Judgment

Apollo Keating

“What do you mean by that, Mrs. Keating? You reject our offer to be a Captain?” The King was growing red with what could only be anger.

“That is correct. What kind of sister would I be working under the person who killed my little brother?”

“I am your King and you will do as I say, if he is wanting to throw his life away then…” Noah stepped in front and held up a hand.

“Your majesty, maybe you should take a deep breath. Yes, the boy was rude, and he did harm Isiah. However one could say he was just protecting himself. Now I may have a biased opinion since I am the one who wanted her inside my battalion as a Captain.”

“What are you getting at General?” The King began to grow impatient. His hand was gripped so tight it was becoming white like a ghost.

“Well, I did already break the boy's arm. I think that's enough, don’t you?” He got closer to the King to whisper something to him. Luckily for me, I was able to enhance all my senses with the aether in the air. “Besides I have already told you that they need her, so drop it.”

The King was visually displeased at hearing this, but he soon let it go. “Alright boy, you will be let off this time. However, the next time it will be an execution.” He called off his knights and then began to leave the building. “And General, remember to know your place.” He gave a glaring death stare to Cook, who just gave that ominous smile he always had on. In a speed walk fashion, he left the building with Mr. Paxton close behind.

Something I hadn’t realized since I was only at the start of the third stage, is how little aether my tiny body could hold. Due to this fact, before I even knew what was happening I collapsed. My body had exerted too much energy and couldn’t stay up.

Luna Keating

“So Ruby, how do you think that went?” My sister walked casually, arms over her head with a wide grin over her face. “I think it went great personally.”

“I am a little annoyed with the kid, I wanted him to hide that for as long as possible. But what can you do I suppose.” We stopped out front of the Thorne estate to say our goodbyes.

“I’ll be leaving sooner than I expected as well. This dog shit academy can’t help me anyways, books are dumb.” She couldn’t help but laugh.

“Books are only dumb when it comes to you, I personally love them.”

I kicked a pebble by my feet, as I was deep in thought. “I need you to do something for me.”

“A favor huh, you never ask for those. Not from anyone, especially me of all people.”

“Talk him out of the academy. Have him become a dungeon clearer, a baker with Mom, or anything else.”

“Ahh you want to keep your little bro safe is that it? Sorry Luna, but I am going to have to decline. Even if I wanted to, I couldn't talk him out of it, you know that.”

“I know, he’s just a dumbass and going to get himself killed is all. Then can you do me another favor? I know you have been asked to become a Captain in General Farrow’s battalion. When the war comes will you make sure he is under your command?”

“I’ll see what I can do, but as you know in the end the choice is up to him.”

“Thank you.” I gave her a hug and made my way through the gate to the main house. My brother had been taken to the main manor for treatment sometime before. I had to stay behind to deal with some last-minute things with General Cook and asked Ruby to walk with me so we could have that conversation.

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“That little brat, what am I going to do with him?” I entered the mansion to find the majority of people patiently sitting around on the benches waiting. “So he’s still out of it I take it?”

My mother approached me and gave me a hug, “Yes he is dear. But he’ll be fine, he just has to absorb some of the aether around him.”

“God this is going to take too long.” I pushed past all of them to the room he was in. A doctor tried to stop me.

“Kid, you need to let him rest.” He tried to grab my wrist and I swatted him away.

“That’s Captain to you, and if I leave him in your care he’s going to sleep forever and become a fat lazy slug. Now get the hell out of my way.” He stopped in his tracks too stunned to give a reply. So I made my way into the room to find the little pest snoring away on the bed.

“Alright, shit head you’ve been in a coma long enough.” I placed my hand over his chest and began drawing all the aether particles in the room towards my hand. As the last particle was drawing in I used all the strength in my body to force it into his heart.

In a matter of seconds, he was coughing and gasping for air as if he had been on death's bed. “Did you have to be so rough when doing that sister?”

“Why are you always belly aching, drop your balls already and man up.” I sat in the chair next to him and began eating the apple I’m sure my mother had left for him. “So what do I have to do for you to rid this stupid dream of becoming an officer? It’s not all it's cracked up to be as you saw tonight, and besides Mom could use some help with the bakery. Or even dad with guard duty, oh or even better I’m sure he would love to go into a dungeon with…”

“Enough Luna. You know damn well I’m going to become a knight, officer or not. Quit trying to baby me as if I’m some child.”

“In case you forgot moron, you are still a child.”

“So are you, and you’ll be off into a battalion here soon.”

“Why the hell are you so interested in pursuing this dream anyways? What has this country ever done for you, or even Mom.” His grip on the covers tightened and his gaze became firm. He spoke in a tone I had never heard before, almost like a grown man.

“That’s exactly why I have to do it. If I don’t change things for Mom, for us, then who the hell will? No one is willing to stand up for what is right in this fucking country, not even the elves or dwarves that are persecuted. I want everyone to live honest and right lives, not live in fear.”

“God, you’re going to make me fucking puke with all that talk. What shitty fairy tale did you read to become so chivalrous.” Though I didn’t disagree with him. “So how the hell do you plan on doing that huh? Fight your way straight to the King, gravity push him into the ground and make him cry for help.”

“No, I only did that because that kid was annoying. I’m going to make whatever position I can and keep making my way up through the ranks till I become a Sentinel. From there, I’ll manipulate whatever family takes me into making real change.”

“Kind of messed up don’t you think? Manipulating a nice little family like that.”

“Neither of the two families is nice, and the Thornes don’t have enough power for the other two to listen. Even if I have to become a Sentinel for the Minir family.”

I let out a whistle before taking a final bite from the apple. “An elven family huh, you really are serious about this.”

“I am.”

I stood up and made my way to the door, tossing the apple core into a small trash bin. I grabbed the handle but stopped just before I opened it. “Fine, then I won’t try to stop you. However, I will be watching your every move. And if I decide I need to cripple you for your own good I will.”

“How gracious of you, what would I ever do without my big sister.”

“Get killed by the King.” I left the room to find everyone standing and waiting for my response. “He’s fine, what the hell are you all just sitting around for?”

Apollo Keating

“She doesn’t know how to leave well enough alone huh.” I let out a little chuckle. “I guess it’s time to get up and tell people I’m all…” Before I could finish my sentence everything went black. But this time I didn’t pass out, it was worse than that. I looked around to find myself back in the void of darkness I had come from.

I looked at my body to see if maybe I was regressing again. Perhaps my sister had filled me with too much aether and I exploded. However, I was perfectly fine, well as fine as I could be.

“So you finally arrived, did you?”

I turned to find a boy around my age. He had long gray hair that covered his eyes, he was very skinny, malnourished even. He had a strange, almost malicious aura about him. “Who the hell are you? And why am I back here?”

“Wrong questions get wrong answers. All you need to know is that your fate is sealed, thief.”

“How am I a thief, I haven’t stolen anything in my life.”

“You will find out, you will die the same as before. A pawn whose life is nothing, a fake self-righteous prick. You claim that your path is correct, that you can save everyone. People don’t need to be saved, they need to be burned, and your blindness is why you and everyone you love, will die.”