“How are your studies going?” [Nylian]

“Fine, father. I am doing well in school.” [Agis]

Agis proudly answered his father inside their private garden. It was a spacious grassy field with rows of colorful flowers and high green bushes. A tall tree stood in the middle and its leaves swayed in the gentle wind. Sitting at a round, white table under the shade of the tree were Nylian, Agis and Talindra. The family was spending some time together during this beautiful day. The sun was warming up the land and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky.

“Good. As the next Luceran head, you must make sure to keep it that way.” [Nylian]

Nylian nodded in satisfaction and took a sip from his cup of tea.

“He is our boy. Was there ever any doubt?” [Talindra]

The woman with long white hair and green eyes said as she patted the head of her sixteen year old son.

“You certainly grew up fast. You’re looking more and more like your father every year.” [Talindra]

“Mother, please, I’m not a child anymore.” [Agis]

Agis seemed embarrassed being treated like a kid which only widened his mother’s smile. Just like she said, he was becoming a handsome young man and greatly resembled his father.

“Then, I guess I’ll have to look for Saria when I want to pamper someone.” [Talindra]

“Yes? Did you call me, mother?” [Saria]

A little girl trotted over the moment she heard her name. She had white hair that reached her back and blue eyes. In her hands were three flower crowns that she had just finished making.

“It’s nothing, Saria. Those are beautiful flower crowns.” [Talindra]

Upon seeing her daughter, Talindra had a happy expression and picked her up before putting her on her lap.

“Thank you! I made these for everyone. Here’s yours, mother.” [Saria]

The eight year old elf presented a crown made with interwoven white and red flowers to her kind mother with a beaming smile. Talindra accepted it and put it on her head right away. No matter what, her cute daughter always soothed her.

“Thank you, sweetie.” [Talindra]

“It’s wonderful, Saria” [Nylian]

“Thanks.” [Agis]

Nylian and Agis also took theirs and wore it to please Saria. She was a truly gentle girl and they deeply treasured her. She was their miracle.

“Sweetie, where is yours?” [Talindra]

“I didn’t make one for me.” [Saria]

Saria answered while nibbling on a cookie.

“We can’t have that. Why don’t the two of us go and make one now?” [Talindra]

“Ok!” [Saria]

Saria gobbled her cookie, jumped off her mother’s lap, grabbed her hand and went off to make a flower crown. The two men seated at the table saw them off with a smile on their face. Nylian was leisurely drinking his tea and Agis grabbed a cookie from the plate.

“It looks like your sister is growing well.” [Nylian]

“I did my best to be a good example for her.” [Agis]

“Haha, did you now?” [Nylian]

His always serious father chuckled lightly, which was a rare sight. Agis watched his mother and sister sitting on the green grass and making a flower crown together. Saria was in the middle of adding a rose to her half-finished creation and Talindra warmly watched over her. He knew what she meant to his mother and how she depended on her. He knew that she could forget her pain for a while by spending time with her.

“… Father.” [Agis]

“What is it?” [Nylian]

He knew that his mother could forget about Ava thanks to his real little sister, Saria.

“Should we tell Saria about… You-know-who.” [Agis]

“…” [Nylian]

His father, who was in the middle of drinking his second cup, froze for a moment.

“No, not yet.” [Nylian]

He put his cup down and stared at his son with stern eyes.

“Not a word about her until she’s older, understood?” [Nylian]

“Yes, father.” [Agis]  

At that moment, as if it was planned beforehand, Orist, the servant, hurriedly walked towards them. He tried to keep the dignified appearance of the aid of the clan head, but it was clear that something shook him.

“My lord.” [Orist]

He bent down a bit and started whispering in Nylian’s ears. As he spoke, his master’s facial expression gradually changed from calm, to surprise and to shock. He put his flower crown on the table and got up from his chair.

“Something came up. I’ll be leaving now. Tell it to your mother and sister.” [Nylian]

“O-oh, alright.” [Agis]

Before Agis could ask him if everything was alright, Nylian was already walking away in a quick pace with Orist behind him. Whatever happened, it broke these two’s composure. Talindra noticed her husband’s sudden departure and stared at his retreating back inquisitively. However, her attention was quickly taken by her daughter that had put on her flower crown and was adorably smiling at her.

“Are you certain of it?” [Nylian]

“Yes. According to the maid that went to take her used clothes, the half-breed’s hand was glowing.” [Orist]

“It wasn’t a mistake on her part? It really was glowing?” [Nylian]

“I am sure of it because after that, the light flew towards her like an arrow, but it didn’t hurt her. Instead, her body itself started glowing too. Furthermore, she felt light and it suddenly became easier to carry the basket she had.” [Orist]

“Really?” [Nylian]

“Yes. The maid left the room right away and rushed to inform me. Her speed had also greatly increased and she wasn’t tired after her run. I also saw myself that her body was faintly glowing.” [Orist]

Arriving at the clan’s training ground for their private soldiers, Nylian saw that Orist had already ordered everything to be set up before he went to get him. On one side were a few training dummies made of straws that had steel-plated armor on what would be a person’s torso. Standing on the other side were ten men lined up in an orderly row and a single girl that was in front of them. Several guards were standing by at a distance, ready to move should that little girl attempt anything.

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

“It seems your power finally manifested.” [Nylian]

“Yes, my lord.” [Ava]

Nylian quickly went to the point and didn’t bother greeting the half-breed who bowed her head upon his arrival. She was now twelve years old and had grown up a bit. As always, her long black hair negated any charm that she might have and her right white eye put off anyone that stared her in the face.

“Orist told me that you used it on the maid that came to get your dirty clothes. From what he heard, it allows you to strengthen the overall abilities of anyone you want, making them stronger and faster.” [Nylian]

“I’m not sure.” [Ava]

“Of course you don’t know. That’s why we’re here to see if it’s true. Did you use it by accident?”  [Nylian]

“Yes.” [Ava]

SLAP

“You were lucky this time. Whether it was by accident or not, know that you would have been punished if it harmed anyone. Don’t use it without my permission. Am I making myself clear?” [Nylian]

“Y-yes.” [Ava]

Ava put a hand on her cheek that was just slapped with teary eyes.

“Now then, answer my questions. Was the maid the only one that you used it on?” [Nylian]

“Yes, my lord.” [Ava]

“Then we’ll have to see if you can apply it to multiple people later. Next, after using it, did you feel tire?” [Nylian]

“No, my lord.” [Ava]

Like a doll, Ava answered his queries with a few short words, but it didn’t annoy the blonde-haired elf. He preferred her that way. Giving a hand signal to the guards lined up, one of them stepped forward and raised his hands in front of his chest. The space between them began to sway like a mirage in the desert and small fragments of glass were created.

They floated in the air and gathered together, forming a dagger made of glass. Then, the elven guard shot it at a dummy like an arrow. The flying dagger hit it square in the chest and shattered to pieces after leaving a dent on the armor.

“Show me.” [Nylian]

Ava raised her right hand and pointed it at the guard. She closed her eyes and focused to invoke the new power that had only recently made itself known. Particles of light appeared and gathered around her hand, forming a glittering cloud. Nylian had seen similar phenomenons before, but this was different. Usually, the light would gently sway about and give off a calming feeling, but hers violently moved like a storm and he felt tense watching it.

The light was shot at the guard like a bullet and it enveloped his body like a coat. He glowed brightly for a second which caused a few to cover their eyes before the shine receded. Then, when he proceeded to create another dagger, the small fragments of glass that appeared were congregating to form a sword instead.

The guard froze like a statue, but somehow managed to stifle his surprise and shot the transparent weapon at a dummy once more. The sword pierced straight through the armor and the straw dummy all the way to the back. The result gave birth to murmurs among the spectators as everyone stared at the skewered target in amazement.

When he saw that, Nylian kept an impassive face otherwise his jaw would drop. The effects of her power were clearly demonstrated and she didn’t look tired at all. Moreover, she easily casted it which was rare for elven children whose ability just recently manifested. He felt like those twelve years of sheltering her were finally paying off, but at the same time there was unease in his heart. He would have to let her out and the world would come to know of her existence as a consequence.

“*Cough* That’s enough. Next, do the same thing, but on all ten of them.” [Nylian]

Faking a cough to regain his composure, Nylian ordered Ava to cast her ability on the ten guards lined up in front of her. She silently nodded and raised her right hand towards them. After a short while, white light particles materialized and moved about at high speed, travelling between her fingers and wrapping them all the way to her wrist.

She took aim and shot a ball of light at each of the man before her. Upon contact, their bodies shined brightly for a second and were cloaked in a white aura. With the task done, she lowered her hand and looked at Nylian for further instructions. Not a drop of sweat or shortness of breath was visible.

So, for the rest of the day, her power was thoroughly researched to see the limits of what it could do. A trained, elven soldier could lift his fully armored comrade with both hands, but with the light covering his body, he could lift him up over his head with one hand. It wasn’t just their strength for their speed, endurance and overall abilities also increased. They could move faster, run farther, hit harder and take more damage.

Normally, an elf’s special ability shaved away their energy as a cost for invoking it. The more he used it, the more tired he got. If one overused it, they would fall unconscious. Ava kept encasing people in an aura of light over and over again, but it didn’t sap away any of her stamina. No matter how many times she used it, she never got tired. It might just be that the cost was really small in her case, or it might be that there was none.

Whatever it was, it caused a lot of people to stare at her as if she was abnormal. As a child that only manifested her power today, she should have fallen asleep after using it three of four times. Training was required to increase the number of times she could invoke it, but it didn’t look like she would have a need of it.  

While everyone was busy judging the ability of the half-breed, no one, not even Ava herself saw the other phenomenon that was happening on her left hand. It flickered every now and then whenever she invoked her ability and went unnoticed. Darkness like black smoke slowly gathered, but it only lasted for an instant before it quickly vanished.