The Twin Mage

The following years weren't easy for Arthur and Morgan.

They were finally allowed to ask many questions, gradually filling in the gaps in their vocabulary and beginning to learn about their family and the strange new world they found themselves in. They discovered that they were living in a village called Brigadoon, which was part of the county of Lustria, it self a region within the Griffon Kingdom.

Their parents had only vague knowledge of the neighboring countries, knowing them by name but little else. They seemed uninterested in what lay beyond the village, and they didn't discuss it much. In their eyes, the king was almost a mythical figure, someone distant and legendary, while their faith and concerns were focused on Count Lark. He was the one who administered justice and collected taxes in the county, and he was a prominent figure in their lives, even attending the Brigadoon spring festival every year as the guest of honor.

Their parents never spoke to them about magic, wars, or history. Instead, they shared only tales that, even in this strange new world, could be dismissed as simple bedtime stories. These fables were filled with beautiful princesses, valiant heroes, and wicked tyrants, painting a picture of a world that seemed far removed from their own reality.

At least their family tree was straightforward. Elina and Apollo had married very young, even by village standards, when they were just sixteen. They lived on their father's farm, where the family was currently residing. Elina had become pregnant shortly after their marriage, giving birth to twins, Rena and Hades.

Elina had continued to have children every two years, meaning that Apollo and Elina were now 25 years old. Their eldest children, Rena and Hades, were 8 years old, followed by Trion, who was 6, Tista, who was 4, and then the youngest, Arthur and Morgan, who were 2 years old.

In fact, most of that information was leeched from their siblings' questions. Morgan and Arthur were mostly limited to a "what this? Why is that?" kind of question.

Spending more and more time with the rest of their family, their also discovered why despite his father owning such a nice farm with its own barn and henhouse they had so many problems putting food on the table.

Tista was born with a congenital condition that prevented her from doing any physical exertion and also made her prone to illness. Fast pacing was enough to leave her out of breath. She would cough from time to time, and when things were about to turn for the worse, the cough would become violent.

At that point, one of her parents would have to run to the village to let Nana visit and heal her. She could not really cure her, only alleviate the symptoms and return Tista to her natural state. While a check-up wasn't expensive, the treatment was. Also even if Apollo did go to pick her up and then brought Nana back home, it would still cost extra.

Doing a round trip menat her losing business, so she demanded compensation. It was the constant need for the healer to put such a strain on their budget. Morgan and Arthur felt very sorry for her despite not having spent much time with Tista, she was precious to the family.

Their delft helpless, cursing his inability to ever practice light and darkness magic light magic required a patient. Until they gained a solid grasp of how it works and what was the world's human anatomy, they would not dare to put anyone's health at risk.

Darkness magic was another story. They had fondly seen it once and no one in the family used it. The only time they had seen it in action, they had clearly felt the destructive power it held.

Arthur and Morgan could only live on, hoping to eventually get some training in magic while

enduring the madness he was getting used to calling family life. they had to be lively, but not too much. they had to be curious, but not too much.

they had to run around, but never get out of the door. their parents were never satisfied. If he tried to sit in a corner meditating, they would worry because he was too quiet or too lazy. If he tried to move around or help them, he would be scolded for getting in the way.

They refused to teach Arthur and Morganchore magic (that was the name of the lesser spells they used in their daily life) and prohibited Arthur and Morgan from learning them. Arthur and Morgan could not go outside without being accompanied by someone, they could not get near the fireplace, nor could they ask too many questions.

Everything was basically prohibited until they "grew up"

Their feud with Hades never responded, And they could clearly feel Trion's hostility on their brother's behalf. Clearly, Hades was for Trion what Rena was for Arthur and Morgan his role model.

Unlike Hades, Trion would not completely ignore them even when their parents were absent. Yet Morgan and Arthur could clearly see that every time their brother helped them, it was just to be polite. There was no kindness between them. Morgan and Arthur quickly started to ignore him in turn.