Ciaran began to wonder while in class, when did he start having more fun outside of school? merely two years ago he enjoyed learning like there was nothing else, but it seemed like he had begun learning out of school and doing all sorts of things. Tonight, he would even train some stranger he hardly knew. The thought of why he would be training another briefly passed through Ciaran’s mind, and it ticked him off.
To relieve his mind Ciaran searched within the class for the face of his brother. After realising his mistake Ciaran turned to the window with a red face, and there he saw something. There were two snakes coiled together as they fought, their jaws interlocked. There were many things off about the snakes, the first of which that caught Ciaran’s eye was their blue colour, but the second was their presence in the region, or stark lack thereof.
Ciaran looked at the snakes in wonder, even as Mr Luper rambled on Ciaran continued staring. The snakes danced and cooled until eventually one got a hold of the others tail. Not to be outdone the other snake also latched onto the others behind. The two snakes now made a circle as they raced to consume the other, however it seemed that unless one died it would go on forever.
Thanks to an angry Mr Luper Ciaran returned to work, but the next time he looked there was no snake. The snake mattered little in the grand scheme of things and Ciaran continued with his day, with it niggling at the back of his mind.
Ciaran made several plans for the coming days, one of which was to head over to Caitiff’s. his other plans were mostly in relation to the upcoming school trip. The academy very rarely had the budget to let the children go outside the town, so trips were rare and precious. Other than that Ciaran was intent on begging Mr Burton to start lessons for moving to level 2 a few days earlier, the burly man didn’t have anyone else to take care of so he surely had time.
After school Ciaran decided that he should have some time before his guest came over and decided to investigate. Ciaran asked around the town and even Mr Luper and his parents about the snakes, and the answers confused him. some said it was a good sign, others a bad sign, most didn’t care, but they all said not to tell the church. There was no reason stated for the distrust of the church, just the strict ruling that such things should not reach their ears.
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When the sun began to dim a little a knock sounded out at the front door of the manor and a boy introduced himself to the butler.
“uhh, I am Damien, Ciaran told me to come over for something.”
The butler’s eyes beamed as he spoke before heading back inside
“Ah, a friend of young the young master I see, I will go fetch him now.”
Once Ciaran was notified, he brought Damien out to a large patch of trees near the manor where the boy had to introduce himself again. In typical Ciaran fashion he got distracted by something before work could begin.
“so Damien… Damien huh, that is an uncommon name, why were you given it?”
Damien got hit with a Ciaran special and was left stumped
“how would I know?”
“You have never asked them?”
“NO, have you?
“no”
“Can we get to what I came here for”
“what was that again?”
“you said you were going to make me able to stop those bullies”
“Ah, yes that happened”
With a more serious face Ciaran appraised Damien’s physique before giving up at his lack of such a skill.
“Then we should see what our base is. shouldn’t we?”
This time a smile played on Ciaran’s lips, one that did not speak of goodwill for the boy before him.
Ciaran made Damien run through the forest and lift different sizes of rocks, it was all useful information, but it sure didn’t feel like it. At the end off the session Damien was on the mossy forest floor while Ciaran looked over him, and the boy protested.
“This doesn’t seem like it’s going to make me any stronger.”
“that’s where patience comes in, you see Pain makes you stronger”
“That doesn’t make any fucking sense, I should be super strong by now then!”
“Not all pain makes you stronger.”
“Words of wisdom from a child.”
“And you are not?”
Ciaran then helped up Damien, patting off the moss from the boys back.
Damien walked back home afterwards, earnestly refusing Ciaran’s offers to carry him home. However, something still played on the boy’s mind, he saw a portrait hung int the main hall of the Andreas manor.
The portrait was surely of duke Realta, a man that couldn’t have a connection to the Andreas family, a man that SHOULDN’T have any connection to the Andreas family. before his passing Damien’s father had instilled a few things in the boy, but one thing rang out, the upper nobility was dangerous.