The Tutor

"Clifford!" Exclaimed Beren.

He rushed over, but it was clear to him that the man had already passed away. He turned to look at the young prince, who was still standing there impassively, completely unshaken at the sight of the death he had just caused.

Vicious! Truly Vicious!

William stood behind Damon, his face was pale, but he did not react to the corpse the way one would expect a fifteen-year-old seeing someone die for the first time to.

"Have both of these children seen death before?" Thought Beren.

Alan walked over to Damon and started to examine his arm – he had seen it jerk backwards with the recoil of the crossbow's release.

The mana threads had prevented any real damage, but Damon still felt a slight throb running through his fingers and wrist.

Carter had gone sheet white and was fighting back convulsions. He looked like he was ready to vomit. Each contraction of his stomach sent waves of pain to his face due to his broken ribs. More than anything though, he was shivering in fear.

If someone like Clifford had just died, did that not mean that he was next?

Norman gently lay Carter down and made his way towards Beren who was still kneeling by Clifford's corpse.

Norman collapsed to his knees, not towards Clifford, but towards Damon. The steely look in Damon's eyes and the lack of reaction he showed at taking a life shocked Norman. This was not the time for pride or anger.

"My Prince! I beg you, forgive my nephew. He is young and foolish. I will ensure he is punished once we get back to the main house, but please spare his life." Begged Norman.

"I don't remember you reprimanding him when he first spoke, was he not foolish then? Or is it now that you see a consequence that you realize what he did was wrong?" asked Damon.

Norman looked troubled for a few seconds, before grim resolve overtook his face. He placed his hands on the floor in front of him and banged his head on the packed dirt.

"I am at fault my prince, I failed to call him out when he wronged you. Carter is my sister's only son and our family's future rests in his hands. Allow me to bear his sin but let him go." Said Norman.

This surprised Carter, who snapped his head up as he heard his uncle. Gritting his teeth against the pain, he got up to his feet and stumbled over to where his uncle was. He collapsed heavily on his knees beside his uncle.

"Your Highness! Do not punish my uncle in my stead, it was my foolishness and hot-hotheadedness that caused this. I am sorry, and I will bear the punishment." His voice was shaky as he spoke.

Norman rose from his prostration and his arm shot to the side, clamping Carter's mouth. He looked up at Damon.

"Do not mind his words, your highness. I will take full responsibility for the outcome of the duel." He said, keeping a firm grip on Carter despite the boy's best efforts.

"Does that include the techniques that William won?" asked Damon.

"I will arrange for them to be sent over," said Norman.

"You do not intend to use them to bargain for your nephew's life?" Asked Damon, a mocking look on his face.

"I dare not." Said Norman.

"Whether you dare or not means fuck all." Beren exploded, his face red with anger as he got up to his feet.

"As a Vice-Captain I will make sure that such a thing never happens." He continued.

Damon raised his eyebrow at this, and then prodded.

"And if I decide that I will spare Carter's life should you hand the techniques over?" asked Damon.

This caused a light of hope to spark in Norman's eyes as he turned to Beren.

Beren did not even look at him. His gaze was entirely fixed on Damon.

"Over his dead body." He said.

The cold words caused a shiver to run up Carter's spine. He shot a betrayed look at Beren.

It was clear that Norman and Carter had been put up to this by Beren and Clifford. Carter being young and impressionable was understandable, and Norman's uncomfortable expression throughout the entire exchange showed that he was not fully on board with the plan but had likely followed it out of support for his nephew.

Beren leveled his sword at Damon.

"You are truly vicious for one so young. It will be the Kingdom's doom to allow you to keep growing this way. I will lodge a formal complaint with the central court over the murder of a noble and a government official." It seemed that it was taking Beren the last vestiges of his patience to keep him from lunging at Damon.

Damon smiled at this and turned to Norman.

"It's not too difficult for me to spare your nephew's life." He said.

Both Carter and Norman looked up at him with hope, whilst Beren's fists clenched at being ignored again.

"I wish to submit a complaint to the central court, against a pretentious noble who trespassed on my bodyguard's training, insulted a prince and a queen, and then threatened them with the influence of another prince." Said Damon.

The more he spoke the angrier Beren grew.

"Though the fool has been dealt with, I do not think it is overly harsh to have his Nobility and his office stripped posthumously. I hope that the two of you can submit testifying memorials to the court." Said Damon.

Both Norman and Carter looked troubled at Damon's request. Rather than sweep this matter under the rug, it seemed that Damon wanted to double down, going so far as to permanently tarnish Clifford's reputation for eternity.

To be posthumously stripped of one's noble title and office was a punishment reserved for the worst of traitors and turncoats. Such a thing would shame not only Clifford, but all those associated with him.

For Norman and Carter to stick their necks out and support Damon would make them black sheep to the first Queen's faction and put a target on their backs.

Beren roared with rage, his aura exploding once more.

"Impudent!" he shouted.

"How dare you slander a man after killing him in such a cowardly manner!"

The fact that Norman and Carter had troubled expressions and did not out right refuse made Beren realize that he was on the back-foot here. If he let Damon control the conversation, such a report might truly be sent through to court.

There was no way that the court would rule in Damon's favor, but to have what happened here today become public knowledge would tarnish Beren's reputation and serve to slow down his explosive rise in status.

He could not let that happen.

He clenched his fists and spoke.

"Norman, if you want that fool of a nephew of yours to stay within the guard, I suggest that the both of you get the fuck up right now and get out of my sight." Bellowed Beren.

"I'm afraid you don't have the authority to tell them to leave whilst they are still at my mercy." Cut in Damon.

Beren narrowed his eyes at Damon.

"You may be able to avoid trouble because you are a prince, but your hot-blooded fool of a bodyguard who raised a crossbow and killed a nobleman will not. Have him attend weekly training with the guards going forward, and I will allow him to learn our aura techniques. Should you refuse, I will make sure he is stripped of his position and punished." Said Beren.

"And how do you plan to get testimonies to support your bold-faced lies." asked Damon.

"Lies?" asked Beren as he stalked towards the kneeling Norman and Carter.

"Why, I have two respectable men here who witnessed the whole thing. I'm sure they'll be happy to testify out of gratitude." Said Beren.

Damon's lips drew into a thin line.

"And if I refuse to let them go?" he asked. 

"Hahahaha!" laughed Beren as he hefted his sword, placing it against his shoulder.

"Who's going to stop me?" he said, flaring his aura once more.

Damon sighed, all things considered, he realized that it was futile to keep going back and forth with Beren.

Besides, he had managed to achieve a great deal here today. Clifford was a more insidious Kerron. It was easier to deal with a hot head like Beren than someone as sly and intentional and Clifford.

If Clifford were more experienced, or if the recent trend of Richard's popularity hadn't emboldened him, it would have been difficult to come by a chance like this. Getting rid of a future thorn this early was great enough achievement.

It was time to wrap up this farce.

Damon turned towards the thing that had given him the confidence to actually kill Clifford.

At the edge of the training field stood a large tree. It was decades old and had an impressively thick and tall trunk, with large study branches and bountiful foliage.

Damon looked up at the branches and spoke.

"I take it that my father sent you. If so, don't you think you've watched for long enough?" He asked.

"Damn! When did you notice that I was here?" An energetic, voice with a silvery quality came from the tree.

THUD!

A patch of dirt on the training grounds in front of Damon was indented as a figure landed.

Beren's eyes went wide at the speed that this intruder had shown. He hadn't been able to track them at all.

An exceptionally beautiful woman stood in front of Damon. She was taller than the average woman, though not quite as tall as Damon's mother.

Whilst Damon's mother was slim, however, this woman was very well built. The term voluptuous did not do her justice.

She had brown skin and hazel eyes. Her hair was thick and curly, and she wore it in a double-puff afro.

She wore a large, grey travelling cloak that was clipped to her shoulder with a round, golden medal that had a spear engraved in it. She wore no shoes, instead sporting black bandages that wrapped around her feet and came up to her thighs. Her hands and arms were similarly bandaged.

She had on a black singlet that was skin-tight, made of some sort of elastic leather.

On her back was a strangely shaped sword. The entire thing was wrapped in the same black bandages as her hands and feet, but the shape of the blade was clear. It was a double-edged sword, and it was very long, almost as tall as she was – but it was also very thin, only about one palm wide.

She leaned towards Damon, a bright smile on her face as she stroked her chin.

"So, Maxy wasn't exaggerating when he said his kid had amazing mana sensitivity huh?" she said.