The goblins worked in the moonlit field, tilling the wheat they stood over. The ember glow from the lanterns overhung on a rod from the pack over their backlit, their small world around them. A boy watched from the second-story room window with curiosity, watching the lanterns bounce with each step and swing of the sickle. The bob did little to disturb the floating orb inside. Their stout figure and jagged, elongated noses and rough patches of hair made them appear rather curious.

Resting his head on his hand, he watched them work, absolutely fascinated. His shaggy, curled, brunette hair was brushed away from his crystal blue eyes to gain a better look. Standing on the chair, he was careful to not lean on the window, remembering the time he recently fell through. He was podgy, but his soul hid behind the timidness of his heart.

A light hit on the back wall beside the young boy as he turned to see a cloaked man walk in. "Donnus!" The boy signed silently with excitement, running over to his brother and embracing him with a hug. His brother broke the hug, setting his brother back down on his bed while he watched his younger brother sign his enthusiasm at his brother's arrival.

Donnus couldn't help but chuckle, holding his hands out to calm his brother down. "Yatsu, Yatsu." His brother signed back to him, "Calm down, I'm back. It's good to be home. Good to see you again."

Yatsu hopped up onto his knees, the bed creaking and shaking with the change of posture. "The Magi Syndicate, you graduated. You're a real-life Highborn now." Yatsu exclaimed with a whisk of his fingers. He could tell Donnus was having difficulty following his signing, but he didn't care; he was too euphoric. "Tell me everything."

"Everything, eh?" Donnus said aloud, raising an eyebrow with a sly smile. Yatsu could read lips, but not as well as signing. "I mean telling you all the adventures I encountered would take far too long. You'd be up all night, and we couldn't have that."

"We could! I won't tell father. He won't know a thing. Once he is asleep, sneak in here." Yatsu suggested. He rubbed his hands together, believing his plan to be flawless. "I need to see these stories told Donnus. Every time I watch you sign them, it's as though I am there with you."

The light in Yatsu's eyes seemed to break down the defensive wall Donnus had put up. His older brother rolled his eyes and rose to his feet in preparation. "Alright, but you'll need to read my lips since stories are always told better with magic!" He said with his eyes lighting up green. He waved his hand towards the candle flame by the window, summoning the flame back to his person. 

With a flick of his hand, the fire morphed into a ball of flame, hovering where Donnus directed it. "Baltric, the protector of flame. We, as Highborn, access the magic these immortal protectors guard. Valera, the protectress of light, is commanding and watching over all the others." He paused, itching his chin a little while looking away, "Personally, I shouldn't be telling you this, but I think you can keep a secret." He glanced back at Yatsu with the corner of his eye and winked. 

"It's so amazing, though. I know about the protectors though, that's common knowledge in Alluvion. Ashe guards wind. Xinara, water, and Laric protects the magic of earth. I read the books you left behind on your last visit." Yatsu admitted but then caught his hands and stuffed them under his legs, realizing what he revealed.

Donnus raised an eyebrow in suspicion. "So common knowledge to you, but trust me in Alluvion, it may not be as well known. Yatsu, you're smarter than you look." Donnus joked. He ruffled up Yatsu's hair with his free hand, "Yet where were we… Oh, I know the perfect story. This happened just before spring. My first solo adventure to prove I was ready to serve the Magi Syndicate as a Highborn."

Yatsu inched closer to his brother, curiosity in his eyes, "Tell me please!"

With both hands, he guided the fire as it shaped into a castle with a fiery figure rushing towards the wall. "There was an orc military which had taken control of a castle off the coast of Solitude. They had heard rumors of magic which lies deep within the inner workings of the castle." Donnus said, controlling the flame as it climbed up the wall. "The dwarves were slain or run out, leaving the orcs plenty of time to search for the magic."

The flames reflected in Yatsu's eyes as he refused to blink. It was a show he watched in awe. Donnus continued telling the story. "I snuck in and disarmed a few orcs unnoticed as I lurked in the shadows. Then without any warning, I was surrounded by a dozen of them." The fire shifted to large figures with a smaller man in the middle. "With their robust strength, there was a slim chance I would be able to take them all on and live. I was about to surrender myself when a rogue of sorts leaped in, throwing a series of daggers at the creatures."

Donnus jumped up onto the chair, the fire animating the battle they had. "Working together, the both of us fought the others off, forcing the orcs to retreat in the meantime. We rested a moment when I realized it was a woman, trained to be an assassin, and a deadly one at that. She was different, though. Behind her warrior spirit was a trapped soul, one which appeared vulnerable." 

The flame disappeared into a ball rotating around his finger as he twirled it about. Yatsu saw how Donnus cared for her, even now. Donnus shook, waking from his distant memories, "Ah, but where was I… The orcs barricaded themselves behind a secret passageway that led deep underground. They knew we were coming, and time was short, but their leader persisted, knowing full well if he was able to harness the power, then they could rightfully escape."

"So what happened?" Yatsu excitedly asked. "How did you get around the door?"

Donnus smiled, "Simple, they can barricade the door all they wanted, but as a Highborn, and having the ability to bend the earth around me, I controlled the stone walls to part away, and the door fell down. The castle walls gave way too, mind you, which was a mistake on my part, forcing the assassin and I to rush in before getting squashed."

He flung the fire back over to the candle to sign the rest of the story to his brother. "And we had to fight our way down the passage while avoiding the cave in above us. By some miracle from Valera, we were able to push them back, but it was too late. The orc commander had found the magic and was transforming into a monstrosity while absorbing the magic." Donnus signed, oddly twitching and turning to impersonate what he witnessed.

"But there was still time. When something is possessing power, there is a weakness that presents itself. Always remember that because at that moment, we both charged in, fighting off the orcs, and when it came to fighting the leader, there was little he could do. So much of his energy was going into becoming this empowered monster that he couldn't fight back." Donnus paused for dramatic effect, winking at Yatsu.

"Keep going!" Yatsu urged him, leaping onto his feet and grabbing Donnus' shirt collar. "What happened next?"

"In the final moments, we were able to fight him off, though I couldn't have done that alone. The orc was being attacked from the front and behind, and it was because of teamwork that we were ultimately able to succeed. Yatsu… Even though I thought I could have done it on my own, I was reckless in my actions, and that very easily could have cost me my life." Donnus admitted rubbing his arm.

"But, we made it out alive. The arcane magic the orc absorbed was lost. There was no trace of it, nothing, so the assassin and I went our separate ways. I never got her name, nor have seen her since, but I owe her my life and will do anything in my power to repay that, should the opportunity arise." Donnus said, finishing the story and sitting back down on his chair rather content. 

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"Aw, that can't be the end, Donnus. I mean, you showed those ogres and trolls exactly what is up. Nobody messes with my big brother and gets away with it." Yatsu gleefully sighed, falling onto his back to stare at the ceiling while reflecting on the story. "That was awesome."

"It's an exciting life, and yes, it's nice to help people. It's also incredibly dangerous, and that is easy to forget at times." Donnus said. "Pride has been the fall of many, though those who fell will never admit it." He quietly laughed.

"Well, usually, if it's dangerous, it means it's worth doing. You save people, so something is equally as threatening, and you are taking that on." Yatsu was basically talking out loud to himself. "You're going to be a legend!"

Donnus changes his composure with a downturned mouth. "Yatsu… I promise you, we will find a way to correct your hearing. The magic is out there; we just need the resources to see it properly manifested. It's far from easy, but now that I've been properly trained, it's become much more possible." Donnus said, paused a second. 

He was hesitant to continue, Yatsu figuring Donnus was fearful that this was all talk and gaining hearing was a myth. "Money was our greatest issue, but working alongside the Magi Syndicate changed everything."

"That doesn't bother me, Donnus. Take me on an adventure, get me off this awful farm away from father. Could you imagine traveling together, the quests we could take, the stories we could tell." Yatsu signed, jumping onto his feet, pointing to his stomach. "I want a battle scar right here, so everyone will know what we did was legit."

Donnus grabbed Yatsu and sat him back down on the bed, joining him. "That's a grand idea, brother, but you don't need a scar to prove such things. Scars mean there was a wound and, therefore, pain. There is a story, but the cost could be too great."

Yatsu rubbed his chin while thinking. "Hm, well, we are both Highborn, right? We could watch over each other, make sure we keep each other safe." He looked out the window, focusing on the path that led away from the farmland. "Somewhere out there is potential waiting to be grabbed. You did it. Now I need to follow in your footsteps!" He punched in the air as though flames were flying from his hands.

Donnus rose from his chair and walked over to Yatsu, "One day soon, we will get you off this farm and far away from Blacksteer. Someone like you isn't supposed to be farm bound, but for the world." He said, bending to his knees and resting his hand on Yatsu's shoulder. "Your selfless love is something that the Alluvion is in dire need of. Don't lose it these coming years, and I promise you I'll come back and get you away from father." 

The bedroom door opened the candlelight giving a silhouette of a robust man, "Filling his head with imaginations and fairytales again, Donnus?" He accused, shaking his head in disgust. "He's as useless the day he was born as he is today. Be grateful I didn't sell him while you were gone."

Donnus rose to his feet, "You will do no such thing. Yatsu isn't even of age yet, and you have no right to do that to someone who has literally done nothing wrong. I send back my earnings to help keep him here."

Yatsu fled back behind the bed at the sight of his father, raising his hand up to douse the flame near the window. He needed to conceal himself better. The less he has seen, the better it was for him. Still, he peered from behind his hiding spot to see what they were discussing.

His father sarcastically raised his eyebrows, "Hm, the law would say otherwise on what I may and may not do. Consider it a blessing from the gods that I haven't done away with him yet."

Donnus looked back at Yatsu, noticing the trembling from behind the bed. He gritted his teeth in anger, turning towards his father, "We will discuss this in a moment, but we will not do this in front of Yatsu." 

"Why?" His father chuckled, "Hearing the truth would be good for the boy. Might wake him up some."

Donnus' eyes glowed, the wind picking up in the bedroom as the sheets on Yatsu's bed fluttered. "Leave this instant; otherwise, I will force you."

His father scoffed, waving his hand, and left the room, heading down the stairs. Donnus lowered his hand, his eyes returning to normal as he returned his focus back to Yatsu. "It's alright. I'm sorry you had to see that."

Yatsu peeked back over the bed, and seeing his father was no longer in the room, he returned to his bed. He rapidly hid under the covers, hoping it was enough to ensure his father wouldn't return. He knew that Donnus would protect him, but he would do all he could to avoid that if possible.

Donnus walked over to the doorway to exit the room and turned back to Yatsu. "Hey..." He said, waiting for Yatsu to give him attention, "A promise is a promise, and one way or another, what we talked about will happen. You'll grow up soon enough, then you can pursue those dreams. There is powerful magic out there, and I will do all I can to discover a way to heal you."

The covers were pulled back over his body as though Yatsu used it to hide from his father. "I will be training in the meantime."

He walked over to the nightstand a candle was on and blew it out, "Don't lose that light inside you. The older we get, the more it's forgotten." He ruffled Yatsu's shaggy brunette hair and walked back over to the door. He slumped his shoulders in regret, "I'm sorry, brother…" and closed the door. 

Yatsu threw his pillow at the door, missing with it, bouncing off the wall. Biting his lip, he hesitantly left his bed to retrieve his pillow when he felt the creaking of the floorboards. Donnus and his father were in the hallway. Each step was carefully placed to not cause the floorboards' cracking as he slowly opened the bedroom door enough to peer through to read their lips.

"Giving the Allicane child false hope again, Donnus? It needs to stop immediately. Do you not see what it is doing to him?" His father yelled in the hallway.

"Stop with the condescending name-calling and abuse! He's done nothing, and yet you treat him like he's worthless. The god of death has nothing to do with Yatsu, so stop. Furthermore, he has an imagination, a strong desire to do good. He can be as strong as me; heck, he will rise above what I'm capable of." Donnus countered. "But your disgusting view of him will cause you to miss it."

"I'll miss none of it. His greatest accomplishment will be when he finally dies. All this talk is a fantasy. These things will never be real to him. He will never become a Highborn because he has no abilities! Yatsu is fully human, a lazy sack of worthless dung, and yet you tell him he's more." His father jabbed.

Donnus was quiet, "It doesn't take a Highborn to do extraordinary things in this world, and I promise you Yatsu will prove that very thing to you. He's got more heart than many men, including you, plus he will move greater mountains than I ever will."

He could hear his father pacing around, "Stop living in this false pretense! Just stop. He's not athletic, no powers, not even enough to be a magician. Yatsu has heart, but that's even clouded by his own stupidity, and he's as clumsy as a direfox. Honestly, more of an embarrassment than anything."

Tears fell down his face beyond his control, but he didn't care. All he could hear was his father's words echoing in his mind repeatedly. He looked at his trembling hands, a tear falling on one, but he held it up towards the candle. With all his might, he tried to blow it over. He pushed and pushed, but each attempt was in vain.

He got up and ran over to water in a bowl. Waving his hands back and forth, Yatsu did everything in his power to morph it, even only a ripple. Nothing. He slapped the water in anger, the majority of it soaking him from the head down. Wiping his eyes in disgust, reflecting on his worthlessness, he looked at the remaining water and saw his own reflection. 

His soaked hair, droopy eyes, large nose, chubby cheeks, for the first time, he saw disgust. The pathetic fabrication of a ten year olds mind was abominable in his father's eyes. Donnus was everything Yatsu wasn't. He was well-formed, fair, with a rich voice and physical strength to match it. Donnus was a Highborn, something he would never be.

Yatsu caught a twinkle in the reflection of water, taking a closer look. He saw the moonlight reflecting off his sapphire eyes. Like a window into his soul, he was reminded of his true self. He held no special abilities, wasn't the fittest, but he was mighty in other ways.

As much of a failure as he was in his father's eyes, he knew it wasn't the case. He was more than any of those poisonous thoughts his father believed. It wasn't true, and in the end, he was going to prove it. He was powerful, he was valiant, and he was going to change the world whether people around him believed it or not.

Numerous thoughts faded in and out of the miscellaneous adventures Donnus and him would go on. Travels to distant cities like Reeves, Herthwind, and Mai. Teaming up with the atyri, or centaurs to take on golems and orcs who terrorized Alluvion. It was a mystical world out there and one which he desired to experience. He couldn't wait to see what dreams would visit tonight.

Rushing over to the window, he gazed out at the two moons admiring their majesty. "Just you wait. You'll see, father… I'll prove you wrong. There's an adventure out there, and I'm going to find it." He grabbed his makeshift sword and rose it proudly above his head, "I will be great, and the world will see me for all I'm worth!" He was determined to see this through. Though his heart was heavy, he was uplifted at the thoughts. One way or another, he was going to set off on an adventure with Donnus, and it was going to be extraordinary.