36

Chapter Thirty Six

T H R E E T A U G H T : TWICE LEARNED

O N E

Osiris was refusing to train for once.

"No."

"You can pick any weapon, anything."

"I don't want to."

"What about combining a duel wielding weapon with-"

"No."

"Will you at least tell me why?"

Osiris looked at Sarge.

The man looked tired of him.

Osiris picked up his foot and wiggled it.

"Oh, right."

Hakim rubbed his eyes.

"You could have just asked to practice with your talons."

".."

"Fair point. By the way-" Hakim felt their ego drop. "-who was the last person you spoke with?"

Hakim began to sweat.

"No one. I just came from the west side."

Osiris squinted at him.

"Stay still."

He then jumped and snatched something over his head. With a firm squeeze the invisible item popped like a ball of paint, splattering glowing blue mana all over their clothes.

Osiris let his ego reset.

"These ones are nasty. They cause someone to focus on something they hate and repeat it over and over until they attack just about anyone thinking they are that hated object. Simple, effective, but nasty."

Osiris patted Hakim's arm as he walked past.

"I'll be back."

Hakim whipped a bit of the mana off of him.

He thought the kid was going to kill him there for a second…

Hakim took to helping the other soldiers, both young and old, try and learn the first basic stance. The clock was ticking. Though the boy was strong, he could not win a war alone.

But he was sure that boy was going to try.

Osiris just so happened to take the long route to his tent, eyes moving around, looking for any other infected bells. He hated these ones. The first one caught him off guard so badly he hated the thought of anything touching his feet.

After no sign of another bell Osiris took a few random turns before running into a potion tent. He was enticed by movement in some of the bottles.

"Hello, how can I help you?"

The teen looked to be around sixteen with bright azure hair and eyes. His hair went to the middle of his neck line, with a small braid on his right and a crystal earring on his left. The crystal shined with mana, but it was simply a mana stone, or a fragment of one.

Osiris found out about them when they used them to restore other items that required mana around camp. Apparently Osiris didn't have to have mana at all in order to use things. That would have been helpful when he was trying to use a stove..

The teen waited for a response.

"What is all this."

The boy smiled before turning his back to him. That was.. A first for him. Everyone but some of the adults walked on eggshells around him.

"This is a potion tent. We store and make the potions that you and the others will use on the field. Like health potions, stat increase potions, all those sorts of things."

Osiris looked around.

Some of the bottles carried tiny demons in them, each with an eye watching him closely. Osiris has begun to wonder about that. The eyes on the spells. He used to think they were watching him, well, okay, they are always watching him these days, but he used to think they'd report back to whomever created them.

But that never seemed to be the case.

And even now he sees spells with eyes that serve no purpose other than to.. Actually he wasn't sure what they did.

Osiris spotted a familiar demon.

"What is this."

The teen looked at it.

"That's a rather vicious poison. It works well when slipped into water supplies, or any water source. It's a silent killer, but it kicks in twelve hours later and slowly melts the person from the inside out."

Osiris wondered why it was floating in his tea one day.

Even in the presence of the King she tried to snuff him.

"And this."

Osiris pushed it until he could see the boy become a bit tired. He was patient, and Osiris was finally able to put a lot of names to demon faces.

The Prince spotted a few vials of bright, familiar glowing liquid. It was bright, and it was teal. He walked up to it and stared down at them. The high was pretty great, when he thinks about it.

"These are cool looking right?" The teen stood beside him. "This section is where we keep the health potions. These are considered x grade."

The teen picked up a vial.

"They will refill a soldier's reserve and heal them instantly. The downside is that there is a timer. Once that timer is out the crash will come. That usually takes the soldiers out of combat. In most cases it kills them. There is a reason these are for emergencies."

The teen put the vial back.

"This is actually a controlled substance. It's closely monitored by the King and Queen. Before battle every soldier gets one, plus a few other potions that could help in a sticky situation. Everyone will receive one the day before battle."

Osiris wasn't all that surprised the Queen slipped him legitimate over the counter drugs that require an id at purchase.

"What about the others?"

"Well we also carry stock for soldiers that would like to buy extra potions, or supplies for battle. Though the military supplies most of the goods, anything extra is on the soldier."

The boy held out his hand.

"My name is Cornelius Dulli, nice to meet you Prince."

".."

Osiris walked out the tent and went for a snack.

T W O

Osiris grunted as he sat on the rock Sarge loves to pace on to meditate. He always picks a rock no matter where they move. It was colder than usual, snow littered parts of the ground in splotches of white. Because it was a high traffic area most of the snow was muddied and ruined by dirt and ash.

Again he tried to find his mana circles.

His eyebrow began to tick. He would probably have a better chance, if that kid would stop crying.

Fibble hiccuped as he tried to hold in his voice.

Again he could not find his ego. He managed it once before, back when he still lived on the street of Lux, but now it all felt like he was grasping at straws.

More tears fell.

"You sure cry a lot for a brat."

Fibble startled. Osiris sat above him on a barrel, feet kicking back and forth with little spark. Everyone on camp has gotten used to him, for the most part. He still manages to get under people's skin when his moods are unstable, but now it's more common to run into him accidentally.

He has a surprisingly quiet walk when he wants to.

"I'm not crying."

Fibble tried to wipe his face. He only made himself look worse.

"If you say so."

Osiris looked up. He didn't know what compelled him to stay but here he was..

"I'm not…"

Fibble curled into himself.

Osiris could hear the sniffling start again.

"Why are you even crying in the first place?"

Fibble finally realized who he was talking to.

"I-I apologize, I didn't notice it was you P-Prince Osiris."

".."

"Don't ever call me that again."

"Osiris?"

"No, prince."

"…"

"Okay."

Osiris let Fibble settle down.

"So you gonna answer or nah?"

"O-oh right. U-umm…"

Osiris waited.

"I-I can't find my ego…" His eyes leaked. "Everyone says your ego is supposed to be big, and strong! Loud and confident… I'm not loud and I'm not confident. I don't even know how to read or write well. The nobles laugh at me. I just… I just want to disappear."

Fibble rubbed his eyes. Osiris laughed.

The teen's throat burned.

"You people always like to over complicate things."

Osiris stood on the barrel.

"Don't you get it, that is you. That part of you that worries. That part of you that hides. That part of you that cries. That is you."

Osiris stretched.

"Whether you are a coward or a hero, it doesn't matter. Just accept that and embrace it. Once you do you'll find your ego."

Osiris hopped off the barrels.

"Now that I've said my peace."

Osiris whistled a tune and left.

T H R E E

Sunnie sat a few seats away from Osiris, like many of the others, giving him space, but also trying to eat their meals in peace. It was a bit hard, especially when he was guzzling his food like a damn kamappa.

Sunnie's eyes fell to her plate as the Duke came up from behind. He flicked her ear as he passed. She glared. That asshole has always bothered her and the other orphans that lived around his father's shops.

She hated him.

"Seems like the Prince gets special food while the rest of us get scraps."

Oliver tossed his plate next to Osiris's and took a seat beside him. It was quite ballsy, and something a commoner would never do. The world of nobility and royals was disgustingly classist.

"Does the King send you all this himself?"

Osiris looked at him before dropping a grin that Sunnie would classify as misjevious, but with deader eyes.

"If you wanted some you should have just asked."

The Prince dropped a red cherry that was littered in dark red dots. It was about the size of his hand.

"Try it."

Oliver, the fool, so ready to kiss the Prince's ass, took a bite. Then another. He ate the entire thing in one go.

"What was that!" His face was flush. "I lo-"

The fruit seed fell from his hands and rolled to the floor. Oliver held a hand over his mouth but still threw up blood across his lap.

"Funny thing about this food." Oliver looked into Osiris's eyes. "It's deadly when consumed in high doses due to its high concentration of mana. I would run along to the med tent if I was you."

Osiris cackled as the boy ran with a few of his goons on his tail. Osiris wiped his imaginary tears and looked around.

"What? It's not actually blood. It's fruit juice."

Osiris picked up another cherry and bit into it.

"It is poisonous, but usually people throw them up because it upsets their stomach."

Osiris cackled again as he picked up something else to munch on.

"How come you can eat it and we can't?"

Sunnie slapped a hand over her mouth. Everyone looked at her. Well, everyone but Osiris.

"My leak makes me waste a lot of mana. I found that eating things with mana overfill my reserves just long enough to give them a break every so often. Usually only thirty minutes or so, but what can you do."

Sunnie lowered her hand.

"Everyone is free to eat from my pile. I'll even let Haldir know."

His grin was back again.

"But I am not responsible for what happens if you poison yourself."

The room returned to its original state, awkward silence.

Sunnie still found her eyes wandering to his food.

She, along with a lot of kids, struggled for food every day they were alive. Even now she felt like her food wasn't her own.

Osiris glanced at her.

"Try this."

He laid out a piece of…

"What's this?"

"Jerky. Taste it, it's really good."

Sunnie thought that was a very bad idea.

"Your loss."

He went to snag it back but Sunnie got to it first.

"I-I…"

Osiris went back to eating. He didn't even look at her, nor smile at her. She looked around.

Everyone was looking at her.

She looked at the piece of dried meat.

"Don't eat it all at once. Just take a bite. You can always save the rest for later."

Sunnie glanced at him quickly a couple of times.

When the Prince didn't push further she decided to do it. No one wanted to deny a Prince. Especially not a commoner and especially not to someone as strong as this demon of a child.

She bit off a tiny piece.

It was wonderful.

She has never tasted something so dry but rich in flavor. She wanted to-

"Remember what I said. Only a bite. You'll end up like that weird kid who puked. It won't kill you, but it will make you sick."

Sunnie stuffed the piece in her bra.

Not long after Osiris got up and left, stepping on the fallen cherry seed as he walked out the tent.

Oddly he tossed a dwarf a piece before disappearing out the tent flaps.

F O U R

"Do I have any takers?"

Silence.

Hakim sighed once again as no one wanted to spar with Osiris. He wasn't really forcing it, but Hakim needed everyone to fight each other at least once.

"I told you so."

Hakim's eyebrow twitched.

"If there are no volunteers I will select one."

No one.

"Since it looks like no one wants to fight Osiris, today everyone is going to fight Osiris."

"Do I not have a say in this?"

Hakim looked around.

"Vep, you're up."

The teen locked up.

"It will only be a simple spar. Osiris will only defend."

The boy looked at him annoyed.

"Get up here now, soldier."

Vep cringed beneath his mask as he stood.

Osiris stood with his hands crossed as the teen walked with hunched shoulders to face him. He wore a metal cover over his mouth, like a really cool face mask.

"Like the man said, I will defend, you will attack."

Osiris sounded bored.

"By all means, don't hold back."

Vep just stood there.

"Ready men?"

Hakim held his hand in the center.

"Start!"

The hand flew up dramatically in the air.

Vep stood in form but did not move.

"Move it cadet."

Vep swung. Osiris batted it away like he was dusting off some crumbs. Vep expected pain but all he got was a light sting. He tried again. Osiris deflected the hit.

Over and over the boy slapped away his hits like they were nothing. Vep felt a bit of his chest ache.

"You're thinking too much."

Vep startled.

"Huh?"

"You're thinking too much. Why do you think I was able to deflect?"

Vep wasn't sure what was happening and neither did their Sergeant. He only shrugged at him when he looked his way.

"…"

Vep was hesitant to talk. He always has been. When he awakened his gift he knocked out the entire shop he was stealing from. They forced this mask on him since that day.

Osiris could see the boy struggling.

"It's because you're being too obvious. Watch."

Vep watched him aim a punch at his face and stop an inch away.

"Now look."

He did the same move again, but in his eyes were different.

"Now tell me, what's the difference."

Everyone, including Hakim waited.

"…"

".."

"…"

".."

"…"

"It's intent. The first hit I thought about hitting your face as I punched. And the second time I just moved."

Osiris showed him again.

"Now try."

Vep was still lost but tried it. Again his hands were knocked away.

"Better. Again."

Hakim watched as Osiris went until the teen was panting on the floor.

"Again."

"I can't."

"You can."

Vep grit his teeth.

"Get up."

Osiris watched those child's eyes feel with heat. His ego suddenly dropped and everyone froze. Vep pulled it back the instant he realized what he had done.

Vep was just so frustrated by everything.

He wasn't a fighter.

He was a scout. He didn't want to be here. He didn't want to fight. He just wanted…

"Get up."

Vep shook. He didn't dare look up as he stood. Even though he was much older and taller than the boy he managed to avoid his eyes.

"Again."

Vep looked at him.

"I-"

"Again."

Vep yelled as he pushed his body past its limits. His lungs burned and his arms and legs felt like jelly. He didn't land a single hit.

He fell back on the ground, gasping for air through his mask. Osiris walked over until he was standing over him, pink hair falling around his face.

"See, you could do it."

He kicked a bit of dirt at him.

"That's for getting snippy."

Osiris stood with his hands on his hips and stretched back until he cracked his entire spine.

"I'm not fighting with everyone today."

Then the boy walked off the training grounds.

Hakim could only pinch his nose.

F I V E

"Fuck."

Osiris sat on the floor of his tent pulling his hair out as he tried to find his fucking mana circle.

He thought it would be as easy as finding his ego but it wasn't. Osiris punched the ground again.

Haldir chose that moment to show up.

"What happened this time?"

Osiris glared.

"I.."

Haldir raised a brow as the boy hesitated.

He never hesitated.

"What happened?"

Osiris squinted his eyes at him.

"Nothing happened, you weird bastard."

"Clearly something did."

Osiris could feel his head pound.

"I can't find where my mana circle is supposed to be."

Silence.

"What do you mean?"

Haldir was honestly confused.

"Ugh. Fuck."

Osiris gripped his hair hard enough that Haldir took a step toward him.

"Let's drop it for n-"

"I don't know what a mana circle is!"

Osiris looked away and at the ground.

"I don't know what a mana circle is. I don't know how to even form one. You guys haven't gone over the military grade one yet, and I'm not even sure how.."

Haldir looked at the boy in shock.

"What do you mean you don't know what a mana circle is?"

Osiris blushed.

Haldir felt like this demonic child should not be capable of modesty, but it was nice to see him act human. What was concerning was how he had no clue what a mana circle, or mana heart was.

He was royalty.

Even if the Queen hated him she should not have gotten in the way of his learning this badly. She's crippled him. Haldir rubbed his forehead. They sent this boy up here hoping he would die.

"Come, I have some of my children's books that might help."

"Just tell me how to find them."

Haldir wondered if he was a hands-on learner. He had a son and daughter like that. It was difficult for them to learn in class.

"Let's sit."

Haldir took off his coat and hung it off of the bed frame. He then sat with his back to the door and waited for Osiris to do the same.

Instead Osiris sat across from him.

His eyes were guarded.

Haldir wondered if this scheme started as a way to have the boy struggle in school. To have him be outcasted and shunned for being so far behind academically.

"A mana heart is simply your heart."

Osiris wondered about that, but when he felt around there was nothing.

"We are beings that can use mana, and that's because of our hearts. Other creatures are made of mana, so they use mana much differently than us."

Haldir drew a realistic looking heart on the dirt floor.

"There are also other parts of our bodies that can hold and store mana, but our hearts are where the real magic happens."

Osiris wanted to roll his eyes.

"What they allow us to do is form mana rings, or mana circles around its form. These rings are made up of mana we already have stored in our bodies."

".."

"Let me explain."

Haldir wished he could at least use the kids book.

"A mana circle is formed by gathering mana from your body and moving it to your heart. Then you must move that mana around your heart until a ring is formed."

".."

"What this does is teach your body to store mana there, AND store mana elsewhere. This, in turn, doubles your reserves. It is not something you can do overnight. But a positive is, is that when you move mana around your body it usually stays where you left it. Just don't let it stay too long or you can begin to have issues with mana straying away from where you want it to."

Haldir tried to explain this with a little picture show.

"You will know when a ring is completed when you can no longer add mana to it. Once you are sure it is full you can begin to create another. So far nine circles is the most a being has done."

".."

"That's all?"

Haldir tilted his head.

"…"

The boy looked at the ground. He then started to whisper.

"I'm going to kill them. I'm going to kill those children at her feet. I'm going to make that bitch watch me-"

Haldir stopped listening.

"I'll leave you to it then."

He got up and dusted himself off.

".."

As he stepped through the flaps a small 'thank you' was carried to him by the wind. Haldir smiled before heading to his tent. There was a blizzard today.