiting for a reply although at first Caiellis though she was going to answer herself. He hated not being able to distinguish between a rhetorical and genuine question.
"Because it takes a special type of person to be able to find the balance between light and darkness?" the boy hazarded a guess, thinking that this would be the most logical solution and reminded belatedly about advice given to him by Uncle Tybalt in the past: "Is that an inquiry or a statement? Be confident in your assertions, Caiellis."
"Exactly. There are barely any mages with the mana of both White and Black - let alone with the capacity to properly control the opposing forces - living, but as angels of the First Sisterhood are restricted to the descendants of Matalis Ortus Lucerna after the foolishness of Serra, known to you as the First Angel or the Goddess, there has only ever been another single candidate for me. And you are fully aware of how that turned out," Orzhova explained patiently.
She released her Summoner and spun around, pointing her glinting scythe in the direction of the gigantic stained glass window behind her, glowing with malevolent light and portraying a single kneeling figure, head bowed towards a huge sun of midnight black that pulsed with darklight and bathed them all in its contradictory glow. It was the very essence of supplication, and yet the boy couldn't help but wonder - Is it devotion or fear that keeps them on their knees?
"Caiellis Noctis Lucerna. You are different to Xarius. I can feel it. I am confident that you will be able to master the White and the Black. I can already tell that you do not fear me as much as the rest of the people – you understand that it is the wielder to blame, not the weapon, no matter how vile. That doesn't apply to demons, but that is a conversation for another time. In the coming years, I am certain that this alliance will become very beneficial to the both of us. But for now, I suggest that you wake up. It has been a pleasure to finally talk to you."
Caiellis felt himself (involuntarily) re-emerging from his mind and was thrust into reality once again, the lonely cathedral gradually replaced by the dusk of closed lids, scintillating stained glass becoming the swirling patterns locked behind his eyes. He slowly opened his eyes – the room was gloomy, suggesting that it was evening, and he immediately locked on to another presence sat on the bed opposite him. The adolescent was hunched over, and Cai could hear the scratching sound of ink pen on paper.
"Kaled?" he inquired after a stifled yawn, the Welkalite turning around and genuinely grinning at him. He could already feel his cheeks turning red at the fact that he had been slumbering in a room with someone he barely knew as its sole other occupant, and was grateful for the lack of light concealing his embarrassment.
"You're awake," he stated. Humans do like to make these redundant points. He smiled shyly back, recalling when he had met Annia's sister and had said the exact same words. Caiellis sat up in the bed, stretching and yawning loudly – he still felt tired, as anyone would after just waking up, but apart from that was rejuvenated from his ordeal. He glanced at his watch, which was still strapped onto his wrist, blinking in mild surprise when he saw that it was quarter-past nine. Cai had spent the entire day in bed, which while not uncommon when he had attempted a Summoning in the past, but he had woken up regularly. It must have been the best sleep he'd had in a while.
"Kaled, I... - I'm sorry about earlier. I know why you would do that, and I'm grateful to you for thinking about my safety," he apologised quietly, remembering the events that had lead to him meeting Orzhova – he had accidentally hurt the older boy in his rage. He had never meant to launch a barrage of uncontrolled energy at the Welkalite, but the fact that Kaled was here instead of constrained to the infirmary meant that he obviously hadn't been harmed too badly.
"It's fine. Turns out you couldn't actually control your mana usage well in that state, so the percentage you sent at me was easily healed by Miss Trostani. Doctor Argyle did warn me, so I don't blame you at all. Anyway, I'll forget about that 'cause you did the same when I choked you yesterday," Kaled added, putting his pen down and fully spinning round. "Speaking of which..." he motioned to the red mark just visible on his roommate's throat, Caiellis's hand instinctively massaging it. It didn't hurt much, and certainly wouldn't bruise (at least he hoped not), but it still remained slightly tender.
"That was Alex. Sometimes he has to be harsh to get me to listen." He hoped that the fifteen year old didn't take issue with the words and stayed out of any altercations Cai might have had with his brother. It was bad enough that he had shamed himself in front of an entire classroom of students, but right now, with that sleepy contentedness still warming his soul he couldn't find the will to care.
"I know, he told me earlier when I asked about it. I just wondered whether it felt alright, or if you wanted a drink," Kaled offered - the water in the bathroom was suitable for drinking.
"Thanks, but I'll get it myself," Caiellis replied, easily walking to the opposite side of the room and accessing the bathroom without falling over. His energy had returned faster than usual; he could feel the fresh mana revitalising his exhausted limbs as it seeped through them. Once he had done so, Cai returned to the comical sight of Kaled puzzling over his work, chewing his pen intently. He stood next to his roommate, thinking that it was considerate that he had chosen to keep the lamp illuminating the desk dim as to not prematurely disturb the prince.
"Do you want any help?" he asked the older boy, noticing that the sheet was filled with mathematics problems no doubt set by Doctor Argyle.
"Actually," Kaled responded, getting off the bed and rummaging through his disorganised satchel, pulling out an identical piece of paper, "You have one to do as well, so would you like me to help you, considering you missed the lesson today? Though be warned I haven't done anything like this before so I'm not exactly the best person to be teaching you it."
Caiellis accepted the proffered sheet and examined it, smiling at some of the puzzles detailed there. He could recall in crystalline detail Uncle Tybalt teaching him about it (at a younger age than his big brother had covered the material) and applying it to the newly introduced theorems of mana equations, and though the form of them in Yentar differed from the Lucaelian derivative he was confident that he could solve them.
"Quadratic algebra. Piece of cake," he smirked, completing the questions in a matter of a few minutes – he thoroughly enjoyed maths, finding the application of logic to find an answer mentally stimulating. During their lessons with Tybalt, Alexander had invented a whole slew of nicknames that he mostly used then: ranging from Adopted Yentarian to Boy Genius.
"Oh! I almost forgot!" Kaled exclaimed loudly, instantaneously disregarding the rest of the mathematics "homework". "Tomorrow we have one of our first tests – it is a team-battle exercise for the whole year. Ten teams of four, one from each faction – me, you, Annia and Freya are a team, assuming you have recovered enough by then. They didn't explain it fully, but from what I could gather we have to defeat all the enemies, and that it will assess how we work together in the face of adversity. We are teleported to different sections of the island. I'm really looking forward to it."
"It certainly sounds interesting," the younger boy mused, pondering the implications of such a challenge – Caiellis wasn't the best at working with others (apart from Alexander), but this would allow him to work out Orzhova's potential and capabilities. A First Sisterhood seraph would be an overwhelming force in the right situation, and though he was well aware that in his first Summoning he wouldn't be able to sustain Orzhova for long now that he had access to her his power level had been dramatically increased.
One thing that he was definitely wary of was his potential usage of Black mana, which had surged to the fore after his jarring removal from the Summoning Bay and had remained within easy reach since then. Cai did not know how to employ the magic of darkness safely, and although he was well aware that it would be an integral part of the ritual to bring Orzhova into the world of man that only raised further questions. Admittedly, he was quite scared as to both how other Lucaelians and any scions of the Goddess that he might encounter would react to the Angel of the Black Sun's presence and how the angel that had chosen him would respond to them.
Liber Sancturia:
Sanctum Angelica, First Sisterhood:
Jenara, Asura of War
Razia, Boros Archangel
Iona, Shield of Emeria
Avacyn, Angel of Hope
Admonition Angel
Angel of Serenity: Former Summoning of Johnias Otium Lucerna