When he awoke he pointed frantically at the empty space where his father used to be.

"Where is she!?" He seemed to shout.

Rae looked at the flailing child and sighed. "Did you want to see your father? He went to show little Leya to the guard barracks. He seemed to think she would be able to pick up on it as well. It isn't common to see this... well, this."

Andrew nodded, 'should I have hidden it? I mean, I'm maybe a few weeks ahead of her, but still! She's vicious! She's cruel! She killed my people just because I was going to inherit the world. I mean, power is just power, right? She's evil!'

After saying as such, Andrew nodded and hugged Rae briefly before beckoning towards the ground. Rae looked at him oddly but allowed him to crawl.

After several exhausting meters, he made it towards the door. Rae was following close behind so she quickly opened up the door. Outside was a small, cobblestone back alley with only a few overlooking windows. In fact, it was at a dead end so there was only one way to see outwards.

He took a few cursory glances around him and plopped down to a comfortable seat. 'If I can't find the barracks... then I'll practice here!' He did not want to admit that he overestimated his ability to wander alone. He felt he might pass out just with the trek he already undertook. Naps were very much calling out to him in his subconscious. Rae was watching him curiously as he started to garble incoherently.

His earth spells were by far his most powerful, but he did recall seeing another spell in its midst. It was a basic concealment spell that stemmed from the darkness attribute. While there were some misconceptions about it, it was not all that frowned upon inherently. Therefore, he practiced that branch in secret; simply using fire magic to aggravate the guards when he felt like it.

Now that the secret was let out, he chose to practise it all fully. After reciting the shortened chant, 'shadows dance,' he felt his mind tremble. However, a thin mist radiated around him. Seconds later, a small pellet was launched towards the wall.

'Finis,' thought Andrew as he drooped in exhaustion.

"W-what are you doing?" Cried Rae loudly. She soon righted herself and nodded with conflicted eyes. "You'll hurt yourself that way! A mage... so early."

Andrew cried to stop her from spreading the secret, but the old woman cranned her head out the window and called out:

"Rae, what are you saying? He is just a few months old, it isn't that likely to be able to tell even if he is smart."

Rae smiled broadly and whispered into Andrew's ear.

Andrew sighed and nodded. A dim flame surged around his palm and he fell back slightly. He still had time to finish the spell, but he was thoroughly drained. It was due to the rapid use of his spells. While if he waited such things would not be ble to accompany ita big deal, but Andrew used far too much, too quickly, for his little body.

"Oh my," spoke the old woman with a smile. "You truely are blessed. Now... well, I wonder how much those two are going to fight now?"

Rae paled slightly and looked at Andrew. He noticed the gaze and averted his eyes. 'I'm not making any promises,' was what the look seemed to convey, even without the incomprehensible garble to accompany it.

If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

Rae walked into his line-of-vision and rested two white, tightly grasped fists at her side.

"No fighting with Leya. She's your sister so behave like a good brother. No wrecking the house - "

The old woman cut in laughingly, "no showing it to anyone else."

Rae nodded and looked at him protectively. Her smile was tender, but her eyes caused Andrew to shudder involuntarily.

After a while, she sighed and murmured, "are you two even mine?"

Andrew quirked his head and nodded. 'I'll gain her favor - then I'll strike! Leya won't even see it coming!'

However, his expression did nothing to prevent Rae from lightly flicking Andrew's forehead. Normally such a blow would not cause any harm, but his headache was already a stock feeling now. Therefore, it turned into a sharp, pulsating migraine.

Rae seemed to take his as a sign of guilt so she continued to lecture him about his responsibilities and expectations as he cried out in pain with each abusive flick.

---

When it finally subsided, he noticed the speech did not show any sighs of ending.

'I must retreat!' Thought Andrew as he invoke the thin fog. He crawled four meters before he crashed into a nigh-impenetrable wall. Only then did he realise the door was closed. After wallowing in self-pity, another lecture and flick, he was allowed back inside.

Throughout it all, Andrew slept, but he awoke just in time to see a terrified expression on Leya's face. He snickered from atop the table, turned bed, and cackled at the retribution Leya had to face.

Yet, it only lasted a few minutes rather than the hours he was subjected to. He gave Rae an unsatisified scowl and she shrugged her shoulders gently.

"You are clearly thinking it, but she is still a nice girl."

Andrew gasped and began crying out rapidly. "You don't even know! She's evil! Immoral! She is just faking it all. I bet she is- she is laughing at me! That conniving little bi-"

He was flicked. Although the nap rejuvenated his mana, he was still left with a small head ache from the flick. He invoked the fog and retreated at top speed. Which, naturally, did not amount to much. Two strong hands grabbed him from the center of the formation and rested him on his lap.

"This is a new trick," laughed Keryzn. "Hey, I brought a copy of the book. I figured you two wouldn't be able to share so it was split in two sections. Just think, you can control fire, earth, and darkness and she'll take the rest. I cut it down the middle anyways."

'Light, wind, and water? Bah, useless. Well, I might... ah! That's-"

Rae came from nowhere and flicked him through the fog - atop Keryn's lap. However, Andrew was know looking at the water section hungrily. He knew that he might be able to derive it into something more powerful; at least, the fiction in world seemed to convey such possiblities. Rae seemed to stop the thought immediately.

"Nothing outside of these for now, okay?"

Andrew sullenly nodded and turned to his half. It was rebound into two sections hastily, but it seemed to be an adequate enough job. After perusing the earth and fire segment, he turned his sights on the darkness spells.

In essence, there were typically two basic spells for each element. Of the darkness attribute, there were both the concealing fog and also a shadow bolt. There would be no physical damage on the outside, in most cases; rather, the damage was inflicted to the internal structure of the enemy.

Andrew wanted to test that one out, but he did not have any way of knowing the impact. Instead, he chose to hold his fog spell for as long as he could while using the rock pellets. They hardly even scuffed the wooden pillars, but Andrew focused moreso on accuracy.

After three bullets, with the fog, he was thoroughly exhausted. However, he chose to perform one more. Rae and Keryzn were giving him wry smiles until he flat out fell unconscious on the table.

Leya was eagerly waiting for her turn to practise, but the two rapidly forbade her as they tended after Andrew.

'Bastard! He still finds ways to sabetouge me!' Thought Leya bitterly as she snuck in a small wind to push out the remainder of the fog.

Instead of invoking their displeasure, she stealthfully caused a few light breezes, but she, too, dropped like a rock. The two new parents panicked and tried to help the two back into there craddles as they tried to come to terms with it all.

However, with a single knock, they calmed down.

"Too soon?" Laughed the old woman. When she noticed the two's panicked expressions, she laughed harder. "You are too inexperienced. Hardly twenty years old and you are dealing with those two. Nevertheless, you need to know a few things..."