Aaron rubbed his sore chin as his brother imparted a single word.

Fool!

‘Second Brother was such a grouch!’ He grumbled but didn’t really blame him. He had been a fool to interfere with Mother’s battle and had let his rage get the best of him. Smiling sheepishly, he came in as all them gathered and embraced.

They were together again.

As he hugged each of them, even his grumpy brother, they looked back, all bearing the same questioning look in their eyes.

Why was he with the humans?

He smiled wide with excitement as he reached into the pouch Karla gave him and pulled out a small crystal. He threw it to his older brother, watching his startled face, as he immediately dropped it.

‘Who’s tough now?’ He chuckled.

He looked into his brother's eyes as they went from shock to a glean of excitement and hunger. Second Brother was one of the smartest in the Nest and Aaron was positive that he sensed the knowledge the crystal contained.

Aaron sat as Second Brother started to absorb the crystal's knowledge and tried to help the best he could. His siblings crowded around them as he pulled more crystals from the pouch and passed them around. Gasps spread through the small cavern they had made for a home as he pulled out the books.

And the first class of their lives commenced.

They sat and absorbed the knowledge in the crystal as Aaron flipped through the books, going over the things they had learned. Back and forth they went for a few days, taking breaks between sessions. He was sure Verona would scold him if he broke one of their minds by cramming in too much at once. ‘That woman could be fierce’.

His sister had mostly recovered and was in one of the last groups. She had assured them she was fine, but he couldn’t help noticing her constant trembling. He didn’t know what to do for her, so he continued helping them absorb as much knowledge as possible.

Bently and the rangers made a small camp in one of the connecting tunnels and waited as they went through their training sessions. When all his siblings had gained some semblance of speech and he felt they were as capable as possible in such a short time, he rallied them together.

It was time for names.

“Brother,” Aaron called.

Second Brother stepped from the crowd, holding a book tightly, as if afraid to let it go.

“You will be...” He thought hard for the dumbest name he could think of.

“Cornelius,” he smiled, giving a big thumbs up. He saw the guards in the city making the gesture and found that it fit perfectly.

“...” His brother, now Cornelius, stared back blankly.

‘Take that, you bastard!’ He thought, still rubbing his sore chin.

He didn't want to do this, but when he asked them to choose a name, they refused. They insisted that Elder Brother be the one to name them. Aaron carried Mother's highest blessing, and she wasn’t here, so he was the next best thing.

“Sister,” he called as Elder Sister stepped forward, the Bond imparting more than his simple words.

He saw her shaky legs and the bruises on her torso, and he knew that she hadn’t fully recovered from her injuries. There was a sorrowful look in her eyes that he still couldn’t quite place.

“Your name is... Ciel,” he declared as she smiled brightly, returning to the group.

Aaron looked over them all and sighed heavily. ‘This was going to take forever!’ There were over two hundred of his siblings who had survived. He rushed through, picking names as quickly as they came to his head.

‘If you don’t like it, that’s your fault!’ He grumbled as he named his final sibling.

He let them settle and mingle with each other, enjoying their new names and the ability to communicate better than the Bond could ever achieve. The Cavern was a cacophony of noise as all his siblings chatted excitedly, their eyes bright with wonder.

Aaron stepped forward, asking them the same thing Karla asked him.

“Do you want to see the world?” He smiled widely.

The fervent nods of excitement from his sibling warmed his very heart. They would have to take this slow. He knew what he experienced his first time and wanted it to go smoothly for his siblings, but he couldn’t help his heart racing from the thrill.

It was time for them to rise!

They gathered anything they felt was necessary and proceeded to the exit of the small cavern. As they neared the exit, his sister grabbed his arm, and he could feel she was trembling and had a pale complexion.

“Aaron,” she whispered, her voice stilted but carrying a musical undertone.

“What's wrong, Ciel?” He asked, searching her worried eyes. He could see something was bothering her, but he had failed to understand what it could be.

“We... have to fix this,” she replied with teary eyes, choking back a small sob.

What?” he asked, following her eyes.

To Bently.

The big man was sitting in one of the small side tunnels, his shoulders heaving. Aaron could almost feel his sobs from here. The man was utterly broken and barely holding himself together. He turned to his sister, looking deeply into her hazel eyes as she continued her plea.

“A wrong has been done, Aaron!” She hissed, gaining more conviction.

“Ciel, he is Mother’s killer! Why would we do anything?” He shot back. He didn’t understand where she was going with any of this or why it even mattered.

“Aaron,” she growled. “His song is broken!” She roared in anguish.

Aaron was shocked taken back by her words. He didn’t know what she meant by his song, but thinking of his sister, he had an idea. He understood that she saw something they could not.

The man's song was broken.

Aaron pondered what she was saying, and seeing Ciel's worried look, knew it was something terrible. Her trembles were getting worse the more she looked at the man. Taking it further, though, he also knew that he didn’t really care.

The more the man suffered, the better.

Ciel reigned her feelings, looking at Aaron sternly. “Then I will show you the truth,” she explained, walking to the center of their group.

She called to her siblings, gathering them in the center of the small cavern and explained what they should do. Angry murmurs spread through them all as they agreed with Aaron. The more the man suffered, the better, causing Ciel to fume.

Stolen novel; please report.

“Please, let me show you what I can see,” she pleaded. “His soul is leaking through the seams, and with it…comes glimpses…”

She trailed off, still unsure how to get them to understand. Aaron shrugged, stepping forward, seeing that she wasn’t giving up so easily. He decided it would be better to give her some peace of mind, so he came to her cause.

“Fine, sister,” Aaron grumbled. “Show us what you want, but don’t expect us to change our minds. You know what the man has done, Ciel.”

His other siblings nodded, agreeing with Aaron's statement. Ciel stood tall with determination, seeing the doubt in their eyes. One of their siblings fetched Bently, leading him to the center of the small cavern. Hate-filled eyes glared daggers at the man as he passed, but he kept his head down.

Aaron stepped up to Bently, noticing he was pale and shivering. “My sister Ciel, fights for you, human,” he explained, locking eyes with the man.

“Wha…” Bently sputtered, glancing at Ciel with confusion, still unsure of what was happening.

“She wishes to fix what has been done to you,” Aaron continued, failing to keep the scowl from his voice.

“Why… would… wh…” Bently fumbled, at a loss for words. He didn’t know this Ciel, so the idea of her wishing to help was lost to him. Plus, he knew what he had done and couldn't believe what he was hearing.

“Why?” Aaron asked with a shrug. “Only Ciel knows. She wishes to show us what she can see.”

Aaron looked over the man, doubting she could sway them as he continued, “I wouldn’t get your hopes up, though. I'm pretty sure just about all of us want you dead.” He finished flatly as he stepped away, letting Ciel take his place.

Bently stooped, letting his head fall low as Ciel stood above him and began to sing. This was the first time she used words to convey herself in her song. It was sad and powerful, washing through the cavern like a storm. But it was also alluring and breathtaking, causing everyone's soul to tremble in response.

Bently looked up with eyes full of wonder, tears streaming down his face.

Ciel’s song hit a crescendo as the cave they were in vanished.

And they got to see, for the first time, the song of another.

In all its horror.

They floated in a void, spreading infinitely in all directions. It wasn’t empty, however, as motes of light danced within its depths. Ripples were spreading from the lights as they hummed to a tune of their own design. They appeared to resonate as if they were singing to each other in some greater harmony.

Then their view shifted.

And the world seemed to shatter.

The solitary light before them had seams spreading outward into the void, crackling in a mad wail of anguish. The cacophony of ripples shooting from its center buffeted their souls with a sense of wrongness. They could see the cracks spreading, slowly reaching their fingers deeper into the light, attempting to devour it.

It was frightening, and it was terrible.

Aaron reeled as the ripples passed through him, his soul shuddering from the impact. He could feel his siblings shivering around him as they too felt the madness pouring from the man’s soul. It was something that shouldn’t exist. It was unnatural and not much different from the abomination they had seen.

Sorrow washed over them when the ripples began to impart their dreadful song. The cracks caused the man’s soul to leak into the void, carrying glimpses of his deepest traumas. His experiences flashed before their minds in a torrent of emotions.

A sense of choking, drowning as water surrounded them…

A boy is crying, afraid, and alone.

Someone caring for them like a father, imparting to them the way of a warrior. A feeling of hope and salvation. Friendship and love. Feelings of death and betrayal. A life lived in fear and terrible battle. The never-ending cycle of death in the attempt to fight for life. The desire to stand strong in the face of challenge, refusing to give up hope.

Then terror.

Terror from all the horrors of the world. Refusal to relent in the struggle for survival. The fight for a brighter future. The feeling of wrongness and shame. The feeling of the world strangling them for the crimes committed. Loss and fear consuming their souls.

A sense of drowning in darkness…

They all gasped, falling back, as Ciel’s song ended abruptly. She fell to the cavern floor as tears streamed down her face and sweat dripped from her brow. The effort to maintain a connection to them all had strained her, and she could barely hold her eyes open.

Bently was still kneeling, his shoulders heaving from the wails escaping his lips. It seemed he had experienced what they had all over again, causing him to break down uncontrollably. It was a life fraught with danger at every turn, but it had been well lived.

The man was not a murderer.

He was a warrior, honorable and steadfast, holding to his sense of duty.

Simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Aaron gained control of his senses, grumbling as he rose to his feet. Who cares if the man hadn’t intended to be a killer? He had to be held accountable. You couldn’t make it all just disappear. He stood trembling trying to reign in the turmoil in his heart.

Looking to the side, he saw his siblings staring off as if still processing what had been shown. Tears streamed down most of their faces as the feelings of the vision lingered. Cornelius sat to the side, looking down, as if contemplating, his face pale from the experience.

“Do… you see?” Ciel asked. She tried to rise but fell back, her legs too weak to support her. “This cannot be left to pass.”

Aaron stared at her, his golden eyes carrying the weight of his gaze. “What would you have us do, Ciel?” He asked, his voice cold. “You have shown us that the man is better off dead than to rot in this sorry state. That can be his mercy.”

He felt some of his siblings fall beside him as the rangers went tense, beginning to draw their bows. As the tension in the air became palpable, a wail tore through the cavern.

“I can help you!” Bently swore, reeling in his emotions. He continued, still choking back sobs, “I will offer my blade to fight for your cause.”

Aaron looked at the man incredulously. “For what purpose would we need a human to join our cause?” He asked, his sarcasm clear as day.

“I can help you find a place with the humans or set off on your own path. I owe it to your Mother… to make right my mistake.” Bently said, choking on his words.

They tensed at the mention of Mother as their chests tightened. They held a clearer picture of the man and knew him to be honorable, but anger still simmered in their bellies.

“I will swear!” Bently declared, firmly.

THUMP

“What?” Aaron hissed, feeling something building in his chest.

“I will swear allegiance to the Firstlings. I will offer my sword!” Bently roared. He rose on wobbly legs with determination and madness burning in his eyes. He bowed towards Aaron, holding out his weapon, as if giving it to him ceremoniously, “Take my blade so we may find a home for you and your siblings.”

THUMP

THUMP

Aaron stumbled as his siblings rushed to his side. He jolted upright, shaking them back as he stared at Bently with shock.

Something was… stirring.

“I give my life to the Firstlings!” Bently growled. His face was full of grim resolve as he held his sword out, willing Aaron to accept it.

THUMP

Something gripped him, and his whole body began to tremble. His heart beat fiercely in his chest as he took a step forward.

THUMP

Each step felt like something was growing inside of him.

THUMP

He could hear his blood pounding in his ears as something stirred within his soul. It was an instinct—a feeling so deep that it was impossible to deny.

Aaron felt that if the man was giving him his life, then it was his right to take it.

He walked forward, Bently staring wide-eyed, as he raised his hand in the air. Golden sparks leaped from his eyes, dancing in his hair, as power rushed from his core, traveling to his raised hand and converging in his palm. His soul roared within his soul space, sending golden ripples through his body.

Magic and soul essence shot from his hand and began to swirl around Bently as the man's eyes glossed over. He could see Bently’s soul leaking from his massive form, swirling and twisting, to join his own. A ripple spread through the cavern as Bently’s soul trembled with tremendous force. Aaron grunted from the impact as the man spoke words that seemed to shake the very world.

“I swear on my life to protect the firstlings!” Bently roared.

A torrent of power exploded as his siblings fell back, with gasps of shock and fright. The Rangers fell against the tunnel wall, eyes wide with fear, as golden streaks of lightning arched through the cavern, and Aaron felt the power reach a peak.

He stood above Bently, hand raised, as a vortex of soul essence and power from their cores flowed and converged into a greater whole. The torrential aura spun rapidly as golden sparks whirled in its midst, and he gasped as he felt… something...

Something locked in place.

Bently’s soul trembled one final time, and the vortex collapsed as he fell over, hitting the ground heavily. Aaron growled as the energy collected in his hand began to seep down his arm and back into his core.

Lowering his hand shakily on unstable legs, he fell to a kneeling position, struggling to breathe and control his weakened body. He couldn’t believe what had happened and didn’t fully understand the consequences.

He sat in stunned silence and looked at the Runes in his vision.

[Vassals Claimed] 1/3 “The Knight of the Evergreen has Sworn Fealty.”

[Skill Acquired] Domination

“The Lives of Others are in your Hands.”

“Nothing shall escape your grasp.”