Young Master

"You seem to understand the common tongue pretty well, " Shuzen said as he led Kai down a hall.

Taking note of Kai's agitated shifting, Shuzen continued, "I know your mother didn't teach you, young elf. In fact, I doubt she knows more than 5 words. Whoever taught you the common tongue doesn't interest me."

Kai cast a skeptical glance at him. 'What do you mean, doesn't interest you? Why would you bring me here then?'

Shuzen met that glance with a smile as he suddenly stopped, placing his hand on a door knob. Turning it, he said, "Follow me, young elf. I want you to meet my son."

He opened the door to a regal splendor Kai hadn't seen in years. The room's elegance would put even that living area they were in a moment ago to shame. A fine curtain draped to the sides of a magnificent oval window, allowing ample sunlight to shine through. Under the window was an ornate shelf filled with all kinds of books. In the center of the room a large, resplendent bed held a small boy who was playing with a fire in his hands.

'Is he stupid?' Kai thought to himself, unable to believe that this boy would play with fire inside at all, much less on a bed that could easily become engulfed in fire.

Shuzen shared Kai's sentiment, rubbing his head in frustration as he said, "Khazi, what have I told you about this? No fire in the house."

The boy jumped at his father's voice, quickly extinguishing the fire as if in an attempt to hide its existence.

'He looks rather fine and elegant, befitting someone with royalty,' Kai thought as he took in the boy's (Khazi's?) appearance.

The boy appeared to be around Kai's age and wore a fine silky robe. His eyes sparkled with joy and intelligence. However, his smile did hint at his ability to be a devilish prankster. The boy wore 2 rings on his left hand and a dazzling ruby-red necklace. All in all, Kai reinforced the image of royalty in his mind as he even began to bow.

'Better to play the part of a servant. Mom has too much suspicion cast on her already'

Besides, maybe this development would help him awaken his power. Although he hadn't noticed any sort of magic, combat, or taming ability yet, Kai couldn't believe that he had been reincarnated just to remain weak. Knowing that royalty receives far better training with access to 1 on 1 tutoring or the finer academies, Kai surmised that the more time he spent here, the better chance he'd have to learn magic.

Therefore, he wanted to be friends with the young master. Khazi. Judging by the fact Khazi was only around 9 and yet still was able to control his fire in such a tight space, Kai ignored his earlier assumption that he was stupid thinking he could only be a genius.

With wide eyes and a smile that reached the floor, Khazi exclaimed, "Papa! Back you!"

'Never mind.'

Forcing a smile, Shuzen said, "Yes son, I am back. I've brought a new... friend for you as well."

Khazi looked at Kai, his expression overwhelming with a bubbly exhilaration. "Friend?! Me, friend! Yay yay yay!"

He said the last 3 words while jumping up and down on his bed, much to the dismay of Shuzen.

With a heavy sigh, Shuzen muttered, "Must you misbehave so openly?"

Khazi paid his father no mind, instead focusing on Kai, the young elf. Jumping to him on all 4s, Khazi acted like an excited puppy as he put his face next to Kai's. With an excited pant, Khazi grabbed one of Kai's ears. It took everything for Kai to stop himself from slapping the young master.

If he did that, he knew Shuzen would kill him and his mom instantly.

So Kai forced a smile as his ear was yanked with a gargantuan force that betrayed Khazi's small body. With an excited yelp, Khazi said, "Your ears are so pointy!!! That's so cool!"

'Perfect grammar?'

Even though he couldn't see Shuzen, he felt the rising satisfaction all the same. Nobody could explain why, but it seemed as though Kai's presence alleviated Khazi's inability to speak. Exactly as Shuzen had wanted.

Kai thanked the gods as Shuzen pulled Khazi off of him, saying, "Yes, his ears are pointy. But look, you 2 are going to be friends, so you can't treat him like your other little pets, ok? That's important to me, your father."

Khazi beamed at his father, barely able to contain his excited twitching as he yelped, "Papa! Yes!"

'Maybe it was a fluke. Or maybe he is only able to talk when he's torturing me!' Kai thought, shuddering to himself, already thinking of ways to get out of this mess. He wasn't going to be some royal kid's special dog.

Before he could even start forming the start of a plan, Shuzen led him back out of the room and down the hallway. This time, he was silent and Kai could feel a more authoritative aura emanating from him.

They reached the end of the hallway, where light no longer reached as there were no more windows. There was no door at the end of this hallway, and there was no need for one. They were completely secluded from the rest of the world. Shuzen doubted if even his wife's old servant knew about this dead end.

Kai was now unknown to the world. If Shuzen wanted to, he could kill him right now, and no one but some random nobody elf girl would know. If he wanted to, he could kill her too, and no one would bat an eye. The fields are dangerous, after all. 

'But he wouldn't do that,' Kai thought. 'He wants me to teach his son how to speak properly. I think that's what this is all about. For some reason, he had a special connection with me.'

"Kid, I'm going to speak plain, so heed my words."

Kai jumped at that sound, but not because of the words. A purple water was dancing along Shuzen's fingers. The water looked similar, but Kai couldn't quite place where he remembered it from.

"My son has received 8 years of training. 8. 8 long, hard years where he couldn't speak coherently at all. Nothing I, his mother, or the multiple experts tried worked in the slightest. Do you understand?"

Kai gave a slow nod of affirmation, his gaze never leaving the dancing water. He paid no mind to the slightly concealed threat, as the water was too perplexing. 'Why is this so familiar?'

"Yet you came along, and without even trying, you had my son speaking perfectly. A feat such as that is nothing more than a miracle. And as royalty, it is my every right to claim such a miracle."

The water shot into Kai's arm before he could even react. Now he knew why it was so familiar.

That water was the priest's poison.

A venom blessed by the Goddess of Death, Jideva, herself.

Realizing his peril too late, Kai fell to the floor clutching his arm. Then, as quick as the water had incapacitated Kai, Shuzen summoned the water back into his grasp. The pain subsided just as quickly, but the shock remained.

Kai looked up as he panted, watching the dancing water with wary eyes. 'Such magic...'

Shuzen stared at him with now cold eyes.

"I'm not a monster, young elf. Not unless the situation calls for it. Please do not be scared, I only did that because I have to be direct. I want you to move in with us, to live a better life. I want you to help my children. So please just be a good kid. If you fail, then I'll inflict far more pain on you and your mother."

Then he set his hand out, offering support to Kai. Kai took it, offering a fake smile as Shuzen lifted him up. Shuzen returned his own fake smile.

Each knew the other had malicious intent, but each knew only one had the power to act on it. Even after this second chance...

'No!!! I didn't defy the gods for this!'

"So you understand the situation then? Good. I knew you were a smart kid from the first time I met you. A cute little 3-year-old elf who made my guards believe he was dumb."

A stark fear enveloped Kai as he realized the implications of such a statement. 'How long has he been watching me?'

With a real smile this time, Shuzen said, "Yes, I've been showing you mercy for quite a while. One descendant of Jideva to another. Anyway, you and your mother are going to move in here. You do as I asked, and I'll return the favor with an elegant, carefree life that will be so splendid that neither you nor your mother will ever want again."

'And if I fail we both die a gruesome death.'

Shuzen placed his hand behind Kai's back, treating him like the little kid he appeared to be. As they returned to the land of the servants, they adopted fake smiles and laughs. Similar to what Kai had done with his brother...

Kai knew this facade of peace wouldn't last. He also knew that the Goddess had once again scorned him. Since he was only 9, he had held on to hope that he would eventually learn his talent, magic, taming capabilities, anything.

Now he knew he was truly forsaken.

And thus, he vowed to create a power of his own. The tiny spark of a purple fire hot enough to burn heaven itself lit inside his heart.

He would corrupt everything that stood against him.