Amel was watching his father swing the hoe up and down. He was looking at the grass, the small insects travelling from one place to another across the ground and the rays of sunlight touching upon the golden fields surrounding him. His father glanced back, and saw that his son was more interested in the things moving around, than the work he was doing. That would make him feel kind of disappointed that what he did wasn’t impressing the young mind of his first born. But was also happy that his son was showing the signs of someone who was going to work in other kinds of fields, those which the hands of his father couldn’t tile or reach.

Amel and Femel had spent a week apart. Femel was sent to the training institution nearest of the centre, which was still a couple kilometres away, as the giant city was housing once tens of thousands of people, then only a few thousand, which have started to grow back to the original numbers. While there were less people, there were more talented individuals, which had to adapt to the new times in order to not only make it out alive, but do so while not committing to crime. Thus, those inside of Thranes, generally speaking, were people of the highest calibre, as Hran wouldn’t allow mischief and crime to run around. Even so, however, crime finds its way in the darkest of corners. For that, Hran II was tasked with rooting those individuals out. Due to Femel’s high performances since the first day, he would be assigned with a few others to assist Hran II in his ventures around the city.

Amel was tasked, inside the castle, to build more constructs of higher quality and better use in combat. While that was his original plan, he didn’t realise just how much of a difference it would make to have access to so many resources. Black steel, folded steel, cold steel and molten steel, where just a few of the many types of metals, ores and minerals at his disposal. Aside from that, a diverse range of materials, from livingwood to pearly stone, were also at his disposal. The interactions between them would go beyond what he could simply do by infusing them with his light, which was already extremely useful in itself.

Amel first started experimentation with one of the more widely available materials, the folded steel. Finding its way into a various of fields, this steel would make Amel interested in how he could apply it to his constructs. Once he infused the metal with his light, he noticed some issues. Due to the various metals that were combined in different measures and quantities, it would make it harder for him to simply infuse it as he usually does to any one metal. He saw the potential in this, as he could maybe infuse multiple lights inside the steel, and have multiple systems set in place. However, the drawback would be the possible conflicts between systems, which would take time to sort out. So, after he thought about it, he quickly moved on to the next. Black steel. While the black steel was expensive and mainly available to the royalty and those rich enough to afford it, due to him being told that all of the resources are at his disposal, he assumed that he could use as much as he saw fit. The steel was easier than the folded one, and was more durable too, the most one out of all the steels. While it was hard to melt it and bend it as he wanted it to, he found this steel to be useful in making constructs for the joint of Omega, who had part of its joints shattered in the battle with the King. Such a strong reinforcement would bring more out of his giant creation.

What interested him most were the cold and molten steel, the rarest of the others, since those were monopolised by the Frostborns and Sunborns respectively. While he knew he couldn’t make an entire army, given the high cost and limited access to them, he could make some more specialised units, more complex ones which could make use of the potential of those metals. The cold steel was of special interest to him, since it already had infused light into it. Seeing how his own would interact once the systems were in place, made him giggle to himself multiple times while alone. The molten steel on the other hand, since it had storing capabilities, he thought it would be best for storing large amounts of light, thus information, which he could then transport between places. While he could simply send information and instructions to his constructs, if he for instance wanted to inform some other person of something, the constructs would prove difficult in communicating. So, he was testing methods through which a human could simply touch the molten steel, and receive the information he wanted sent. This consumed most of his first week, but by the end, he would have a system in place, which allowed the information to be received by other constructs upon contact. It was the first step of many before being able to establish a network of information different than that of word of mouth. His first worry became the leak of information, as anyone could technically touch the construct and steal it. So, a method of encryption was his first step. Then the method of decryption which should only be available once the message or information, has arrived to the person which he wanted to receive it.

Those which were assigned to watch over him and provide, Hran II being one of them, felt no need to assist him, as the constructs which he brought along, were extensions of his mind and could be of better use than anyone. Hran II would pass by from time to time to check on his progress and report back to his father, who was planning for the war and having discussions with different generals and people coming from all over the kingdoms. This was only the beginning, as the amount of people flowing into the capital would grow as the time of war would draw nearer. The plan was for all the troops to gather there, then move onto Mouner, where they would face the Foolish King. This was in order to prevent the Foolish King from noticing their movements, being far away enough.While it was true that they only had to take down the city, which was protected by tall walls and fierce monstrosities, it would be an issue if the Foolish King escaped with his armies somewhere else and attacked them while preoccupied with the city itself. All things considered, they still needed more soldiers, so the arrival of Amel would instantly add a large amount of power to the army, which by Hran’s estimations, should suffice for about a thousand soldiers, given the performance of both Omega and his other constructs. However, with access to new materials and having the leisure to spend as much time as he wanted, provided with everything he needed, Amel would explode in his research, by the end, providing a force large enough to supplement ten thousand men or even more.

Amel finished one of his prototypes, a small construct with two little legs and a molten steel core, which held a lot of information inside. It was mainly useless and repetitive information. The purpose of the small construct was to bump into someone, see how the person would receive the information, then return, so Amel could grasp the speed at which someone could understand large amounts of information. His brother was used to receiving information directly into his mind and fast, but never too much, only little bits. Amel needed this to work on someone who both never felt this kind of exchange, and had the light. Ermel would become the first victim of this, as he was the only one allowed by Amel to assist him. He would bring him food, clean around and keep him company when struggling with some problem. Ermel didn’t mind it a whole lot, as he finally felt like his life of crime was over, and working at the royal court, was something he could’ve never imagined, for someone who started as a farmer.

Once the construct was set in motion, Amel would watch it catch life, getting used to having legs and vision, then pushing it off the table. It crashed on the ground, then imputed the information of landing methods in its mind. Amel willed it to walk up to the door and wait until open, then bump the person that entered with its molten steel core, that was peaking through a portion of its head, the rest being surrounded by four pieces of metal and wood at the sides. Once the door opened, the construct bumped the person as per orders, and the person received the information. Once inside, Hran would be the one to step in, seeing the small thing at his legs. He scratched his head and asked Amel if he heard someone talk, since he seemed to recall the number one being repeated a few times in his head. Amel asked how many times, Hran would say five, which was from a sequence of thirty thousand numbers and letters. While it was true that it was a surprise to Hran, it didn’t change the fact that most information was forgotten. Whether because of the brain filtering all the useless one and only remembering the first portion, or the inner light of Hran resisting the light from entering his body, was something Amel would have to test more extensively.

Hran brought him news that after the day was over, he was to take dinner in the large hall, where his father would attend and some matters about the upcoming war would be discussed. Amel wondered if it was suitable for him to hear such things, since he was a criminal and all. Hran II placed his hand on his shoulder, and told him that giving his contributions so far, they almost made it up for his wrongdoings, a genuine smile on his face. Amel knew that Hran II was putting a good for to his father every time he could, and was also selling him to other people from around the kingdom, so that in case a sentence akin to death was to be brought to him and Femel, they could escape through some means from the capital and back into the world. Hran II would tell him that his brother would attend the dinner as well, since he was doing splendid at his task, and ever since he assisted him, Femel proved a sort of wet stone, which kept Hran II sharp on his duty. Amel found it heart warming that his brother was doing fine, and may soon join him at an equal shoulder, but was still worried about him, that other people may start to look at him with envy, for he was highly talented and appreciated by the likes of the royalty.

Once their little talk was over, Hran II went out of the castle and into the city. He still had to complete his duty by the time set, a ring of underground battles, taking place in the sewers, was something he had to deal that week. The Slummers, as they called themselves, were a huge spit in Hran’s face, who thought that bouts should be done in the eyes of the people, not at night for money. These Slummers were some soldiers, some farmers, some smiths, who grew tired of assisting the war efforts, while not getting anything special in return. This feeling was starting to get stronger, as the newly arrived Amel was immediately accepted in the castle, amongst the higher ones, and his brother was advancing too fast in the military institution, making some believe that strings were pulled by either Amel or Hran II to speed up his promotion status. It wasn’t true of course, but it would only come as natural after all the special treatment those two got, especially since one of them broke down one of the walls they painstakingly spent time building. While those reasons were taking into consideration, given how far they were going to disobey their King, those didn’t matter anymore, and an end would have to be brought to them.

Femel was at the training ground, fighting one of the generals of the army. It wasn’t any general either, the man he was fighting had survived Umshaow’s onslaught in Tainas, fighting a few of its apparitions. This was the perfect sparring partner for Femel, who wanted to see a bit of Umshaow’s power, allowing him to understand how much more he had to grow before even attempting a fight with the Apostle. Their bouts went from noon until dawn, and Femel would lose each and every time. But, to the general’s surprise, by the name of Unuel, Femel would become stronger with each exchange. By the fifth day, Unuel had to use everything he knew against the boy, who was barely sprouting into adolescence. By the seventh day, Unuel still won, although it was by a hair’s width. He could tell that, by tomorrow, the boy was going to rise above him. The one who at the start of week, didn’t even know how to swing a sword properly, waving that huge broadsword as if it was a stick with a stone on its tip.

The reason for his explosive growth were both his sharp instincts, that were being sharpened by his formidable opponent, which was nowhere close to the commanders and soldiers he had fought, and his attention to every movement the general made. When he made a swing, he would watch carefully for the muscles that were tensed, relaxed and at which time it would happen. He would memorise his movements, then the following day, he would come with counters on the spot. Sometimes they were sloppy and he would get punished for it with dull steel on his head, while sometimes he would excel at it and close the gap between him and the general. He was a prodigy, the general told Hran II. If he didn’t have the experience he did, the boy would’ve placed him on the floor with both his hands broken by the time the second day had ended. And while the experience was still there, it wouldn’t matter much once the boy came up with new solutions and tricks of his own to counter him. Hran II would be very pleased to hear that Amel’s brother was raising up to the praise given.

Amel also found his weapon of preference. The broadsword was too short for him, he thought, while the spear too thin for him to hold. So, he chose what was between, the glaive. His glaive was made of folded steel, as Amel suggested instead of the dark steel which Hran wanted. It was because of his strength, that Femel would feel better wielding something heavier. After telling him how he bested Kinak in the game back in Winlakes, even though it was without his light infusing his body, Hran II would agree that maybe something like what would suit the freakish boy better. And it did. From the first day when he got the glaive, Femel swang with the strength he used for the broadsword, while having the reach of a spear. It was a weapon with which he could perform better and better the longer he used it. He could also handle it with one hand alone, so that if one hand got tired, the other would be ready to take over and continue on fighting.

When Hran II had returned to the training grounds, he saw Unuel on the floor, and Femel reaching with his hand to lift the man up. The man pulled himself by the boy’s arm, patting him on his shoulder and having a laugh with him. Hran II wished for Femel to survive the war, for he could tell that this boy might grow into someone worth following, even for him, the son and heir of a king.

Femel would straighten himself when he saw Hran II, while the general bowed before him. He dismissed their actions, reminding them that he didn’t with for formalities while on the training grounds. The general insisted that it wasn’t fit for a king to be welcomed improperly, but Femel would just listen to Hran II and hug him, while still full of sweat and dirt from all the training. The general punished the boy with a slap behind the head and forcing him to bow before the next in line for the throne. Hran could tell they were getting closer together, and the general didn’t mind losing to someone less than half his age. After all was said and done, Hran II informed him of the mission ahead, and that he and the general were to attend the dinner tonight, where Amel and Hran would be present at. The general started to pat his clothes off, as if they were going to go straight away, while Femel smiled back at Hran II, excited to see his brother’s progress in the past week.

Hran II gathered the other eight kids that made a strong enough impression on him, and were allowed to assist him. They were to get into the sewers from different points, in pairs of two, and search a certain portion, where the Slummers were believed to be. They were allowed to bring weapons over, but only short ones, as the sewers proved highly troublesome for longswords, lances, glaives and such. Femel chose to not bring any, since he would be better off with his fists, while the others chose either a shortsword or knives or maces to protect themselves with. The general saluted the kids and bowed before Hran II, then they left.

Inside the castle, noise was being made all around as the maids were preparing the place, stewards and cooks were running around to place the plates and cook the food. Amel would find himself bothered by all the noise, so he took a stroll outside. He climbed the inner wall, where a few guards were keeping an eye on him. He was on a constant watch due to his ability to sneak around and maybe escape. While both Hran and Hran II didn’t think he would attempt as such, it was in order to preserve face for the population, who thought that bringing in a criminal child like him, who had access to such high degrees of powers, should be monitored and used only for the right purposes. Amel didn’t like how those people thought of him as nothing more than a tool, but he also didn’t care about them. If he wanted, he could kill those which bothered him the most, since there were a select few which he knew to harass his brother whenever he went running around the city or keeping watch duty. He constrained himself, he didn’t want to cause issues, not yet, when he was still getting his constructs the next generation of upgrades. He could only laugh in silence thinking of all the deadly and useful contraptions he could build, then use against his sworn enemies.

Amel watched the moonless sky, thinking of all the alterations he could make to the system, having access to such precious materials. Livingwood was on his list of materials to test his light on. The mystical wood from the Livingwood Forests in Ilianor, had the special property of growing even when detached from the tree. The accelerated rates at which it could grow, woul allow a branch of a tree to grow into a full tree in under a day. It was a material which the Foolish King had used in the constructions of his walls, making them almost impossible to bring down, as the wall could literally regrow once damaged. And with the high degrees of light he read from the texts from the castle’s libraries, he was sure that those walls will have some other surprises beyond the livingwood which made up most of it. But, if his light could interact with the wood, maybe even communicate with the life inside, he could make short work of them. Of course, those were his dreams, since for some reason, living things didn’t like his light a whole lot. Wood was a bit different, once it was dead, since his light would bring back alive the cells and assign them a different function instead of the purposed one. However, when something was still alive, the cells would start opposing the light, resulting in either the light trying to force itself harder on the cell, destroying it, or the inner system of the body acting against the light. Either way, there was no way for him to develop a measure through which he could bring those walls down. He was told that Hran was developing a new kind of weapon, one which would be sure to bring down the walls, but he wan’t informed a whole lot on it, besides the fact that it uses high concentrations of light.

Whatever it was, it didn’t matter to him, as he developed other ways around the walls. Omega was still a viable option, especially since his reinforcement, he estimated, were to be done by the end of the month. With those in place, Omega would be able to move faster, better and have more strength behind its blows and swings. His magnum opus was growing int something more powerful with each passing day. And to add to it, he was preparing some special constructs to attach to Omega and make Omega a truly terrifying weapon. Hran II was getting a bit nervous standing around Amel when he thought on how to make his creations better weapons and tools. Since a good portion of them resembled humans in their figures, he couldn’t help but feel that sometimes Amel would see humans like constructs as well. While it wasn’t far from the truth, since Amel saw humans as something disposable once too bothersome or useless, he also had a sense of compassion, solely attached to Femel, Hran and Ermel. Was he to lose more than one of them, or Femel, he would descend in the dark depths of inhuman, becoming a huge threat to human civilization.

As he watched the sky, one of the many constructs, the mover kind, smaller ones that could go around without being noticed, returned to him. It touched him with its molten steel core, and relayed precise information about the whereabouts of his brother. He was going with Hran and his group into the sewers. There, he had another network of constructs. He was the one who discovered the Slummers in the first place and reported them to Hran II. It wasn’t that he liked to report on fellow criminals, but the fewer of those there were, the fewer unknown threats which he couldn’t account for. He was watching his brother through his constructs, he was with a young girl who had a talent with her bow. She could infuse light in the tip of the arrow, and it would make the arrow slightly change direction towards another source of light. It was a tracking sort of ability in which he took a bit of interest, as he wanted to make his constructs able to track light as well. While they were able to know each other’s positions through communicating with him, and then him back to them, it would prove far more useful if they could sense one another and those around them. It wouldn’t help with wild beasts and the like, but still a highly useful ability. He didn’t know if his light would be able to behave like that, but still had the intention of finding out.

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Once in the sewers, Femel and the girl by the name of Amiria, started to search around. Amel could guide them with his constructs, but he also wanted to see his brother in action when he had someone else to take care of. While it could be said Femel had to take care of Amel’s back, that rarely proved to be the case, as Amel would be able to handle all situations without issue. It was something Femel didn’t like about his brother, since he was saved too many times by Amel, while he wasn’t able to ever repay the ‘debt’ to him. Amel thought it was silly of his brother to think of such things, since he did save him during Umshaow’s attack, and kept him alive for years more, so it might prove impossible to ever repay it, but Femel wouldn’t care and grow frustrated at his inability to help his brother. This made him in turn to look outwards, where he could spend his energy instead, thus becoming more friendly with people and helping them around.

Femel kept going at a steady pace, the girl helping him tracking the steps left by previous people, leading them in the right direction. They would hear the occasional rat here and bug there crawling around, but nothing too much. At first, it seemed there was no end to the sewers, and that war partly true since they extended for kilometres all around Thranes, and there wouldn’t be any signs of the Slummrs. However, Amel knowing the way, and seeing as they took a couple bad turns, would make sounds and shadows with his constructs to help guide them in the right direction. He would have some giggles as he watched them through the constructs, soldiers on the wall giving him weirded stares. Finally, after what seemed an hour, they reached the place where the Slummers gathered. However, they would be first, as the other groups still had to make it through.

The girl thought they should wait or even return, to tell Hran II and the others of it. But the match was undergoing. A commander in the army of Thranes, against a tall, muscly farmer. The scene was unsightly, a man who was in charge of a dozen other, against a man who was supposed to provide for his family and kingdom through his field work. This sort of activity was unbecoming for anyone. Amel saw how Femel had to make a decision. If they waited, the Slummers may leave before anyone else would arrive, especially since it seemed that two prior matches took place, and this was the one they gathered for. If they left the same issue would be pressed, and if they tried to restrain them, some would undoubtedly escape, being around thirty of them. Only Hran II would be able to make them all stop and take them out. While the girl was getting impatient with the time Femel took to make his decision, the soldier had hit the farmer in the chin, putting him on the ground, then finishing him with a knee under the chin.

People were starting to cheer and throw money around. This wasn’t looking good, and there were no signs of others. Amel was leading two groups, of which one was with Hran II towards the Slummers. Hran II already was aware of Amel’s constructs, while the other groups was led similarly to how he led Femel and the girl. But that would take another ten minutes, and the Slummers were preparing to leave. In attempt to stop it, Femel told the girl to watch the exit, since the Slummers were fighting in a room where Mou’s constructs were once deposited, empty then that Mou had to call his constructs to build walls and help reinforce the structural integrity of kingdoms. With a step forward, Femel entered the room, shirtless. Amel caught all the information relayed through a construct which was watching from the sewer waters. He burst out laughing, the soldiers on the wall scared to approach him.

Femel challenged the soldier to a fight. Everyone was confused, including the girl. But, the Slummers thinking this might be one of the new ones, they wanted to see a bit more before ending the night. They didn’t recognize him in the heat of the moment, since he was said to be a boy about twelve years old, Femel looking more like a fully grown adult, and a tall one at that. The soldier started to work up the crowd, while Femel watched. The girl heard a splosh in the water, looked where it came from, nothing, the construct in the water leaving somewhere else, as Amel thought this was over.

The soldier started throwing hooks and jabs, Femel dodging each with ease. Even if he didn’t train with Unuel, this soldier wouldn’t have been an issue with him. People started to make excuses for the soldier, that he was tired from the previous fight and such. But Femel training in the institutions, knew that this soldier had long to go through before he would run out of breath. He started to grow confident and play around, make faces at the soldier while dodging. People were laughing and pointing at him, he enjoyed their attention. But while doing so, the soldier pulled a dirty one, and took his hair with one hand, then slammed his fist in his face. Femel recoiled a little bit back, looking at the soldier who was working the crowd again, proud of his strike. Femel felt the blood boiling in him, took his stance, and entered the offence. The soldier couldn’t follow his movements, dodging in a place he struck before and the punch that followed unseen by him. In a short minute, Femel beat the man senseless while standing up. The crowd was silent, then started to make noise once more. While not enough time had passed, once their cheering was heard across the sewers, Hran rushed with speed towards it, the boy following him falling behind. When he arrived, Hran saw Femel working the crows of Slummres. The construct which followed him, informed Amel. It wasn’t good, he just undid all the work he put in the past week to impress Hran with that. To make things worst, the girl was cheering for him too, watching the young boy while playing with her hair. With a powerful shout, Hran II stopped the whole thing. Soon, the other groups had arrived, as they’ve heard the commotion.

Hran walked pass the other people, standing taller than all of them. They didn’t say anything, just watched what was about to unfold. Hran II slapped Femel, which brought a look of surprise on his face. Hran II gave him a look of disappointment, then walked away, ordering the other groups to get the Slummers and ensure they’re getting to the prison. Femel crashed to the floor and looked at it, stared for a long while. After everyone was gone, only the girl remained. She made her way slowly to him, then sat down next to him. She told him that she thought he was cool. He frowned, thinking that what he had done must’ve been that wrong, for Hran II to look at him that way. It was a look he never had the chance to get from his father, and Hran II provided him with that. It was an unpleasant thing, but necessary for growth, Hran II knew that, he had children of his own which have died, and like him, tried to become something less that good. He wouldn’t allow it, not for someone of his calibre, not in these times.

Once the Slummers were arrested and sent to the prison, Hran II and Femel went to the dinner after washing themselves. Amel prepared himself before they arrived, and waited in the hallway to meet the two. They arrived, Femel behind Hran II. Hran II whispered to his ear that he expected him to be a bit harsh with his brothers. Amel touched him and sent light to his brain, letting him know that he will. Hran II was satisfied with the response, and went to meet his father. Femel figured that Hran II must’ve told him right then what he did, not knowing that Amel watched everything. Femel expected Amel to say it will be fine, and give him a devious smile, the kind which he gave him after they stole something but were caught in the process. This time however, Amel would give Femel a stern look. It wasn’t disappointment, but expectancy. He wanted him to say something that would make sense of his actions. Femel wouldn’t find the reason behind it, besides his boiling blood which didn’t let him see beyond hurting the one before him. Amel explained that, while he is of this age, he would experience much more of that, but unlike other boys, he didn’t have the luxury of growing out of it, he had to, until the war would come. If he didn’t, then he would have no place on the battlefield, and would remain behind. Femel was enraged by it, trying to make excuses and promises, even trying to reach for the words which they shared. But Amel would point to him what he was doing. Upon realising, Femel asked for forgiveness. There was none from his brother, there was nothing to forgive, but something to improve upon. Femel understood, and walked to the dinner hall.

Inside the hall, a long stretching table, made of dark brown wood and adorned with golden engravings, was holding the numerous plates and bowls filled to the brim with food. It was a custom that everyone would have their plates filled before arriving, as the cook had to figure the right portions. It wasn’t something easily done and unnecessary, but it was a way through which cooks could express themselves to the guests, and how they felt their food should be eaten by each individual. For the most part, the cooks were right, those which gathered, scholars and highly regarded people, eating exactly to their liking. However, the issue came to the more ‘special’ ones. Amel, Femel, Hran II, Hran and a few other, were like none other. First was Femel, who kept reaching for his pockets with the food he was taking from the plate with his hands, instead of the tools before him. Then Amel, who had his eyes glowing and the light from within, blinking while he took calculated bites, after which he would leave the food unfinished. Hran II and Hran were looking at everyone else, they didn’t eat until at least half the people were done and left.

These odd ones would give the cooks trouble, especially since they changed their eating patterns every once in a while, and tonight, they all decided upon the same time, while Femel was a new kind of weird. There was nothing they could’ve done, but wished they could’ve. Amel watched the other guests, saw that they were all talking about the management of the city and its people. Some were talking about the tacticians that they were supposed to train, a word new to him. To the cooks’ further enragement, Amel would switch plates with one of the guests while not looking. He then pretended that their plates got confused and he should be the one standing in their place. He also touched the person with his hand to attract their attention and input information into their brain, to make them believe that had to be the case. After he moved into the place he wanted, he dropped a closer ear to the conversation. He would usually have a construct reading the lips of people, so he wasn’t too used to this, stretching a bit too much from his seat. When the men asked him if he was interested in the subject, he said no, and returned to his food, then started to eavesdrop again. Hran II would find himself amused, so would Hran but not showing it. Looking at the mess Femel was making by trying not to fill his pockets with food, made the King and his son giggly.

After half the guests were gone, and Amel had found out about the institution where tacticians for war were raised, he listened upon Hran’s and Hran II’s conversation. They were talking about the new weapon, the one which used high amounts of light. Amel was interested in it, as it might provide a way to harm Amshaow. Femel didn’t heed it much attention at first, but Amel would make him pay attention, since he had to grow in more than one way if he wanted to stand a chance against the future challenges. However, once Hran noticed the brothers listening in, he switched the subject on them. He rose a toast to the two brothers who were making such fast advancements, especially Amel who Hran told those high status people, promised that he would provide for as much as two thousand worth of men through his own power. While Amel didn’t make any such promise, and saw the intent behind the King’s words, he had already surpassed that by three times the amount, and would do so by five time by the end of the next month, when they would march to war. He simply didn’t report accurately on his performance, deluding the King to believe he was worth one thousand men, and in case something like this happened, where he would force him publicly to provide more, he would have to spare some and more. The only one who had a vague suspicion that Amel was hiding something again, was Hran, who had witnessed through cracked doors and passing maidens, the development of advanced constructs, able to move in unnatural ways to a human.

While the constructs weren’t brought to a larger scale than that of a rat, he had no doubt Amel had something in store to make it possible. Amel knew of Hran II’s espionage against him, but didn’t care, and even managed to slip past him the project of his secret elite group of constructs, which he named the Prima. The Prima were mainly offensive constructs, built with systems so complex and intricate, that it would need him another two years to figure them out, so that they wouldn’t get out of his hands. In order to make up for the time he didn’t have, he only assigned a portion of the systems instead, which would limit the full capabilities of the Prima. However, given their special structure and systems he placed into them, one Prima of the fifty he would have done by the time of war, would be enough to fight a hundred of the normal Offenders. When in full capacity, they should be able to take a couple thousand of his current constructs straight on. While the Prima were still far from finished, Omega had undergone major changes. Stronger, more flexible joints, reinforced portions of lost rock, with better minerals, and changes to its system so it could make use of the fight it had against Hran, made Omega his strongest construct still. Even if he fully developed the Prima, they would still not match up to Omega, and that was as he intended things to be, since Omega and Alpha will be his key constructs in order to kill Umshaow.

Hran praised the brothers a bit more, before standing down. Some clapping could be heard, then the whispers of the remaining guests amongst themselves as they were looking at the brothers. The general was enjoying his meal next to Femel, while helping him with the more complex foods and how to eat them properly. Amel asked Hran directly about the weapon he was developing. The black eyes stared holes through any man, but not Amel, who could only see the curiosity which he shared behind his eyes. Hran didn’t want to tell the kid about the weapon, since he was a terrifying thing to have around already. Unlike the other First Six, who would’ve executed a criminal like Amel and Femel upon having them in custody, Hran wanted to make careful use of them, as they were assets, and he didn’t want to make waste in these times. But, that came at a price. Were any of them to rebel, or worse, turng against their kind and join the Foolish King, they would pose a great threat in the war to come. So, while he would’ve liked to handle them better, those two were getting out of the grasp of his hands. And adding wood to the fire, wouldn’t make matters better, so he didn’t explain anything in further detail about the weapons, just that they would help enormously in the war to come. Amel didn’t like the vagueness, but was starting to see the slightest alterations in Hran’s light. While they weren’t enough to provide him with a read on his intentions, he was at least sure that there were things which he hid from him with those words.

After dinner was done, they each returned to their respective places. Hran up in the castle’s second floor, where his bedroom was at, Hran II going into the city, in an inn he could drink and sleep into, while Amel was going to sleep inside the workshop, in which he moved his bed and preferred to live into, rather than the large dormitory which the King had provided for him. It was both out of convenience and due to the fact that he spent most of his life in small, tight places. It was a habit he couldn’t absolve himself of, not for the rest of his life. Femel would return to the training institution dormitories, which were on the premises. The brothers wouldn’t say goodbye, as they still lived relatively close to each other, and Amel kept watch over him during the night with planted constructs all over the place. Femel would find a bunch of them at night, his eyes catching glimpses of them and his limbs fast enough to get them in his grasp. He simply destroyed them, and sent the pieces back to Amel in the morning. It was their little game which they kept playing for as long as they stood there.

The following day, changes started to take place. First, Femel having defeated one of the more seasoned generals, had to fight Hran II from that point onwards, who didn’t have as much time to spare with him, so he had to make the most use of it. Femel would get his reality reformed, as Hran defeated him before he could reach him. Hran explained to him that, due to his lack of light, someone could abuse his weak body, with their own light, and cause his brain to stop sending signals to his body. It was as simple as letting light act as energy inside the brain, and temporarily shocking the brain. Femel found himself frustrated beyond belief. He wanted to shout and kick and punch, but couldn’t, Hran II standing above him and watching with pity. He explained to him that if he was to fight his future enemies, than the minimum required is for him to not be hit by such simple things. If the enemy find that he’s without light, they can take advantage of his weakness and immediately disable him. And while his body is much sturdier than that of a person with ligh, it doesn’t change the fact that it cannot heal in the same way, and any injuries to his body would take longer to heal. By example, he poked at the dark spot on his nose, which he got in the fight last nigh, to Hran II, Amel and others, that would’ve healed in just minutes, but for Femel, it will take a day or two. It was a frustrating reality in which he had to live, but had no choice and accept it as it was.

With that, his lesson would end for that day. Femel didn’t feel like it should be over, but Hran II thought he would have much to think about once he returns to his dormitory, especially since he won’t be able to get up soon. But, against Hran’s belief, Femel got up just moments after Hran started to walk away. His attack sent Femel’s body in disarray, but at the same time, it offered his body a sort of blueprint on which to build an immunity, since the light was a foreign object. His brother’s was too, but didn’t last nearly long enough for his body to do anything with that, with Hran’s light however, since it lingered for more than the fraction of a second, his body adapted quickly and started to build its resistance. Hran was astonished, even scared by Femel. If his body was to adapt against someone’s light, then he could become the antithesis of everything that has a light. This would be a good thing, if not for the fact that Femel was a criminal for the better part of his life, and his father wanted to avoid strengthening those two beyond the point of their use to the kingdom. Having such a development, would go with ease beyond the use he had for the kingdom.

With that though, Hran felt the need to squash any thoughts that he might stand a chance against him or his father, since it wouldn’t be far fetched for him to think that, because he can withstand his light, he can withstand anyone’s light. So, he began assaulting him with more light, his brain going in disarray. But, it was too late, once his body started to adapt, feeding it more light would only make it stronger. And since Hran didn’t possess the amount necessary to overfill his body, it would serve as a training of sorts for his inner body. Though, Femel grew tired the moment he recovered from the blast, falling unconscious. Hran sight and took the boy on his shoulders. The sins of his crimes were heavy, but the weight of his soul, far larger.

In the castle, Amel was testing the Prima. He had a window inside his room, through which he would send the Prima outside during the night, so no one could come in his room and see them, then he would send one during the day inside. If someone entered, the Prima could change the way its limbs appeared, so that it would look like a pile of used components. The Prima was looking like a tall, skinny man. Most of the inner components were covered by other pieces of material, like dark steel and bits of molten steel here and there. The dark steel was for its protection, while the bits of molten steel served as information centres, where information could be gathered, then sent in high quantities throughout the body. This allowed for fast transfers of information between the limbs and other parts, enabling them to coordinate in an unnatural fashion and giving the Prima far more flexibility. Climbing, running, gathering and much more were options available. Inside the limbs, which looked like those of a normal humans, were numerous weapons and tools, of thin proportions. They were mainly made of cold steel. Which, while expensive and hard to come by, was offered to Amel by Hran as a token of appreciation that he would hold up the task before him, to provide strong enough constructs to supplement a two thousand strong army.

Amel was going to make the most use of it in the Primas, while using some to enhance Omega. He put some of it inside of his hands, enabling Omega to perform more deadly attacks. The purpose in the Primas was mainly for their light attribute. The light which the cold steel possessed, gave the name of the metal for a reason. The light was behaving in a strange fashion, not giving away energy, but pulling it inside. Amel believed there to be a way to release the energy, but he couldn’t find one. So, instead, he focused on the absorption portion of the cold steel. While it was widely believed that two lights can’t share the same master, that didn’t mean that two lights can’t act in tandem. And that’s exactly what he wanted. If he could allow the Primas to use that aspect of the cold steel as they wished, they could kill anyone without shedding a drop of blood.

He didn’t know what the weapon they were making was, but neither could they know the weapon he was developing. Whichever would prove stronger, would come down to the battlefield for them to see and witness.

A triple knock come on the door, then silence, then another three knocks. One of his constructs, a Snatcher. He opened the door, and it came inside with a bunch of books, carried by a Mover on its back. He was enjoying his reading between when he worked. In Tainas he had access to limited information, and most books he was able to steal, were from unknown sources or badly written. There, in the castle, where he had access to Hran’s personal library, he would find access to a broad range of information from all around the six kingdoms, and even beyond. There were some books which Hran kept personal, sharing them only with Hran II, so he was devising some plans on stealing them to himself, but Hran was careful, so he had to be so much more so. The book he was reading was detailing about a certain Kilon Tihal, the leader of the Lightborn. While he had heard of these beings before, usually from the stories of his mother or father, not much was talked about them these days. Apparently, before Umshaow brought the calamity, the Lightborn used to visit each kingdom every five years or so. They were doing it in order to see how the human society was developing, allow humans to pay their respects, and meet their children, the First Six. After the calamity however, those visits have ceased, the First Six longing to meet with Kilon and the others. Kilon would forbid any interaction with them, since Umshaow was still unknown where it was, so the risk of them upsetting the Apostle was too great, and couldn’t risk their lands to be subjected to the same disaster in the same fashion.

Kilon Tihal was one of the most prominent figures in the world. Being the one to establish the country of Ilianor and built the City of Stars, he was a being of many achievements, some of which sounded out of this world. His light manipulation was apparently thought strong enough, to calm entire natural phenomena, detailed in a portion of the book where apparently he was able to withstand and push back the winds in the crossing between the Shivering Lands and the Grass Lands south of it. Amel couldn’t believe these tales, as they appeared to be out of someone’s imagination, then again, Hran was able to stop with ease and could’ve destroyed it with as much ease his Omega. He had to witness the power of this Kilon Tihal to believe it for himself, while knowing all too well he would need more than that if he was to defeat Umshaow, that was not known where to be found.

After his reading break, Amel returned to making his constructs. The day would pass by quickly, as both brothers were learning to further their abilities.