The Beast Within

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

"I'll bet that they are here just because the Lord's spoiled children wanted to see the strange people who practice evil sorcery." Haneul muttered in a rare show of spite against the non-Mages but there was no time to address it as Lord Edbert was ceremoniously making his way out.

Ceraun had been unimpressed the minute he got there but it got worse when the Lord stepped out, they had unconsciously gravitated closer to get a better look.

Not too close as the footman and carriage driver were enthusiastically beating back the children who were just curious no doubt.

Lord Edbert was a pudgy man, a ridiculous bright purple hat on his head to match his trailing, shimmering coat.

The hat had to be tied around his spherical head to keep it in place, the ropes digging into the excess flesh surrounding his face.

The rest of his body was much like his head, his clothing was rucked around his body, folds of unhealthy fat visible through the fine rich silks and fabrics.

His hair which peeked around the edges of the embossed hat was too thin to give a definitive color, it was neither pale nor dark, just hair.

His eyes however were a nondescript brown, set deeply in his face, heaving cheeks reddening as he struggled to come down.

He stepped down and turned back into the carriage, no doubt to help his children get down.

Ceraun was expecting perhaps children who looked much like the Lord did and he was not disappointed when the son stepped out, looking just as rotund and overweight as his father.

His hair however was a pale blond, small, squinting eyes a similar shade to that of his father. He was also dressed in a purple colored ensemble, his head bare and without a cape.

Ceraun could not pinpoint the boy's age, he looked to be anything from ten to his mid-twenties, it was ludicrous.

He also came down with visible difficulty, heaving in the most unsightly way like he had chased a horse for miles rather than just come down from a carriage, with assistance too.

"If the sister looks the same, I'm running back to the river bank." Adrik muttered blankly.

"I'll run with you." Haneul quipped, looking disgusted.

Ceraun could understand it, he could not understand his curiosity, maybe he just wanted to see for himself what they came to do.

But if this gross contrast and comparison continued, he would also graciously take his leave.

The looks on Lord Edbert and his son Chester's faces made Ceraun want to see how much lightning it would take to knock them out, with all that blubber as a meat shield, he was quite sure it would be a lot, he was not averse to that thought.

They looked disgusted by what they were responsible for, tearing children from their homes and thrusting them into a cruel world for reasons that they had no control over.

Eventually, the sister made a move to leave the carriage.

Her presence was preceded by a dainty foot sticking out of the carriage door, black slippers framing her stockinged foot.

Ceraun already disliked her intensely and he had not even seen her yet, he hoped she was as overweight as her father and brother so they would leave immediately but that was highly unlikely with how slender the foot that had been thrust out of the carriage most imperiously looked.

Just as he had feared, she was not of a similar structure as the rest of her family.

In a pale yellow dress, that skimmed below her knees, her pale blonde hair done up in a simple style, bows adorning her hair, she looked almost their age.

She was most likely their age but the imperious and haughty look in her pale green eyes and the twist in her small lips made her look far older.

"Ethel, dearest, you shouldn't have left the carriage." Lord Edbert started to fuss over his daughter who paid him no mind, sharp eyes scanning the bewildered crowd of children watching their theatrics. "You should not want to get this cursed dust on you."

"I'm fine, Papa, I expected this, I insisted on this visit after all." She said courteously to him, her tone imperial and commanding.

Lord Edbert easily bent to his daughter's opinions, stepping back. "So would you like to see what you came for? Your mother would be upset if we spend too long…"

Ceraun shared a glance with the other two boys, this was a strange visit indeed and they were no closer to getting any answers.

Should they leave? Before something went drastically wrong.

Just as Ceraun was about to suggest it, a commotion in front of them distracted him, the non-Mages were moving forward, the young, haughty girl in the lead.

The footman and carriage driver were enthusiastically driving back the children milling around, horsewhips cracking down with increasing dexterity.

It made Ceraun itch under his skin…

What did they want?

Why would they make the journey from wherever they can from just to whip Mage children?

Lord Edbert was furiously whispering to his daughter now who remained unruffled, Chester lumbered slowly behind them, munching on a glazed pastry that he had pulled out of thin air.

Ceraun took a step backwards when he shared gazes with those shrewd pale green eyes, fearing the very worst.

"Him! Papa! I'd like to see him do it." Ethel stretched forth a hand in his direction and pointed, making the crowd go still, everyone turning to stare at him.

This time he stumbled, struggling to regain his balance as he tried to make heads or tails of what was going on.

"What does she want to see you do?" Adrik asked with a deeply set frown, glaring daggers at the group of non-Mages.

"I would like to know that as well." Ceraun murmured, visibly disturbed.

Ethel was now currently conversing furiously with her father, making gestures every now and then while Lord Edbert nodded intently.

"She most likely wants to see you use Magic." Haneul said through gritted teeth, making the other two give him their attention.

"But I-I don't…"

"I know you can use your magic." Haneul said with a long suffering sigh. "Believe me, it would be easier if you just did it, understated of course." He reminded, looking stern. "They don't like to be intimidated, they simply want to see our magic as miniscule tricks, something pleasant to the eyes and entertaining like we are some sort of circus animals…"

Haneul quickly went off on a rant, trailing off when he noticed that he had been saying all that out loud.

"Are you good, Haneul?" Adrik asked dryly, eyes fixed on the non-Mages.

Haneul cleared his throat, hands shorter than both boys. "Yes."

Just as Haneul predicted, the carriage driver stepped forward from the throng and walked up to the three of them, keeping a respectable distance between them before he nodded at Ceraun.

"You there, the fair haired one in the middle? His Lordship orders your presence, follow me.

Ceraun threw the other boys a meaningful look before stepping forward, following after the carriage driver, they were still a good distance away from the non-Mages.

The children clamouring around wisely stepped backwards, preferring instead to observe from afar, he could not blame them.

Months of living in a place like Thrika tended to give you survival instincts, you would instinctively know when to flee.

He was stopped, some distance away from the non-Mages.

The only person who recognized his presence was Ethel, Lord Edbert was having a serious one sided conversation with his daughter, rapid fire words falling out of his mouth like he was trying to convince her otherwise of a particular matter.

Chester was behind, deeply engrossed in plucking out pastries from his inner pockets and devouring them, ignoring the world around him with ease.

Every time Ceraun glanced over at Ethel, she was looking at him, it made him avert his eyes each time, unsettled.

Why would she pick him out of the small crowd here?

It was a good thing indeed that he had learnt to control his lightning, someone could have really gotten hurt when he eventually tried to show her a spell.

"He's fine, Papa let him show me then we can be on our merry way." Ethel insisted with a soft smile that hid the steel in her expression.

"But, dearest…" Lord Edbert continued to protest, glancing furtively at Ceraun like he could not see them. "He looks positively barbaric, could you perhaps have not gone for the other one, he looked quite responsible… well as responsible as scums can get…." He blustered.

Ethel looked unruffled, bright interest evident in her pale, green, fish eyes.

She would like to step closer to inspect the Mage boy but she knew her father would not allow so she had to make do with what she got.

He had been the first one to grab her attention, mostly because he was staring at her with intense disgust, Ethel was not used to such reactions to her person, it spiked her interest.

His interesting demeanor was made more interesting by the jagged scar by the side of his face, how had he got that? Had it happened because of a non-Mage?

Although the scar was quite an oddity, being that odd shade of aquamarine, glowing ever gently against his tan skin.

Endless black eyes stared levelly at her, eyeing her with equal parts wariness and dislike.

"Don't be so worried about me, Papa." She said to her father, absent-minded as she appraised the Mage boy she had summoned. "I shall remain right here beside you, I won't get hurt, I promise."

"Ve-very well." Lord Edbert agreed, an inevitable conclusion from the start, it was very difficult to sway Ethel when she had her mind fixed on something.

"Let him get to it, we haven't all day." He ordered the servants he had brought along.

Ceraun kept his emotions hidden from his face, giving nothing away and making no reaction even when he was prodded harshly in the side with the edge of the horsewhip.

"You heard His Lordship." The raucous carriage driver yelled. "Her esteemed Ladyship would like to see you practice your oddity, you should feel honored…" he started to lecture Ceraun, still poking him harshly in the side. "...matter of fact you should bow down to show respect to…"

"That will be enough, Kenley." Ethel spoke in a refined voice. "Step aside now, I should like to get a clearer view."

Ceraun gritted his teeth, feeling the edges of his vision darken, his head aching as well.

He should have left at the first chance he got….