Derrick was cultivating calmly inside a newly discovered place near his home. It was a fairly secluded spot; he discovered it by accident while walking around. Just a few hundred meters from his home was a small outcropping of rock with a wide crevice inside. This served as the entrance to a cave, and was the sole entrance aside from the stream which ran into the cave and fueled the pool. Inside Derrick found a dimly lit cave with a small pool. Altogether it was only around twenty by twenty; however it was composed of a rock which emitted a faint light. The rock had patterns of grey and black running through it, which along with the odd light emissions added to the appearance overall.
Wasps of white, near transparent energy were drifting inside of Derrick’s aura as he cultivated. The coloration was much more apparent now, and Derrick considered the last month he spent to be used well. Well, he though, I’m done for today. Derrick left the cave, and went into town. Generally, he would go sometimes to try and find something interesting, and if there was not anything he deemed interesting, he would simply pester others for entertainment.
Inside of the town there was a flurry of activity. People shopping, eating, or simply wandering was normal and each individual action was lost in the torrent of peoples everyday lives. The town was not enormous to the average person’s eyes; however it was also not something which would be considered small. A few thousand people lived inside of the town, and the area Derrick was in could be considered the center. This was because this area was the merchant center. Dealings between folk was unceasing, and many things happened which were of more interest than the rest of the town.
Ahead, near the gate to the town, Derrick noticed a commotion. As per his usual behavior, he approached the crowd without the slightest bit of hesitation. A local storeowner was yelling at a man who appeared to be the head merchant in a caravan. “So you only have half of what I ordered, great! And here I thought you were competent, just my bad judgment it seems.”
The merchant had an angry look on his face, “I did say that my offers were refused, right? You do realize that there is still anger over the skirmish near the border, and it is disastrous for business? You sent me there, it shouldn’t surprise you! I even said that obtaining the materials was going to be an awful experience, but you wouldn’t listen!” The merchants face was a beet red, and he was yelling at the top of his lungs.
Derrick turned to another in the group of people gathered around the argument and nudged him. “Hey, do you know what he means by a skirmish?” Derrick was confused, why would someone refuse to sell normally? Wouldn’t that bring a better profit?
The man looked at Derrick, “About half a month ago two groups of people from both the Kain and Seon Empires got into a fight, and the outcome wasn’t the nicest.” He didn’t delve into any more detail, as Derrick was a little kid. Still, this was enough explanation for Derrick, who continued watching in silence. After a few minutes the two men began to calm down, and with it the crowd began to disperse. Derick walked up to his home and searched for his father. Finding him, Derrick asked, “Dad, two people were fighting, and trade seems to be going badly because of a skirmish. One man said that he only was able to get half of the order. I don’t really understand why, could you explain?”
Edward was a noble and would most likely be the most informed person in the area. Sighing, he responded, “A fight broke out and people from the fringe of Seon Empire are refusing to sell to anyone from the Kain Empire. Because of the scarcity of products, some people are selling at an exorbitant price, which makes buying anything much more challenging. There was probably not enough money to purchase anything more. Honestly, these fights have gotten out of hand. It’s just ruining the nice system we had.” Edward had an irritated look on his face as he talked about the problem between the two empires.
“Is it really that bad Dad?”
“It’s not a nice situation, but I think we will be able to get over it given enough time. Let’s just hope that we can fix it before it gets truly unmanageable, as we are the ones getting the brunt of the fallout, being so close to Seon.” The talks continued for a time, and eventually Derrick stopped his questioning and left.
The sun quickly fell and with it the people did as well. The next day dawn arose and Derrick went to see his brother. The entrance way had a large wooden doorway with small ornaments scattered across it, and had pictures occasionally appearing in the hallways. Many of these pictures conveyed important familial moments, such as gatherings or other times of emotional significance. One such picture was of a festival, a happy occasion worth remembering.
The life of a low noble was one of interest when it came to speculation. This was due to the fact that they remain distinct from the common people who go about their lives stuck in their own specific slot, never pulling up their heads to observe the trends occurring around them. Another important distinction also exists; this is because of their classification as a low level noble. If one was a high noble then they would be exempt from noticing and sympathizing with the common folk, however a low noble is but one stop away, and thus is seeing both the strategic movements of nobility and the hardship of the people. They are close to both worlds and can hence observe two types of lives with clarity, which widens their view. It could be applicable to say, in context, that they get the best of both worlds, at least in terms of their understanding. For young children, creations of certain dispositions can be vital to their further development. If secluded from parts life one cannot often fathom its depths, nor can one truly empathize with those parts. This understanding can bring about an altruistic person who, unlike many, actually has the means to assist, along with having the motivation to do so.
Walking inside, Derrick looked around for his brother, thinking him one such figure in this world. Of course, in depth analysis of positions did not occur, instead, a simple but powerful admiration and love existed. Not understanding how a person grew and only seeing their current stature is a concept applicable to children, given their short breadth of experience. Even without a full analysis of a process, appreciation for said process can still exist.
Artian was practicing, a powerful hot energy radiated from him as fire skirted around his body. A cloak of flame surrounded him, twisting and flickering. Shadows retreated in the room, pushed back and close to the edge of oblivion. The bright light and heat was a signature of Artian’s, and Derrick always thought that of all the attributes that Artian had the most prominent one, the one that led him toward the path of flames, was his passion. Since a young age Artian had shown to be an extremely passionate person in life. Always a hard worker, and always one which could be called righteous, Artian was a pillar in Derricks life. He was a moral guide, and an exemplary figure within Derrick’s eyes. Passionate yet meticulous, a temperament which rarely showed itself was present inside of Artian. A seven year difference was between the two of them, and this allowed Artian to have consolidated his beliefs. His thoughts were those which were only present in a very small portion of the population. A belief in justice, a belief in analysis and logic, and a belief in loyalty, these were the characteristics which could be said to be fundamental in Artian’s mind.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.
Walking inside, Marisa spotted Derrick. “Amazing, isn’t it, how strong Artian is? Just look at the flame he is in, it seems like he is already an incredibly powerful figure. Derrick, what do you think?”
Derrick looked at Marisa and said, “Of course he is amazing! He is my brother after all.” Derrick responded nonchalantly, but Marisa knew that he had a deep reverence toward Artian just like she did. Marisa was just as impressionable as Derrick, and was only about a year older; however she expressed herself emotionally much more.
“When I see this I do realize why they always call him a genius.” Lost in admiration, Marisa continued to spout her sentiment. “At this age he even managed to awaken his innate gift. It really is odd at such a young age you know. And to think he managed it at the age of twelve.”
Derrick sighed; listening to her monologue was painful, as reiteration of knowledge was not something which he particularly fancied. “I know, you have only said it a million times. Most of which were in order to nag me, I might add. Thanks for that by the way, I always have enjoyed your nagging.” A monologue from any but Derrick was perceived as annoying, and would immediately be met with some type of remark. It was one character trait which was unfailingly unpleasant, and which was deeply rooted inside of his personality.
“I appreciate the joyous attitude in the morning; it really does help me start off on a happy note. I guess you have also found your gift, even if it is an extremely unpleasant one.” Marisa was not the type to simply accept a sharp tongue in silence. Some would even go so far as to say she could be a contrarian on certain occasions, though to a much lower level than Derrick.
The room underwent a change, in that Artian noticed the two of them bantering. Of course, such an occurrence is not at all an odd thing. Walking over, he inquired, “So why did you interrupt me? You do realize I was cultivating here? Anyways, thank you for stopping me for your oh so important drivel.” With a smile appearing Artian asked, “That aside, what do you want? Or was it just to watch me in the morning?” Pausing a second, shock registered upon Artian’s face as he asked quietly, “Derrick, how are you awake? Did someone die?” Derrick himself was unable to tell whether Artian was being serious or not, as it was extremely strange for him to be up at this early a time. 9 O’clock was considerably different from his usual schedule, and a distinct change usually did not signal something favorable.
Derrick put on a face of consternation in response. Looking at the ground, Derrick began. "No, no one died. Something bad did happen though. A fight broke out in town and not four people are injured badly. Apparently it has something to do with the Seon Empire or something.” Hah, let’s see if this gets him, it will be hilarious if it does, though Derrick.
Artian fell hook, line, and sinker for the ploy. With a concerned face he asked, “How were the damages to the surrounding areas? And how long will the recovery time be?”
Derrick was laughing inside; however he managed to keep a straight face. “The damages were minimal; again, they were just merchants. As to the recovery time, I’m afraid it will be months before a full recovery, if they do even make a full recovery. Anyway, that’s all about that subject. I actually came for a different reason. I wanted to try and spar against you. I’ve now been training for a few months, and have made some improvements to my abilities.”
Silence hung in the air for a few moments, and Marisa decided to interject. “You do realize that Artian is years older than you, right? Added to that, you have just begun practicing, how could you fight back?” Mental energy had a certain peculiarity to it, and that was that when cultivating or using it perception was nigh impossible unless one intentionally probed at it. Even then it is just feeling around at it blindly. It is akin to a mountain and a hill in a sense, in that when walking upon one it is hard to differentiate with your eyes closed. Because of this factor no one actually knew how Derrick was coming along in regards to his training, and even if they did mental abilities were something which was only trained very rarely.
Artian looked at his brother who was only six and decided that he would not humor him. “If I did attack it could hurt you, even if I didn’t use my aura. I still am not at the level where I can perfectly manipulate it. If I could perfectly regulate it, I would spar with you. Remember this, the body is only about thirty percent of my power, and my aura is also only about thirty percent of it. Don’t forget that the other forty percent is neither of them; it is the skill to use both of them together skillfully. If you are able to do this right, you can create a synergy which exceeds your normal capacity. Do not forget this Derrick.
Derrick nodded, having listened with one hundred percent attention. Slightly annoyed, he acted without shame and increasingly said, “Scared, I understand. My prowess is something truly amazing.” Derrick responded with a simple retort, but he did still listen carefully to Artian’s words, as he did greatly respect and admire him. However, Derrick would never admit to such a thing.
Artian’s words did have an important meaning, as power used without skill renders it nigh useless. Synergy, though Derrick, I wonder what that really counts for in the world. In truth, Artian’s words went past being able to use each available asset in conjunction well, but he didn’t truly grasp why.