“YAAAAAAA!” Sirius barged into my room while holding his sword high and screaming on top of his lungs. He ran up to me and, with a very determined face, announced, “GET READY PARTNER!! WE SHALL SLAY THE EVIL!!”

He was decked in his battle attire, as he called his red fitting clothes and golden half cape. His sword, that had the falling red dragon on the golden hilt, was in his hand lifted up high. His eyes had a bright gleam as he looked at me to continue the following dialogue.

“Of course, Hero. Where shall we go to cleanse this evil ridden world?” I answered in the most peppered voice I could handle. I moved to keep my spear with me, so that I would not forget about it. The spear was given to me by old man Blake, almost a year ago now. Its balance was perfectly suited to my small body and strength. Its staff was made of an ashen wood that was light but sturdy, and its spearhead had wings that protruded from its side and acted as the guards. I had had it for a few days now and I really appreciated it.

“I, the great hero, shall lead you all to the great battle. Come my trusted partner! Let us venture to the badlands!” Sirius turned around and puffed his chest as he started walking with a wide gait. Yes, we were going to the eastern badlands. Much less dangerous than the southern badlands, but still pretty dangerous. An old butler and two children who would soon turn eight years old. What a motley crew!

I walked behind Sirius while checking if I had all my stuff. Well, there wasn’t much to take anyway. Old man Blake had told us that we were only allowed to take our weapons with us, and nothing else. It was supposed to be training, after all. Sirius was quite happy though. How did I know?

Well….

“HAHAHAHA! Beware all villains!! The great Sirius Frye is coming!”

Yeah…

“Hey Mehr, you know…. There are rumours that the Cult of Old Gods is situated in the badlands. Do you think we would fight them?”

“Oi, don’t curse us!” I flicked the back of Sirius’ head. He clutched his head and started rubbing it. He stopped and turned around, with his eyes dead serious as he looked into mine and said very slowly, “But, what if…. We really did meet them? And please say hey, not oi.”

“Sirius, I’m sure that Sir Blake wouldn’t take us anywhere dangerous. We are going there for training, not to die. I’m pretty sure that eastern badlands are not even that dangerous. There isn’t even that much uncharted land there. So, we’ll be fine. And one more thing, stop reading only those sketchy books filled with nothing but rumours. It will dumb down your brain even more. Read other books as well. It will help you gain a different perspective.”

“What’s the point though? Don’t we always choose what we think is right?”

“Sure, but only with a different perspective will you choose wisely. What do you think is more probable, Sir Blake taking us to a not so threatening area for our training, or somewhere infested with the extremely dangerous Cult?”

“Right….. That makes sense. You’re pretty smart, Mehr. Did you learn all this in some other life or something?”

“Oh totally. How did you know?”

“Hehehe, I’m pretty smart too.”

Sirius and I bickered along as we waited for old man Blake in the hall. The servants could be seen running around doing their chores. I noticed from the corner of my eye, that Lord Erwin was coming down the stairs, with his steady gait that portrayed the authority he commanded. The servants stopped in their tracks and bowed deeply to pay their respects. I had seen this view many times in the few years I had been here. And it always burned my heart a little. Here were two sections of society, similar yet so different. The ones bowing down were the ones who were ostracised by society. Ones who couldn’t learn how to control mana. The bottom of the barrel. And the other section, the man who stood tall above them. He was also someone who couldn’t control mana. He was also someone whose fate was to stand beneath everyone. And yet here he was, standing as the head of one of the most powerful families in the kingdom; someone who once served as the Royal Advisor and held an immense amount of power.

Power, truly, came in different forms.

Lord Erwin walked down the stairs after excusing the servants. He came up to us and put his hand on Sirius’ head. I noticed Sirius’ expression changing from the happy and stupid child to the responsible and mature son. It had nothing to do with me, but I don’t know why I always got angry whenever I watched this expression of Sirius.

Was I just projecting my old self, thinking that Sirius should get a better childhood than I did? He was the complete opposite of me and yet, I always saw myself in his seriously hardened expression.

“You will be going away from home for the first time, Sirius.” Lord Erwin spoke in his booming voice that reverberated throughout the hall. He softly moved his hand through Sirius’ hair as he looked at him. His lips were smiling but his eyes stayed expressionless. He stopped for a few moments, to collect his thoughts presumably and only after he had sighed, did he continue.

“You will soon be eight years old. I hope I see you use mana before that, son.” Lord Erwin spoke a bit gently this time. My ears perked right up as I listened to what this absolutely great father was saying to his child.

“My lord, Sir Blake said that people learn the ability to use mana around the age of ten.”

Lord Erwin turned his head towards me slowly and looked with his dead feelingless eyes. I felt as if he wanted to burn me alive as he stared at me for longer than anyone with such eyes should. I stood there silently, unmoving and quite disturbed as I waited for that man to speak.

“Sirius can do it. Can’t you, Sirius?”

He turned around to his son and spoke in the same placid tone he always spoke, albeit a little gentler. The room felt a little colder and the walls around me a bit damper ever since this man entered the hall. I firmly believed that this man, Erwin Frye, fed on other’s happiness. He stood there, still running his hand through Sirius’ hair and looking down with his cold eyes. I had always thought highly of myself in the field of discovering people’s desires and aspirations. However, this man stood, as far as I could tell, uncaring and unfeeling of the world and people around him.

Sirius slowly moved his head as he nodded in affirmation and with a voice as firm as stone, he replied, “Of course I can, father.”

I noticed Sirius’ eyes shifted a little and moved towards me. His eyes, filled with determination but also laced with worry, looked for a little courage. His little fists were clenched tightly exposing his mental state. I slowly nodded my head and smiled, reaffirming that he could do it. Determination filled his little greenish orange eyes as he also nodded back at me.

His childhood will be different.

I scratched the back of my head as I pondered why I thought of that. After a while, in my failure to come up with a valid reason, I sighed and picked up my spear. It was time to go.