Soul of the Warrior

Reivyn stepped through the door to the modest house. Modest relative to all of the wealthier homes I saw on the way here. It's still a nicer place than the previous two homes my parents had. The first thing he saw when he entered the building, aside from the familiar furnishings, was his mother at her loom and his two sisters doing... something on the ground in the center of the room.

His three family members looked up in surprise at the sound of the door opening, and after an initial moment of shock, all three of them jumped up.

"Brother!" Kailey (Riley) yelled as they sprinted towards him. They slammed into him, giving him a big hug around his waist from either side.

"Reivyn!" Ameliyn likewise called out in excitement, but her approach was much more controlled. She walked around the seats in the way, not in a hurry, but also not too slow, and came around to also give him a hug around his shoulders. She leaned in and gave him a kiss on the cheek as well. She stepped back and gave him a once over from top to bottom before nodding her head.

"I see that you already Tiered up," she said. "And from the mana emanations, it would appear you chose a Caster Class as you had planned." Reivyn was taken aback for a moment, and he cocked his head in puzzlement.

"You can tell just from looking at me?" He asked. Ameliyn just gave a small smile.

"I'm your mother," she simply replied. Ameliyn clapped her hands together, a bright smile on her face. "This is cause for celebration! We've all missed you, terribly, and your last letter didn't have a whole lot of good things to say in it - other than that you were fine, of course. I'll make you your favorite meal!"

"Thanks, mom," Reivyn said with a smile. "It is a little early, still, so maybe wait until dad is closer to getting home? Also, you'll need to make extras. Teilon, Kimberly, and the rest of my Party have been invited over. I hope that's not too much of an inconvenience."

"Nonsense," Ameliyn swatted at Reivyn playfully. "Your friends are always welcome in our house. Where are Teilon and Kimberly? They stayed with us before you guys headed to the Dungeon last time, so I figured they would come here again. We have a guest room - and couch - set up for them and everything."

"We stopped by the Adventurer's Guild, first," Reivyn explained as he walked to a couch. His sisters didn't let go, so he had to carry them straight-legged all the way with him. "We sold some of the resources we picked up from the Dungeon, and they decided to get a couple of boarding rooms at one of the nicer branches temporarily. They plan on applying for the Knight Academy while I apply for the Magic Academy, so they'll move into the dorms over there when the new semester begins in a couple of months."

"That makes sense," Ameliyn said as she took a seat across from her children. "I'll be sure to make some extra for them and the other - three? - three friends. What were their names again? Melissa, Larissa, and Erik? Is that right?"

"Mhm," Reivyn nodded. "I'm sure you'll like them just fine. I've already told you pretty much all about them in the letters I wrote, but I did learn that their last name was Bluefayre after I sent the last letter. I would have included it, but I had already sealed the envelope and figured it could wait until I got here. Do you know anything about that family, here in the capital?"

"I've heard some things in passing, and from your father's work," Ameliyn acknowledged. "They're apparently a branch family of a fairly powerful noble family in the Tier 2 Region's Kingdom that this one is a vassal to. Not sure of the details of why they're out here, but I can probably make some guesses." Reivyn stared at his mother for a moment. Ameliyn stared back at him before she gave a small start.

"Oh, you wanted to know what those guesses are? Of course, well, the most likely reason is that their branch has been relegated to this kingdom to find talent. That includes their own children if they do well enough in the Magic Academy. From what you've sent in your letter, I'm sure Melissa or Larissa, or both, might get moved up to the main residence after they finish their stint in the Academy whether they graduate at the top of their class or not."

"Oh, so you know about that, as well?" Reivyn asked.

"Reivyn... Of course, I know about it," Ameliyn gave him a meaningful look and rolled her eyes. "Your father and I already know that this region can't keep you - your sisters, either, if they could ever learn to focus on studying and training their gifts - and we've been prepared for a long time to move along with you."

Reivyn raised an eyebrow at his mom. He looked down at the twin girls still clinging to him and back at his mother a couple of times. Ameliyn finally got the hint and reached out to pat their heads.

"Girls, go outside and play. Your brother has new friends coming over, and they might want to see your amazing craftsmanship! It would definitely be a pity if you didn't have enough materials to show off in front of them."

"You're right!" Riley popped her head up and exclaimed. "C'mon, Kailey, let's go get some crafting materials."

"Alright," Kailey said as she got up. "We can always force Reivyn to give us more hugs later." Force? Reivyn gave his sisters a strange look as they fled out the back door.

"Ok, so what did you want to talk about without them listening in?" Ameliyn asked as she settled back down in her seat.

"A lot of things, actually," Reivyn began. "But we can start with why you guys settled in a Tier 1 Region in the first place."

"Oh, this conversation," Ameliyn said. She got up and went into the kitchen. "I'll get us something to drink. It might take a while. I can tell you the reason we chose Haluville specifically, though, while I'm up." Ameliyn grabbed a couple of cups and used her Mana Manipulation to conjure some pure water with ice for them both. "We stopped in Haluville because you were born on the road, and that was the first decent-sized town we came across soon after." Ameliyn handed Reivyn the cup of ice water and sat back down.

Reivyn looked at the cup of water skeptically. "Is it safe to drink mana water?"

"Oh, I didn't make the water out of the Water Element, silly," Ameliyn said. "There's a lot of little tricks that I can teach you before you head off to the Magic Academy, now that you're ready to actually cast Spells instead of just working on your Affinities all the time. Obviously, you'll be doing more of that, too, but you understand.

"Anyway, I just drew out the ambient moisture from the atmosphere with the Water Element to fill the cup. I didn't fill the cup directly with the Water Element. It would dissipate on its own that way.

"Same with the ice. I just added the step of pulling the heat out of a select grouping of the moisture, much like what you did to unlock the Ice Affinity."

"That seems awfully convenient," Reivyn said before he took a large gulp of the water. Ahh, that's quite refreshing. I wish I had thought of this when I was suffering that heat at the Dungeon Town. Reivyn mentally kicked himself.

"Yup, it is," Ameliyn smiled as she sipped her water.

"Ok, so, Tier 1 Region. Go," Reivyn said as he looked at his mother.

"Well, we weren't just randomly fleeing from the higher Tier Regions..." Ameliyn said.

"And you say that this one person will be enough to bring our entire Branch back to Eldiar?" Terrin, Melissa's first uncle, asked in disbelief. "Forgive me if I don't fully trust your judgment. You're a promising student at the Magic Academy, and we all have high hopes for you to be accepted back to the main family. But that's all: promising and hopeful."

"I understand your skepticism, Uncle, but I assure you, I have not over-exaggerated the matter," Melissa said.

She stood in the main sitting room of her family in front of her parents and the other decision-makers of the family. Her grandfather sat in the main seat, next to his wife, but they were letting their own children handle the inquiry. Melissa had been rushed to meet with the Elders as soon as she, her sister, and Erik had stepped through the gates of their home.

Word of the Dungeon Break had obviously reached The Capital a long time ago, and despite her own letter - the one after the battle sent a few days after the one telling her parents how much she loved them and regretted not being able to see them again - her family was filled with relief at their safe return.

Yes, they gathered for official business and to interrogate me about the Dungeon and the Battle, but there was genuine concern in their eyes and mannerisms. Melissa was gratified that her family wasn't like many of the other notable families in The Capital - or the main family, for that matter - that were only concerned with benefits.

"Of course, you would over-exaggerate the matter," Terrin replied with an eye roll. "Who wouldn't want to be the one to fulfill the duty that lets us all go back to the higher Tier Region?"

"Hush, Terrin," Sarissa, Melissa's mother, gently reprimanded her brother-in-law. "Let the girl explain herself before you make a judgment." She turned her attention back to her daughter. "Go on, dear." Melissa shot a quick smile at her mom.

"Yes, mother," Melissa said. "Well, as you all know from the letters I've sent, Reivyn is a very competent Fighter Class Martial Combatant with powerful Mana Skills. What I didn't dare to put into those letters, though, is he was able to easily pick up different Affinity Weaves - at a pace considerably faster than Larissa or I did - and Erik said he's also close to, if not already beyond, the Master designation in Swords." Many of the Elders nodded their heads with contemplative looks on their faces.

"Yes, I can see how that would constitute a talent worth investing in, maybe even sending to Eldiar to accompany you and your sister, but our whole family?" Gerrin, her father, said.

"What if I told you it wasn't just Swords? He's also shown the same Skill Level for Spears and Bows, and he's close to Expert Level with Shields," Melissa could see the interest rising in the Elders' eyes as they took in the information. "Don't forget, that's on top of his Mana Skills, which aren't relegated to just his ability to pick up on the Affinity Weaves. He's also the one who noticed the abnormality with the Dungeon's Mana before anyone else. He warned the Church and the Adventurer's Guild, and he got us out of there well ahead of the Break.

"Additionally, he managed to interpret a Class Skill, Flame Blade, by combining his own Mana Weapon Skill with Larissa's Inferno Spell." Melissa looked at the faces of all of the Elders, and she could see that they were almost there.

If there's a way for me to convince them without revealing all of your secrets, then this is the final push. I consider you my friend, so I'll give it a go, but my family will always come first.

"There's one last thing that I didn't mention about his Class." Melissa let the suspense build for a moment.

"Fighter is his Tier One Class. He was conscripted by Count Ilpir, and his Class wasn't changed to Peasant Levy, but he was instead able to choose from a list, and he chose the Rare Fighter, which became an Epic Tier 1 Class. He just Tiered up to his official Tier 2 Class, and he told me it was called Light Magus. His ambition for going to the Academy is to graduate before getting past Level 10, and forcing the Tier 3 transition."

"Magus?" Melissa heard her grandfather mutter. He looked like he wasn't paying too close attention, but he had definitely heard and considered every word carefully.

"That will be all for now, Melissa," Sarissa said with a smile. "We have much to discuss. We'll let you know, if anything, what your role is going to be moving forward. In the meantime, didn't you say you had been invited to his family's home for dinner tonight?" Melissa nodded. "Good. Go and get a gauge on his 'Adventurer' parents, as you said."

"Yes, mother," Melissa said. She gave a short curtsey. "If I may be excused?" Her father nodded, and Melissa strode out of the room.

It looks like they might have been satisfied with that last bit about his Class and goals. I'm glad I didn't have to reveal his Veridical Affinity. I would have if push came to shove, but I think our relationship would change forever if he ever learned of it. Melissa was happy that she was able to conceal probably the largest secret Reivyn had - Even if he doesn't realize it - and still accomplish her goals of getting the Elders to take him seriously.

Now it's time to go meet Reivyn's family. Larissa is excited to meet his sisters, but I'm anticipating meeting the two people who raised him.

Melissa stood back a bit as Teilon knocked on the door to the modest house. Melissa appraised it with a critical eye. It's definitely squarely in middle class, but upon careful Observation, there isn't a single thing out of place. It looks like someone takes meticulous care of every tiny detail. If one doesn't look closely enough, it would be easy to miss. Melissa nodded to herself.

A neat and tidy home was a good sign. She had seen the homes of other promising students' families, but many of them had only taken cursory care of their dwellings.

The group of five - Erik was an official Party Member, so he had obviously been invited as well - didn't have to wait long before the door opened to two young girls. They are adorable, Melissa thought when she first saw the twins. They were in homemade clothes, and if one wasn't well versed in the intricacies of fashion, one would hardly notice that the subtle quality placed the garments well in the upper echelons.

The color schemes of the two girls' clothes weren't identical, unlike their actual appearances, but they were tastefully done in a way to complement each other.

"Flower Thief! Big Sis! So happy to see you!" One of the girls called out.

"So happy to see you," the other said immediately after. Melissa's mouth tugged into a small smile. It looks like they haven't spent a whole lot of time apart from each other. I've seen many close siblings like them with extremely similar personalities, but I'm sure they'll develop their own unique spins on it once they start the supplementary school.

"Kailey, Riley!" Kimberly rushed forward and bent down to hug the girls around their necks. "These are our friends that we made in the Dungeon Town," Kimberly squatted down and pointed to the other three people. "That's Melissa, Larissa her sister, and Erik, the silent, strong-type. Our little Flower Court has expanded, and they just loved the crowns you made for all of us."

"Oh, oh, oh, I really, really want one," Larissa said as she bounded over. Melissa gave an internal sigh. She always acts like that when I'm around. I've heard from some of the servants that she's almost a completely different person in private. Oh well, whatever makes her happy.

"I'm Melissa, it's a pleasure to meet you," Melissa stepped forward and squatted down to be on eye level. The two girls giggled at the older pair of sisters.

"Oh, how rude of me," Larissa said, abruptly coming up short with her hand on her chest. "I'm Larissa, the pretty one." The girls giggled again.

"Don't leave our guests at the door, girls, bring them in," a woman's voice came from within the home.

"Yes, mom," the two girls said in unison.

"So, which one is Kailey, and which one is Riley?" Melissa asked as they made their way inside.

"I'm Kailey," the first girl spoke up.

"And I'm Riley," the second answered. Melissa looked between the two of them, and other than the difference in clothes, she couldn't tell either one apart. Yet. Reivyn isn't the only one who's worked on Social Skills. The System will let me differentiate the two unless they're actively trying to disguise themselves.

Melissa walked in and spotted Reivyn sitting on the couch. She frowned as he hadn't seemed to notice his friends arriving, which was unusual for him. He was sitting slightly forward with his elbows on his knees, and he appeared to be in deep thought. An older gentleman was leisurely sitting across from him. Well, older as in older than Reivyn. This man looks like he couldn't be a day older than 20. I thought Reivyn only had the two sisters, he never said anything about an older brother.

"Hello," the man waved at the five new people in the house.

"Mr. Refix," Teilon said as he took a seat next to Reivyn. Reivyn finally noticed the intrusion as Teilon sat next to him, and he started before he stood up to greet everyone.

Melissa cocked an eyebrow. Mr. Refix? That's his father? He looks so young. If that's his father, what does his mother look like?

The temperature in the room seemed to drop below freezing in an instant, and all sound and movement stopped. Melissa felt trapped in her body as time itself seemed to freeze as she was locked in the position of turning about in place to look for the origination of the voice she had heard from the doorway.

Melissa's eyes continued to move in the direction her body had been moving, and they came to rest on another pair of eyes staring back at her.

The entire world fell away, and there was only the pair of eyes. They looked deep into her soul. They saw through her entire being, judging her.

Despite everything seeming to come to a complete standstill, Melissa could feel her heartbeat pounding in her chest. Her blood moved through her veins at the forceful pulsations, and it felt like a river of ice traveling through her body. Her vision turned almost completely black, and only the bright spots staring into her could be seen. There was no sound or movement. There was nothing.

Nothing but the gaze of immense power boring into her.

I have to get away from here! Her mind screamed at her. I can't handle it! I'm going to die. I'm going to die. I'm going to die... Melissa's mind jumbled into a complete mess.

"Hey, what are you standing in a daze for?" Larissa snapped her fingers in Melissa's face, dragging her out of the stunned state she had been in. Her heart still pounded, and her vision was still hazy around the edges. If Larissa had been a second slower, I'm afraid I might have fainted.

She looked up only to see the back of the woman who could only be Reivyn's mom as she busied herself with the final preparations of the meal she had prepared for her guests. Melissa glanced over at Refix. Reivyn's father glanced back out of the corner of his eyes, and he smirked at her. His body unfolded from the position he had been sitting in and readjusted.

Melissa's eyes widened at the movement. That wasn't just a simple adjusting of position. The way his body moved... He has complete and utter control of his entire being. These definitely aren't simple "Adventurers."

"Are you coming? Seriously, what's with you?" Larissa called over from the dining table. Everyone had already made their way over, and Reivyn's mother - Ameliyn, I think he said her name is - was placing the dinner on the table.

Melissa looked around and saw that she was the only person not at the table. She looked over where Refix had just been sitting, but he had also vacated his spot and was standing at the head of the table.

"I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me," Melissa managed to stammer out, her breath coming in ragged.

She walked over on unsteady steps to the table where a seat had obviously been left for her, an empty plate sitting on the table in front of it. She had been placed next to Kailey, and Larissa was across the table next to Riley. Their seats coincidentally were placed next to the foot of the table.

Ameliyn walked over to the final seat, the one at the foot between Melissa and Larissa, and she gestured to the delicious-looking food on the table. She directed a smile toward Melissa. "Come, taste my handiwork."

The smile she gave Melissa seemed to pound a message directly into her mind. It said: Who do you think you are, Little Girl?

Melissa gulped as she looked back and forth between the food, the other people at the table, and Reivyn's mother. She found that she suddenly didn't have much of an appetite.

What have I gotten myself into?