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March 3724
Castle Blackscale, Briar Valley
Yanqing had a very special power—he absolutely could not get sick.
He had already learned a while ago about how he was different from most people: he had ‘mixed blood,’ half human and half fae, which meant he was neither but also both of those things at the same time. That meant a lot of things, but one thing it meant was that he was resistant to fae diseases because of his human side, and he was resistant to human diseases because of his fae side. This was good, because it meant he couldn’t get sick, which made him feel better, because he was starting to get just a little (a lot) jealous when he realized that literally every other kid in all of Dragonopolis had magic ever since they were born, and Yanqing was still waiting on his! It wasn’t fair. Every single morning after he woke up, Yanqing tried to use magic to see if it had come yet, willing some small object in his room to move with his mind, but it hadn’t worked yet. Something just had to happen soon, though—Yanqing was already six and a half, and there was definitely no way his magic wouldn’t come before he was seven. He was sure of it.
Right now, though, he had a lot of other things to do other than worrying about magic. Important things. He had his training with Master Jing Yuan to be a knight, and then there was also doing knightly duties like going on patrol, and also, he had school, and also…he was busy doing everything he could possibly do to make his sore throat go away.
He wasn’t sick, really. It was just that his throat hurt and his eyes were scratchy and it was all somehow making him feel more tired than usual. That didn’t count as being sick—he wasn’t even coughing or anything! It was just annoying. He tried drinking lots and lots of water, and he tried going outside for fresh air, and he even tried eating extra vegetables! It still didn’t do anything. He kept feeling thirsty no matter how much water he had, and he kept feeling bad no matter what he did.
But he was definitely not sick, and he could prove it. Master Jing Yuan wasn’t here right now, because he had general work to do outside the city, so he couldn’t do his usual training, but he could still do everything else. Yanqing got up super early in the morning and did all his sword exercises, and all his homework, and now, he was on patrol, just like he’s done before, but…it was getting much harder.
Yanqing needed more water. His legs were getting all droopy and hard to move, and he was getting pretty sure that even the deserts of the Scalding Sands were not as dry and crackly as his throat was right now. He couldn’t complain though, because knights never complained about stuff like this. They were all strong even after getting stabbed and getting seven arrows in their back and being stomped on by a giant robot like the dumb ones the Kingdom of Light had, so there was no way Yanqing could let this stop him! He had to show Master Jing Yuan that he could do this. He heard people say that it was really weird that the General took him in, so Yanqing was just going to have to work hard to show everyone that Jing Yuan was the smartest person ever and was definitely right to train him to be a knight, because Yanqing was going to be the best knight there ever was.
So…he really couldn’t get water right now. He had to finish his patrol route first, because if he didn’t, an intruder could come while he wasn’t looking! And that would be bad. Also, Yanqing wasn’t a liar. People already asked if he was okay, and he said he was fine, so that meant he had to be fine. Even Uncle Lilia told him last night to get plenty of rest, and Yanqing went to bed and did that exactly, but he also insisted he was fine. So, just like a knight, he picked up his feet and walked through the long, long hallway, trying hard not to think about how thirsty he was, because he wasn’t sick, but he kept getting sleepier and sleepier, and the hallway kept getting longer and longer, and he felt all wobbly and his head hurt and he could just…
He barely felt himself tipping over before he was distracted instead by the loud crackle of lightning and the bright light zooming behind him, which disappeared at the same time that hands caught him as he fell, stopping Yanqing from toppling to the ground. If he was feeling better, he would definitely be a lot more excited to see Mr. Sebek’s cool unique magic and a lot more disappointed that he wasn’t paying better attention, but right now, all he was left with was the bleary surprise of getting caught as he blinked upwards to see the concerned and then angry green-haired knight’s face looking down on him.
“YANQING! What is the meaning of this!?” Sebek shouted, as he picked Yanqing up and set him upright in front of him.
Yanqing wanted to say something but only mumbled a groan in response, feeling dizzy. Sebek was so loud…
“Ah…you might have a headache,” Sebek realized, immediately lowering his voice, before looking down on him suspiciously, which instinctively made Yanqing want to squirm and straighten up to show how tall and strong he was. Unfortunately, that did nothing to stop Sebek from exactly what Yanqing really didn’t want him to say. “You’re feeling ill, aren’t you?”
“No I’m not!” Yanqing protested, straightening up even more in defiance. “I’m fine!”
“Don’t lie to me!” Sebek barked back, putting his hands on his hips. “That is exactly what you told Lilia last night, but that is clearly untrue now! How long have you been undergoing symptoms!? You should report such things immediately!”
“But I am fine!” Yanqing protested again, more loudly, with an extra stomp to prove his point that only sort of felt awful because his head still hurt.
“You can hardly walk straight!” Sebek retorted, before slowing down with a long and tense sigh. “Come. You should sit down, and I’ll send for the doctor to look at you.”
Yanqing shook his head, even more determined now to not do that. “But I can’t sit down! I’m still on patrol! A knight never abandons their post!”
“On…patrol?” Sebek asked, sounding confused as he raised his eyebrow. “What are you speaking of?”
“I’m a knight, and knights go on patrol!” That was obvious! Sebek was a knight, so he should know!
“That doesn’t answer the question! Who is it that assigned you to this!? The General is not even present right now!”
“I did!” Yanqing explained, dramatically pulling a folded piece of paper from his pocket and proudly showing it to Sebek, to show that he really did know exactly what he was doing. On the paper was the layout of the entire Castle Blackscale, which Yanqing copied down all by himself, and on top of the map, in red crayon (red because it was important), he drew his patrol route around the castle, which was what he was doing right now.
Sebek’s eyes widened a little, staring at the paper. “Did you…copy down the entire floor layout?”
“Yep!” Yanqing affirmed. “Impressive, right?”
“That’s…!” Sebek started, but then he inhaled all tensely and gave a frustrated-sounding mumble as he held his forehead in his hand, which might have been because he was jealous of how cool Yanqing was, but unfortunately, he also hadn’t forgotten about the other thing. “Your dedication is…admirable, but you don’t have to force yourself to continue. This castle is full of royal guardsmen ready to protect our liege at a moment’s notice, and they are plenty capable of doing this without your assistance.”
“Well, yeah, I know the knights can do anything; that’s what I have to do my part! I’m a knight too, just like you!”
“You’re training to be one! That is by no means the same thing!”
“No, I can do this, and I’m going to prove it!” Yanqing shouted, getting even more upset now because he was a knight, and just because he was still training didn’t mean it wasn’t important, so angrily, he turned around and stomped off, full of new vigor that wasn’t there before…and lasted maybe only ten seconds. Yanqing’s throat felt even worse now, and he was getting all dizzy again, but he knew he had to keep going…
“Hey! Stop that this instant!” Sebek rebuked angrily. “I…” he trailed off as Yanqing kept moving forward, before changing his approach completely. “As your senior guardsman, I order you to stop walking at once!”
“H-Huh?” Yanqing stopped in his tracks, confused. Sebek could do that? He guessed…he was technically an adult, but Yanqing didn’t think that meant he was in charge of him, but…
…but then, Sebek picked him up, turning him around to face him while Yanqing yelped in pure indignation. Who did he think he was—a little kid!? “Your eyes are red, and your voice sounds hoarse!” Sebek diagnosed him emphatically. “We’re going to have you looked at by the doctor at once. Am I understood!?”
Yanqing wanted to insist again that he was fine, but…he kind of knew already that it was no use now. With a grumble, he nodded. “Yeah…okay.”
+++
“You don’t get it—I can’t be sick,” Yanqing explained, after sipping the cup of hot tea that Sebek gave him while they sat down in the unoccupied sitting room. Sebek sent for the castle doctor, who was doing something in Dragonopolis, but she would be here soon, he said. Yanqing wondered if she was doing something super important, which would make it even worse if she came all the way here and he wasn’t sick, but also…he did feel really bad. Yanqing didn’t usually like tea, but this did make his throat feel better than the water did, although not by much.
“That’s preposterous; what do you mean you can’t be sick?” Sebek asked, sounding frustrated but not nearly as shout-y now that they’ve sat down.
“I can’t, because I’m resistant, just like you are,” Yanqing pointed out, wondering if Sebek just forgot. He should know, because Sebek was half-human and half-fae, just like Yanqing was…he was the only one in this whole castle—no, all of Dragonopolis—who was just like Yanqing was.
“Resistant?” Sebek echoed, still seeming confused. “What makes you say that?”
Yanqing sighed sharply, figuring that must mean he did have to explain it all himself. “It’s because fae are resistant to human diseases, and humans are resistant to magic fae diseases. I learned all about it in school. And I’m both, so that means I can’t get sick from anything!”
“That’s what you thought!?” Sebek sounded shocked, before he deflated with another grumbled sigh. “That’s…not how it works in the slightest. On multiple levels. It’s nearly the opposite, in fact—you will have to guard yourself against things which pure humans and fae are immune to respectively, and even so, there is considerable overlap between the species. Humans, fae, beastfolk, and merfolk may all have ailments unique to them, but all must contend with the common cold all the same. Understood?”
“Yeah, but…” That had to be wrong. Even the thing with the cold had to be wrong, because…
“And didn’t you come down with a weeklong cold a mere two winters ago!?” Sebek added. “Whatever gave you this idea that you were immune from being sick!?”
“Well that didn’t count because I was just a kid then!” Yanqing insisted. “I’m bigger now!”
“You’re six!”
“Six and a half!” Yanqing corrected, because that was important and also he was really good at math.
Sebek grumbled with that frustrated-sounding mumble again. “That is besides the point. It is only natural that you will become sick from time to time. That is simply life. There is no point in being so argumentative over it. What are you even trying to prove!?”
Yanqing grumbled, averting his gaze because he didn’t really like that question and didn’t know what to say. He thought back to that day in school months ago, when they were talking about health, and the teacher was telling them all about how they should cover their noses with special magic cloths when they started sneezing elemental magic so that they didn’t damage stuff, and Yanqing had no idea what that was like, because when he got a cold all he sneezed was slimy mucus and not anything exciting like fire or ice, but he had to say something to show he understood, and so, he asked if this was just like getting a cold and if he should use magic to stop a ‘super slime blast’ (he thought calling it that would make it sound more like magic and less boring), but then the teacher just laughed and shook her head and said that fae don’t get colds like that, because they were resistant to human diseases and had so much magic that the magic could just fix everything on its own. She said that Yanqing was just a little different than everyone else in the class, so he should ask his parents about it, when he came home that day. Yanqing couldn’t do that, though…he didn’t have any parents anymore. He knew he could ask Master Jing Yuan everything, but he wasn’t human, so, he asked his teacher another question, instead. He asked if that meant humans were resistant to fae diseases, like sneezing fire, and she said yes, humans could never get a sneeze like that at all! So then, Yanqing was satisfied—he knew now that he was special because he could never get fae diseases or human diseases, and even though he may have gotten sick that one time, he was only going to get stronger as he got older, so it couldn’t happen again. At least, he hoped it wouldn’t.
Yanqing frowned sullenly, turning his eyes to the floor as he wondered if Sebek was right. Maybe he could still get sick. Maybe he could get even more sick than everybody else because of what he was. He really didn’t like that thought at all. If that was true, then… “Then what is it good for?” he mumbled, twiddling his thumbs dejectedly.
“What is…? I don’t know what you’re saying,” Sebek said, prompting him to explain himself.
“What’s being half human good for?” Yanqing asked, finally looking back up at Sebek, hoping for answers. “If it can’t make me not sick, what can it do?”
“That’s…why do you even need to ask that?” Sebek asked. “Being human is not some power that’s supposed to be ‘good’ for anything; it simply is what you are. Nothing more.”
“But that’s not what Uncle Lilia said!” Yanqing protested, knowing that if he knew Lilia said it, Sebek would know it was right. “He said our differences make us special! I just…don’t know what’s special about it; that’s all.”
Yanqing thought about that one day that Uncle Lilia was his teacher at school, because he was a substitute teacher and was at his elementary school a lot, when he stopped Fyrix and Gallin from teasing him again. Those two really liked to laugh at him for not having magic and for being a ‘baby’ because he was thirty years younger than they were, but that didn’t bother Yanqing at all, because he was a knight and they weren’t, and he knew he had a lot of cool moves and could beat them in a fight even without magic, and he did! They got into a fight before, at the official school fighting spot that the older kids showed them, in the ravine behind the briar patch behind the school, and Yanqing beat them both because they were really bad at this. Yanqing wondered if he’d have to go fight them a second time, since they kept tossing tiny fireballs at his hair during recess when they thought Lilia wasn’t looking and were laughing and calling him a ‘magicless human,’ but then, Lilia saw them and went to talk to them, and he got really super scary and cool and got them all to stop.
Later that day, back home at Castle Blackscale, Lilia asked if he was doing okay, and Yanqing said that he was doing great and then talked all about how cool Lilia was, and Lilia smiled and ruffled his hair and said that it was good that his ‘spirits were high.’ He said that, no matter what, Yanqing should follow his dreams and not be discouraged by other people’s words, because he was special and he belonged here, and nothing could ever change that. Yanqing never forgot what Uncle Lilia said, not that he needed to be reminded at all—he knew that he belonged here, because Master Jing Yuan brought him to Castle Blackscale and he promised that Yanqing could stay for as long as he wanted to, and Yanqing did, because he wanted to be a knight, just like Jing Yuan. He was going to live in the castle forever, and he was happy, and…he was fine. Really.
“It’s…! Well…” Sebek trailed off with a grumble, looking like he had to think about what to say. “It’s like I said. Being half human doesn’t need to be ‘good’ for anything, but if you so insist on knowing, I can tell you that it certainly gives you a very unique perspective. You can learn to understand humans and fae in a way that you couldn’t if you were only one or the other, and although aging faster than your peers does mean that your lifespan will be shorter than theirs, you will also ascend to adulthood much more quickly, unlike those whose bodies and minds must take decades to mature. Do you see what I am saying?”
“Uh…I guess?” Yanqing shrugged. He guessed it did sound nice that he was going to be an adult faster and be a full knight soon, but that didn’t quite make him feel better all the way, although that might just be because his throat still felt bad. “But is that it? I just get to get bigger faster?”
Sebek breathed out a long sigh. “Not…necessarily. Look, what you really must understand is that when Lilia said this to you, he hardly meant that your specialness only extended to something so trite as your species! You are an individual, Yanqing!” he declared, raising his voice more strongly now. “Your strength lies not in what you were born with, but what you choose to do with the life you have, and no, that does not mean that you should push yourself to such a foolish display as ignoring your illness! You must take care of yourself! I know that the General would hardly ask you to work in such conditions, nor is he expecting perfection from you even when you are perfectly well. Your place here has nothing to do with being a knight. This is your home, and that is that. Your self-inflicted standards mean nothing!”
Yanqing felt his eyes widen in surprise a bit, when Sebek said that, because he really sounded serious about it this time. He looked up at the older knight and wondered if what he just said was a good or a bad thing, because he didn’t really get it, exactly. “What…do you mean it means nothing?”
“That’s not what I meant!”
“But it’s what you said!”
“No! I mean…” Sebek stopped, exhaling sharply. “What I mean is that you have nothing to prove. I understand that it can be incredibly frustrating, growing up around fae who can do things that you cannot and feeling alone in your differences. However, that is absolutely no reason to despise your human side. You must embrace who you are, every part of you, if you are ever to move forward.”
“But…I don’t despise it or anything,” Yanqing said, shaking his head. “I’m happy how I am! I just…well, it would be nice if my magic came soon, I guess,” he admitted with a shrug. That was the one thing fae had that he didn’t, but also humans had magic too, so there was no reason he shouldn’t. He just didn’t like waiting, that’s all.
“I see,” Sebek affirmed understandingly. “Well, you must be patient. It is rare for one who is not a fae to receive magic as early as six years of age: it will generally come by the age of nine or ten, and it could be even later than that. Such a thing is hardly worth stressing about.”
“…oh,” Yanqing deflated. Nine or ten? That was still three whole years from now! He really hoped it didn’t take that long, because he knew it could happen sooner, but maybe, because he was still half fae, it still had to happen quicker than it did for normal humans. “So, Mr. Sebek, when did you get magic?”
“Me?” Sebek grimaced a little, when he said that, which didn’t feel like a good sign. “I…was fourteen.”
“FOURTEEN!?” Yanqing exclaimed, which immediately made him cough a little even though he hadn’t been coughing at all. He really probably shouldn’t shout, but… “It takes that long!?” Yanqing immediately started counting on his fingers, trying to see how long that was. One, two, three, four… It could take eight years!?
“Not always!” Sebek corrected. “My sister was eleven, and my brother was twelve. It is simply a matter of chance.”
“Okay, I guess,” Yanqing accepted with a heavy sigh. He definitely wasn’t going to take that long, because he was still going to keep practicing every day, but…maybe he could be patient, like Sebek said.
Sebek sighed sharply. “My point is, Yanqing, you shouldn’t put undue pressure on yourself. You are already very strong. Continue your training faithfully, and you may achieve the goals you have set before you, while giving your health and wellbeing the respect it deserves. That means, if you are ever feeling ill again, you are to contact an adult immediately and commit yourself to rest and recovery! This is the path to being a great knight! Am I understood!?”
Yanqing nodded emphatically, feeling like he maybe really did understand now. This was just part of his knight training too, wasn’t it? He smiled with renewed determination, mostly because in addition to all those other things, Sebek said that he was strong, and he was going to remember that. “Okay! I will!”
+++
Sebek had not the slightest idea of how he was supposed to deal with children.
Of course, he was still well-accustomed to dealing with Yanqing specifically by now, or so he thought he was. The General had adopted the child about a year before Sebek joined them all in Castle Blackscale as he assumed his full duties as Briar Valley knight and royal guardsman upon his graduation from Night Raven College nearly two years ago, so naturally, he was used to Yanqing’s presence, especially since Lilia often volunteered to look after him and support Jing Yuan in his care and teaching in other ways, which would then lead to Sebek, Silver, and even Malleus assisting in that endeavor. However, even so, Sebek couldn’t say that he exactly always knew what to do with the child, especially at the beginning. He was the youngest of his siblings, so he was not accustomed to having children younger than him around at home and hardly encountered any other younger children in his childhood and adolescence by other means, either. Even Silver was a year older than him. Suffice to say, his experience was sorely lacking, not that this would deter him from doing his utmost in this task at present, obviously. He was not Yanqing’s guardian by any means, but General Jing Yuan was, and since Jing Yuan was his superior, it seemed absolutely reasonable that it would be within his duty to assist in the endeavor and give nothing less than his absolute best, and so he shall!
But what in Twisted Wonderland was wrong with this child!? Yanqing was taking his sense of duty way too far and was fruitlessly worrying over things that no six-year-old should be worrying over! He was clearly surrounded by people who cared for his wellbeing and would never expect him to work through an illness, of all things, so why was he!? Sebek’s feeling of indignation got only worse when the doctor finally arrived and after the examination diagnosed him with strep throat, confirming his suspicions that the ailment really was more serious than Yanqing let on, although it seems like he held out remarkably well before taking a turn for the worse today. However, Sebek didn’t berate Yanqing any further. He…had probably done plenty of that, already, and his point had been made. He supposed he should just consider it fortunate that he was off-duty at the moment, giving him ample time to simply stay with Yanqing and see to it that he didn’t run off, besides also tending to his needs, of course. Sebek brought Yanqing back to his living quarters after receiving the healing potions from the doctor that needed to be administered over time, and he then acquired some soup for him to eat which would be easy to stomach and soothing for the throat.
Sebek watched Yanqing vacillate between feeling confident, feeling dejected, and simply feeling the groggy haze of sickness. He…supposed he really could understand the feeling. Sebek thought back to what Yanqing just said—honestly, he hadn’t exactly considered before that Yanqing might be bothered by his half-fae, half-human nature just like Sebek used to be, for he never said anything of the sort and appeared to be overall quite content with his life. However, Sebek also knew very well how training could turn into desperation while you were forced to swallow the reality of your glaring weaknesses, not that he as a child was ever nearly as foolish or reckless as Yanqing, clearly. (Well, granted, now that he thought about it, he did try to hide a broken arm once, but that only went on for six hours at most before he relented to going home and allowing his mother to see the mess he made of it.) His lack of magic, as well, definitely wore on him, he still remembered all-too-clearly. He willed himself with every ounce of might he had to unlock his magic for years, first being so sure he would get it by eight, then by nine, then by ten, and then, as his age steadily surpassed the age at which his older siblings got their magic, he silently began to truly panic. What if he never got magic at all? He was almost sure that he had to get it eventually, due to the innately magical nature of his fae blood, but how could he know for sure, when there were no examples aside from his two siblings to draw on? He knew that other people of mixed blood likely existed somewhere out there in this very large world they lived in, but there was no one that he knew about, not here in Briar Valley.
In that regard, he really hoped that he did not just unwittingly give Yanqing false hope. He couldn’t give an absolute guarantee that Yanqing would develop magic at all, and he also knew nothing of his biological parentage to give clearer judgment on the chances of it, for the General hadn’t told any of them and Sebek obviously would not pry. Perhaps his fae blood really would be enough. However, regardless of whether the matter of his magic was clear or doomed to uncertainty, none of that really…fixed the issue, did it?
“How is the soup? Do you feel nourished?” Sebek asked briskly, to which Yanqing nodded.
“Yeah…it’s good,” he affirmed distantly.
Yanqing was feeling dejected again, and this would not do. Sebek had few ideas to none on what to do next. Should he talk to him further? Assure him of his place in the world? Sebek has certainly made that clear already, though, so there was little need to expound further. In that case, he could instead try to distract Yanqing, and for that, asking him to talk about his swords like he had already done at least a thousand times before was always a good way to accomplish that, but with his throat, Yanqing probably should be resting his voice now, which led to a clear other solution.
“Well then, eat your soup and rest yourself, and while you do so, I will regale you of tales of our liege, Prince Malleus Draconia! When you become a knight, you will be in his service eternally and forevermore just as I am, so it is only fitting that you should learn more about his greatness! Is this acceptable!?”
Yanqing nodded, the glint in his eyes betraying his interest, and so, Sebek will take the invitation wholeheartedly, as he launched into a string of tales about the times they shared together, from his childhood when Malleus would abscond from the castle to visit Lilia and Silver in their home, to that one glorious year that Sebek spent by Malleus’s side at NRC and all the adventures that came with that, to their continued experiences until the present. In the process, Sebek found himself talking about others, as well…Lilia, Silver, and even everybody else at NRC. He responded to Yanqing’s questions and noticed how interested he got specifically in stories of the battles they fought, so he told him about more of those, even when Malleus was not involved at all.
It was a fitting distraction, and maybe, in some way, an encouragement as well. Sebek once feared that he may never be worthy of the one thing he wanted most: to be able to stand by Malleus’s side by his knight. He wondered, now, if Yanqing felt a similar way. Sebek didn’t imagine that he could ever make those fears go away with a few mere words, but perhaps, tales like these could at least help the child to properly envision a future fighting by the great Prince Malleus’s (and the General’s) side…even in spite of whatever shortcomings he may experience along the way. Although he was loathe to admit his own weaknesses, Sebek did make sure to emphasize repeatedly the magnanimity of Malleus and Lilia in being forgiving of his failures and the failures of his peers with the added point that they were much like the General was, to further drive home the point.
By the time Lilia returned from the errand he was running to find them both in Yanqing’s room, Yanqing had fallen fast asleep in his bed that Sebek tucked him into, while Sebek meanwhile found himself quite exhausted, himself. He was well-accustomed to extoling others of Malleus’s greatness, but here he had been drawn into animatedly reacting the moves of past battles since that made Yanqing all happy and excited. He was such a demanding child, truly…but no matter. Sebek’s mission had been accomplished.
“Fufu, little Yanqing really wore you out, didn’t he?” Lilia observed with a chuckle, after Sebek had finished telling his tale.
“Hmph. I cannot imagine how I could possibly get tired from dealing with a single mere child,” Sebek huffed in response, realizing quickly that he didn’t quite like the implications of how that sounded. “I am simply exasperated with how difficult he was being—there’s a difference.”
Lilia chuckled again, looking pleased. “Well, I am sure the General would be pleased to hear of what you did. You did very well.”
“Yes! Thank you, sir!” Sebek accepted heartily, the praise invigorating him immediately. “Oh, and allow me to show you the doctor’s prescriptions for him!”
He then went on to relay the information, as it was now his important duty to do, and he resolved to be the one to explain the matter to the General in full, upon his return a day or two from now. It would be unfortunate news to bring, but still, Sebek hoped to assure him fully that Yanqing was always in good hands in his absence. Perhaps, by then, Yanqing would be in an improved mood, as well. The care that the General would surely give him then would perhaps also assuage whatever remaining doubts that he had—Yanqing was, obviously, very much loved, and nothing would ever change that.
And of course, if Yanqing ever did doubt his place here, then Sebek would gladly do his duty and tell him of his error, time and time again.