《The Delinquent Prince》


 Chapter 1: Rebirth

    As Masao sped down the freeway, he tried to remember the last time he¡¯s had a night to himself and he was coming up empty. New problems in the organization were rising up every day now and he, as well as all of his captains, were spending every minute they had putting out fires. Now he was being called into Akihabara in the wee hours of the morning for a meeting. At this rate it was only a matter of time before everything went to hell. Though in hindsight he didn¡¯t really have that much to lose. All he had to his name was the organization he¡¯d unwillingly inherited from his late boss and everyone in it was afraid of him. All he had waiting for him at home was a shitty fake plant that he swore was wilting out of spite. He had no real family, no real friends and definitely no girlfriend thanks to his mean mug that was set in a permanent glare. Hell, he couldn¡¯t remember the last time he felt the touch of a woman that he didn¡¯t have to pay for first. But it was still more than he thought he would ever have in his lifetime.


    After his folks walked out of him when he was still in middle school he started acting out and fell in with the school delinquents. They got into so many fights and all it did was fuck his face up even more. Not long after that, his temper and behavior got so volatile he got himself booted out of school and his foster home. Once he was back out on the street and had no where to go, he ended up doing odd jobs for the local yakuza and worked his way up to the very top where he had no trouble scaring his men into line and his enemies into submission.


    Even with money and power act his fingertips, a proverbial army at his disposal, Masao still wasn¡¯t happy. There were many lonely nights where he wished in vain that things had turned out differently, but he was in so deep that he could only imagine what he could¡¯ve been in another life. He didn¡¯t know why he bothered thinking about it at all, it wouldn¡¯t change anything. For now he had to focus on the problem at hand.


    Masao had been informed that there was a rat in his syndicate. No one wanted to believe there could be a traitor amongst them, they hadn¡¯t had a rat problem since Masao took the reigns, but after all of the shit that had gone down recently, they finally had to accept it. But it wasn¡¯t the feds who the rat was selling them out to, which is why they hadn¡¯t gone completely underground yet.This betrayal was of one family to another. All of their actions were being leaked to their racial yakuza and men were losing their lives because of it.


    Tonight, they were going to lure the rat out, Masao himself would be running the operation. A false operations had been set up in Akihabara to look like money laundering for an electronics shop. The boss himself would be bringing the money and if things went they way they had been, someone would be there to intercept it. Only a handful of people knew about the front plan, even fewer knew the real plan, and only two people knew Masao was going to be there, including Masao himself. Captains were monitoring their underlings for leaks and Masao¡¯s inner circle was monitoring the captains. Anybody seen speaking to to outsiders or engaging in suspicious phone activity would be reported. Though it was difficult to decipher what was abnormally suspicious versus his men being the average scumbags they always were. If nothing came of their plot tonight, it was back to the drawing board while more people were mercilessly gunned down.


    When he arrived at his impromptu front, he saw one of his captains, Yuta, waiting with half a dozen of his men right out in front of the damn building. Masao huffed and got out of the car, slamming the door behind him as he stormed up to the idiot.


    ¡°What the hell is wrong with you?¡± he snapped, shoving Yuta. ¡°Could you make it any more obvious what we¡¯re doing here?¡±


    ¡°We could be walking into an ambush,¡± Masao said, backing away quickly. ¡°We need the backup, we have no idea what could go down.¡±


    ¡°If you want backup so bad, then scatter them and tell them to stay hidden until we need them. If this job has been compromised we don¡¯t want them getting scared off before we can nail their sorry asses.¡±


    Not to mention it was causing a scene, several early morning passersby and neighboring shops were stopping to stare and whisper. Yuta wasn¡¯t the sharpest guy in his ranks but he was never this dumb. With how on edge everyone had been lately, he supposed he couldn¡¯t blame him for being a little twitchy.


    ¡°¡­yeah,¡± Yuta sighed and straightened his tie. ¡°You¡¯re right. You¡¯re always right.¡±


    Masao clapped him on the shoulder.


    ¡°Just keep your head on straight and get ready,¡± he said. ¡°The drop is coming soon, we need to get inside.¡±


    The men took their order to scatter before Masao turned his anger to them next.


    ¡°Do you think anything is going to happen?¡±


    ¡°We can only hope for it at this point. I just want this headache to be over with so we can get business back on track. If they don¡¯t take the bait then drinks are on me after.¡±


    Yuta forced a smile and followed Masao back to his care to grab the bags of cash in his trunk before walking into the computer parts store. There were only two other people in the shop, a girl behind the cash register and a young man looking at keyboards near the entrance. Neither would look at the two men as sweat collected on their brows. Masao gave his bags to Yuta and calmly walked up to the counter. Not use in scaring the poor kid more than she already was.


    ¡°W-welcome in,¡± she strammered, not looking up from the spot on the floor she¡¯d fixated on in fear of fixating on Masao¡¯s unnerving face.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± Masao assured her. ¡°Just take some deep breaths and try to relax.¡±


    The girl nodded and did as she was told.


    ¡°Good. Better now?¡±


    She nodded again.


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    ¡°So can you let your manager know that were here to discuss a business arrangement with him.¡±


    Now the girl finally looked up at him, confused.


    ¡°But one of your men is already back there with him.:


    No one but Masao and Yuta were supposed to be there right now and they hadn¡¯t sent out any word to change the plan. He turned to back to Yuta.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t right,¡± he said, lowly. ¡°Call back your guys, we need to get-¡±


    From behind the employees only for behind the counter, Masao could hear muffled click of a gun being cocked.


    ¡°Get down!¡± he shouted and dropped to the ground as shots were fired straight through the door and into the shop. Behind him, Yuta was struck twice in the chest, but still he managed to draw his piece and return fire. The boy dropped down beside him and took off his sweatshirt to press against his wounds as blood oozed out.


    ¡°Take him outside!¡± Masao shouted at the buoyant stayed crouched as he went around the counter.


    As suddenly as it started, the gun fire came to a halt and Masao could hear several sets of footsteps running away. Drawing his own gun, he motioned for the cashier to crawl out, but she was too scared to move. Her trembling was so violent that Masao doubted she could get her legs to hold her up, which only put her in the way. Instead, Masao pushed her down to lay flat on the floor to lower her chances of catching a bullet if all of the gunmen hadn¡¯t run.


    Slowly, he stood up with his back pressed against the wall and listened closely for any movement. Through the shouting outside and the girl¡¯s frightened whimpers there was a faint shuffling followed by a sharp slick of a magazine reloading. Before it could click into place, Masao kicked the door open and fired at the lone suited man in the managers office, striking him right between the eyes and sending him down next to the now cold body of the stores manager. Behind him, the cashier shrieked and abruptly backed into him. Masao whipped around to yell at her to calm down, but was met by four more armed men that had lined up in front of the shattered store windows. Had it been knives or fists, Masao may have stood a chance, but with a hand gun against rifles, he new his outlook was bleak.


    He kept his gun raised, determined to fight it out until the bitter end, but paused when he realized the cashier girl hadn¡¯t moved out of the way yet. It was as if the world were moving in slow motion. Masao dropped his gun, grabbed the girl by the shoulders, turned them both around, hunched over her and held her close to him as a barrage of bullets filled his back. The pain was unbearable as he felt each one lodge itself into his muscle and bone, puncturing his organs until one finally struck his spine and he felt nothing at all. His entire body gave out, falling on top of the girl. She was stone still and he couldn¡¯t see if she had been hit. His vision was blurring and getting dark around the edges, he couldn¡¯t see much of anything now.


    Holy shit, I¡¯m really dying aren¡¯t I?


    He wasn¡¯t sure what he had been expecting about death or what dying would be like. Every now and then, he thought about what would kill him. and in the back of his mind he knew it would end up being related to work. Either that or chain smoking, but it wasn¡¯t like that matter now that he was choking on his own blood.


    As the worlds went dark around him he could hear the girl talking, but it was like everything was under water. He was sinking, being pulled lower and lower, unable to gasp for air. Masao wasn¡¯t afraid to die, he wasn¡¯t afraid of anything, but the lower he sank eh could feel himself beginning to sweat as he imagined he was being pulled down into hell. Gradually, the sinking slowed to a stop and he began floating. He still couldn¡¯t see but the feeling was coming back to his body, an odd tingle like static electricity was crackling through his fingers and toes and soon through the rest of himself it was squishing gum so tight it was starting to hurt. A bright light suddenly surrounded him, blinding him, and he felt himself being lifted up with ease. It took a minute forall of his senses to return, meanwhile he was being manhandled this way and that as he was being wiped down with a warm towel.


    ¡°Take it easy he yelled as he tried to twist his still weak limbs away form who he supposed were doctors in the ER. ¡°I¡¯m still sore!¡±


    But he couldn¡¯t make the words come out.


    Masao¡¯s stomach dropped to the soles of his feet as he remembered the bullet that hit his spinel. For all he knew he was paralyze from the neck down because of it. How would he defend himself? Whoever tried to kill him before would try again and he was going to be a sitting duck! The frustration boiling inside of his chest became overwhelming and Masao¡¯s normal composure failed him, leading to him screaming out his anguish and anger about this raw deal he¡¯d been given. For the first time in over forty years he was crying and he couldn¡¯t stop himself.


    The rough hands from before lifted him again, covering him with the towel and passed him off to someone with a much gentler touch. It was then, with much slower movements, that Masao felt just how large those hands were. Just one was enough to cover his whole back. He was placed on something soft, warm and sweet smelling and a gentle kiss was pressed to the top of his head.


    ¡­


    Huh?


    Masao stopped struggling and managed to open his eyes, allowing his diml lit surroundings to come into focus. An older woman in a white dress and a large bearded man dressed in humongous furs and gold stared at him intently. The looked like giants! They were speaking breathlessly in a language that sounded like english but their accents were so thick he had a hard time understanding what they were saying. A new rush of adrenaline pulsed through him and have him the force he needed to pull his hand free and try to push himself up. Underneath his face and hand, the cushion he thought he was laying on was undeniably warm and sweaty flesh. He looked up as far as his weakened neck would take him and found a beautiful woman with golden hair smiling down at him, she looked beyond exhausted but her deep blue eyes were full of what he could only describe as pure adoration.


    ¡°Hello, my sweet little prince,¡± she rasped and stroked his cheek.


    Confused and exhausted, Masao didn¡¯t appreciate being touched at the moment, no matter how beautiful the lady was, and reached up to pull he hand away, but he could only manage to wrap his hand around one finger. He couldn¡¯t figure out who these people were or why they were so goddamn big until he saw his hand wrapped around the woman¡¯s finger. Stubby little fingers with barely any nails on them and pink as a newborn¡¯s.


    The word newborn echoed through Masao¡¯s mind as it momentarily went blank and his ears started ringing again. All of the pieces were connecting in his now decluttered brain at last. He really did die back in Akihabara, but he¡¯d been brought back in the most unbelievable way possible. He had no idea what he¡¯d done to deserve a second chance, but he¡¯d been reborn¡­


    ¡°Isn¡¯t he beautiful,¡± Millicet asked as he baby suckled sleepily at her breast, his small eyes squeezed tightly shut. She¡¯s been worried he wouldn¡¯t latch at first, he was so fussy and made both of his parents concerned for his health. His brother and sister before him were so docile when they were born, this one was turning out to be a spitfire already. Even now his face was pinched and red.


    ¡°He¡¯s perfect,¡± Vesamir said and climbed into bed with his wife. ¡°Ours have grown so fast, I¡¯d forgotten how small babies can be.¡±


    He and his wife hadn¡¯t planned on having more children after their twins, so their new son was quite the surprise and that made him all the more special to them.


    ¡°Yole Lauden,¡± Vesamir continued. ¡°Has a nice ring to it, doesn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Yole? After my father?¡±


    ¡°I think it suits him. He certainly has his scowl.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s only a few hours old! He can¡¯t scowl yet.¡±


    Vesamir laughed and pet his sons head.


    ¡°I saw that look he made when you were changing him. See, our son already has the glare of a warrior!¡±


    Yole had stirred from their talking and now glared up at his parents, his red cheeks puffed out like he was pouting. It was incredible how sharply expressive he was and yet his face was still so soft. They hoped that mean he¡¯d grow fast and become strong like their twins.


    ¡°Have you thought about how he will grow up?¡±Vesamir asked, taking the baby from his wife and began to rock him to sleep. ¡°What kind of man he will be?¡±


    ¡°I think for now we should focus on what kind of boy he will be,¡± Millicet laughed. ¡°We didn¡¯t think I could have children anymore, so we made no plans for a third.¡±


    Millicet and Vesamir looked down at their dozing son and tried to find the right words to say that they had no true ¡°place¡± for their son in the castle, at least not compared to his brother and sister. After they were born their paths had been set in stone in their parents eyes as well as the rest of the kingdom. In ten years nothing had needed to change up until seven months ago, nothing was laid out for Yole and his parents couldn¡¯t deny the guilt they felt.


    ¡°We have time, my love,¡± Vesamir said, getting up and placing the baby in the cradle next to the bed. He rubbed the small belly as he started to rouse until his son was sound asleep. ¡°Yole surprised us already, maybe he¡¯ll surprise us again. Our son is a blessing and I¡¯m sure he¡¯s meant for great things. All we can do now is help him grown big and strong so he can accomplish it.¡±

 Chapter 2: A New Life Begins

    A month had passed since his rebirth and Masao finally had to come to terms and accept that everything that had happened was real. Masao was dead and now he was Yole, a freaking baby who couldn''t even hold his head up on his own.


    Yole still didn''t know what he had done to deserve a second chance and while he was grateful for it, he wished it weren''t so boring. What he wouldn¡¯t give for a magazine or a television in this place, it would be better than a teddy bear being waved in his face or the watching a wooden mobile circle over head a million times. All he had done for a month straight was eat, shit and sleep. And if it weren''t awkward enough to have to get his diapers changed, his mother insisted on breastfeeding and since he no longer had his usual iron grip on his emotions, it happened more often than he would have liked.


    Which is where he found himself now, staring up into his mothers blue eyes. He hadn''t left his parents room since he was reborn and his mother hadn''t left his side either. Apparently he was born early and his health was still fragile in his isolation, so he''d spent his time getting acquainted with his new family. First was his parents. His father, Vesamir, was without a doubt the largest mountain of a man he¡¯d ever seen. The first time he was held by the man, Yole thought for sure he''d be crushed. His hair was long and braided in parts, as was his thick beard that scratched Yole''s head whenever his gave him a kiss. Despite his size and scarred face, Vesamir was a kind father and devoted husband, if not startlingly loud and boisterous. His laugh alone had woken Yole up from many a nap in tears. Yole¡¯s mother was, thankfully, more soft spoken. She was gentle and affectionate and Yole had yet to see her without a smile on her face. It had been so long, Yole could barely remember what his old parents were like. Millicet only spoke lovingly to him in a melodious voice, which she often used to sing Yole to sleep, much like she was doing right now.


    ¡°Are you tired, my little prince?¡± his mother asked as she watched Yole¡¯s eyes droop. Careful not jostle him, she lifted her hand and with a short wave of her hand the candles in the room a were put out and the large black marble fireplace was lit with the soft glow of blue embers.


    Another aspect of his new life that he was still getting used to, and the most glaring one at that, was magic. He''d seen both of his parents use it in some form or another. Their powers seemed to primarily revolve ground fire, but he''d also seen his mother heal the minor injuries his father would sometimes return with, or watch his father repair a broken candle habra with his bare hands without leaving a single mark that it was ever broken to begin with.


    Never did he ever think he''d see something so incredible and it brought all of the pieces together. The magic powers, his fathers scars and the weapons collection that lined the room like trophies told Yole all he needed to know; he''d been born into a world of swords and sorcery. A world he


    would''ve seen in picture books.and anime the first time he was a kid. When he first watched his


    mother use her powers, it was to heat his bath water. She placed her hand in the small basin and in no time at all the water was steaming. The very next day is when he saw his father weld


    the candlestick back together and then watched him make a whole new one from the heavy golden chain around his neck. All of the magic so far had been centered around fire or heat, Yole couldn''t tell if there was anything more to it, it had already taken him this long to wrap his head around the fact that this wasn''t some kind of bizarre coma dream.


    Though he couldn¡¯t deny this excitement at the thought of one day having magical powers of his own. It was something he often daydreamed about as a child and even sometimes as an adult, the ability to make something amazing happen with the mere effort of waving your hand or snapping your fingers. In some respects he held that ability as a yakuza boss, with a snap of his fingers he could summon money, weapons and even people. However real magic was much more powerful and, in Yole¡¯s eyes, pure. Magic in this world was warm and not purely selfish like the power he once held with an iron fist. It was something he wanted to be closer to. Though if he wants to be strong enough to wield those magic powers, he¡¯d first need to be strong enough to sit up on his own. Despite the fact that all he did was lay around all day, Yole was exhausted just thinking about all of this.


    Even now as he nursed and his eyes were becoming heavy, he could see his mother lovingly gazing down at him. It was so comforting, it was making him fall asleep again. Hopefully she''d put him to bed when he was done. The more he slept, the less awkward interactions and unbearable coddling he''d be forced to endure. Just as he was about to drift off, the chamber door was flung open as his brother and sister hurdled inside, startling Yole awake again


    Great.


    Just what he needed.


    In addition to new parents, Yole had been gifted a brother and sister, the twins Beor and Cettie. Needless to say, Yole wasn''t quite fond of them yet and it was easy to tell that his brother felt the


    same way. Every time Bear saw him he''d wrinkle his nose in disgust and he refused to hold him whenever their mother offered. Maybe he didn''t like babies, but Yole couldn''t help but, feel like it was more personal than that . Perhaps jealousy that he wasn''t the only son anymore, but Yole hadn''t seen him treat their sister that kindly either. As far as Yole was concerned he was nothing more than a spoiled brat, and Yole couldn''t wait to regain control of his body so he could pay his dear older brother back for the times he pinched him when their parents weren''t looking.His sister on the other hand, was the exact opposite. She absolutely adored her baby brother and loved playing with him. Of course at a month old, Yole was more like a baby doll the a playmate, but at least she was gentle with him. As soon as she entered the room she went straight to Yole


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    and began smothering his face with kisses.


    ¡°Hello baby!¡± she softly cheered and began to pet his head. ¡°Are you excited?¡±


    Excited? For what? Yole wondered.


    ¡°Is it time already, " Millicet asked and stood, passing Yole to Cettie. ¡°I must''ve lost track of time Beor, go check on your father and make sure he''s getting ready.¡±


    ¡°He''s the one who sent us to get you,¡± Bear said, using his own magic to raise the lights back up.


    Yole wiggled in his sisters arms to get a better look at them and saw how ornately they were dressed in long robes and jeweled headwear.


    Are they going to a party?


    It was easy to tell that he''d been born into wealth by the bed chamber alone, decked out in gold and luxurious tapestries. His parents bed alone was so huge it could easily fit the whole family, and a variety of maids were in and out daily. His eyesight was improving everyday and each day he noticed something new. He assumed his family held a position of power to gain such wealth , but he hadn¡¯t learned what it was officially. If his father was a warrior as all of the weapons suggested, he could be a high ranking military official.


    Sending Beor out of the room, Millicet hurriedly changed out of her simple cotton night gown and into a beautiful dress that reached all the way to the floor and along fur lined robe that trailed behind her. Cette set Yole in his cradle and joined her mother at her wide vanity table as two maids entered the room to fix her long hair into an elegant braided bun. When she was done a golden band was placed around her head, almost blending in with her platinum blonde hair. After they finished with his mother, the maids turned their attention to Yole and, after another humiliating change, dressed him in a red and gold gown and wrapped a thin gold band around his head as well.


    ¡°Such a handsome little prince,¡± one cooed at him.


    With the "crown " sitting heavy on his soft head, Yole was starting to figure out that his mother calling him ¡°little prince¡± wasn''t, just an affectionate term of endearment. The large chambers and the servants, it was all starting to fall into place. A place that Yole should''ve realized by now. Taking him from the crooning maids, Millicet cradled her son closely and carried him out of the bedchamber for the first time since he was born. According to the doctor who had come to see him after his rebirth, Yole was born a month early and while that wasn¡¯t necessarily too dangerous, it scared Milliect enough to keep her baby isolated from the rest of the castle for the time being. Yole wondered what was so special to bring him out now. Outside Vesamir and the twins were waiting for them , also dressed up in their ceremonial robes. Vesamir had even combed his hair for the occasion.


    ¡°Don''t you clean up nicely, " he said to his son, who glared up at him.


    Like you''re one to talk¡­


    ¡°Are you ready?¡± Vesamir asked his wife, who let out a sigh at uncertainty.


    ¡°It¡¯s not as if we can turn away the guests now,¡± she said, he hold on Yole tightening. ¡°Are you sure he¡¯s ready? He¡¯s so fussy, what if he starts crying?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯ll be fine, my love. The twins slept through their viewing, I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll do the same.¡±


    Viewing? Like a funeral? Yole didn¡¯t like where this was going. He also wasn¡¯t sure about being around guests yet. So far he hadn¡¯t been around anyone but his family and the seldom few servants that were allowed in the bed chamber, he didn¡¯t want anyone else to see him like this! Giving into his mother¡¯s worries, he started to fuss and squirm in her arms.¡±


    ¡°See, he¡¯s already upset,¡± Millicet said, bouncing her baby lightly.


    ¡°Once he¡¯s in the cradle he¡¯ll be fine,¡± Vesamir once again reassured her. ¡°I¡¯m sure he¡¯s just tired.¡±


    ¡°I know how to make him stop crying, Mama,¡± Cettie said, tugging at her mother¡¯s gown until she lowered Yole down to her. Cettie reached out to her baby brothers chin and started to tickle him. Yole couldn¡¯t help but let out a peel of laughter as her fingers poked at his sensitive skin. ¡°See, all better!¡±


    I¡¯ll get you for this, brat, Yole thought as he hid his face away in his mother¡¯s chest. Next time she tried to pick him, he¡¯d spit up on her just like he did whenever Beor got too close.


    Vesamir took this as the perfect time to rip of the bandage and guided his family to a wide set of double door that reached all the way up to the ceiling. On each side a tall guard stood and, after a swift bow to Vesamir and Millicet, opened the doors, leading to a large throne room filled to the brim with people. All turned to face them as they entered and bowed to them, confirming Yole¡¯s suspicions. Not only had he been gifted a second chance, he¡¯d been gifted that chance as royalty. He was a real prince! As they passed through the parting crowd of people, he could hear them whisper to each other.


    ¡°The new prince is so small!¡±


    ¡°Kind of a runt, isn¡¯t he?¡±


    ¡°My goodness, he¡¯s so adorable!¡±


    ¡°Such a cute baby.¡±


    I¡¯ve gone from the most feared face in the Japanese underworld to a cute, runty baby. How the mighty have fallen.


    Yole didn¡¯t want to linger on all of the small comments he was hearing since, of course he was small, he was a damn baby! But it did make him linger on the fact that he¡¯d still be small for years to come. It was going to take literal decades for him to get back to his normal self and that was assuming his new body would go the same route as his old one.


    At the from of the room sat four thrones, two large and two small, all made of gold and taller than Vesamir himself. Next to the thrones was a golden cradle filled with lush furs and a silk canopy. Yole was carefully placed inside and tucked in with a kiss to the top of his head.


    ¡°Rest now, my little one,¡± Millicet whispered as she gently pet her sons head. ¡°All of these people are here to see you, but Mama will still be close by.¡±


    Once Yole was safely tucked away in the cradle, Millicet too her seat with the rest of her family as one by one their guests came to see the newborn prince. With how full the throne room was, Yole got the feeling that he was going to be there for a long time.

 Chapter 3: The Royal Viewing

    Well, at least the faces of complete strangers was more entertaining than a bear in his face. Despite his father¡¯s wishes, Yole did not sleep through his royal viewing and instead decided to stay awake and take the whole thing in. One by one, members of the royal court, distant relatives, foreign dignitaries and friendly allies approached the cradle to gaze upon ¡°Prince Yole, Second Son of the Iron Kingdom¡±, as he father had proclaimed him. Each visitor brought with them gifts of sorts. From toys, to sparkling trinkets, and even weapons that would one day serve him.


    The first to approach Yole was a man flanked by several men in armor, announced as Zorin, captain of the royal guard. Veamir stood up from his throne and created the equally large man with a crushing bear hug.


    ¡°Let me go you big oaf,¡± Zornin laughed as Vesamir lifted him clean off of the ground. ¡°Put me down so I can see my darling nephew.¡±


    Nephew, huh? Yole thought. So I have an uncle. He must be a strong guy if he¡¯s the captain of the guard, maybe he can help me get back to my former strength¡­


    Zorin looked over the edge of the cradle and smiled down at Yole.


    ¡°Hello, darling boy,¡± he said and reached down to caress the baby¡¯s fine hair. ¡°I hope you and I will become fast friends.¡±


    Yole wrinkled his nose, he knew guys like this from his previous life, total brown-nose. He could see the slime dripping behind his eyes, this guy might be family, but he was after something.


    What is this guys angle? he wondered.


    Yole was the third child of the king, which put him third in line for the throne, so what did Zorin have to gain by garnering favor with him? Though he supposed the man hadn¡¯t stooped to kissing up to a baby just yet, right now he was putting on a show for his father. It would be interesting to see what all he¡¯d be able to make the man do in his favor if it meant garnering favor with the king. The guy had to be strong, maybe Yole could learn a thing or two from him once he grew up a little, for now though, he wanted the slimy bastard to stop touching him, so Yole grabbed his finger with all his might which¡­ he barely managed to wrap his hand halfway around it and pulled it way.


    ¡°Haha! Such a strong grip you have,¡± Zorin chuckled jovially. ¡°We¡¯ll make a warrior of this one yet, dear brother.¡±


    Zorin leaned down an kissed the top of Yole¡¯s head, causing the baby to squeal and thrash, which the older man wrote of as being ticklish.


    ¡°Your majesties,¡± Zorin continued, returning to ceremonial professionalism. ¡°May I present your child with this sword, forged myself in the flames of the deep mountain mines.¡±


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    A guard come forward carrying with him a large broad sword with a smooth red stone embedded in the handle. Zorin was quick to unsheathe it and present it to the kind, who took the sword in hand.


    ¡°Beautiful craftsmanship, brother,¡± Veasmir said. ¡°This will serve him well. The tear is a nice touch, rich with mana!¡±


    Zorin bowed to his brother once more and then took his place standing behind the king¡¯s throne. A slew of new people came up after him, praising Yole for merely existing. Of all the new toys he¡¯d gotten, the one Yole wanted to play with most was the sword. Sure, it wasn¡¯t really a ¡°toy¡±, but it was the only thing that had captured his interest. He didn¡¯t remember playing with a lot of toys the first time he was a kid, his family was too poor for that, but weapons were something his was intimately familiar with. He¡¯d been fascinated with his father¡¯s collection on the bedroom wall, he couldn¡¯t wait to be big enough to handle one of those.


    ¡°King and Queen Shore and Prince Lars of the Seaman¡¯s Kingdom!¡± Yole heard announced as a woman carrying a toddler leaned over his cradle.


    ¡°Look at the baby, Lars,¡± the woman, Queen Shore, told the toddler. ¡°Isn¡¯t he cute?¡±


    ¡°Cute baby!¡± Lars cheered, reaching down to place a small wooden toy fish next to Yole¡¯s hand, eliciting loud coos from their assembled audience. A small token from child to child as the real gift, a large wooden model ship that was big enough for a toddler to sit inside and play in, was wheeled over to the ever growing pile of gifts.


    ¡°Good to see you again, King Lauden,¡± King Shore said with a low bow.


    ¡°Good to see you too my friend,¡± Vesamir greeted and bowed his head. ¡°It¡¯s nice to see our boys already getting along.¡±


    ¡°I hope our sons grow up to be good friends and make the bond between our kingdoms stronger.¡±


    Great, a whole month old and Yole¡¯s relationships were already being politically arranged. This was a harmless friendship between two children, he dreaded to think about what things would be like when he came of age to be married, whenever the hell that was in this world. A beautiful princess could be in his future, though that prospect didn¡¯t interest him nearly as much as the possibility of learning how to use magic or sword fighting.


    After the neighboring king and queen had their look, a lovely woman with blue silver hair and a long wooden staff stepped up to be announced.


    ¡°Mage and Royal Tutor, Lucellia Morsew!¡± he name was projected across the court.


    ¡°Your majesties,¡± she greeted, curtseying deeply. ¡°I see you have a new student for me.¡±


    ¡°Indeed we do,¡± Millicet smiled. ¡°Care to take a look?¡±


    Lucellia nodded and went over to the golden cradle, gazing down at the baby.


    ¡°Hello sweet child,¡± she said kindly and looked deeply into his yellow green eyes, causing Yole to squirm as he felt invaded by hers. ¡°You have a great power deep inside of you and an old soul to guide you in your journeys. The fire within will be guarded bu a wisdom you carry beyond your years.¡±


    Yole froze. Could she tell that he was reborn? Or was she speaking metaphorically? He didn¡¯t think anyone would be able to see him for what he really was.


    ¡°Your majesties, your son has the might of a dragon within him!¡± Lucellia bellowed theatrically and lifted her staff above her head, sending out sparks of red that turned into brilliant fireworks. From the falling sparkles a great winged dragon appeared and flew over the pope and into the ceiling where it exploded once again into shimmering gold and silver flecks. The guests cheered and sang their praises for Lucellia¡¯s showmanship and children present begged for more.


    Yole had to admit, he was impressed. The dragon was so detailed it almost looked real, but Lucellia words are what stuck with him the most. That he carried great strength deep down inside of him because of his ¡°old soul¡±. In the throws of his self pity, he hadn¡¯t considered that retaining his memories and mind set from his old life would give him any sort of edge. With hard work and a little patience, Yole might be able to reclaim his former glory faster than he thought. As long as he played his new role right, his princely title would bring him to a whole new level.

 Chapter 4: Mana Awakens

    Five years passed like fifty as Yole began to grow at last, though five years old still wasn¡¯t necessarily ideal as he was on the short side for his age. He was almost three feet tall now thanks to his most recent growth spurt and was starting to put on lean muscle thanks to all of the training he had been doing.


    Everyday since he relearned how to walk he went to the castle training grounds, following his brother and sister, and copied their moves in hand to hand combat and sword fighting. When he turned four his parents gifted him with a heavy wooden sword to practice with after he¡¯d tried to get to his real one that remained mounted high on his bedroom wall out of reach. In his past life he¡¯d used a katana a handful of times, but it was vastly different from fighting with a broad sword.


    His only real problem now was finding someone who would train with him seriously.


    Cettie was too hesitant when they sparred in fear of hurting her precious baby brother and Beor was the exact opposite, so on the days he actually agreed to spare with Yole he fought dirty until Yole had enough and let himself be dragged down to his level and they¡¯d have to be separated. Zorin was such a kiss ass that he always let Yole win whenever they spared together and he was praised for the smallest of things. It was annoying more than anything and Yole refused to let himself be spoiled like that. As the baby of the family his parents weren¡¯t as strict with him as they were with his siblings. Yole could get away with murder if he just batted his eyes at his parents and they would just send him off with a pat on the head. But he figured that was because hid siblings had a grander purpose and responsibility than he did, which didn¡¯t say much considering he hadn¡¯t found his purpose yet. Yole thought if he earned a second chance then he had to be a reason behind why. He learned early on that his siblings would carry great burdens in service of their kingdom.


    Cettie, the first born twin, was the heir to the throne and would one day reign as queen of The Iron Kingdom, a strong domain that wrapped around the base of a mighty mountain. Everyday their parents would whisk her away for some sort of lesson. Sometimes it was etiquette with Millicet, learning how to conduct herself as proper queen and ruler. Other times it would be sitting in on their Vesamir¡¯s meetings and the royal court to get a first hand look at her future responsibilities. The rest of the time was spent with tutors or learning the fine arts of battle with Uncle Zorin. Of course she always found time to play with her baby brother somehow, and by ¡°play¡± Yole meant torment. Cettie would treat him like a dress up doll and if he had to sit through one more tea party, he was going to crack. Even still, Yole did love his big sister and couldn¡¯t say no whenever she gave him the puppy dog eyes. A skill she had also passed along to him. He especially liked her more than he liked their brother. Where as Cettie was nothing but kind to him, if not a little over bearing, Beor had only gotten more cold over the years.


    As the second born, Beor would take over as captain of the royal guard when Zorin stepped down. It was a position of great prestige as well, but Beor wore his bitterness and resentment on his sleeve. He¡¯d been jealous of Cettie since the day they were born and his seemingly unbridled aggression was one of his many ways to over compensate. He had few friends, the desperate hangers-on to an in with a royal family, and they were all nothing but a posey of schoolyard bullies; who, in spite of their best efforts, couldn¡¯t scare Yole. In his past life he stole lunch money from kids like that when he was their age and Yole loved that it drove Beor crazy to no end that he couldn¡¯t get a real rise out of him. He may have been smaller than his big brother, but that just made it easier to dodge his attacks when they were sparring, which blew another huge hole in Beor¡¯s pride. The bigger they are, the harder they fall after all. And most of the time he could squirm away with little problem during any physical altercations with him off of the training grounds as well.


    There was, however, one aspect in which Beor has the upper hand over Yole.


    Having spent enough time at the training grounds for one day (or at least that¡¯s what his mother told him when she came to collect him for a nap), Yole found himself fighting his boredom in the nursery by building a replica of the castle with his wooden blocks. Not exactly the most stimulating activity, but it was better than nothing and he¡¯d just barely avoided another game of makeover with Cettie before she was carted off by the tutor she was hiding from. About halfway through, a blue fireball suddenly appeared and enveloped the blocks, turning theme into smoldering ashes. Panicking and thinking that they were under attack, Yole grabbed the nearest weapon, his wooden sword, and poised himself to fight back. Another burst of flame caught on the sword, causing him to throw it down and frantically stomp it out. From the doorway, he heard roars of laughter and turned to see Beor and his friends blocking it.


    Until Yole developed his own mana, Beor drastically outclassed him in terms of magic. According to their parents and Lucellia, a person¡¯s mana didn¡¯t awaken until the age of six or seven, so Yole still had at least a year left to go until his own powers came in, it was worse than waiting to lose his baby teeth. And until then he didn¡¯t have anyway to fight back against his brother on even ground.


    ¡°Sorry, little brother,¡± Beor said sarcastically. ¡°I was aiming for your head.¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t worried, you¡¯ve always had piss poor aim,¡± Yole shot back. ¡°Leave me alone, I¡¯m not in the mood for your crap today.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯d you say to me you little shit?¡±


    Beor crossed the room in a flash and grabbed Yole by the shirt, lifting him clean off of the ground.


    ¡°Put me down,¡± Yole shouted, already wiggling his way out of his shirt.


    Yole was no rat, so he never tattled on Beor to their parents, though they had caught him in the act numerous times before. Not to mention forge magic left behind plenty of evidence, But Yole never accused him of being the smarter twin.


    ¡°What¡¯re you gonna do? Call mama and papa on me?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯ll call Cettie!¡±


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    Yole may not snitch to their parents, but he wasn¡¯t above sicking their sister on him. That¡¯s who Beor had the real issue with, but he was too afraid of her and her standing to try any of his normal antics on her. So for now, Yole was the target of his rage until his little brother grew big enough for things to come due. And Cettie certainly wasn¡¯t afraid to get her hands dirty for Yole¡¯s sake.


    ¡°Tell her and I¡¯ll burn every toy you have!¡± Beor growled, an empty threat, but the anger in his eyes was truly something to behold.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you start with this?¡± one of his friends said. While Yole was distracted he¡¯d made his way over to his bed and picked up a small, green knitted blanket that Yole¡¯s mother had made for him when he was a baby.


    Now, Yole was technically still an adult on the inside, so he was man enough to admit that the little blanket was very special to him. He dared to say that he loved it. He¡¯d never had anything like that in his past life and he watched Millicet knit that blanket herself, so the fact that she put so much work and love into it was not lost on him. So when Beor¡¯s loser friend handed it over to him, his face turned bright red until he struggled in earnest.


    ¡°Drop it,¡± he hissed, his voice ice cold. ¡°Right now!¡±


    ¡°What, you don¡¯t want your blankie to get messy?¡± Beor asked mockingly. ¡°You¡¯re such a baby!¡±


    Yole could see the hesitation just beneath his brother¡¯s surface that blanket was usually off limits, but he didn¡¯t want to back down in front of his friends. Violently, Yole felt his temper and temperature spike at the humiliation of being talked down to like that. He had to put up with his family¡¯s babying for five whole years and being talked down to was the absolute worst part about it. Much less being talked down to while having his property threatened. Heat coursed through his body and his hands were a burning inferno.


    ¡°I said drop it!¡± he shouted, allowing his own angry fervor to lash out, his hands bursting into wild blue flames.


    Startled, Beor dropped Yole and stepped back, patting out the fire that caught on his own sleeves. Yole landed with a loud thud on the ground and scrambled to snatch his blanket away, but pulled back when he saw that his hands were engulfed in flame. He felt white hot all over, though he originally thought it was due to the embarrassment, but it didn¡¯t hurt. Painless, bright blue flames danced at his finger tips and spread until it covered his arms, burning away his sleeves. Fearful for a moment that Beor had actually set him on fire this time, Yole tried to pat it out and smother it, but it only fanned the flames. The other boys watched on helplessly as Yole tried to figure out what was happening until Beor decided to do something smart for a change and ran to get their parents, his cronies following close behind.


    It took another moment or two of panicking for Yole to calm down and realize what was really going on.


    His mana had awakened!


    Yole smiled ear to ear and laughed in triumph. This was the moment he¡¯d been waiting for since his rebirth! He could finally use magic and his fire was so strong! Now¡­ he just had to figure out how to turn it off before he burned his room down.


    The answer came he was overwhelmed by a cold burst, as if a bucket of water had been thrown over him and his flames disappeared as quickly as they had come, though the heat remained. Yole looked back to the doorway again and this time saw his mother and father standing there with Lucellia, all of them were shocked speechless. At first, Yole though he was in trouble when no one said nothing, if that were the case he¡¯d have to whip up some quick tears to cry his way out of it like he always did. A part of him felt truly disheartened. They always sounded so excited when they talked about him getting his powers one day. So why weren¡¯t they happy now? But instead of a scolding or a smack, Yole was swept up into his mother¡¯s arms in a crushing hug.


    ¡°Oh my precious little boy!¡± Millicet cheered at the top of her lungs as she smothered her youngest in kisses. ¡°I can¡¯t believe your mana has already awakened! I¡¯m so proud of you!¡±


    ¡°My dear boy, you¡¯re only five and the royal flames are already at your whim!¡¯ Vesamir boomed happily and joined the hug. ¡°Even I wasn¡¯t able to summon blue fire until I was eight.¡±


    Yole breathed out a sigh of relief as he was crushed between his parents. It was a feeling he hadn¡¯t been very familiar with at first, but it was one of satisfactory mixed with elation whenever he made his parents happy or proud. Vesamir and Millicet were also not the type of parents to hold back on praise either, both were eager to celebrate even the smallest of their children¡¯s accomplishments, especially for their youngest who had many firsts to overcome.


    ¡°How did you manage to bring this about, son?¡± Vesamir asked, setting Yole down.


    ¡°Oh¡­ well, Beor helped me out a little,¡± Yole said sheepishly, still doing his best not to snitch on what really happened.


    ¡°I told you this child had the strength of a dragon in him,¡± Lucellia said, picking up the charred remains of the wooden sword. ¡°I¡¯m just glad I made here in time to extinguish him before there was anymore damage.¡±


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Yole muttered, blushing again.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, my boy,¡± Vesamir laughed, clapping Yole on the shoulder and nearly knocking him over. ¡°I burned just about every toy I had when I first got my powers. That¡¯s why we have tutors like Lucellia.¡±


    Lucellia smiled humbly and nodded.


    ¡°Your highness, now that your mana has awakened you¡¯ll be in my charge from now on,¡± Lucellia explained gently. ¡°I¡¯ll train you to control it and turn it into forge magic, so you can wield it wisely and greatly.¡±


    ¡°So I¡¯ll magic lessons like Beor and Cettie in the training room?¡± Yole asked. The training room in the basement of the castle was a place that Yole hadn¡¯t been allowed inside of yet, being cited as too dangerous for such a little boy. Though he had been caught peeking through the key hole several times.


    Vesmair and Millicet looked at each other hesitantly and guided Yole to sit down with them on the bed.


    Uh oh, Yole thought, this can¡¯t be good.


    ¡°Sweetheart, newly awakened mana can be unpredictable and dangerous in the wrong environment,¡± Millicet explained, a little teary eyed. ¡°especially the royal bloodline¡¯s type of forge magic.¡±


    ¡°So for two years,¡± Vesamir continued, looking a bit upset as well, ¡°you will go to live with Lucellia in her cottage, where she will teach you everything you need to know. It¡¯ll be a hard adjustment, but you¡¯re a big boy now and we trust that you¡¯ll be able to handle it.¡±


    So that¡¯s what they were so worried about; sending their child away to what Yole imagined would be magic boot camp for two whole years. The two of them were more worried about it than he was, Yole was too excited for words! This would be his first time leaving the castle grounds in his new life. Finally he¡¯d be able to go out and explore this new world properly, it would be a true adventure! The only thing that kept him from literally jumping for joy was the looks on his parents faces, looks of sincere worry and heartache. Yole supposed he could understand their point of view, having to give up their child to someone else for such a long time. He recalled Cettie telling him a little bit about her time with Lucellia and she¡¯d been a two years older than he was now. He may have been ready to say goodbye for two years, but that didn¡¯t mean they were.


    Ever the dutiful son, who tried desperately to fit into that role given his true nature, Yole crawled into his mothers lap and wrapped his arms around her.


    ¡°I¡¯ll miss you mama,¡± he said quietly. ¡°Papa too,¡± he added quickly when he saw how put out his father looked.


    ¡°We¡¯ll miss you too, my baby,¡± Millicet said. ¡°But just think about the adventures you¡¯ll have and how wonderful it will be to be able to use your magic. Lucellia is a brilliant tutor, I¡¯m sure her lessons will be fun too.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll be in good hands your highness,¡± Lucellia reassured him. ¡°And your parents will be allowed to visit you from time to time, I promise it won¡¯t be all work and no play.¡±


    ¡°Promise?¡± Yole asked and held out his pinky finger, playing his part perfectly.


    ¡°Promise,¡± Lucellia said and hooked her pinky with his.


    Their adventure was only just beginning.

 Chapter 5: Lucellia’s Meadow

    The very next day, after many teary goodbyes and hugs, Yole and his belongings were loaded into a horse drawn carriage and driven far away from the castle he called home. Lucellia drove them away from the base of the mountain and into the deep woods that Yole had seen every night from his bedroom windows, filled to the brink with creatures unknown to him. Though he couldn¡¯t see many of them in the daylight, he could certainly hear them. In a clearing they passed he saw a small herd of what looked like oversized reindeer, but there antlers were so tall and wide, it nearly doubled the sizes of their bodies save for the fawn that had yet to grow them in yet. The antlers themselves, in addition to being large, were sharp as spears on the tips.


    ¡°Those are hunting deer,¡± Lucellia explained when she noticed Yole¡¯s enamored staring.


    ¡°Hunting deer?¡± he asked. Anyone who tried to hunt those beasts would be impaled for sure.


    ¡°Deer that are bred for hunting. They are far quieter and more efficient for the sport than horses are and they are not so easily startled. Their sharp horns also make it easier to scoop up and gore their prey. Such dangerous carnivores if they haven¡¯t been tamed properly. Surely you¡¯ve seen them before in the stables? The king is quite fond of hunting and breeds his own herd for domestication.¡±


    ¡°Father¡¯s promised to take me hunting with him when I move back home, he mentioned something about deer, but I thought that¡¯s what we¡¯d be going for. I¡¯ve gone down to the stables a couple of times, but horses never really interested me. That and Mother forbid me from going inside for fear of me being kicked by one of them.¡±


    Lucellia chuckled and turned back to him.


    ¡°Forgive me if I am speaking out of turn your highness,¡± she said, ¡°but I think the queen has a tendency to be a little over protective of you.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t bother apologizing when it¡¯s true,¡± Yole shrugged, thankful to have someone who understood his plight. Overprotective was putting it mildly, his mother still treated him as if he were a delicate baby all of the time. He was surprised she was even allowing him to leave like this. Lucellia was an experienced tutor, so relating to her students must have come easily to her. ¡°I know she worries about me and I understand why, but it can be smothering at times.¡±


    ¡°You understand why she worries about you?¡±


    ¡°I mean, I guess I do. Mothers are supposed to worry about their children, whether or not they¡¯re growing up well or if they¡¯re happy. Right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that is true of most mothers. Though I think most children your age would call that annoying. I remember your brother protesting all the time that he was just fine on his own, that he didn¡¯t need her bothering him.¡±


    Yeah, that definitely sounded like Beor.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m happy to say that I¡¯m not much like my brother.¡±


    ¡°I can tell and I¡¯m glad,¡± Lucellia said bluntly. ¡°I appreciate variety in my students, and let¡¯s just say your brother was¡­. a challenge.¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡°He¡¯s something alright,¡± Yole grumbled. ¡°He challenges my patience everyday.¡±


    ¡°You seem a lot more mature for your age, I¡¯m grateful for that. Are you looking forward to starting your lessons? The king tells me you¡¯ve always been keen to get your powers.¡±


    ¡°I am! It¡¯s what I¡¯ve been looking forward to my whole life, I want to be as powerful as possible.¡±


    ¡°Now that¡¯s the enthusiasm I like to see! We¡¯ll be getting started right away with forge magic, then once you¡¯ve gotten the hang of that, I¡¯ll see about teaching you a few other spells.¡±


    ¡°I can learn more than just forge magic? I thought people of the Iron Kingdom could only use that. Potions too.¡±


    ¡°People are usually limited to the powers of the kingdom they were born into. That¡¯s how the gods have blessed them. However it isn¡¯t uncommon for people to master an other spell or two on the side. Your father knows some shield spells as well as strength and stamina increasers, and the Queen also learned how to manipulate light when she was very young. She¡¯s originally from the Ice Kingdom of the Northern Mountains, so she could even control ice at a time. Though I don¡¯t think she¡¯s used those powers since she married into the royal family. Mana is a mysterious thing that can grow and change just as everything else about us can.¡±


    ¡°But you can use all sorts of magic.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve been very blessed to have adaptive mana. It¡¯s a rare gift that only the most powerful mages can wield. I¡¯ve sworn to use my magic for the betterment of the kingdom and one of the ways I do that is by tutoring the royals and nobility to use their magic for the betterment of the kingdom as well. Your magic is already so powerful, I bet I can fit a few more spells in there.¡±


    Being able to control more than fire and heat would be a great blessing indeed. Forge magic was the trademark of the Iron Kingdom, Yole couldn¡¯t wait to see what other spells he¡¯d learn. Shield spells like his fathers would be good for battle, but he was more interested in increasing his strength. He¡¯d seen enough battle for a lifetime, but there was always a part of him that was itching for a scrap. Now that he stood on equal footing with Beor, perhaps sparring with him would be much more worthwhile. His parents never told him much about magic to begin with, always telling him ¡°you¡¯ll learn more when you¡¯re older¡±, so his knowledge of mana and its potential was very limited.


    Next they came to a roaring river that spanned over 10 meters wide. Lucellia turned the horses right and continued to a wide stone bridge that crossed it.


    ¡°Lucellia?¡± Yole asked as he looked over the wagon and into the clear blue water at a school of fish swimming by against the current.


    ¡°Yes, your highness?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re my teacher Lucellia, please call me Yole.¡±


    ¡°Very well then, Yole. Did you have a question for me? About the river perhaps?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, are you a mind reader too?¡±


    ¡°Just a good guesser. What¡¯s your question?¡±


    ¡°Is there such a thing as merpeople?¡± he asked. His mother had read stories to him about merfolk, but it was hard to distinguish between fantasy and reality in this world. Apparently dragons were even a thing at one point before they went extinct during the great wars five decades ago. Dragons were such an important part of the Iron Kingdoms history that it was a part of the royal coat of arms.


    ¡°Of course they exist, silly boy,¡± Lucellia laughed as if it were the most obvious fact in the world. ¡°Not in these waters though. Merfolk are only able to sustain life in salt water. I know a few from the southern seas, such interesting creatures.¡±


    The rest of the ride was filled with small talk and stories of Lucellia¡¯s travels across the many kingdoms of this world. Yole was curious as to how old she really was given that she¡¯d seen and done so much, but she still barely looked like she was just out of her twenties. All was peaceful as they made their way into a small meadow where a humble, cozy looking cottage, covered in ivy and yellow flowers stood by a pond. Off to the side was a short barn where a short wooden fence kept in two goats, two sheep and a chicken coop. Next to that was a thriving vegetable garden, rich with greens.


    ¡°This is my home and where you¡¯ll be staying,¡± Lucellia explained. ¡°I know it¡¯s not much, but I think you¡¯ll find it quite comfortable.¡±


    Yole had no doubt it would be. The whole clearing looked like something straight out of a fairytale! All that was missing was the princess and the seven dwarves. Lucellia helped him carry in his trunk and escorted him inside to his bedroom. The inside of the cottage was just as floral as the outside, with plants and flowers lining the wall, even the throw pillows on the sofa had flower patterns on them. Down the hallway was the guest room, warmly decorated in reds and browns. Against the wall was a queen sized bed, plenty big for Yole, with a soft quilt on top.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you get some rest in here while I go get dinner started,¡± Lucellia told him and set his trunk down by the foot of the bed. ¡°We¡¯ll start your first lessons after we eat.¡±


    Yole didn¡¯t have to be asked twice, they¡¯d started their journey here at the crack of dawn and the overcast sky was making his eyes droop. Lucellia left the room, closing the door behind her and Yole crawled into bed, burrowing down underneath the covers as he fell into a deep sleep