Marc Arden and the Siphilon Academy

- Tales of Tribulation (Part 1)

Marc felt calm now. His mother had been talking for hours, explaining everything. She was Marc's age when she met with the famous Paderon and his son Dom, who was in his twenties. At the time she wasn't as strong as Marc was now. Marc didn't let that bit of information sway him. His mother - as hard as it was to believe - was Delaneira, the Moon bender. A Siph that mastered half the elements of Lorenzia.

She got married, during the time of the war atop Mount Garescint. So she wasn't recruited to fight beside Paderon.

She left Marc's father because she had to deal with the first Offbendi attack at the Siphilon Academy. Many elderly, experienced Elbendi Siphs died on that day.

Marc's mother returned with his infant sister to Acanon when Marc was still a toddler. She tried to make things work out with his father. But his father grew suspicious of her behavior and turned against her, forming the group called the Olden. Marc's mother was forced to leave if she valued her life.

Marc's parents struck a deal to hold one of their children each. And his mother explained that his father will come after him now that he ran away to Middenheim.

"I can deal with him, mother," Marc reassured her. He felt awkward calling out his mother, it sounded precious yet unfamiliar on his tongue.

Delaneira nodded to her son, still frowning,

"I just hope no Offbendi get into the Olden under false pretense. Your father could be tortured for information."

Delaneira stood up from her desk chair, stretching the stiffness off her limbs. She looked down at Marc seated opposite her.

"Are you ready to go out? Dom will be waiting for you." She asked.

Dom had left soon after Marc's embrace with his mother, with a page of notes that Delaneira had given him. He indeed said he'll be needing Marc for something, on the way out to make the horses comfortable in the buildings adjacent stables.

Marc nodded, taking deep breaths to stop the tremors that ran through his body, flush with adrenaline.

The moment he was completely composed, he followed his mother out of the office room, entering into a very boisterous sitting room.

Scarlett was laughing heartily at a joke Dom had just cracked. Another girl sat next to Scarlett, looking really uncomfortable as she tried to understand the joke.

Dom looked up at Marc, just as Scarlett started explaining the joke to the girl. Dom immediately stood up to face Marc, smiling wildly.

"There's the man of the moment!" He looked to be having a great time. Scarlett and the girl beside her looked up at Marc in unison at Dom's call.

Marc and the girl locked eyes, and for the second time, he gasped. It was none other than his younger sister.

The girl sat back and smiled to herself. She flicked her short blonde locks, trying to hide her smile to no avail.

Dom held out a hand to both the Arden siblings.

"Marc…your sister, Izzy-Rose. Izzy-Rose…your brother, Marc."

Izzy-Rose rolled her eyes at Dom,

"How many times do I have to tell you, Dom! I go by Rose. Izzy-Rose is my Lorenzic name."

Dom shrugged at her, twinkling his eyes in amusement.

Delaneira wrapped her son in a hug from behind, calling out to her daughter. "So Rose…what do you think?"

Marc felt embarrassed as Rose looked him up. She again reached close to laughter, saying.

"Well, I guess both of us got our good looks from you, mama!"

Dom's laughter boomed across the house. Scarlett weakly smiled as Rose giggled, while Delaneira fanned herself, pretending to be flattered.

Marc just stood there, overwhelmed. When Scarlett locked eyes with him, he looked away, embarrassed.

Dom squinted at Marc through his teary eyes, shaking his head.

"Ah, it's about time we put Marc out of his misery. Come! We have much to talk about."

Delaneira walked over to stand behind the girls on the settee, making way for Dom to lead Marc back into the room.

Rose called out to Marc just before he disappeared into the room.

"Try not to miss me too much! Big brother."

Marc heard his mother scold Rose, but the penalization was cut off after Dom shut the door.

Dom turned around to face Marc. To Marc, he considered it father to son.

"Marc, I know what you feel, they're very different, but-"

"Yes Dom, I understand that I will grow to love them. But I'm really exhausted after the journey, and really hungry, so I couldn't embrace them as happily as they embraced me."

Dom nodded, glad that his doubts were cleared.

"So you've got a sister now huh? I hear she's a very strong Siph." Dom smiled and ruffled Marc's hair.

Marc raised a cynical eyebrow at Dom.

Dom immediately raised his palms up in defense.

"Hey, I still stand by my words that you are the strongest Siph for your age, but seriously… Delaneira has very strong children. Any father would be proud. I myself am really proud of you Marc!"

Marc laughed and punched Dom on the shoulder.

"Do I scare you by any chance?" Marc asked, widening his eyes to make him look scary.

Dom stared at him lazily.

"Me? Scared of you? You wish. I should've gone harder on you during your training."

"No…please don't. Now can we go have some breakfast for god sake? I'm starving."

Dom raised a hand, immediately switched into his signature businessman personality.

"Marc. I know you want to attend the Siphilon Academy...." Started Dom briefly, but it was enough for Marc's heart to sink. "And I spoke to your mother about it, and she believes that the signs she sensed inside you need extra...attention from professionals."

Marc nodded, waiting for the worst.

Dom sighed and said, "I guess you'll be studying at Academy after all. You start next week. Scarlett and you will be in the same class as your sister since she already finished her first year at the Academy. All three of you will be in the Second Vathmós."

Marc stared dumbfounded at Dom. What signs could his mother have found in him that convinced them to enroll him for the Academy?

Marc shrugged at Dom and thanked him for bearing the message. He had a feeling Dom knew something about him that he wasn't letting on.

But he didn't have the strength to process anything in his mind yet. He was ready for a good morning's sleep right after breakfast.

His stomach growled loudly. Dom jumped abruptly.

"Sorry!" Marc apologized meekly.

Dom grinned and finally said,

"Let's go get you some breakfast!"

* * *

Marc soundly slept past lunch, and everyone at home didn't want to disturb him. Dom had woken up - just as Scarlett and Rose finished their lunch and retired to Rose's room - and decided to have a talk with Delaneira over lunch.

"I don't doubt what I sensed in him, Dom! He clearly has a strand of Sun in him!" Delaneira said exasperatedly for the umpteenth time.

"I had to be sure, Delaneira. I didn't even trace a scent of Sun. When he received my father's inheritance, he himself said that some light shot out of his hand and evolved Arcane, his phoenix. I didn't know he absorbed it himself." Dom complained.

Delaneira dropped her fork into her plate.

"Did you just say the light shot out of his hand?"

"I stand by what I said," Dom replied firmly.

"Then I need to take a look at his hand. If there is a scar, it could be cursed or blessed." Delaneira's voice trailed off thoughtfully. She picked at her food with her spoon.

"There's also one other thing you need to be aware of. Marc gifted a dagger, Falcata, to Scarlett. But before that, Marc accidentally plunged Falcata into his own flesh. The dagger remains cursed to him as proven in the near-death incident a few days ago. Marc lost an element. Metal."

Delaneira broke out of her contemplation. She glared at Dom in outrage.

"Near-death experience? Lost an element?! Dom, if you don't mind me asking, how exactly 'challenging' was your journey here to Middenheim?"

"With Marc, the start of the journey proved to be difficult. He was asking too many questions, and he was smart enough to figure them out too." Delaneira smiled at that particular piece of information.

"The first day, we stopped at that grove of mine just before Cartrile," Dom continued, "Over there, Marc and I almost killed each other in the middle of the night. This was when Marc befriended Arcane - the phoenix - and cursed his blade, Falcata."

Dom finished eating his lamb chops and garlic bread and sat back with a content sigh.

"The next day we arrived in Cartrile and found Scarlett. Marc had a squabble with her and because of the energy distress caused by Scarlett's lack of elemental control, Marc exploded like a volcano, setting a part of the city on fire. We had to leave immediately to avoid suspicion, and we took Scarlett with us."

Delaneira shook her head in disbelief but was captivated by Dom's story nonetheless.

"Marc had to save Scarlett from the fire and ran back into the inferno, when he returned to the clearing we chose to meet up at, carrying an unconscious Scarlett with him, he had inhaled too much smoke. Scarlett had to channel Wind to save Marc."

Dom faltered off as the two girls laughed loudly from their room upstairs. Delaneira inclined for Dom to continue.

"We left the clearing after three days, but the smoke had weakened Marc, and Scarlett and I were exhausted by taking care of him. We traveled a few miles out to an abandoned grove of a friend of mine. It was here did Marc use his dagger in one of the training to fight off Scarlett and me. Marc pushed Scarlett into a pond. She returned back as a hurricane, channeling Water and Wind simultaneously. The dagger curse made her stricken in anger. She almost killed Marc by drowning. I was...unconscious and was only able to save Marc at the last moment."

Delaneira cut Dom off with a raise of her hand. She took a few seconds to process everything and afterwards said,

"Let me get this straight. Scarlett and you paired off against Marc, who single-handedly knocked you out and almost defeated Scarlett, who was fuelled by Falcata's curse to almost kill Marc?" Delaneira asked.

Dom nodded, clearing his throat.

"And you didn't do anything to stop this curse? You know the spell very well Dom!" Countered Delaneira.

"I already told you, Delaneira. Marc had elbowed me in the face."

Delaneira clapped her hands to her head.

"Dom, this is crazy! I have no idea what hell you've been through, but you just said Marc lost his Metal element? I believe I didn't sense Metal in him...this is bad!"

Dom was startled to see Lady Delaneira so uneasy, but nodded, finding purchase in the conversation.

"The curse from Falcata caused two things. Marc lost his Metal, and it caused Scarlett to ignore my reasoning and run off the same day."

Delaneira was at a loss for words.

"That isn't it. Arcane unexpectedly trusted Scarlett enough to carry her miles ahead of us, in the direction of Middenheim. Marc felt Falcata and Arcane calling to him, so we wasted no time in catching up to Scarlett."

Delaneira motioned for Dom to continue speaking, listening to every word.

"The moment we caught up to her." Dom continued. "We found an Offbendi g**g of four, drinking and treating Scarlett brutally. Marc and I fought off the four Offbendi men, but not before they were able to call in another Crystal Offbendi, by the name of Ramon. Marc himself took on the Crystal bender and barely came out with his life. I believe Anentimos is working on unveiling the Great Halls again. And if Marc develops Sun abilities - which I think is very likely - he could be vital when it comes to finding the Great Halls of Andergard."

Delaneira scowled at the mentioning of Anentimos.

"Delaneira, you of all should know what it means if Anentimos emerges to power again. Without a Sun bender, we have no chance."

Delaneira's eyes flashed dangerously.

"I destroyed Anentimos myself, Dom! And even if there is a small chance that he rises again, there's no way even the Offbendi will welcome him in with open arms."