Autumn’s days were filled with training, how to sit, how to stand, the exact range of degrees which it is acceptable to bow to certain ranks, and which words would be appropriate to say to which ranks.

Her respite was sleep, the meals were still mostly learning about which fork and spoon and knife were to be used for each meal.

She loved every second of her combat training with Jaramis, she had to learn the sword as well as the spear, it was the weapon of nobles of course. Her teacher gave pointers on her footwork, trained her sixth sense, and improved her reaction time by leaps and bounds.

By the end of the third week she could measure her bow to within 3 degrees by instinct alone, she knew the uses of more silverware than she thought could possibly exist, but with each completed subject another took its place.

House crests, the ranks of surrounding houses, followed by the ranks of distant houses and their crests, political landscapes etc.

If she didn’t get to blow off some steam with sparing she would’ve had an outburst by now.

She also took to subtly, well not that subtly if the combat trainers look was anything to go by, poke Jaramis about getting her siblings into an Academy, he didn’t seem to realize it much, he wasn’t made for politics or scheming, he just wanted to swing his sword.

After 2 months he thought it was his own idea to have her siblings tested for magical talent.

Amber would come once a week to a magic tutor alongside Ava and they took well to it, Harlan was too young yet and still trying his hardest to build a physical base.

Meanwhile on the farm things were going well, they had to build a single room cabin next to the house once they realized the only place large enough to fit Kass was the barn.

Harlan took well to building, carrying tools and dragging logs, Harlow noticed he getting stronger, but until he saw him dragging small tree after small tree and magically spreading and drying clay to seal between the logs of the cabin without seeming to need any rest did it sink in, he never could’ve never done such a thing as a child, more questions began to form in his head about the boy he found on the side of the road.

“You are doing well manling! But your mother says you must eat lunch.”

Kass never seemed to speak without a loud boisterous voice, he was carrying several logs that sized the same as the ones Harlan could only drag along the ground.

“Thanks, can you tell me more stories from where you come from now.”

“We must go inside first.”

Kass walked the short distance to the house, having to lower his head and move sideways so his horns wouldn’t catch on the frame.

They were having mutton stew for lunch and dinner that day. Aida hadn’t thought much of it until she remembered who else was there.

“Oh, I hope you don’t have issues with mutton since… well… you know…”

Kass gave one of his bone shaking laughs that were becoming all the more common around there.

“I take no offense to eating any meats, I am no sheep. So what questions do you have for me this time little one.”

“Why are you a goat?”

Expecting another laugh the rest of them were bracing themselves, but it didn’t come.

“Because I am, I cannot say why, for I do not know..”

Harlan thought it was a bit of an odd answer, so he moved to the next question.

“Alright, do you guys have big swords over there?”

“Most of our people like maces and spears more, we already have such a long reach that most things can’t get past our spears, and those that do meet the mean end of a mace. We also like our crossbows more than your bows.”

Kass stretched his hand and touched the ceiling with ease, then lifted Harlan to do the same.

They sat and ate stew, then returned to building.

Autumn had sent back her book of magic so Amber could study it between sessions, Autumn always hid it, not wanting her siblings to damage the book or try something dangerous while she wasn’t watching.

However, Amber slept more heavily and just wasn’t as good at hiding the book, Harlan had started to read it, memorizing a chapter before putting it back and going outside to train his magic between his strength training.

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He finally felt ready to try manipulating elements beyond his touch, he made his hand glow, then tried to move it away, push the mana out of his body, by the time dawn was approaching he had managed to make a barely visible ball of light that he couldn’t move but it held in the air for a few minutes.

He had made clear progress at it, and that was enough for him.

On his way inside he realized that someone was watching him. Kass was already up and watching the sun rise, he held a large stick with a rock strapped to the end, he spoke without facing the boy.

“I don’t sleep as much as you humans, but I don’t think I’ve seen you sleep once since I got here. What do you say in your defense, Fomorian. ” he turned and locked eyes with the boy.

Harlan felt his hair rise and his blood run cold, he didn’t know what exactly Kass meant, but he knew being called a Fomorian wasn’t good, something deep in his gut said so.

“I-i-i don’t know what a Fomorian is…” He gulped.

He knew he didn’t stand a chance if this turned to a fight, and he didn’t understand why it would, but he knew it could, training his sixth sense was more than just dodging a log when you couldn’t see it, it was a gut feeling, and his was telling him running couldn’t save him if he tried.

“Your skin is abnormally pale, never tanning, your irises seem to shift like smoke, you’ve not slept in at least 3 weeks. You heal from minor scrapes in minutes, have you ever even been sick? Yet you claim to know nothing?”

“W-whats a Fomorian?”

“A man thing, human but not, they never leave their wilds, and they have abnormal magics, you… you truly do not know? Where do you come from? these are not your people.”

“Papa said he found me in the woods as a baby.”

Kass furrowed his brows.

“We shall speak with him when he wakes, you will stay still until then. I am sorry for this.”

And so they sat, speaking no more, until 2 hours which felt like 12 passed, and Aida looked out the window to see them outside, thinking it odd she went out.

“What are you doing up so early Harlan? Chatting with Kass here?”

“Aida, where does the boy come from?”

Aida laughed for a moment, ready to explain the birds and the bees before she realized how tense the air was, Kass had a tight grip on his improvised mace, Harlan had sweat beading off him, she had hardly ever seen him sweat before, and the morning air was still chilly.

“H-harlow found him on the side of the road… why does it matter?” she was starting to get angry, how dare he threaten her son.

“Have you ever seen him sleep? Get sick? His skin ever tan? His eyes ever still? Ever seen his small cuts and scrapes last more than a few hours?” Her blood ran cold, not knowing what he meant by all of it, did he know something about her son that she didn’t? Was this some long con of a Fae after all?

“If that is the truth then perhaps it doesn’t matter what he is… I must apologize for my harsh actions, even if he is of their blood he is yours now.”The tension cleared, but no one moved.

Harlan had felt like Kass said so much and yet didn’t explain a single thing.

“But what is a Formorian then?” Harlan didn’t want to settle for some non-answer.

Kass was shocked by the audacity of him, staring at him for a few moments before giving his answer.

“They are the enemy of all who are not them, if they could leave their lands and grow like humans they would’ve either conquered or destroyed all of this world.

Your people most likely have encountered them in the frontier, they are a relic from another time that I shall not speak of.

Their flesh is like steel, a woman the size of your mother could break my bones with single strikes, they defile the dead, forcing new souls into them, sending them to raid and hunt outside of their lands.

My people have been at war with them everywhere they exist, we are limited in our expansions because of this, the only reason I am here as a slave is the famine their undead have wrought.

We are still paying our debts to your kingdom, our lives for your grain. I cannot excuse my actions, but surely you see why I have committed them?”

Kass wasn’t a man who wanted to fight people without reason, it was why he left his home.

He felt guilt for having even suspected Harlan to be anything but a normal boy, but he couldn’t let it go until he knew.

Harlan and Aida had no idea what to even think anymore, one thought he was a monster, the other thought about how much danger her brother was in without telling her, and if he knew the entire time.

“I… I think I should make breakfast.”

Aida was in shock, pretending things were fine, but her movements were upset by a twitch here and there.

Harlan just sat, wondering if he should still be here, if his being here meant more of them were around, if they found out how to leave their lands, if he was the first sign of something bad.

He cried, when he thought he was an odd human, at least he didn’t feel like he was guilty for what happened to Kass and his people.

Kass tried to comfort him.

Harlow came out after a time, glancing at the odd scene, pure confusion across his face, why was Harlan crying, why did Kass have some makeshift mace, and why was Aida cooking breakfast like nothing was happening.

Kass explained it to him and they both agreed not to tell the girls.

The next few weeks were awkward to say the least, Aida eventually realized that nothing had really changed, they just knew more, Harlow was recontextualizing everything he knew about his only son, in the end it didn’t matter to him, Harlan was not those other people.

Despite their efforts Harlan couldn’t help but feel bad, so he trained, not caring about if someone caught him running courses around the house before dawn, Harlow coming out to watch him sometimes and try to cheer him up.

Amber and Ava were worried and they weren’t being told anything, Autumn couldn’t just come back home to try and figure out what in the world had happened.

She did the next best thing, asking for the rest of them to come over and learn some manners since they would be at the wedding.