1. OUTCAST

SVAN CHORYTH

Walking down the great hall of Ignis was something that I wasn't accustomed to. I lived my whole life in the castle, yet I hardly ever went to the great hall. I had no business there because that was the designated location for House Choryth's official gatherings. When the messenger guard informed me that I was summoned there by my father, I already understood why he called for me.

Dressed in black slacks, a form-fitting peacoat and a red poncho bearing the House Choryth emblem; a two-horned dragon emerging from a wall of fire, precisely as any other noble of the House would appear, I proceeded timidly through a long narrow hallway that led to the great hall. There were guards in pairs stationed on opposite sides of every five steps I took, who saluted me with a little bow as I walked past them. Every step towards the great hall registered an exponential increase in my heartbeat as I battled to keep my visibly quivering legs under control.

The view of the great hall remained magnificent. Its floor was entirely covered with a very rare exotic crimson carpet with intricate markings, as giant chandeliers with glowing orbs that shone goldenly hung from its dome-shaped coffered ceiling. The walls held pillars connected by segmented arches, as the carvings found on their capitals and bases were the same as the ones on the ceiling. At the opposite end of the hall was a fine sculpture of House Choryth's insignia carved out of the wall. It was nothing short of a work of architectural beauty.

From the hall's entrance, I could recognize my father among the nobles who collected themselves into small clusters. For starters, he was the tallest among them, and while others were clad in black, he was dressed in crimson, designating that he was the High Lord of House Choryth.

The distance between me and the nobles present shortened as I made more half-hearted strides forward.

"Stop right there!" a powerful voice yelled, which plunged the hall to an abrupt stillness. It was no doubt my father's.

Every nerve and muscle in my body screamed "run," but my body couldn't merely move. All my life, the only emotion I felt towards him was terror, and feeling his presence close to me with the suffocating aura he gave off, almost made me pee on my slacks.

"The House of Choryth is no place for weaklings. I have been patient with you and given you the benefit of the doubt, but it has become clear that you can't live up to the Choryth name. As a result, you are therefore stripped of every benefit and privilege that comes with it."

I didn't dare look at his face when he said those words. My eyes were closed as I faced the ground. Hushed whispers filled the air, which gave me more reason to keep my eyes shut. I didn't want to look at the disappointed or disgusted faces of the nobles who were all staring at me.

I could feel his presence gently leaving my side as his smothering aura assuaged,

"Dismissed!"

His brief utterance conveyed a lot of meaning. Being a man of few words, Lord Edger Choryth spoke as succinctly as he could. I turned and headed for the exit without saying a word.

My eyes met with my sister's as she entered the hall. Evren was nothing short of elegant, and even in a uniform that punished the feminine design, she looked to be a suitable model for the outfit. Her stacked cleavage did credit to her pea coat, and her split poncho made her clothing appear even better. She approached with solid, hard steps as her bangs echoed at the same frequency as the movement of her body. Her oval-shaped face, sporting a set of eyes that defined authority, immediately attracted everyone's attention, captivating without even wearing a smile.

It was apparent that she was fixated on my father and didn't even appear to notice me.

"A goodbye wouldn't be tough to say," I said to her.

"You don't deserve it," she replied in a tone so calm and icy as she walked past me.

I already knew her response would sound like that. I just wanted to hear her voice because I wasn't sure I was ever going to hear it again. Just before I exited the hall, I heard my father's voice again.

"Noble ladies and gentlemen, I present to you Lady Evren Choryth, the heiress of House Choryth."

I could hear cheering and clapping from every angle of the hall, drowning out the reality that I was even there, and at some point, I didn't even feel myself until the messenger guard who was escorting me tapped my back.

"Young Lord, let's go."

* * *

I already had my belongings packed; all I needed were a few pieces of clothing and some books. I was practically expelled from the family, so I could not take any clothing symbolizing House Choryth. I was prepared to head into the unknown as I strapped my sword to my back and put my rucksack on.

I never really knew what the full view of the castle looked like. Most of my time was spent indoors, only frequenting my room, the training grounds, and the study room. The rest of the residence was relatively foreign to me, so I took a detour to the eastern fort, an area I had never been to. The castle was so enormous at first glance, which made me wonder what other parts of it were used for.

As I crossed the drawbridge and the attached bridge, I looked to my left and couldn't help but smile at the view I beheld. The eastern fort, a distinct part of the castle, was connected to the main castle via bridges as it was perched atop a rocky outcrop with a vast expanse of lush flora below. The bridge from which I had just emerged was distinct from the one that connected the fort to the main castle and was primarily intended to provide an elevation to counteract the flaws that its rocky base had produced.

The main castle could be seen to my right, and it was a magnificent sight. The main manor was surrounded by four substantial round keeps that acted as cardinal points. There were also smaller, more slender high-rise towers inside, each of which had the statue of the Choryth emblem sculpted on its highest point. As I made my way towards the gates, the bridge somehow came to rest on a level surface that anchored directions to various portions of the castle.

The same guard brought me to the castle gates, where he bowed before leaving. I was puzzled why he still treated me courteously, as I was sure he was aware of the High Lords' decree.

Anguish swept through me as I stared towards the castle gates. I wasn't sorry that I was no longer a member of House Choryth; in fact, I felt relieved about it. I was heartbroken because I would no longer be able to see the one person who treated me like a human being.

As much as I wanted to go to her and say my goodbyes, I couldn't bring myself to do it. I was already heartbroken enough. Seeing her one final time and exchanging goodbyes would crush my heart to a thousand pieces, so I made my way toward the gates with a false sense of strength.

"So you would leave without saying goodbye," a familiar voice remarked from behind me. I turned to Yukina Ayling, and after a moment of awkward silence, I said to her,

"Of course, you said you weren't going to marry me, so I see no reason to say goodbye."

Both of us burst out laughing, and when we stopped, she stepped closer to me.

Yukina wasn't a member of House Choryth, but she worked for my father and was given as much respect as any other noble of the House was accorded. She taught me sword technique, the only form of combat I could learn. House Choryth was well-known for its mastery of the fire element, having produced several extremely powerful casters over the generations. As the only son of Lord Edger Choryth, I was meant to be the prodigy of the House, but, in my fifteen years of existence, I never experienced the Feel.

It was amazing that I never bore any feeling of hatred towards my father, even though he always treated me as a nobody. I resigned to the feeling that I was merely a stroke of disaster in his life. Therefore, it was only fair that he got rid of me. My mother died while trying to birth me, and though I never knew her, I was overwhelmed with guilt whenever I thought about her. To make matters worse, I couldn't experience what the Feel felt like, so it was logical that I couldn't control the fire element, which House Choryth was widely renowned for. From a standpoint, none of it was my fault, but then who's fault was it?

"You wouldn't last long on your own out there, and if something horrible were to happen to you, I would feel terrible," Yukina said.

I had to stop smiling because I was on the verge of tears.

"Wait, don't tell me you're…." I tried to confirm if she was really leaving with me but didn't get to finish the sentence.

"That's correct. I am," she said.

I held her in a warm embrace.

"But I am having a hard time believing that the High Lord just let you come with me. I mean, you are a precious asset to him. Tell me, what were the conditions he gave you?"

"None. I, too, was surprised, but whatever his reasons were, it worked for me. Besides, he has the Phoenix at his side now."

I untangled myself from her and asked, with a tone of seriousness,

"Can Evren beat you in combat now?"

"Maybe, maybe not."

Yukina was the best swordswoman my eyes had ever come across. She was five years older than me, making her my sister's age match. Her attractive appearance didn't represent her battle prowess. Her beautiful blonde hair, which she always tied in a ponytail, heart-shaped face, round eyes that shone blue, and slender figure was enough to attract anyone she came across.

Though Yukina wasn't a caster, she had bested my sister in every fight I had observed them engage in for as long as I could remember. However, Yukina wasn't like me since she had a different kind of ability that manifested from her Feel.

There are people who experience the Feel but don't have any elemental affinity. Instead, they are compensated with extreme physical strength, speed, or regenerative abilities. These people were called stillbringers, and Yukina was one of them.

My predicament wasn't abnormal. Only a very minor fraction of the population were casters or stillbringers, as most of them either belonged to a respected House or a guild. Yukina was a three-fold stillbringer, which meant that she possessed all three abilities of a stillbringer, and to top that off, her sword skills were exceptional.

Evren was a deviant-class fire caster, but as much as I loathed my sister, I couldn't help but respect her brilliance and mastery of the fire element. She was a walking force of destruction, which she demonstrated with so much finesse and creativity that it was no surprise she was called the Phoenix.

"Evren has grown so much stronger lately; it appears like she is now grasping her lightning deviant completely," "urgh." Yukina murmured, sounding a little irritated, "These casters have so many unfair advantages."

I chuckled as I watched her whine about Evren. Though they never explicitly admitted it, it was apparent that Yukina and Evren were constantly up against each other, striving to prove that one was stronger than the other.

"Aren't you giving her some wiggle room by coming with me?"

"Probably. Considering that I am not even a Choryth, it is what it is."

Although I could sympathize with her situation, I couldn't do much about her frustration.

Yukina usually appeared combat-ready, as both of us seemed to have the same choice of attire in mind. A plain shirt and slacks, both closely fitted and stretchy for adequate mobility, and a heavy hooded robe for protection against cold winds. Her scabbard held her two short swords in place, which ran at acute angles across her back while her rucksack covered them, revealing only their hilts. She draped her arm across my shoulders, pulling me closer to her.

"Let's go on an adventure, shall we?"

All I could do was grin. I was so glad to have her by my side, and even though I had no idea what I would do next or where I was headed to next, I was convinced that everything was going to work out somehow.

"So, will you marry me now?"

"No," she responded carelessly.

In a playful protest, I said,

"Can't you take some pity on this poor soul? It's already the five hundredth time, and you keep rejecting me."

"I guess we should commemorate the one thousandth," she replied.

Using my hands to cover my face, I mumbled,"This is going to be challenging."

"Indeed," Yukina concluded, dismissing my problem.

"Hey, how much do you have with you?" she inquired with a bit of concern.

"About five hundred imperial gold coins," I replied

"So much for not having any Choryth privileges," I said to myself.

But in my defense, it was my money. I had saved it up for a very long time.

She nodded with approval.

"I guess we wouldn't need to worry about money, so let's focus on finding a solution to your problem."

I took a little pause and gave her a sad expression. She was about to leave everything behind to help me and ensure I was safe. I didn't know how else to express my gratitude to her, but I did know that, if need be, I will risk everything for her.

"If you keep on gazing at me like that, I might smack you," she added, tugging me along, and I followed, tripping as we walked to the gates.

Our horses were already waiting at the gates, and Yukina was already caressing hers while it snorted at intervals.

"There, good boy," she said as she mounted it. I got on mine, and we rode off at a galloping clip.

"Do you think we will ever return here?" I asked her, in what looked like I was shouting.

"That's up to you, hopefully, to show them how powerful you have gotten," she replied with the same intensity.

My face gleamed with a big smile as we rode towards the sunset.