Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

After drifting through inky black for so long, the colourful world before it, is enticing, strange, exciting. There are many things it doesn’t understand, but that’s what makes everything so new, so intriguing. Unlike in space, where one could travel for many, many days without encountering another entity, this place is filled with chaotic beings that are always moving, doing things it doesn’t understand. But it wants to, wants to learn more about this fascinating place, and nothing is more fascinating than the ones that call themselves ‘humans’ and the things they call ‘wishes’. Perhaps that’s why it tries so hard to fulfill them, imparting a small piece of its energy to try to grant the desperate pleas it hears, even if it doesn’t fully understand what it is that the wishers truly want.

To not die, to be stronger, to be heard, to hide. They are all different, but the one similarity they share is how fervently those wishes are held. It tries to grant them all, caring nothing about who the wisher is, or why they hold them. But one wish, in particular, catches its attention, though it is not as bright and sharp as many of the others it has granted before. No, if anything, it is a dull, fleeting, old thing, though persistent, despite the number of years that have passed since it first bloomed. More intriguingly, it is shared by two humans, the exact same wish, once a screaming, gut wrenching need, faded to an aching pain over the passing years. A child they failed to protect during an unforeseen monster attack, and even though his face has long since become a faded blur in their memories, even though he has long been replaced by three younger siblings who have long grown past the age they’d lost him at, they can’t forget their firstborn whom they’d been too slow, too complacent, too weak to protect.

It’s a challenging wish to fulfill, far more difficult than any it has tried so far, but that’s what makes it interesting. It doesn’t have much to work with, just a handful of bone fragments and dust left inside a tiny grave, along with a small collection of faint memories in the minds of the wishers. Regardless, the real problem turns out not to be the body, but what it’s supposed to do with it, afterwards. Even though it’s sure it’s managed to recreate the dead child perfectly, there’s something missing. Without it, the body is just an empty doll, staring into space. Frustrated, it pours more of its power in, as if simply adding more will solve the problem. It doesn’t. The body is still as lifeless as before it started, even as more and more of its energy absorbs into it. And even more. And more. Until something jolts and instead of sitting comfortably in the crater it had created upon its arrival, watching everything from a far, it now finds its field of view changed and narrowed, staring up at a different sky.

What happened? Where was this? Where was the child’s body? Its thoughts derail as a pudgy pink hand waves in front of its view. Then a second one. It takes a moment to realize that somehow it is inside the body now, with no idea how to leave. Just as it is puzzling this unusual development, it feels another energy within the body it’s in, curious and inquisitive. After another moment, it realizes that this is the original inhabitant of this body, finally awake after slumbering for so long.

Who are you? The little one’s thoughts are not as well formed as his parents, but the question is clear enough. The answer, however, is not. It debates about this. Who is it? What is it? Even it is not sure, and any explanation it could provide would probably just confuse this little creature. After some debate, it recalls a word that it overheard while watching the toddler’s family. It doesn’t fit exactly, but perhaps…

Brother, it answers. The toddler mulls this over, still confused, but accepting, oddly pleased. Together they survey their surroundings, somewhere on a mountain based on the steeply sloping ground, covered by trees. They are not in the original crater where it landed, nor near the grave where it had extracted the bones, but somewhere in between the two. Before, it would have been a simple matter to determine the exact location, but now, trapped inside this tiny body, its perspective seems limited. Still, it’s not all a loss. Despite the small size, its new body makes it more convenient to explore this strange new world up close, while its surprise companion is an interesting boon. Brother. Best to get used to that word, now that it decided to use it.

A sudden breeze blows past them and they shiver instinctively. The image of a warm fireplace, a familiar and comforting desire, flits through their minds and as if in response, a small flame bursts to life between their tiny hands.

Ah, so they could still do this, at least. They wave a hand towards the dirt and it responds to their command, shifting and rising until it forms a crude shelter, nothing fancy, but enough to block the wind and provide a safe haven to practice with their abilities. They fall asleep watching a small spiral of water spinning in front of them.

They quickly adapt to their new life, exploring the mountains around them, using their abilities to catch fish and gather herbs and berries during the day, then to build a shelter at night. They get more proficient at controlling them as they practise, their power becoming stronger and easier to manipulate. They don’t meet too many others along their journey; most of the animals avoid them and any human that comes close, quickly leaves after they see the sudden appearance of a fireball, or a miniature tornado.

Monsters are more difficult. Even though their powers should work against them – white teeth, large and pointed, descending - no differently than anything else, they don’t, a fact they learn almost too late the first time. Fear makes them learn quickly how to use their abilities indirectly, using the terrain itself against the monsters and figuring out their weaknesses. After that, they become little more difficult than any of the other inhabitants, just another background feature in their life.

Two winters cycle by and they settle into their habits. They become so used to their situation, that the two soon forget that they were ever more than one and they slowly becomes he.

“Oh my. You were not what I was expecting to be the source of the rumours about the Rik mountains demon.”

The small child freezes, staring up at the smiling golden haired man. The afternoon sun had burned hotter than normal, and he had almost instinctively, summoned a pool of water to cool off. He hadn’t expected anyone else to be here, or if they were, that they would immediately run off like they did every time he'd used his abilities before. But this man must have not only watched him summon the pool, but also waited until he had waded into the water and started splashing around, before approaching closer. The child frowns. He isn’t sure what to do with this strange human who doesn’t seem to fear him, and finds himself backing away, slowly.

“Oh sorry, I didn’t mean to frighten you.” The man drops to one knee as if to make himself smaller, less intimidating. He still towers over the child, bigger than any other human he has met before, even though he has gotten used to their greater height over him. That and the man’s behaviour, are not the only things odd about him. Studying him closer, the child can see that the man is filled with a mess of energies, all colliding and twisting with each other. They don’t seem to be causing him any immediate difficulties, given his easy smile and relaxed posture, but the child is certain that the smallest shift could bring about great harm. The energies are practically bleeding from his body; perhaps that is why his smile seems to shine like a second sun.

The child’s curiosity halts his backwards steps, even causing him to take a hesitant step forward. This seems to please the man, for his smile widens. Now that he’s calmed down a little, the child notices that the man is not alone; a group of men are watching them from several feet away, their expressions a mixture of tension and uncertainty. The man pays them no heed, only focussed on the child in front of him.

“My name is Kishiar La Orr,” the man continues, now that he’s certain the child won’t run away. The child offers him a puzzled look, as though unsure what he’s going on about. The man’s smile falters slightly and he asks, “…can you understand what I am saying?”

The child pauses, then nods. The words make sense, even if he is not certain of the purpose of saying them. The man’s smile returns in full force and he asks, “Then… is there something I can call you?”

The child hesitates. Living here with no one else around, there is no need for names, but for some reason, he doesn’t want to say that. As he waffles, a distant memory surfaces, a faded fragment of two voices, distorted by time. He can barely recall what they sound like, or where they came from, but he’s pretty sure they called him…

“Yuder,” he finally answers, in a voice that he is hearing for the first time. It’s small and soft, crackling with uncertainty, but the man doesn’t seem to mind. Then to copy the man’s words, he repeats, “My name is Yuder.”

Chapter Text

One day, without warning, a stone fell from the sky, lighting the entire sky red. At the time, there were those that cried that it was a sign of the end of the world, that its coming was an omen of great disaster. While the world didn’t end; it certainly changed, the most notable of which, was the sudden appearance of Awakeners, humans granted otherworldly abilities and strengths.

There seemed to be no way of predicting who would gain these abilities or what kind they would get, but no one doubted the cause. Given that its mere appearance had granted so many people amazing abilities, there were many who assumed that laying their hands on the original object itself, would provide power unfathomable. To ensure that this power did not fall into the hands of those who would use it for greed or destruction, the emperor sent an army of loyal soldiers to retrieve the fallen stone. But when they arrived at the crater where it appeared to have landed, the place was empty, devoid of any sign of what had created the crater itself. It was assumed that whatever had fallen, had been vaporized on impact, scattering its energy across the land and into those who’d suddenly gained powers.

It wasn’t until many months later, when rumours began circulating of strange phenomenon appearing in the very mountain range where the stone had fallen, that it was realized that this conclusion might not be as accurate as was originally assumed. Stories of lakes appearing overnight, only to disappear the next morning, of the ground changing shape as if it were sculptor’s clay under a giant’s hand. Of large fires appearing deep in the forest where no one lived, but not damaging any of the trees around them. Of blocks of ice found in the heat of summer, or hot springs in the dead of winter. Of the bodies of monsters found buried in the ground, or impaled on sharp rocks, or tangled in a snare made of giant trees. These phenomenon were not isolated to one place, but rather moved around the mountain range in a semi-random manner, as if following a drunken wanderer. Whispers of a demon being the cause of these events began to filter through the empire, though no one could agree on what this demon looked like, even those who swore they had caught a glimpse of it, themselves.

Following this news, the emperor once again gave orders to investigate the cause of these strange events that were occurring a little too suspiciously close to where the crater still marred the ground. This time, the orders were carried out in secret, by a small team of knights, led by the emperor’s younger brother.

“A child? What is a child doing here?”

The thought crosses Kishiar’s mind, but it is Brugg, the Deputy Commander of the knights following him, who speaks it out loud. There are no records of anyone living here and given the rumours, combined with the strange energy they had felt ever since approaching this place, any traveller would have given the area a wide berth. There is no reason for anyone else to be here, certainly not a child who looks barely older than a toddler. As impossible as it all is, there is no denying that a small, black haired boy, half-covered in mud, is running barefoot less than a hundred feet away from them, looking far too healthy and carefree for a child who’d accidently wandered away from his village.

The child’s steps slow, and he looks up towards the sun, burning hot above them. Then before any of them can fully register what is happening, the boy stops and waves his hand towards the ground before him. The soil sinks down, forming a shallow depression more than fifteen feet wide. Water appears a second later, filling the ground in an instant, the impressive display seeming no more taxing to its creator than blinking is for a normal human. Obviously satisfied, the boy wades straight into the water.

…!

Kishiar has to raise a hand to stop the knights from reacting suddenly and startling the small child before them. Fortunately, they are all disciplined enough to reign in their surprise, and the boy continues happily splashing in the pool he’s made, still oblivious to their presence. He looks just like an ordinary child his age; had they arrived on the scene only a moment later, they would never have suspected the power he possessed.

“Is that child an Awakener?” The whisper is filled with doubt and disbelief, not entirely surprising. While his powers seem similar, the ease at which he uses them is startling. The fact that he can wield both water and earth is already beyond the reports of what most others can accomplish and - if even half of the rumours were to be believed – his abilities extended far beyond that. Most Awakeners were young adults or older children, the youngest already ten years old when his powers first Awakened. And yet, this child, who could only be half that age at most, wielded his with greater ease than any other Awakener Kishiar had ever met.

“Wait here,” Kishiar orders, slowly approaching the playing child.

“Your Grace!” The knights all protest this decision, but fall silent when he smiles and waves them off. Whether the child in the pool is an unusually powerful Awakener, or the metamorphosed Red Stone, it doesn’t make sense to approach aggressively and risk scaring him. He can sense their uncertainty, stronger now than when they first received this mission. No doubt it was easier for them when they expected to find the stone in the hands of a madman, or perhaps, even the appearance of the demon from rumours. But now that they found the actual culprit… although to be honest, the fact that the events they were sent to investigate turned out to be the result of a young child’s whims, actually made a certain level of sense that had been absent before.

When he’s only a few feet away from the water’s edge, he notices the child’s movements pause, as if he is starting to notice Kishiar’s presence. Realizing that he is unlikely to get any closer before the boy turns, Kishiar grins and announces, “Oh my. You were not what I was expecting to be the source of the rumours about the Rik Mountains demon.”

The sound of his voice causes the boy to whirl around, eyes widening in an adorable expression of absolute surprise. It’s the sort of face only a child that age can make, and any possible doubts that the image he sees is some sort of mimicry of a devious being, evaporate. The surprise morphs into confusion and unease, and the boy is backing away from him, towards the other edge of the pool.

“Oh sorry, I didn’t mean to frighten you.” Kishiar lowers himself to try to calm the startled child. This seems to work, since the boy stops his retreat, and even shuffles a couple of steps closer. The surprise has faded away, replaced by a curious and scrutinizing gaze, as if the child is trying to figure out what he is.

“My name is Kishiar La Orr.” A puzzled expression steals across the child’s face, and Kishiar realizes that he’s only been assuming that the boy can speak the same language. “…can you understand what I am saying?”

The boy hesitates, then nods. “Then… is there something I can call you?”

The boy hesitates again, the silence dragging out long enough that Kishiar begins to think he won’t answer. Then, in an adorably soft voice, the boy answers, “Yuder… My name is Yuder.”

“Yuder… that’s a lovely name.” And even though he already suspects the answer, he asks, “Are you here alone? Or is there anyone else with you?”

Yuder’s face scrunches up into a cute little frown as he struggles with an answer. The answer should be easy, but he feels as if he’s missing something, some forgotten memory. It continues to elude him, even as he struggles, so he eventually settles for shaking his head.

“I see. Then… would you like to come with us?”

Kishiar offers his hand to the young boy, and after a brief hesitation, Yuder nods and shuffles close enough to place his much tinier hand on Kishiar’s palm. Kishiar’s hand engulfs it entirely as he gently closes his fingers around the little boy’s hand. He gets up slowly and starts leading Yuder towards the knights, who are watching a little less warily, as Yuder continues to behave like a normal child. In turn, Yuder studies them curiously, his eyes widening as he spots the Misty Winds Horses they had ridden to the mountains.

“Fascinating, aren’t they?” Kishiar remarks to Yuder, the boy’s eyes still locked on the creatures, “Would you like to get a closer look?”

Yuder nods once and Kishiar lifts him up, so that he’s now eye level with the creature. The young boy reaches out hesitantly to pat the Misty Winds Horse’s neck, repeating the motion when he realizes that his hands don’t pass through, like they would ordinary mist, but instead bounce lightly, as if touching something squishy. Kishiar patiently waits for Yuder to satisfy his curiosity, before mounting up, the knights with him, following suit. After a series of short whistles to signal the horses, they begin their departure, leaving the mountains behind them.

Yuder watches with fascination as one of the knights cooks over the fire. A vague memory of a different pot and a different fire, surfaces, but it dissipates before he can focus on it. Kishiar eyes him warily, relieved that he seems to be staying put for now. Earlier, when they had first dismounted, he’d barely managed to stop Yuder from shoving a handful of highly poisonous berries into his mouth. The boy had looked confused and rather mournful when Kishiar had taken the berries away and tossed them back into the bush they came from, even after Kishiar gently (while trying to keep the panic off of his face) explained why he couldn’t eat them. Fortunately, he didn’t put up any more of a fuss after that and seemed to have forgotten about them entirely as he watched the knights make camp.

Although the child hadn’t appeared to be starving, the first bowl of soup they hand him, disappears in the blink of an eye. As does the second one. By the time he gets to the third, Yuder’s eyes start blinking sleepily, before he slumps against Kishiar’s side, fast asleep. With a chuckle, Kishiar picks up both the half-empty bowl and sleeping child, settling him more comfortably on the ground, wrapping a blanket around him. Yuder doesn’t move, save to snuggle a little deeper into the folds of the blanket.

At the end of the second day, the group reaches a small village, one that they had passed through on their way to the Rik Mountains. Given the secrecy of their mission, it would have been preferable to avoid settlements entirely before reaching the capital, but they are running short on supplies. And while a group of knights would undoubtedly spark some local gossip in this quiet place, it was unlikely to generate more than a passing interest.

Just to be safe, Kishiar bundles Yuder in one of blankets and tucks him under his cloak, hiding him from view. While a group of passing knights was not too unusual, a group of knights and a small child would stand out a bit more. Said child fusses a bit, no doubt finding the blanket suffocating and uncomfortably warm in this weather, but otherwise makes no protest. A moment later, Kishiar feels a chill and spots the faintest edges of frost creeping out from the interior of the bundle he was holding, Yuder apparently coming up with his own solution to the heat.

While the knights handle refilling their supplies, Kishiar heads to the outskirts of the village where they had stayed a few days earlier. He barely manages to enter the building, before Yuder is squirming out of his grasp, the blanket falling to the ground in a lump. As soon as Yuder’s feet hit the ground beside it, he’s off running, darting around the room to take a look at everything up close. The magic stone heater by the far wall especially catches his interest, the boy bouncing back and forth to examine it from every angle. Amused, Kishiar takes a seat, waiting for the boy to finish exploring.

The peaceful atmosphere is disrupted by the sound of shattering glass and something flies into the room, hitting the magic stone heater. Smoke fills the room, making it impossible to see anything and Kishiar hears a startled squeak from Yuder’s direction. Kishiar curses softly, hand reaching for the sword he’d put to one side before sitting down. Fortunately, it’s still within reach and a moment later, he feels tiny hands gripping the fabric of his pant leg. Some of the tension inside of Kishiar, eases slightly and he reaches down to reassure the nervous child, while trying to peer through the blinding smoke. Squinting, he can make out the dim forms of several men entering the building. Their exact numbers are impossible to make out through the smoke, but Kishiar counts at least ten of them. Whoever sent them, was not taking any risks.

“Where’s the Red Stone? Hand it over quietly. If you don’t want to die.”

Kishiar’s eyes narrow as he considers the dim figures before him. Someone has informed these men of their route and the purpose of their mission, though whoever it is, the traitor isn’t among their immediate group, since they are still looking for a stone and not the child they found. When he doesn’t immediately respond, the nearest figure waves his sword threateningly, “Do you want to die-?!”

Kishiar starts to draw his own sword, but before even an inch of the blade clears the scabbard, a sudden wind whips around them and he can hear the mercenaries shout in confusion and anger. There is a loud crash, along with the clattering of metal against wood, as the mercenaries’ weapons scatter around them. The wind clears out most of the smoke and Kishiar blinks in surprise to see the dark shape of the mercenaries piled up against the wall like cordwood. Frozen cordwood, as the air temperature around them has dropped slightly and the mercenaries appear to be covered in a thick layer of what must be ice, binding them in place. From the groans and cursing, all of them are alive and conscious, though unable to move. A vibration against his leg causes him to look down. Yuder is trembling, the agitation clear on the child’s face, even in the low lighting. Even with his immense powers, it was never more obvious that he is still painfully young and unused to this sort of situation.

“Shh, it’s alright, it’s okay.” Kishiar leans his unneeded sword against the couch so he can pick up the frightened child. Yuder’s trembling slowly stops and his face calms, but his eyes remain locked on the frozen mercenaries.

“Your Grace!” Several of his knights burst into the room, returning early after sensing something amiss. Their eyes widen as they take in the scene before them, glancing between the groaning pile of frozen bodies, the scattered swords, the broken window and heater, and Kishiar comforting the child they had found.

“Your Grace, what…?” Brugg begins.

“Sir Brugg, please take Yuder to the other room. I intend to have a chat with our uninvited guests.” Kishiar tries to hand off the child to Brugg, but while Yuder doesn’t verbally protest, he refuses to release the death grip he has on Kishiar’s shirt, making the task impossible.

“Ah… never mind. It seems I will need you to speak to our guests, instead. They were here looking for the Red Stone. See if you can find out who sent them and what they were instructed to do with the Stone once they had retrieved it.”

Brugg nods sharply, his eyes indicating that he had caught the emphasis signalling that the intruders knew about their original mission, but not Yuder’s identity. He and the other knights head towards the trapped mercenaries, as Kishiar leaves the room with Yuder.

“Better now?” Kishiar asks once they are out of earshot of the others. Yuder nods, then buries his face in Kishiar’s shoulder, obviously not fully recovered, despite his answer.

“You did well,” Kishiar reassures him, gently patting the child on the back. The caution they had taken when they first departed to investigate the rumours, had seemed almost excessive at the time; now it was clear that it had not been enough. His eyes darken as he stares at the wall that separates them from the mercenaries Yuder had captured. Even with the Misty Winds Horses, it would take another few days to reach the capital and there was no telling what else their enemy might have planned. He glances down at the child in his arms, half-asleep now that the excitement has died down, and the sight steels his resolve.

Whatever their opponents planned, they would make it safely to the capital. No one was going to harm a hair on this precious child’s head. He would make sure of that.

Chapter Text

Despite Kishiar’s worries, the rest of the trip back to the capital is uneventful, their opponent either too arrogant or not invested enough to have made a backup plan. They make it to the city’s limits as dusk begins to fall, taking advantage of the reduced traffic to slip inside without drawing too much notice.

Nathan is waiting for him in his office when he arrives back, his expression as stoic as always.

“Welcome back, Your Grace.”

“Nathan, Margaret’s youngest just turned eight, right? They should still have some of the clothes he’s outgrown.” Kishiar fully intends on getting Yuder his own wardrobe, but tomorrow morning is a bit late notice for even the fastest tailors.

“Your Grace…?” Nathan is used to Kishiar occasionally making remarks he can’t follow, but why his liege is suddenly asking about a maid’s child and their clothing is a bit beyond the usual. His voice trails off as the bundle Kishiar is holding suddenly moves and a little boy’s head pops out from the blanket that had been covering him.

 “Oh, are you awake now?” Kishiar glances at Yuder with a small smile. The child had dozed off just before the capital had come into sight, but he appears wide awake now, “Then I guess we can get introductions out of the way. Yuder, this is my adjutant, Nathan. Ah… he helps me with different tasks and such. Nathan, this is Yuder.” Kishiar’s grin widens, slightly, “Also known as the demon of Rik Mountains.”

“…I see.” Kishiar is amused to note that Nathan seems less surprised by this development than he was to see Kishiar walk in with the child.

“Now, if you’ll excuse me, said demon is in sore need of a proper bath. In the meantime, would you mind asking Margaret if she has any clothes that would fit a three to four year old boy?”

Yuder watches curiously as Kishiar fills the tub with warm water and seems absolutely delighted by the bubbles that form when Kishiar adds soap. There’s a minor incident when Yuder tries to taste the soap, but other than that, he seems happy enough to shed the ragged remains of the clothes he’d been wearing and wash away the build up of grime and dirt he’d accumulated from living outdoors. Kishiar tsks softly now that he can better see the poor shape of Yuder’s old clothes (given their condition, he’s not sure how they’ve managed to not fall apart while Yuder was wearing them) and the build up of tiny scratches that score the bottom of his bare feet. He definitely needed to get a fitting pair of shoes as soon as possible.

Nathan returns by the time Kishiar is towelling Yuder dry, a small bundle of clothes under one arm, including a nightshirt that is a little too large. The hem almost reaches the floor when Yuder is wearing it, but that hardly slows him at all as he runs around Kishiar’s office. Kishiar lets him go for a few minutes, until he notices Yuder’s steps start to falter with exhaustion.

“Alright, bedtime. We have an important meeting tomorrow morning,” Kishiar declares, scooping the child up by the waist. Yuder whines softly the entire way to the bedroom, but he’s fast asleep almost as soon as Kishiar gets him to lie down. Curled into a little ball, the little boy barely takes up any space on the bed, reminding Kishiar of a tiny kitten. Lying next to him, Kishiar listens to the soft sound of Yuder breathing before closing his own eyes and drifting off into one of the most peaceful dreams he’s had in awhile.

Yuder wakes up at almost the same time as Kishiar, sliding out of bed and landing on the floor with a soft whump before Kishiar can stop him. He’s not interested in the outfit Kishiar tries to dress him in, more excited about exploring all the places he missed out on when Kishiar made him go to bed, but is lured back when Nathan arrives with breakfast, letting Kishiar dress him while munching on a pastry.

He’s less than enthusiastic about the addition of shoes, somehow finding a way to ‘lose’ them twice before they have to leave, but after some gentle coaxing (and a generous bribe of three cookies) they eventually manage to stay on his feet. Finally dressed, they make their way down to the carriage which is waiting to take them to the palace.

For the entire carriage ride, Yuder stands tiptoe on the seat, face plastered to the window as he watches the city fly past. His face is remarkably calm, but his wide, sparkling eyes betray his amazement at the bustling capital around them. A couple of times he leans out far enough that he’s in danger of falling, but somehow manages to defy gravity and keep his balance.

They make it to the palace without incident and Kishiar sees Yuliver waiting for them near the entrance. The old man’s eyes widen when he sees Kishiar exit with a small child in tow, though he quickly schools his expression. Yuder pays him no mind, eyes on the expansive gardens around them. One of the bushes gives a soft shudder as they pass and Kishiar squeezes Yuder’s hand, to remind him of their discussion during breakfast about not using his powers so obviously when in public. The bush stops moving.

Their footsteps echo through the empty palace, before they reach a set of doors. Yuliver knocks politely before entering, returning a moment later to usher them in.

Yuder’s wide eyes dart around the room, as if trying to take in all the details at once. When he spots the Emperor, his eyes widen further, before a strange expression steals across his face. It seems to be a mixture of surprise and… concern? But before Kishiar can work out the meaning behind the expression, it vanishes and Yuder’s gaze is back on the fancy patterns that decorate the palace walls. He tugs on Kishiar’s sleeve until he leans down so the child can whisper something in his ear. An indulgent smile tugs at the corner of Kishiar’s lips and he nods. “Alright, just don’t break anything.”

Permission granted, Yuder immediately patters off to explore the rest of the room, hands tracing the patterns along the walls that are low enough to reach. From the faint breeze Kishiar can feel stirring in the room, he has a feeling he’s tracing the rest with his powers. Since it technically obeys the instructions he’d given him to refrain from using his powers so obviously in front of others, he decides to leave it be.

“Judging from your quick return, you’ve managed to track down the rumours of the Rik Mountain demon faster than expected,” the Emperor remarks. He’d been silently watching them the entire time, his face expressionless, though he undoubtedly has many questions.

“Of course. Why is that even a question? After all, you’ve just met him, although I’m afraid he’s more interested in your palace’s décor than in exchanging greetings,” Kishiar replies, settling into a seat across from his brother. He glances over at Yuder who is now sitting on the floor, recreating the patterns in ice. From the way he is hunched, Kishiar guesses he is trying to hide what he is doing, but it’s only so effective with his child-sized body. Kishiar shakes his head in amusement. Well, it wasn’t like he was planning on hiding this from the Emperor.

“That child is the cause for the rumours?” Keilusa’s eyes snap back towards the child in question and he frowns as he notices the delicate ice swirls hovering in front of him.

“Yes. The boy is an Awakener, though far more powerful than any other I’ve heard of. I’ve seen him manipulate water, earth and air, and from the rumours, he should be able to control fire as well, and to a far greater magnitude than what I’ve witnessed.” When they’d been attacked, he’d also been able to run straight to Kishiar, even though he hadn’t been looking in his direction before the smoke filled the room, and had used his powers accurately enough to disarm and trap all of the mercenaries without killing or even seriously injuring any of them. That would only have been possible if he had known exactly where everyone was, although whether it was due to some sort of ‘sight’ or another sense, Kishiar wasn’t sure. Yuder had just looked confused when he tried to ask.

“…and the Stone?”

“Either the initial theory that the Red Stone was destroyed on impact was true, and Yuder here is simply an unusually young and strong Awakener, or… somehow, the child absorbed its remaining powers.” There was a third possibility, that the Red Stone had somehow transformed itself into the form of a child, but Kishiar thought that was unlikely given the child had a name and knew their language, although he was too young to say where that name had come from or where he had lived before wandering around the mountains where they had found him. “Whichever is true, there is no physical Stone to study.” If the story of a ‘demon’ had turned out to be the result of the Red Stone in the hands of a mad man, the original plan had been to send it to the Pearl Tower for analysis, but there was no ‘Red Stone’ to send and there was no way Kishiar was going to allow the mages to experiment on a young child.

A small tug on his sleeve causes Kishiar to look down and find Yuder has rejoined them. Shyly, he offers something to Kishiar – a perfect recreation of one of the flowers they’d seen on their way through the palace gardens, fashioned out of ice. Evidently, Yuder had grown bored with the patterns on the palace wall (as well as completely forgotten about hiding his powers).

“…Thank you, Yuder, it’s very beautiful,” Kishiar accepts the offered ice flower, carefully, causing the boy to beam with pride. The flower is cool to the touch, though not as cold as Kishiar was expecting, and surprisingly, didn’t melt at all under the warmth of his hands. Still, deciding not to test the flower’s limits, Kishiar tucks it securely into his pocket and pats Yuder on his head. Happily, the boy accepts the pat, then clambers up onto the couch beside him, snuggling into his side. The Emperor watches this interaction, his expression unreadable.

“I take it this means you plan to take responsibility for the child.”

“Is there really any better place for him? Even if we could find one that we could trust wholeheartedly with this secret, an ordinary family would not be able to handle his powers and there are far too many who would be eager to exploit him. With the Cavalry recruitment underway, it will be easier to hide him among the other Awakeners. Although it might be difficult to enlist him as a regular recruit, given his age, it would not be so odd that we would take in a recently Awakened orphan, especially given the lack of other options for him. In fact, I could make him my little assistant. How about that Yuder? Do you want to be my assistant?”

Yuder stares at him for a moment, before giving a solemn nod. It’s pretty clear that he has no idea what an assistant is, but that little fact doesn’t stop him from immediately agreeing. 

Chapter Text

Yuder jumps when Kishiar activates his magical disguise, then peers behind him, quizzically, almost as if he were expecting Kishiar to be standing behind this stranger who had suddenly appeared. Kishiar laughs at this adorable behaviour.

“It’s still me, Yuder. I just thought that wearing a different face would draw less attention on our outing today.”

Yuder’s brow furrows at these words as if considering them, then squishes his own face with his hands, like he's trying to change it as well. Kishiar laughs again, “That won’t be necessary. But I appreciate the consideration.” He takes Yuder’s hand and leads him down to the waiting carriage.

Kishiar purposely picks a tailor that he hears is especially good with children. The man somehow manages to keep the normally explorative Yuder occupied while he helps him try on different outfits and measures him for the necessary adjustments. Kishiar ends up buying more than he initially planned; Yuder looks too cute in everything, so he doesn’t bother deciding between any of the outfits and just buys them all.

They are just returning from the tailor’s when Yuder’s steps suddenly halt, eyes fixated on something in the distance. Kishiar glances towards where he is looking and sees a lineup of people in front of a building.

“Oh, are you curious about them? It’s just as well. You’ll probably see several of them in the near future.”

Yuder looks up at him with a questioning look and Kishiar further explains, “They’re there to apply to join the Cavalry. It’s an organization I started for people like you. Hmm… well, not quite like you, but who have also Awakened.”

Yuder nods and looks back at the line. Kishiar waits patiently with him. There isn’t much to see out here, but Yuder seems content watching them, and Kishiar wonders if Yuder might have some sort of ability to sense other Awakeners. Undoubtedly, this would be the first chance for him to see so many at once, even if not all of the people here are actually Awakeners, having mistakenly believed to have Awakened after the appearance of the Red Stone.

A frown forms on Yuder’s face and Kishiar notices he’s staring at a young woman leaving the building, her dejected posture indicating rejection. Yuder turns to Kishiar as if asking why she is leaving.

“Not everyone’s applications are accepted,” Kishiar explains, “Some have abilities that are too weak to be useful and some mistake coincidence or another talent for Awakening.”

Yuder’s frown deepens and he violently shakes his head.

“You disagree?” Kishiar’s curiosity is piqued, both by this woman and by Yuder’s ability, “Shall we go talk to her then?”

Yuder nods and the pair follow the woman as she makes her way through the streets. So wrapped up in her own thoughts, she doesn’t notice the giant man and small child tailing her, not until Kishiar calls out to get her attention. She whirls around, eyes widening in nervous surprise and confusion.

“Apologies, I didn’t mean to startle you, but you seemed too preoccupied to notice our presence.”

“Ah, um, yes… can I help you with something?” The woman’s eyes keep flickering between the two of them, evidently trying to figure out why they were approaching her. Her hands fidget nervously and the looks she give Kishiar are wary, though Yuder’s presence seems to calm her slightly.

“Oh, we just noticed that you were applying for the Cavalry and Yuder here was curious about your ability,” Kishiar replies, wiggling Yuder’s hand in emphasis. Well, truth is, they both are, but given the woman’s anxiety, he figures she is more likely to answer if he phrases it as a child’s inquisitiveness.

“Oh.” Just as he predicted, some of the woman’s nervousness leaks away at the question, “Yes, I did apply, but as you can see, my application was rejected.” There’s a trace of bitterness in her voice, though she also doesn’t seem entirely surprised.

“I see. That’s unfortunate. May I ask what your ability is?”

“I… I can read information from anything I touch,” the woman stammers.

“Information?”

“If I touch an object, information about it enters my head. For example, if it’s a book, I know what it’s about and who wrote it. But it doesn’t always work,” she adds, hastily, “I only get something if there’s enough information to read. And it takes longer the more there is. That’s what I know, so far.”

A very unusual and useful ability, but one that could easily be mistaken for a lie. Which is probably why the official who had seen her application, had rejected it outright. But her expression seems honest, and more importantly, Yuder seems convinced that her ability is real. It wouldn’t hurt to test her.

“I see. In that case, would you still be interested in applying, if I told you, you could have another chance?” Kishiar asks.

“Yes? Ah, what, how?” The woman’s voice is equal parts hopeful and confused.

“You would still have to prove your abilities, of course, just like any other applicant, but it seems to me that the official who rejected your application made a mistake. Such an ability would most certainly be welcomed in the Cavalry.”

“But how? My application was already rejected…”

“Oh, I’m sure if I have a word with them, they’ll change their minds,” Kishiar offers her a wink, seeming to further puzzle her, “It can’t hurt to try, can it?”

After they sort out the woman’s (Kanna, Kishiar learns in the process) application, he and Yuder return back outside to watch the rest of the applicants. Yuder points out a few more rejected applicants, all of whom turn out to have similarly difficult to prove abilities as Kanna. When registration finally closes for the day, Kishiar and Yuder head back to the carriage, much later than initially planned, but with a great feeling of accomplishment.

The next few days pass quickly, and by the end of the recruitment period, a little over three hundred applicants are offered a position within the Cavalry. Those who passed are abuzz with joy and excitement as they gather in the training arena waiting to greet the commander. Yuder watches them with the same intense curiosity he had shown for the lineup of applicants.

“Exciting, isn’t it?” Kishiar asks, amused by the child’s unconcealed interest. “It looks like everyone you pointed out, has made it here today. You have a good eye.”

He ruffles Yuder’s hair and orders, “Stay here. I’ll introduce you to the others soon, but at the moment, there are more eyes than I like.” He glances at the Imperial Knights who also stand in attendance, “I’ll be back shortly.”

Yuder watches as Kishiar makes his short speech in front of the motley crowd, listening raptly to every word, even though he only understands about half of what he’s saying. At the end of it, the crowd are shepherded out of the arena towards their new quarters and Kishiar rejoins Yuder.

“So, what did you think?”

Yuder considers the question seriously, then offers Kishiar a small smile.

“Really? That good, huh,” Kishiar ruffles Yuder’s hair again. “Come along then. There’s still a few things that need to be done before training begins tomorrow.”

Back in his office, Kishiar sorts through the pile of paperwork that’s been accumulating, placing them in piles of urgent, not urgent and not even worth reading in detail. The last pile Kishiar would normally burn once he’s finished with the rest, but Yuder is more than happy to do it for him. His control is such that the desk underneath is not even scorched, just coated in powdery ash which Yuder brushes into a waste bin using a light breeze. Kishiar is so impressed that he rewards him with a cookie, which Yuder happily accepts. Then because he looks so cute quietly munching on it, Kishiar gives him a second one.

Just before training begins, Kishiar has an announcement to make, “For those who’ve already seen him, you are all probably wondering why a young child is joining us here. Like you, he is also an Awakener and will be training with you, although due to his age, he won’t be considered a formal recruit for a few years.”

This statement stirs murmurs from the gathered recruits.

“That child is also an Awakener? But he’s so young!”

“I wonder what his ability is…”

“Is it really safe for a child to be training with us?”

“Don’t crowd so close, you’re scaring him!”

“I’m not any closer than you are, though…”

There’s a lot of surprise, a few uncertain and vaguely concerned looks, but the general response is overwhelmingly positive, with most of the Cavalry crowding around to get a better look at the youngest recruit. Yuder, who had been fine studying them only moments earlier, suddenly becomes shy now that he is the centre of attention and scrunches himself against Kishiar’s leg. After a few moments, he seems to calm again, though he remains glued to Kishiar’s side.

While everyone coos over the small child, it is Jimmy who is the most excited to find out that he is not the youngest member of the newly formed Cavalry. He’s also delighted to notice that, perhaps because of his age, that aside from the Commander, Yuder seems the most comfortable with him. It doesn’t even bother him that his attempts to get Yuder to call him ‘big brother’ are met with blank stares of bemusement and silence.

Despite his small size, Yuder does his very best to keep up with the others, even stubbornly refraining from using his powers, unless the exercise directly calls for it. Such is his determination, it comes as a complete shock when Yuder suddenly collapses in the middle of training, causing a brief panic… until Ever, who is standing closest to him, checks on his condition.

“…he’s asleep.”

“Ah…” The other members exchange glances of amusement and relief. Yuder’s enthusiasm had made them momentarily forget how young he was.

He doesn’t stir as Ever gently picks him up and safely places him behind a rack of practice swords, tucking him in with a pile of jackets the others had discarded during training. Even the sounds of their resumed training fail to disturb his slumber until they’re almost finished. At this point, he slowly blinks awake, looking slightly confused by his new location and a bit disappointed that training is suddenly over.

Despite his childish determination that this not be repeated, it becomes a common sight to find Yuder curled up in some random corner of the Cavalry building or grounds, the small child taking a spontaneous nap after exhausting himself in his enthusiasm. The members of the Cavalry have gotten used to moving him to a safer location and tucking him in with the blankets that Kishiar has Nathan leave around for this purpose.

Chapter Text

“Here.”

Yuder looks up at Ever, a slightly puzzled expression on his face. She smiles as she offers him a small handmade cat doll, “I noticed that you don’t have any toys, so I made this for you. Do you like it?”

Yuder stares at the doll for a moment, then gingerly accepts it from her. He stares at it, critically, for a moment longer, then hugs it tight to his chest.

“Thank you,” his voice is soft and half-muffled by the stuffed cat he has his face pressed into. Everyone pauses to stare at him, as it’s the first words most of them have heard him say and sensing their sudden attention, Yuder becomes shy and runs off with the doll tightly clutched in his hands.

Later, some of the other members quietly gift him other toys – a wooden sword, a ball, a couple of other stuffed animals – but the cat doll, which he dubs ‘Kitty’, remains Yuder’s favourite. He is often seen taking Kitty to the training yard, always carefully tucking the doll somewhere safe beforehand, but where it can also ‘watch’ him as he’s practising.

“I wonder where it all goes,” Hinn muses. She hands Yuder another sandwich, which he dutifully takes and begins eating.

“What are you two doing?” Gakane wonders. He’d seen the twins scurry past with a tray stacked high with sandwiches. He hadn’t been quite sure what they were up to, but now he sees that they are crowded around Yuder who is quietly munching on one of the sandwiches, while the stack itself is significantly smaller.

“An important experiment,” Finn declares, shamelessly, “I’m sure you’ve noticed that Yuder eats more than everyone else during mealtimes, even though he’s less than a quarter the weight, but he has to have some sort of limit.” He glances at his sister, “That makes six now. He doesn’t seem to be slowing down at all.”

“Wait, are you just trying to see how many sandwiches Yuder can physically eat? You’re going to make him sick!” Gakane exclaims.

“Geez, Gakane, you worry too much. If he’s full, he’ll just stop eating. Though, at this rate, we’ll run out of sandwiches first. They just seem to disappear. His stomach isn’t even getting any bigger, no matter how many he eats. See?”

Finn pats Yuder’s stomach in emphasis and the child gives an indignant meep! of protest at the unexpected physical contact, but quiets down again when Hinn hands him another sandwich.

“We are definitely going to run out of sandwiches,” Hinn agrees, eying the rapidly shrinking pile.

“Not that way, Yuder, we’ll be training in a different arena starting today.”

Yuder pauses, then shrugs, following after Gakane. He doesn’t know why they are changing places, but to him, it hardly matters, as long as he gets to train with the others. That sentiment doesn’t seem to be shared by everyone, however, because when they arrive at the training grounds, instead of seeing some of the early comers warming up as is normal, the air is filled with tension as two groups stand facing one another. One group is made up of people Yuder recognize, including Ever and Jimmy, while the other are dressed in those funny uniforms Yuder remembers seeing at the initial welcoming ceremony. The others had called them Imperial Knights, but Yuder isn’t sure what their purpose is, because all he’d ever seen them do is occasionally loiter around and sneer at the Cavalry members.

“How ridiculous. More of them are coming and one should still be in swaddling clothes. They must really think this is all a joke.”

Yuder has no idea what 'swaddling clothes' are, but he has a funny feeling that it is directed towards him, because the other Cavalry members glower at the knights and move defensively in front of him, blocking him from their view.

“Really? Going after a child now? That’s low,” Ever mutters under her breath. The other members nod in agreement.

“I’m not surprised,” Jimmy adds, “They made a big fuss about me and I’m 12.”

“Have they been doing this the whole time?” Gakane asks.

"Yes. They've been at it non-stop. It was as if they had been doing it since dawn. Well, I suppose busy nobles wouldn't really do that."

A few smiles appear on the Cavalry members’ lips at Ever’s droll comment.

"I wondered what all the noise was about, turns out it's the newbies."

This comment is made by a newly arrived knight, followed by several others. Yuder notices that he has three additional markings on the chest of his uniform compared to the other knights.

"What does the lily mean?" Jimmy asks. Yuder squints, but no matter how he looks at them, those weird markings don’t look anything like a lily to him, at least not like the ones that Kishiar had pointed out to him in the palace gardens.

"The golden eagle is the symbol of the Imperial Knights. And the lily is a symbol of nobility. If there are five lilies on the uniform, it means the knight commander, four means the deputy commander, and three means the rank just below." Gakane replies.

"So, he's a very high-ranking person."

"Yeah. Well, most people don't even get a single lily before they retire."

"Who told you that you're allowed in here?" The knight with the three markings that are supposed to be lilies approaches the Cavalry members. The Awakeners shift nervously, most of them not confident enough to stand up to the arrogant knight. Unfortunately, their movement allows him to catch a glimpse of Yuder who has been standing there quietly, clutching Kitty.

The knight sneers in disbelief, “You have got to be kidding me. I knew the Duke of Peletta was always a man of many indulgences, but I never thought he would stoop so low as to not only gather a bunch of useless Commoners and act as a Commander, but to include a literal child as well. It must be his greatest whim yet. His knights in Peletta must be weeping."

The others bristle at these comments and Ever steps forward again to take the knight’s attention off of Yuder, “We have every right to be here. The Commander instructed us to come here for training, and he must have done so after consulting the Commander of the Imperial Knights. If you have an issue with that, you will have to bring it up with them.”

The knight’s face turns red at her words and he draws the sword at his belt, pointing it at her throat.

“Arrogant wench! Just because you’ve gained a little power, you’ve become overconfident! I’ll make sure you know your place today.”

Before Ever can reply, Gakane rushes forward, trying to get between them. "I've heard that the Imperial Knights don't draw their swords for no reason. Nothing good will come from escalating this situation.” His words do nothing to placate the knight; in fact, if anything, the man’s face is getting redder with anger.

Yuder’s eyes flicker back and forth between the three of them. He has no idea what the strange knight is getting so angry about. Perhaps it is because there are many things he still doesn’t understand, but Yuder is more inclined to believe that it is because the man is an idiot. Yuder already didn’t like him because he is upsetting the others and his annoying voice is hurting Yuder’s ears. Now that he’s threatening Ever and Gakane with his sword, Yuder doesn’t need to think any further. He just uses his abilities to push the sword away, intending on sending it flying across the yard. He’s just as surprised as everyone else that the man goes with it, refusing to let go, even when Yuder lifts the sword straight up into the air and shakes it around. Annoyed, Yuder sets the sword on fire and the man finally lets go with a startled yelp, before landing back on the training yard grounds with a puff of dirt. Dead silence falls over the training grounds.

The knight sits up, spitting in rage. His face is probably still red, but it’s hard to tell with all the dirt that’s now coating it.

“Who did that?! Come out and face me properly, you coward!”

Yuder is surprised by this reaction. Not because the man is upset, but by the fact that he didn’t seem to know who had moved his sword. The child is used to everyone knowing when he’s using his powers, so he doesn’t understand why this man can’t figure it out. He was right to think the knight is an idiot. The Cavalry members exchange glances that suggest no one is quite sure how to respond to this and there is a cough that sounds suspiciously like someone is trying to suppress a laugh.

The knight looks like he’s about to start shouting again, when a new voice interrupts.

"Oh my, I see you've been having quite some fun while I was talking to Theo."

“Commander!”

Kishiar’s eyes flicker between the dirt covered knight to the other knights behind him to the Cavalry members who perked up at his arrival, and finally to Yuder who is busy brushing off a spot of dirt that managed to get on Kitty.

“Yuder.”

The child glances up from his doll and gives him an innocent look.

"Commander, Yuder only stepped in for us!" Ever immediately steps in front of Yuder. As soon as she speaks, others begin to chime in.

"That's right. They were the ones who disrespected us and told us to leave first. That knight even drew his sword on Ever and Gakane!"

"They refused to listen even when we said we needed to train!"

“… I didn’t call Yuder to scold him.” Kishiar smiles and mentally shakes his head. Honestly, what did they think of him? “It’s not bad seeing you all so protective, but let's avoid misunderstandings."

“Sorry.” The Cavalry members look immediately abashed by this.

“Haha, you’re forgiven,” Kishiar reaches down to ruffle Yuder’s hair, “You’re always very proactive, aren’t you? You haven’t left me anything to deal with.”

“Wh-what?” the knight still covered in dirt is a bit slow, but even he’s caught up to the fact they’re all implying that the small child is the one responsible for making him take a dirt bath, “Th-that’s ridiculous! How dare you use a child to hide whoever did this to me!”

Yuder blinks in surprise. How did he come up with that conclusion?

“Why would we do that?” Kishiar wonders, stepping forward, “Why does it even matter, whom the one responsible is?”

“Wh-what?” All of the knights look thunderstruck, as though they can’t imagine why he’s saying this.

“As my unit has already said, they have every right to be here; it is you who are interfering. This is already a matter I’ve discussed with Theo. He was very understanding of our circumstances. If you have any complaints, relay them directly to your commander."

"Why on earth would the commander allow such a thing? This place is reserved for knights. Why should our training time be reduced for these people? What kind of place is this..."

"Is that so? Then you can train here as well. There's no shortage of land, feel free to use any area you want. However, there will be no compensation for any potential catastrophes that may occur during training. Earthquakes. Rocks shattering. Swords on fire." Kishiar smirks a little at the last one and the face of the knight Yuder had flung, turns a brighter shade of red, visible even under his dirt mask, “But the courageous members of the Imperial Knights should be able to handle that much, right?"

The knights’ faces pale, though they try to hold onto their self-righteous anger.

"We're about to start training soon. Those who are confident, stay here. If not, you may leave."

The knights grumble, but begin to shuffle off, trying to make it look like they aren’t running away. The dirt covered knight finally gets to his feet and offers the Cavalry members one last glare.

“This isn’t over yet! Mark my words, I will figure out which of you cowards is the real culprit, and there will be hell to pay!”

“Oh my, he really can’t accept the fact he was beaten by a small child,” Kishiar chuckles as the knight quickens his pace to catch up with the rest of his retreating comrades.

Now that the nuisances are all gone, Yuder focuses on the more important task of finding a good place for Kitty to sit. He had found several nice places in the previous training grounds, but this arena is much larger and more open, making the task more difficult. Kishiar notices his total lack of concern about the previous events and chuckles.

“It takes more than the likes of Kiolle da Diarca to faze you, doesn’t it?”

Yuder frowns. He’s not quite sure what a ‘Kiolle da Diarca’ is, but given that Kishiar only laughs at his expression, instead of explaining like he normally does, Yuder decides it must not be important and goes back to finding a place for Kitty. He eventually settles on a spot along the wall and makes a protective mound of dirt and ice to shield Kitty from the debris of their training, making sure to leave a little peephole so that the doll can still see and breathe.

Later, Kishiar absolutely does not reward Yuder with a plate of cookies for his little stunt, just because the Diarca brat has been annoying him with his insistence that ‘the coward who attacked him, then let a child take the blame’ should be punished. Kiolle’s whining was so incessant, that he’d briefly considered inventing a Cavalry member whom he could then ‘kick out’, just to shut him up. It probably would have worked too, but it wouldn’t do to let that brat think he actually had any say in how Kishiar ran the Cavalry. Still, getting to watch Yuder act like an adorable human chipmunk, trying to see how many cookies he could fit into his mouth at once, more than made up for it. Yuder tries sharing some of his cookies with Kitty, but since the doll doesn’t seem all that interested, the child kindly eats his share for him.

Chapter Text

Yuder proudly holds up the piece of paper he’s been working on, depicting a large letter A. The lines are suspiciously neat and even, almost a perfect copy of the one Kishiar had written in demonstration.

“Yuder, did you use the pen like I told you to, or did you use your ability to manipulate the water in the ink, like last time?”

Yuder glances at the unused pen that’s sitting on the side of the table, a tiny pout forming on his lips. He goes back to his seat, grabs another piece of paper and picks up the pen. The pen wobbles, chubby child’s fingers struggling to hold the delicate instrument steady, but Yuder manages to painstakingly copy out the letter, a look of concentration furrowing his brow. When he holds it up, this A is wobbly and crooked, and there’s an inkblot where Yuder pressed down too hard on the paper, but at least it’s still recognizable as an A.

“Much better,” Kishiar ruffles the boy’s hair, then pushes another piece of paper with some more letters on it towards Yuder… along with a leftover slice of cake. “Let’s try a few more letters, shall we?”

The next few letters are marred with smeared cake crumbs, but Yuder now seems to be getting into the exercise, even if his lines are still just as crooked as the first one. Kishiar leaves him to practise while he goes back to the stack of paperwork in front of him. It’s getting harder to concentrate on the contents within, another sign of his approaching cycle. Despite his best efforts, the energies within him had started to overflow, making it difficult to focus. In a few days, he would likely have to quarantine himself for the safety of others, but in the meantime, he needs to complete as much work as possible before then. He glances over at Yuder who has gone through all of the letters and is now attempting to draw what he assumes is a portrait of Kitty, whom he has posed on the table top beside him. He is also going to have to leave instructions with Nathan about looking after Yuder during that time. The child is remarkably independent for his age, but like any child, has a habit of getting into things you’d rather he didn’t, if left to his own devices for too long.

“You can’t go in there right now.”

Yuder, who had been running towards the Commander’s room, suddenly halts and gives him a wide-eyed look of surprise that his normal routine is being so abruptly interrupted. Nathan gives a soft sigh.

“His Grace is currently unwell and is not letting anyone in at the moment. It’s only for a few days, but in the meantime, you will have to sleep elsewhere. I’ve prepared a place for you to sleep tonight. Come on.”

Yuder glances back at the closed door, face scrunching up in a little frown. He stays there, staring, until Nathan gently taps him on the shoulder. Yuder glances back up at him, before slowly following him, though he keeps glancing back at the closed door.

The door to Kishiar’s bedroom is heavy, but it’s not difficult for Yuder to push using his abilities, and having well oiled hinges, it swings open without any sound. He patters silently across the floor, letting the door shut behind him. He’s too short to climb up on the bed by himself, but a small boost of wind lands both him and Kitty on the mattress beside Kishiar.

Outwardly, Kishiar appears to be peacefully sleeping, but the energies within him are worse than normal, knotting and colliding with each other, preventing proper flow. The sight makes Yuder uneasy; the knots look wrong, uncomfortable, and he reaches out tentatively to touch the closest one.

As soon as he touches it, a tiny sharp pain, like a spark, greets his fingertip. Yuder lets out a startled squeak, almost falling off the bed as he jerks back. Kishiar flinches in his sleep, before settling down again. Yuder sticks his injured finger in his mouth with a small sniffle and glares at the offending knot. When there is no further reaction, Yuder hesitantly crawls closer again. Ignoring the first knot, he carefully reaches out to one made of red light, whose energy feels more familiar. Unlike before, there is no spark, the energy twining around his fingers, before retreating, only to return once more, like a fickle cat. Yuder tries to grasp it, but the energy slithers between his fingers like smoke. He tries again, but the same thing happens.

A stubborn pout forms on his lips and his brow furrows with concentration. Focusing intently on the elusive energy, his eyes begin to glow the same red hue, though he doesn’t notice. This time, when he tries, his fingers manage to clasp the red energy. Despite this accomplishment, his task is not made much simpler, as manipulating the energy is more difficult than any of his other abilities, even when he first started learning them. Still, he persists on, and eventually, the knot untangles, the energies around it, now flowing smoothly. It’s only one of multiple knots, but with it gone, the mess of energies looks less tangled and Kishiar’s breathing seems easier.

Yuder yawns and rubs his eyes, suddenly very tired. He flops down onto the mattress, unceremoniously, already asleep before his body touches the surface.

Kishiar awakens to find his body feeling much lighter, the tumultuous energies within him, surprisingly calm. As he sits up, he notices a familiar shape on the bed beside him, even though he had fallen asleep alone. The stubborn child must have snuck into the room in the middle of the night, then fallen asleep beside him.

“You’re not very good at listening to instructions you don’t like, are you?” Kishiar remarks, fondly, brushing back a strand of the child’s hair. Yuder doesn’t stir, even though he normally wakes this early and Kishiar notices that his face seems more flushed than usual. Frowning, he checks the child’s forehead and finds that it feels sticky and feverish.

It could be a coincidence, the improvement of his condition, Yuder’s presence and the child’s sudden illness, but Kishiar doubts it.

“Yuder, what did you do?!”

Yuder doesn’t stir at all for the next few hours, not even when the doctor Kishiar brings, examines him. The doctor, who cannot find anything obviously wrong with him, ends up just administering some fever medicine, which doesn’t seem to do anything. Wet compresses do a little better, so that by the time Yuder’s eyes blink open, his fever has abated slightly, though the child’s eyes still appear a bit unfocussed.

“How are you feeling, Yuder?” Kishiar asks.

Yuder sits up groggily, pulling the now warm compress from his forehead. He stares at it for a moment, then there’s a whoosh! sound and suddenly Yuder, Kitty, Kishiar, the bed and the surrounding floor are all drenched in water. From the stunned expression on the child’s face, Kishiar can tell he hadn’t meant to do that, or at least, not to summon that much at once. A moment later, the water pooling on the floor shimmers as Yuder tries to draw it back, but instead of rising smoothly, the droplets shoot up into the air, then drop back down as Yuder suddenly releases his power. The child’s face scrunches up and he looks like he’s trying not to cry.

Kishiar is almost as stunned as Yuder is. While most Awakeners struggle with control, the child had always used his as easily as breathing. Had whatever caused Yuder’s fever also led to this sudden lack of control? He’s not sure, but first he needs to calm down the sniffling toddler.

“Shh, Yuder, it’s okay. It seems like you’re drawing on too much power. Try using it in smaller amounts,” Kishiar soothes.

Yuder hugs a soggy Kitty to his chest and nods. He stares at the puddle once more and the water shimmers again, this time rising more slowly and forming into a ball. Once this is accomplished, he begins drawing out the water from the bedding and their clothes, adding to the ball and freezing it. Once all of the water has been gathered in the ice ball, Yuder allows it to drop to the floor gently, rolling until it bumps into the far wall. He looks tired again after all of that effort, but Kishiar is relieved to notice that his fever seems to be gone and his complexion has gone back to normal.

Yuder is starting to nod off again, so Kishiar tucks him into the now dry bed. The child snuggles his face into Kitty and promptly falls asleep once more. Kishiar sits beside him, conflicting emotions warring inside of him. Yuder seems to have fully recovered and he, himself, is feeling much better than he has for a long time, but that is what leads to such complex feelings. Whatever Yuder had done, it could be the key to curing the illness that is slowly killing his brother and that still hangs over his own head like a phantom even after Awakening, but at what cost? This time had ended with minimal issues, but it could have easily turned out worse. He has absolutely no desire to risk a child's life, yet to entirely discard such a hope...

Yuder stirs slightly in his sleep, murmuring something that sounds suspiciously like 'cookies'. Kishiar gently brushes the hair away from his face, and the child stills again. 

After the other members of the Cavalry learn that Yuder was ‘sick’, they fuss over him more than usual, frequently checking to make sure that he had indeed recovered from his fever and making sure he is dressed warmly enough for the weather. Kanna even makes him a scarf, although her attempts to get him to wear it, are soon thwarted by the child’s insistence that it looks much better on Kitty, even though it is obviously too large for the doll.

Chapter Text

"Commander."

Kanna Wand looks nervous as she gets Kishiar's attention, fidgeting as she glances towards the wagon, "There's... um, I swear I just noticed now when my hand brushed the back of the wagon, but please don't get too mad!"

Puzzled, Kishiar checks the back of the wagon, wondering what she's talking about. At first, there doesn't appear to be anything unusual, but when he moves one of the bags of supplies, a familiar face peeks out at him. Kishiar sighs. He should have known something was up when Yuder had refused to come say goodbye to them when they departed, but he'd assumed that the child had still been  stubbornly sulking under the bedsheets where he'd hidden, ever since he'd been told that he couldn't come with them. 

"Yuder..."

The child gives him an innocent smile, completely devoid of either guilt or mischief. As if it is perfectly logical for him to be wedged in the back corner of the supply wagon with Kitty tucked under one arm and three cookies wrapped in a handkerchief on his lap. From the scattered crumbs, there used to be more that were already eaten by the time Yuder's hiding place was discovered. Kishiar knows he should scold Yuder for disobeying his instructions and sneaking along on a dangerous mission, but one look at his guileless face makes it difficult to be stern. 

"Really, what should I do with you?" They'd travelled too far to head back now and for the same reason, they couldn't use the Eldore twins' ability to teleport him back. Besides, Kishiar had a funny feeling that since he managed to follow them this far, even if they did manage to send him back, the child would find some way to sneak out again and try to follow them, this time travelling all alone. Given how well he had hidden, Kishiar briefly wonders if he might also have some sort of invisibility skill, on top of everything else.

"Deputy Commander Beck must have noticed that you're missing by now." He'd have to send her a message, letting her know that the toddler had snuck along with them, "You would have panicked her, just disappearing like that. Not to mention everyone else back at headquarters."

Yuder's eyes widen as if he hadn't considered that (he probably hadn't) and he hangs his head in contrition. He looks so mournful, Kishiar can't help, but ruffle his hair in reassurance, "Alright, alright. I'll let her know that you're here, so she doesn't worry. And it's too late to send you back now," Yuder brightens up again, "But..." The child's shoulders droop once more at Kishiar's warning tone, "What you did was very dangerous. There's a reason why I wanted you to stay behind. You may come along now, since there isn't much other choice, but you must do exactly as I tell you. If I think a situation is too dangerous, you stay back. Otherwise, I will find a way to send you back to the capital. Understood?"

Yuder nods, eagerly. 

The wagon is still probably the safest place for Yuder to ride at the moment, so the child remains where he is, though the supplies are rearranged slightly so that he can sit more comfortably and Kishiar can keep a better eye on him. Now no longer required to hide, Yuder watches the road pass by, curiously, Kitty joining him a moment later, the duo peering over the edge of the wagon together. 

Suddenly, Kishiar raises a hand to call for them to halt, eyes towards the horizon. Once everyone had stopped, he points towards where he was looking. 

"There seems to be some movement over there, what does everyone think?"

"It seems like... monsters are fighting with humans," Gakane cautiously answers.

"It sounds similar to the clashing of weapons," Nathan agrees.

"It seems so to me as well. Let's go and see. Everyone, be careful and follow."

They turn towards the sound and speed towards it. The faint movement they'd seen on the horizon begins to resolve into a chaotic scene. A handful of people are shouting and attempting to dodge several long, sharp objects that jutted from the earth. Several of them already lay on the ground, either dead or injured, surrounded by scattered belongings. 

"Emun. Gakane. Use shadows and darkness to conceal the survivors and bring them to us. Kanna, get information from those we rescue. Priest Lusan, please provide healing. Hinn, Finn, and Nathan, hold off those monsters. You don't have to kill them, just buy time until all survivors are rescued. Yuder, stay in the wagon. Understood?"

"Yes!" The others race to follow Kishiar's instructions. Yuder frowns a little at being excluded, but settles down by edge of the wagon, gripping the edge and studying the chaotic scene they are racing towards.

Gakane and Emun's combined efforts successfully rescue several of the survivors, extracting them from the area within the monster's reach and depositing them into Lusan's care. The direct attacks against the monster itself are less effective, seeming to cause little damage to the beast, which continues to lash out, angrily at anything that moves. Then the ground around it suddenly explodes, grass and dirt travelling in all directions, though all of the bits manage to miss all of the people. 

"What! Something came out from the ground!"

"What's that? It looks like a sphere, and it's connected to a tail?"

With the dirt removed, the Eldore twins spot the monster's main body and make short work of it. Looking satisfied, Yuder sits back down in the wagon and nibbles on one of his remaining cookies, content to let the adults handle the boring work of sorting out the aftermath. 

After the initial chaos dies down a little, Yuder can now see that a total of four people have been rescued, thanks to the Cavalry's quick intervention. Kishiar is talking with the silver-haired man who appears to be their leader. Yuder could manipulate the wind to listen in on their conversation, but doesn't bother, instead, just watches them curiously, while he nibbles. The silver-haired man notices him watching, and returns a curious gaze of his own, then seems to ask Kishiar about Yuder's presence, based on the gestures he makes. Yuder misses Kishiar's response, thanks to the realization that he had just eaten the last of his cookies, something he thinks must be impossible, as they really should have lasted longer. A thorough search of the entire wagon fails to uncover the missing cookies, however, making the child wonder if Kitty ate them while he wasn't looking. He sits down with a small huff, then immediately perks up again as it looks like the conversations are over and everyone gets ready to move again. The four people that they rescued, join them, doubling up with other Cavalry members, and they once again set off towards their destination. 

Chapter Text

It starts pouring rain before they stop for the night in a small city. A little push with his abilities causes the raindrops to bounce and deflect off, protecting the tiny circle where he and Kitty are sitting. He would have extended this impromptu umbrella to the others, but a tiny shake from Kishiar’s head reminds him that he’s not supposed to displaying his abilities so openly. Instead, the others flip up their hoods or wrap their cloaks about their heads to keep off the rain. With the miserable weather, none of the city guards they pass by, notice the small child once again hidden among the supplies, let alone that he looks suspiciously dry.

The group makes their way to a dilapidated mansion in a quiet part of the city, unseen by anyone thanks to the heavy rain. Although he’s curious about this new place that they’ve stopped off in, thanks to his early awakening in order to sneak along with the rest of the group, Yuder finds himself drifting off right after finishing supper. He doesn’t stir at all while being moved upstairs to one of the beds, nor does he hear the brief commotion that occurs shortly afterwards.

By the time he wakes the next morning, Yuder has a strong feeling that he's missed quite a few things that happened the night before. For one, instead of putting him back in the wagon he'd been riding, Kishiar lifts him and Kitty up to ride on one of the Misty Winds, similar to how they travelled upon first leaving the Rik mountains. While he's perfectly happy with this arrangement, the other changes make him uneasy. Of the four people that joined them, only three of them remain, two now riding in the wagon that Yuder vacated, hands tied like criminals. Only the silver haired man, the one called Ejain, remains free, his body language tense, a tension shared by everyone else as well. Unable to discern the reason for this sudden change, Yuder looks up at Kishiar, questioningly.

Kishiar pats him on the head ruefully, and remarks, "You missed some excitement last night, but it's all been taken care of. Those men did something bad, which they tried to keep secret, but Kanna found out. It will be dealt with when they get back to their home, so there is nothing that you need to worry about. I'd explain more, but I'm not sure you would understand."

The answer isn't fully satisfying, but Yuder trusts Kishiar's judgement, concentrating instead on keeping a firm grip on Kitty as they depart. They travel more quickly than before, leaving the wagon with the two men, guarded by Nathan and the Peletta knights, far behind. 

Although he had slept deeply the night before, the tedium of the road lulls Yuder back to sleep, comfortably nestled in Kishiar’s steady grasp. The sound of excited voices wakes him from his doze only to find that they no longer on the road, but in the middle of a bustling town. He spots Lusan kneeling beside an injured man, with a new group of strangers gathered around. They are wearing robes and each of them has a small amount of energy that is similar to the golden light Yuder had seen inside of Kishiar. He wiggles around trying to get a better look, until Kishiar notices and sits Yuder up properly in front of him.

The adults talk for a while, even moving to another location to discuss matters, though Yuder can only half-follow their conversation. Bored, Yuder plays with Kitty until it's worked out that they will travel with this new group (who are mages, apparently, whatever those are) to the Great Sarain Forest. For some reason the mages mistake Gakane for their leader, something Yuder finds amusing. No one corrects this misunderstanding, however, though Kanna does step up to assist him in the discussion, while Kishiar and Ejain remain hidden in their cloaks. The mages are so focussed on their discussion that they fail to notice Yuder's presence until after they've nearly finished talking, a discovery that sparks yet another startled reaction and some heated confusion at the presence of a toddler with the rest of them. Yuder sighs and goes back to playing with Kitty while they sort it all out.

The Great Sarain Forest looms before them, so thick with vegetation that it blocks out the sun and forces them to dismount and continue on foot. Yuder stubbornly insists on walking on his own, at first, but after struggling with the dense underbrush for a few steps, begrudgingly allows an amused Kishiar to carry him. The scent from the forest is strong enough they have to tie cloths over their mouths and nose to block it out - with Yuder tying one for Kitty as well - but even then Gakane, Kanna, Emun and Lusan all struggle and look ill, with Lusan suffering the worst of it. Pityingly, Yuder tweaks the air flow slightly, so a faint breeze surrounds his struggling companions, hopefully clearing up the air a little for them. He's not sure if it helps, or if they are just becoming accustomed to the smell, but the four start to look slightly better after he starts. 

They are delayed again, by a commotion up ahead, as the mages guiding them start arguing over something. Kishiar orders the rest to stay, then moves closer to see what the issue is. At first, Yuder is mildly curious about what has gotten them so agitated now, but then he stiffens, feeling something not quite right about the air around them. The atmosphere had felt slightly odd ever since they had stepped beneath the forest's eaves, but now that odd sensation has shifted into something slightly more ominous. Kishiar notices his movement and gives him a reassuring pat on the back, but Yuder notices that his own posture has become more alert, as well.

"Is there some sort of problem?"

One of the mage's turns around at Kishiar's question and she points towards something a short distance away, "We discovered something that wasn't there before we arrived. There's a tense standoff between those who want to ignore it and move on, and those who want to go back. What do you think? What does it look like to you?"

It takes a second, but after a moment, both Yuder and Kishiar are able to see what the mage is pointing to. What at first appears to be a thin black shadow formed by overlapping trees, is actually a crack in the air. The source of the sinister energy that Yuder could faintly sense, seems to stem from there.

"A crack in the air... Is there any possibility that this is a sign of a monster emerging?" Kishiar finally speaks, after studying the abnormal phenomenon. 

"If that were the case, it should have already appeared. We've been watching, but there's been no change."

"You're right to be concerned."

"Thank you for understanding."

As the mages continue their debate, Kishiar quietly murmurs to Yuder, "You can sense something off with it, can't you?"

The child hesitates, uncertain how to respond. There's something ominous about the crack, something beyond the strange appearance and the possibility of monsters, but it's not something he knows how to describe. Eventually, he settles for shrugging, but keeps his eyes on the crack, staring intently.

A loud thud sounds from not too far away, growing to a crashing sound as trees were broken and collided with other trunks. 

"Sounds like a real monster this time."

Kishiar carefully puts Yuder down on the ground beside him and reaches for the sword he'd kept hidden behind his cloak. It's the same one that he'd brought with him when he and Yuder first met. A strong energy emanates from the sword, even inside of its sheathe. 

A grotesque form bursts into view, trees crashing around it from the violence of its sudden appearance. The mages scramble backwards, fumbling with something, while Kishiar takes a step forward, moving in front of Yuder and orders the mages to step back. Disbelief fills the mages' expressions, obviously doubtful that he will be able to handle the monster with a sword alone. They step back, but pull out the magic tools they had been fumbling with.

The monster opens its large mouth, preparing to spit its fluids at them, but pauses when Yuder uses his abilities to pull the fallen trees in front of it. During that momentary hesitation, Kishiar draws his sword. There's a brilliant flash of light and when it clears, the monster has been split into two. 

"Swo, sword..."

Kishiar interrupts with a smile before the stunned mages can manage the word 'Swordmaster', "I am a Cavalry member."

As the mages relax and recount the stories they heard of some Awakeners with similar abilities, Yuder puzzles over how easily Kishiar managed to deceive the mages with something that wasn't really a lie, when the truth seems so obvious to him. He doesn't have long to ponder this, as more monsters follow the first. Things become a little chaotic when the mages set one of the monsters on fire and the angry creature's thrashing threatens to set the nearby trees aflame. With a small sigh, Yuder puts out the flames with water, privately wondering what made mages so prone to such theatrics. 

Given the number of monsters that have suddenly appeared, they quicken their pace, Yuder using his abilities to subtly shift the vegetation and make their path a little easier. Given Kishiar doesn't scold him for using his powers so openly, he figures that he's more concerned about the frequent appearance of the monsters. This is further evidenced by the fact that Kanna takes over carrying Yuder, so that Kishiar can keep his hands free for his sword. 

They reach the the mages' base shortly, only to find it in complete disarray. Monster corpses lay among the ruins of buildings, while the remaining monsters are crowded around the last intact building, which emits flashes of light and fire, giving away the location of the survivors, who are still desperately fighting. The arrival of the Cavalry members and the mages travelling with them, quickly turns the tide and the rest of the monsters are slain. A moment later, the door to the remaining building opens, and a group of battered looking mages appear. The two groups of mages quickly flock together, exclaiming in relief at seeing the others alive. There's a bit more excitement when they are introduced as the Cavalry, but even so, they are soon welcomed inside the remaining building. 

Chapter Text

"Yuder, I need you to stay here with Lusan and Kanna."

A hurt expression crosses the toddler's face and he starts babbling a protest so quickly, Kishiar can't make out the actual words. He puts a hand gently on the child's head to still him.

"You promised to stay back, if I told you to, remember?"

Yuder's lower lip trembles in response. Kishiar ruffles his hair and slips something into his hand. The child looks down at the three wrapped candies, for once, not looking happy to be receiving sweets. 

"Three days. We'll be back in three days," Kishiar promises, "In the meantime, keep an eye on Kanna and Lusan. We'll be back before you know it."

The child looks sceptical at this assertion, but he doesn't protest further. Kishiar ruffles his hair again, before meeting Kanna's gaze over his head and mouthing, Keep an eye on him. Kanna nods, knowing that he doesn't want a repeat of Yuder sneaking along with the group. 

Whether due to Kanna's attentiveness, or Yuder's obedience, the child's only act of protest against Kishiar's orders, is to adopt an extremely pitiful look as the rest of the group departs. Despite his sulking, Kanna notices that Yuder still subtly assists the mages in repairing the buildings, straightening a beam here, or aligning parts of the roof with his powers when no one is looking. Even though they don't realize that Yuder is quietly helping, the mages are happy enough to have the child around, offering cheerful greetings whenever they spot him running around and Kanna spots at least a couple of them sneaking sweets to the small child. 

After a long day, Kanna notices Yuder begin to rub his eyes with fatigue and takes him back to the room they are sharing after saying goodnight to the mages. Lusan ends up staying with the injured patients he's been attending to all day, so it's just the two of them in the room. Yuder is almost asleep on his feet by the time she lifts him into bed, snuggling in beside her as she joins him.

Kanna isn’t sure what wakes her in the middle of the night, for the room is dark and silent, but a feeling of unease bubbles inside of her, as if she’s waking from a nightmare. A moment later, that nightmare is realized when she spots a shadowy figure standing beside her bed, a sword pointed towards her, threateningly. Several other dark figures stand in the room behind him.

“Where’s the prince?” The prince? As in Prince Ejain? Then... Assassins!

Kanna sits up in alarm. Beside her, Yuder shifts and murmurs in his sleep, at the movement. Before she can stop him, one of the assassins seizes the back of the child’s shirt and yanks him out of bed. The child squawks, both at the rude awakening and the fact that the movement causes him to drop Kitty, headfirst, onto the floor. He starts struggling, then freezes when the man holds his sword up against him. The assassin looks back at Kanna.

“Tell us or el-wha-argh!”

The assassin lets out a startled yelp as his sword flies out his hand, flipping to smack one of his companions on the top of the head hilt-first, causing him to crumple to the ground, unconscious. At the same time, the four conscious assassins are encased in ice, completely immobilizing them. Unfortunately, this means Yuder is still suspended in the air, and he becomes increasingly agitated, trying to break free. Kanna hastily scrambles out of bed and disentangles him from the assassin's frozen grasp, lowering him to the floor. As soon as he’s back on the ground, Yuder immediately runs over to rescue Kitty, examining the doll with a worried expression as if checking it for injuries, then hugging it fiercely.

Kanna ushers Yuder out of the room and goes to wake up the mages to inform them about the intruders. Sleepy confusion soon morphs into a shocked uproar as everyone finally wakes up enough to process what Kanna tells them. They are further shocked to see the frozen assassins, posed almost like ice sculptures in the room.

"That certainly is an impressive ability," one of the mages murmurs to Kanna in a mixture of awe and envy, quite obviously mistaking this to be her work, rather than that of the toddler still hugging his doll, by her side. Given that the Commander had been keeping Yuder's abilities relatively secret to avoid drawing unsavoury attention towards the small child, Kanna doesn't bother correcting them. Instead, she only remarks, "They all have some sort of poison in their mouths that we'll need to remove somehow before we unfreeze them." She had picked up as much when her hand brushed one of the frozen assassins. The only reason they hadn't already used it, was because the ice partially covering their necks and faces, made it difficult to retrieve the poison and swallow. 

Yuder ends up solving this problem by lifting the assassin's sword again, and bopping the still conscious assassins on the head, before melting the ice around them. This generates some brief surprise and confusion, which Kanna somehow manages to deflect, after which they search the now unfrozen assassins for poison, before binding them tightly and locking them in the basement. With that done, Kanna prays fervently that nothing else exciting happens before the Commander and the others returned.

Of course, she should have realized that making such prayers was just asking for trouble. 

The third morning dawns fairly peacefully, and Kanna relaxes slightly, glad that the others will soon be back. Yuder gobbles down his breakfast quickly, so he can perch himself outside, facing towards the direction where the others had disappeared. After a few minutes, he gets up and starts pacing back and forth with an impatient expression on his face. With an amused sigh, Kanna watches him march up and down in front of the entrance of the building, waiting for him to tucker himself out. It happens a little sooner than she expects, the toddler flopping down onto the dirt and looking dejected. Trying to keep the smile off of her face, Kanna goes over to comfort him, only to be distracted by a commotion outside.

"Priest! Where is the priest?" Kanna turns to find that the mages are in a panic, several of them injured and bloody. Lusan appears a moment later, summoned by their cries and immediately begins assessing the injured mages.

"What happened? Was it a monster attack? Has there been another anomaly?"

"No. It's just one monster. It was a tiny creature at first, but it kept growing and getting stronger with each attack. They said it wouldn't die no matter how much they attacked it with magic tools. Eventually, someone was wounded by a spike on its tail and ran back here. It seems like it was venomous..."

"...it kept growing?"

"Yes, we found it devouring the materials and magical power of the control array we built for our research. It seems that every time the monster absorbs magic or other power, it uses it for physical amplification. Ordinarily, the body should explode when it expands beyond a certain limit, but because of the power of protection circle superimposed on the amplification circle we created, that limit has probably been extended beyond comparison…"

As if hearing their words, a gloomy howl and vibration echoes in the distance. Everyone's eyes turns towards the sound, faces anxious. 

"...It seems to be following us here soon…"

Chapter Text

"What do we do?"

The buildings with their protective magic circle should have been the safest place within the forest, but if this monster is not only eating magic, but growing bigger each time... Not only that, but with the wounded, it would be difficult for them to even flee if the monster heads directly towards them. 

Yuder is sitting up by this time, the toddler clutching Kitty, tightly and staring wide-eyed in the direction of the monster's roars. He seems frozen in place, eyes rooted towards the approaching calamity. 

"We must prepare to respond." The mages expressions are grim; with the number of wounded and against such a terrifying opponent, the odds of survival are slim.

"Wait," Kanna interrupts, "You said the monster grew in size while it was devouring magical materials and power, things this place is full of. If we are to have a chance at all, we need to lure it away from here."

"Ideally, yes, but how could we possibly manage such a feat? Anyone we send would be lucky not to die before they even have a chance to lure it."

And there is the crux of it. Even if they weren't injured, the mages are not strong enough to escape from the monster, if they do manage to draw its attention, and neither her, nor Lusan's, abilities lend themselves towards direct combat. Then there's the matter of actually killing the beast itself...

A hand tugs on her sleeve and Kanna looks down to see that Yuder has silently joined them. The toddler still looks scared, but there's a determined look on his face now. 

"Yuder...?"

The child points towards the roaring monster, then makes a gesture with his hands like a pair of jaws or a trap, at the same time using a tiny bit of his ability to make the pebbles by his feet tremble, to emphasize his point. Even though he doesn't use any words, Kanna can tell that he means to use his ability to manipulate nature in order to trap the monster, but would it actually work? She knows that Yuder is deceptively strong, but strong enough to defeat this monster? And even if his powers are strong enough, he is still only a small child. Could he even get close enough to...?

"Are you sure?"

Yuder nods emphatically and mimics a trap again. 

"What?" the mages had been muttering among themselves for a bit, but one of them seems to have noticed the absurd scene of Kanna discussing defeating the monster with a toddler. Kanna hesitates, then sighs. The Commander had wanted to keep Yuder's abilities hidden, but at this point...

"Yuder thinks he can trap the monster using the forest," Kanna relays. Yuder nods enthusiastically, and picking up a stick, sketches in the dirt a bunch of blobs that it takes her a moment to realize are supposed to the monster and... a hill?... collapsing. "If we can lure it to higher ground, he can collapse the earth and catch it." At least, she's pretty sure that that is what he is trying to portray.

At the mages sceptical looks, she adds, "Yuder is an Awakener; he can manipulate earth." An incomplete description, but she isn't going to go further if she doesn't have to, "Although we still need to figure out how to lure..." She pauses when Yuder picks up a pebble and throws it at the blob she had assumed was supposed to represent the monster, "... you're going to throw rocks at it?" That seems like a very childish way of getting the monster's attention, but with Yuder's abilities, it might be the safest option and given that they didn't exactly have any better ideas...

"Ha... this is insane," one of the mages sighs. They argue a bit more, but no one else can come up with a better plan, and it is eventually decided that Kanna will carry Yuder, with the mages escorting them to where the nearest tall hill is and taking care of any smaller monsters they might encounter. Meanwhile Yuder would use his abilities to control wind and earth to try to herd the monster up the hill before collapsing it. Yuder, somewhat reluctantly, leaves Kitty in a safe corner of the building before climbing into Kanna's arms. Holding his small body, Kanna worries anew about whether or not the child can handle the power required 

Of course, like everything else, things could hardly go as planned.

"Isn't that fire...?"

A sudden red glow above the trees, along with another of the monster's roars, loud enough to shake the forest around them, has the group halting in fear.

"Don't tell me that monster can also spew fire!"

"No..." Kanna squints at the distant glow. She's not certain, but... "That might not be the monster..." In her arms, Yuder has perked up, looking towards the glow with interest, similar to how he reacted when meeting a new Awakener.

Although none of them are sure that it's a good idea, the group cautiously approaches the source of the glow, eventually finding themselves at the edge of a roughly hewn clearing. The monster stands in the middle of it, now grown to the size of a small house, its massive tail smashing nearby trees to bits every time it swings. Around it, a small group of people struggle to fight the beast, each using different abilities that mark them as Awakeners. Their attacks are uncoordinated, showing a lack of discipline that gives away their lack of training. 

“What the hell! How do we bring down such a goddamn monster?!”

“Digon! Stop using that damn fire! If the forest burns completely because of you, what will happen to our village!"

“Didn’t you hear me? Lure it somewhere else, you dimwits! Stop sending it this way!"

Ah, their attacks are just making it bigger, Kanna thinks as she watches them. She tries shouting a warning, but with the monster's thrashing and their attention focussed on the beast, none of the Awakeners hear her. Just as they attack again, a barrier of wind and water appears, Yuder intervening to prevent them from worsening the situation.

"Wha- huh? Who are you?" The Awakeners turn towards the place where Kanna is standing with Yuder.

Instead of answering, Kanna shouts her original warning, "Stop your attacks; this monster only grows larger with every one!"

"We know that the damned thing grows with every attack, but how else are we supposed to stop it?! Do you have some sort of brilliant plan?" This is stated by the oldest looking member of the Awakeners, who seems to be their impromptu leader.

Not a brilliant one, per se, but... 

"We need to lure it to the tallest hill. We have a trap that will catch it there." The trap, of course, being Yuder, but she doesn't specify. It is a near impossible task, but if these Awakeners are willing to help, they will have a better chance of accomplishing it.

"Easier said, than done." The Awakeners exchange glances, but it's clear that this is their best option. "Alright, if this fails, it's going to head to our village next, so we don't have a choice. Damn it, what kind of situation is this? Anyway, if this trap of yours can bring it down, then we can save any further discussion until after that's done." 

The monster lunges at them again and Yuder uses his ability to lift one of the fallen trees and drop it on the monster's head. The monster lets out a scream of rage, whipping around, trying to find the culprit. 

"Ah, this is crazy," Kanna mutters to herself as she takes off running towards the direction of the hill where they had planned to trap the monster. The mages light the way before her, to guide her, while they and the other Awakeners clear the way so she can focus on running. Around her feet she can feel the faint bursts of air from Yuder's ability as he gives her small boosts to make running a little easier, while at the same time, lifting rocks and broken trees to strike the enraged monster to keep it following them, or raising a barrier when it gets too close. With every strike, the monster grows bigger and angrier, snapping the trees around it like matchsticks. Kanna's entire body burns with the effort of outrunning the monster while carrying the toddler in her arms, praying that she doesn't trip along the way. There's no need to look behind her to see how close the monster is; the crash of the trees it ploughs through are more than enough to tell her how dead they all are if they make a single misstep.

Finally, finally, the lights guiding them change from gold to red, indicating their destination. With the last of her strength, Kanna  passes the marker and as she does, she feels the ground beneath her feet begin to rumble. She keeps running, until the low tremor becomes strong enough to send her sprawling into a tree. She twists at the last second so that she strikes the trunk with her shoulder and avoids squishing Yuder, gritting her teeth as the impact sends a sharp pain through her shoulder and arm. Gripping the trunk to avoid falling further, she looks back... and stares in shock.

The hill behind her, has torn open, as if cloven by a giant's axe. Instead of a tall hill, there's a sheer cliff above a valley of sharp rocks, standing up like spears. Impaled upon them is the monster, held in place by the jutting stone. Even so, the creature is still alive, twitching weakly thanks to its injuries and the sharp rocks binding it, but if these are more than death throes, then how are they supposed to...?

Yuder slumps bonelessly in her arms, the effort of creating the vast chasm, draining him completely and leaving him pale and sweating. Kanna feels her own legs give out on her, and she slides down onto her knees, still holding the unconscious toddler close to her. The others hover uncertainly on the side lines, approaching slowly, all eyes on the weakly flailing monster. 

"It's still alive..."

"It's almost dead; we just have to finish it off!"

"But how? Our abilities only made it grow bigger, and if the fall and those rock spears didn't kill it..."

As they murmur among themselves, a new figure steps forward, and familiar flashes of light appear, slicing the beast into several pieces and severing the monster's massive tongue. This causes a spray of poisonous liquids, but fortunately, none of it passes beyond the pit where the monster finally lies still.

"I came as quickly as I could, but it seems that even so, I arrived late."

"Commander." Kanna looks up to see that Kishiar has already sheathed his sword and is reaching down to take Yuder from her. She passes over the toddler to him, watching the frown that crosses his lips as he takes in how still and ashen Yuder looks. 

When they return to the base, Lusan uses his divine power on Yuder, returning some colour to his complexion, but Yuder remains unconscious, even after he finishes. The child sleeps for the next two days straight, without stirring, sustained only by additional applications of Lusan's power and the small amount of broth they manage to feed him during that time. While his body bears no sign of injuries, the limpness of his body and the shallowness of his breathing make him seem closer to an empty puppet, than a living child. On the dawning of the third day, when he still shows no signs of improvement, they begin to search desperately for a possible cure, Kishiar more desperately than the rest. When none of their efforts seem to do anything, he even considers pursuing a vague rumour of a particularly talented, if a bit unusual, pharmacist, back at the capital...

Chapter Text

“Hey! Who told you that you were well enough to be out of bed?!”

The toddler, who had been peering curiously around the edge of the door, suddenly goes wide-eyed and tries to dart away, only to let out a startled meep! when a hand snags the back of his shirt before he can take more than a couple of steps.

“And where do you think you’re going?” The grey-haired pharmacist switches his grip to Yuder’s arm and starts leading the toddler back to the room he was supposed to be resting in. Yuder shoots a hopeful look towards where the rest of the Cavalry members are gathered for lunch, which quickly morphs into one of utter betrayal when they merely offer him sympathetic smiles and promises to come visit him later, instead of coming to his immediate rescue.

"You've barely recovered any energy and the first thing you want to do is expend it all again, is that it?" Enon sits the toddler back down on the bed he’d run away from and starts mixing up the medication he'd prescribed several days earlier. When he'd first seen the child - after being practically kidnapped here by several Peletta knights with a cryptic message about some kid dying - his body had appeared so lifeless that for a moment, he thought they might already be too late. Even now, one glance is enough to make it immediately apparent to everyone - except for the rambunctious toddler, himself - that he is far from recovered. That said, the medicine Enon had given him to recover his energy is obviously doing its work, since the little rascal gave him the slip any time he let his guard down. Case in point, Enon notices Yuder wiggling closer to the edge of the bed and eying the doorway, like he's calculating whether or not he can make a run for it. 

"Don't even think about it," Enon scolds, pinching his cheek. Yuder stares at him in surprise, then gives him an innocent look as if he hadn't been planning a daring escape. 

"You think I don't know what's going through your little mind, right now? Regular children are bad enough, but you think your powers make you invincible, don’t you? If that was the case, then I wouldn’t have to treat you in the first place! When you get older..." Enon pauses and a deeper frown crosses his face, “No, on second thought, I just got the strangest premonition that dealing with an older you, would be even more stressful.” He looks sour at the thought.

“Drink this,” Enon orders, handing Yuder the cup of medicine after he finishes mixing it. 

Despite his grumbling, he still rewards the child with a lemon candy after Yuder dutifully finishes all of the medication he’s given. Enon has to admit that in terms of taking his medicine, the child is an ideal patient, quietly finishing it all off without complaint, no matter how bitter it was. Trying to get him to stay put and rest on the other hand…

The toddler is eyeballing the door again, though at least this time he sits still, or rather, as still as a child his age can manage. Seeing his eagerness, Enon finally relents with a sigh. "Alright, you can go eat lunch with the others... so long as you come back here immediately and rest, afterwards!"

Yuder brightens up immediately and quickly nods his agreement, before vanishing out the doorway in a flash. Enon watches him go, quietly planning on checking on him in half an hour if the toddler hadn't returned on his own by then.

As he expected, Enon finds himself returning to the impromptu cafeteria to fetch his wayward patient, half an hour later. When he arrives, he's greeted by the sight of Yuder exploring the top of a broken segment of wall, somehow managing to scale it with his cat doll in one hand and a half-eaten loaf of bread (his third one after also consuming three bowls of stew, as Enon later finds out) in the other. When they spot Enon's scowl, the other Cavalry members at least have the grace to look sheepish for not stopping the toddler sooner, and Gakane uses his shadow to return the overly inquisitive toddler safely to the ground. Yuder also seems to pick up on the mood, because he quietly follows Enon back to the makeshift recovery room, without complaint.

"I said you could go for lunch, not try to give yourself a cracked skull on top of everything else. What, you think I don't have enough work already? Is that it?" Enon grumbles.

Thoroughly chastened, Yuder sits quietly on the bed and meekly finishes his loaf of bread. After he's done, he even lets Enon check his hands for scrapes without fuss, listening politely as the pharmacist mutters under his breath while cleaning the bread crumbs and dirt out of the faint scratches he got from climbing. Now that he's stopped eating and is sitting still, Yuder finds his eyes blinking shut. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad to...

Yuder's body goes limp and he flops forward so that his forehead rests on Enon's shoulder. Now that no one is watching, the pharmacist's expression softens, slightly, and he lies the toddler down on the bed properly, tucking him in. At the same time, he checks on the sleeping child's condition. On the outside, the little one looks no different than a regular child recovering from a normal illness. Inside, however...

When he'd first started to treat the toddler, what he'd seen had been so muted at first, that he'd failed to notice the significance. But as the child recovered, it became impossible not to notice. In addition to the child's soul, another entity existed inside his tiny body, an energy quite unlike anything Enon had seen before. Something akin to a second soul, one that, as far as he can tell, seems be supporting and protecting the child's own more fragile soul. In particular, the energy seems to be focussed on a gap within the child's soul, a bandage over a vivid gash that had no business marring a soul that young. The most obvious source of this wound is, of course, the enormous monster the child had just faced, but something tells Enon that this wound is older; a persistent scar, rather than a recent injury. But what trauma could this child have experienced that could have left such a large tear and what did that second 'soul' have to do with it...?

Enon shakes his head, forcefully derailing that thought. Even if it might help, there's no way of answering his questions. The child is too young to provide coherent answers about his previous trauma, and whatever it is, this strange energy seems nothing, but benevolent towards him. He should just leave it at that, but something about it nags at his senses, a troublesome thought that extends beyond the child's immediate condition, though he can't lay his finger on exactly what that is. 

"Damn it," Enon mutters under his breath (extra quietly so that the impressionable young child nearby won't hear, even if he is fast asleep). The smart thing would be to ignore it, now that he had confirmed that its presence is not harmful, and if anything, beneficial for his patient, but already his mind is turning towards thoughts of further investigation. "Ah, what exactly have I gotten myself into?"

“Yu-der...”

The voice, no, two voices, are distorted, merged together and sounding as though they are coming from underwater, a long way away. The voices are strange, even though something tells him that he should recognize who they belong to. He turns towards the sound, looking for the source.

Two figures stand by a small house, the bright light behind them making it difficult to make out their features. They seem somehow familiar, and at the same time, recalling even the smallest detail about them seems impossible. They aren’t too far away, but as he soon as he heads towards them, the distance seems to grow, rather than contract.

“Yud…er…”

The figures reach towards him, their forms twisting and warping like smoke in the wind. Yuder starts running towards them, using the wind to push his steps faster, pulling on the earth to try to move them closer, his combined efforts, slowly, but surely, drawing them closer. Just as he’s about to reach them, a set of glistening white teeth snap down…

…and Yuder wakes with a start. He’s back in the makeshift recovery room, Kitty clutched in his arms. The scary teeth are gone, but so are the two figures and the strange familiar house they stood beside. A small sniffle escapes, as a keen sense of loss blooms inside of him.

"Yuder?" Kishiar is sitting beside him, one large hand stroking the child's hair, comfortingly. On instinct, the toddler crawls out from the covers and onto Kishiar's lap, hugging him tightly. Kishiar hugs him in return, still gently stroking his hair.

"Did you have a nightmare?"

Yuder doesn't speak, but Kishiar can feel him nod, once. Kishiar is not really surprised. Although on the surface, the toddler appears unaffected, he is a young child who had quite recently risked his life fighting an enormous monster that one would never expect to see outside of the worst nightmares. It would be stranger if that event hadn't left a persistent scar. For sure, Kishiar, himself, had never experienced a more terrifying moment than seeing Yuder pale and listless in Kanna's arms, a fear that only grew when the child had failed to recover on his own. And nothing could describe the relief he'd felt when he finally opened his eyes once more. Nor the desperation to ensure that such an event never occurred again.

They sit like that for awhile, neither of them speaking. Yuder's eyelids droop a few times, but Kishiar can tell that he's forcing himself to stay awake. 

"You should get some more sleep," Kishiar whispers to him, "You still have a ways to go before you recover." The toddler's grip tightens on his shirt, as if he's afraid that Kishiar will disappear if he falls asleep. Whatever he'd seen in his nightmare, obviously still spooks him.

"... how about we both get some sleep then?" Kishiar suggests, "There's enough room for both of us." 

Yuder hesitates, then nods, and Kishiar carefully lies them both onto the bed, adjusting the sheets so that they're both covered. Held in Kishiar's arms, Yuder snuggles into him, the toddler's breathing slowing and his body relaxing as he finally allows himself to drift off. Kishiar waits until he's certain that the child is asleep before he closes his own eyes. A comfortable silence fills the room as both fall into a sweet, dreamless sleep.

Chapter Text

Thanks to Enon's medicine (and immediate interference whenever the toddler attempts something dangerous, yet again), Yuder recovers quickly, returning to his normal state before draining his energy. The nightmare he'd suffered afterwards, also fades away, leaving nothing more than a barely remembered bad dream. In the meantime, more members from the Cavalry arrive from the capital, reassured after confirming Yuder's presence in person, and at the same time worried after hearing about the enormous monster and how he'd fallen into a coma after overusing his powers to help defeat it. Ever especially, vacillates between relieved scolding for sneaking off with the first group and apologetic guilt that she hadn't kept a better eye on him. Yuder calmly puts up with their fussing, from a distance looking rather like a much beloved doll being passed around by the overly excited Cavalry members. 

Now that the new group has arrived, plans are being made to head to different destinations. The mages they had met here, will be heading back to their tower, taking the assassins that Yuder had caught earlier with them, while Gakane, Kanna and half of the new arrivals will be undertaking the mission of subjugating monsters within the forest. The rest will be heading to somewhere called Tainu, the name meaning nothing to Yuder, aside from the satisfaction that it's the destination that both he and Kishiar will be heading. 

As they are travelling, Kishiar lays out the plan for them in detail, even explaining the reasons behind everything. Yuder doesn't understand much beyond the general gist of it - that they are investigating some very bad people, but they don't want those people to know they are there to investigate them. If they simply arrive, even without announcing their purpose, these people will assume that they are here to investigate their crimes and temporarily halt operations, making it much more difficult to uncover evidence . But if they were to pretend to be on vacation and play up the rumours of their foolishness and incompetence... This is where Kishiar tells Yuder that he has an important role for him, something the toddler is very excited about, because he is rarely included in official missions. The reason for that is exactly the same as for why his presence is now so very crucial...  because who would believe that the Cavalry would bring a small child along on an actual mission? Small children are also known to be destructive and can get away with a great many things without raising suspicions of anything other than childish mischief. Of course, it would be even better if he is not just a random child, but one that the flighty Duke Peletta recently adopted on a whim. 

"In fact, to make it more believable, you should start calling me Dad or Papa." Because of the mission, of course, no ulterior motive behind that request...

"...Papa," Yuder tries. For some reason, it feels strange to say that, not just because he's never called Kishiar that before, but also because it feels almost like another used to have that title... though that strange feeling fades almost as soon as he has it. The distraction of Kishiar ruffling his hair in appreciation, further ensures that that odd fragment of memory is completely forgotten. 

Baron Willhem had, had a rough few days. First, it was the bombardment of unwelcome news - the sudden arrival of Duke Peletta and the Cavalry in the Great Sarain forest, the failure of his hope that the Western Mage Union would interfere with them, effectively eliminating two headaches at once, the appearance of a massive monster whose defeat at the hands of the Cavalry only served to build their reputation and increase the number of complaints that he, the one responsible for managing Tainu, had failed to act. Then, there was the additional news that the knights he had sent to verify the outlandish claims of the Cavalry's accomplishments had wound up dead and that the Duke Peletta and the Cavalry were on their way to Tainu. Not only that, but he couldn't even come up with a plan to divert them elsewhere, thanks to the letter he'd received from Duke Tain demanding that he investigate both the knights' deaths and the veracity of the rumours surrounding the Duke Peletta and his band of commoner Awakeners, along with whether they had any knowledge of their secret trade, by inviting them directly! Thanks to that, he'd had not a single moment's rest, the stress wearing him haggard. 

His plan was to invite the Duke Peletta and the Cavalry to his mansion under the pretext of thanking them for their great achievements, however, he finds the carefully crafted speech in his head temporarily stalling as the carriages finally pull into view and those that seem to know nothing of courtesy, nor decorum, clamber out.

"Ah, thought I was going to drop dead from exhaustion. Finally, we can take a rest!"

"Is this Tainu?"

"I'm a bit thirsty now... Where's the bathroom?"

The rude commoners ramble around the carriages in a disorganized mess, painting a scene too shocking to be comical. In the midst of this, a tall man steps out of one of the carriages, his appearance leaving no doubt as to his identity. Despite his great height, his movements are graceful, matching his captivating features that would trap one's attention and refuse to let go. All of the credible information that the Baron had heard, depicted the Duke as a foolish and dissolute man, unworthy of consideration. But this man...

Is he truly the problem child of the imperial family...?

As he's thinking this, the Duke turns back towards the carriage, reaching inside, a move that confuses the Baron until he re-emerges, a small child in his arms. The boy glances around them wide-eyed, clutching a slightly worn stuffed toy in his hands, the sort a commoner might make for their child. A smudge of what looks like some sort of berry preserves stains one chubby cheek, which Duke Peletta pauses to wipe away, affectionately, with a handkerchief. The child seems not to even notice, dark eyes too busy studying the city around them, curiously. 

Duke Peletta finally seems to notice the Baron standing there, and heads towards him.

"Are you Baron Willhem?"

"Yes, I am... Joseph Willhem. It is an honour to meet you, Your Grace."

Though he stumbles a little, the Baron is pleased to have regained his wits and made it though his practised intro without stuttering. 

"I hear from the guards at the gate that you wished to meet us."

"Yes. You have come a long way from Great Sarain Forest to Tainu; how could I, as the lord, remain idle? On behalf of all the citizens of the Empire on the western border who can now sleep peacefully thanks to Your Grace and the Cavalry, I wish to express my gratitude. I beseech you to accept it."

He'd managed his speech so far, without a single misplaced word. He hadn't expected his offer to be rejected, but the unreadable expression on the Duke's face, stirs a feeling of unease. Just before that worry can fully materialize, however, the Duke's face shifts, adopting a smiling face, devoid of any thoughts. 

"Excellent! I've been worrying about where to sleep, so I'm truly thankful for your offer. Isn't that right, Yuder?" The Duke turns towards the child in his arms as he says this, who in turn, blinks at him, slowly, before giving a slightly bemused, silent nod in agreement. 

"I've gathered quite a bit of fatigue on the way. I'd like the evening meal to be prepared monastically... Ah, are you planning a party, too? Then I'll need to prepare new attire. Where will I be staying?"

"Ah, the... the guest house... has been prepared."

"The guest house! That's good. It should be tolerable. I don't have many people in my current retinue, but personally, I don't like cramped spaces. Too much external attention and interference are bothersome. I trust you'll understand."

"Ye, yes... I understand."

"Ha ha ha. I get the feeling that you and I will get along quite well."

Baron Willhem stares at the place where the Duke had been standing, long after he and his rude subordinates had been led away to the guest house, feeling slightly dazed. It's not until his attendant calls him, that he snaps out of his reverie. 

"...My lord. Are you alright?"

"Heh. The rumours were not wrong at all." Other than the child, who had been something of a surprise, everything he'd seen, matched what he'd heard about the foolish Duke. And now that he thought about it, even that wasn't out of character for the duke; like a child playing with a cute stray that they would soon abandon after growing bored.

"Yes?"

"It's nothing."

Perhaps this would be easier than he had originally thought. 

Chapter Text

"Look at the dishes in this display cabinet. The gold trim is quite beautiful, isn't it? They must be very expensive."

"I saw some dishes just like these in another place earlier. They're so plain. Want to go count how many identical ones are here? It'll be quick if we use the wind ability."

"Sounds fun!"

"Why are there so many paintings of people here? I'd be too scared to come in at night, fearing making eye contact."

For once, Yuder isn't the only one running around and exploring the new place; in fact, if anything, it is the other members of the Cavalry who are louder and more rambunctious, shocking and confusing the Baron's servants as they scurry around. That said, there are still places that are much easier for the toddler to run. Such as under a table, while 'accidently' tugging the tablecloth along behind him, so that an ornamental vase crashes towards the floor before being caught by a panicked servant, successfully distracting the man from chasing after the Eldore twins as he'd initially intended. 

By the time they make it to dinner, the nerves of the Baron and his servants have been thoroughly frayed, and it's Kishiar's turn to take over. Yuder eats quietly, watching the twitching expressions of the nobles as Kishiar rambles on in a funny manner. He doesn't understand half of the things that his 'Papa' is going on about, but he can tell that it thoroughly annoys the other guests, while the rest of the Cavalry and the Peletta knights are clearly struggling not to laugh. Even though he's not doing anything, but eating, some of the servants seem a bit annoyed that he brought Kitty to join him at the table, one even suggesting that he put the doll under the table and out of sight. Since Kishiar has told them all to be as annoying as possible, Yuder pretends not to understand, then when the servant persists, puts Kitty on top of the table beside his plate, positioned as though he’s eating from it. Kishiar immediately observes how adorable this is and the servant eventually gives up.

The dinner runs on for awhile, and with the day's excitement, along with all the food in his belly, Yuder finds himself nodding off, eyes starting to blink slower and slower. Kishiar notices and immediately makes a show of excusing himself from dinner, scooping Yuder up in one arm, while making sure to grab Kitty at the same time. With sleepy, half-closed eyes, Yuder watches the nobles feign regret and understanding, with faces that don't quite match their words. He drifts off completely by the time they make it to the room he and Kishiar are sharing, and doesn't wake until the next morning.

"According to Baron Willhem today, Tainu has many sights and attractions. You would want to see all the beauty that you might never see again, right?"

"Yes!"

"Good. I will give a week's rest to both the second dispatch team that has come this far and the first dispatch team that has suffered a lot in the Great Sarain Forest. Don't worry about the cost, just don't cross the border of Tainu and rest as much as you like."

Kishiar makes a big show of sending the members of the Cavalry into the city to have 'fun', when in truth, they are all looking for clues of Baron's illegal trade. The members of the Cavalry scatter with enthusiasm, breaking off into groups to head around the city. Yuder, of course, goes with Kishiar, while Nathan trails along a short distance behind them. They borrow a carriage from the Baron to carry all of the items Kishiar purchases as gifts for other people (mostly Yuder), from various boxed snacks, to toys, and fancy clothes (including matching hats for him and Kitty). The pile gets so large that Yuder has to sit on Kishiar's lap, or risk being crushed by the various parcels. 

After visiting a number of stores, Kishiar switches from simply purchases items, to badgering the shopkeeper for information on imported goods, as well. The flustered shopkeeper quickly caves and provides them with a letter of introduction for some place called the Red Deer Consortium, which turns out to be a building bustling with workers going in and out with various items. The place is densely packed enough that even though he had gotten used to larger crowds of people after spending so much time with the Cavalry and in the capital, Yuder's grip still instinctively tightens on Kishiar's sleeve. Kishiar looks down at the toddler's wary and uncertain gaze, giving him a smile and reassuring pat before heading into the crowd to show his letter to one of the workers.

The workers seem startled and bewildered by Kishiar's presence, attempting to send them off by explaining they don't sell any goods there and that he would be much better off visiting actual stores to purchase their wares, but all of their concerns are dismissed with a simple tilt of Kishiar's head. Without much effort, he strongarms one of the workers into guiding them inside and as soon as the man scurries off to fetch someone of higher authority, sends Nathan off to scout out the area without anyone noticing. The whole affair is quite amusing to Yuder, watching the befuddled workers scramble around with the same urgency that some of the travellers through the Rik mountains had shown when they accidently stumbled across him using his abilities. And Kishiar hadn't even set anything on fire, yet!

Another man comes to meet them, who introduces himself as the younger brother of the Baron they had met earlier. Yuder can believe it. Even though he is better at controlling his emotions than his older brother, Graham Willhem is still just as flustered by Kishiar's behaviour. Flustered enough that he agrees to take them to the basement to see some newly acquired items that have not been made available for sale yet, after only a little persistence. Even so, he only allows them into one of the many rooms there, claiming the others are empty due to the lack of items currently being stored. The lie is obvious, even without Yuder's ability to sense the strange energy about the place, but Kishiar does not pursue the issue like he did earlier, merely surveying the room they are allowed in, before leaving. 

Nathan rejoins them when they make it back to the room where they first met Graham and they head back outside. By the time they return to the carriage, Yuder is feeling hungry and carefully unwraps the box of cookies that Kishiar automatically hands him, while Kishiar and Nathan quietly discuss what they found at the Consortium. The cookies are chocolate covered, melting over his face and fingers while he's eating, and leaving a sticky mess. Although it would be easier to clean it up with his water abilities, Kishiar insists on using his handkerchief to wipe his face and hands instead, for some reason looking very content while doing so. Yuder can't fathom why, but since it seems to make Kishiar happy, he sits there quietly and lets him do it.

Over the next few days, Yuder and the rest of the Cavalry fall into a routine of driving the Baron and his staff insane, running around, turning the guest house into a playground and being generally disruptive. One tactic they find particularly effective is their very own version of 'Hide and Seek'. In this version of the classic game, Yuder would slip away while the others were 'busy' with something else and find somewhere to hide, often using his abilities to subtly redirect anyone who came too close to finding him. The rest of the Cavalry would 'notice' his disappearance a few minutes later and run around in a loud 'panic', trying to locate him. Once the servants look ready to pull their hair out in frustration, he'd jump out of his hiding place to startle them, earning him a 'scolding' (and cookies, and hugs, and head pats) from the 'worried' Cavalry members, who told him to never, ever, ever do that again (or at least until another 30 minutes had passed).

No matter how many times they pulled the same stunt, none of their targets seem to catch on that it is all staged, making Yuder doubt their collective intelligence. Did the Baron only hire stupid servants? Or perhaps only the stupid ones want to work for him. That actually makes sense to him, so the toddler decides that that must be the case. When he shares this with Kishiar, his 'Papa' only laughs and doesn't correct him, which means he must think so too. Satisfied at working this out on his own, the toddler decides to cheat a little and use his ability to boost himself up onto the roof of the stable when no one is looking. Watching the way the Baron's eyes nearly pop out of his head when he jumps off and into Kishiar's waiting arms after they 'find' him, definitely makes it worth the extra effort.

Chapter Text

Baron Willhem does not consider himself a greedy man. Sure, in his pursuit of wealth and power, he has engaged in business that the Imperial Law might consider less than scrupulous, but he sees that as no more than normal ambition for a man of his status and ability. After all, it is only fair that those with the strength and foresight required, stand on top. But at the moment, such aspirations are not immediately on his mind. In fact, as things stand, he’d simply settle for being rid of his annoying houseguests in the quickest, most painless manner, possible.

The commoners are bad enough, loud, mannerless brutes who stomp around like uncivilized beasts. Yet, they are nothing compared to the Duke himself. Although the Duke has brought a practical toddler with him, it is the man himself who engages in more ridiculous behaviour and throws louder tantrums. It absolutely astonishes the Baron how a grown man could act more childish than the literal small child beside him!

Not that the toddler isn’t a menace in his own right. When he first saw the child, he thought him to be quiet and relatively well behaved, but that was just an illusion. In fact, the child’s eerie silence is part of what makes him so troublesome. While the Baron isn’t particularly fond of the idea of a child screaming and clattering around, at least that way he would be easy to find, whenever he took it in his head to disappear, which was unfortunately, quite often. Especially since those commoners were certainly not quiet when they inevitably found him missing and ran around in a panic trying to locate him, slamming open doors, upturning furniture, and emptying cupboards. Whenever they did eventually find him, they would scold him – for all of five seconds – before rewarding him with hugs and sweets to make up for how traumatizing the entire incident must have been for him, thus encouraging such incidents to happen again and again.

‘Traumatizing’, my foot! The only ones being traumatized are my household and staff, every time that little brat pops out from a cupboard or from under a tablecloth when he finally gets bored with making everyone run around looking for him! Once, he had even somehow climbed on top of the stable roof, a stunt that earned him an extra slice of cake for how ‘scared’ he must have been… even though he had fearlessly jumped into the Duke’s waiting arms when he arrived!

If the child had looked even a little more like the Duke, the Baron would have assumed that the rumours about his infertility were false and that the toddler is one of his bastards that he had taken with him on a whim. Even now, he can’t fully rule out the possibility, as the child’s audacious nature certainly matches that of his foolish father, even if his physical features do not. There's more he can say, but his mental ranting is interrupted by the arrival of a servant.

"My Lord, the First Prince of Tain Family has just arrived here."

"The First Prince? Duke Tain never sent any notice... What on earth is happening?"

"I'm not sure. The lady of the house is with the prince and awaits you."

"I understand."

The sudden visit is unexpected, but it could very well be an opportunity. At the very least, it is a welcome distraction from the Duke Peletta's antics and that of his ill-mannered subordinates. With that thought in mind, the Baron departs in a slightly better mood.

"Hmm? Yuder, have you made a new friend?"

When Yuder had disappeared earlier, Kishiar had thought that he had started yet another bout of 'Hide and Seek', but not only he had returned before any of the Cavalry members had had a chance to 'find' him, he is not alone. Pacing back and forth across the floor, the toddler walks a few feet, then pauses, glancing back to confirm that his new companion, a small yellow cat, is still following him. His round cheeks are flushed with pride, and Kishiar thinks that it is absolutely adorable that a child who can reshape the earth with a wave of his hand, is so ecstatically proud of the fact that he's gained such an obedient little follower. 

Yuder stops and reaches out a small hand to try to brush the cat's fur and the cat more than obliges, rubbing his side affectionately against the toddler's small body. A small, delighted cry emerges from the child's lips and he runs his fingers through the cat's fur, wearing the largest smile Kishiar has ever seen on his face. As he watches them, a small thought niggles at the back of Kishiar's mind. Earlier, he had met with the eldest son of Duke Tain, an Awakener who had been hiding his abilities and who wished to secretly make a deal to overthrow his negligent father and protect his younger siblings. Especially, the youngest, who was also an Awakener, one who could turn into a cat. Surely, this can't be...

The cat leans a little too far against the toddler's legs, causing the pair to fall over, though neither seems too bothered by the incident. In fact, if anything, Yuder appears happier in this position, as he can keep Kitty on the ground beside him and have both hands free to pet the yellow cat.

A knock on the door draws Kishiar's attention, and a moment later, Ever peers in, "Commander, do you have a moment... cat?" Surprise flickers across her face as she catches sight of Yuder and the cat playing together on the floor. 

"Yes, I'm not quite sure where the cat came from, but he and Yuder seem to have become fast friends. You were saying, Deputy Commander?"

"Ah yes," Ever takes a second to regather her thoughts. Her eyes flicker once more to Yuder as she speaks, "Finn, Emun and I were following up on the rumours as you instructed and found some familiar faces at the prison run by the security management team. We didn't want to make the guards suspicious, so we went to report back to you first, before doing anything."

Kishiar nods and gets to his feet. He had sent the three to investigate rumours about wandering groups of people who appeared to have lost all of their memory, a symptom that sounded very suspiciously as though caused by an Awakener's ability. And it appears that that investigation has now borne fruit. "Very well." This would also be a good opportunity to drop in on Pruelle, the first prince of Tain, and quietly verify whether or not his younger brother is currently absent. 

Yuder looks up as Kishiar stands, and starts getting up as well. 

"No, Yuder, I think it's best you stay here, for now. I won't be long." Although he doubts anything will happen, he isn't particularly fond of the idea of taking the child along to visit a prison. 

He thinks he might have to argue with the toddler, and indeed, a small pout does form on the child's lips, but after a moment, Yuder sits back down, obediently, and goes back to playing with the cat. Amused, Kishiar makes note of this for the next time he needs Yuder to stay put somewhere, before he follows Ever out. 

The cat does turn out to be Pruelle's younger brother, Nipollen, a fact that immediately brings relief to the elder van Tain sibling who had been frantically searching for his missing sibling. They return to the annex to find Yuder trying to make a scarf for Nipollen like the one Kitty is wearing, by weaving together strips of fabric that look suspiciously like they had been shredded from one of the Baron's fancy tablecloths, by someone's claws. Yuder is a little sad to see Nipollen (or 'Nippy', since the toddler has trouble managing his full name) leave, but perks up when he learns that the cat will be staying with the Cavalry later. 

"It's a good thing that we were able to reunite the two brothers so quickly. Where did you manage to find him, anyways?" Kishiar asks as they watch the van Tains depart. Although it's possible, he somehow doubts that the youngest Tain sibling, who supposedly is normally adverse to strangers, would have wandered into the Baron's mansion if he hadn't been following Yuder.

Yuder shrugs and makes a broad gesture that could indicate anywhere from the adjacent room to the other side of Tainu. Either the toddler can't remember or - what Kishiar thinks is more likely - it was somewhere a bit farther than he should have been wandering by himself. Since it turned out to be a good thing, Kishiar doesn't push the matter, though a part of him does wonder if he should get the court mages to develop some sort of magic tool that will allow him to track the toddler's whereabouts in real time, when they return to the capital. Just in case. 

Chapter Text

Yuder yawns and stretches, the toddler's stirrings waking his companion, Nippy, the cat's eyes blinking sleepily. The room they are in, is dark and quiet, meaning Kishiar and Pruelle are still at that special 'anni-ver-sary' party that the two of them were not invited to. Kishiar had reassured Yuder that he would not be missing much, as 'special' just meant more stuck up nobles wearing fancier than normal clothes and saying fake nice things to each other (which they seemed to do all the time, so the toddler is really not sure why this is considered special), so the pair had eaten an early supper and been put to bed. Yuder had been tired when he had first closed his eyes, but now that he's rested, the child is wide awake. With Kitty tucked under one arm and Nippy trotting along beside him, Yuder slips out of the room and paddles barefoot down the emptier than normal hallways. While playing 'Hide and Seek', he'd seen a good deal of the Baron's mansion, but since he had mostly been focussed on finding good hiding places and annoying the servants, he hadn't had a chance to properly explore. Some things had happened recently that had made Kishiar and the other Cavalry members tenser than normal, with Kishiar warning him not to go off on his own, but Yuder thinks that wandering around the mansion where they are staying should be fine enough.

They spot more servants the further they go, but Yuder and Nippy are able to sneak around them and make it through without being spotted in turn. When they reach the first level, Yuder notices that there seems to be some sort of disturbance, with servants and guards scurrying around in a state of alarm. The source of this panic seems to be in the basement, and curious, Yuder makes his way to the doorway to figure out what it is, the adults too distracted to notice the tiny child slipping past their scrambling feet. So focussed on his destination, he fails to notice that Nippy doesn't follow him, the cat hissing and backing away in discomfort. The tang of iron assaults his sensitive nose as soon as he reaches the doorway, something that stirs a confusing, but for some reason familiar, uncomfortable feeling. It's too dark for him to see properly, but he catches a glimpse of a disturbing, macabre outline, before a hand drops over his eyes and he's being pulled back. It's too quick for his brain to fully process what he's seen, but the faint image is enough to cause the toddler to freeze, stunned. 

"You don't want to see that, Yuder," Kishiar's voice is gentle and he doesn't uncover the toddler's eyes until they are well down the corridor, with the scary door well out of sight. "What are you doing here, hmm? You should be in bed."

Yuder is subdued the entire way back, watching Nippy follow after them as Kishiar carries him back to the bedroom. When they get there, Kishiar sits him down on the bed and finds one of the open boxes of cookies, before fishing one out and handing it to Yuder. The toddler accepts the cookie and nibbles on it, mechanically, feeling a little better as the sweetness hits his tongue. After a second cookie, he starts to feel a little more normal, the sweet biscuit slowly replacing the dark image in his mind. Kishiar watches his face carefully, then seems to relax as he confirms that the toddler has not been permanently traumatised. After the third cookie, Yuder has calmed down enough that he's gotten sleepy again, and Kishiar tucks both him and Nippy back under the covers. Kishiar hovers a moment longer, before heading out the door. Just as he falls back asleep, Yuder hears Kishiar quietly ask someone to keep an eye on him while he handles the disturbance downstairs, but doesn't see who it is. And a moment later, he doesn't care.

Something serious is definitely happening now and neither Yuder, nor Nippy, are allowed to join in, nor are they told anything. Instead, they remain under the careful watch of Enon and Lusan, while everyone else heads out. Yuder pouts a little about this, but after what he found last night and the serious air that now surrounds the other members of the Cavalry, the toddler does as he's told, quietly sitting in one corner of the makeshift clinic, playing with Nippy and Kitty, or painting on the stack of papers Kishiar had gifted him before leaving. In addition to the colourful paints that came with them, Kishiar had left him a paintbrush, but Yuder quickly abandons it in favour of using his fingers. After a few drawings, Nippy helps contribute by stepping in the open pots of paint and leaving his footprints across the paper. Both toddler and cat end up with several different colours stained on their clothes and fur, before the end, something they don't even seem to notice. Or care about.

When Kishiar finally returns, Yuder runs immediately to greet him... and show off the drawings that he and Nippy had been working on. Kishiar looks a bit tired when he arrives, but he seems energized when he sees Yuder and the painted pieces of paper. The other members of the Cavalry also take a peek, trying to pretend like they know exactly what it is in the drawings that Yuder is showing off to them, while trying to work it out through exchanged whispers.

"... I think the tallest stick figure is supposed to be the Commander."

"But why is he wearing yellow?"

"I don't think there was any white paint in the set that the Commander gave him."

"The one with long hair is obviously Ever... is that yellow-orange blob supposed to be Nipollen?"

"Er... no, I think that's just one of Nipollen's pawprints that got a bit smeared when he walked across the page."

"Wait, the Commander said that blob over there is Nipollen... and Yuder is nodding and smiling, so it must be true. Damn it, no fair; how can he even tell?!"

"What?! That's supposed to be Nipollen?! I thought it was a chair!"

"Pfft... why would Yuder draw a random chair in the middle, when he's drawing the Cavalry?"

"Don't laugh! What did you think it was?"

"..."

"Exactly!"

The next day, Kishiar heads out again, only taking Nathan with him on a special mission, with a firm order for Yuder to remain behind again, despite the toddler's whining. Seeing him sulk, the Eldore twins make the clever suggestion of going on their own 'mission' to provide a 'helpful' distraction and 'cover' for the Commander and Nathan while they're gone... by conducting a raid on the Baron’s kitchen. Having an 'important' task to do, helps perk up the toddler, as does the stash of apricot jam tarts they manage to snag before the head cook chases them away. Especially since the twins seem more interested in seeing how many tarts he can eat at once, than trying them themselves, easily handing over their share of the loot when he finishes his. Nippy also tries one, though he doesn't seem that interested, since he only half finishes the one he's given. Not wanting to waste food, Yuder finishes the rest for him. It's just as tasty as the rest. 

Chapter Text

Yuder hugs Kitty to his chest and shifts his position on the tree branch slightly, as he watches the line of glittering carriages below. In the dark, dressed all in black, his tiny shape looks like no more than a large knot on the trunk of the tree that he's patiently waiting on. Kishiar had waffled about including him in the mission, but since the Baron's mansion is likely to be just as chaotic, after a stern warning that Yuder is not to get directly involved, the toddler had been allowed to come along with the team that Ever is leading. All three of the tasks he's been given to complete tonight, can be managed from his hiding place within the tree, as soon as all of the Baron's 'special' guests have arrived at the auction house. He can't see the other Cavalry members that are scattered around the grounds waiting for his signal, but he can sense their energies, tightly coiled and waiting to be used. This is the first time that he will be operating independently, and his tiny body quivers with anticipation.  

Should he start now? The last carriage had let out its passengers awhile back and the noise from inside the building seems to indicate that they are starting. Just as he leans forward, however, another carriage pulls into view, its occupants loudly grumbling about being late and shouting at the poor coachman. After the carriage leaves and the latecomers disappear inside, Yuder leans forward and begins his first task - signalling the other members that it's time to begin. He sends a faint tremor through the ground, light enough that those inside would ignore it, but the waiting Cavalry members would know that he is getting started. That complete, he switches to his second task, extending his abilities to cause the ground to rise up, forming walls of earth, while also knocking over garden walls and trees, blocking every exit out of the grounds so that none of the occupants of the auction house can escape. Once he's satisfied with the arrangement, all that is left is his third and noisiest task.

Letting go of the earth, Yuder concentrates on the many glass windows that line the auction house, gathering his energy and releasing it, so that every single window shatters. Before those in the auction house can fully register what just happened, he reaches for earth again, causing another earthquake, this one clearly felt by those inside, causing panic and the breaking of many fancy objects within. The guests try to flee, only to come face to face with the Cavalry who were waiting outside. Some try to run away, others try to fight, yet others try to bluster their way through, but all are quickly caught and restrained with ease. Yuder watches the mad scramble below with fascination, occasionally helping out by raising a tree root here to trip a fleeing guest, or sinking a patch of dirt there, so that a noble trying to clumsily swing at a Cavalry member, falls on his butt instead. 

Once everyone has been rounded up, Yuder waits for Ever to return to the tree and jumps down into her arms. Now that the excitement is largely over, the toddler's body seems to remember that it's already past his normal bedtime and he sleepily watches everyone else bundle up the criminals they caught, with his head resting on Ever's shoulder.

He must have dozed off at some point, because the next thing he knows they are back in the Baron's mansion, and Ever is passing him off to Kishiar. Yuder wrinkles his nose a little as he catches a whiff of the strong alcohol that clings to his Papa. Kishiar notices and gives a little chuckle, "Apologies for the smell; it was part of a play I had to put on for the Baron and his guests."

Yuder wrinkles his nose again, but snuggles into Kishiar's shoulder, anyways, half-dozing as he watches the other Cavalry members sort out arrested criminals, frazzled party guests and mislaid furniture. He wonders what sort of chaos he missed. Then decides he can worry about that tomorrow morning and shuts his eyes again. Kishiar chuckles softly when he notices that the toddler has managed to fall asleep in the midst of all of the racket, before turning his attention back to the scene before him. 

The atmosphere at the Baron's mansion noticeably changes after that. With the Baron and many of his guests arrested, the Cavalry are free to complete the rest of the investigation in peace, without having to keep up their act as incompetent and uncouth commoners. Unfortunately, this also means that Yuder no longer has a mission to complete, though he and Nippy manage to fill the time by exploring the rest of the Baron's mansion. (Not the basement, though. Even though it's supposedly safe now, the pair instinctively steer clear of it)

After exploring all of the other rooms, Yuder runs back to where Kishiar is working, excited to tell him about all of the new things he found, but when he enters the room, he finds Kishiar staring at the letter in front of him. His expression is not obviously different from normal, but Yuder can sense that he's upset about something. Quietly, he paddles over to Kishiar and hugs his leg. Kishiar blinks in surprise, then gives Yuder a fond look, and ruffles his hair. 

"Hello Yuder, I didn't hear you come in... did I worry you? I'm sorry, I didn't mean to. It's nothing you need to be concerned about."

Yuder's eyes flicker to the letter that Kishiar has placed on the desk, the question clear on his small face. Kishiar hesitates for a moment, then decides to explain, "My brother, the Emperor, has been sick for awhile now. I just got notice that he recently collapsed."

Concern wrinkles the child's brow. "Bad lights?" he asks.

Kishiar blinks again, "Bad lights? What... ah." He recalls how Yuder had described what he'd seen while easing Kishiar's last cycle, when prompted about it a few days later, "Yes, although His Majesty's 'lights' are in worse condition than mine."

Yuder considers this for a moment, then looks up at Kishiar with bright eyes and offers, "Fix them?"

Kishiar's breath catches. He won't deny that it's a hope he's been holding onto for so long, but... "I appreciate the offer, but last time, you were quite sick afterwards, and I imagine that trying to help my brother will be even more difficult. It's too risky." The toddler frowns, the same frown he wears whenever he's told he can't or shouldn't do something. Kishiar strokes his hair and compromises, "We'll look into it when we return to the capital. We can see what the Emperor's condition is like then, and explore what options we have. Okay?"

Appeased, the toddler nods and gives Kishiar's leg a comforting squeeze. Kishair smiles at the little one's attempt at comforting him and pats Yuder's head again. 

"Whatever would I do without you?"

Chapter Text

"I'm going to miss being called 'Papa'," Kishiar sighs. They're riding in a carriage, finally heading back to the capital after a few more days of sorting out last minute issues, including the start of a new Cavalry branch. Kishiar adopts a melodramatic look, then pauses, dramatically, as if thinking of something for the first time. "Of course... we could always make things more official..."

Yuder looks up at him, curiously, not quite sure what Kishiar is saying. Nippy is napping on the seat beside him, having thoroughly worn himself out chasing the toddler while the pair were waiting for everyone else to finish packing. 

"Would you like that, Yuder? For me to become your Papa for real?"

Yuder cocks his head as if considering it, then snuggles into Kishiar's side.

"Papa," he decides. The smile on Kishiar's lips widens and he hugs Yuder in return. 

"Thank you. That makes me very happy. I will bring it up with the Emperor when we meet him about the treatment as well."

While the number of carriages ensures that they couldn't enter the capital without at least drawing some attention, the response to their arrival is far beyond what anyone is expecting. Yuder peers wide-eyed at the huge crowd of cheering people and the floating flower petals raining down as they enter, at first pressing his tiny face against the glass, then after registering just how many people are actually gathered, scooting back and gluing himself to Kishiar's side, before peeking out from under Kishiar's arm. Amused, Kishiar gives him a reassuring pat, though he, himself, is surprised to see the sort of welcome they're receiving. From the movement within the other carriages, he can tell that the other Cavalry members are barely doing a better job of controlling their nerves, than the toddler currently hiding under his arm. Kishiar takes another look out of the window, staring for a moment at something farther ahead.

"It appears His Majesty wanted to give us a surprise gift, even keeping it a secret from me."

His words cause the toddler to pop back up curiously, cautiously crawling back towards the window to peek out again. His eyes sweep towards the square where a raised platform has been built, with a crowd of seated dignitaries in front and up on the platform, clad in ceremonial robes, the Emperor and Empress. The toddler's eyes lock onto the Emperor as the carriage draws into the square, the concerned wrinkling of his brow letting Kishiar know that his focus is on the Emperor's twisted internal state. 

"It will be alright," Kishiar tells the toddler to calm him, with a confidence he does not feel, before stepping out of the carriage and waving to the crowd. The cheering increases and Yuder is able to slip down and hide behind Kishiar's leg, having foregone Kishiar's offer to carry him, in favour of staying out of sight. With everyone's eyes on Kishiar and the other members of the Cavalry that join them, including those that had remained in the capital, the toddler is practically invisible, though his presence would no doubt generate enough curiosity if anyone spots him. Once all of the Cavalry members have gathered, the Emperor begins to speak.

"Today, I stand before you to express my gratitude to the heroes who have bravely confronted the threats to our Empire and returned without the help of anyone else. ...And so, I will bestow appropriate rewards to Commander Kishiar La Orr and the 330 members of the Cavalry, along with everyone who assisted in this endeavour. A party has been arranged in the imperial palace to celebrate; do not decline but enjoy. I sincerely thank you for your efforts in saving the West."

The crowd cheers even louder and flower petals fill the air, Yuder reaching up and catching a few with his hands as they fall. Undoubtedly, he could catch them all with his wind abilities, but he doesn't even think of trying. In that moment, Kishiar can see that his mind is not that of an Awakener with unending power, but wholly that of a young child in complete awe of the sight before him. 

Back at headquarters, the Cavalry members separate, half of them going out to celebrate, the other half heading back to their rooms to unpack and get some much needed rest. Yuder and Nippy end up falling asleep right in the middle of the floor while playing together, so Kishiar quietly relocates them to the bed, before returning to some paperwork he needs to catch up on after everything that happened in the west. Yuder wakes a short while later, just in time to see Kishiar taking the medicine that Nathan had brought him, generating a curious look from the toddler. 

"Ah, I just had a mild fever and took something for it," Kishiar explains, giving the empty medicine bottle a small shake in emphasis. "It's nothing serious," he adds, in answer to Yuder's concerned look. He notices the toddler's gaze shift to his chest, no doubt scrutinizing his 'lights', tiny brow crinkling with worry.

"Surely it's not that bad," Kishiar ruffles Yuder's hair, "How about this? If you're so worried, how about we take a look now and you can show me what you did before? Since it will be easier for me to convince the Emperor if I have a better understanding of what you did... but only take a look, mind," he says with amused sternness, "I don't want you getting sick again."

Yuder nods, then makes shooing gestures for Kishiar to lie down on the bed. Nippy had already vacated the sheets earlier while Yuder had been still sleeping, wandering off to explore by himself since his playmate was still dozing. Yuder crouches down beside him and places his hand on Kishiar's shoulder. After a moment, the toddler's eyes begin to glow red and four different coloured lights appear within Kishiar's body. 

"... so this is what you see," Kishiar observes the lights with awe and interest. He can make out the 'knots' or 'bad lights' that the toddler refers to, but perhaps he is a bit more optimistic than the small child, because they don't look as bad as he thought they might be, "So when you 'fixed my lights', you undid one of these knots, yes? No, don't do it now," he instructs as he sees Yuder move. When the toddler frowns, he smiles, "At least, be careful. ...is there anything I can do to help?"

Yuder considers this seriously. "Papa can help move lights?" He makes a hand gesture and after a moment, Kishiar realizes he's trying to imitate Kishiar moving objects with his ability.

"Are you asking if I can move the 'lights' with my Awakener ability?" When Yuder nods, he muses, "Hmm... I've never thought of trying it on intangible objects before, but I suppose it doesn't hurt to try. Alright, where should we start then?"

Crimson light glows from the toddler's fingertips, matching the light from his eyes. The energy buzzes along Kishiar's skin, meeting up with his own and he feels intuitively as if it's telling him how to apply his power. It takes some experimentation, but with Yuder guiding and directing him, Kishiar finds that he is able touch and manipulate one of the knots that the toddler indicates with his ability, smoothing it out and fixing the flow of energy. By the time they are finished, the toddler's cheeks are slightly flushed and warm. Kishiar gently tells him to stop and the toddler nods, the lights winking out as if they never existed. Yuder blinks his eyes slowly, like he usually does when he's tired.

"Perhaps we should get some sleep now," Kishiar picks the toddler up to lie him down properly in the bed, but Yuder shakes his head and squirms out of Kishiar's grasp, sliding off the bed and running around the room with a sudden burst of energy. Kishiar notices that the flush in his cheeks is gone now, seemingly replaced by a serious case of the zoomies. Kishiar watches with amusement for a moment, then when it becomes clear that the toddler has no intention of slowing down, he eventually acquiesces with a laugh, "Alright, alright, it seems like you're not ready for bed yet. Shall we go out for a walk first, instead?"

Point made, Yuder immediately stops running around and paddles back to Kishiar's side. After Kishiar finds Yuder's jacket  and puts on his disguise, they head out towards the capital for a casual stroll. Holding the toddler's hand in his, Kishiar is reminded of their first meeting when Yuder had taken his offered hand and a reminiscent smile appears on his lips as they step out into the chilly nighttime air. 

Chapter Text

Despite the chilly night air, the restaurants and streets of the Seventh District are quite busy, filled with people chatting cheerfully, or in the case of several drunks, loudly singing. A few of them, Yuder recognizes as Cavalry members, too busy drinking to notice him and Kishiar walk past. Once they pass the tavern, the streets grow quieter, as they move into a less popular section of the city. Although the toddler had been watching the people they passed, with avid curiosity, Kishiar notices that he seems to relax more now that it's just the two of them walking, surveying the quiet streets with bright eyes. Finally, they reach an old wall covered in scratches and Yuder eyeballs them with a wordless question.

"The Emperor's Sword Mark," Kishiar points to the longest scratch, cutting straight across the old stone, "Made by the first Emperor using Aura. Others have challenged this wall over the years, though none have ever managed to leave one that is anywhere as long or as deep. Now it's largely just a tourist destination, and a less popular one at that."

Yuder lets go of Kishiar's hand so he can approach the wall directly, hands tracing the edges of the marks that he's tall enough to reach. He scans them curiously, then turns to Kishiar, "Where Papa's?"

"Ah, I don't have any marks among these."

The toddler's brow wrinkles in puzzlement though he doesn't go as far as to speak the word 'why?' out loud. Kishiar decides to answer the unspoken question, anyways.

"I guess... it's because I've never really thought about it. Maybe when I was younger... but since it's a power that I can't openly reveal, it's something I've never really considered."

Yuder nods as if he understands, though he looks disappointed. 

"Hmm... do you really want to see me leave my mark that badly?" Thanks to their little experiment, Kishiar's energy is feeling better than ever, and perhaps due to their recent victories and the toddler's enthusiasm, old dreams begin to resurface and bubble up with the desperate urge to test his limits.

The toddler's eyes light up immediately and he nods vigorously. A smile quirks the corners of Kishiar's lips, "Alright. In that case, give me a moment to see... ah, there." He hunts around in a bush and pulls out a badly carved, wooden sword, barely more than a stick with a broken tip. "Now that I have a sword, I need you take a few steps back..."

Dutifully, Yuder darts back behind Kishiar, and watches in awe as Kishiar draws the wooden stick horizontally across the wall, the blue light of his Aura illuminating the night. Where it crosses the wall, a long trace cuts its way just above the Emperor's sword mark. Yuder begins to clap his tiny hands together in appreciation, as Kishiar delivers a dramatic bow. Alas, such an act cannot completely escape notice and there is the sound of distant voices approaching. Kishiar offers Yuder a mischievous smile and picks the toddler up.

"The surroundings are getting noisy. Shall we run?"

Emperor Keilusa massages his temples, purposely not looking at the report that is currently the source of his headache. Although the report had offered no suggestions as to who had left the new sword mark that was creating such a stir in the city, Keilusa has no doubts in his mind as to the identity of the culprit. 

"Ever since he was young, whenever he received an order he didn't like, he'd commit some outrageous and nonsensical act. I thought having to look after a child would force him to act a bit more mature, but apparently that isn't the case."

His chamberlain quietly refills the Emperor's teacup, tactfully refraining from adding his own commentary.

"…To think he'd protest in this manner to convey that he's perfectly fine. I really hadn't considered it."

"Yes, it's truly remarkable. A sword mark that can match that of the First Emperor himself. It's something nobody has achieved in a thousand years. It will certainly be remembered throughout history," his chamberlain agrees. 

"Indeed, if the former Emperor and Empress knew about this, they would be both shocked and pleased just like me." A faint smile touches the Emperor's lips before he becomes serious once more. "I had planned to showcase Kishiar's strength as soon as he returned anyway. Fortuitously, he took the initiative to act first, so that saves us some effort. Bring me fresh parchment. I need to write a letter to the Cavalry."

"Yes." The chamberlain exits the room to fulfill the Emperor's instructions. 

"His Majesty has expressed that voicing complaints about the forced vacation this way is more than sufficient. Apparently, they've set up barriers around the area because so many people have been gathering and it nearly caused an incident. Ah, everyone must've had a tough time."

Yuder looks up curiously from where he has been making a flower crown for Kitty. One of the Cavalry members had shown him how to weave together the stems to make a circlet and the delighted toddler had immediately run off to make ones for himself, Kishiar, Nipollen, Nathan, and now, his favourite stuffie. Kishiar smiles and ruffles the child's hair. "The Emperor has invited us to dine in the Sun Palace. I plan to bring up your adoption and the results of our experiments." After the first night, they had made a few more attempts at manipulating Kishiar's internal energy, finding it easier with repeated practice. 

Yuder nods, looking pleased, and quickly finishes the flower crown in his hand so that they can get ready. They take a carriage disguised as a simple cart, through a secret passage starting in the 3rd district, the toddler watching their route with wide eyes. Yuliver is waiting for them at the end, and Yuder gives him a curious look as he vaguely remembers the old man from his first visit to the palace.  Yuliver leads the way, taking them down passageways that are completely empty, avoiding the other denizens of the palace, until they reach a small dining room surrounded by bookshelves. Kishiar can tell that the unusual arrangement triggers Yuder's fascination, the little quiver in the hand that he's holding, telling him that the toddler would very much like to run around the room, exploring every nook and cranny, but seeing the Emperor already seated at the table and the servants waiting to serve the meal, remains on his best behaviour. Instead, Kishiar can feel a slight shift in the air, the toddler prodding the objects in the room with his powers. 

"Your Majesty, as I've already informed you in my letter, this is my assistant, Yuder."

The toddler's attention is dragged back from the room at the mention of his name, and after a moment, he offers the Emperor a little bow, obviously mimicking the move from observing others, though just as obviously does not fully understanding the purpose behind the motion. A faint smile tugs at the Emperor's lips, "Yes, I remember your little 'assistant'. Please, take a seat."

Kishiar lifts Yuder onto his chair before the child has a chance to boost himself up with his wind powers in front of the servants, and helps him sort out the napkins, the child looking a little puzzled as to why there are so many of them. Then servants enter with several fragrant dishes and the toddler's attention becomes locked on the food that they carry in on them, ignoring everything else. 

Chapter Text

Kishiar and the Emperor begin chatting about the upcoming party, though Yuder tunes out most of the conversation, concentrating instead on copying Kishiar's movements while eating. He's not quite sure why there are so many rules for eating in the palace, when the way he normally eats works just fine, but he dutifully follows Kishiar's lead. He pays slightly more attention when Kishiar brings up his intention to officially adopt Yuder, but as the Emperor's response is positive and the discussion between them seems to require little of his direct input, the toddler turns his attention back to stuffing his cheeks with food. If any of the servants are surprised by how much food the small child manages to consume in that time, they do a very good job of keeping it off of their faces. Eventually, the Emperor calls an end to the meal and instructs the servants to bring out the dessert and leave, allowing for a more comfortable conversation with his brother. The containers that the servants bring are sealed, making Yuder wonder what is inside, but it seems that Kishiar and the Emperor are more interested in speaking first, so he has to wait patiently.

"You did not come here just to discuss Yuder's adoption."

"That is correct."

"Then please state your purpose."

"It pertains to an issue that has plagued both our minds over the past few years. Of the one thing that Your Majesty needs most desperately now."

The Emperor's face becomes unreadable, his expression an inscrutable mask.

"Yuder is able to see the flow of energy within another person's body, and as we now know, can manipulate it to some degree. Although we can make no guarantees at this point, it may also be beneficial to Your Majesty, if you grant him the opportunity to examine you."

The Emperor remains silent, so Kishiar continues. 

"Your Majesty must be aware of the Awakener power I possess. During the process of testing Yuder's power, I realized my ability complements his very well. Wouldn't you feel more at ease if I were to assist him?"

"Do you truly believe so, Duke Peletta?"

The Emperor's tone become formal and Kishiar offers him an open smile.

"Yes."

"You've been conducting such a risky experiment, of uncertain outcome, involving a small child, without informing me, and you still find it amusing?"

"Your Majesty, I understand your concerns, but I ask that you trust my assistant as much as you trust me. Because of him, I was able to achieve results last night comparable to those of the First Emperor. Ever since his power touched me, I've felt a newfound stability in my body."

The Emperor sighs, "Duke Peletta. I know my body best. While God may have granted you another chance, I don't believe I will be afforded the same luxury."

"Your Majesty."

"I have long considered what will happen after I'm gone. That's been the case for many years now, and it is becoming increasingly real."

"Your Majesty, please do not speak so."

"From what I've heard, there's no assurance of success, and in an unlucky situation, merely attempting it could be dangerous, could it not?"

"..."

"In that case, I do not want Duke Peletta to waste your newfound opportunity, or to risk the life of a young child, especially one you deem precious enough to make your son, by making useless attempts. If you leave here, refrain from conducting any more 'tests'."

The Emperor's tone is resolute, final, but Kishiar does not back down so easily."

"When I was in Peletta, who was it that told me never to give up if there was even a sliver of a chance? When I asked you to give up on me, you never agreed to do so. Then, naturally, I will do the same."

The Emperor departs early, citing fatigue, leaving Kishiar and Yuder alone. The toddler watches the Emperor leave, a troubled frown on his tiny face. Kishiar watches him for a moment, then shamelessly distracts him with dessert.

"Luckily, the lid has a magic seal, so it's still cold. Shall we open it?"

Kishiar cracks open the lid so that Yuder can see the concoction inside. The toddler can immediately recognizes the cookies, but the round spheres topped in syrup are new, and the child studies them  curiously. When Kishiar scoops out some and offers it to him, he takes a cautious nibble, eyes widening in surprise and delight as he tastes the cold, sweet dessert.

"Don't eat too quickly," Kishiar laughs when the toddler starts digging into the ice cream on his own, "You'll give yourself brain freeze."

Yuder isn't sure what brain freeze is, but it sounds bad, so he slows down. 

"Your mouth must be cold. Let's have some warm milk to go with it." Kishiar pours him some milk in a glass and offers it to him. Yuder drains half the glass before finishing the ice cream and cookies, scraping the container clean. It's only after he's finished his glass of milk as well, that he remembers the rather disappointing response to their second reason for being here tonight, and slumps forlornly.

"Are you upset about the Emperor's response?" Kishiar asks, ruffling Yuder's hair. The child doesn't respond, just stares at his empty ice cream container and pouts.

"Don't be. Although he didn't agree, the Emperor didn't leave in anger. I didn't expect him to be convinced so easily; the plan was simply to introduce you and your abilities tonight. Unless you want to give up, already?"

The toddler looks up, startled, and shakes his head so violently, Kishiar is worried that he'll make himself dizzy.

"Alright, in that case, let's head back for now and consider another approach."

They are heading back to the carriage, when Kishiar suddenly pauses and looks to the side.

"I feel a familiar presence." 

A moment later, a noblewoman and several maids appear in the corridor. Upon seeing them, the noblewoman lifts the veil that had been covering her face and smiles.

"Oh my, Duke Peletta. I wasn't aware you would be here today. Has the Imperial ban on your entry been lifted already?"

"Your Majesty, the Empress. As you said, it hasn't been lifted yet. But I caused a small incident last night that startled His Majesty, and I received a letter as a result. So, I've come for a brief visit."

"Ah, if you're talking about last night then... My goodness, I thought as much. I figured if anyone could do it, it would be you, Duke."

"I'm not sure whether to say I'm pleased to meet your expectations or to first admire your wisdom in immediately identifying me as the culprit."

The Empress' face lightens with amusement. She glances back towards the maids who have been following her, all carrying wrapped bundles of flowers.

"I came here to personally deliver flowers I've grown in the garden," she glances back towards Kishiar as she speaks, "Would you like to have some refreshments at the palace before you leave?"

"While the invitation is tempting, I fear the Emperor might finally impose a permanent ban on my entry if I accept. I have a companion with me, so let's save it for next time."

"Understood. So this is your young guest?" The Empress' eyes flicker to Yuder, who is trying to simultaneously hide behind Kishiar's leg and study the Empress with wide eyes. 

"Yes, this is Yuder, my little assistant. We were here to greet His Majesty, today." Kishiar smiles down at Yuder, who's trying to squeeze himself into an even smaller space. "This is Her Majesty, the Empress. Come say hello, Yuder."

At his prompting, Yuder slips out slightly, and mumbles, "Hello," repeating the little bow he'd given the Emperor, earlier. 

The Empress offers him a soft smile, "Hello, Yuder. So this is your assistant that I've heard about. It seems you quite cherish him, which makes me even more curious about him. It's a shame we don't have more time to talk." She lowers her veil again, "I should go before it gets too late. May both of you have a peaceful journey."

"The truth is, I didn't just come here today to get scolded."

The Empress halts.

"Do you remember the last thing I told you before?"

"I came to show you the result today. His Majesty seems to think it's too late, but I told him I don't think so. Because the one by my side told me so."

Yuder glances up in puzzlement at Kishiar as the Empress and her entourage depart. Seeing the confusion on the toddler's face, Kishiar gives him a smile and makes a small shushing gesture, before ushering the child back to the carriage. Once there, he explains, "I had told the Empress briefly about our efforts find a solution to improve the Emperor's health. By mentioning it in advance, perhaps she will become an ally in our future efforts to convince His Majesty."

The toddler mulls this over, then gives a sharp nod of approval, a determined expression crossing his face once more. Kishiar's smile widens and he ruffles the child's hair. 

"I'm glad we are in agreement."

Chapter Text

The Cavalry members are all very energetic when they return from their vacations, laughing and joking together. Everyone is very happy to see Yuder again and Yuder them, the toddler weaving between everyone's legs in his excitement. 

"Hello Yuder, how was your vacation?"

"Oh, did you make a crown for Kitty? It's very pretty!"

"You're full of energy; excited to see us, again?"

"Thank you, everyone, for appearing so promptly." The chatter quiets down when Kishiar appears, their attention focussed on the Commander as he arrives. Yuder stops running around, coming to a halt beside Jimmy.

"Did everyone have a good vacation?"

"Yes!"

"I see some faces that seem like they wanted more time off."

"Heh heh heh…" A few of the Cavalry members laugh awkwardly and exchange embarrassed glances. 

"Before returning to our regular routine, there are a few matters I must inform you of."

Kishiar introduces Pruelle and Nipollen to the members who hadn't met them in the west, and briefly speaks about a second round of recruitment to expand out and establish other branches in other regions of the Empire. After answering a few questions on this topic, the Commander finally brings up the subject that most of the members are most eager to hear about - the upcoming party at the Imperial palace. As this is more serious than previous celebrations, Kishiar introduces formal dance practice so that the Cavalry will be prepared, letting them pair up with their own partners.

Yuder and Nipollen form their own pair and join in on the dance practice, though instead of following the actual steps being taught, they mostly just hop in circles around each other until they’re dizzy enough to fall over. Since they seem to be enjoying themselves, the other members just watch with amusement and make sure not to trip over them during their own rehearsal. With their busy schedule, the days pass quickly, and it is soon time for the much anticipated celebration.

Yuder tugs at the collar of his formal wear, the toddler not particularly happy with how restricting it feels. Only the Cavalry's praise of how adorable he looks in it (along with his Papa's promise of a special cake afterwards, if he wears it for tonight) keep him from discarding the jacket and shoes somewhere. The white fabric also makes it very easy to tell if he's been playing in the dirt when he's not supposed to, leaving the toddler fidgeting in the corner, trying to be good, when he wants to be running around, instead. Though in reality, even if he did get dirty, it is unlikely that anyone would notice, as everyone's attention will likely be focussed elsewhere. Especially on the 'golden carriage' that the other members have been snickering about. 

The ride to the palace is filled with tension and excitement, bubbling up as nervous energy that the Cavalry do their best to suppress. Yuder swings his legs back and forth on the edge of his seat, hands tightly gripping Kitty, who's wearing a brand new bow made from the same fabric as Yuder's dress uniform. Kishiar smiles at him and says, "There will be a lot of people at the palace today, so make sure to stay close to me, or to the other Cavalry members. Everyone else is here to celebrate us, so make sure to have fun okay?"

The toddler nods, a determined look on his face, similar to when he's trying to master something new in training, and Kishiar gives a chuckle of amusement at the comparison. He gives the child an encouraging pat on the back and Yuder sits up straighter in readiness.

A red carpet has been laid out for the Cavalry to follow and Yuder is tempted to run his fingers along the surface of the bright fabric, but refrains, as he is supposed to be acting proper today. Music plays and applause erupts as they enter the hall, already decked out in banners bearing the Cavalry's emblem. Everyone's eyes are on them, though most are focussed on Kishiar who is taking the lead. Yuder pays little attention to the crowd, instead focussing carefully on his steps, so that he matches everyone else's speed. As the last Cavalry members enter the hall, a new stir is created among the crowd, their focus shifting to the cart covered in golden fabric that is wheeled in behind them. Curious whispers ripple through the crowd and Yuder hears one or two restrained chuckles from the Cavalry members around him, before they get their expressions completely under control.

The seats at the front are reserved for the Cavalry, and Yuder scrambles up onto his chair before anyone, including Kishiar, can help him. His Papa gives him an amused look at his proud little face, before sitting down in the chair beside him. A few people seem to be surprised by the 'empty' seat, the toddler being too small for most of the crowd to spot over the back of his chair, but they are quickly distracted by the herald announcing the royal family.

"In the name of Orr, may the eternal light that never dims from dawn to dusk bless us!"

Everyone stands up, placing their hands over their heart and bowing their heads. Yuder hastily copies them, though he stands on the seat of his chair, to avoid having to climb back up onto it. The Emperor and Empress enter side-by-side, followed by a young man that Yuder does not recognize. The child studies him quizzically for a moment, then dismisses him, attention returning to the Emperor as he begins to speak.

"I'm grateful that so many have gathered here. On this day, I thank God that I can bestow blessings upon you all."

The Cavalry members receiving awards are called up, one by one, starting with Kishiar, and kneel before the Emperor to receive the proclamation. To keep Yuder's powers hidden, the toddler would not be announced as one of the heroes involved in taking down the monster in the Great Sarain forest, the Cavalry having held their own little award ceremony beforehand, to make sure he didn't go unacknowledged (Yuder appreciated the fancy animal-shaped cookies that Steiber baked for him, more than anything he might have received here, anyways). Then it comes time to reveal the surprise hidden beneath the golden fabric behind them and Kishiar stands up again, placing one hand on the nearest corner of fabric.

"Thank you. While there may be no way to fully repay Your Majesty's endless grace and trust, please allow me to dedicate the head of the monster—brought by the collective will of the entire Cavalry—to the Sun Palace."

There are collective gasps from the audience, including a few screams from the more faint of heart, as the cloth is removed. Yuder can't really see it, as he's too short - and also because several members are purposely standing in his way, he thinks - but the reactions are enough to invoke his memory of the terrifying beast, causing him to instinctively clutch Kitty tighter. The Emperor and Kishiar share a few more words, while the Emperor declares the head will be permanently preserved by the court mages and stored within the palace. For the moment, the head is put on display within the hall, invoking some looks of discomfort from the nobles, though nobody verbally complains. Then it's time for the dance to begin. 

Chapter Text

While the other members are dancing, Jimmy and Yuder raid the banquet tables, the toddler excited to see the wide array of different dishes. Jimmy makes sure to load Yuder’s plate up for him, before the toddler has a chance to use his powers to grab food for himself, or climb up onto the tables. He has to refill both of their plates a couple of times, Yuder’s a bit faster than his own. Yuder's just about finished his plate again, when he notices unusual movement and reactions from the crowd. 

Looking around, he realizes that while he'd been distracted with eating and watching the others dance, both the Emperor and Empress have left the hall, along with Kishiar. One of the nobles seems to have taken that opportunity to approach Gakane, whom he seems to think would be in charge now that Kishiar is absent (Yuder is still not sure why everyone seems to think that, when Gakane always looks so nervous about leading). Yuder is too far away to hear what they are saying, but from the way the man is talking, he's probably saying something pompous. Then the baron waves forward a servant who produces a long object wrapped in red paper. Yuder frowns, extending his powers towards it, trying to figure out what’s inside. As soon as his power reach the package, he feels a weird drain that makes him feel uneasy. He paddles up to Kanna, who is standing closest, tugging on her sleeve and when she bends down, points to the package and whispers, “Bad.”

Kanna frowns. The baron’s behaviour is obviously suspicious, and his ‘gift’, likewise, but if Yuder could sense something directly…

“Bad how?” she whispers back. The child gives a frustrated shrug, having trouble putting his thoughts into words.

Gakane is shaking his head, but the Baron is insistent, saying something that makes Gakane's face flush. Still he refuses, forming a standstill. Gakane obviously does not want to accept the gift, but is having trouble outright refusing, especially since the Baron is being so persistent. Yuder shifts uneasily. He wishes he could just use wind to push the annoying Baron out the door, but he knows enough to guess that that would cause more problems than it would solve. Oh. Wait. Since the problem is the gift itself, then…

Careful exerting only a small amount of his power, Yuder forms a small layer of water along the surface of the package, at the same time, exerting just enough wind to force the baron’s fingers an imperceptible distance apart. The combination loosens the baron’s grip slightly, while making the package itself slipperier. He even manages to time it just as the baron is shoving the package towards Gakane again, so when it slips from his grasp, it looks as though it’s because of his overly careless motion. As it begins to fall, Yuder adds a little push of air to make it accelerate with a bit more force than normal towards the floor. The baron’s eyes just have time to widen before the package shatters against the floor, a purplish liquid leaking out from inside.

There's silence for a moment, then...

“How embarrassing.”

“Looks like wine… perhaps Baron Durmand has partaken in a bit too much this evening.”

Murmurs and titters from the crowd, the other nobles seeming to enjoy the unexpected turn of events, as well as the baron's shock and discomfort. He looks around for support or perhaps, inspiration, but finding none, stammers some excuse before all, but fleeing. A moment later, two servants arrive to clean up the mess, and once they are done, the party returns to normal, as if nothing happened. Kanna glances down at Yuder in amusement, before giving him a pat and whispers, "You did something, didn't you?" The toddler gives her a cheeky grin, before returning to the banquet table to get more food. 

The party continues on until quite late, the toddler practically asleep on his feet when Kishiar returns. His Papa picks him up and takes him to one of the empty lounges, lying Yuder down on the couch and taking off his cape to use as a blanket. The child mumbles something that is probably supposed to be, 'not sleepy', before closing his eyes and immediately falling into a deep slumber. Kishiar gives him an amused smile, stroking his hair, before asking Kanna to keep an eye on him until they can leave the celebrations. 

Aside from the little incident with Baron Durmand, the celebration is quite a hit, with people speaking of the event for days afterwards. Amidst all of that chatter, Yuder finds himself in front of the Dawn Palace with Kishiar, to visit the Empress. Officially, it is so the Empress can formally meet her new nephew, Kishiar having finalized the paperwork while everyone was distracted by the celebration at the Imperial Palace, but privately, Kishiar had told Yuder that they would also be discussing the Emperor's treatment with her. Yuder gazes curiously at all of the elegant bridges that make up the Empress' palace, the surface of the pond they cross over, rippling unusually under the young Awakener's gaze. 

The Empress is waiting for them when they arrive, along with several maids, although the maids depart after setting up snacks for them. Snacks which Yuder almost immediately begins nibbling on, while Kishiar and the Empress chat, after Kishiar nudges the plate closer to the toddler so he can more easily reach. Occasionally, the Empress asks Yuder one or two questions, such as how he likes the Cavalry and what his favourite snacks are, to which the toddler mumbles a brief answer, suddenly shy now that he's being spoken to, directly. The Empress seems unbothered by the toddler's partially inaudible answers, smiling softly at his very serious consideration of all of her questions. Eventually, the conversation returns to the more serious matter of the Emperor's healing and the Empress requests a demonstration before agreeing to assist them in convincing the Emperor. Kishiar lies down in the middle of the room, and after shoving one last snack into his mouth, Yuder hops down from his chair to join him. 

"Only show Her Majesty the lights," Kishiar instructs Yuder, "Don't move any of them today."

Yuder nods and placing his tiny hands on Kishiar's chest, activates his ability. A moment later, four different colours of lights appear above Kishiar for all of them to see. 

"Is this really..."

The Empress stares at the display in awe.

"Does it... hurt?"

"No, I'm perfectly fine. But I must admit, I feel a bit embarrassed revealing myself like this in front of Your Majesty the Empress."

Kishiar's words serve to dissipate the Empress' unease.

"Do you know what each of the lights represent?"

The child does his best to explain, though without Kishiar 'translating' one or two of Yuder's phrases and gestures, the Empress would have probably been completely lost. With Kishiar's assistance, however, she is able to grasp the gist of the process. 

"I see. The vessel...Truly remarkable."

Kishiar taps Yuder's arm gently, "I think we can conclude the demonstration here."

Yuder nods, and releases the energy. The lights wink out of existence. Kishiar sits up with a smile.

"Well that felt easier than last time. It seems like it's gotten easier with practice. Are you alright?"

Yuder nods, though he looks a little tired. 

"You might be fine, but it must have drained you. Here, have something to eat."

Kishiar hands the plate of snacks to Yuder, who dutifully finishes them off. Afterwards, they head back to the carriage, Yuder insisting on walking by himself, already re-energized after eating the remaining snacks. The toddler seems quite fascinated by the bridges, so they spend some time going up and down them, and looking into the pond, before finally heading back. Even as they depart, the toddler's face remains glued to the window, looking back at the palace they leave behind, tracing the shrinking bridges with his fingers until they are out of sight.

Chapter Text

Yuder isn't sure what the Empress says to the Emperor, but she must have convinced him, because a couple of days later, they are back at the palace, this time to meet with the Emperor, within his room. The Emperor looks very frail, frailer than Yuder remembers, the energies within him still a tangled, erratic mess. With the assistance of Kishiar and the Emperor's attendant, he is able to lie down on the bed without incident, but lying there, he looks completely drained. This instils a new seriousness in the toddler's mind, and a look of determination passes his face as Kishiar lifts him up onto the bed beside the Emperor. 

The toddler puts his hands on the Emperor's shoulder and his eyes begin to glow red as he activates his powers. Although he can see the energies within the Emperor, directly influencing them like he had Kishiar's is difficult, feeling not even like smoke, but rather like trying to grab a normal beam of light with his hands. He remains focussed on the Emperor, even as his attendant murmurs in astonishment at the sight. Unlike with Kishiar, gaining access to the Emperor's powers is not instantaneous, nor easy. Prodding with his ability makes him feel like he's pushing on a rotten log, like the one he'd fallen through by accident when he was still running around the Rik Mountains by himself. Since 'falling through' seems like it will have much more severe consequences than the splinters and scraped knee he got last time, Yuder is extra cautious and doesn't just try to force his power. His tiny brow crinkles with concentration as he tries to open the Emperor's vessel, his small body trembling with effort. 

Tense silence fills the room, though there seems to be no change around the Emperor. The Emperor's attendant finally breaks the silence, asking, "It seems to be taking quite some time... Is this typical?"

"It does seem to be the longest it's ever taken," Kishiar admits. His voice is steady, but his eyes remain locked on the toddler. 

"So it's still not working?" the Emperor mumbles. He doesn't look particularly disappointed, having had no expectations of success in the first place. He waits for a moment more, then when there is still no change, addresses Yuder directly, "If it hasn't worked by now, there seems to be no point in continuing."

"..."

"Shall we stop now?"

"..."

"Do you need more time? It might be better to stop before it becomes dangerous."

The toddler's lips form a stubborn moue and he refuses to stop, eyes glowing more intently. The Emperor is momentarily startled by the little one's determination, and as if given an opening, Yuder finally feels as though his powers catch on something, and he wastes no time in pushing forward. Light explodes from his fingers and the lights he can see suddenly become visible to everyone else.

"It seems we have success. Is everything alright, your Majesty?" Kishiar asks.

"The sensation is a bit odd. But otherwise, everything is as usual."

"Shall we continue, then?"

The Emperor nods and Yuder traces the powers in him with his own, careful not to move anything yet. Part of the problem is, the Emperor does not have any red energy like Kishiar and the other members of the Cavalry, making it more difficult... Yuder blinks. He thought he saw a flicker of red light within the Emperor's vessel, but it disappears before he can focus on it. He doesn't remember seeing it before he tried using his powers on the Emperor. Just as he thinks that he might have imagined it, the light flickers again, slightly longer and brighter this time, so he knows that it's real.

"Your Majesty, you're sweating profusely on your forehead. Are you alright?" Yuliver's voice interrupts the child's thoughts, drawing his attention to the Emperor's poor state. Quickly he points out the important features within the lights, including the vessel, before releasing his powers. The lights disappear for everyone else and Yuliver moves to the Emperor's side to assist him. Kishiar is also beside the bed, picking up Yuder and checking on the toddler's state, while telling him to rest. Yuder feels sleepy, but there's something he needs to say before he takes a nap.

"Red light."

Kishiar blinks in surprise at the pronouncement, and the Emperor and Yuliver both turn towards him. 

"... red light? ... you mean you saw the Awakener's power in His Majesty?"

Yuder nods, rapidly opening and closing one hand to indicate a blinking light. He looks up at Kishiar, "Next time, Papa help?"

The Emperor reacts slightly to this, but it is Kishiar who answers first. "Hmm. I'm more than willing to assist in any way I can. However, it would be more helpful if you specify exactly what you would like me to assist with."

Yuder thinks about this for a moment then says, "Papa help move lights; find red light easier. I gather red light and fix." He puts his hands together like packing a snowball. "Like Papa's."

“I couldn't help but wonder if I was being overly optimistic about the situation... But yes, I must admit, if it's feasible, nothing could be better."

There are a couple of words in there that Yuder isn't too sure of the meaning of, but the Emperor appears to be agreeing, so he perks up. 

"Before that, there's something I'd like to ask. Can you assure me that you and Duke Peletta will not be at risk in this process? I mean, can you swear in front of me that no harm, physical or emotional, will come to you two even if you two take on this task?"

It's an incredibly solemn and weighty vow for a young child to make, but the Emperor needs to see how he will react to such a question, before he can truly consider this path. But before Yuder can respond, Kishiar interjects.

"Your Majesty, if a vow is what you require, then I shall make it."

"I did not ask you, Kishiar."

"Why not? I am the one who will assist in the task, and I also bear the responsibility for what Yuder is doing."

"I told you, I didn't ask you."

Yuder's eyes flicker between the two brothers, before settling back on the Emperor. Then the toddler nods once, solemnly, "I'm sure." Somehow, those two words, spoken in the light voice of a child, bear a weight that is impossible to ignore. 

The Emperor gazes at him for a moment, in silence, then finally nods his assent. 

"Very well, I will grant you another chance. However, I am quite fatigued now... as it seems, is my young nephew," the Emperor glances towards Yuder who is nodding off against Kishiar's shoulder, now that the Emperor has formally agreed, "Let's conclude for today."

As if taking that as permission, the toddler finally lets his head droop fully against Kishiar's shoulder and closes his eyes. By the time he reawakens, Kishiar is carrying him into a small palace that he doesn't recognize. Noticing that he's awake and glancing around curiously, Kishiar tells him that it's the palace where he grew up in, causing the toddler to perk up and study the place more closely. Several older servants are there to greet them with bright smiles, cooing over Yuder when Kishiar formally introduces him. They bring a tray of cookies, which the toddler is more than happy to consume. As he nibbles on them, his eyes go to the paintings along the wall, mostly landscapes. Curious, he grabs a few cookies to take along the way and follows the paintings to a gallery farther along, only partially registering Kishiar following a few steps behind him, an amused expression on his face. Eventually Yuder stops in front of a painting that is a bit different from the rest, a portrait of a blond boy with very familiar features. Yuder studies it for a moment, then looks up at Kishiar as if for confirmation. Kishiar smiles down at him.

"Yes, this is a painting of Papa, when I was a child."

Yuder nods in acknowledgement, then goes back to studying the portrait, tiny tendrils of wind tracing the brushstrokes. 

"Papa," he murmurs. 

They stand like that for a moment longer, before Kishiar says, "Alright, we should probably head to bed now. We have a lot of work ahead of us."

The toddler nods and follows Kishiar to the bedroom. The air smells sweet, coming from several aromatic pouches placed around the room. Yuder studies the soft traces of magic that still cling to them, curiously. The traces are too faint for him to make much of them, so he curls up on the bed beside Kishiar, the scent in the air around them, sending them both pleasant dreams. 

Chapter Text

It's night when they return to the Sun Palace. Yuder studies the place bright-eyed and full of energy, Kishiar having made him take a refreshing nap and eat a big meal beforehand to ensure the best chance of success. Kanna and Gakane also join them, though they are only told that they will be assisting with palace security, and not exactly what they will be defending. They remain with Kishiar and Yuder until Yuliver, who is leading the way, indicates that they have reached the final junction where anyone trying to reach where they are going. Leaving Kanna and Gakane behind, Kishiar and Yuder enter the Emperor's bedroom once again. The room looks the same as when the left, though the air feels more tense, as if with anticipation. 

The Empress joins them in the room, something that the Emperor seems to have mixed feelings about, but Kishiar is able to argue successfully that her presence will help with the healing. Yuder isn't as sure about that, but his Papa seems to have noticed something during their previous demonstration and the toddler trusts his judgement, especially since he does detect a faint shift in the Emperor's energy when he looks at the Empress. The Empress stands back, watching them, while Kishiar and Yuder take up position beside the Emperor's bed, with Yuder seated on the mattress right beside him. With everything in place, the child places his tiny hands on the Emperor's shoulder and they begin. 

Accessing the Emperor's inner lights is easier and faster than before, though Yuder notices that they are in a slightly worse state than a few days before. The poor flow is reflected in the Emperor's response, tightening his lips and breathing painfully every time the lights scatter erratically. Cold sweat clings to his face and neck, which Yuliver carefully wipes away.

"Are you alright, Your Majesty?"

"Indeed... It's less shocking the second time around," the Emperor murmurs, eyes flickering towards Yuder's, which are now glowing red. 

"Your Majesty, I will now join this process as well. It may hurt a bit, but if you could bear with it, that would be much appreciated." Kishiar rolls up his sleeves in preparation.

"Do you think I can't endure the pain?" the Emperor asks slowly.

"Not at all. What you must endure is not the pain itself but rather the thoughts that try to keep you shackled to that pain," Kishiar says.

"Thoughts that keep me shackled?"

"Based on what we've seen so far, the most important factor for becoming an Awakener and gaining new powers is a strong desire and will. That said, from this moment, please focus only on one thing."

Yuder gathers some of his own red energy into his palms, scanning the Emperor's body. His movements disturb the Emperor's internal energy, but with Kishiar actively calming those energies with his Ability, the effect is minimal. Suddenly, the Emperor jolts, just as Yuder feels a faint reaction and spots the afterimage of the red light within him.

"Find it," Yuder points towards the light and his Papa nods, helping to tease out the small thread of energy and bundle it together. Once they find one thread, it links to another, and another, scattered all throughout the Emperor's body. It is painstaking work, but seems to be progressing smoothly, such that it looks as though the procedure might be completed without issue. 

Then the sounds of distant thuds and explosions reach their ears, coming from outside. Somewhere nearby, a battle is being fought.

Gakane and Kanna have their hands full with their own trouble. What starts as a tense waiting game, quickly escalates into chaos, when a bloodied attendant tries to pass them, demanding to speak with the Chief Attendant. Kanna finds his words strange, especially since everyone had been told not to disturb them, yet all he does is repeat the same agitated request over and over again. When she tries to read information through the wall, she fails to find anything about the knights that were supposed to be assisting them in other corridors... or from the person right in front of them, something she had never experienced before. Upon hearing this, Gakane gestures for Kanna to move back and uses his shadow to restrain the man who still keeps insisting on meeting the Chief Attendant. The restrained attendant struggles uselessly against the shadow, but a moment later, a red blob shoots out of his mouth towards Gakane. Using his shadow, Gakane manages to block the strange blob, but the impact causes a loud explosion, the shockwave of which, knocks Gakane back. 

"Gakane!"

"I'm fine. Are you?"

"I'm okay too! But what was that just now?"

"I have no idea. He spat it out when I knocked him down... Did he lose his mind?"

"Seems so. I'll read him again."

Gakane uses his shadow to drag the unconscious man closer and Kanna touches his bloody clothes.

"This man is a genuine attendant!"

"What?"

"He had run out to investigate the intruders we were warned about earlier. But then someone he was helping spat out a red blob just like the one we saw..."

Before she can finish her thought, more footsteps can be heard, moving towards them.

"Intruder…"

"An intruder!"

"We must see the chief attendant…"

Ten more people appear, seeming to be under the same effect as the first attendant. Some are servants, but there are also knights among them... part of the security team that was supposed to be supporting them. Gakane creates multiple shadow clones, muscles tense in anticipation for the fight. Fighting this many while trying to incapacitate, rather than kill, will be difficult, but...

"...So you're here." A familiar voice greets their ears and both Kanna and Gakane turn towards the sound. 

"Sir Zuckerman?"

"When did you get here…?"

"I assure you, it's really me. You don't have to be so wary. I was here ahead of you." The sword in Nathan's hand is bloodied, drops falling to the floor as he gives it a casual shake.

"I heard you two would be holding down the fort, which had me worried. But it appears there was no need for concern after all."

Chapter Text

With Nathan's assistance, they are able to quickly subdue the intruders, knocking them out and tying them up, after removing their weapons. Meanwhile, Kanna continues to use her ability, trying to read something unknown. Just as they finish tying up the last person, Kanna suddenly shouts, "This isn't all! Outside! No, upward!"

"Kanna?"

"I read the movements of all those who were controlled! The perpetrators are no longer here. The initial control started not with humans, but with an animal—a bird!"

"A bird, you say?"

"Yes. So, this chaos is not their ultimate goal. They used this as an opportunity to determine the Emperor's location and to figure out what's happening inside—"

Nathan immediately draws his sword again. "We need to go up. Follow me."

As they run upstairs, Kanna sorts the information she'd received in her head, trying to pinpoint exactly what she's looking for. Her nose is bleeding profusely from the effort, but she pushes through, determined not to fail the mission entrusted to her. Finally, she is able to tease out an answer.

"Gakane, Zuckerman. Find an animal, a bird, or perhaps a rat—small creatures that could slip through windows amidst the chaos. They must be here, somewhere close by."

"Understood."

"I got it."

"Over there! Below that wall...!" Nathan immediately stabs his sword where Kanna points, skewering and killing a rat.

"Over there too!"

"Be careful, Adjutant Zuckerman!"

Gakane kills the second rat Kanna points out, both creatures expelling red mist like the puppeted attendants. 

"Two rats. This can't be all of them."

"The rats are numerous and small, making them ideal for scouting. They probably haven't found the Emperor yet."

"Can you read the locations of all the scattered rats?"

"Questioning whether I can do it or not is meaningless at this point. Of course, I will."

They quickly fall into a routine, Kanna detecting the scurrying rats, Gakane spreading out his shadows to block their exits and Nathan killing the rats and guarding the other two. Now that they have figured out this pattern, the rats are quickly slain. Everything progresses smoothly, until the final rat is slain. Unlike the previous rats, instead of red mist, dark liquid flows from its lips. 

"Monster blood!" Kanna yells, eyes widening.

"What?!"

"It’s not the rat's blood. The rat had ingested monster blood… They’ve been targeting this location from the start… A signal? Is that the meaning of the signal? If that’s the case…"

"Something is coming." 

Kanna's eyes dart around, finally settling on a nearby window. At that moment, the moonlight streaming in is blocked by a dark shadow that is definitely not a cloud...

"What was that noise just now?"

"I suspect a rather noisy cat has entered." Kishiar's voice is calm when answering the Emperor's weary question, but his eyes flicker towards the door behind them. 

Yuder blinks, for a second, wondering what cat his Papa is talking about, then realizes that it's probably one of those things that adults say, that don't mean what they should, and goes back to focussing on the Emperor's lights. 

"Your Majesty, I told you there would be a time when you must focus on only one thing. That time is now."

Kishiar's words temporarily help improve the flow of the lights, but with the continued explosions and violent tremors, everything is thrown into disarray again. Then a particularly violent explosion causes the Empress to stumble. Although she is unhurt, the movement distracts the Emperor, causing all of the red light they'd been painstakingly gathering, to scatter. All signs of stability are lost, and the Emperor's body reacts violently, seizing at the pain, broken fingernails leaving trails of blood where they claw at the sheets. 

"Get a hold of yourself, Your Majesty!"

Kishiar glances at Yuder, the child's face still determined, though in his wide eyes, Kishiar can tell that he is clearly frightened by the Emperor's response. 

"It's okay," Kishiar places one hand on the child's back, steadying him, and snapping him out of his frozen state. Yuder starts slightly, then nods, closing his eyes. The lights still appear in his mind, but he shuts everything else out, focussing only on them. 

"Your Highness, Empress! Come here, please hold His Majesty's hand. Hurry."

Yuder hears the rustle of her skirts as the Empress joins them. 

"Lea...ve. Dan...gerous. Go...away." The Emperor's voice is barely a croak, forcing the words out.

"Where do you expect me to go? I'm not leaving. I will stay right here." Yuder can hear the tears in the Empress' voice, though he keeps his eyes closed. 

"I won't abandon you and flee like last time. Didn't you promise? That we'll never face the dawn alone again. That we will lie side by side, holding hands, watching countless days break together. That it will be the family we create."

The Emperor's body trembles, then lies still. The red lights Yuder had been tracking, wink out and for a moment, the toddler panics, but then, miraculously, a faint red light that wasn't there before, begins to glow within the Emperor's abdomen. Despite the urgency of the situation, the child watches the sight with awe. The Emperor is Awakening. 

Kishiar begins pulling the energies together to protect the Emperor's vessel, but the lights within are still too resistance to his efforts. The Emperor is Awakening too slowly; there is not enough energy available to properly protect the vessel, and the effort of forcing the strands together is obviously costing his Papa. The toddler trembles uncertainly, unsure of what to do, when a voice, one that had been quiet for the last little while, returns to his mind.

Let me help you.

The toddler pauses, surprised to hear the voice that had accompanied him in the mountains, what seems like ages ago.

Brother?

The Emperor needs more energy to Awaken fully; we can provide that. Just follow my guidance. 

The toddler nods, trustingly, and follows his brother's lead. Red light glows more intensely around his hands, then sinks into the Emperor.

"Yuder?"

Obvious concern marks his Papa's voice, but Yuder continues forward, and after a moment, the toddler can see the red energy he's supplying, wrap protectively around the Emperor's vessel, guided by Kishiar's ability. The effort is tiring, but Yuder persists, supplying more energy until the protective barrier covers the entirety of the Emperor's vessel, then finally stabilizes. As if sensing the moment, the toddler re-opens his eyes, just in time to see the Emperor's own eyes flutter open, immediately turning towards the Empress.

"Faria..."

The Empress bursts into tears and embraces him tightly, while the chief attendant sinks to his knees as if in prayer after witnessing such a miracle. Kishiar turns towards Yuder, the joy and gratitude clear on his tired face. Somewhere outside, there is a final loud explosion, then silence. Yuder crawls onto his Papa's lap and snuggles into his warm embrace, stifling a small yawn. Celebrations can come later. Now suddenly seems like a very good time to take a nap.

Chapter Text

"What you're about to witness... please keep it a secret."

Gakane looks at the destruction in the hallway, feeling more than a little dazed. All of the windows had shattered and the chandelier had crashed to the floor when the monster Nathan had killed, exploded. Their injuries are minor, thanks to Gakane hastily extending his shadow to protect them all, though Kanna still rubs the back of her head from the impact. The corridor remains quiet, with no other enemies appearing, meaning the assault is likely over. But the surprising bit is...

Nathan Zuckerman is a Swordmaster... Although it had looked similar to the light that Jimmy and other Awakeners with abilities that mimicked Aura, the strength had been completely different, and Gakane has no doubts that he'd been looking at the real thing. Two strikes had severed the monster's unbreakable wing, the third bursting the monster's weak point, it's red eye, leading to the explosion that had impacted the corridor. He glances towards the door they are guarding, untouched despite the damage the rest of the area had received.

They had survived, and successfully completed the mission they had been entrusted with.

Attendants bustle around, tending to the Emperor while the Empress holds his hand, speaking softly. Kishiar shifts the sleeping toddler in his lap... or as much as he can with Yuder gripping his shirt like a security blanket. Every so often, he double checks the child's state, the unfortunate memory of what happened with the monster in the Great Sarain Forest still vivid in his mind, but unlike that time, the child merely seems deep asleep, rather than desperately ill. His complexion is normal and from the grip on his shirt, Kishiar can tell that the toddler still has a fair amount of strength in his tiny body. 

Everything appears to be settled, or at least everything that would require his presence, so after a quick farewell to his brother and sister-in-law, Kishiar departs, intending on taking Yuder to Enon for a check up. The pharmacist will probably give him an earful when he arrives, but that's a very small price to pay to reassure himself that his assessment is correct and the child is merely exhausted from the procedure. 

"...Mama..." The sound causes Kishiar to freeze and glance down at the small child in his arms. Yuder is still asleep, his tiny face scrunched up as if he might be experiencing an unpleasant dream or nightmare, but he doesn't make any other sound than that and eventually, his body relaxes again, as he falls into deeper sleep. Kishiar continues walking, though a slightly troubled expression marks his face. Yuder has never mentioned parents before, had been completely confused when asked if there was anyone else with him during their first meeting. So if he had them, they had either died, or had been separated from him for some time before they first crossed paths. Because of that, he hadn't looked too closely into the child's history, having nothing to really go on, but it seems like maybe he should reconsider opening an investigation.

Yuder runs his left hand through the grass, watching the long blades tickle his tiny fingers with fascination. His right hand is being held by someone else, a familiar hand, though he doesn’t remember whose. The owner of the hand is humming, a soft and gentle tune that feels like a distant memory.

“Oh look, Yuder,” the woman holding his hand stops to point at a small purple flower, “Looks like this one is early. Isn’t it pretty?” She leans closer and false whispers by his ear, “Want to know a secret? It’s Mama’s favourite flower.”

The toddler studies the flower curiously, then attempts to pluck the bloom. His tiny fingers are clumsy, so the petals end up a little crumpled, one almost falling off, as he offers it up towards her. He can’t see the woman’s face clearly, just the upward curve of her mouth blooming into a gentle smile.

“Is this for Mama? Thank you, sweetheart,” she accepts the flower from him and tucks it behind her ear. The toddler beams with pride and the pair start walking again.

Another purple flower catches the toddler’s attention, this one slightly bigger than the first. The toddler stops to pick this one as well, hand slipping out of his mother’s fingers. Pride swells when he manages to grab it without damaging a single petal this time and he turns, beaming, to present it to his mother. Only to find her gone, along with the rest of the field.

Instead, he’s standing in a house, or what’s left of it. Part of the wall is broken and outside, he hears screaming. His tiny fingers tremble against the flower he has clutched there, and just beyond the doorway, he can hear a growl. Something moves there, casting a shadow that freezes him in place. He reaches for his powers to send it away… and nothing happens. There’s no response, no powers for him to grasp. They aren’t there. He isn’t an Awakener yet; just a helpless, scared child.

“Mama,” he whimpers.

That small sound is enough to draw the thing’s attention and it rushes towards him, breaking another piece of the wall that’s in its way. The toddler has just enough time to scream, “Mama!” before shining teeth clamp down on him.

“Yuder! Yuder! It’s okay; you’re okay!” Warm arms hold him as he thrashes awake, while a familiar voice tries to soothe him. The toddler sobs and buries his tear-streaked face into his Papa’s chest, letting him comfort him as the nightmare slowly fades away. As the fear disappears, so do the images he’d dreamt of and he realizes that they are back in the Cavalry building. His hand slowly loosens from Kishiar’s shirt and he sees something else clutched inside. Puzzled, he opens his fingers and stares at the object resting softly on his palm.

“… what do you have there, Yuder?”

The toddler studies the crumpled purple petals, in confusion. The faint image of a field ghosts its way into his mind, then disappears, like mist in the morning sun. After a moment, he holds it up to his Papa, as if hoping for an explanation.

Kishiar carefully takes the crumpled flower from Yuder’s hand, studying it with a frown. He doesn’t remember seeing a flower like this, either in the palace or around the Cavalry building. And when would the toddler even have a chance to pick it up? From Yuder’s expression, he genuinely doesn’t remember grabbing it, either, making it even more odd.

"... do you mind if I take this, Yuder?" Kishiar asks. It might be nothing, but perhaps, he could find someone who could tell him more about the flower.

The toddler hesitates and nods, though his eyes linger on the crumpled petals, as though he doesn't quite want to give them up.

Elsewhere, a woman wakes with tears streaming down her face, a scream buried in her throat, though she can’t remember why. Trying to shake off the remnants of a nightmare she can’t recall, her fingers brush the petals of a slightly crushed purple flower. For a moment, she stares at it, slightly befuddled, cradling the petals on the tips of her fingers. Where had they come from? Were they remnants of the bouquet that her youngest daughter had gathered for her birthday a few days ago? She’s surprised that they carried this far and thought they would be more wilted by now, but that must be it.

Any other explanation would be too fantastical to be true.

Chapter Text

Though Kishiar had had Yuder’s formal clothes made to be as comfortable as possible, the toddler still tugs on the collar of his shirt in protest, until it is rather askew, though Kishiar is sure that no one will make comment of it. Still, an event at the palace requires some level of decorum, so Kishiar makes him keep the jacket on, whispering a promise of a special surprise if he’s patient. Yuder narrows his eyes at him, but knowing that his Papa is good at keeping his promises, keeps his hands wrapped tightly around Kitty instead.

When they enter the dining area where the Emperor and Empress are already waiting, the pair greeting them warmly, fussing especially over Yuder. Although the Emperor’s health is still obviously recovering, he looks much more at ease and the lights within him, remain stable.

“The Crown Prince has entered.” The chief attendant’s emotionless voice cuts through their conversation and the atmosphere immediately chills, friendly smiles disappearing. Curious and wary of who might have caused this change, Yuder sees the young man who had accompanied the Emperor and Empress during the award ceremony. Behind him, is another young man, who blanches slightly when he sees Yuder, though he immediately pretends not to notice him. This behaviour confuses the toddler, as he’s sure that they’ve never met before, but maybe he’s one of the strangers he’d accidently scared before, when living in the mountains. Because if he was more important than that, the child is sure he would have remembered.

The meal starts peacefully enough, though even the toddler can pick up the underlying tensions between the immediate Imperial family and the Crown Prince. Still, none of that matters to him as soon as the food appears in front of him, Yuder focussing on putting each forkful into his mouth, while trying to remember all of the rules of etiquette his Papa had taught him before coming. He’s sure he’s probably gotten some of them wrong, but no one complains, so he just keeps eating.

After a bit, his Papa starts talking about the food, recommending certain dishes to the Emperor and Empress. Most of it seems sincere, although he also recommends a chicken dish to his brother, that contains a type of sauce that the Emperor dislikes, which causes him to cough. Throughout this, the Crown Prince keeps his eyes on all of the other attendees.

"Your Highness, Crown Prince."

For once, his Papa addresses the Crown Prince, directly, something that obviously shakes the young man out of whatever thoughts he’d been having.

"When will you answer the question I just asked?"

Yuder is not sure what question his Papa had asked as he'd been distracted trying to see how many pieces of food he could stab onto his fork at once, without them falling off. He's not sure what excuse the Crown Prince has, but it seems he also missed the same question.

"…I apologize, but I didn't hear you. What did you say?"

"It's alright. In hindsight, it wasn't such an important question. I anticipated that you might not find this gathering particularly pleasant, Your Highness. Perhaps my conversation has been rather dull."

“I-“

Just as the Crown Prince begins speaking, Kishiar turns away from him, back to the Emperor again.

"Your Majesty, if this pleases you, I will arrange to send more next time."

"There's no need for that."

The Crown Prince’s eyebrow twitches and he tries again.

"I apologize, but—"

"Ah, just as the Duke said earlier. It seems fine."

This time it is the Emperor that interrupts him, and Yuder watches the Crown Prince’s expression with fascination, the food on his fork, forgotten.

"Crown Prince, did you have something you wanted to say?"

"...Yes. Actually, I was concerned when Her Majesty suddenly proposed a meal today. I wondered if there were urgent matters to be discussed in such a setting. Especially considering that both of you had appeared together at several official occasions recently. If my concerns are unfounded, then that's good but..."

Suddenly his voice trails off, eyes on Kishiar’s smiling face.

"Why did you stop speaking?"

“…”

"Ah, I see. Your Highness hasn't been well recently either. Yet you've come all this way to show concern for both of them, reminding us once again how precious family is."

"...Indeed. Health is more important than anything else," the Emperor adds to what Kishiar is saying. The toddler looks back and forth between them, confused and intrigued at the same time. Individually, the words make sense, but from everyone else’s behaviour, he seems to be missing a lot. Then he hears that dessert is about to be served and the child perks up, forgetting all about the strange conversation.

Then Emperor speaks again. "Crown Prince. The reason I wanted to hear about your health today is that I've been thinking of gradually delegating tasks that are difficult for me to handle myself."

The Crown Prince blinks in surprise, "What do you mean?"

"There was a recent incident where a monster appeared in the Sun Palace. Fortunately, I was unharmed. However, it made me realize that it would be good to have someone to help out in trying times. But now that we have confirmed that the Crown Prince's health is still not optimal, we are considering passing on these tasks to Duke Peletta."

"Pardon?"

"Not all tasks that one wants to undertake can be taken on; health is the primary condition. Duke Peletta meets the requirements to act on behalf of the Emperor and is in good health, so there should be no problem."

"Of course, such a decision should naturally have the agreement of others. As the Crown Prince of the Empire, I find it difficult to consent."

"Does this mean, despite your condition, you will undertake all the responsibilities I assign to you?"

"If entrusted, I will certainly do so. It is the duty of a Crown Prince, after all."

"Duty… Very well, then…"

"The task I had intended to entrust to you involves a critical matter related to the palace's security. To begin with, the culprits behind the recent monster incursion have yet to be caught. I expect you to resolve this matter beyond any doubt."

The toddler watches the Crown Prince’s eyes widen, though he’s not sure the exact reason. He’s sure his Papa noticed as well, and that he probably has a better understanding of why.

"Feel free to mobilize anyone affiliated with the Sun Palace. Thoroughly investigate the palace guards who initially investigated the incident, the Cavalry, and other palace personnel. Show no mercy to anyone suspected. You've asserted this as your duty, so see it through."

The Crown Prince leaves shortly afterwards, without bothering to give even a proper farewell, which Yuder thinks is probably rather rude. Still, there’s not really anything to complain about, since the atmosphere immediately improves after his departure, becoming more comfortable and enjoyable. Nathan and a woman Yuder remembers seeing around the Empress before, join them, and the servants return with new dishes for them to eat. Although the conversation is easier to follow than before, the toddler finds his concentration entirely consumed by the food that keeps appearing on his plate, not only put there by Kishiar, but also the Emperor and Empress, once they notice what his Papa is doing. Finally, the servants wheel out a five-tiered dessert tower that makes the child’s eyes widen with surprise and awe. The toddler begins to methodically dismantle the impressive pile of sweets while the adults chat among themselves. They seem to be wrapping up their discussion just as the child finishes his last bite, licking the chocolate and sugar from his lips. Sure enough, noticing that Yuder has completely demolished the tower, Kishiar says a few more words before moving onto farewells, and picks up the toddler, so they can head back to the Cavalry Headquarters. Yuder leans his head on his Papa's shoulder, still not quite sure who this 'Crown Prince' is, or what the point of that strange conversation was, but with the lingering taste of chocolate on his tongue, he feels like today was a very productive day. His Papa must think so too, because he has a pleased smile on his lips, and gives Yuder an affectionate hair ruffle as they leave.