Listening to Derek’s explanation, Daren was quite pleased. This kind of answer was a synthesis of the lessons taught in the Clan Hall and many clan members only come to this conclusion after many years of fighting demons. For Derek to have come to this answer on his own he must have spent quite a bit of time contemplating the lessons taught here.

Elton spoke up again, “How absurd. In war demons dive in among human formations with abandon, slaughtering anyone in their path. How can that be described as cowardice? You are just trying to sound smart after that ridiculous comment you made earlier. As expected from garbage like you.”

At this point Daren had heard enough, “Silence! Where do you think you are? This is the Clan Hall of the Thorne Clan. Furthermore, this is a class being taught by me, the Patriarch of this clan. You have no right to criticize your classmates before me. Especially when they are right and you are wrong!

“Yes, demons will charge recklessly into a human formation, but this isn’t due to bravery. This is because they correctly believe that most humans cannot harm them. Even the weakest of demons will not feel fear when faced by normal human soldiers. It is only when powerful knights, mages, and Holy attacks are brandished against them that they will start to fear. But the moment a demon fears that it is at risk of dying you will see a change in its behavior. It will begin to defend and look for a way to flee! They really are cowards and when faced by foes with some determination and the ability to destroy them they always lose!

“Now begone, all of you. I have much to do. Your lesson for the day is over.”

The old man sat in his chair and shooed the children away, a troubled look on his face. The clan had been on the decline for generations and yet the members continued to pursue their own vendettas against each other. It could only add to the rate of decline of the clan.

Outside the clan hall Derek was making his way up the mountain towards the cottage he shared with his mother. After a little distance a group of boys stepped out of the woods to stand on the path in front of him. In the front was Elton and his twin Feros. Save for their facial expressions these two looked exactly alike. While Elton’s face was permanently twisted into a frown, Feros’ was always in a sneer. The boys behind them were their younger classmates, followers impressed by their skills and position within the clan.

“Well, if it isn’t the trash, Derek? I bet you think you are smart getting me yelled at by the Patriarch. I bet you don’t regret it at all, do you?”

Derek cursed under his breath. He didn’t have time for these clowns. It was midwinter and the sun would be going down soon. He would rather get home earlier so that he didn’t have to practice in the dark. He looked at Elton, “Regret what? The Patriarch scolded you for what you said. I didn’t have anything to do with it.”

Hearing this response Feros cursed angrily, “Filth, it appears you don’t know your place. We were going to let you go if you apologized but now even if you apologize we are going to beat you until your mother doesn’t even recognize your face! You guys grab him, hold him still!”

As he was talking the others surrounded Derek. Once he gave the orders, they seized him and pinned his arms behind his back. Derek had the skill. He knew he could probably fight all of them together. He might not win but he could make it so the others also knew they had all been in a fight.

But he also knew that it he fought back Elton and Feros’ father, Jacob, would get back at him by restricting the food and supplies his family would need for a period of time. Derek wouldn’t mind going without food for a while but he knew his mother’s body had been weak ever since his father died and he didn’t want her to suffer on account of his actions.

So he let the others grab him. The didn’t fight back as Elton and Feros took turns beating him. He just clenched his jaw and refused to cry out. This had the effect of enraging the other boys who wanted to hear and see his reactions to the pain they were inflicting, so they beat him even harder, shoving his face in the dirt and tearing his clothes.

This went on for quite a few minutes before a girl’s voice rang out from down the path, “What do you think you’re doing? If you don’t stop right now I am going to great grandfather to tell him what you’ve done!”

When they heard this the boys stopped kicking Derek, who was lying in the snow covering his face with his bleeding hands. Elton shouted, “Why do you always take his side Belany? He got me yelled at by your great grandfather today. He deserves even worse than this.”

Derek looked from where he was lying and his face turned red with shame. Not only was his pretty clanmate Belany there and interfering for him, but her brother Hector was there as well as his mother’s apprentice Alicia. Belany was a pretty girl. Probably the prettiest in the clan. She had brown hair and hazel eyes. Her brother, Hector, looked like a masculine reflection of her, even his facial expressions would match hers almost instantly. But Derek’s eyes slid right past them. When he saw Alicia looking at him he wanted to die. Here he was laying on the ground, covered in blood and mud. His clothes were torn and he wasn't even defending himself from his attackers. What shame and humiliation!

Alicia Telis had been his mother’s apprentice for three years now. She came to stay with them when they were both twelve. She was very pretty, blond hair and green eyes, with fine features and a graceful way of holding herself that would make anyone who saw her believe that she must be the queen of all she surveys. These good looks had only grown in the three years she has been in Redwyrm, catching the eyes of every young man in the town.

There was just one problem. She was Derek’s mother’s first apprentice and his mother doted on her to no end. She had stolen his mother’s affection from him! How can he, an only child, put up with this? His mother, his only parent, who has loved and doted on him alone his entire life wants him to share that with some strange girl? How can he accept this? It would be better to beaten by Elton and Feros every day than to share his mother!

And now his rival was looking at him when he was in this shameful situation. What humiliation! The gods must be laughing on their thrones.

Belany saw the embarrassment on his face and it only made her angrier. She knew the straits the clan was in. She heard her father and great grandfather discussing it late into the night and she inherited that worry. To her every clan member, even the ones from the branch families, was a valuable resource to protect and cultivate for the clan. Even Elton and Feros were valuable in spite of their terrible personalities.

Derek even more so. She had seen how hard he worked. She knew how talented he was and knew that he could likely be exactly the kind of emerging genius they needed to bring the clan out of its cycle of decay. To see Elton and Feros mistreat him in this way was infuriating for her. She wanted to use her magic to beat them bloody but she resisted the urge because she knew she had to set the example.

“Go home. All of you. Elton, your embarrassment today was entirely on you. If you understood that you would also know just how embarrassing your current behavior is. Now are you going to leave or do I need to call the Patriarch over?”

Hearing this the boys dispersed. Hector walked over and helped Derek to his feet. He didn’t say anything, just looked meaningfully at Derek as he lifted him. Hector rarely spoke, he was content to let his sister speak for him. Belany walked over with a frown before mixing light and order magic to cast a Holy healing spell on Derek. He felt his wounds heal up and his spirit cleanse as the Holy light poured over him.

Holy magic was the specialty of the Thorne clan. Every member in the clan was born with outstanding or supreme affinity with the light and order elements and every home in the clan had relics inside to promote affinity. By adulthood every member of the clan would have supreme affinity with it. To be able to boast of this kind of thing showed the clan’s fanatical devotion to the goals as stated by the Ancestor; to eradicate demons wherever they appear.

The healing magic even had the effect of cleaning off his body and clothes. Except for where the clothes were torn and his sulking Derek appeared as if nothing had happened. Upon seeing this, Belany grabbed her brother and Derek’s hands and led the way up the forest path towards Derek’s cottage with one on each side. Alicia just smiled to herself and followed along behind the three of them.

Eventually the four of them turned a corner on the forest path which revealed a clearing that abutted a cliff edge and gave a view of the town and castle of Redwyrm below. In this clearing were three cedar cottages, a well, a shed, and a small barn. Behind the cottages a practice yard had been set up with straw dummies and even a quintain. An old horse could be heard neighing from within the barn.

There were three adults standing around the well. The oldest was Derek’s paternal grandmother, Rebekah Thorne. Rebekah was the matriarch of their branch of the Thorne clan and even the years and her stern continence could barely hide her once stunning beauty. Her branch consisted of her, her daughter in law, and her grandson. At tier eight, she was also the most powerful Archmage of the modern Thorne Clan. Her understanding of Holy magic was unparalleled in the clan and this is precisely why the Patriarch had sent his great grandchildren halfway up the mountain. They were her apprentices and she earned a little extra gold to cover their needs by apprenticing them.

Next to her was Derek’s mother, Eona Windreach. Eona came to Redwyrm sixteen years ago after marrying Jared Thorne in the old ways. She gave birth to their son a few short weeks before she felt his death through their marriage bond.

This bond had been a great boon while they both lived, letting them know where the other was and their general wellbeing, it also provided a boon that allowed them to share mana and injuries between them. This powerful magic had a severe side effect though. When one of the people sharing the bond dies the other will suffer a severe backlash that could cripple or even kill them. Luckily for Eona, Rebekah was nearby when it happened. Her mother in law was able to react quickly and preserve her life.

Unfortunately this served to let them both know that Jared was dead and Eona’s health was greatly affected, leaving her in a sickly state for the last fifteen years. The illness gave a sickly appearance to her face but did little to hide the beauty that had once bewitched every man that looked upon her. When she looked at her son the love and concern on her face changed mere beauty to that of a goddess bringing life to the world. Small wonder that this boy was jealous of her apprentice stealing that away from him.

Next to Eona, her Armsman, Ovid Balder quietly stood by and listened to his mistress and her mother in law speak. He was the first to notice the teenagers walking up the path and the first to notice the tears in Derek’s clothes.

“You’re late! Go get your training armor out of the shed and meet me in the training yard,” he barked and hearing this, Derek sprinted into the shed.