Siblings

Sieg froze as another message appeared in his mind.

[Cultivate the Growth of the Black Lotus.]

[Current Energy: 1/5000]

Sieg groaned as he understood what was happening. 'The messages in my mind are guides to unlocking the power of my lotus, and the root is taking energy from the soil.' Sieg hummed in his mind as he watched the progress in his mind. 'But how long will it take to reach that number? It hasn't increased at all.'

Sieg lay there for hours, being careful not to make a sound. He could only curse when he felt his root retracting back inside his body. 'No! What are you doing?' However, the moment the root disappeared, Vena interrupted her meditation.

"Oh, who's a good boy?" Vena asked in a childish voice as she picked him up. Of course, Sieg did not understand what she was saying. But he gurgled happily in response if only to convince his new mother he was a perfectly normal baby.

Sieg soon lost himself in his thoughts as his mother brought him inside. He was beginning to feel tired as his new family took turns looking after him. Before long, he drifted off to sleep as he replayed the memories of his new life so far.

The days blurred together as all Sieg did was soil himself, feed, and make baby noises. He became frustrated as nobody in the family took him out to the garden again. Sieg even tried crying whenever he noticed someone heading in that direction.

Sieg lay cursing in a cot next to his mother's bed. His father had gotten up early and disappeared somewhere, and Vena was sleeping. 'How am I ever meant to cultivate my lotus like this?' Sieg whined as he tried to come up with a plan.

Suddenly, he heard the swish of the bedroom door. Gentle footsteps crept across the floor toward his cot. 'Who's this? One of my siblings coming to make baby sounds again?' Sieg groaned in his mind. Eventually, the face of the oldest child peered over the edge of the cot. 'Arik, that's what mom and dad call him. He should be the eldest.'

Sieg lay there quietly, waiting for the usual routine his other siblings did with him. However, Arik carefully picked him up and studied him. 'He looks a lot like dad.' Sieg thought as he returned the curious gaze. His older brother glanced at their mother before carrying him out of the bedroom.

'Oh god no! Don't tell me he's going to try and change me!' Sieg cursed as he watched the Light Flowers pass by overhead and the vines that crept across the metal walls. 'Wait. Where are we going?' Sieg frowned when he realized they were bypassing the living and kitchen area.

A breeze washed over his face as the scent of the garden relaxed his mind. 'Is he really going to take me into the garden?' Arik glanced down at his baby brother in his arms. He seemed to be waiting for something before taking Sieg into the garden.

Arik chuckled as Sieg laughed happily. It was the only thing Sieg could think of to show his brother he wanted to go outside. 'Damn, I think I have a favorite sibling now!' Sieg studied his brother as Arik carried him to the meditation circle.

"I know you don't understand me yet," Arik began as he sat down. "But this is what you want, right?"

Arik frowned as he lay Sieg down in his blanket. Sieg happily gurgled before he realized a problem. 'He won't leave me here, but if he keeps watching, I can't do what I need to. I'm pretty sure it's not normal for a baby to do it. Otherwise, mom or dad would've brought me out here.'

"As long as you stay quiet, I'll try and sneak you out as often as I can," Arik said as he closed his eyes. "It'll be our secret."

Of course, Sieg had no idea what his brother had just said. But from the concerned tone in his voice, he guessed his brother would get in trouble if caught bringing him outside. 'I better not cause any problems for him.' Sieg sighed before he felt a wave of relief.

Arik was entering the same meditative trance that their mom did. However, only three roots came out of his back. 'Is the number of roots connected to age?' Sieg wondered as he watched the process. He had a vague feeling he was right. 'Does that mean that more roots would equal more energy?'

Sieg cursed as he hoped that was not the case. He did not know how this world worked. But one thing Sieg was sure of was his advantage over others of his generation. If he could get ahead now, his future would be brighter. Sieg lost himself in his thoughts as he performed the process of absorbing energy.

As the weeks passed, Arik would sneak him out whenever he could. Sieg finally understood during that time the words for mom and dad and learned the names of his siblings. 'Arik is my eldest brother. Syrah is my oldest sister with purple hair and eyes. My other brother is Yil, and the younger sister is Leera.'

Sieg guessed that Arik was around nine years old and Syrah was eight. Yil and Leera were five and four. Over those weeks, Sieg came to hate Syrah. Sieg was sure she was saying nasty things whenever speaking to him or the younger siblings without their parents nearby. Sieg's guess was due to the tone in her voice and how angry Arik would get when he heard her.

'I need to grasp this language faster.' Sieg complained to himself when his mom picked him up. He knew something significant was happening since the home had been abuzz with activity for several days. However, his eyes went wide when Vena carried him out of the bedroom.

His father placed cubes with blue lines on the furniture, and Sieg watched as they vanished inside them! 'Damn! How advanced is the technology in this world?' He did not have long to marvel at that sight before everything was packed away. The home seemed barren to Sieg, without everything he had become used to seeing.

His parents marched the children out to the garden, where they waited for several minutes. A shuttle suddenly pulled up next to them, and its doors opened upwards while a ramp connected it with the garden. Sieg gulped as Vena ushered everyone inside, and Sieg could see no signs of any controls.

'Does it fly itself?' He wondered as the whole family and Nina settled into their seats. Once the doors closed, Jira said a few words before the shuttle shot forward. Sieg could not see much from his position in Vena's arms. However, his siblings chattered excitedly, except for Syrah.

"Why do we have to move?" She complained as she glared at Sieg in spite. "It's not my fault his planting failed!"

"Who said we were moving because of that?" Vena asked as she glared at her daughter.

"Everyone's saying it at school! They're saying you're worried the bloodline is failing. All because Yil, Leera, and Sieg are failures!" Syrah continued to complain as Jira's face turned red. "I don't want to move! I'll never learn anything out there! Everyone knows all the best instructors are in the city!"

"Be silent!" Jira hissed in a low voice as he turned in his seat. "If I ever hear you calling your brothers and sister failures again, you'll regret it!"

"But how am I meant to become a great Knight way out there?" Syrah whined. "Everything was fine until Sieg came along! It's all his fault!"

A loud slap filled the shuttle as Syrah gaped at Arik in shock. Her lip trembled as she stared at him. However, she soon noticed the disgusted looks her family was giving her. She bowed her head in silence as she held back her sobs.

'I don't know what just happened, but I like Arik even more now.' Sieg gleefully thought as he sensed the negative emotions aimed at his sister. 'Since mom and dad aren't scolding Arik, she must have deserved it.' Sieg allowed himself to drift off to sleep.

He slept for the entire journey as the shuttle raced over forests of giant trees with purple and red leaves. Then, they flew over a green waterfall and a plane of red grass. Yil yelped in wonder as the red grass tangled itself around a creature that resembled a sabretooth tiger with purple fur. The grass dragged it down into the dirt as Jira shook his head.

"Why did it do that?" Leera asked with an innocent expression. Tears appeared in the corners of her eyes as she watched for the giant cat to resurface.

"Everything in this world has to eat, dear," Vena replied as she caressed her daughter's head.

"But why did it have to eat the cat?" Leera whimpered in return.

"Because that's what it eats," Vena replied with a sad smile. "It's the way of the world, and you'll have to get used to it. Where we're going is wilder than you're used to."

"That's right, kids." Jira chimed in as he glanced at them. "None of you are to leave the boundaries we set. It's too dangerous out in the countryside. You'll get used to it in no time."

The kids complained as they stared at the marvels of the wildlands passing below them. Eventually, the shuttle slowed down as it skimmed the treetops of a luscious forest. Leera gasped when she saw a giant white lake with many houses dotted around it.

"Welcome home." Vena smiled as she rubbed her finger on Sieg's cheek.