Chapter Thirty

E Y E S O R E : THE YOUNGEST SON

HUNGER.

Osiris was ravenous.

Haldir watched the boy roughly keep trying to take off the weapon. He has been trying for seven hours now. He offered to help once, and was turned down, so he let the bull headed child do what he wanted to do. They were three hours away from base.

“Fuck.”

Osiris stomped his foot, cracking the wood. Haldir cast a tiny spell to have the ice hold the wood together. It was temporary, but fine for now. Now he can see why he will be the peacemaker. The child is unpredictable, powerful, stubborn, and uncivil.

Skittish, angry, aggressive, reactive.

He has heard stories of growing up in royalty. How the closer it gets to the crowning the nastier it becomes. Kina’s son just happened to be the victim this round. The thought made him warry. He wanted to ask but he wasn’t sure if it would be right, but it is important. If he was, they would need to start him on counseling now, rather than after their first kill.

Haldir took a moment to look at the boy’s ego.

It was definitely a five star, minimum. He could see qualities of metals mixed into its strength but the quality of his line was thick in some places and thin in others.

“Is it okay for me to ask questions now?”

Osiris side eyed the man.

The entire time he has kept his promise and went beyond that. The fact that he waited until now, when nerves were high and the mind was racing, he’s giving him a distraction. Or he’s over reading it and the man just wants to ask him some questions he is curious about. Osiris is an oddball.

Osiris looked down at his meaty paws.

“Depends on the question.”

“Were you born with the leak?”

Haldir had to take this slow.

“No. The old man locked me up in solitary for six months, and on the last month I popped my little mana cherry.”

He was nothing but teeth.

The boy turned to look at him.

“After I blew half the tower no one bothered to heal it, so here we are. A leaking, weeping little boy.”

Haldir’s jaw tightened.

“Anything else?”

Osiris sat on one leg and curled the other to use one as a pillow to sight see.

He has seen so many new things he’s getting a headache.

But he had to see it.

It was to survive. He’s racing against a six year gap between him and the entire world.

Osiris rubbed his eyes.

This fucking speed run is going to be unsavory.

The knowledge he had was limited to the modern world. The violence he can recreate can be a copy of what he’s seen, heard, or played. Violence to match violence. He’s going to have to get down and dirty this time. He wondered if he was ready.

Osiris smiled.

Of course he is. He’s always fucking ready.

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He needed to be strong enough to take on his family afterall. Osiris smiled as he looked whimsically through the window.

“Is it the same with your eyes?”

Osiris sighed like an old school teacher.

“Yes.”

“Were you abused?”

Osiris snapped his head to face him.

“Are you even allowed to ask me that? Wouldn’t it be treasonous?”

Haldir actually sweat dropped. He had pushed it too far, he assumed.

“And to answer your question. Yes. A lot. A lot lot.”

Osiris went back to his sight seeing. He was going to try and run the Lux name into the ground.

Might as well try it the old lady’s way. Mommy Dearest knows best.

“I’ve had god knows how many assassination attempts. The kids liked to bully me. Especially the Crown Prince. That fucking bastard turned into the devil after my tenth birthday.”

“These are pretty big accusations.”

Osiris looked at him through his window reflection.

“Your mom is a big ac-” A piece of ice extended towards his throat. “-cusations.”

“Do not speak of my mother that way.”

“Then don’t dismiss me.”

Haldir pulled back in confusion. Had he just done that?

“I will always match the energy I receive. An eye for an eye. I will not tolerate disrespect nor malice directed towards me. I am finally out of that suffocating house. I refuse to live like that any longer.”

The air grayed and the carriage groaned.

“I understand. I apologize. I did not mean it to come off that way.”

Osiris kept up his ego.

Haldir closed his eyes and bowed his head.

“Elves and part-elves tend to talk a bit less emotionally. I meant accusations simply because I have not seen it myself. But there is a reason people who pine for the King or Queen’s seats are mad. They destroy themselves until only one is left. It is a Lux tradition.”

Osiris’s headache throbbed.

He dropped his little burst and turned to jelly on the couch. His ups and downs are so much stronger after testosterone started pumping through his veins. He’s the worst he’s ever been and he doesn't know if it will ever stop.

“I would like to start you on therapy once we settle in.”

Osiris was told royals and nobles were given three days to settle while everyone else got to training immediately. He was sure that will cause a lot of hate. But he did need time to dry the food. There was always time in-between to do a few sets before returning. Osiris found out the atmosphere here was perfect for dehydrating food. He was surprised he didn't see it more often.

Or maybe there was a reason for that.

He will never know.

“Is that a yes?”

“No.”

“Therapy is mandatory.”

Osiris scoffed.

“What are you going to do? Make me?”

“No, but they will follow you until you answer their questions. It’s their job.”

“..”

“They can come follow me but it doesn’t mean I’ll answer them.”

“I really mean it when I say they will follow you to the death. They are under obligation due to the King and Queen. You are the King’s priority and Darwin is the Queens.”

“..”

“How often is this.”

“Once a week for the first month of war, then once a year.”

Osiris let his shoulders relax. He would have ended up killing them if they acted like flies.

He hates tests. He hates questions. And he fucking hates when people tell him what to do.

It’s like he gets ants in his pants.

“Do I have to start today?”

“No, the first three days are yours to keep.”

“Can I do anything I want?”

“As long as you stay in camp or near the border, than yes.”

“Can I dehydrate the food?”

Haldir noticed Osiris was showing signs of being more of a peacock tyrant. Haldir really wished he wasn’t a commoner.

“Yes. You have free access to your portion of food at any time.”

“..”

“Due to your ego you will be stationed at the edge of camp.”

Osiris didn’t really care about that. But it did make it a fast escape, or death, if an enemy attacked.

“Okay.”

“I will be next to you, so don’t worry too much.”

Damn.

“When do we eat.”

Haldir huffed.

All kids do is think about food, fun, and torment.

“When we arrive they will introduce you to the unit since you are a royal. The nobles get a small introduction afterwards. After they take you to your tent you can unpack, then dinner is served about an hour later.

The air became itchy.

“..”

Haldir could tell he did not like the news.

Osiris frowned and looked at something snatching another thing into the forest. It had long, quick limbs. It was red.

Haldir assumed the child was pouting about waiting to eat.

He should have known better.